Wednesday 26/03/2008

My latest log from Airbus HQ, this time with wheels and back-to-back tours of Clement Ader (A330/340) and JL Lagardere (A380) to keep us out of the rain all afternoon.

The usual disclaimers apply: Brackets indicate assumed reg. from previous intelligence. No brackets = positive sighting. All times are French local.

All frames parked-up all day, unless noted.

Toulouse: Blagnac – Wednesday 26/03/2008 (10:00 – 21:40Z)

AIRBUS PLANT

A300

238 300B4-203 F-WUAB Parked outside A300 hall in prototype colours.

655/1 300-608ST F-GSTA Parked in unpack hangar disgorging the rear section of future A340-642X MSN0924.
751/2 300-608ST F-GSTB Not seen.
765/3 300-608ST F-GSTC
776/4 300-608ST F-GSTD
796/5 300-608ST F-GSTF All white.

A320 family

0001 320-211 F-WWBA House. Not seen.

659 320-232 (F-WWDB) Basic (old) ex-Niki colours with DLR logo on tail. Parked rear of main 320 apron.

3440 320-214 F-WWDZ Shenzhen Airlines, full colours. Ziegler Delivery Centre (terminal-side). Performed customer acceptance flight 10:35. Test-reg removed late afternoon to reveal B-6357 and towed into Ziegler DC hangar.

MSN3440 B-6357 under town into the Ziegler DC hangar.

3446 320-214 F-WWIT S7 Airlines, full colours. Ziegler Delivery Centre (rear). Performed customer acceptance flight at 10:50. Test-reg removed late afternoon to reveal VP-BCZ and towed into Ziegler DC hangar.

MSN3446 VP-BCZ under tow into the Ziegler DC hangar.

3451 320-232 N706JB JetBlue, full colours. Ziegler Delivery Centre (rear). Parked all day.

3453 320-232 VT-INR IndiGo, full colours. Ziegler Delivery Centre (terminal-side). Parked all day.

3455 320-214 F-WWBH Philippines, full colours. Parked main 320 apron until early evening when towed to stand at rear of Ziegler Delivery Centre.

3468 320-232 F-WWBO British Airways, full colours. Parked main 320 apron and seen returning from test flight at 16:55.

3473 320-214 F-WWBY S7 Airlines, full colours. Parked main 320 apron and performed test flight including missed approach at 17:20, landing back at 17:35.

3474 320-232 (F-WWxx) Jetstar, full colours. Parked main 320 apron, positioning to Station Carburant late morning.

3476 320-214 F-WWDG Air Arabia, full colours. Parked Station Carburant until mid-afternoon when it positioned to the main 320 apron.

3477 320-214 (F-WWxx) Air Asia, full colours. Seen inside finishing hangar with engines nearby awaiting fitting.

3478 320-232 F-WWDI Aegean Airlines, full colours. Parked at Station Carburant all day.

3480 320-214 F-WWDK Nouvelair, full colours. ‘NO’ fin i.d. = TS-INO. Rolled out of paint hangar mid-afternoon and positioned to Station Carburant (swapping places with MSN3476).

Bits and pieces:

3497 320-232 Believed destined for IndiGo. Front and rear sections plus wingset in Plat-forme Logistique storage shed.

3499 320-232 Believed destined for British Airways. Front section in Plat-forme Logistique storage shed.

A330/340

0001 340-311 F-WWAI House. Towed to main flight test apron mid-morning and parked, engine covers on.
0360 340-642 F-WWCA House. Not seen.

886 340-542 F-WWTG Kingfisher Airlines, full colours. Front (terminal-side) of l’aubrevouir. Parked all day.

891 330-223 F-WWYO Kingfisher Airlines, full colours. Engineless. Parked by Beluga area. Stored with reflective panels inside cockpit to keep the sun out.

897 340-642 F-WWTI Lufthansa, full colours. ‘HV’ fin id = D-AIHV. Ziegler Delivery Centre (terminal-side). Towed into DC hangar at 17:30.

902 340-542 F-WWTJ Kingfisher Airlines, full colours apart from tail logo. ‘VJC’ on nosewheel door. Complete with engines. Parked outside C. Ader production hall.

911 330-223 F-WWYA Air Berlin, basic new colours – no titles. Towed to BIKINI for engine runs at 10:00. Departed on test flight at 18:15, landing back at 18:40.

912 340-542 (no test reg applied). Primer with solid red Kingfisher Airlines (no logo) tail. Engineless. Towed from main apron into general finishing hangar at 10:30.

914 330-202 F-WWYL TAP Air Portugal, full colours. Ziegler Delivery Centre (terminal-side). Parked all day.

915 330-342 F-WWYN Cathay Pacific, full colours. Rear of l’aubrevouir. Performed test flight departing at 14:40 and landing back at 14:55.

916 330-243 F-WWYP China Eastern, full colours. Front (terminal-side) of l’aubrevouir. Parked all day.

918 330-302 F-WWYQ Qatar Airways, full colours. Front (terminal-side) of l’aubrevouir. Departed on test flight at 11:00, and noted back on stand by 12:05.

919 330-243 B-6089 Hainan Airlines glimpsed in paint hangar from tour bus. Test reg not yet re-applied?

(923) 330-202 ‘VT-JW’ (carried on both sides of aircraft) Jet Airways, full colours. ‘W’ incomplete nosewheel id. Fresh out of paint hall with no test reg applied or MSN on base of fin on either side i.e. no line number visible. Seen on production line in February 2008 wearing F-WWYZ. Engineless. Parked outside main C. Ader production hall.

927 330-223 F-WWKE Primer with solid red Kingfisher Airlines (no logo) tail. Engineless. Parked outside C. Ader production hall.

