From the initial studies of the boom refuelling system to today’s A330 MRTT, the world’s first tanker certified for automatic air-to-air refuelling, the A310-300 MRTT (MSN489) has served as a test-bed for more than 350 flight tests over the past two decades.
It will now be replaced by an A330-200, MSN 655, which arrived at the Airbus facilities in Getafe, Spain, at the end of May. The new Flying Test Bed will be converted into an MRTT to support Airbus’ product evolution strategy, as was the case with the A310 MRTT.
The A310 helped to develop the original boom demonstrator, but also paved the way for the certification of the automatic air-to-air refuelling system and it went to the next level with the autonomous refuelling system through the Auto’Mate trials. However, it is not only about refuelling, but also new connectivity developments, System of Systems or Space-related solutions.
The boom demonstrator case
In 2000, EADS Military Transport Aircraft (MTA), at that time, assumed responsibility for all Airbus military transport aircraft derivatives and launched its own study for a boom aerial refuelling system in November 2001. Airbus introduced new technologies, such as electrical actuators, a hoist, flight controls, a high-resolution digital vision system and new capabilities, such as a 1,200 US-gallons-per-minute fuel-flow rate, dual redundancy and envelope protection.
In 2004, in order to carry out all types of development and qualification tests on the boom system before installing it on an aircraft, a full-scale Boom Test Rig was built in Getafe (Madrid).
The entire flight-test phase of the programme was carried out using the A310 Flying Test Bed, dubbed the “Boom Demonstrator”, fitted with the Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS), which made its maiden flight on 16 March, 2006.
Located underneath the rear fuselage of the tanker aircraft, the boom mast was remotely controlled from an Air Refuelling Console in the flight deck, where an Air Refuelling Operator used an advanced technology 2D/3D high-definition/digital Enhanced Vision System. The ARBS was equipped with an all-electrical and full fly-by-wire flight control system. It was provided with an automatic load-alleviation system, and had an autonomous disconnect.
On 30 March, 2006, the first phase of the ARBS flight-test programme was successfully completed after three years of development. The A310 Boom Demonstrator aircraft performed on 30 January, 2007, its 12th test flight and the boom was successfully deployed for the first time.
