Airbus Military says preliminary work to assess the A400M's ability to manoeuvre under rough field conditions was successful.
Conducted late last month at Francazal air base – a former military airfield near Toulouse, France – the process involved using MSN003, one of the programme's development aircraft, performing fast taxi trials with chalk pellets scattered on the ground.
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© A Doumenjou/Airbus Military |
“The work was designed to ensure that the aircraft and procedures are ready for the eventual test programme at a location yet to be selected,” says Airbus.
An A400M should make the type's first landing on an unpaved runway before the end of the year.