Airbus Group will have a big presence – literally – at this year’s EAA AirVenture show in July. EAA announced an Airbus A350 XWB wide-body test aircraft will give demonstrations and tours on the grounds at Oshkosh. In addition, the newly completed Airbus-sponsored Perlan Projectglider will be on display. The A350 will arrive on the first day of the show on July 20 and fly an aerial demonstration during the afternoon airshow. It will be open for public tours on Tuesday and then fly again on Wednesday prior to departing Oshkosh. The two-engine jet can carry more than 300 passengers with a range of up to 7,750 nautical miles. “Airbus is pleased to bring the next generation of commercial aircraft technology, performance and comfort to Oshkosh this year, giving the public its first viewing of the A350 in North America,” said Barry Eccleston, president of Airbus Americas.
The Airbus Perlan Mission II project, the result of a partnership announced at last year’s AirVenture, has developed a pressurized glider designed to gather information in the upper reaches of the earth’s atmosphere. The glider will go for new altitude records by flying to 90,000 feet in 2016. Perlan Project representatives will present updates on the program at the show. “A big part of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is seeing the latest innovation in flight,” said Rick Larsen, EAA’s vice president of communities and member programs. “Airbus Group understands the importance of that at Oshkosh, and we’re very eager to see the ideas and technology they will bring here this year.”
