Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
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CSeries completes high speed test; Weather remains the variable for first flight
The Bombardier CSeries completed the high speed taxi tests this morning. This means the first flight should be just days away, weather depending—and the forecast is iffy.
Bombardier tells us they “need” a clear, dry, calm day. Plans are to fly early in the morning–whatever day it turns out to be–because winds are calmer then than later in the day at Mirabel Airport north of Montreal.
The Boeing 787 first flight was on a rainy day. This Boeing-made video shows the weather conditions, with a wet runway and gloomy skies.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuvM8TQ4zZc&w=420&h=315]The 787 first flight was cut short due to rain moving in around Boeing Field and by the time the 787 landed, rain was falling.
Bombardier needs better conditions. We’ve asked whether this is by company policy or due to Canadian regulations; we’ll update when we have an answer.
But excitement is building. BBD tells us that people have lined the runway watching the taxi tests and plane-spotting in anticipation for the first flight.
Actually Bombardier did not complete the high speed taxi tests. The session was interrupted this morning because of the high velocity of the prevailing winds. And it doesn’t look any better for this afternoon. As to the rest of the weekend the conditions will probably not be there for a first flight even if the high speed taxi tests were completed by then.
Well, this must be pretty local bad wheather because 50 km away from Mirabel with have CAVOK condition, all bluesky though a bit chilly this morning.
It’s all blue sky in Mirabel as well and it has been like this for most of the day. But it is very windy. The winds may calm down later on but the weather is uncertain for the weekend. Monday looks better.
High speed run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM3bmtQ1Heg
First flight might not take place before Tuesday according to the National Post. More details can be found in the following article.
http://business.financialpost.com/2013/09/06/bombardier-preps-cseries-maiden-flight/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FP_TopStories+Financial+Post+-+Top+Stories
It likely has as much to do with first flight photography as anything else.
Naaah, it was high-speed low-speed testing this time… 😉
“The Boeing 787 first flight was on a rainy day. This Boeing-made video shows the weather conditions, with a wet runway and gloomy skies.”
We are talking December in Seattle here. If Boeing were to wait for the same conditions as they prefer in Montreal, they would have to wait for June!!
OF course if Montreal delays into November, they risk ice and snow problems.