Back to Francazal for a few days for another test during which the aircraft never leaves the ground. This one is to measure the ground-loads on the aircraft, particularly when operating on rough terrain.

The test involves placing calibrated wooden ramps on the runway and repeatedly taxying the aircraft over them. It may not look dramatic but these repeated loads are just as capable of causing damage to the aircraft as are the in-flight loads and it is essential to check that the measured loads are in line with predictions.

You can see how it’s done in the video.

In the two weeks before the first flight the aircraft conducted rejected take-offs (RTO) at successively higher speeds on Seville’s 11,000ft (3,360m) runway 09/27

MSN1 first moved under its own power on 23rd November 2009. Chief Test Pilot Military Ed Strongman was at the controls as the aircraft left the engine run-up area and moved onto the ramp in front of the final assembly line (FAL).