Airbus Military growing its product line

Gestart door jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter), 30/05/2012 | 08:34 uur

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Airbus DS demonstrates helicopter refuelling from C295W airlifter

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly - 17 January 2017


An H225M Caracal helicopter makes contact with the C295W during a tanking demonstration conducted in December and announced in January. Source: Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space (DS) recently demonstrated the ability of the C295W medium transport aircraft to conduct aerial refuelling with a helicopter.

The demonstration, which took place in December but was not announced until 17 January, saw the C295W perform a series of contacts with an Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal at speeds of between 105 and 115 kt.

According to the company, "Both crews reported smooth and simple operation." This C295W-to-H225M demonstration follows an earlier C295W-to-C295W series of contacts that were conducted in September 2016.

Development of an air-to-air refuelling (AAR) kit for the C295 was first revealed by Airbus DS at its annual Trade Media Briefing in June 2016. As noted at the time, the modification uses a standard AAR kit fitted to pallets and involves only minimal modifications to the aircraft related to the control systems for hose-and-drogue operations.

The AAR kit is one of a number of enhancements Airbus DS is either developing or has recently rolled out for the C295 to improve performance, enhance situational awareness, and to reduce pilot workload.

The company has also set about expanding its mission set from the current transport and maritime patrol configurations to include signals intelligence (SIGINT), gunship, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

In its baseline transport and maritime patrol configurations the C295 is already the best-selling type in its class, and Airbus Defence and Space is targeting 80% of the accessible world fixed-wing medium-lift market with the platform.

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http://www.janes.com/article/67003/airbus-ds-demonstrates-helicopter-refuelling-from-c295w-airlifter
A fighter without a gun . . . is like an airplane without a wing.

-- Brigadier General Robin Olds, USAF.

Ace1

#13
PICTURES: Airbus to flight test new C295 aerial refuelling rig

Airbus Defence & Space's development of an air-to-air refuelling system for the C295 is moving ahead, with a "dry contract" flight test planned in 2016, ahead of a full fuel transfer trial.

The company's A400M military turboprop is late in receiving an air-to-air refuelling capability, causing frustration among customers, with France now turning to the Lockheed Martin KC-130J for support.

Now, Airbus wants to outfit the stout C295 with a centreline, cabin-mounted hose-and-drogue rig for in-flight refuelling of combat helicopters. The device would be a new capability option for current and prospective C295 operators.

"We have already performed the hose control test in the rig and we are currently preparing the hose control test for in-flight [testing]," a spokesman tells Flightglobal. "We aim to perform the dry contact flight-test with a C295W test aircraft during 2016 and then to perform the fuel transfer flight test."



If successful, the spokesman says the technology would become available "during 2017". Airbus is already in talks with potential buyers.

The company also confirms it is pressing forward with "XTOL" experiments, or extreme takeoff and vertical landing. That capability has been requested by certain unnamed customers, Airbus says.

"We are still in the technical analysis phase," according to the spokesman. "The programme involves an aggressive optimisation of flap-utilisation in line with the approved operations for A400M. This will allow a significant reduction in ground runs, improving the tactical capabilities of the C295."


Mexico was the launch customer of the C295W.

C295W is the company's latest variant, equipped with winglets for 4% better fuel efficiency as well as improved lift, range and performance in hot and high conditions. One example owned by the Mexican navy recently completed a tour of Latin America, where Airbus is campaigning the type, offering general troop transport, anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning and control configurations, as well as surveillance and electronic signals intelligence.

According to Airbus figures updated in December, the company has delivered 144 of 165 total C295 orders, with 142 aircraft currently in operation.







https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-airbus-to-flight-test-new-c295-aerial-refu-420868/

Ace1

Airbus Military to add Winglets on all C295 in 2014

Airbus Military has launched a new member of the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft – the C295W. The company will make its public debut at the Paris Air Show later this month.

The new model, equipped with uprated engines and winglets will be available in 2014. Company sources said that the new version will become standard for all Seville assembled CN295 beginning from the fourth quarter of 2014, following the completion of certification, expected by the middle of next year.

