Airbus Defence and Space has delivered an A400M Atlas full flight simulator (FFS) to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) at Wunstorf Air Base in Germany.
The FFS is developed by Airbus and manufactured by Thales. It is a full replica of the A400M cockpit and is scheduled to be used to train approximately 60 Luftwaffe crews in its first three years in operation.
Airbus Defence and Space Military Aircraft Training & Aircrew Operations head Ian Burrett said: "The delivery of this FFS is an important step in creating the GAF´s own A400M training programme, and as part of the overall support infrastructure that will sustain the A400M in service for many years to come."
The A400M FFS features hardware and software that simulates the initial configuration of the A400M aircraft.
It also has an enhanced field-of-view visual system that can support training in all aircraft man oeuvres, including air-to-air refuelling and low-level tactical operations.
Additional components of the simulator include a six degrees of freedom motion system, on-board and off-board instructor stations, and a record and replay system to aid crew briefing and debriefing.
The simulator is expected to be ordered by all A400M partnering nations.
Apart from FFS, Airbus will also supply a flat panel-flat training device (FP-FTD), which is a cockpit partial simulator to train pilots prior to the FFS training, and a cargo hold trainer (CHT), as well as a full 1:1 scale replica of the A400M cargo hold used to train loadmasters with real loading and unloading tasks as well as to train parachutists.
A cockpit maintenance operations simulator that replicates the aircraft in 3D images and provides maintenance procedure simulations will also be supplied to Luftwaffe along with FP-FTD and CHT systems by mid-2015.
Germany, which ordered 53 A400Ms from Airbus, took delivery of the first aircraft in December 2014.
Image: The A400M FFS will be used to train approximately 60 German Air Force crews in its first three years of operation. Photo: courtesy of Airbus Defence and Space.
