The A400M dropped up to 20 tons of water in less than ten seconds during a test. For comparison, a Canadair can drop six tons of water.
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Posted on 07/25/2022 21:51 Updated on 07/25/2022 22:03
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Airbus has just carried out tests on a kit that can turn an A400M into a water bomber in minutes. This flight test campaign has been carried out in Spain over the past few weeks, the manufacturer states in a press release published on Monday, July 25.
The A400M, a tactical military transport aircraft, is equipped with a prototype detachable firefighting kit. In a test conducted on Thursday, at low altitude (45 meters / 150 feet) and low speed (230 km/h / 125 knots), it dropped up to twenty tons of water in less than ten seconds, allowing great precision in the release. Another advantage of the A400M is that it can land on short, loose terrain, even on the beach. There it can be filled in five to ten minutes. For comparison, a Canadair can drop six tons of water.
“The A400M can play a leading role in combating the growing threat of wildfires as well as in preserving environmental ecosystems.”
Tested by Airbus, the kit requires no modifications to the aircraft. This makes it fully compatible with every device in the fleet. The plane quickly turns into a water bomber and can intervene as quickly as possible. If the Airbus can transport 20 tons of water in this test phase, the capacity could potentially go even further, Airbus emphasizes.
The tests have so far been carried out during the day. However, Airbus plans to analyze this type of mission under night conditions in order to strengthen the aircraft’s capacity and efficiency in this configuration.
France currently has nineteen A400Ms. Almost fifty were ordered in all. This solution would allow France to “increase its fleet of sea bombers easily and cheaply,” Airbus adds.