The first Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoon has made its first flight at EADS Military Air Systems' site in Manching. Instrumented Production Aircraft Seven (IPA7) was piloted by EADS Test Pilot Chris Worning.

The aircraft, a German single seat variant, represents the full Tranche 2 build standard and its first prominent task will be to accomplish Type Acceptance for Block 8, the first capability standard of Tranche 2, in April 2008. This work will be carried out together with the BAE Systems-operated IPA6 based at Warton. IPA6 (BS031) is essentially a Tranche 1 standard aircraft but utilises the full Tranche 2 mission computer suite and avionics features. The first series of EJ200 engine flight testing for Tranche 2 was successfully concluded at the end of November with IPA2 in Italy.

The significant Tranche 2 capabilities focus mainly on the new mission computers which deliver the higher processing and memory capacity required for the integration of future weapons such as Meteor, Storm Shadow and Taurus. Differences in the build standard to Tranche 1 are related to changes in production technology or obsolescence.

Based on the Tranche 2 production contract, signed on 14 December 2004, and the original export contract with Austria, the Eurofighter consortium will deliver 251 Tranche 2 weapon systems: 91 to the United Kingdom, 79 to Germany (including 15 aircraft originally contracted by Austria), 47 to Italy and 34 to Spain. Deliveries of Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoons to all four Partner Nations will begin in Summer 2008 and are scheduled to run until 2013. 32 aircraft are already in final assembly at the partner companies Alenia Aeronautica, BAE Systems, EADS CASA and EADS Deutschland.

FMI: www.eurofighter.com