Airbus has completed ground vibration tests on the first A350F prototype in Toulouse, clearing a key structural-dynamics hurdle before the freighter’s first flight. The three-day campaign in June used shakers, control surface movements and accelerometers to check how the aircraft responds to vibration and to compare measured behaviour with digital models.
The test results matched theoretical predictions closely, and Airbus is now processing the data and refining its models ahead of the next phase of development. Ground vibration testing is one of the main gates before flight because it helps verify aeroelastic behaviour and reduces risk during the flight-test campaign.
The A350F is Airbus’s dedicated freighter version of the A350 family, aimed at the long-haul cargo market. Airbus still expects first flight later this year and entry into service in 2027, as the programme moves from ground validation toward certification testing.