A routine service test for an Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft on April 1 has ended with a surprising result. The aircraft, registered as A6-CJE, spent two years in storage and has recently been reactivated by the flag carrier of...
To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:
A routine service test for an Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft on April 1 has ended with a surprising result.
The aircraft, registered as A6-CJE, spent two years in storage and has recently been reactivated by the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. According to a source inside the company, the test was successful, with the jet reaching its maximum speed at the cruise altitude, as planned.
However, upon the completion of the test, the aircraft entered a shallow dive and started picking up speed, before breaking the sound barrier at approximately 10,000 meters (33,000 feet).
According to the source, the maximum speed the aircraft achieved was 650 knots (1,200 kilometers per hour), which is almost 70 knots (150 kilometers per hour) faster than the speed of sound at that altitude.
“We thought it is done for, we really did. But when it landed, we performed all the checks, and it turned out the plane was completely fine,” an employee of the company, who wishes to remain anonymous, told AeroTime.
Not only did the aircraft break the sound barrier, but it also maintained stable supersonic speed for over two minutes, before the engines started overheating. According to the source, only certain components sustained minor damage. For example, a drainage tube, which is used to discharge waste from the lavatory system, was clogged.
“Theoretically possible”
There have been previous instances of subsonic commercial airplanes breaking the sound barrier in a dive. The most prominent example occurred in 1961, when Douglas DC-8 maintained the speed of Mach 1.012 for 16 seconds in a dive. However, the DC-8 had much weaker engines than the A380, and thus could not sustain such speeds for longer periods of time, or in level flight.
AeroTime contacted Solomon Epstein, the deputy chief engineer at Airbus S.A.S Propulsion Systems Attachment department. Between 1995 and 2001 Epstein oversaw the selection and fitting of Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofan engines during the design phase of the Airbus A380.
“Theoretically it is possible. It would be extremely dangerous, but possible. I am not at all surprised they managed to pull it off,” Epstein commented when presented with the results of the testing.
The maximum theoretical thrust of the Trent 900 is almost 380 kN (kilonewtons), Epstein explained. During a routine take-off, the engine usually produces no more than 330 kN, while during cruise flight at high altitude, no more than 90 kN is needed.
The US Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) has awarded Boeing a $240 million contract to remanufacture five MH-47G Block…
LEAV Aviation has partnered with AirFi to introduce a new inflight entertainment, connectivity, and retail system from March 2025. The…
AAR CORP. has extended its exclusive Serviceable Engine Products agreement with FTAI Aviation Ltd. for the CFM56 used serviceable material…
Integrated and Reliable Data Distribution Systems for Naval Platforms Developed by HAVELSAN, the Platform Data Distribution System (PDDS) and Submarine…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has showcased the RobDozer, a remotely operated military bulldozer, during a demonstration in the United States…
HAVELSAN has signed a cooperation agreement with Egypt’s Kader Advanced Industrial Factory, affiliated with the Arab Organization for Industrialization, to…
Vojensky technicky ustav, s.p. (VTU), the Czech Republic’s military technical institute, has selected Exail to provide Advans inertial navigation systems…
ASELSAN will participate in LAAD 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1-4 April, as it seeks to strengthen its…
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has launched the second 3,200-ton frigate for the Philippine Navy. The vessel, named BRP Diego Silang,…
Japan Airlines (JAL) has confirmed an order for 17 Boeing 737-8 aircraft, expanding its 737 MAX backlog to 38 firm…
The USS Pinckney (DDG 91) has successfully completed Flight Test Other 40 (FTX-40), also known as Stellar Banshee, which evaluated…
DIMOS has expanded its pallet mover range for airport logistics, introducing two new models equipped with integrated scales and lift…
The first AH-64E Apache attack reconnaissance helicopter for the Australian Army has reached the final assembly stage at Boeing’s production…
Sentrycs has been selected to supply counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology for a national security project in Africa following a competitive evaluation…
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. has reported record financial results for 2024, with a 27% increase in sales, reaching $4.8…
Embraer will showcase high performance, multi-role aircraft as well as comprehensive solutions for air, land, sea, space, and cyber at…
Semi Conductor Devices (SCD), which develops and manufactures a range of cooled and uncooled infrared detectors and high-power laser diodes,…
Indra is coordinating the NG MIMA (Next Generation Military Integrated Modular Avionics) project, a European initiative aimed at developing a…
Boeing has reached a record high in its production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) seekers, delivering over 500 units in…
Exail has successfully delivered critical navigation equipment to the Finnish Navy, marking a major step forward in the Squadron 2020…
ZeroAvia has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by AFWERX to study the feasibility of integrating hydrogen…
RENK Group AG has announced a collaboration with NXP Semiconductors to enhance the digitalisation of its product portfolio. The partnership…
The organisers of Indo Aerospace 2024 Expo & Forum will visit the international airshow at Avalon Airport in Victoria, Australia,…
At the 2025 Airbus Summit, the company outlined its updated plans for future commercial aviation, including preparations for a next-generation…
The inter airport Southeast Asia (IASEA) 2025 has commenced at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, bringing together industry professionals, global solution…
A new European research project, PACIFIC (Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle),…
Airbus has introduced a pilot programme to trial a “Book and Claim” approach for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), aiming to…
Boeing has completed what is believed to be the first recorded flight test of multiple quantum sensors, demonstrating an aircraft’s…
CAE New Zealand has been awarded a contract by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) to provide maintenance and…
New Zealand’s Search and Rescue Services (SRSL) has ordered four Airbus H145 helicopters to support its emergency medical services (EMS)…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2025 GBP all rights reserved.