Get the latest news on the Airbus A380
MSN007 (Emirates #6) has started it’s final flight testing, prior to next weeks delivery. Once delivered MSN007 will be the oldest A380 flying (In airline service).
Image Courtesy of Jan-Arwed Richter
BREAKING NEWS: Airbus to deliver only 11 A380s this year.
Airbus will deliver only 11 A380s this year as MSN040 (Air France) has been delayed into January. MSN040 would have been the 12th frame delivered this year but with its delay only 11 will be delivered. Airbus has already deliveredĀ 7 of the 11 scheduled and has four remaining frames to deliver to make the scheduled 11. With only 11 delivered Airbus will deliver one less then what they delivered last year.
The remaining framers are MSN007 and MSN023 for Emirates and MSN027 and MSN029 for Qantas.
This is the latest photograph of MSN040 taken in mid September
MSN025 (Emirates) has been rolled out of the outfitting hangars in Hamburg. This comes as a surprise as MSN025 is scheduled for delivery in Q1 2010 while MSN040 (Air France) is still yet to roll out but is scheduled for a 2009 delivery.
MSN007 (Refurbished for Emirates) will have it’s rejected take off test on Tuesday at 4PM local time.
Back in Toulouse, MSN030 (Emirates) is now back on the flightline after a three week stay in one of the flightline hangars. She is currently situated next to MSN042 (Emirates).
A380Spotter once again visited the Final Assembly Line and has given us a report from what he saw:
Post 30C:
MSN046 (Emirates) All four engines installed and with full Emirates tail . Wearing test registration F-WWAG. Roll out looked
imminent.
Post 30B:
MSN044 (Lufthansa) Right outboard engine installed and looking complete. Full Lufthansa tail with MC as tail ID. Wearing test registrationĀ F-WWSJ.
Post 30A:
MSN049 (Air France) could not see if engines were installed but looking almost complete.Ā Wearing test registration F-WWAL
Airbus is trying to keep MSN007 and MSN023 (Emirates) on track for a 2009 delivery but there has been some onboard system problems. The latest Airbus schedule still states a December delivery for both, But Airbus is fearing they might slip into 2010.
MSN027 (Qantas) has arrived back in Toulouse for a final check prior to delivery in mid December.
Our forum member UK380 has once again visited the Hamburg production line there are some interesting entries. Here is the list of MSN parts that were seen.
MSN035 (Korean Air) – Center Fuselage + Empannage
MSN039 (Korean Air) – Rear Fuselage
MSN055 (Qantas) – Center Fuselage
MSN058 (Singapore Airlines) – Empannage
MSN062 (Qantas) – Foward Nose
MSN064 (Air France) – Empannage
MSN065 (Singapore Airlines) – Empannage
MSN066 (Lufthansa) – Empannage
MSN069 (Lufthansa) – Empannage
MSN070 (Lufthansa) Empannage
MSN071 (Singapore Airlines) – Empannage
MSN072 (Lufthansa) Empannage
In other Hamburg news, MSN040 (Air France) still has not come out of the hangars but should at the start of next week.
Image Courtesty of Irvine-
Well another A380 has rolled out of the Outfitting hangers in Hamburg. This time it is MSN027 for Qantas. This makes it the third roll out this week (MSN007 and MSN023 Being the Previous). This only leaves MSN029 (Qantas) and MSN040 (Air France) the only remaining scheduled 2009 delivery aircraft to roll out.
Well as MSN007 (Emirates) rolls out of the Outfitting hangers, MSN023 (Emirates) has also rolled out. Both MSN007 and MSN023 are scheduled for delivery in mid December. You can see them both in the picture below.
There have been some rumors that MSN027 and MSN029 have been delayed until February. We cannot confirm or deny this but we are still thinking a 2009 delivery.
Emirates confirmed today that MSN023 (7th A380) will be delivered on December 21st. A week after there 6th A380 (MSN007) will be delivered.
Well we can now glady confirm that MSN007 (Emirates) the refurbished flight test aircraft is now on the flightline and is preparing for delivery on December 12th.
Also MSN009 (Emirates) is back on the flightline minus its Airbus titles. It will now probably go back into the paint show for a full Emirates paint.
All Images are Courtesy of Wilco737 (http://www.wilco737.de/)
Well its getting to the last deliveries of 2009 and it is going to be very busy. We have delivery of MSN007, MSN023, MSN025 (Emirates – Still Unsure), MSN027, MSN029 (Qantas) and MSN040 (Air France). MSN007 and MSN027 in the last few days have been sending ACARS messages but we are still to confirm if they are on the flightline. The rest of them will have to be put on the flightline very soon. So spotters in Hamburg will be very happy.
We are unsure if MSN007 will be the first to be delivered but it is the only one with a confirmed date.
MSN027 and MSN029 will be ferried to Toulouse for delivery and the rest will be delivered from Hamburg.
Back in Toulouse, and it has been looking the same for over three weeks now with MSN030 (Emirates) the only one on the flightline. This is a first for a longtime on the A380 flightline with only one production frame there. We have all been waiting for the roll out of MSN041 (Lufthansa) and MSN046 (Emirates) but yet no movement. But there dates for first flight (Mid December) have not changed for a while. We have feared they will be moved into 2010 like MSN030.
MSN023 (Emirates #7) has started final flight testing prior to delivery on the 22nd December.