Airbus A400M Atlas

• Germany Germany
• France France
• Spain
• United Kingdom United Kingdom

The Airbus A400M is a military transport aircraft Atlas of Airbus Military. The A400M is equipped with four turboprop engines and distinguished from the to be replaced by her older types by a much higher payload and range from. You should replace in several European air forces the obsolescent inventory of transport aircraft, in particular the French-German Transall. Although it is primarily designed and developed for military use, their registration also takes place according to the rules of civil aircraft; a circumstance which contributed significantly to the complexity of the development and the rise in price.

The end of 2007 began with the construction of the first prototype. In the A400M series should go from 2008, but late 2007, Airbus announced that there would be a delay of two six-month; these two six- months contract legally justified - Airbus should admit a delay of more than six months, the participating nations would be entitled to withdraw from the A400M program, which did not happen.

The rollout of the first machine was made on 26 June 2008 in Seville, the first ground tests began on 3 September 2009. The first flight took place on December 11, 2009.

At Airbus in Bremen has started the production of the first production model in November 2010. On 1 August 2013, the first copy was delivered to the French armed forces, and end in December 2013 was the first operational use, a flight to Mali.

• 2.1 users
• 2.2 Estimated User
• 2.3 List of series aircraft

• 5.1 drive
• 5.2 Specifications

Development

Requirements

The Airbus A400M will meet the exacting requirements for military air transport services. As a " strategic Transporter" He is due to high range, speed and payload capacity, giving a spacious cargo space and flexible usage options the European armed forces the ability to respond quickly to crises occurring outside Europe and to move large amounts of material and personnel. Compared to the guys who replaced the A400M to payload and range are about double.

Critics complain that despite the over the Transall and Hercules significantly increased range and payload, the term " strategic Transporter" is not technically justified merely being a politically motivated designation.

As the first military aircraft of the Airbus Group, the A400M is also for the efforts of the European nations to put in the procurement of new military technology on European companies and thereby secure jobs in Europe and to create - so promises Airbus, for example, the construction of the A400M secure jobs in different countries.

However, the decision for a European house development was not without controversy. In Germany, the then Defence Minister Volker Ruhe favored the idea of cooperation between Antonov and Airbus, with the aim of come onto the market Ukrainian transport aircraft Antonov An-70 further, rather than solely to instruct Airbus to build a new " Future Large Aircraft". Later, the ordered number of 73 Airbus aircraft fell through the CDU opposition in criticism, especially because of the high price, and was reduced to 60 pieces.

In the early 1980s, the need has been identified to replace the gradually obsolescent inventory of transport aircraft such as the Lockheed C -130 Hercules and Transall C-160 in the European countries, founded Aerospatiale, British Aerospace, Lockheed, and Messerschmitt -Bolkow -Blohm (MBB ) to investigate in December 1982, the Future International Military / Civil airlifter consortium ( FIMA ) the feasibility of a joint military transporter. 1985 unified the defense ministers of the Independent European Programme Group, the demands on the machine, which paved the way for an international cooperation in this project. 1988, had before it a requirement profile ( Outline Staff Target) for the new machine. In the meantime, in 1987 Aeritalia and CASA FIMA had joined, and in 1989 Lockheed rose from the project. In 1991 in Rome founded by the companies EUROFLAG the consortium, which should take over the development and construction of the machine. At the same time the pre-feasibility and feasibility later phase was started, which should examine the feasibility of the development goals in terms of customer requirements. In September 1994, a 1:1 model of the A400M under the name of Future Large Aircraft ( FLA) was on display at the air show in Farnborough. 1995, the EUROFLAG consortium broke up again, and the project has now been continued by Airbus. 1996, now amended and constantly caring for discussions requirements have been updated to the European Staff Requirement ( ESR). In September 1997, laid seven nations before an offer prompt and decided in December of the same year for the principle now called A400M aircraft, the binding commitments failed to materialize. Based on this RFP and the ESR put Airbus Military Company (AMC ) in January 1999 before an offer. The offer includes fixed benefits at fixed prices and dates (Commercial Approach).

