The CTA - Aeronautical Technologies Centre, technological centre specialized in the generation of aerospace technologies and the accomplishment of tests of development and certification of aeronautical and space components, will develop during next years a great activity for cargo and rescue plane Airbus A400M. CTA and the Spanish Company of Aeronautical Systems (CESA), integrated in group EADS and Goodrich, reached last year an agreement to develop and to certify the actuators and mechanical components of the last generation airplane A-400M. The project is in the last part of design phase and starting the assembly of the first prototype.

The contract is part of the frame agreement reached between the two companies, after becoming CESA the main contractor of the ramp and door actuation system for this aircraft, with an overall value of 130 million euros all along the program. CTA and CESA managers presenced the start-up process of the qualification tests of the A400M hydraulic actuators on the second half of February 2007. The complete program includes the qualification of 10 types of actuators with lengths from 15 centimeters to more than 4 meters.

In order to accomplish the goals defined in the contract with CESA, CTA will build and run all along year 2007 three automatic actuator test beds. The design of the test benches is a CTA own development under patent and will allow to properly push the development of the actuator and reach the certification phase. The first automatic bed is already running and the other two remaining automatic beds are at le late functional development phase.

The main target for CTA is to finish all the required tests for the first flight at the beginning of next year, and to complete the full program on 2010.

CESA, located in Getafe close to Madrid, it is a leader company leader in the aircraft system and equipment sector. Capitalizing CASA experience, grew up as an initiative of the Spanish Government to improve the international position of the Spanish industry in aeronautical systems. EADS-CASA helds a participation of a 60% while Goodrich, specialized as well in aeronautical equipment and flight controls the 40% remaining.

In addition to these works in the systems field, CTA has received a contract from Airbus Spain for the accomplishment of different behaviour and certification tests for several structural components for this multipurpose airship.

Thus, CTA will carry out the resistance tests of a new skin panel configuration of the A400M fuselage. The Spanish centre will simulate the most adverse flight conditions than the aircraft all along its service life. With this aim, the innovating configuration of metallic panels wil stand elevated traction and compression loads. The panels dimensions oscillate between half meter and 2 meters long and are manufactured using a new process.