Flight development of the European Airbus Available to Purchase

IF AIRBUS INDUSTRIE'S A300B continues its present rate of progress with its flight‐test programme, as scheduled it will undoubtedly become remarkable among modern prototypes for the speed of development. In the two months following its first flight on 28th October, 1972, the first A300B spent more than 100 hours in the air, including 62 in December alone. During that time, in the course of just over 30 sorties, it covered all but the top end of its flight envelope; completed stalls in all configurations at extreme CG positions, including preliminary stall clearance by the official CEV test crew; demonstrated cruise and low‐speed single‐engine performance within plus or minus one per cent of the design specification; achieved initial flutter clearance; and proved generally very easy and pleasant to fly.