I know all that, Ken - and I don't disagree.

But can't you find it in your heart to rejoice just a bit when two great big brand new beasts are actually, finally, there at Brize?

Even if one of them is only there for a day or two.

airsound

Well according to FR24 F-WWZ (something) was heading in that direction today.

Cottbus-Drewitz in Germany seems to be next for testing. 1500 meters of grass runway available.

Its a real shame that the J didnt have active stress monitoring across all frames. We were hammering jets into strips very rarely in the Stan, despite landing on natural surfaces 4-5 times a day.

Crews very quickly seemed to realise that hammering the jet iaw the manual onto a rollered strip like bastion wasnt very sensible. People very quickly were using pretty standard landing techniques on a strip that was pretty flat and I daresay consumed far less fatigue index than the sortie profile gobbled up on the database.

I dont doubt the Block 16 CDS and 2 hours at low level on tac sorties hasnt helped, but I would be really interested to see the results of a NDT test programme on the outer wing boxes - I wonder if for once there would be a pleasant surprise.

Or, am I completely wrong and are the wings showing physical signs of cracking? I heard there were problems with flap hinges, but this is a completely seperate issue from the wing spar fatigue issues and down to our modus operandi.

Out of interest, is the 400 spar metal or composite?

The A400m has composite skins stringers and spars with metallic ribs.

Voyager and Grizzly together
 

AAR - A400M gets up close and personal with Voyager tanker

By Craig Hoyle on May 9, 2012 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0) |ShareThis
An A400M has made its first "dry" air-to-air refuelling (AAR) contacts behind an Airbus Military A330 multi-role tanker/transport, with one of the company's "Grizzly" development aircraft having achieved the milestone last week.

Airbus Military, which supplied the image below, says 30 contacts were made with the hose basket trailing from the A330's Cobham-supplied fuselage refuelling unit. This is a unique configuration so far, having been implemented for the UK Royal Air Force's AirTanker-supplied "Voyager" fleet.

"The tests demonstrated the stability of both aircraft when flying in close formation and while refuelling," says Airbus Military. Previous work had been performed behind an RAF Vickers VC10 tanker flown out of Toulouse, France.

The fresh activity represents good news for the UK; the only A400M customer nation so far to also be buying the A330 as a tanker. The "Voyager" aircraft involved in the work has previously conducted "wet" refuelling trials with Royal Air Force combat aircraft, during which hose stability and fuel venting issues were encountered, as I wrote in a feature article late last month.

Fresh trials are expecetd to occur in the UK from later this month to assess whether both problems have been solved.

AAR - A400M gets up close and personal with Voyager tanker - The DEW Line

Engine trouble
 

Hi,

A400M gets initial certification, as engine problem strands MSN4

apparently they have replaced one pre-production engine of MSN6 with one of the first four production engines. How is this going to work out? Will they just use the next four engines for MSN7?

Has Airbus Military released any information on the MSN4 engine failure so far? They're not really running out of serviceable engines, are they?

Let's hope it is not the HPC again.

This week soft runways trails will start in Cottbus, Germany, with Grizzly 2.

Grizzly 2 heads for unpaved runway trials - The DEW Line

http://www.airbusmilitary.com/portal...M/About/09.jpg

Not uncommon with prop ac. Checking my songbook, I managed to shut down 3 engines in 6 months on the J when the response to an eng vibration changed.

Sounds as if the oman shutdown was more electric wiggle if they don't know what caused it...

VinRouge,

from your earlier:

Jet? Really?

Jet = colloquial expression, common amongst air forces, to describe an aircraft.

The props are driven by gas turbines so not strictly inaccurate. No ones calls it a 'prop'.

Not much to do with flight testing just fun/PR I guess..

X3 : THE ENCOUNTER 2

and .. first shots of A400M driving around the German countryside..:D


I think specially the high energy stops are crusial (~4:50). A lot of effort went into not damaging soft strip for continued opeartions..

Looks great keesje!
What's with the reports they had to interrupt testing that same day, and fly home? Did they taxi over the airfield manager's flowerbed, or was it something serious?

[Edited: Even more serious...]

Renginee, it seems the left mainwheels chewed into the grass during the max energy stop.

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/g...x?itemid=45887

Soft ground cuts short A400M landing trials

I hope after our afghan experience they are planning to see the effect of stony strips on the aircraft.

Gravel strips are on the test plan!

