A400M - discussione ufficiale

[TT-1 Pinto]

E' stata provata la possibilità di rifornire in volo il Rafale ...

France has completed a range of in-flight tests showing that the Rafale fighter jet could be refueled from underwing fuel pods on the A400M military transport plane, the Armed Forces Ministry said.
“After a campaign of flight tests conducted by the Direction Générale de l’Armement with the support from the Air Force, the A400M has just passed a significant milestone in demonstrating its capability to refuel the Rafale from underwing fuel pods,” the ministry said July 9 on its website.

Fonte: defensenews.com ... France proves midair refueling capability with Rafale and A400M ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

A pochi giorni dall' apertura del Salone di Farnborough la RAF ha ricevuto il suo terz’ùltimo A400M ...

The UK Royal Air Force has received its 20th of an eventual 22 A400M Atlas transports from Airbus Defence & Space, while test flights of additional capabilities continue.
Announcing the delivery milestone on 13 July (*), the service said the airlifter's arrival at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire "coincided with crucial trials to test Atlas’s ability to deliver cargo by parachute and undergo air-to-air refuelling".

(*) ... RAF RECEIVES 20TH ATLAS TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT ...

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... UK receives 20th Atlas as testing continues ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Nuovi ordini in vista ... forse ...

After enduring a tough time with its A400M tactical transport, Airbus Defence & Space appears poised to secure its first new export order for the Atlas.
"The tide has turned now, with the [partner] nations using the aircraft in operational and humanitarian relief missions," says Fernando Alonso, the company's head of military aircraft.
"Now is the right time to go for export," he told FlightGlobal at the Royal International Air Tattoo on 13 July. 
"We have some export campaigns active: one of them is very active, and I think that in the next months we can probably sign a first contract."

Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "Airbus defence unit close to A400M export deal" .....

[TT-1 Pinto]

Alla ricerca della soluzione di un annoso (nonché imbarazzante) problema ...
Nuove prove di rifornimento in volo di elicotteri previste per il prossimo anno ...

Airbus Defence & Space will launch flight tests in the first quarter of next year to prove the ability of its A400M tactical transport to refuel helicopters in flight.
Previous tests involving an Airbus Helicopters H225M exposed stability issues for the rotorcraft while it was operating near the Atlas, with the 90ft length of its refuelling hose also bringing it too close to the airlifter's tail.
Successful windtunnel testing has already been conducted using an updated hose design produced by Cobham. 
Housed within the same under-wing refuelling pod, this has an increased length of 120ft, with the use of a thinner hose to result in a slower rate of fuel flow.

Fonte: flightglobal.com ... FARNBOROUGH: New helicopter refuelling trials to boost A400M ...

[zander]

Sono state pubblicate le foto dell'incidente del velivolo MSN23 che si schiantò al suolo a Siviglia il 9 maggio 2015.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/09/07/album/1536319456_067156.html

[TT-1 Pinto]

Intanto ... la Spagna ... starebbe meditando di fare un baratto ...

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South Korean and Spanish defense officials are to discuss a possible trade of trainer and transport aircraft, according to arms procurement officials and industry sources in the Asian nation.
The deal may involve about 50 basic and advanced trainer jets built by Korea Aerospace Industries, or KAI, and four to six Airbus A400M airlifters, they said.
“South Korea and Spain plan to hold a joint defense industry committee in Madrid this month to discuss bilateral issues,” said an official with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, speaking on condition of anonymity. 
“The swap deal is not an official agenda item on the table, but the sides are open to discussing it.”
The proposal was made by Spain during the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K. last July, as the Spanish Air Force seeks to replace its older trainer fleet of Chilean ENAER T-35C Pillan jets, according to an industry source privy to the potential swap deal.
“Spain ordered 27 A400M transport aircraft from Airbus but has decided not to use 13 of them, so the Spanish defense authorities have got approval from Airbus to sell the surplus products to other countries,” the source said. 
“Spain wants to sell four to six A400Ms to South Korea, and it buys 34 KT-1 basic trainer aircraft and 20 more T-50 supersonic trainer jets for advanced pilot training if possible.”
If the deal is reached, Spain is willing to sell the A400M plane at 15 percent of the per-unit price of some $27 million, he said, adding the total value of the swap deal could be approximately $890 million.

Fonte: defensenews.com ... South Korea and Spain seek deal to swap trainer jets for airlifters...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Airbus ... si va verso la revisione dei contratti ...