Since 2000

In June 2001, the armaments agency OCCAR was determined as a contractor for the project, and a contract for the delivery of 196 aircraft was signed on 18 December 2001 in Brussels, but not entered into force. The final contract for 180 machines was only on 27 May 2003 in Bonn signed after further negotiations. In the same month, also the engine of a European consortium (see propulsion ) were selected for the machine - instead of a bid by Pratt & Whitney Canada. On 26 June 2008, the transporter at EADS in Seville was officially presented.

The first flight of an Airbus A400M was designed according to Airbus for late summer or fall of 2008; the original target for the October 2009 first delivery was initially postponed by six months - with the risk of a delay for a further six months. France was to get the first A400M in spring 2010; the Bundeswehr in 2011 should get their turn. As the old Hercules and Transall aircraft can remain in service for not so long, an intermediate solution was sought on several occasions. The German Air Force decided to charter six Antonov An-124 -100 ( SALIS ). Lockheed Martin was also from a leasing offer four Hercules C -130J.

On 22 April 2008 in charge of the Airbus Military division Carlos Suarez announced in Seville that the internal cost of the project had risen to 1.4 billion euros. However, Suarez did not quantify how high are the total cost of the development program. He also confirmed that Airbus still have problems with the engines of the A400M. But the admission of digital monitoring and control software ( FADEC) of the engines according to commercial standards led to a delay of over a year with the corresponding inflation.

Further delays by engine problems were collectively known Airbus with a cost increase by a further 314 million euros on 24 November 2008. The Program Manager Tom Williams also announced that the first flight would take place towards the end of 2009.

On 10 January 2009, the Financial Times Germany (FTD ) published an article, hence the Airbus Group " before a complete overhaul of the 20 - billion - euro - fixed-price contract for 180 machines" stand. The reason was mentioned that currently, neither the scheduled weight of the aircraft nor the targeted payload can be achieved. It will now be assumed by a surrender in 2013. In particular, there were problems with the engine software ( the company, according to the MTU three times as expensive as was that of the Airbus A380 ); the volume of the propeller drive; the aircraft control and a 12 t to high weight of the aircraft; also was the loading dock at the moment not able to let a tank roll in the plane without them take damage at the transition ramp aircraft.

On February 3, 2009 it was announced that Airbus no longer necessarily holds on to the realization due to financial problems due to the increased financial needs due to the technical problems and the program delay. Furthermore, according to industry sources have simulations of Airbus revealed that steep approach, also called " Sarajevo Approach ", in jetzigem technical state a propeller flutter would trigger. Due to the severe technical problems, the long delay of the whole project and the high cost increases neither a termination of the project was still excluded an alternative plan in the political debate.

On 24 July 2009, however, the defense ministers of the participating countries agreed for the time being an adherence to the project and re-planning of finance and appointments within half a year. With a delay of 4 years compared to the original plan is expected.

In January 2010, the exact costs are unknown. The mirror speaks of about 11.3 billion euros, roughly half of which should be due to problems with the engines. In other press reports however of 5 billion euros. Originally Airbus wanted to raise this cost the American world leader Pratt & Whitney Canada. However, the European countries were in the contract that the engines have to be purchased at a European consortium, which initially but had to completely re-engineer this. Because of this decision saw Airbus a share of responsibility for the customer nations and threatened with the setting of the project, they should have given any assurances to participate in the additional costs until the end of January 2010.

Despite the high costs, the countries and the aerospace group EADS agreed early March 2010 on the construction of the aircraft. Countries should agree to a price increase of ten percent ( about two billion euros ) and provide further 1.5 billion euros ready to be repaid in additional export sales of the Airbus A400M again. A total of five machines are designed for the flight test program should erfliegen together 4370 flight hours (Fh ) (of 1850 Fh for civil, Fh 2520 for military certifications ).

