AIRBUS A400 M

MSN006 is the first A400M aircraft in its definitive production design. Some of its major assembly parts, like the wings, are being sent to the FAL in Seville in a direct flight from Filton (UK) in the inside of the Beluga.

Seville. Common, rather than isolated, European defence of its skies and humanitarian missions will be a reality, with the development of the 21st Century tactical and logistical Airlifter, the A400M by Airbus Military.


The A400M has the capability to fly distances up to 4,700 nm / 8,700 km, at a cruising altitude of up to 37,000 ft, and at a speed of up to Mach 0.72, very similar to that of a jet liner. This gives it the potential for strategic/logistic missions. Flying faster and higher, it can respond more rapidly to crises, because greater distances can be flown in a one crew duty day.

The new aircraft is hence regarded as much more efficient than its predecessors. Also, as it can fly higher, it can cruise above turbulence, resulting in less fatigue for the crew and passengers or troops alike.

Addressing a group of international journalists recently during a Trade Media Briefing at Sao Paulo, Seville, Spain, Rafael Nogueras Cebrero, Head of A400M Final Assembly Line and Flight Test Centre, announced that the production of first customer aircraft MSN 7 had been launched and will be on the FAL by the end of 2011. Eight countries, eight operators and 184 aircraft are providing a strong customer base for a smooth start of the production line.

A400M can perform missions which previously required two - or more - different types of aircraft, and which even then provided an imperfect solution.

Its fuselage’s external width of 5.64 metres / 18 ft 6 in is equal to that of the A330/A340 wide-body. The inside usable width of four metres / 13ft, height of up to four metres / 13ft, and usable length of nearly 18m / 59ft, allows it to carry numerous items of outsize cargo including, for example, an NH90 or a heavy lift CH-47 Chinook helicopter, or two Stryker infantry carrier vehicles (ICV) for military purposes.

It can also carry a semi-articulated truck with a 6m / 20ft container, or a rescue boat, or large lifting devices, such as excavators or mobile cranes needed to assist in disaster relief, informed Rafael.

Furthermore, the A400M is the only airlifter that can fly these items directly to the site of action thanks to its unique landing characteristics. With its 12- wheel main landing gear designed for operations from stone, gravel or sand strips, its efficient absorption of shock-loads into the airframe structure, and its minimised risk of foreign object damage, the A400M is able to land on, and take-off from, short, soft and rough unprepared airstrips meeting the CBR6 standard.

Once on the ground, the A400M is designed for very rapid and autonomous cargo unloading or loading without any specialized ground support equipment.

Equipped with on-board winches and a crane, the cargo hold is optimised for single loadmaster operation from a computerised workstation, where the loadmaster can pre-plan loading from a loads data base. So, by minimising the time on the ground, the A400M’s systems also reduce the aircraft’s vulnerability to hostile action.

Being able to fly at higher altitudes and faster, it can also be configured into a tanker aircraft to refuel military fast jets (fighters) and other large aircraft at speeds of up to 300kt indicated air speed (IAS) at 25,000ft. But because of its low speed performance, it can equally well refuel helicopters at 110kt up to 5,000ft.

Refuelling can be done either through two wing-pod hoses or through a centre-line fuselage refuelling unit. Its built-in air-toair refuelling capability allows it to be rapidly re-configured to become a tanker. It can therefore be easily adapted to rapidly changing operational scenarios, being able to perform very different types of missions, as needed. The aircraft itself can also be refuelled in flight.

A400M has been specifically designed for low detectability, low vulnerability and high survivability, giving it excellent self-protection. With clean and minimised infra-red signature engines, highly responsive fly-by-wire flight controls, four independent control computers, comprehensive defensive aids, cockpit armouring and damage tolerant controls, the A400M is hard to find, hard to hit and hard to kill. As for its “down-time”, the A400M is conceived to be what the ccompany says “the most reliable airlifter ever.”

It needs only 84 days of scheduled downtime maintenance in 12 years, Rafael informed India Strategic. The nations in the project, which is otherwise delayed, include Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the aviation manufacturers of these countries have also started working on the concept of a new military transport under the designation of “Future Large Aircraft” (FLA).

They involve Aerospatiale in France, Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) in Germany, British Aerospace in the UK, CASA in Spain, the industries of Belgium and Luxemburg which joined forces under the FLABEL grouping, as well as Alenia in Italy, OGMA in Portugal, and the Turkish Aerospace Industry (TAI) in Turkey.

An initial call for tender was launched by the European Nations in 1998, to which the FLA grouping responded in 1999. After thorough examination of the various options which included other existing products and even co-operation with nonwest- European manufacturers, the FLA proposal was selected by these countries in July 2000. The initial commitment was for 288 aircraft from all the eight countries.

On 21st December 2001, an initial contract was signed for a total of 197 A400Ms, as the aircraft was to be called from then on, by the European nations, but without Italy which had withdrawn from the launch-nations group. The German order for 73 aircraft was subject to hand-written budget approval, which was eventually obtained at the beginning of 2003, but for only 60 aircraft.

