Delta has issued the RFP for 50 aircraft as planned. A350-900 and A350-1000 will be considered.

Delta Air Lines said it is considering buying up to 50 widebody jetliners to replace its aging long-haul aircraft (Boeing 747-400s and some 767-300ERs).

The airline confirmed last week that it has requested sales offers from Boeing and Airbus for the jets. The two plane makers have benefited from a wave of replacement demand from U.S. carriers who have moved to renew their fleets with more fuel-efficient models.

The Boeing and Airbus aircraft that Delta is evaluating seat between 250 and 380 passengers. A Delta spokesman said it expects to decide on a potential order -worth well over $10 billion at list prices- in the second half of 2014.

Delta, the third biggest U.S. airline by traffic, is evaluating the Airbus A350-900, A350-1000, A330-200 and A330-300, as well as the current-generation Boeing 777-300ER and all models of the 787.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13564474793/lightbox/

The airline is "only interested in proven technology aircraft," said a spokesman, ruling out Boeing's recently-launched 777X (which is due in 2020) and probably the A330neo –if not launched in few months- as Delta spokesman said it is only considering "what is out there currently," not models yet to be launched. Nothing new; Delta is widely seen as one of the most conservative buyers of new capacity, they eschew new technology, preferring “proven” technology buying aircraft toward the end of their production cycle when prices are lower.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13564791064/lightbox/

Interest from Delta could be decisive for the A330neo decision.

Delta currently has 18 of the 787s on order with Boeing, which Northwest Airlines ordered prior to the carriers' 2008 merger.

Based on the article “Delta Seeks Offers from Boeing and Airbus for New Jets” published in The Wall Street Journal and on the article “Delta says may buy up to 50 wide-body jets to update fleet” published in Reuters

Rolls Royce begins assembly of first A350-1000 engine

Rolls Royce has begun the assembly of first Trent XWB test-powerplant with the higher-thrust capability required for the A350-1000 model. The components for the powerplant arrived in the Rolls-Royce finished parts stores from January to March.

The move follows last year’s Trent XWB-97 critical design review (CDR) and prototype demonstration runs. Progress since last November’s Dubai Airshow has included fabrication of early components, welding of the stator-vane assembly and completion of the intermediate-pressure compressor stage 1 “blisk” (bladed disc).

The Trent XWB-97 engine will be able to generate 97.000 lb (433kN) of thrust compared with the 84.000 lb for the A350-900 model.

It is expected the initial engine run in the second quarter of this year, and the first flight is scheduled for the end of 2016 before the A350-1000 enters service in 2017.

Rolls-Royce is still constructing the first production Trent XWB for the Qatar Airways A350-900 (MSN6) which will be the first customer aircraft to be delivered.

To ensure manufacturing fluency while the new variant is introduced, Rolls Royce will build initial flight-test Trent XWB-97s (at least 8 engines) in a preproduction “factory,” not on current Trent XWB assembly lines.

Based on the article “Build work starts on first A350-1000 engine” published in FlightGlobal

A350 Flight Test Instrumentation team. "Excel in Testing, Test for Excellence”

Orange is the color of the Airbus flight test Division. "Everything that is orange here, belongs to the test equipment", Airbus test pilot Wolfgang Absmeier said.

Click the picture to watch the video.

Source: Airbus

On board the MSN001 there are too much orange lights. The test equipment weighs 20 tons. With water tanks, 60 tons of extra weight can be loaded and distributed.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/52420842@N04/13481666143/lightbox/

The logbook of the prototypes (by end of March) as explained by Absmeier is:

-MSN1 has complete 149 test missions and has recorded 682 hours

-MSN003 has gained 534 flight hours on 111 flights

-MSN002 and MSN004 each come to just over 70 flight hours

aspire: Flug Revue

"The biggest surprise for our team was that there was so far no surprises with the A350," said Absmeier and he crossed his fingers. "So far it's going well."

"The flight testing of the 900 is making good progress and confirms the maturity of the product", summarized Absmeier

Based on the article “Ein Besuch bei den Airbus Flugtestern in Toulouse” published in Aero.deand based on the article “Airbus A350: Testflotte erreicht 1400 Flugstunden” published in Flug Revue.

Touch down! A350 lands in UK for the first time.

MSN3 prototype has landed today at Cotswold Airport, England (EGBP) as part of the ongoing flight test.

This prototype has landed in previuos months in Bolivia, Canada, Qatar, Singapore, Spain and Germany. 

https://mobile.twitter.com/Airbus/status/453940328156786688/photos

MSN5 prototype could fly by end of April or beginning of May

As explained in the article published in Flug Revue, by end of April or beginning of May the fifth flight test prototype MSN5 will join the certification campaign. It will have a “light” flight test instrumentation and as the MSN2, it will be cabin equipped.

Source: Airbus

The external paint scheme will be the same than MSN2.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/49477547@N04/13444437574/lightbox/

This prototype will be used essentially to perform cabin related flight tests. And it will be welcome by Airbus employees as it will participate in the Early Long Flights where the “passengers” will be Airbus employees.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47086222@N03/13564739544/lightbox/

MSN5 is the certification standard aircraft and it has been fitted with nickel-cadmium batteries.

Based on the article “Airbus A350: Testflotte erreicht 1400 Flugstunden” published in Flug Revue.

A350 Cabin interior unveiled. Plastic pipes with warm water to simulate passengers during tests.

Airbus has unveiled the A350’s development cabin interior installed on board flight-test aircraft MSN2 at the Airbus site in Hamburg.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

MSN2, which made its first flight on 26th February 2014, is the first of 2 test aircraft fitted with a passenger interior and is part of the growing A350 XWB development fleet. Intensive cabin flight and ground tests have already been performed during a 2-week stay of the aircraft in Hamburg in mid-March 2014.

Click on the picture to watch a video

The cabin of this special test aircraft is kitted out with both business class and economy cabins, as well as test equipment to keep a watchful eye on the jet as it goes through its paces.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

Plastic pipes snaking over many of the seats are filled with water and can heated to a variety of temperatures to simulate the cabin environment when hundreds of people are on board for hours on end.

Airbus said the heating systems run from 70 watts to 180 watts, with 90 watts being used to represent the average passenger.

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

This bank of monitors located at the front of one of the economy cabins allows Airbus engineers to keep track of pretty much everything that happens on the A350.

Based on the press release “Airbus A350 sets new standards in cabin design & development” and based on the article Airbus A350 cabin, seats revealed” published in Australian Business Traveler

A350 prototype made the North Pole flight test.

The MSN2 flight test prototype made last week, on Wednesday 2/April, a special flight; 13 hours and a half flying as AIB09GG callsign departing from Toulouse at around 7 in the morning and arriving at around 20:30h in the afternoon (local time).

"We must demonstrate that our navigation equipment at the North Pole work", explained Airbus test pilot Wolfgang Absmeier.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/81091669@N04/13152391533/lightbox/

The MSN2 was around 14 hours “to the North Pole and back on the road" he said.

http://www.veooz.com/photos/SH2RsUP.html

Based on the article “Ein Besuch bei den Airbus Flugtestern in Toulouse” published in Aero.de