Airbus is transferring four of its test aircraft - including two A380s - to two French aviation museums: the Museum of Air and Space in Paris-Le Bourget and Aeroscopia in Toulouse.
The aircraft comprise: A320 MSN1, recently withdrawn from the test aircraft fleet; A340-600 MSN360; A380 MSN2 and A380 MSN4. The aircraft will benefit from heritage preservation measures and will soon be presented to the public.
The first aircraft to be transferred will be A380 MSN4, which will arrive in Le Bourget on 14th February. The other three aircraft maintained by Airbus Heritage in Toulouse, within the Airbus plant, will travel to Aeroscopia in Toulouse within the next two years, when an area in the northern part of the museum is ready for them. All these aircraft cover more than 30 years of flight tests and commercial success for the Airbus brand.
Following the arrival of A380 MSN4 in Le Bourget and in preparation for its display at one of the world’s largest aviation museums, the iconic test aircraft will undergo a unique refurbishment to showcase its operational role.
Once an initial phase of technical work has been completed on the airframe – which will include structural preservation – a special exhibit will also be created inside the aircraft to enable the greatest possible number of people to visit it from 2018 onwards.