Meer info op onderstaande link te lezen,

http://defense-update.com/20130601_airbus-military-to-unveil-c295w-at-the-paris-air-show.html

Poleme

Vergeet ook niet, dat deze winglets achteraf op de vleugels worden gemonteerd.  Dit heeft tot gevolg dat de luchtstroming over de vleugel radicaal veranderd.  Dus, ook de krachten en spanningen op en in de vleugels worden anders en / of hoger.  Dat betekend dat de vleugels zelf ook gemodificeerd moeten worden.  Daarnaast moeten de winglets + gewijzigde vleugel worden gecertificeerd.  Dus men zal een kosten - baten overweging moeten maken.
Nulla tenaci invia est via - Voor de doorzetter is geen weg onbegaanbaar.

dudge

Citaat van: Poleme op 20/01/2013 | 23:19 uur
En volgens mij wordt die 3 - 6% winst gehaald in een smalle snelheids band.  Dus als de C295MPA manoeuvres moet gaan uitvoeren en op veel andere hoogte moet gaan vliegen, bijvoorbeeld om een schip te identificeren.  Dan kunnen die winglets wel eens averechts gaan werken.

Dat zou inderdaad best de reden kunnen zijn dat ze er tot nu toe niet opzitten, waar het in de aviation toch geen echte innovatie meer is.

Poleme

En volgens mij wordt die 3 - 6% winst gehaald in een smalle snelheids band.  Dus als de C295MPA manoeuvres moet gaan uitvoeren en op veel andere hoogte moet gaan vliegen, bijvoorbeeld om een schip te identificeren.  Dan kunnen die winglets wel eens averechts gaan werken.
Nulla tenaci invia est via - Voor de doorzetter is geen weg onbegaanbaar.

Lex

Citaat van: Ace1 op 04/01/2013 | 17:27 uur
Hoeveel wordt dit uitgebreid als de C295MPA met Winglets op de vleugels wordt uitgerust?
Dat hangt van de testresultaten af; men is immers pas begonnen met testen. Afwachten dus.  ;)
Maar de gemiddelde winst die uit het gebruik van winglets behaald wordt ligt zo in de marge van 3 - 6%.

Ace1

#7
De Airbus C295MPA heeft een uithoudingsvermogen van meer dan 11 uur en een bereik van maximaal 5,630 km volgens naval-technology.com.

Hoeveel wordt dit uitgebreid als de C295MPA met Winglets op de vleugels wordt uitgerust?

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/c295maritimepatrolai/

http://www.airbusmilitary.com/Aircraft/C295/C295Spec.aspx

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Extended Endurance Could Get C295AEW Back on the Indonesian Radar

3/1/13

Posted by Tamir Eshel

In July 2012 the C295 maritime patrol aircraft was first demonstrated in a potential armed configuration, flying with an instrumented Marte MK2/S anti-ship missile under its left wing. Photo: Airbus Military

Airbus Military has begun flight-testing a modification to add winglets to the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft – one of a series of product developments underway on the market-leading type.

By increasing the lift-drag ratio the winglets are expected to improve performance in the takeoff, climb and cruise phases of the flight. For the C295 these extensions would contribute to hot and high runway performance, increased range and endurance, and reduced fuel consumption – driving lower operating costs.

The first flight of the wingletted Airborne Early Warning (AEW) configured aircraft took place in Spain on 21 December. Data from the flight test program will help evaluate the potential benefit and feasibility to incorporate winglets into the C295 design.

Extending the mission endurance of this aircraft is considered a critical requirement for Airbus Military, in order to meet the Indonesian Air Force requirement for Airborne Early Warning aircraft. Indonesia is already shopping for such aircraft, and, according to Air Force Chief of Staff ACM Imam Sufaat, larger platforms would be required for the country's AEW mission, particularly in terms of endurance. It is expected that the improvements gained by those winglets would be sufficient to get the C295 into the game. The Indonesian market is considered a strategic market for the aircraft. In early 2012 Indonesia placed an order for nine C295 aircraft, the first delivered by the end of last year. Airbus Military is also helping its local partner PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) to modernize its manufacturing facilities to enable local assembly of these planes.

Few months earlier Airbus Military and missile developer MBDA performed flight demonstration of an armed C295 maritime patrol aircraft, carrying an instrumented Marte MK2/S anti-ship inert missile installed under the left wing. The flight was the first of a series of trials planned in a joint Airbus Military – MBDA collaboration to validate the aerodynamic integration of Marte on the C295. Subsequent flights will include handling qualities tests and aircraft flight performance tests. The C295 will be the first fixed-wing aircraft configuration for the missile. Marte Mk2/S is already integrated on the AW-101 and the NFH-90 naval helicopters.

