Airbus’ C295 Flight Test Bed 2 takes to the skies for the first time.

The Airbus C295 Flight Test Bed 2 (FTB2) has completed its first fly safely.The aircraft will now embark on a flight program to experience the new semi-morphing wing, a new inexpensive flight control system, and a SatCom antenna implanted inside the fuselage. The technologies that will be used in CS2’s future regional multimission aircraft are being evaluated

New materials and technology are used in the improvements to reduce noise, CO2, and NOx emissions. In a typical Search and Rescue mission of 400 nautical miles, using these technologies in a future conditions multimission configuration, up to 43% CO2 and 70% NOx savings, as well as 45 percent less noise during take-off, can be realised.

“After the successful integration of the new aero structures, power-on, and ground tests, the first flight of the C295 FTB2 is a critical milestone that represents an important step ahead in the programme. This programme was once only a pipe dream for a more sustainable aviation future. We’ve finally made it fly,” stated Francisco Javier Sánchez Segura, Executive Vice President Engineering of Airbus Defense and Space.

A redesigned high-efficiency semi-morphing wing, new dynamic winglets, and a flat panel SATCOM antenna built into the top of the fuselage are the aircraft’s principal upgrades. Innovative flight controls for primary control surfaces, including as ailerons, flaps, and flap tabs with improved aerodynamics, can also be adjusted in flight, contributing to a more efficient high lift system.

As an outcome, the C295 FTB2 improves not just the aircraft’s purely quantitative features, but also the design and production process.