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First Flight For Airbus A330 Freighter

Posted by Robert Wall at 11/5/2009 12:07 PM CST

Airbus has now flown the first A330-200F freighter and confirmed that Etihad Crystal Cargo will take the first production model mid next year.

The A330-200F flew today (with its Pratt & Whitney engines; Rolls is the other engine supplier) from Toulouse for about four hours:

Airbus has been trying to make a big deal about the event, but as one other aerospace reporter I spoke to today put it: "it's just an A330 without windows."

I'm more intrigued by Airbus's new campaign to put ugly writing all over their aircraft (something also done on the A340 and A380). Although I'm struck by the word "profitable" on the A330-200F. That's quite remarkably given the first aircraft hasn't been delivered yet, or maybe there's some other "subtle" message shaping Toulouse is trying to engage in.

Meanwhile, Airbus will be working to certify the aircraft in March after around 180 flight test hours -- or 176 left to go.
To date, the aircraft maker has a order book of 67 units for the aircraft, with two more orders from Turkish in the works.

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Tags: tw99, A330, Freighter, Airbus

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