A400M - Delivery of MSN56 to UK
On Thursday 22nd of September, UK received MSN56, its 21st Aircraft. Delivery of this Aircraft is different from other Aircraft because some years ago, when the Aircraft went out from FAL, it wasn’t delivered to the UK. After the signature of a contract amendment, Airbus used it, as a development Aircraft, in order to continue testing and certifying final capabilities. After four years, MSN56 flew more than 550 Flight hours. He was re-injected to FAL for a significant capability upgrade before being eventually delivered.
Huge challenge indeed. More than 15 preparation meetings, a dedicated “wear and tear” document to agree on a common policy for acceptance activities criteria were necessary to prepare the delivery. Airbus Delivery Center changed its process, in order to follow closely the production testing, after the upgrade. UK and OCCAR made additional efforts, which finally led to a very successful acceptance and delivery phase. Started in August, the complete acceptance process took less than one month, which is a remarkable performance!
One word suits perfectly to MSN56: “COOPERATION”. From the loan accepted by the UK, for the benefit of all programmes’ nations, until the delivery, cooperation and common efforts characterized the working spirit around MSN56.
For this occasion, a significant number of Airbus workers were invited, rewarding for the special effort done during summer period.
To know more about the programme, please visit our website.