The A321XLR cabin development flight-test aircraft returned from a four-day cold-weather ground test in Iqaluit, Canada. The aim was to test the operation of the hydraulics and other systems in extremely cold temperatures after an overnight soak at minus 40 degrees Celsius. The technical staff used different heating and insulation setups for future comparative study, and a new 'cold weather option' was tested in real-world conditions for the first time. The tests also verified the standard aircraft' configuration and a weight-saving opportunity configuration with less insulation. The A321XLR has upgraded landing gear to support the aircraft's increased maximum take-off weight, with shock absorbers engineered to withstand heavier loads.
The goal of the test was to verify the 'weight-on-wheels' signal, which tells the aircraft when the main landing gear shock absorbers are compressed or stretched. New hydraulic lines that travel through the Rear Centre Tank were tested to ensure that pipe routing did not have a substantial impact on the hydraulic temperatures and operations. Airbus has dispatched a team of more than 30 employees to the location, including six flight crew members, a cabin specialist engineer, a maintenance team, mechanical specialists, electrical specialists, quality inspectors, instrumentation, and human difficulties.
The flight-test engineers will have agreed on the test requirements with the design engineers' office, and will develop the campaign mission plan with the mission flight crew and 'test-flight' engineer colleagues. They will sequence all campaign testing and planning, as well as ensure that the entire mission is carried out securely.