The Aeronautical Technologies Centre - CTA will start up the first automatic actuators tests bed in the next days, an own development that is framed within the reached contract obtained with CESA that will allows to develop and to qualify the Airbus A400M actuators. The A400M is the Airbus last generation transport aircraft whose final assembly will be carried out in Andalucia.

CESA is a Spanish company integrated in the EADS group and it is the main contractor for the A400M actuators by a total value in the program life of more than 130 million euro. The Aeronautical Technologies Centre will start up three new automatic tests beds throughout 2007 for this program. The two next facilities will be qualified in the new aerospace research laboratory Hightly Accelerated Life Test (HALT) that CTA constructs in a new area of the Alava Technological Park.

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, a technological niche containing landing gears, aircraft flight controls and hydraulic systems.

CTA has finished the year 2006 with a turnover of 3.6 million euro, according to the advance of the provisional data, that supposes an increase of 12.5 % on the previous year. As well, the cash flow of this period was located in 730.000 euro and the profits reached 65.000 euro, which has allowed the foundation to close the year with good economic and technological results.

The Centre has continued its tendency to assign an annual average of 20% of its invoicing to own projects of research and development. Thus, in 2006 it has invested in this concept 720,000 euro, 12 % more than the previous year.

Among the most significant data of the analyzed period it emphasizes the high added value generated, that in this last year has been located in 70% of the total income, which demonstrates the high technological level of the centre, represented by the generation of own technologies. Within the activities that have experienced one better evolution throughout 2006 emphasizes those of the fire laboratory, located in the facility of the Technological Park of Miñano, a work centre that has been taking space after increasing 50 % the number of clients and exceeding from August the objectives raised for complete year 2006. This laboratory has reached a spectacular development in the last months and hopes to incorporate four new international programs next.

Otherwise, the structures laboratory, located also in Miñano, has obtained in the last six months contracts to make fatigue tests of the central flap and the undercarriage of the Airbus A380, as well as the behaviour tests of diverse structural components of the Airbus aircraft A400M

In the Fluid Dynamics work centre stands out the tests for diverse ITP specimen of the design and development program of the engine turbine Trent 1000 that it will equip the 787 Boeing Dreamliner. This work centre is developing also acoustic tests of turbines developed by CTA within the framework of the European Integrated Program denominated VITAL, that in the next years tries to define and to demonstrate the excellent characteristics of the new generation of European engines.

Throughout 2007, CTA will invest 2.3 million euro in equipment for the new laboratory HALT, to which it has destined the past year a payment near 1.7 million euro. The turnover anticipated for 2007 is of 4.1 million euro.

Foundation CTA is a technological centre specialized in the generation of aerospace technologies as well as in the accomplishment of tests of development and certification of aeronautical and space components. Founded on 1997 by Aernnova (formerly Gamesa Aeronáutica), Industria de Turbo Propulsores and Sener Engineering and Systems, counts on a Fluid Dynamics research laboratory in the Technological Park of Zamudio (Vizcaya), where it tests the components of turbine and nozzles, as well as the structural research laboratories, fire laboratory and vibro-environmental laboratory in Miñano (Álava), boths in the North of Spain.