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Airbus expects to conclude contract revisions with A400M customers “in the coming months”, and says it “completed significant de-risking” of the military transport programme during 2018.
Speaking at the European group’s annual results presentation in Toulouse, outgoing chief executive Tom Enders said Airbus has “succeeded in re-baselining the programme with our government customers”.

L' articolo prosegue qui: flightglobal.com ... Airbus to conclude A400M contract revisions in months ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

 

[zander]

Finalmente il progetto A400M sta cominciando a respirare.

L'Armée de l'Air ha ricevuto il 15° esemplare il 26 aprile presso la base di Orléans-Bricy.

L'aereo ha capacità di:

• uso presso terreni semipreparati,
• atterraggio autonomo ogni tempo.

Le prove di 2 nuove caratteristiche saranno completate in autunno:

• aerolancio di paracadutisti dalle porte laterali,
• rifornimento in volo di altri velivoli, A400 e C160, dalla stazione centrale.

Inoltre la soluzione definitiva al problema delle gear box è entrato in produzione.

Attualmente l'AdlA ha in servizio operativo dai 5 ai 6 velivoli. I retrofit sono in fase di consegna e 3 velivoli sono già stati sottoposti all'aggiornamento.

Per la metà del 2021 Airbus terminerà di collaudare il rifornimento in volo di elicotteri. Prove di fattibilità di usare una sonda di rifornimento allungata da 90 (27.4 m) a 120 piedi (35.5 m), sono in corso da inizio anno. Airbus deve anche validare la capacità di lancio di 58 paracadutisti ma non è riuscita a trovare un'area di prova adeguata.

In autunno Airbus consegnerà la capacità di aerolancio di carichi pesanti fino a 16 t e rifornimento in volo dalla stazione centrale.

Ad oggi sono in servizio 75 velivoli su 174 ordini complessivi.

Airbus da parte sua sta risolvendo i problemi finanziari del programma.

https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/a400m-l-avion-phenix-enfin-pret-pour-sa-seconde-vie-815815.html

[TT-1 Pinto]

Delegazioni in visita a Siviglia ...

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Revisione di contratto ...

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Airbus’s launch partners for the A400M Atlas tactical transport have signed a key contract amendment via Europe’s Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) defence procurement agency, concluding a process initiated by the airframer more than two years ago.
“This contract signature concludes the discussions between both sides on the global re-baselining of the A400M programme, which had been initiated in March 2017,” says Airbus (*).

... flightglobal.com ... Revised contract signature restores A400M prospects ... 

(*) ... Airbus and OCCAR sign A400M Contract Amendment ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Una disputa infinita ... a fronte di problemi la cui soluzione continua a tardare ...

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A row erupted at a recent Nato conference over the RAF's new £2.6billion transporter planes as it has emerged engine problems mean just two of 20-strong fleet are able to fly at any one time.
The delay in bringing into service the new A400M plane for the RAF and other partner nations led to a major disagreement between Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer, and Nato Ministers. 
Stuart Andrew, the MoD’s Minister for Procurement, said that after an “extremely robust meeting” the problems with the A400M aircraft should be fixed by next year.

 ... telegraph.co.uk ... RAF Nato row after 'totally unacceptable' engine problems keep £2.6bn fleet on the ground ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Verso la soluzione del problema relativo al rifornimento in volo di elicotteri ...

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Airbus Defence & Space says its A400M tactical transport has cleared a key test point on its way to securing approval to refuel military helicopters in flight.
During four test flights, the company’s hose and drogue refuelling pod-equipped “Grizzly 4” airframe made 51 so-called dry contacts with an Airbus Helicopters H225M, without transferring fuel. 
The activity was conducted at altitudes of 1,000-10,000ft, and speeds as low as 105kt (195km/h).
According to Airbus (*), the A400M’s success marks “a decisive milestone towards its full capability as a tanker”.

... flightglobal.com ... PICTURES: A400M clears latest tanker trial with H225M ...

(*) ... airbus.com ... Airbus A400M performs first helicopter air-to-air dry contacts ...

[TT-1 Pinto]

Fuori !!!

 

[zander]

La Luftwaffe si è rifiutata di ritirare gli ultimi 2 A400M approntati da Airbus.

Il motivo addotto riguarda problemi tecnici alle eliche che riducono l'operatività del velivolo. Altri problemi riguardano il supporto motori, le camere di combustione dei motori, i motori dei flap, oltre a ulteriori ispezioni per rilevare eventuali cricche.