The Oman shutdown of a flight test engine was due to a failure of the propeller gearbox (again...). The engine is currently scheduled for maintenance.
The production engine has been disassembled for further examination in order to determine the source(s) of excess vibration.

Great to see a very impressive and very noisy stream of 5 of the beasts heading south out of Blagnac this lunchtime....:D

Yes, I saw a nice photo earlier this evening of all 5 together!

The gearbox incident was an indication / false alert, wasn't it?

Looking forward to seeing the aircraft at Farnborough!

Your word is my command Beags

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../5Grizzly3.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../5Grizzly2.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../5Grizzly1.jpg

Good innit

airsound

:D impressive pictures..

Seems like a very capable Aircraft. Does anyone know if the flight control system operates similarly to the Airbus Commercial transports ?


For example:


Non moving Autothrottles and hard limits on manoeuvering / g limits / under/ over speed protections etc ..

Flight envelope protection is included in the A400M's FBW software, so it therefore has the benefit of allowing 'carefree' manoeuvring up to the extremes of the envelope without the risk of structural damage.

The A400M is very agile for its class - as anyone attending Farnborough or RIAT will be able to witness. 2.5G has always been the manoeuvre value assumed in the A400M technical review brochure, with a structural ability to cope with sustained 3.0G turns at lower weight.

video of 5 ship formation

Airbus Military | Multimedia

BEagle,

the PGB has been removed from the engine and is going to be replaced. That's all I know. Reconditioning will probably involve some modifications as well.

Grizzly Atlas
 

From Flight Global:

RIAT: A400M reborn as 'Atlas'

Grizzly is a more punchy name in my opinion. Is Atlas the son of Noratlas. Like someone already said add a T at the end and have Atlast did the P.R. sales guru's not think that would happen?

Its not a letter T that needs adding to Atlas, its an F at the start and an S at the end, as befits such a portly design.

The MoD has run down the stock of "Z"'s available for documents so they had to chose something else

RAF buying A400m simulator
 

Just noticed this on the Beeb, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-18765784.
Looks like good news for the secret Oxfordshire airbase!:D:D:ok:

Just the one sim? Doesn't leave much redundancy for faults nor any capacity for when software & other upgrades take place. And £50m for one sim? Seems a tad expensive to my eyes, unless that's a whole package - training facility, staffing etc.

And a new Hangar

BBC News - Plans for new hangar at RAF Brize Norton

I was at that meeting for a completely unconnected reason. However, I was able to provide some technical information to 't Committee - no, aeroplanes may not test their engines inside hangars, as one noise-concerned Councillor had asked...:rolleyes:

Said new hangar is already under construction & not far off complete, for the C130s at the moment & eventually for the A400s.

FARNBOROUGH: Airbus Military pulls A400M out of flying display
 

FARNBOROUGH: Airbus Military pulls A400M out of flying display

By: Dominic Perry London
11:21 5 Jul 2012
Source:FARNBOROUGH: Airbus Military pulls A400M out of flying display



Engine issues have again curtailed the participation of the Airbus Military A400M in the flying display of a major air show after the manufacturer announced the type would only be shown on the static park at the Farnborough air show, which starts on 9 July.

"The decision to have the aircraft on static display only is based on engine issues that happened last week which need further investigation," says Airbus Military.

Instead, it will show the first production representative example, MSN6.

a400m airbus military

Airbus Military

The A400M will not be taking off at this years Farnborough

Last year the airframer was forced to pull out of the flying display at the Paris air show after a flight-test problem in one of its Europrop International TP400-D6 turboprop engines halted all non-essential flights.

Flight testing continues at an "aggressive pace", it adds. "It is beginning to show the level of technical maturity required at first delivery, and we are pleased with the overall performance of the aircraft.

"Despite some engine maturity challenges, we are confident that we will find the right solutions and provide our customers with an aircraft that fully meets or exceeds the expectations."

At the end of June, the A400M had completed 1,180 flights, accumulating 3,535h since its first flight in December 2009.

Airbus Military resumes A400M reliability flights
 

Atlas programme gets lift, as Airbus Military resumes A400M reliability flights


Nice HD video from last ILA.. move to 2:27 :D

Don't they mean Restart the reliability test? Any word on any prospective project delay now for uk1?

A400M Flight Simulator
 

Retired now but spoke to one of my ex Thales colleagues (in Tescos !) and they're in the process of breaking down the 1st A400M sim ( at Crawley) for shipping to Spain presumably for Airbus passing off airframes to future customers.

I don't think there's any delay on UK1