Meanwhile, Portugal had also withdrawn from the initial group. The final contract for 180 aircraft was signed with OCCAR, representing Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain, Turkey, and the UK on 27th May 2003. This was to be followed by an order for four by Malaysia in December 2005.

Orders which stand to date are total 184 from 8 countries (Germany 60, France 50, Spain 27 ,UK 25,Turkey 10, Belgium 7 and Luxemburg 1. Malaysia has ordered four of these and is the only Asian client yet).

The A400M can also very easily be converted into an aerial refuelling tanker. Because all provisions are built into the airframe, it takes under two hours to convert the A400M from an airlifter into a two-point tanker aircraft. Hard points, fuel lines and electric connections are already built into the wings. The two refuelling pods under the wing can provide a fuel flow of up to 1,200 kg / 2,645lb per minute. The centre-line fuselage refuelling unit provides a fuel flow of some 1,800 kg /3,968 lb per minute. Three video cameras can be installed if desired, to monitor the refuelling from the wing pods and the centreline unit.

The A400M carries up to 64,000 litres /14,078gallons of fuel in its wings and centre wing box. Two additional cargo hold units can also be installed, providing an additional 7,200 litres /1,583 gallons of fuel each.

The fuel carried in the extra tanks can be of a different nature to the fuel in the main tanks. This enables the A400M to cater for the needs of different types of receiver aircraft. Also, because of its low fuel consumption, the A400M can do a 4-hour mission while off-loading some 35 tonnes /78,400 lb of fuel. Larger aircraft can also be refuelled by the A400M.

Rafael said that the A400M is the only tanker which can refuel the entire range of military aircraft at their preferred speeds and altitudes. This is because it can fly both at the low speeds and altitudes (105 to 115 kt) typically required to refuel helicopters, as well as at speeds of 280 to 300 kt and altitudes of around 25,000 ft which are typical for fast jets, such as fighters or large aircraft.

The A400M can accommodate up to 116 troops sitting face to face, alongside the fuselage and backto- back along the centre line of the aircraft. Its wider fuselage which provides more space between the rows, it can carry the same number of fully equipped paratroopers with their chutes and related equipment. They can be dropped in less time over a limited area, allowing them to swiftly regroup and to be quickly operational.

But above all , the A400M permits two paratroopers to jump simultaneously either through the cargo door or through the two lateral doors. Special forces can also be dropped from altitudes as high as 40,000 ft.

Another key feature of the A400M is its computerized “fly-by-wire” flight controls already widely used on other civil transport aircraft, starting with the A320. Replacing the conventional cables and pulleys by electrical wires linked to four independent flight control computers which send signals to actuators, not only reduces weight, but also maintenance time. This also gives a much greater precision to the commands. The fly-by-wire controls permit the implementation of “flight envelope protection” which, by preventing the aircraft from stalling, allows the pilot to achieve optimum performance in a critical escape manoeuvre by simply pulling the full stick back. The fly-by-wire system then manages the whole aircraft configuration accordingly, without the pilot having to intervene.

One of the key elements to ensure the versatility of the A400M was the selection for the aircraft of an allnew, specifically designed three-shaft turboprop engine with eight bladed propellers. The 11,000 shp TP400 developed by EuroProp International (EPI), a consortium comprising Rolls Royce, Snecma, MTU and ITP, is the most powerful turboprop ever built.

Ed Strongman, the Chief Test Pilot Airbus Military told India Strategic that till 19thMay 2010, the A 400M had undergone 43 test flights and 165 hours of flying. He also said that an initial problem of the brakes had been rectified to achieve perfect landing.

The aircraft’s flight campaign is progressing well at two Flight Test Centres at Touluse in France and at Seville, said Strongman.

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Airbus (EAD.PA) expects global sales of its A400M military transport plane, a long-delayed project plagued by cost overruns, to reach 400 over the next 30 years, a company official said on Monday.

Didier Vernet, Airbus's head of market development, said Middle East and North African states were expected to order between 50 and 100 planes.

"There are prospects for us when the countries phase out the C-130 and C-17 (U.S. military cargo planes made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing)," he told reporters on the sidelines of a defence exhibition in the UAE capital.

He forecast global demand for military cargo planes to be around 800 over the next 30 years and Airbus's military wing is aiming for half of the market share.

"There are a lot of old aircraft to replace," Vernet said. "The prospects for the coming 30 years are 400 aircraft."

The A400M is designed to transport soldiers and heavy equipment to rugged combat zones. But technical problems have pushed the 20 billion-euro ($27 billion) project four years behind schedule and 11 billion euros over budget.

Last year European government buyers agreed a funding deal to rescue the project. [ID:nLDE6A41R3]

The seven nations behind the project -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey -- have orders totalling 174 planes.

Vernet also said Airbus Military has received orders from Middle Eastern states for its A330 MRT in-flight refuelling and transport aircraft.

