Airbus has rolled out the first A350F test aircraft, MSN700, at its Toulouse final assembly site in a parcel-style livery designed to resemble a delivery box. The widebody freighter is the latest milestone for the A350F programme, which is based on the A350-1000 and is intended to compete with Boeing’s 777-8F.
The aircraft carried registration F-WXLD and emerged in a special paint scheme developed from a public competition that drew thousands of design ideas before Airbus combined the final elements into one scheme. The fuselage is covered with shipping-style markings, while the tail uses Airbus’s standard A350-style treatment.
MSN700 is set to support the flight-test campaign ahead of first flight, which industry reporting places around 24 September. Airbus has kept the timing as a target rather than a confirmed schedule, leaving room for technical or weather-related changes before the maiden flight.