The Rolls-Royce Trent 900-powered A380 prototype departs from Toulouse Blagnac's 3,500m (11,483ft) runway 32L for its historic 27 April first flight. A light northerly wind allowed the aircraft to depart away from Toulouse city centre, considered a non-negotiable requirement. Water-ballasted to a take-off weight of 421t (927,000lb), against the 560t maximum, it was still the heaviest-ever first flight of a commercial airliner. Within "a few weeks" the A380 will be flown at up to 520t. After take-off, the aircraft flew out of sight in a long, straight path before captain Jacques Rosay retracted the landing gear, slats and flaps at around 10,000ft. An Airbus source says that on the earlier A340-600's first flight the pilot had realised on rotation that the aircraft handled noticeably differently from the simulation – but early indications on the A380 flight were that the qualities were much closer to the simulation.
Source: Flight International
