Archive for the ‘MSN046’ Category

A380 Production Update: March 2010 (#1)

2010, 2011, Air France, China Southern, Convoy, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Korean Air, Lufthansa, MSN002, MSN009, MSN028, MSN030, MSN031, MSN035, MSN038, MSN041, MSN042, MSN043, MSN044, MSN046, MSN047, MSN048, MSN049, MSN050, MSN051, MSN052, MSN055, MSN056, MSN057, MSN058, MSN061, MSN062, MSN065, MSN066, MSN069, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Mar 01 2010

March is here (Already) so we thought it would be a good idea to give you an overview of the current production line. So here it is…

Toulouse Production:
MSN002 (Private) – Currently in Refitting Hangar.
MSN042 (Emirates #13) – In Second Second Stage of Final Assembly and is Scheduled to Be Rolled Out in late March.
MSN047 (Qantas #7) – Engines Have Been Re Installed and Should Roll Out this week.
MSN048 (Lufthansa #4) – Completed and will be Rolled Out this week.
MSN050 (Qantas #8) – Being Stored in a Flightline Hangar until May.
MSN052 (Air France #5) – Completed and will be Rolled Out this week.
MSN055 (Qantas #9) – First Stage of Final Assembly. Parts of Final Assembly Will be done in a Flightline Hangar.
MSN056 (Emirates #14) – Second Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN057 (Emirates #15) – Waiting for slot in Second Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN058 (Singapore Airlines #12) – Waiting for Slot in First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN061 (Lufthansa #5) – First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN062 (Qantas #10) – First Stage of Final Assembly.
MSN065 (Singapore Airlines #13) – Body Join has Begun and is Scheduled to take 10 days.

Hamburg Production:
MSN009 (Emirates #9) – Delivery Scheduled for May.
MSN028 (Emirates #10) – Delivery Scheduled for June.
MSN030 (Emirates #11) – Delivery Scheduled for July.
MSN038 (Lufthansa #1) – Delivery Scheduled for 10th May.
MSN041 (Lufthansa #2) – Delivery Scheduled for June.
MSN043 (Air France #3) – Delivery Scheduled for April.
MSN044 (Lufthansa #3) – Delivery Scheduled for Q3 2010.
MSN046 (Emirates #12) – Delivery Scheduled for August.
MSN049 (AIr France #4) – Delivery Scheduled for Q3 2010,
MSN051 (Singapore Airlines #11) – Delivery Scheduled for Late March.

Convoy’s:
The next new frames to be Convoyed to Toulouse are scheduled to be.
MSN031 (China Southern #1)
MSN066 (Lufthansa #6)
MSN069 (Lufthansa #7)
MSN035 (Korean Air #1)

First Stage of Final Assembly = Installation of Electronic Components that Control the Aircraft and Installation of Fuel Tanks.

Second Stage of Final Assembly = Installation of Engines, Belly Fairing and all other Facilities in and outside the Aircraft.

Roll Out = Moved from the Final Assembly Line to the Flightline.

A380 Production Update: February 2010 (#7)

2010, Air France, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN030, MSN041, MSN042, MSN044, MSN046, MSN047, MSN048, MSN049, MSN050, MSN052, MSN056, MSN057, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Feb 15 2010

MSN057 (Emirates #15) has finished it’s first part of Final Assembly which included having The flaps installed, Some Belly Fairing, the APU and many “Under the Hood” parts.

MSN057 is currently sitting on the flightline waiting to switch spaces with MSN048 (Lufthansa #4). MSN048 should be rolled out of the Final Assembly Line late this week.

The final parts for MSN057 arrived in Toulouse on the 12th November and has only taken 92 days to get to this stage. This is a dramatic increase in time for Body Join and the first stages of Final Assembly.

This also means the production in Toulouse is speeding up but over in Hamburg, Outfitting is staying very much the same.

We expect by late April that MSN042 (Emirates), MSN047 (Qantas), MSN050 (Qantas), MSN052 (Air France) and possibly MSN056 (Emirates) to be completed.

