During trials, Airbus subjected MSN 001 to extreme conditions: desert heat tests for tires and brakes; rapid climbs and descents over Northern Europe to check cabin pressure systems; repeated takeoff refusals; hard landings at different weights; and attempts to induce instability in flight controls. These efforts ensured safety before European and American authorities granted type certification in late 2006.
After serving its purpose as a test platform for certification, MSN 001 was placed into storage at Tarbes-Lourdes airport near the French Pyrenees rather than being scrapped. It remained preserved there until Airbus revived it for a new mission: supporting research into hydrogen-powered commercial aviation.
In response to growing environmental concerns and its commitment made in 2020 to develop a zero-emission airliner by mid-2030s, Airbus selected MSN 001 as a demonstrator for hydrogen propulsion technology. The aircraft’s size allows engineers to install large cryogenic hydrogen tanks alongside traditional engines for safe experimental flights.
Mathias Andriamisaina, Head of ZEROe Demonstrators and Tests at Airbus, explained: “In terms of aerodynamics, the A380 is a very stable aircraft. So the pod attached to the rear fuselage via the stub doesn’t pose much of an issue. Furthermore, the airflows from the pod and its propeller do not affect the airflow over A380’s tail surfaces. With the A380 we also have an aircraft that’s already fully instrumented. The flight-test-instrumentation (FTI) is a big part of the project and can be a big driver in terms of cost and planning. So MSN001 was the perfect fit for us.”
Airbus partnered with CFM International to mount an open-fan engine converted for hydrogen use above one wing while retaining four conventional engines beneath it for redundancy during tests.
Preparations so far have focused on ground-based work—pressure-testing tanks, simulating fuel transitions from liquid hydrogen to exhaust gases—and aerial trials are planned later this decade using cautious steps starting with jet fuel before transitioning inflight to hydrogen power.
Inside MSN 001's cabin sits what engineers call "the tent," a carbon fiber structure designed at Technocentre de Nantes capable of housing up to four cryogenic tanks under controlled pressure conditions during flight tests.
According to ch-aviation data referenced by industry sources such as Airways Magazine and Airport Spotting sites, F-WWOW leads among five oldest operational A380s globally:
- Airbus: F-WWOW (20.42 years)
- Emirates: A6-EDF (19.61 years)
- Qantas: VH-OQA (17.68 years), VH-OQD (16.88 years), VH-OQG (16.15 years)
Despite production ending due to lackluster demand—with many airlines retiring their fleets—Emirates remains committed by operating roughly half of all delivered A380s while seeking secondhand units amid calls for an updated model that remain unanswered by Airbus.
As global interest persists regarding sustainable aviation solutions—and with pioneering work underway using historic prototypes like MSN 001—the future viability of large jets may depend on successful development of alternative fuels such as hydrogen.
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