The successful initial airborne maneuvers of Airbus A350 experimental test pilots Peter Chandler and Guy Magrin elicited immense relief and joy in Toulouse June 14. But the A350's first flight just three days ahead of this year's Paris air show also may well mark the end of an important chapter in aviation history. The new Airbus long-haul aircraft, along with the Bombardier CSeries, are likely to be the last all-new, large commercial aircraft from Western manufacturers in a very long time. While Airbus and Boeing will be busy with development programs for many years to come, they are focusing on derivatives such as the Boeing 787-10 launched last week, either having just delivered an all-new aircraft (the 787) or flight-testing one (the A350). The next all-new Western jet could be as much as two decades away, as the two airframers assemble their commercially successful A320NEO and Boeing 737 MAX offerings into the 2030s and work on further upgrades or stretches of the A350, 787 and 777.
展开▼