But at the same time all the Outfitting slots in Hamburg will be already be occupied by…

MSN030 (Emirates), MSN041 (Lufthansa), MSN044 (Lufthansa), MSN046 (Emirates) MSN048 (Lufthansa) and MSN049 (Air France).

This means that Outfitting must be dramatically increased to get the twenty odd scheduled A380s for 2010 delivery to actually being delivered this year.

A380 Production Update: February 2010 (#3)

2010, Convoy, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN038, MSN046, MSN065, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Feb 06 2010

MSN038 (Lufthansa #1) has finally finished in the paint hangar. MSN038 will now be involved in Cabin test flights with delivery to Lufthansa on May 10th.

MSN046 (Emirates #12) was transfered to Hamburg on the 5th February. Emirates is hoping that MSN046 will be delivered in August 2010.

Convoy #3/2010 has been announced and is scheduled to arrive in Toulouse on the 18th February. Convoy #3 will contain a complete frame. All parts other then the forward fuselage will be for MSN065 (Singapore Airlines #13).

Lufthansa Image Courtesy of spiegel.de

A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#13)

2010, Emirates, First Flight, MSN046, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Jan 30 2010

MSN046 (Emirates #12) has made it’s first flight from Toulouse, France. MSN046 is scheduled for delivery with Emirates in August 2010.

January marked the first time that three A380s made there firsts flights in the same month. So it looks like Airbus is picking up the pace.

Emirates announced this week that by early April the airline will be using the A380 on one of it’s three daily services to Melbourne, Australia.

Two airlines already fly the A380 to Melbourne (Singapore Airlines – Daily, Qantas – 5 weekly – Increasing to daily by the end of 2010) and now with Emirates starting up flights this puts Melbourne in the same place as Sydney (In terms of A380 flights).

Image Courtesy of David Barrie

A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#11)

2010, Air France, Emirates, First Flight, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN041, MSN044, MSN046, MSN049, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Jan 25 2010

MSN046 (Emirates #12) has begun taxi tests and should make her first flight this week. She will be the second A380 transfered to Hamburg this week. The other being MSN041 for Lufthansa.

MSN044 (Lufthansa #3) is the next A380 to fly. If all goes to plan 044 should fly around the 8th February. MSN049 (Air France #4) is currently having the final escape slides installed. After being installed she will be moved to the engine test bay.

MSN049 (Image Courtesty of A380Spotter)

A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#6)

2009, Convoy, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Korean Air, MSN009, MSN025, MSN028, MSN030, MSN042, MSN046, MSN056, MSN057, MSN058, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Jan 14 2010

Emirates have announced there A380 delivery schedule for 2010 and they will get eight A380s this year. They will be…

MSN025 – A6-EDH – 18 January 2010
MSN009 – A6-EDI – May 2010
MSN028 – A6-EDJ – June 2010
MSN030 – A6-EDK – July 2010
MSN046 – A6-EDL – August 2010
MSN042 – A6-EDM – September 2010
MSN056 – A6-EDN – October 2010
MSN057 – A6-EDO – November 2010

With the arrival of MSN058 (Singapore Airlines), Korean Airs first A380 (MSN035) is pushed back for a delivery to Q2 of 2011.

A380 Production Update: January 2010 (#3)

2010, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, First Flight, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN025, MSN029, MSN030, MSN044, MSN046, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by FabienA380
Jan 10 2010

MSN029 Qantas #6 has finally been delivered to Qantas on Friday 08/01/2010 but will eventually take off from TLS to SYD on Sunday at around 1pm local time. MSN 029 is the 24th A380 delivered, here is she taxiing in TLS last December.

The next A380 to be delivered will be MSN025 Emirates #8 next Friday, it will be by coincidence the 25th A380 delivered. MSN025 is still currently operating Flight Testings in XFW.