Secondo la Luftwaffe, nonostante i controlli, il velivolo non è in grado di realizzare tutti i compiti assegnati, non soddisfacendo quindi i requisiti contrattuali.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-military-airbus/german-military-refuses-to-take-delivery-of-two-airbus-a400m-planes-idUSKBN1XN157

[TT-1 Pinto]

E fanno 16 ...

[zander]

L'A400M ha appena ottenuto un altro record. Gli extra costi dovuti a ritardi e problemi hanno superato i 10 miliardi di euro...

http://www.opex360.com/2020/02/13/les-surcouts-du-programme-europeen-davion-de-transport-a400m-ont-depasse-les-10-milliards-deuros/

 

[TT-1 Pinto]

Ha volato l'unico esemplare destinato al Lussemburgo ...

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Luxembourg’s lone A400M tactical transport made a 5h flight debut from Airbus Defence & Space’s San Pablo final assembly site in Seville, Spain, on 13 April.
The Europrop International TP400-D6-powered airlifter (MSN104/CT-01) is scheduled to be delivered before the end of the second quarter of this year, its manufacturer says (*).

... flightglobal.com ... Luxembourg’s A400M completes 5h debut flight ...

(*) ... Luxembourg Armed Forces A400M makes its maiden flight ...

[zander]

Un A400M spagnolo è rimasto danneggiato a seguito di un bird strike mentre operava presso la base di Saragozza.

https://twitter.com/breakingavnews/status/1258690874264993792

[TT-1 Pinto]

Sono state ottenute due nuove certificazioni ...

... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/a400m-wins-certification-for-automatic-low-level-flight/138580.article ...

... flightglobal.com ... https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/a400m-secures-long-delayed-paratroop-jump-certification/138670.article ...

Anche qui ... defense.gouv.fr ... https://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/dga/actualite/nouvelles-certifications-militaires-pour-l-avion-de-transport-a400m-atlas ... 

[TT-1 Pinto]

L' espansione della pandemia ha comportato un considerevole aumento di attività per il velivolo da trasporto Europeo ...

... flightglobal.com ... How A400M Atlas spanned the globe during coronavirus response ...

[zander]

La Spagna porta sfortuna agli A400M? Un A400M della RAF ha subito un bird strike che ha lasciato un bel buco in fusoliera.

L'aereo è atterrato in sicurezza a Getafe e nessun membro dell'equipaggio è rimasto ferito.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/11952814/raf-aircraft-bird-strike/

Oppure gli A400M portano male ai pennuti iberici?

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il Lussemburgo ha ricevuto il suo A400M...

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Les forces armées luxembourgeoises ont pris livraison de leur avion de transport militaire Airbus A400M, qui a été accepté sur la ligne d'assemblage final de l'A400M à Séville (Espagne). 
Il fera une première escale au Luxembourg avant de poursuivre son voyage vers la 15e escadre de transport aérien à Melsbroek (Belgique), où sera basée l'unité de transport aérien mixte entre la Belgique et le Luxembourg. 
Avec cette livraison, le Luxembourg devient le septième opérateur de l'A400M.

... blog.24heures.ch ... Un A400M pour le Luxembourg ! ...

[zander]

Dopo alcune traversie, Airbus è stata in grado di consegnare ai primi clienti la capacità di paracadutare soldati dai portelloni laterali dell'A400M. LA capacità è stata ufficialmente consegnata ai clienti nel 2020 e dovrebbe diventare operativa presso le prime forze armate nel 2021. Questo articolo ripercorre brevemente le tappe per risolvere il problema e per consegnare questa importante capacità dell'A400M.

https://www.caia.net/revue-auteurs-rubriques-numeros/article/a400m-et-parachutistes/578

[TT-1 Pinto]

Problemi risolti per il rifornimento in volo degli elicotteri?
Si spera ...

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Airbus has recently completed a major test phase with the A400M airlifter refueling helicopters. 
The test campaign allowed the completion of many certification requirements and development objectives and moves the A400M a significant step closer to being fully cleared for rotary-wing refueling operations.
The trials took place over France’s western coast and involved a tanker-configured company A400M testbed and two Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters from the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (AAE, French air and space force). 
During the course of the tests, 81 “wet” contacts were conducted, during which 6.5 tonnes of fuel was transferred.
The A400M's initial refueling trials with helicopters revealed wake turbulence issues, requiring some fixes and inevitably incurring a delay to fielding of the capability.

... ainonline.com ... https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2021-04-19/airbus-conducts-helicopter-refueling-trials-a400m-airlifter ...