He said Saudi Arabia has ordered six planes, the first of which would be delivered in 2012 while the United Arab Emirates has ordered three with the first planned for delivery later this year. ($1=.7302 euros) (Writing by Mahmoud Habboush; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Airbus Military's A400M "Grizzly" has completed sufficient simulated flight-cycle testing on a full-scale airframe to achieve civil type certification of the airlifter by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The test specimen at Airbus's Dresden plant, known as MSN5001, has undergone 1,665 cycles, about five times the maximum number of flights expected to be recorded annually by each in-service A400M.

By mid-2012, 25,000 simulated flights will be performed - equating to 2.5 times the A400M´s design-life.

The test programme is required to simulate flights at least one year ahead of the actual operations performed by the aircraft.

Airbus Military has approved the start of industrial production of its A400M airlifter, the company announced Wednesday. It plans to assemble the first four production A400Ms in 2012 and then ramp up to 2.5 per month by the end of 2015.

The company also announced that Cédric Gautier, currently president and chief executive of EADS Sogerma, will take over the A400M program on April 1 from Rafael Tentor.

“Rafael has led the programme back on track, to first flight and initial Flight Test,” Airbus Military CEO Domingo Ureña said in a news release. “The industrial launch means a turning point. I am convinced that, with all his engineering and above all industrial expertise, Cédric will be the best person to manage this new phase leading to type certification, series production and entry into service.”

Tentor will become head of Airbus Military aircraft programmes, replacing Javier Matallanos, who will be assigned special projects by Ureña.

Airbus Military has 174 orders from eight for the A400M. It is scheduled for civil certification this year, with first delivery to the French Air Force in late 2012 or early 2013.

irbus Military has completed low-speed take-off tests with its A400M transport, with the work having provided a spectacular photo opportunity using one of its development aircraft.
Performed at Istres in southern France, the process was intended to determine the A400M’s minimum unstuck speed – the lowest at which it can safely take off.
“The aircraft’s nose was raised until a special ‘bumper’ fitted to the rear fuselage struck the ground at the maximum pitch-up angle of 13º,” Airbus Military says. The result exceeds its earlier assumption of a 12º limit which had been projected following previous tests conducted late last year.


Both images © Airbus Military

Four of an eventual five development aircraft are now involved in a range of flight test activities ahead of the A400M’s entry into operational use. Airbus Military should deliver its first of a current 174 production examples under contract in late 2012 or early 2013.

Le plan de financement définitif de l'Airbus A400M, le futur avion de transport militaire européen accusant déjà un retard de quatre ans, sera signé jeudi, a annoncé mercredi le ministère de la Défense allemand.

Des sources proches du dossier avaient déjà dit mercredi à Reuters que les sept pays à l'origine du plus important programme de défense européen se réuniraient jeudi à Séville, lieu de fabrication de l'appareil, pour une cérémonie de signature.

"Les pays A400M et les industriels veulent signer l'avenant au contrat demain à Seville", a dit à Reuters un porte-parole du ministère.

Le principe de cet avenant, d'un montant de 3,5 milliards d'euros qui viennent s'ajouter à l'enveloppe initiale de 20 milliards, avait été conclu en mars 2010 pour éviter une annulation pure et simple du programme.

(Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten pour le service français, édité par Nicolas Delame)

Airbus Military's A400M programme has received a key boost, with the 7 April signature of a contract amendment on the behalf of its seven European customers. The development comes as flight-testing of the transport has passed 1,400h in almost 450 sorties.
Signed in Seville, Spain by Airbus Military chief executive Domingo Ureña and Patrick Bellouard, director of Europe's OCCAR procurement agency, the agreement clears the way for the production of a combined 170 aircraft. It also finalises the revised terms of a framework agreement made by the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the UK on 5 March 2010 to proceed with the delayed project.
EADS chief executive Louis Gallois welcomed the contract signature, citing the A400M as a "co-operation programme that represents a strategic capacity for Europe and its defence, and for the new generation of military transport worldwide."
Four development aircraft are now involved in flight-test activities being staged from San Pablo airport near Seville and Toulouse, France. Roughly 500 flight hours have been accumulated by the fleet since early November 2010, with recent achievements having included making dry contacts with a Royal Air Force Vickers VC10 tanker and the completion of low-speed take-off tests (below).

"We are very satisfied with the progress of the flight-test programme," says Ureña, who adds that the industrial programme is "on track" to deliver its first aircraft to launch operator the French air force in late 2012 or early 2013. The service had originally been due to accept its first example in October 2009.
Meanwhile, the programme's fifth and last development aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight "in early fall", says Airbus Military. Work on MSN6 has already been completed on its San Pablo final assembly line.

Airbus Military a réglé le litige qui l'opposait aux motoristes qui équipent
son avion de transport militaire A400M, dont le développement a connu
des années de retard, a annoncé mardi le consortium de fabricants de
moteurs.

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