The MBDA Marte MK2/S missile is a fire-and-forget, all-weather, medium-range sea-skimming anti-ship weapon system, equipped with inertial mid-course guidance and radar homing terminal guidance, and capable of destroying small vessels and heavily damaging major vessels. The missile has a weight of 310 Kg and is 3.85 m long. In the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role, the C295 is already in-service carrying the MK46 torpedo.

http://defense-update.com/20130103_c295_aew.html

Ace1



jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Aircraft maker flight-tests plane it wants to sell to SA

by Hopewell Radebe, 03 januari 2013

AIRBUS Military has begun flight-testing the C295 medium transport and surveillance aircraft, which is being proposed as an essential multifunctional military aircraft for the South African Air Force, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

With some of the air force's aircraft more than 50 years old, Airbus Military is pushing for the C295 light and medium airlifter to be used by South Africa's defence ministry, especially for the South African Air Force's maritime patrols and for its medium-weight transport requirements.

Relations between the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans and Airbus Military soured two years ago when former defence minister Lindiwe Sisulu cancelled a deal for the purchase of eight giant A400M military transporters capable of moving helicopters and tanks.

Airbus was then required to refund prepayments totalling R2.9bn. The delivery of the aircraft was four years behind schedule and the original R17bn cost had ballooned to R47bn, leading the auditor-general's office to raise its concern.

The C295 aircraft has a large, roof-mounted elliptical antenna that can make it an airborne early warning and command post. It is also seen as a tactical airlifter that could provide versatility in various transport roles.

The flight testing is essentially intended to see how the aircraft performs after modifications to its winglets.

Jaime Pérez-Guerra, of the Airbus Military press office, said yesterday that the winglets, which are short extensions to the wing tips of the aircraft, have the potential to "improve performance in the take-off, climb and cruise phases of flight by increasing the lift-drag ratio".

The first flight of the aircraft with winglets took place successfully in Spain last month at Airbus Military's Seville facility.

Mr Pérez-Guerra said data from that flight were being analysed and would be added to data from future flights, providing the basis for a decision on whether or not to incorporate winglets into the C295 design.

"The new generation C295 is the ideal aircraft for defence and civic missions to the benefit of society, such as humanitarian actions, maritime patrol and environmental surveillance," Mr Pérez-Guerra said.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2013/01/03/aircraft-maker-flight-tests-plane-it-wants-to-sell-to-sa

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Winglets and anti-ship missile top latest additions to C295

Craig Hoyle Madrid

Airbus Military has revealed plans to flight-test several further enhancements for its C295 medium transport and special mission aircraft. These will include the addition of efficiency-boosting winglets and an anti-ship missile.

Outlining the company's objectives for the next 12 months, head of engineering Miguel-Angel Morell says the company will also look to test the integration of head-up displays linked to an enhanced vision system, and to fly with an onboard inert gas generation system (OBIGGS) intended to boost the twin-turboprop's battlefield survivability.

Introducing MBDA's Marte anti-ship missile with the C295 could satisfy a market demand to counter the growing threat posed by piracy, Morell said at Airbus Military's Getafe site, near Madrid, Spain, on 21 May. The company will first fly with an inert weapon before August to assess its aerodynamic effects on the transport, before progressing to release trials and finally dropping a live weapon. "Our aim is to complete all the work this year," he says.

The Chilean navy has already acquired C295s armed with Mk 46 torpedoes to meet its anti-submarine warfare requirements, and Morell says the Marte missile will be integrated using an adapted version of the same launcher.

Flight tests with an OBIGGS installation in the wing fuel tank should be performed in the fourth quarter of this year, with ground testing of the equipment having already been completed. "Our aircraft are operating in difficult environments," Morell notes.

A demonstrator aircraft will also be flown in early 2013 with winglets. These should increase aircraft performance in take-off, climb and cruise, and could be offered as a retrofit option for in-service versions. Then, by the middle of next year, the C295 should also be flown with head-up displays and an enhanced vision system installed.

"All these new systems are demanded by our customers," Morell says.

