Airbus Engine Tests Completed
LONDON - The first flight of the Airbus A400M airlifter has edged closer following an announcement from Marshall Aerospace that it had completed the final phase of testing on the TP400 engine due to power the much-delayed transport aircraft.
The U.K.-based company said the flight trials of a single Europrop International-developed engine mounted on its modified C-130K test bed aircraft were completed Sept 30 after achieving 110 hours of engine running time. The test included 54 hours of flight trials.
Completion of the risk-reduction phase means the A400M is on track to meet the promises of Airbus executives that the airlifter would make its first flight around the end of the year. The fourth engine was recently fitted to the first A400M development aircraft at the Airbus military factory in Seville, Spain.
The future of the program had been in doubt earlier this year as a result of delivery and cost overruns. Airbus is in talks with partner nations Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey over a new program schedule for the A400M, including guarantees on performance, delivery and price.
The talks are being held under the umbrella of an agreement that has seen a temporary suspension of a contract clause allowing customers to cancel the program.