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April 11, 2014 - The new Airbus A350 XWB has
made its first ever landing on British soil,
visiting Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire as
part of routine certification tests.
The aircraft, MSN3, was flown by London-born
experimental test pilot, Frank Chapman, and is
one of the four A350 test aircraft currently
flying and undergoing rigorous testing in
preparation for the A350’s certification and
entry into service later this year.
In total the A350 XWB flight test campaign will
accumulate around 2,500 flight hours with the
fleet of five aircraft.
Captain Chapman said “The A350 XWB has
significant UK input, as the wings and fuel
systems are designed at the Airbus facilities in
Filton, Bristol and assembled at the company’s
Broughton plant in North Wales while the engines
are made by Rolls-Royce in Derby and the landing
gear by Messier-Bugatti-Dowty in
Gloucestershire.”
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