DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Airbus Military A400M Receives Initial Type Certificate From EASA

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Airbus Military A400M Receives Initial Type Certificate From EASA
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources EADS
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 8, 2012: Airbus Military has received the initial type certification for the A400M new generation airlifter, marking a key milestone on the road to first delivery around the turn of the year. This first approval, known as a Restricted Type Certificate (RTC), was presented by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Executive Director Patrick Goudou at an internal ceremony today in Toulouse, France.

The RTC is a critical step towards the award of full civil type certification which is expected in mid-2012 following the completion of 300 hours of function and reliability (F&R) flight tests, and towards military Initial Operating Clearance later in the year.

As part of the flight-test activity the A400M has recently visited countries in Latin America and South East Asia, and in the upcoming period will travel to the “home” nations that ordered the aircraft and the Middle East in the frame of the F&R tests.


The fleet of five A400M development aircraft continues to make good progress in the intense flight-test campaign in order to ensure delivery of a reliable aircraft to our customer and has now completed more than 3,100 hours in the air, despite continued engine challenges.

Cedric Gautier, Airbus Military Head of A400M programme, said: “Achieving civil and military certification of the A400M as foreseen in the programme is an immensely challenging task, but the process of working on both simultaneously provides important benefits for our customers in the future. It is deeply satisfying to receive this initial certification, confirming the good progress that has been made towards the delivery of the first aircraft.”

About A400M

The A400M is an all-new military airlifter designed to meet the needs of the world's armed forces in the 21st Century. Thanks to its most advanced technologies, it is able to fly higher, faster and further, while retaining high manoeuvrability, low speed, and short, soft and rough airfield capabilities. It combines both tactical and strategic/logistic missions. With its cargo hold specifically designed to carry the outsize equipment needed today for both military and humanitarian disaster relief missions, it can bring this material quickly and directly to where it is most needed. Conceived to be highly reliable, dependable, and with great survivability, the multipurpose A400M can do more with less, implying smaller fleets and less investment from the operator. The A400M is the most cost efficient and versatile airlifter ever conceived and absolutely unique in its capabilities.

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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources EADS
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: EASA certifies new "Autopilot/Flight Director" TCAS mode for A380

DTN News: EASA certifies new "Autopilot/Flight Director" TCAS mode for A380

*Enhancing flight safety during TCAS manoeuvres

*Source: DTN News / Airbus

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - August 23, 2009: Following recent successful development testing, a new Auto-Pilot/Flight-Director (AP/FD) TCAS* mode for the Airbus A380 has been approved and certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The main benefit of the system is that it could further enhance safety during a traffic avoidance situation because the pilot can now fly the aircraft without switching out of one mode and into another. Thus, by simplifying the actions required by the pilot during a TCAS manoeuvre, this enhanced TCAS mode minimises potential overreactions or inverse reactions while preserving his or her concentration at a critical time.

In addition to now being certified on the A380, the AP/FD TCAS mode will also become available for retrofit on other Airbus Fly-By-Wire aircraft in the coming years.

AP/FD TCAS operation overview

The new AP/FD TCAS mode essentially completes the existing TCAS functionality by implementing a TCAS vertical guidance feature into the Auto Flight computer. The result is that now the Auto Flight computer can control the vertical speed of the aircraft which is adapted to each resolution advisory acquired from TCAS.

Moreover, with this new AP/FD TCAS mode activated, when a TCAS "Resolution Advisory" (RA) is received, the pilot no longer needs to disengage the autopilot or Flight Director before conducting the TCAS manoeuvres. Rather, the autopilot can now automatically conduct the correct TCAS manoeuvre, to position the aircraft clear of any potential traffic conflict. Furthermore, in the case of the pilot flying the aircraft manually (i.e. without autopilot engaged) when a RA is received, previously the Flight Director 'pitch bar guidance' - indicated on the Primary Flight Display - had to be switched off, but with the new mode, the Flight Director bars remain active and smoothly guide pilot to fly the TCAS manoeuvre. At any time, the crew still retains the ability to override the proposed manoeuvre, so as to respond manually to a TCAS RA by flying according to "conventional" TCAS procedures, i.e. manually controlling the vertical speed by referring to TCAS indications on the pilot's vertical speed scale.

* Background to TCAS - Editors' note:

The 'Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System' - known as 'TCAS' - is designed to scan for, detect, and interrogate the transponders of other aircraft in the nearby airspace vicinity. It then uses the received transponder signals to compute a distance, bearing and altitude relative to the nearby aircraft. The evaluated traffic information is displayed as symbols on the Navigation Display.

As TCAS checks the other aircraft’s relative distance permanently in short-time intervals, it can, therefore, also calculate the other aircraft’s closure rate relative to its own aircraft position. When TCAS detects that an aircraft's distance or closure rate becomes critical, it generates aural and visual annunciations for the pilots. Mandated on aircraft carrying more than 30 passengers since 1993, TCAS is now compulsory on all aircraft types.

Embraer's Phenom 100 Executive Jet Certified By EASA

Embraer's Phenom 100 Executive Jet Certified By EASA

(NSI News Source Info) São José dos Campos - April 27, 2009: Embraer’s Phenom 100 entry level executive jet was certified, today, by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), for day and night operations – Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), ReducedVertical Separation Minimum (RVSM), and flight into known icing conditions.

Aviation technicians prepare a prototype of the new Embraer Phenom 100 executive jet for a test flight on the runway at Embraer's factory in Gaviao Peixoto, 270 kms (168 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo, in this January 18, 2008 file photo. The Phenom 100 is the first of two new executive jets from the Brazilian manufacturer that will take to the skies in the next two years. Embraer has already received over 700 orders for the Phenom 100 and the slightly larger Phenom 300, making it a major player in the booming business jet market. Picture taken January 18, 2008.

The aircraft was also certified by the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC) and by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), last December. “We are honored to receive EASA certification for the Phenom 100 on schedule, confirming the aircraft has met orsurpassed all original specification targets, and opening the way for the first deliveries in the European Union,” said Maurício Almeida Filho, Embraer Vice President, Programs – Executive Jets.

“Embraer is committed to making quality products for the executive jet market, offering them with full certification, and technical and maintenance support.” “The Phenom 100 is the first executive jet in its category where the full certification process fell under the responsibility of EASA.

Aviation is an international business and this project has once more proven that our common goal is to increase safety. We thank the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency and Embraer for their enthusiasm and accuracy,” said Dr. Norbert Lohl, EASA’s Certification Director. Some of the capabilities of the aircraft were exceeded, including a maximum cruising speed of 390 knots (True Air Speed – TAS), 10 knots faster than promised, and fuel consumption up to 3.6% better than initial estimates. External noise levels enjoy a 33 EPNdB (Effective Perceived Noise in Decibels) margin over the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stage IV requirements.

The longest interval between scheduled maintenance – 600 FH (Flight Hours) or 12 months – gives the Phenom 100 a huge advantage over competitors by requiring only five scheduled maintenance stops in five years.

Takeoff and climb performance is also better than expected. The baggage compartment that was the largest in the category became even larger, gaining 8 cubic feet (227 liters), from 45 cubic feet (1,274 liters) to 53 cubic feet (1,501 liters).