On 5 November 2010 it was announced that the financing of the A400M "stands". EADS has agreed with the buyer seven countries on a solution for the military transport:

• Germany ordered 53 instead of the planned 60 aircraft; The other seven orders are converted into an option
• The Bundeswehr waived the required fully automatic low-altitude flight capability of the A400M. "With these measures, the German share of the price increase of around 670 million euros will be compensated. "
• Series production of the much needed machinery to begin in late 2010;
• France to get a first machine in 2013. Of the first aircraft delivered to the Bundeswehr is scheduled for November 2014. By 2020, all machines are to be delivered to the German Air Force.

The Armee de l'Air is planning to declare after receiving the seventh machine, a first operational readiness, which would be the case for delay -free delivery 2014. On 23 November 2011, Airbus Military announced that the final assembly of the first, destined for France machine MSN007, has begun. A day earlier hit the hull in a Seville, wings and the bow section were already since October 26, 2011 at the Spanish production plant of Airbus subsidiary.

As of May 2013, the first A400M will be delivered to the Armee de l'Air in the second quarter of 2013. A total of four series machines will be delivered to the users in 2013, according to current planning, including the Turkish armed forces. In the year 2014, and 10 on 21 machines will be delivered one year. The first Turkish machine is since July 2012 in post-production.

Flight testing

The first flight took place on December 11, 2009 in Seville and took 3 hours and 47 minutes. The take-off weight was 127 tonnes, of which 13 tonnes were on the equipment for the test flight and 2 tons of water ballast. Aboard the military chief test pilot Edward Strongman, the Test Pilot Ignacio Lombo, who is responsible for the engines Flight Engineer Jean -Philippe Cottet, the flight engineer Eric Isorce, responsible for on-board systems and flight engineers Didier Ronceray and Gerard Leskerpit were. The launch took place at 10:15 clock (CET). After a flyover in the landing configuration, the landing took place at 14:02 clock. During the first flight of a control computer for the drives detected a failure, so that one of the four engines is automatically moved from safety to idle. The problem might have been to fix by restarting the engine; as the plane would be landing in a failure of the restart with a stationary propeller, was waived.

9 May 2012, Airbus received by EASA provisional civil certification ( Restricted Type Certificate ) for the A400M.

On 22 May 2012, the second prototype landed with the registration EC- 402 at the airport Cottbus- Drewitz order to perform takeoffs and landings from unpaved runways and determine the suitability of the A400M and off -developed airports. The tests were canceled on the afternoon of May 23, because the prototype was stuck and only had to be re-exposed for several hours.

During a test flight on December 5, 2013, the first time was performed aerial refueling, was lodged with the fuel from a Transall C- 160 at an A400M. The first "dry" test had been carried out in 2010.

List of prototypes

Civil Type Certificate

On March 13, 2013 Airbus Military received the complete civil type certification by EASA for the A400M.

Military admission

The Airbus A400M will not have from the beginning its full range of services. Rather, the first series specimens are supplied in a initial operating clearance version (IOC ), a military certification, which is initially enable the strategic air transport and thus corresponds to the civil type certification. With progressive serial number extradition with the Standard Operating clearance ( SOC ) is then sought that extend the tactical spectrum of the aircraft.

The time required for the initial delivery military certification and qualification - Initial Operating Clearance, IOC - was granted on 31 July 2013. The awarding of this contract to military standards was carried out by the organization for joint armament cooperation ( OCCAR), which issues the certificate on behalf of the launch nations (Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey).

The IOC award was the last step before the approval of the first series production aircraft MSN007 by the French defense procurement agency DGA ( Direction Générale de l' Armement ) and then following the machine delivery to the French Air Force.

Was the joint military base for the certification was approved on 19 July 2013 recommendation of the committee composed of representatives of the seven launch nations Certification and Qualification Committee ( CQC). Accordingly, the DGA had on July 24, 2013 Airbus Military issued and the French military type certification for the A400M.

The company Airbus Military S. L. has notified the Purchaser Nations in October 2013 that they could deliver about 1 mid-2015 according to the contract the ability standard SOC only.

