Airbus has completed more back-to-back tests of the A380 and other aircraft types as it seeks to accumulate data on wake vortices to back up its effort to have the separation distances recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation reduced.
Airbus flight operations chief Claude Lelaie says that, in recent months, back-to-back tests of the A380 were carried out for take-off and the cruise phase against a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, as well as other Airbus types including an A318 and A340. The cruise tests also involved aircraft flying in trail at distances of up to 15nm (28km).
"In the cruise, we looked at how the vortices descended," says Lelaie. "From our data we can see no visual difference between the 747 and A380."
Lelaie says all the data has been presented to the ICAO working group and analysis is on-going, with a final conclusion expected by mid-November.
Source: Flight International
