Noray wrote:

Hmmm,

three shades of grey,

AngMoh wrote:

Singapore receives first A330-MRTT:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... rs-451153/

https://defpost.com/first-airbus-a330-m ... -air-base/

Airbus has developed changes to the software that controls the A330 tanker boom specifically for midair refueling of the Boeing F-15 Eagle. The modification, known as boom flight control law, was coded in response to difficulties encountered during flight trials, and the update adds another receiver type to the list of aircraft certified for refueling from the tanker.

Airbus told Defense News that the need for a new boom control law came to light during flight trials between an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets. Observers noticed midair refueling between the two aircraft was more difficult than other receivers due to the F-15 receptacle’s asymmetric design and “the associated aerodynamics effects" near the receptacle.

The new boom control law on the A330 MRTT provides the boom operator with an improved and smoother way to perform the contact, an Airbus Defence and Space spokesman told Defense News.

He added that the software modification for the A330 MRTT’s aerial refueling boom system, or ARBS, called Update III Loop 6.1, was certified in 2018 following flight tests between the MRTT and an unidentified operator’s F-15s during the development and certification phases to assess and validate the behavior of the new boom control laws.

...

SQ22 wrote:

Czech Republic signed an MoU to join multinational fleet of A330 MRTT on October 24th, 2019.

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_169954.htm

Kiwirob wrote:

SQ22 wrote:

Czech Republic signed an MoU to join multinational fleet of A330 MRTT on October 24th, 2019.

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_169954.htm

Will they also have to contribute a frame to the agreement? When Norway and Germany signed up in 2017 they pledged 5 aircraft and options on another 4, the 5 have since been ordered.

Further flight testing of a developmental automatic boom refuelling capability for the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) will be performed for an undisclosed customer next year, Airbus Defence & Space has disclosed.

Trials work on the company’s A3R automatic air-to-air refuelling technology conducted since 2017 has included its A310 testbed making automatic in-flight contacts with Lockheed Martin F-16s and an A330 MRTT

Speaking at the company’s Manching site in Germany early this month, Airbus head of tanker and derivatives programme Didier Plantecoste said it is aiming to secure certification for the advance during 2021.

“We will be starting to do flight-tests next year with that customer,” he says. “We are expecting an improvement in safety and reliability of the operation, and a reduction in the time of contact [between aircraft].”

The company’s concept of operations for the A3R system is for the tanker to retain its current boom operator in a supervisory/safety role, and for the function to be available as a retrofit option for additional current customers.

...

estorilm wrote:

AngMoh wrote:

Singapore receives first A330-MRTT:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... rs-451153/

https://defpost.com/first-airbus-a330-m ... -air-base/

Good article - I keep forgetting all the capabilities and capacities they managed to cram into the MRTT - highest fuel capacity of any tanker? Pretty incredible.. kinda wish it was flying with the USAF, but I won't go there...

kc135topboom wrote:

estorilm wrote:

AngMoh wrote:

Singapore receives first A330-MRTT:

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... rs-451153/

https://defpost.com/first-airbus-a330-m ... -air-base/

Good article - I keep forgetting all the capabilities and capacities they managed to cram into the MRTT - highest fuel capacity of any tanker? Pretty incredible.. kinda wish it was flying with the USAF, but I won't go there...

No the highest fuel capacity tankers are the IIAF KC-747s (KC-33A) and the USAF KC-10s.

The KC-30/A-330MRTT has a capacity of about 43,000 lbs. more fuel than the KC-135 and about 42,000 lbs. than the KC-46.

KC-747/KC-30 fuel capacity 351,000 lbs. (KC-747aka KC-33A) or 414,082 lbs. (KC-33B aka B-747-400ERF) if the USAF chose this option.
KC-10 fuel capacity 365,000 lbs.
KC-30/A-330MRTT fuel capacity is 245,000 lbs.
KC-46 fuel capacity is 203,000 lbs.
KC-135 fuel capacity is 202,000 lbs.
KC-767 fuel capacity is 165,000 lbs.

mxaxai wrote:

Interestingly, even the MRTT has seats installed so they had to stack the boxes on the seats just like a regular pax A330.
https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-r ... vid19.html

LyleLanley wrote:

mxaxai wrote:

Interestingly, even the MRTT has seats installed so they had to stack the boxes on the seats just like a regular pax A330.
https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-r ... vid19.html

How can you tell*? Behind the truck it looks like they're stacking/palletizing the boxes like you'd expect to use a forklift for. Could they have used the lower lobes?

*not questioning, just trying to see your logic

Regarding medical evacuations, we learned this Thursday afternoon that a fourth transfer of six patients from Émile-Muller hospital, by medical military aircraft, will be made this Friday, March 27, to the Aquitaine region. This Thursday, March 26, in the morning, two Mulhousian patients were evacuated to the Angers University Hospital on board the medical train that departed from Strasbourg. In ten days, nearly "90 resuscitation patients" were evacuated by helicopter, plane and train. In "80%" of the cases, said Corinne Krencker, they were in the Grand Est region. The others were transferred to Burgundy, Franche-Comté, in the south and west of France, but also to Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg. ...