Orders and users

The first customers are France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey have who wanted to procure for 180 machines. Originally even 225 machines were provided, but this number decreased by the withdrawal of Italy and Portugal from the project as well as by the reduction of the German and Turkish contingent. Meanwhile, an order by Malaysia has joined with four machines. Chile originally planned also to create three machines, but never came an order. South Africa has canceled the purchase of eight machines. In Germany and France, the Airbus A400M will replace the Community Development Transall C-160, in the other nations mainly the Lockheed C -130 Hercules.

Because the machines have been ordered by several billion euros were more expensive - which Airbus carries the bulk of the additional costs themselves - will be reduced by ordering Nations on the number of aircraft; However, there is still no final decision to do so. Airbus CEO Tom Enders said to the minimum purchase of 170 copies was necessary because the production would otherwise no longer count for Airbus.

The contract Proper delivery of the A400M could be delayed from 2014 to mid-2015. 2014 was to deliver only with a reduced equipment.

The following quantities have been ordered by the buyer nations:

User

The Armée de l'Air stationed their A400M since August 2013 at the military airfield Orléans - Bricy; to 2014, ten A400M the Association are available and have reached a first operational readiness. Since the spring of 2013, the first trained technicians and pilots of the French Air Force on the new aircraft at Airbus Military in Seville and Toulouse. The first flight of the first production aircraft took place on March 6, 2013. Officially took over the French Air Force its first aircraft on 30 September 2013., On 29 December 2013, the French Air Force conducted the first official use of Orléans flight to Mali.

As the operational squadrons ET 1/61 " Touraine ", ET 1/64 " Béarn " and ET ​​2 /64 " Anjou " are provided. While the ET is 1/61 to take the place of the MEST in September 2014, the conversion of the both currently in Évreux other seasons is not yet clear, since 2017, initially only intended to run 15 aircraft and more deliveries are planned before 2020.

The training of crews to be held jointly with Germany, the tactical training in Orléans is planned during the training of technicians to be held in Wunstorf.

Turkey deployed its A400M Atlas since the end of 2013 in Kayseri at the local 12th Air Transport main base of operations command. The first flight of the Turkish version took place on 9 August 2013, and the first copy hit the end of 2013 a first. The Turkish government had declared in December, 2013, not wanting to accept the aircraft. The reasons for this remain unclear. It was only on April 4, 2014 arrived the first example in Turkey.

Estimated users

The following nations have ordered the A400M (September 2013):

The Belgian Air Force will deploy its A400M on the Vliegbasis Melsbroek in Brussels from 2018 at the 15th Wing Lucht transport.

The produced for the German Air Force 40 aircraft will be deployed according to current plans, at the airbase Wunstorf near Hanover for air transport squadron 62. There should not only train German pilots on the new transport aircraft, a multi-national training center. On September 6, 2012 landed there with the EC404 for the first time a prototype A400M.

The feed to the German aircraft provided by the contract as follows:

It is intended to operate 40 aircraft and to sell 13 aircraft directly from the manufacturers.

The armed forces of Malaysia have selected from 2015 Subang as the basis for its transport aircraft.

The Ala 31 in Zaragoza, which currently operates 11 C -130, will use the new van from 2016. Of the 27 machines ordered to according to current plans, only 14 are used in the Spanish armed forces, while the remaining 13 are determined by the economic crisis for export.

The Royal Air Force kollo adorns all transport aircraft in RAF Brize Norton, plus 2014 the A400M in the long run two operational squadrons, the 70th and 30th Squadron, and a Umschuleinheit, the 24th Squadron ( squadron numbers are part of the RAF not yet officially confirmed ). The RAF also announced in March 2013 not to want to use as tanker aircraft, the Atlas and to obtain any conversion kits, because they would cover these skills already with the Voyager.

List of series aircraft

Efficiency

The cargo space of the A400M measures 17.7 m × 4 m × 3.85 m (L × W × H) and is capable of absorbing the load among other things:

The transport plane has a guaranteed payload of 25 tonnes at the tactical use. However, it is not designed for the transport of heavy loads such as the Leopard 2 battle tank, since the maximum weight is for individual vehicles at 32 tonnes.

