Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders revealed persisting challenges with its A400M military transport aircraft development announcing a fresh $1.1 b...
Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders revealed persisting challenges with its A400M military transport aircraft development announcing a fresh $1.1 billion (€ 1,026 million) charges against the program.
He said industrial efficiency and stepwise introduction of the aircraft’s military functionalities are still lagging behind schedule and remain challenging. But added company is making good progress.
Airbus delivered five aircraft in the first half of 2016, which also included the first aircraft ‘MSN 33’ with the much needed tactical capabilities to France in June. The capability will enable aerial delivery of troops and cargo from the aircraft.
Furthermore, the EASA’s Airworthiness Directive, linked to the engine propeller gearbox (PGB), and various PGB quality issues have adversely impacted the customer delivery.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has now certified an interim fix to the engine PGB which, once available, will give air forces at least 650 flight hours before initial inspections of the affected PGB parts, from the current 20 hours.
Airbus says technical issues related to the aluminium alloy used for some parts within the aircraft, recurring cost convergence issues and finally some delays, escalation and cost overruns in the development program resulted in the additional charges.
Company said negotiations through OCCAR for compensation to customers due to capability shortfalls and delivery delay is yet to start and warned significant potential impacts on the financial statements.
Meanwhile Airbus Defence and Space and French aerospace research lab ONERA has validated a longer hose and drogue of length ~37 m (120 ft) to refuel helicopters from A400M, through low speed wind tunnel tests.
Earlier flight tests have revealed that the ~24 m (80 ft) long hose was unstable due to vortices created by A400M's spoilers, which has to be deployed to reduce speed to 200-240 km/h required for refueling the slower helicopters.
Lack of this air to air refueling capability, which will be flight tested later this year, had forced France to order two KC-130J tankers made by Lockheed Martin.
Airbus had earlier targeted this year to introduce the tactical capability, helicopter refueling capability and self protection capabilities for the aircraft.
A400M is now operated by Air Forces of U.K, France, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia.
He said industrial efficiency and stepwise introduction of the aircraft’s military functionalities are still lagging behind schedule and remain challenging. But added company is making good progress.
Airbus delivered five aircraft in the first half of 2016, which also included the first aircraft ‘MSN 33’ with the much needed tactical capabilities to France in June. The capability will enable aerial delivery of troops and cargo from the aircraft.
Furthermore, the EASA’s Airworthiness Directive, linked to the engine propeller gearbox (PGB), and various PGB quality issues have adversely impacted the customer delivery.
The European Aviation Safety Agency has now certified an interim fix to the engine PGB which, once available, will give air forces at least 650 flight hours before initial inspections of the affected PGB parts, from the current 20 hours.
Airbus says technical issues related to the aluminium alloy used for some parts within the aircraft, recurring cost convergence issues and finally some delays, escalation and cost overruns in the development program resulted in the additional charges.
Company said negotiations through OCCAR for compensation to customers due to capability shortfalls and delivery delay is yet to start and warned significant potential impacts on the financial statements.
Meanwhile Airbus Defence and Space and French aerospace research lab ONERA has validated a longer hose and drogue of length ~37 m (120 ft) to refuel helicopters from A400M, through low speed wind tunnel tests.
Earlier flight tests have revealed that the ~24 m (80 ft) long hose was unstable due to vortices created by A400M's spoilers, which has to be deployed to reduce speed to 200-240 km/h required for refueling the slower helicopters.
Lack of this air to air refueling capability, which will be flight tested later this year, had forced France to order two KC-130J tankers made by Lockheed Martin.
Airbus had earlier targeted this year to introduce the tactical capability, helicopter refueling capability and self protection capabilities for the aircraft.
A400M is now operated by Air Forces of U.K, France, Germany, Turkey and Malaysia.
