Hamilton Sundstrand congratulates Airbus on A400M first flight

Hamilton Sundstrand's systems have helped enable the first flight of Airbus Military's A400M transport aircraft. Hamilton Sundstrand is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) .

"I want to congratulate Airbus on the A400M's successful first flight," said Hamilton Sundstrand President Alain Bellemare. "Hamilton Sundstrand is proud to play a significant role in this aircraft's development and to continue our company's long and successful partnership with Airbus and EADS."

Hamilton Sundstrand supplies the A400M's Secondary Electrical Power Distribution Center (SEPDC), Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and Ram Air Turbine (RAT) emergency power system. Ratier-Figeac of France, a Hamilton Sundstrand business, supplies the A400M's Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator (THSA) and its propeller system.

According to Airbus, the A400M's inaugural flight occurred on Friday, Dec. 11, at Seville, Spain, and lasted three hours and 47 minutes.

The A400M's eight-bladed propeller system, which is 17.5 feet in diameter and produces 10,000 shaft horsepower, enables the aircraft to cruise comfortably at Mach 0.72. The propeller has a carbon spar and a composite shell with a polyurethane coating.

The SEPDC provides switching and protection for the aircraft's approximately 1,000 electrical loads using solid state power controller technology. It also controls up to 15 utility functions.

The A400M APU -- mounted in an upper wing fairing -- provides pneumatic power for starting the main engines, and electric and pneumatic power to operate aircraft systems when the engines are not running.

The RAT provides 45 kVA of electrical power to critical loads in the event of a total power loss.

The entirely fly-by-wire THSA controls the plane's tail position through the flight control computer. At 1.5 meters long, it is one of the largest and most powerful THSAs ever built for a military aircraft.

"I also want to thank our employees for their focus and dedication," Bellemare said. "The Hamilton Sundstrand team continues to focus on delighting our customer and helping to make the program a success."