The Airbus A400M airlifter has successfully performed air-to-air refuelling tests with a Spanish Air Force Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighter,...
The Airbus A400M airlifter has successfully performed air-to-air refuelling tests with a Spanish Air Force Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighter, during recent trials over Seville, Spain.
The maiden tanker test campaign proved A400M's multi-role capability, to be a dual-role transport and tanker aircraft. The flight test featured five flights in which the A400M performed 33 dry contacts and transfered 18.6 tonnes of fuel to the Hornet in 35 wet contacts, using Cobham's 908E air to air refuelling pods. The aircraft has a basic fuel capacity of 50.8 tonnes which can be increased by the use of extra cargo hold tanks.
The standard A400M airlifter has full provisions for Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) operations already installed as standard and only requires the rapid installation of the optional air-to-air refuelling kit to become a tanker. With hard points, fuel lines and electrical connections already built into the wings, the conversion from an airlifter into a two-point tanker takes just under two hours.
The aerial refuelling is performed either through two wing mounted hose and drogue under-wing refuelling pods or through a centre-line fuselage refuelling unit (FRU) for larger aircrafts.
The two hose and drogue under-wing refuelling pods can provide a fuel flow of up to 400 US gal/1,500 litres per minute to receiver aircraft. The FRU provides a higher fuel flow of some 600 US gal / 2,250 litres per minute.
The A400M has the unique capability to refuel the entire range of probe-equipped military aircraft at their preferred speeds and altitudes, as it can fly both at the low speeds and low altitudes typically used to refuel helicopters, roughly 110 knots and 5000 feet and at higher speeds and altitudes, about 290 knots kt and altitudes around 25,000 ft, typically used for refuelling faster fighters or large aircraft such as the C295, C-130 Hercules, Eurofighter, F/A-18 or Rafale, or even another A400M for buddy refuelling.
