TOULOUSE, France - On December 13th, Airbus' Toulouse facility workers waved goodbye to an Airbus A321XLR as it took to the skies for a 13-hour flight. The test flight marks a significant milestone for the aircraft as it proves its design for long-haul flying. This flight will demonstrate its capabilities and solidify its position as the next-generation fuel-efficient narrowbody long-haul airliner, Riley Pickett reports for Simple Flying. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
16 December 2022 - Pickett notes that "The long test flight conducted by Airbus started at approximately 07:00 UTC when the airplane left France's Toulouse–Blagnac Airport (TLS). The prototype Airbus A321XLR registered F-WXLR proceeded northwest over France until turning out over the ocean near the city of Nantes. Over the Atlantic Ocean, the pilots flew a pattern that spells out XLR on the flight tracker. After leaving their mark in the sky, the pilots returned to France and proceeded to the northwest."
Airbus is using this flight as a test flight to prove that the new aircraft is everything it says it is, Pickett says. The manufacturer is hoping to show the world the impressive capabilities of this aircraft and is thoroughly monitoring the airplane, checking for any flaws that might manifest on such a long flight. A representative for Airbus has told Simple Flying the following, "The flight is part of the usual testing campaign and has genuine technical objectives for the fuel systems testing and maturity."
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