MSN061 Lufthansa #5 has now finished Body Join and is awaiting a spot in the Final Assembly Line, MSN055 Qantas #10 has taken place into the Body Join tool.

Unfortunately we still don’t have any picture of MSN044 Lufthansa #3 lately rolled out, as soon as we find any we will post it.

Another picture here of MSN030 Emirates #11 commencing her taxi tests. As mentionned by Oliver, MSN030 should fly within two weeks and should be closely followed by MSN046 Emirates #12.

We are also much expecting Airbus’ Annual Press Conference 2010 which will be held on Tuesday (12/01/2010), and will provide details on activities, prospects of the compagny in 2010. We should get precious pieces of information about production of A380s in 2010.

Images are Copyright and Courtesy of Terence Li and Clement R.

A380 Production Update: December 2009 (#20)

2009, 2010, Convoy, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Korean Air, Lufthansa, MSN029, MSN030, MSN035, MSN041, MSN046, MSN058, MSN062, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Dec 28 2009

MSN030 (Emirates #11) will start taxi tests within the next few days. In the photo below you can see that MSN030 has very little scaffolding around which usually means engine and taxi tests are imminent.

MSN046 (Emirates #12) also has little scaffolding around it and will start it’s taxi tests in the first or second week of January. As we mentioned earlier MSN041 (Lufthansa #2) has purple sheets around it’s engines, unlike MSN046. Which could easily mean that MSN046 will fly ahead of MSN041 even though it left Final Assembly later.


MSN029 (Qantas #6) will be delivered today and will arrive in Australia on the 1st of January.

The first convoy for 2010 has been announced. It will contain the remain pieces of MSN062 (Qantas #10) and a new MSN. This will have to be either MSN035 (Korean Air #1) or MSN058 (Singapore Airlines #12). I know we have said this for the last few Convoys. But we are certain that it will be one of these two.

All Images are Copyright and Courtesy of A380Spotter

A380 Production Update: December 2009 (#19)

2009, 2010, Air France, Emirates, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN023, MSN029, MSN041, MSN046, MSN052, Qantas, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Dec 24 2009

One of our trusty forums members has visited Toulouse and has come up with some great photos and news.

MSN052 (Air France #5) has been moved finally into the Final Assembly Line after lengthy stay on the flightline. She is currently situated in Station 30B.

MSN041 (Lufthansa #2) has now purple sheets covering the whole engines. This leads us to think that MSN041 will be spending more time on the flightline.

We also have the first shot of MSN046 (Emirates #12).

MSN023 (Emirates #7) was delivered to the airline on December 22nd. MSN023 is the 23rd A380 delivered. MSN029 (Qantas #6) is scheduled to be delivered on December 27th.

Images are Copyright and Courtesy of FabienA380.

This wraps up A380 Movements before Christmas. Our first after Christmas should be Boxing Day.

A380 Production Update: December 2009 (#13)

2009, 2010, Air France, Emirates, Final Assembly Hall, Hamburg, Lufthansa, MSN025, MSN044, MSN046, MSN048, MSN049, Toulouse | Posted by Oliver Gigacz
Dec 14 2009

MSN046 (Emirates #12) has been rolled out the Final Assembly Line in Toulouse with engines attached and almost ready to fly with just a few more touches needed before first flighht in early January.

This now leaves three slots free in the Final Assembly Line. Which are MSN044 (Lufthansa #3), MSN048 (Lufthansa #4) and MSN049 (Air France #4). Two A380s waiting for Final Assembly are also on the flightline MSN042 (Emirates #13) and MSN052 (Air France #5). They should be moved back into Final Assembly before Christmas. We have now confirmed why they are on the flightline and not put instantly into Final Assembly. We have sourced that Airbus is upgrading the tools in the Final Assembly to apply some basic outfitting parts to ease the stress on Hamburg.

Emirates confirmed this week that MSN025 (#8) will be delivered on the 15th January 2010.

No interesting pictures this week. So here is one of MSN027 (Qantas #5) on the test flight.