Tested On A310; Destined For A330-Derived Tankers

Representatives with EADS tell ANN the company's fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom has completed 25 test flights and logged over 70 flight hours, validating the system's capabilities through a wide range of operating speeds and deployment conditions.

The EADS Air Refueling Boom System (ARBS) will equip five EADS KC-30B tanker aircraft ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force and three tankers for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The boom system also will be incorporated on the Northrop Grumman KC-30 Tanker, offered in the ongoing competition to modernize the US Air Force's aerial refueling fleet.

In the flight testing performed to date, the ARBS demonstrated its excellent handling qualities, while also validating the control laws developed at the EADS ground-based simulator facility. The tests evaluated flutter and handling qualities with the boom in both the stowed and deployed position operating on an A310 testbed aircraft.

Pre-contact operations for in-flight refueling were simulated using an EADS CASA C-101 jet trainer and a CN-235 turboprop military transport aircraft. The boom operator's 3D-vision surveillance system was employed during these tests, as was the Pilot Director Light (PDL) system.

"The steady pace of successful flight testing validates what we already knew -– that the ARBS is the most capable refueling system ever designed, and that it will revolutionize tanker operations when introduced on the Royal Australian Air Force's KC-30Bs," said EADS North America Tankers CEO John H. Young, Jr. "These tests further confirm that the ARBS will deliver a significant operational advantage to the Northrop Grumman KC-30 Tanker; first as an immediate replacement for the US Air Force KC-135, and second in meeting the service's demanding and unpredictable aerial refueling requirements for the next 50 to 75 years."

Flight tests will continue in the coming months, leading to refueling contacts with a variety of receiver aircraft.

Developed in a $100 million internal EADS research and development effort, the ARBS provides highly accurate, reliable in-flight refueling -- taking full advantage of modern fly-by-wire technology. With a maximum nominal fuel flow rate of 1,200 US gallons per minute, the advanced boom features an automatic load alleviation system that provides a larger refueling envelope and enhanced controllability. The system's all-electric design significantly reduces traditional failure rates and subsequent down times. Using a 3D-vision surveillance system, the boom operator remotely controls ARBS operations from the cockpit during air-to-air refueling.

The Royal Australian Air Force's first KC-30B Multi-Role Tanker Transport currently is undergoing its outfitting process, and has now been equipped with the centerline ARBS, along with a pair of under-wing hose and drogue refueling pods. The KC-30B also will carry an electronic warfare self-protection suite for defense against surface-to-air missiles.

FMI: www.eadsnorthamerica.com