A340-600 Incident on 13 February

[OO-AOG]

An interesting link with pics of the A346 following the 13FEB incident:

<a href="http://www.aviationpics.de/test/test.htm" target="_blank">http://www.aviationpics.de/test/test.htm</a>

I guess it will take time to have the long bird back in the air, obviously the certification program as well.

<img src="frown.gif" border="0">

[ALTSEL]

Get a life pal, all very normal with the certification of a new type.

[knackered]

Sorry but you can't tell me that amount of damage was planned or expected from this test, ALTSEL! Pull your head in.

[sanket_patel]

For god sakes, it's just a test! You see son.. they do that so they can improve this beauty.

[FE Hoppy]

All looks pretty normal to me. You reject at v1 at max weight and this is what happens. The idea is you can fix the u/c, but not the pax.

[PaperTiger]

The RTO certification demonstration requires the airplane stand for five minutes afterwards without intervention to show it (the airframe) won't catch fire. Rent/buy a copy of the '21st Century Jet' video and you'll see a 777 with its gear aflame too.

[ 01 March 2002: Message edited by: PaperTiger ]</p>

[Hand Solo]

Anyone seen the video of the 744 RTO test? There's sparks and molten metal flying from the gear whilst its still doing 80kts! Its perfectly OK to melt the brakes, blow the tyres and burn the gear so long as the fuselage can last the required time without damage.

[Justforkix]

Perfectly normal.

The next pictures that you can send around as a sensation is the Vmu test, there you will see sparks flying from the tail area as this is scraping the ground with high speed.

Ooooh and yes, this is perfectly normal too during certification of an airliner. See this:<a href="http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=147547" target="_blank">Vmu test ERJ-135</a>

[gotajob4us?]

Yeah, the flames are fine, to be expected as other have said, but did you see the the other pictures, not just the main one? If not look for the sub link on the same page.

There do seem to show quite a bit more damage than I would have expected from a max perf stop demonstration though. But would be happy to be corrected.

[ALSAT]

TEST

[knackered]

From the pictures, there appears to be quite substantial damage to the airframe, apart from the landing gear. Can anyone who knows about such things please enlighten us?

[Al Weaver]

This is a test!!! Certification is not based on economic damage costs or repairability. It is based soley on survivability for the passengers and crew. With that said, survivability for a high energy stop (ground operation) is assessed based on the degree of penetration of the pressure hull by flames, within a 5 min time period, if any.

My understanding is that the test was a resounding success as no flame penetration occurred.

[747FOCAL]

Always nice to see MAX brake energy test pics. Nothing to get to excited about. I must have dozens of videos of that. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

[lamer]

Rumor has it that the wheel fuse plugs failed to release on 11 of 12 wheels causing the wheels to fail 'suddenly' rather than 'gradually'. Reason for the wheel fuse plug failure is currently being hotly debated between Airframe and Wheel Manufacturer. All unsubstantiated rumor of course!. .. .Regards.. . . . <small>[ 03 March 2002, 02:45: Message edited by: lamer ]</small>

[Zeke]

lamer is correct.. .. .I think it actually occoured on feb 12, it was the third test, this one was performed at 370t, which is above the MTOW for the A346. After the aircraft LANDED at 370t the engines were shut down and max brakes applied.. .. .This was not a rejected takeoff test, the test was performed from a higher speed and weight than what is required. The higher the speed and weight the more energy you have to get rid of (0.5*m*v^2).. .. .The A346 is going for a certifed MTOW of 365t, MLW of 254t, therefore landing at 370t would not be a common operational task.. .. .The previous test was at 360t which it passed, a photo of this test is <a href="http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.cgi?1013785097:TLS" target="_blank">here</a>. .. .Photos of the early rejected takeoff tests is at <a href="http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.cgi?999978212:TLS" target="_blank">here</a> not as dramatic.. .. .This test may prove to be more of a problem for Concorde than the A346, as they both use the same new tyre technology. But reports to date are that the wheels failed, rather than the tire. There must have been some incredible heat generation here, in the giant Goodrich/Messier-Bugatti wheels and brakes, used on only the A340-500 and -600. Eleven of the twelve wheels' fuse plugs didn't release before all the will to live went out of the wheels. The airplane received some considerable damage in the wheel explosions that resulted. The Michelin tires, on the other hand, seemed up to the task.. .. .The A345/A346 Goodrich/Messier-Bugatti wheels and brakes. .. . <img src="http://www.aero-news.net/news2002/0300/images/A340WheelBrake0203a.jpg" alt="" />. .. .The full news story is at <a href="http://www.aero-news.net" target="_blank">www.aero-news.net</a>. . . . <small>[ 03 March 2002, 06:22: Message edited by: Zeke ]</small>

[Thunderbug]

Interesting bit Flight International:-. .. ."Airbus has to modify its A340-600 wheels and main gear design before it can pass the RTO certification tests, admits the company. Many of the wheels suffered structural failure in a 12 Feb RTO test when the tyre pressures rose dramatically because of brake heat.". .. ."Fire broke out in the port main indercarriage and several of the wheels broke under the stress of increased tyre pressures before the tyres' fuse-plugs could operate. The Michelin NZG radial tyres are believed to have performed properly". .. ."Airbus says the wheels have been shown to have an 'insufficient strength margin' and will be reinforced. Also, heat shielding between brake discs and tyres is to be improve to slow heat transfer.". .. ."There will be no delay to the test programme."

[BoarderDude]

Just for your information.. .. .At these sort of tests the brakes used are used brakes <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> , barely acceptable for just one more landing. This is done, to simulate a worst case / real line flight scenario.. .. .It IS a very impressive sight, though.