After the last bets of the different Airbus plants in France, United Kingdom and Germany, the Spanish subsidiary of the European multinational has also trusted in the CTA-Aeronautical Technologies Centre to carry out performance tests of diverse structural components of one of its symbolic airplanes, the A400M.

At this time, the Spanish technological centre, specialized in the development and certification tests of spatial and aeronautic components, will perform the endurance test of the A400M fuselage covering panels. The A400M is the Airbus last generation transport aircraft whose final assembly will be carried out in Andalucia.

The technological centre has already started the technical test works that will be used to simulate the most adverse conditions of flight that the aircraft can find in its cycle of life. With this purpose, it will analyse the configuration of metallic panels subjected to high traction and compression loads. The panels' dimensions vary between half a meter and 2 meters long and they have been produced using a new manufacturing process.

At the same time, CTA will shortly start the development and qualification works for the actuators and mechanical components of this transport aircraft. CESA, company integrated in the EADS group, is the main contractor of the A400M ramp and door action system, with a total value in the program life of more than 130 million euro.

The joint program between CESA and CTA will give place to the development and qualification of up to a total of 10 types of actuators, with sizes that reach in some cases 4 meters long and movements in various axes. The test and trial phase of the program for the development of this equipment counts on with a budget of 3 million euro and they will be carried out over a period of 3 to 4 years.

CESA is focused in the development and production of hydraulic and mechanic systems for the aeronautic sector. An advanced technological niche containing landing gears, aircraft flight controls and hydraulic systems (these last ones allow to drive the mechanisms of opening and closing of an airplane).

CTA will use in this contract the HALT (Highly Accelerated Life Tests) and HASS (Highly Accelerated Stress Screening) technologies for the mechanical and hydraulic components, for the first time in the new laboratory that is being built in the Technological Park of Miñano, with an investment of more than 6 million euro.