Airbus has secured European certification for an A330-900 performance-enhancement package which includes new take-off configurations and faster landing-gear retraction.
German leisure carrier Condor is set to introduce aircraft with the modification, following the approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
Airbus says the package – which is designated ‘Step-4’ – will be a line-fit option for A330neo customers.
“These functions focus on enhancing the aircraft’s low-speed performance,” says the airframer. “This is achieved by further maximising lift and reducing drag during the take-off and initial climb segments.”
There is no change to the five-position flap lever in the cockpit, but the crew will be able to enter four intermediate flap positions – giving a total of nine settings – into the multi-function control and display unit.
Once the flap lever is set, the aircraft’s avionics will automatically adjust the flaps and slats to the required intermediate position.
Along with the extra flap configurations, and a quicker retraction sequence for the landing-gear through updated actuators, the package enables automatic gear-door opening.
This means the landing-gear doors will be automatically commanded to open, just 1s after the jet becomes airborne, if an engine failure occurs on take-off.
Airbus says the enhancements will offer a higher take-off weight capability without additional thrust – up to 6 or 7t at some airports, depending on runway restrictions, and typically about 2.6t.
The airframer says it conducted 175h of flight tests to evaluate the modifications to the landing-gear, high-lift system, avionics and other equipment, supplemented by 630h of simulation time to check crew handling and system integration.
Condor flight-operations personnel tested the enhancements in Toulouse during February, part of a maturity campaign which has examined failure cases and compatibility with airline operations.
