Qantas Project Sunrise goes ahead, 12 new A350-1000s ordered

[Aussie_flyer]

Interesting. At the point of touchdown on the live stream (+/- few seconds), FlightAware showed

View attachment 516245

While FR24 showed

View attachment 516244



Good footage - but sound not required!

Well he actually did stop talking during the landing

 

[mjt57]

The average PAX will be about 100W ea, not including farts. Now there’s a test case! Do they have “scrubbers” to clean the air of methane?

And other bodily emissions...

 

[Melburnian1]

Don’t think LHR is an hour further. SYD-LHR is only ~80 miles further than TLS-MEL. Also far more likely to take a more northerly route akin to the route that QF1/2 takes (at least from India to LHR), which is a long way north of Saudi airspace.

The manufacturer and airline are free to test new aircraft wherever they like.

However surely a LHR-SYD return trip would be a truer test.

 

[Cloud9]

The manufacturer and airline are free to test new aircraft wherever they like.

However surely a LHR-SYD return trip would be a truer test.

Maybe they just wanted a decent coffee on landing, though...

 

[moa999]

Suspect it's the first of a multiple long distance test flights.

On great circle distances (per gcmap.com) there isn't much of a difference, though practically LHR routes have more of a diversion to avoid Russia.

TLS - MEL 10,494 mi
TLS - SYD 10,691 mi
LHR - MEL 10,503 mi (+7 mi)
LHR - SYD 10,573 mi (- 118 mi)

 

[dajop]

The manufacturer and airline are free to test new aircraft wherever they like.

However surely a LHR-SYD return trip would be a truer test.

Of course they are. I suspect there might be constraints with LHR getting access to landing and take off slots? I honestly don't know wrt one-offs.

But compare the flown distance for the test flight - 10937mi vs typical QF 1 flown distance (4000 mi + 7000 mi) - not much difference (especially considering QF1 probably has some extra mileage associated with takeoff and landing at SIN).

 

[dajop]

Suspect it's the first of a few test flights.

On great circle distances (per gcmap.com) there isn't much of a difference, though practically LHR routes have more of a diversion to avoid Russia.

Looking at the actual flown distance the TLS-MEL diversion to avoid Iran is probably similar to the LHR-SYD diversion to avoid Russia.

 

[Quickstatus]

LHR - SYD 10,573 mi (- 118 mi)

I wonder if it is better to use Nautical miles (Nm) - at least that is the common unit of distance in aviation.

 

[serfty]

nautical miles?

9188nm

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

 

[Quickstatus]

9188nm

I just wonder if we should just use Nm as a default? per previous post

 

[dajop]

I just wonder if we should just use Nm as a default? per previous post

But this is a FF forum not an avgeek forum. The distance most commonly used in FF programs is statute miles. In any event it takes about 2-3 secs to convert.

 

[Cloud9]

But this is a FF forum not an avgeek forum. The distance most commonly used in FF programs is statute miles. In any event it takes about 2-3 secs to convert.

You mean distances aren't measured in SC!?

My mind is imploding.

 

[elanshin]

You mean distances aren't measured in SC!?

My mind is imploding.

SC breakpoints are based on miles. So FF care about statute miles too

 

[Cloud9]

SC breakpoints are based on miles. So FF care about statute miles too

Truesay. Truesay.

 

[serfty]

Distance between TLS & MEL in Parsecs

 

[pauldab]

FWIW I was arriving this morning on NZ121 immediately behind the QF A350-1000LR and got to say it was a nice surprise seeing this aircraft in the raw on the taxiway as we landed.

Would not be surprised if it goes to the jet base rather than the terminal

Pulled into T2 Gate 9 so a good view for those in the QF F Lounge and others waiting in the terminal.

 

[Saab34]

Good footage - but sound not required!

It would be nice watching that stream without the rolling commentary. Just footage and ATC is enough, can’t stand the people who run the commentary on it.

 

[Quickstatus]

The distance most commonly used in FF programs is statute miles

Not on actual miles travelled.
In any case I'll stick with Nm

.......

However surely a LHR-SYD return trip would be a truer test.

I dont think necessary because in 2002 an A330-200 was delivered on the exact same route non stop.
This test apart from the marketing factor was really to test the functionality of the additional centre fuel tank and other aircraft functions and parameters rather than range.

The range is not the issue - If an A330-200 can make the distance then the A350-1000ULR can.
It will be the usual variables such as actual routing, temperatures at the departing airport, weather enroute/ head or tailwinds weather at destination, availability of diversion airports that will determine the payload (self loading + otherwise) that can be loaded to make the distance on any particular flight.

Per Great circle map
While the GC distance is 9188nm, the approximate SYD-LHR route avoiding the ME and Russia would be
SYD-SIN-KBL-GYD-OTP-LHR = 9382nm .

The TLS-MEL flight's actual distance was 9503nm compared with TLS-MEL GC distance of 9119nm

 

[dajop]

Not on actual miles travelled.
In any case I'll stick with Nm

.......

My trouble, as a non-avgeek I have no sense of a nautical mile. I know MEL-SYD is about 440 mi, SYD-SIN about 3900 mi, PER-MEL about 1700 mi, SIN-JFK about 9500 mi without looking these up. Learnt through years of accumulating miles

 

[markis10]

The range is not the issue - If an A330-200 can make the distance then the A350-1000ULR can.
It will be the usual variables such as actual routing, temperatures at the departing airport, weather enroute/ head or tailwinds weather at destination, availability of diversion airports that will determine the payload (self loading + otherwise) that can be loaded to make the distance on any particular flight.

It is an issue when you take payload into equation, for a 2009 A332



Ferry flights normally have zero payload effectively

Airbus have not published a chart for the A350 but considering this flight flew with a simulated full cabin, full load the ULR is believed to have 1000nm extra range