Airbus Military is meanwhile continuing development activities linked to an airborne early warning and control system version of the aircraft being offered with Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary Elta Systems. The companies have held preliminary discussions with three potential customers for the proposed new variant.

Elsewhere, Airbus Military is also studying a possible gunship version of the C295 and smaller CN235, plus enhancements to its fully integrated tactical system mission suite integrated across its product range.

Voor de plaatjes: zie link

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/winglets-and-anti-ship-missile-top-latest-additions-to-c295-372474/

jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)

Airbus Military growing its product line

Written by Guy Martin Tuesday, 29 May 2012 11:51

Airbus Military is growing its product line with new developments, such as gunships and airborne early warning aircraft, and is improving its existing offerings, such as the C295, as it adapts to changing market conditions.

Airbus Military, at its annual Trade Media Briefing in Spain, attended by defenceWeb, said that the military market for transport, special mission and tanker aircraft is a very irregular one with plenty of ups and downs and is compounded by shrinking military budgets, especially in the wake of the global financial crisis. "Last year was a very difficult year for the industry," said Antonio Rodriguez Barberan, Senior Vice President Commercial. "There are many challenges but with the right products, the right strategy...we'll get through."

Airbus Military's strategy is to offer highly versatile aircraft, as these have the best chance of obtaining market success. Head of Airbus Military Domingo Urena-Raso said that his company's product line was growing and that despite challenges, Airbus Military remains committed to delivering new aircraft.

Barberan pointed out that although defence budgets were shrinking, militaries were still seeking new transport/tanker aircraft but trying to extract greater value for money by obtaining multipurpose aircraft that were highly reliable and had a high availability rate. "Customers are looking for versatility...they are no longer purely interested in single mission aircraft."

As a result, Airbus Military is improving its product line (C212, CN235, C295, A400M and A330MRTT) and creating new variants of its aircraft. With regard to continuous improvement, the C295 is benefiting from several structural and manufacturing changes. By the beginning of next year Airbus Military plans to flight test new winglets on the C295, which will reduce drag and improve takeoff, climb and cruise performance.

The company is currently offering customers higher rated engines, which will be certified in the coming months and which increase payload by 1 700 kg at 25 000 ft. The improved Pratt & Whitney engines offer improved operation at high altitudes with minor influence on powerplant maintenance costs.

Other improvements on the C295 include the addition of the Marte anti-ship missile (to be flight tested in the third quarter of this year), the addition of a head up display, the addition of an onboard inert gas generation system (to be flight tested in the fourth quarter) and a third generation Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) mission suite, which is also compatible with other Airbus Military mission platforms. In addition, a streamlined production process saves around 30 hours on the construction of a C295.

Airbus Military touted the versatility of its CN295 and CN235 aircraft, which are offered as maritime patrol aircraft or for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions with palletised sensors. The company is also offering aerial spraying and air-to-air refuelling equipment for its products.

New developments include the C295 AEW platform, being developed as a low cost airborne early warning aircraft in conjunction with IAI, which is developing the radar. Airbus Military is in discussion with three potential customers for this version and will speed up development once an initial customer is found. The radar will be an active electronically scanned array (AESA) unit, able to cover 360 degrees.

In addition, Airbus Military is offering a gunship variant to potential customers. One variant will feature removable equipment such as an electro-optical/infrared targeting turret, 30 mm cannon and other optional weapons depending on customer specifications, such as missiles, laser-guided rockets etc. The company is also proposing a dedicated gunship version with its fire control system and weapons integrated with surveillance sensors and mission system.

Part of Airbus Military's strategy is to focus on emerging markets, including Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America, as budgets are growing in the Middle and Far East. "Africa is going to rapidly start growing, especially regarding light and medium aircraft...So we are going to be in Africa," Barberan said. "We want to become global. We need to be closer to the customer." As a result, Airbus Military is opening up new offices around the world, including in Jakarta and Singapore and will shortly be opening up an office in Mexico. In addition, the company is very willing to pursue industrial partnerships with other nations and customers. It has started marketing the A400M overseas and anticipates export orders in the coming years. The A400M has been to Asia and Latin America, while last month the C295 went on a demonstration tour through Africa. South Africa may buy a number of the aircraft to meet its maritime patrol and transport requirements, while Gabon and Ghana may order the type.

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25859:airbus-military-growing-its-product-line&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107