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A400M Flight Testing Progress

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A400M Flight Testing Progress

Old 4th Mar 2013, 08:19
  #221 (permalink)  
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BBC report of A400M at Brize Norton

Here's the BBC take on the visit to BZN on Friday 1 March. BBC News - Taking to the skies on RAF's new transport plane
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Old 4th Mar 2013, 09:45
  #222 (permalink)  
 
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Airbus Military's A400M aircraft is poised to take off - Telegraph

Also in today's Torygraph!

It appears that someone has pushed the 'publicity' button.
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Old 4th Mar 2013, 12:00
  #223 (permalink)  
 
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Remind me what was the orignal in service date.
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Old 5th Mar 2013, 20:51
  #224 (permalink)  
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Defense news: Joint Venture To Train RAF Crews on Atlas A400M

LONDON — Royal Air Force crews set to fly the new Atlas A400M airlifter are to be trained by a joint venture company set up by Airbus Military and Thales UK. The deal is contracted to run for 18 years at a cost of 226 million pounds ($340 million), the joint venture company, known as A400M Training Services, announced Monday.

Separately, the Ministry of Defence revealed it is spending 80 million pounds to modify the Atlas aircraft so it can be fitted with a large aircraft infrared countermeasures system.

The training facility being built at the Brize Norton home of the RAF’s airlifter and inflight refueling fleets is scheduled to be completed in spring 2014, just ahead of the delivery date of the first A400M to the RAF. Air crew and ground maintenance and support personnel will be trained at the Atlas facility using Thales-supplied simulators and other synthetic systems. Thales secured the simulator supply deal in 2007 following a competition.

RAF personnel are already being trained at an Airbus training facility alongside the Seville, Spain, assembly base for the aircraft
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Old 6th Mar 2013, 17:43
  #225 (permalink)  
 
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MSN7 First flight

First production Airbus Military A400M makes maiden flight - Airbus Military

Just returned, nice to get a FF under my belt!
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Old 6th Mar 2013, 17:58
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Good for you! Can you tell us more?
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Old 6th Mar 2013, 18:51
  #227 (permalink)  
 
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Hey TT - good to hear from you! Great news that the first production aircraft has made its maiden flight...

I'll bet you're glad I poached you from 99 and started you off on your civvy career - you wouldn't have had so much fun in what's left of the RAF!

It was good to see you at F'boro last year - despite the pi$$ing b£oody rain!

Last edited by BEagle; 6th Mar 2013 at 18:53.
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Old 6th Mar 2013, 18:58
  #228 (permalink)  
 
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CM and Beagle, not much more to say really, the PR sums it up nicely, apart from which, I have to whizz off for the celebration dinner in town!
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Old 7th Mar 2013, 08:48
  #229 (permalink)  
 
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Shades of grey

Slightly different shade of grey on MSN 7. "Merde gris" is what someone called it on another discussion board.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 11:02
  #230 (permalink)  
 
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Thumbs up Type Certificate

EASA Type Certificate EASA.A.169 was received today.
http://www.easa.europa.eu/certificat...3-13032013.pdf
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 11:17
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For some reason I just read the certificate. Why?

I did notice something interesting, though.

It describes the aircraft as

Four turbo-propeller engines, medium range tactical transport aeroplane, large aeroplane category.
And goes on to define

18. Minimum Flight Crew
Two (2): Pilot and co-pilot
However, we then find that

19. Maximum Seating Capacity
No other occupants apart of the minimum flight crew are allowed on board

20. Baggage/ Cargo Compartment
No loads shall be carried in the cargo compartment
Transport aircraft aren't what they used to be, are they?

Last edited by Courtney Mil; 13th Mar 2013 at 11:18.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 12:40
  #232 (permalink)  
 
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This must be the restricted type certification with full to come.
I didn't look in any great detail but this only clears up to 31000ft when the ac operates up to at least 37000ft.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 13:00
  #233 (permalink)  
 
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theboywide wrote:
>This must be the restricted type certification with full to come.

No, the RTC was already issued April 30th, 2012.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 14:57
  #234 (permalink)  
 
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So you are claiming that this, which forbids carrying any passengers or cargo, is the full type certification?

For a gawddam cargo plane?

Last edited by GreenKnight121; 13th Mar 2013 at 14:58.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 16:01
  #235 (permalink)  
 
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MTOW is also almost 20,000lbs below original spec (132T iso 141T) which gives limited room for cargo and pax at all, certainly when you look at the
Max Landing Weight of 117.7T(originally122T) and empty weight of 77T,
with full fuel that would make 127T and thus only room for 5T of Cargo.

Temporary restricted type certification, I would like to think.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 16:05
  #236 (permalink)  
 
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You reckon? Either that or it's a hell of a big beast just to transport two pilots around the world. Not even a hostie.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 19:00
  #237 (permalink)  

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There may be some confusion here between the stage the aircraft has reached with respect to its civil as opposed to its military certification.
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Old 13th Mar 2013, 20:22
  #238 (permalink)  
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Pretty normal in militairy programs.

Futher testing, analyses will lead to expanded capability approvals and the final operating configuration.

This aircraft will go through the qualifications of a passenger transport on civil airways, tactical transport on soft short runways at night, tanker for jets and helicopters, receiver. Mountains of certfication and paperwork..

Airbus Military's A400M: in pictures - Telegraph

Last edited by keesje; 13th Mar 2013 at 20:27.
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Old 16th Mar 2013, 01:17
  #239 (permalink)  
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No tanker role for UK A400Ms

The UK has no requirement to use its future fleet of Airbus Military A400M Atlas tactical transports in a secondary tanker role, minister for defence equipment, support and technology Philip Dunne has confirmed.


No tanker role for UK A400Ms

But:

The A400M will be delivered with an in-built tanker capability, with some nations expected to acquire hose-and-drogue refuelling pods and/or hose drum units to provide an in-flight refuelling capability to support fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
So if the Brits change their minds in say 3 years they can still order kits.
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Old 16th Mar 2013, 07:48
  #240 (permalink)  
 
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The UK has no requirement to use its future fleet of Airbus Military A400M Atlas tactical transports in a secondary tanker role, minister for defence equipment, support and technology Philip Dunne has confirmed.
So, nothing to do with the AirTanker contract then.....

I guess the UK has no plans to refuel helicopters?
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