Getafe, 17 April 2020 – Airbus has achieved the first ever fully automatic air-to-air refuelling (A3R) operation with a boom system. The flight test campaign, conducted earlier in the year over the Atlantic Ocean, involved an Airbus tanker test aircraft equipped with the Airbus A3R solution, with an F-16 fighter aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force acting as a receiver.


This milestone is part of the industrialisation phase of A3R systems ahead of its implementation in the A330 MRTT tanker development.


The campaign achieved a total of 45 flight test hours and 120 dry contacts with the A3R system, covering the whole aerial refuelling envelope, as the F-16 and MRTT consolidate the maturity and capabilities of the development at this stage. The certification phase will start in 2021.

Didier Plantecoste, Airbus Head of Tanker and Derivatives Programmes, said: “The achievement of this key milestone for the A3R programme highlights the A330 MRTT’s excellent capability roadmap development and once more confirms that our tanker is the world’s reference for present and future refuelling operations. Our special thanks go to the Portuguese Air Force for their continued support and help on this crucial development”.

The A3R system requires no additional equipment on the receiver aircraft and is intended to reduce air refuelling operator (ARO) workload, improve safety and optimise the rate of air-to-air refuelling transfer in operational conditions, helping maximise aerial superiority. The goal for the A3R system is to develop technologies that will reach fully autonomous capabilities.

Once the system is activated by the ARO, the A3R flies the boom automatically and keeps the alignment between the boom tip and the receiver receptacle with an accuracy of a couple of centimeters; the proper alignment and the receiver stability is checked in real-time to keep a safe distance between the boom and the receiver and also to determine the optimum moment to extend the telescopic beam to achieve the connection with the receiver. At this point, the fuel transfer is initiated to fill up the receiver aircraft and once completed and the disconnection is commanded, the boom is cleared away from the receiver by retracting the telescopic beam and flying the boom away to keep a safe separation distance. During this process, the ARO simply monitors the operation.

Dutchy wrote:

And it landed on its base: Eindhoven AB.

The new and the old:


Some more pictures in the link.

redskin301 wrote:

The Netherlands Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Norway

UA947 wrote:

redskin301 wrote:

The Netherlands Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Norway

And Czech Republic.

texl1649 wrote:

That is interesting as it seems to solidify A332 production into the next few years, #232. I sort of assumed at some point France would be the transition order to an A338 derivative MRTT. Probably not though if those 15 are confirmed/finalized.

Ozair wrote:

texl1649 wrote:

That is interesting as it seems to solidify A332 production into the next few years, #232. I sort of assumed at some point France would be the transition order to an A338 derivative MRTT. Probably not though if those 15 are confirmed/finalized.

I seem to remember someone posting why the A338 wasn’t as good a fit for the MRTT role? I expect the CEO will remain the MRTT aircraft of choice and once CEO production ends conversions of existing frames would be the majority of future A330 MRTT sales.

JerseyFlyer wrote:

Ozair wrote:

texl1649 wrote:

That is interesting as it seems to solidify A332 production into the next few years, #232. I sort of assumed at some point France would be the transition order to an A338 derivative MRTT. Probably not though if those 15 are confirmed/finalized.

I seem to remember someone posting why the A338 wasn’t as good a fit for the MRTT role? I expect the CEO will remain the MRTT aircraft of choice and once CEO production ends conversions of existing frames would be the majority of future A330 MRTT sales.

The strongest argument I read for retaining the 332 ceo as the base for the MRTT is that the wing and engine changes for the 338 change the airflow over the wings. That affects the behaviour of the refuelling system, and the cost involved in re-tuning that is prohibitive.

Flying-Tiger wrote:

The NATO fleet will be expanded by a further A330MRTT, the nineth for the pooled fleet. Apparently Luxemburg has vastly increased their yearly block hour requirement, prompting one of the options to be executed.

Kiwirob wrote:

Flying-Tiger wrote:

The NATO fleet will be expanded by a further A330MRTT, the nineth for the pooled fleet. Apparently Luxemburg has vastly increased their yearly block hour requirement, prompting one of the options to be executed.

I have to ask what would Luxemburg need an A330MRTT for?

Flying-Tiger wrote:

The NATO fleet will be expanded by a further A330MRTT, the nineth for the pooled fleet. Apparently Luxemburg has vastly increased their yearly block hour requirement, prompting one of the options to be executed.

AngMoh wrote:

Singapore held a ceremony to celebrate the full operational capability of the A330MRTT.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/si ... r-14657416

There is additional info in this article.

Nearer-term priorities are also addressed, however. These include the purchase of three Airbus Defence & Space A330 multi-role tanker transports (MRTTs), with €148 million committed this year.

Madrid says the renewal of its air force’s in-flight refuelling capability “is considered critical” for expeditionary operations, “as well as to satisfy commitments with partners or allies”.

Spain last year retired its entire fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130Hs, including its KC-variant tankers. While a number of its A400M tactical transports are configured for aerial refuelling, the purchase of the A330 MRTTs would be a significant step up in capability.