Airbus performs vision-based automatic take-off

Conducted just before Christmas, the testing saw an Airbus A350 make a total of eight take-offs using the new machine vision system. The crew, which featured two pilots and three test flight engineers, engaged the aircraft’s autopilot system on the runway and simply adjusted the throttle levers to the take-off position.

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“The aircraft performed as expected during these milestone tests,” said Airbus test pilot Captain Yann Beaufils. “While completing alignment on the runway, waiting for clearance from air traffic control, we engaged the autopilot.

“We moved the throttle levers to the take-off setting and we monitored the aircraft. It started to move and accelerate automatically maintaining the runway centre line, at the exact rotation speed as entered in the system. The nose of the aircraft began to lift up automatically to take the expected take-off pitch value and a few seconds later we were airborne.”