928 330-343E F-WWKJ Primer with full China Eastern tail. Engineless. Parked outside C. Ader production hall until mid-afternoon when towed to general finishing hangars and parked (outside).

930 330-243 F-WWKS Primer with (standard) Air China tail. Engineless. Parked outside C. Ader production hall.

931 330-202 Test reg. – if applied – was not visible due to equipment. Primer with Air Europa tail. On production line. Poste D.

932 330-202 F-WWVK Presumably a typo for F-WWYK? Primer with (full) Jet Airways tail in process of being attached. On production line. Poste 36/37.

934 330-202 F-WWKZ Primer with (full) TAP Air Portugal tail. On production line. Poste B.

935 330-343E Test reg. – if applied – was not visible due to equipment. Primer with (full) China Southern tail. On production line. Poste 35B.

940 330-202 F-WWKL Primer with (new) Qantas tail colours. No fin i.d. On production line. Poste A.

Bits and pieces:

924 340-642X Rear section seen being unloaded from Beluga #1 in unpack hangar. Believed to be destined for Jordanian Gvmt as VIP aircraft.

938 340-313E Centre section (wingbox) on trolley awaiting its turn in the wing mating jig. Believed to be destined for Finnair.

939 330-202 (complete) full primer tail seen behind MSN932 on production line. Believed to be destined for Jet Airways.

A380

001 380-841 F-WWOW Airbus House colours. 380 development flightline. Departed at 12:00.
002 380-841 F-WXXL Airbus House colours. Open air storage on Lagardere plant flight line.

004 380-841 F-WWDD All white. Not seen.
007 380-841 F-WWJB Airbus House colours. Not seen, believed to be hangared for rework.

009 380-861 F-WWEA Airbus House colours. 380 development flightline. Departed on test flight 14:30, landing back at 15:50.
013 380-861 F-WWSJ Standard (green) primer with full Emirates tail and engine colours. Parked 380 production flight line.

015 380-841 (unmarked) Standard (green) primer with all white tail. Engineless. For Qantas as VH-OQB. In General finishing hall, visible from tour balcony. Poste 30B.

016 380-861 F-WWSM Pink (storage) primer with Emirates tail and engine colours. Bottom section of rudder solid white. Parked 380 production flight line.

019 380-841 (unmarked) Standard (green) primer with full Singapore Airlines tail colours. Engineless. Still parked in Ziegler DC hangar in unfinished state.

MSN019 (unmarked) and unfinished in Ziegler DC hangar.

020 380-861 (unmarked) Standard (green) primer with full Emirates tail colours. Engineless. In General finishing hall, visible from tour balcony. Poste 30C.

022 380-841 (unmarked) Standard (green) primer with solid white tail. Engineless. For Qantas as VH-OQC. In General finishing hall, visible from tour balcony. Poste 30A.

Bits and pieces:
5000 380-800 Static test specimen. Large chunks located in scrap yard near Museum with crushing equipment nearby.

(689) 42-500 ‘F-WW686′ AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines, full colours. No tail or engines. Towed early evening from Aero Technique Espace paint hanger to ATR plant. Note: MSN686 is an ATR72-212A current with Air Dolomiti as I-ADLJ!

(770) 72-212A (F-WWEI) Islas Airways, full (new) colours. Parked on old delivery centre stand (plant-side).

773 72-212A F-WWEL TRIP, all white – no titles. Parked on old delivery centre stand (terminal-side).

782 72-212A F-WWEX Kingfisher Airlines, full colours. Parked on old delivery centre stand (plant-side).

783 72-212A F-WWEB Finncomm Airlines, full colours. Parked on old delivery centre stand (terminal-side).

784 72-212A F-WWEC Cebu Pacific, full colours. Parked on old delivery centre stand (plant-side). Departed on test flight 14:15. Seen back on ground after we returned from the 380 tour at 18:15.

(785) 72-212A (F-WWEx) Air Deccan – Kingfisher ‘Simplify’ colours. Seen in illuminated open hangar as we rotated on our return leg to LGW.

Additional frames which could not be read off due to position were:

1. F-WWEx ATR72 All white? Seen in illuminated open hangar, alongside 785 after dark.

2. F-xxxx ATRx2 Air France (full c/s) by Airlinair. At rear of main Latecoere hangar.
3. Primer ATRx2 fuselage seen replacing the AKAL in the ATE hangar for painting. Only a glimpse was seen as doors closed to keep the rain out!

Latecoere

??? 42-300 F-WQNA all white. Parked outside on storage ramp. Complete.

195 72-201 EC-JNK Islas Airways, full old colours. Seen inside open hangar at lunchtime receiving attention to wing/body join. Towed out of main hangar late afternoon to park on storage ramp. Complete.

411 72-202 SP-LFG EuroLOT, full colours. Seen inside open main hangar with wing/body fairing removed receiving attention.

446 72-212 EC-JRP Swift Air, basic colours (i.e. missing red stripe, and devoid of titles). Towed from direction of main terminal area to mid-plant late afternoon. Complete.

467 72-212 I-ATRS Alitalia Express, full (old) colours. Appeared on storage apron mid-afternoon. Complete.

Selected Visitors

D-APAA/APAB 319 PTG

D-ACKH CR9 CLH

D-AKNI 319 GWI ‘Hamburg Shopper’
D-ALIE E70 RUS

D-AOLT S20 OLT

EC-JHP 333 IWD opf XL France

EC-JCG CR2 ANE

EC-JKH EM2 SWT (ex-ESK c/s)

F-GFJH AT4 SEFA

F-GFUE 733 FPO

F-GIXD 733 FPO