Airbus Military has confirmed plans to send one of its A400M "Grizzly" development aircraft to the ILA Berlin air show next week, as work to introduce a replacement part to the type's engines gets under way.
An A400M will appear on static display and also participate in the daily flying programme at ILA, which will be held on a new site located within Berlin's delayed Brandenburg airport from 11-16 September.
The European transport will be returning to the skies at a public event for the first time since an issue with its Europrop International (EPI) TP400-D6 engines restricted it to taking a static-only role at the Farnborough air show in the UK in July.
Propulsion system supplier EPI tested a first gearbox to have been retrofitted with a new cover plate during the weekend of 1-2 September, and is now mating the modified design with a TP400. The enhancement is intended to prevent any repeat of a fault which resulted in metal chips being detected in an engine's oil during flight testing conducted shortly before the Farnborough show.
The German air force is scheduled to take delivery of its first A400M "Atlas" in 2014, with the service to eventually receive 53 examples. With a maximum cargo capacity of 37t, the new fleet will replace the Luftwaffe's aged C160 Transalls.
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Airbus Military A German air force Transall and A400M appeared together at ILA 2010 |
Source: Flight International
