EADS A400M, 독일의 구매 축소 가능성과 시험비행 소식...

 

지난 주 외신에 보도된 EADS Airbus Military 社가 개발 중인 A400M 수송기와 관련된 2가지 소식을 묶어서 소개합니다.

 

우선 현재 독일 연립정부를 구성하고 있는 한 축인 자유민주당 소속 의원이 독일의 A400M 구입 수량을 40대로 즉 기존

60대 구매에서 20대를 줄여야 한다고 주장했다는 소식입니다.

 

지난 3월 A400M 제작社 EADS 와 사업참여 7개국은 기존 구매물량 180대에서 약 10대 정도 축소하는 것에 대해서 잠정

합의를 봤었습니다. 물론 당시에도 EADS 측은 초기 계약 물량이 180대 아래로 내려가는 것에 대해서 강력 반발하면서,

영국의 3대 축소 등을 포함하여, 170대선까지는 양보한 바 있습니다.

 

(註, 앞서 6월에 소개한 A400M 관련 글에서 <...EADS 측이 180대 물량을 지키고자 한다...>는 저의 언급은 이미 3월에

EADS 측이 180대에서 10대 정도의 물량 축소는 동의한 사항이므로, 이 글을 통해 바로잡습니다.)

 

이러한 가운데서, 독일이 정부측의 공식 입장은 아니지만, 연립정권을 구성하고 있는 한 축으로 부터 추가 축소 가능성

이 언급되었다는 점에서, A400M 의 장래에 매우 우려되는 내용이라 생각됩니다.

 

한편 EADS Airbus Military 측은 이러한 보도에 대해서, 현재 독일 의회에서 진행되고 있는 국방예산 재조정 결과를 본

후에 공식 반응을 발표할 것으로 보이며, 만약 160대 이하로 초기 구매 물량이 내려간다면, A400M 사업자체를 접어야

된다는 반응이 흘러나오고 있습니다.

 

이러한 구매물량 축소 움직임과는 반대로, 현재 진행되고 있는 시험비행은 순조롭게 이루어지고 있다는 또 다른 소식

입니다. 현재 3대의 시제기가 제작된 상태에서, 지난 7월말 <Farnborough Air Show 2010> 에서 "Grizzly" 라는 새로운

이름을 부여받은 A400M 은 각종 성능테스트 및 인증 절차를 예정대로 진행하고 있다는 AW&ST 의 최근 기사 입니다.

 

성능시험비행에서는 고도 36,000피트 상공에서 마하 0.72 의 속도를 달성하였으며, 비포장 활주로에서의 이/착륙 시험

비행도 금년 중으로 실시할 예정이라는 소식 입니다. 또한 엔진의 경우 금년 하반기에 민수용 인증을 통과하고, 2011년

중반에는 군용승인 (Military Certification) 절차를 마무리 한다는 내용입니다.

 

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Trials and Travails

A400M testing begins to tackle austere landing, refueling performance

Aviation Week & Space Technology, 08/02/2010

Author : Robert Wall

 

Contractual uncertainty still hovers over the Airbus Military A400M, but development personnel are pressing forward to enter a new stage and will explore more challenging elements of the aircraft’s performance.

 

Flight testing, which kicked off in December and now encompasses three aircraft, focused largely on validating basic handling. Much of that work is now wrapping up, so more onerous mission-related elements are being tackled, says Fernando Alonso, Airbus flight testing leader.

 

One of the initial efforts is the start of a long process to validate the airlifter’s ability to operate from austere air bases and unimproved runways. In a first step, an A400M visited the Francazal air base near Toulouse to gather relevant data. Chalk pellets were strewn over the runway to assess how rocks might strike the fuselage and propellers when the air­lifter lands on a stone and dirt runway. An actual landing on unprepared runways could take place this year.

 

As for basic handling, Alonso says the aircraft, recently named the Grizzly, is showing less buffet then first feared; high- and low-speed handling also is good. The aircraft has flown to Mach 0.72 and reached 36,000 ft. (the eventual ceiling is 40,000 ft). “The system hydraulics, electrical and brake systems are working mostly,” he notes.

 

The goal in the coming months is to wrap up most of the work to freeze the aircraft configuration and begin building the first production-representative aircraft, MSN006, says Airbus Military Managing Director Domingo Urena.

 

On the engine side, developers also are marking progress. The TP400D turboprop was for a long time one of the big causes of delay and concern. But Jacques Desclaux, head of operations at the Europrop International (EPI) joint venture, says those issues are basically resolved and the engines now in operation are already “significantly” beating the specific-fuel-consumption target set for production-standard versions.

 

Civil certification for the powerplant is expected in the September/October timeframe. The last release of the full-authority digital engine control (Fadec) software is needed for that milestone. The main test hurdle still to be overcome is medium-size bird ingestion, due in mid-September, says Martin Maltby, technical director for the program. Further trials are required to attain military certification, which is expected in mid-2011.

 

For the production standard, a few refinements have been made to the powerplant in terms of mechanical elements and temperature, but Desclaux says there have been no major changes.

 

One of the developers’ questions at the start of the flight-test program was whether they needed a deflector to disrupt airflow when opening the rear door for parachute egress. Alonso says it quickly became clear that such a device was essential; but once installed, the airflow was manageable for parachutists to cleanly depart the aircraft.

 

Ahead in the near term are completion of flutter tests and then a campaign to expose the aircraft to severe environmental conditions in hot and cold climates as well as to high-altitude operations.

 

Airbus also is looking to begin flight trials with the underwing refueling pods that some A400M customers are requesting. Those tests will likely use MSN003, the latest aircraft to join the program.

 

Alonso hopes to have the aircraft ready to start flying pilots from customer air forces. That could be critical to underpin support for the airlifter as governments look to trim budgets.

 

Although progress is being made, Urena notes that the flight management system remains an area of concern, and not all issues with the Fadec have been resolved.

 

The Fadec software will continue to draw scrutiny because it is one of the last elements to come together to reflect engine and airframe changes, so there is little margin for delay, notes EPI President Nick Durham.

 

Even as technical progress is being recorded, contractual issues surrounding the multibillion-euro development effort remain unresolved. EADS CEO Louis Gallois now believes it will be in the fall when the terms of the March agreement on how to cover several billion euros in cost overruns are converted into an actual contract. In the meantime, industry is still paying the running costs on the program in anticipation of a new deal.

 

So far, governments are sticking to their commitment to cut the program by no more than 10 units from the planned buy of 180 airlifters among the seven core countries, although industry officials recognize budget pressures could still lead to further reductions.

 

Contractual disagreements also exist within industry. EPI and Airbus Military have competing financial claims against the other, but for now they have set aside an arbitration process to resolve the dispute amicably.

 

 

  ⓒ Airbus Military

 

  ⓒ Airbus Military