The A400M can carry a maximum payload of 37 tonnes, which have a range of about 3100 kilometers. At lower load can correspondingly more fuel to refuel, thus increasing the range; see adjacent map. In terms of major strategic transport aircraft such as the Boeing C -17 are the relatively low values, so the competitiveness of the Airbus design was made partly in question for strategic airlift. Instance, it is assumed that five machines of this type would be needed to provide the power of an Antonov An-124.

However, the A400M combines the ability to long distance transportation with a great versatility in tactical situations. With a payload of 20 tons is their range, compared with the stretched version of the C -130J (Super Hercules), more than twice as high. The maximum load capacity is also compared to the C -130J stretch, approximately twice as large.

For landing and starting even under adverse weather conditions, a poorly prepared runway below 1000 meters in length and without any technical installation requirements. The chassis is designed to be able to land on grass or Lehmflächen.

However, the transportation of goods and personnel between airfields is not the only possible use for the A400M. It is also intended to sell goods with and without a parachute and paratrooper. In addition, they should, like an example of the Airbus A310 of Air Force, with a hospital equipment ( " medevac " ) can be set up to transport injured people.

A short conversion, the A400M may be provided with equipment for in-flight refueling. You can then other aircraft from their normal stock supply tank, which can be supplemented with auxiliary fuel tanks in the cargo area. Advantages over larger jets such as the A310 -300 MRTT are in a smaller and thus more suitable for the refueling of helicopters minimum speed and height as well as in the much larger number of airplanes. Again, allow the speed range of the A400M even faster refueling fighter aircraft.

Comparable models

Technology

In the Vorentwicklungsphasen the A400M different technical solutions were examined, particularly in regard to wing positions and drive concepts. In the alternative drive turbofan and advanced turboprop engines were examined, each with two engines or four engines. The decision in favor of an advanced turboprop drive with four engines failed for the following reasons:

The Turkish defense company TUSAS developed the aileron, the spoiler, several parts of the fuselage, the parachutist doors, emergency exits. Moreover, the company for internal wiring, interior and exterior lighting of the aircraft and water-bearing elements is responsible.

The equipment of the fuselage with the systems is the first step in the Airbus plant in Bremen and will be continued after the joining of all aircraft components factory in Seville.

To facilitate the settling of parachutists and to the exit of the parachute from the laminar flow of the aircraft, extendable wind deflectors are mounted in front of the side doors Springer.

Drive

On the development of turboprop EPI TP400- D6 are Rolls- Royce plc, ITP, MTU Aero Engines and Snecma involved. For the development, manufacture and support of the TP400 -D6, the Joint Undertaking Europrop International ( EPI) was established by the partner companies. The power is converted by eight-petalled Ratier -FH -386 - propeller with 5.34 meters in diameter, made ​​of woven fiber composites.

Specifications:

• Type: 3-shaft turboprop
• Power ( Uprated ): more than 8,200 shaft kW ( 11,000 hp)
• Compression ratio: 25
• Propeller diameter: 5.3 m
• Propeller speed: 840 min-1
• Weight: 1860 kg (dry)
• Length: 3,500 mm

The performance of the engine is used worldwide by only two engines, the already relatively old Russian Kuznetsov NK -12 ( inter alia, in the Antonov An-22 and Tupolev Tu- 95) and the Ukrainian Ivchenko Progress D -27 (built into the Antonov exceeded An-70 ). Both engines have, in contrast to TP400 has two counter-rotating propellers on the same hub, so that no counter torque acts on the wing structure.

Specifications

• Minimum (empty weight ): 355 kg / m²
• Maximum ( maximum takeoff weight ): 637 kg / m²

• Length: 17.71 m
• Width: 4.00 m
• Height: 3.85 m (4.00 m behind the wing )

• About 750 km / h to 10,000 m altitude
• 555 km / h at sea level

• With a full payload: 3300 km
• At 30 t payload: 4535 km
• At 20 t payload: 6390 km
• Transfer distance: 8700 km