EADS N.V. - First Airbus A310 to be used for in-flight refuelling makes it debut

The first Airbus A310 MRTT (Multi-Role Transport Tanker) converted for in-flight re-fuelling made its debut in Dresden, Germany today. The German Air Force's A310 MRTT is currently the world's most modern aircraft used for in-flight refuelling. As a multi-role transport aircraft, it has already proved its unique flexibility and reliability – not only as a troop carrier and transport aircraft, but also as an airborne intensive-care unit on numerous humanitarian missions. It takes no more than fifty hours to convert it for the various roles.

Altogether, four A310 multi-role transport aircraft belonging to the German Air Force are being converted for in-flight refuelling tasks. The conversion work is being carried out by the Consortium A310 MRTT Luftwaffe, a joint venture of the two aviation com-panies Airbus Deutschland and Lufthansa Technik AG. The first A310 MRTT has now been completed at the Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden. By the middle of 2005, three others will have been converted by Lufthansa Technik AG in Hamburg.

As the A310 is based on a passenger aircraft, the MRTT version, together with the three other A310 already in use with the air force, can maintained throughout the world within the framework of Lufthansa Technik AG's civilian maintenance and overhaul programme. Considerable advantages in terms of operating costs can thus be achieved compared with current military maintenance concepts.

In-flight refuelling is carried out by means of two pods on the outer ends of the wings, making it possible for two Tornados or two Euro Fighters to be refuelled at the same time. The refuelling is controlled and monitored from an operating position behind the cockpit. About 1,500 litres of fuel can be transferred each minute.

Four auxiliary tanks in the form of containers installed in the lower cargo hold enable the A310 MRTT to carry out in-flight refuelling missions to best effect.

As an airborne hospital, the A310 MRTT can be used to transport the sick and the wounded. In this version, the A310 MRTT has space for up to six intensive-care units and 56 stretcher cases. With the airborne intensive-care units – known as 'personal transport units (PTU)' – developed by Lufthansa Technik, patients are given the same standard of medical care during the flight as they would receive in an inten-sive-care unit in a hospital on ground. As a troop transporter, the A310 MRTT pro-vides up to 214 seats; in a combined cargo and troop-transport version, it is able to carry 12 pallets and 54 passengers.

According to the Consortium A310 MRTT Luftwaffe, which was founded in 1996, there is no transport aircraft anywhere in the world that lends itself to such flexible use and which has such favourable procurement costs. The German Air Force is therefore a pioneer in the field of logistical multi-role transport aircraft.

The A310 MRTT is based on the civilian version of the Airbus A310-300, which has very low operating, maintenance, and investment costs. The A310 has a modern glass cockpit, and can be flown with only two pilots. Five air forces are already using the highly reliable A310 as a multi-role transport aircraft.

First Airbus A310 to be used for in-flight refuelling makes it debut

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