Airbus Military has for the first time flown all five of its A400M development aircraft together, just days after launching a vital period of function and reliability testing of the type with production-standard MSN6.
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| All images courtesy Airbus Military |
Conducted from the company's flight test centre in Toulouse, France on 7 June, the milestone formation was photographed on the ground and in flight before all five "Grizzly" assets went on to conduct separate test activities in support of the European programme.
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In addition to MSN6 working towards logging the 300 flight hours required to complete a function and reliability programme launched on 2 June, Airbus Military's other current activities with the Grizzly fleet include handling quality, engine performance and pressurisation and oxygen tests with aircraft one, three and four. Pictured carrying underwing refuelling pods and with an aerodynamic shape fitted to its tail ramp to simulate the presence of a fuselage refuelling unit, MSN2 is also involved in hose stability tests to support the A400M's future secondary role as a tanker.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
