Flight testing heating up for A350 in the UAE desert

The Airbus' A350 XWB may not now be heading for Emirates following the cancellation of its order last week – but the aircraft was still turning heads in the United Arab Emirates this week as the flight test aircraft (MSN3) completed its hot weather testing in Al Ain.
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The objective of the tests is to check the behaviour of the engines and aircraft systems at temperatures reaching above 40°C.
The aircraft performed several tests in flight as well as on the ground, including heat soak tests. These involve the airplane being left on the ground and in the sun for several hours and checks later performed on various cooling systems.
The A350 XWB is getting closer to certification in Q3 2014. To date it has performed more than 2,000 flight test hours in over 460 test flights. The programme is on track to deliver the first customer aircraft in Q4 this year to neighbouring Qatar Airways.

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