More A400Ms To Join Flight Trials

[GOOSE]

The full extent of flight trials of the Airbus Military A400M military airlifter is due to begin in earnest in 2010 after a stutter-step kickoff.

Poor weather restricted the A400M to only one more flight following its first flight Dec. 11. Those conditions also negated efforts to expand the test infrastructure beyond Seville, Spain, and also start operating from Toulouse, France; test personnel believe that having both sites operational will allow a higher pace of testing.

One of the reasons flight trials have been slowed is because the TP400D turboprop engines are fitted with sensors that are sensitive to moisture. One of the objectives in the coming weeks will be to quickly perform the tests requiring those sensors to be able to remove them and avoid additional delays, says an Airbus official.

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