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Airbus’ “BLADE” laminar flow wing demonstrator makes first flight

Airbus’ “BLADE

Toulouse, September 26th, 2017 – Airbus’ A340 laminar-flow “BLADE” test demonstrator aircraft (A340-300 MSN001) has made its successful maiden flight for the EU-sponsored Clean Sky “Blade” project. The aircraft, dubbed “Flight Lab”, took off from the Tarbes aerodrome in southern France at local time 11:00, and after a series of successful tests it landed at Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse Blagnac. The overall flight time was 3hrs/38mins.

The BLADE project – which stands for “Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe” – is tasked with assessing the feasibility of introducing the technology for commercial aviation. It aims to improve aviation’s ecological footprint, bringing with it a 50% reduction of wing friction and up to five percent lower CO2 emission. Airbus’ A340 Flight Lab is the first test aircraft in the world to combine a transonic laminar wing profile with a true internal primary structure.

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On the outside the aircraft is fitted with two representative transonic laminar outer-wings, while inside the cabin a highly complex specialist flight-test-instrumentation (FTI) station has been installed. The extensive modifications to the A340-300 test-bed aircraft took place during the course of a 16-month working party in Tarbes, with the support of numerous industrial partners across Europe. Today’s first-flight marks the kick-off of the Blade flight-test campaign to explore the wing’s characteristics in flight.

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“We began by opening the flight envelope to check that the aircraft was handling correctly,” explains Airbus Flight-Test Engineer, Philippe Seve, who was on board the flight. “We achieved our objective to fly at the design Mach number, at a reasonable altitude and check everything was fine. We also checked that the FTI was working as expected, to identify further fine-tuning for the next flights.”

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In the run-up to the start of this flight-testing phase, a small team of 10 specially trained pilots, test engineers and flight test engineers had prepared for this milestone for several months, spending time in a simulator and familiarising themselves with the FTI systems to be installed on the Airbus flight-test aircraft. Moreover, on equipment installation side, a working party of 70 people performed the FTI installation inside the aircraft, while teams from Bremen, Germany and Broughton, UK worked externally on the outer wings, with a team from Stade Germany, installing a pod containing infrared cameras on the fin.

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Aviation

Aircraft Dismantling Adventure: The Ultimate Aircraft Simulation Game

Aircraft Dismantling Adventure: The Ultimate Aircraft Simulation Game

You may have already experienced flying virtual aircraft in computer games, which always provide an exhilarating experience, much like watching car races in video games. Now, a new company has launched a simulation game that allows players to dismantle aircraft.

This unique game is trending in the market. Players start at a scrapyard filled with various aircraft, and the game begins with dismantling them. Points are earned by completing tasks correctly.

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Explore the world’s largest airplane graveyard and discover a vast desert filled with wrecks. Hundreds of tons of steel and rusted electronics await you. Dismantle airplanes, earn money from scrap, and complete tasks for your employer! Cut, hit, dismantle, and assemble new airplanes while growing your business along the way.

Cut through airplane fuselages, dismantle frames, and search for valuable components, such as pilot cockpits, to complete tasks. Use lifts to access hard-to-reach parts of the airplanes.

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