Fifth Airbus A400M prototype performs maiden flight »

By Jean-Michel Guhl
21 December 2011

A fitting picture for the present 2011 winter holidays season, the second development A400M aircraft – referred to as "Grizzly 2" – is seen earlier this year while undergoing several cold weather tests in northern Sweden. The test focus was on the new-generation airlifter's TP400 powerplants. The team experienced temperatures down to -21ºC and successfully achieved all the planned test points. Meanwhile, on 20 December 2011, the fifth and last prototype of the A400M took to the air in Sevilla. © A. Domenjou

Sevilla, Spain, 20 December 2011 — The fifth Airbus Military A400M military airlifter made its first flight today, marking the end of a highly successful second year for this key European programme. The full fleet of five A400M Grizzly development aircraft is now in the air, ready to complete the flight-test programme.

Known as "Grizzly 5", the aircraft took off from Seville-San Pablo airport at a take-off weight of 125 tonnes at 08:55 local time (GMT+1) and landed back 2 hours 10 minutes later. French experimental Test Pilot Christophe Marchand captained the flight, supported by French Experimental Test Pilot Etienne Miche de Malleray. The crew also included French Test Flight Engineers Jean-Paul Lambert and Ludovic Girard and, the sole Spanish on-board, Flight Test Engineer Cesar Gonzales-Gomez.

Grizzly 5 is the final member of the fleet which has now completed more than 2,500 hours of the planned 3,700 hour flight-test programme leading to first delivery expected for the end of next year. This prototype carries a light flight-test instrumentation load and will be primarily dedicated to electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing, cargo development, operational demonstrations and extreme cold weather trials.

Airbus Head of Flight Operations Fernando Alonso said: "The first flight of Grizzly 5 is right on schedule and is an excellent way to end this second year of A400M flight-testing. It provides a strong platform from which to address the challenging year ahead leading to first delivery to the French Air Force."

During 2011 the A400M has successfully completed an extremely intensive test schedule and the aircraft has now been flown by more than 60 different pilots unanimous about the big aircraft's easy handling characteristics. The critical high-energy rejected take-off test has been passed lately as well as emergency evacuations in different configurations. Crosswind and wet runway testing is complete, and so is the trial with artificial ice shapes fitted to the wings. All stalling and braking tests have been passed, together with cruise performance, and the minimum unstick speed (Vmu), minimum control speed on ground (Vmcg) and minimum control speed in the air (Vmca) tests are now also fully rounded off.

The Grizzly fleet will immediately start 2012 with an aggressive test programme, including an increasing proportion of military tests, in preparation for first delivery around the turn of the year 2012-2013.

Meanwhile Airbus Military Company confirmed that, following constructive discussions with parastatal Armscor, it has refunded South Africa's pre-delivery payments for the A400M military transport aircraft while at the same time, opening the door to further close cooperation with South Africa. "The agreement we signed with Armscor on 29 November 2011, draws a line under the cancelled A400M acquisition, but crucially, it lets us all move forward together to explore further opportunities, including upcoming acquisition projects led by Armscor" explained Airbus Military CEO, Domingo Ureña.

	A400M MSN 006 — the fifth and last prototype of the Airbus Military strategic airlifter — is seen taking off from Sevilla airport for its maiden flight on 20 December 2011, two years almost day to day after the first flight of the number 1 prototype on 19 December 2009. The programme is now on track with the first serial aircraft for the French Air Force presently being in construction at San Pablo. © AMC

South Africa was given full industrial partner status in the A400M programme in 2005. In return, South Africa committed to acquire 8 A400M aircraft in a firm- and fixed-price contract worth €837 million (which had never increased since, according to AMC).

Despite South Africa cancelling its A400M acquisition in November 2009 on account of a strong economic recession, local companies, Denel Aerostructures and Aerosud, have remained responsible for the design engineering, manufacturing and supply of several major subparts of the big airlifter.

Source: Airbus Military

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