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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 0162.PDF
MILITARY AIRBUS AIRBUS IN ARMOUR Airbus Industrie plans to break into the military market with converted airliners. Gilbert Sedbon reports on the consortium's plans for the A300, A310 and A340. A irbus Industrie is stepping up its efforts to meet military tanker/ transport requirements in the wake of French air force chief of staff Gen Vincent Lanata's recent pro nouncement that the air force will need additional aircraft to meet this role by the end of the century. Airbus wants to offer both conversions and new-build aircraft. Conversions would focus on the A300-600 and A310- 300 while Airbus would also offer new- build variants of the A340 four-engined widebody to meet air force needs. Lanata unveiled the requirement last year, saying the service requires a dozen more tankers by the end of the century to service its Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters and the Dassault Rafale future combat aircraft. The air force has already taken delivery of two converted A310-300 troop trans ports to replace McDonnell Douglas DC-8s, which are being phased out. The German and Canadian air forces have also acquired A310-300s as troop carriers. The end of the Cold War, and the changing security environment, has placed increased emphasis on the ability to operate out of area. This in turn has 1 Reinforced/replacement cross beams 2 Reinforced support rods and fittings 3 Reinforced frame at support rod fitting area 4 Additional support rod 5 Reinforced/additional seat rails 6 New skin panels 7 Freight door Airbus A300/A310 freighter conversion upped the requirement for tanker/ transport aircraft. Aerospatiale, British Aerospace and Deutsche Aerospace (the principal part ners in Airbus) have addressed this by pooling their civil and military experience in the development of multi-role military versions of Airbus widebody aircraft. Last year saw the partners form an organisation called MRTT (multi-role tanker transport) to address the growing requirement for military tanker aircraft. Aircraft modifications will be divided into three parts: cargo and troop transport; air-to-air refuelling; and specific military avionics, says Aerospatiale's aircraft divi sion's new chief, Claude Terrazzoni. The MRTT concept provides for a two-crew cockpit, with mission-oriented avionics for silent, all-weather, air-to-air refuelling operations, as well as a self- refuelling capability (receptacle or probe). An upward-opening large cargo door (standard on cargo aircraft), with a ball- mat on the forward upper deck and varying degrees of automation, is available so that military equipment can be loaded. The upper-deck cargo compartment has a maximum available volume of 200m3. A rear cargo hold al lows room for mili tary equipment. The refuelling sys tem has one probe- and-drogue unit installed under each wing, with a nomi nal transfer rate of 420USgal(l,600litr es)/min. The maximum fuel for off-loading and/or range exten sion is contained in eight cylindrical tanks which are in stalled in forward and aft underfloor holds, with a total capacity of 28t. The fuel system has isolated fuel tanks and crossfeed Military considerations M ilitary acceptance of the Airbus MRTT configuration involves estab lishing a certification basis, defining a means of compliance and then de monstrating it. It also embraces incor poration of the modifications, validation of modification performance, and confir mation that aircraft integrity and the performance of aircraft systems remains unchanged. These objectives cover the structure's state, its static and dynamic behaviour, and validation of modified and new parts. It also covers systems, validation of modi fications, laboratory and ground tests, and flight tests. Flight-test programmes are based on flights without external military equip ment and flights with such military equip ment fitted. Their purpose is to check handling qualities, performance, refu elling and operations in all conditions, and military communications. The A300-600 and A310-300 military versions have: • extended-range twinjet operations capability; • fully digital avionics, including elec tronic flight-instrument systems; • electronic centralised aircraft monitor ing systems; • inertial-reference and flight-manage ment systems; • GPS, satellite communications and traf fic-alert and collision-avoidance systems (Airbus standard options). Terrazzoni says: "MRTT can turn Air bus civil airliners into military multi-role tanker transports, as well as troop and cargo transports and can obtain the necessary certification within a mini mum period of time, to meet the needs of air forces." capability within the basic and the addi tional tank systems. A crew station holds all controls, indicators and a television monitor (for the operation of the boom refuelling system). A telescopic boom provides for a nominal transfer rate of 3,050htres/min. A two-pod A300 tanker configuration has a refuelling altitude of up to 35,000ft (10,700m) at 320kt (600km/h). The telescopic-boom and hose-and- drogue refuelling systems will be available for the MRTT A300/A310 and, eventually, the MRTT A340, says Terrazzoni. First-generation A300s and A310s are becoming available to serve as basic air craft for the MRTT, after refurbishing and conversion has been carried out. The next move for Airbus is to get on with the A340, according to Terrazzoni. n 40 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19 - 25 January, 1994
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