RAF A330 Tanker Conversion Work Ready To Start
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By Robert Wall
The first of the Airbus A330 EADS aircraft being converted into tankers for the U.K. is now at the company's Getafe facility outside Madrid, where the real work of making it into a refueling aircraft will begin.
The aircraft is one of 14 Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft due to start entering service with the Royal Air Force in 2011 under a complex private finance initiative run by the so-called AirTanker Consortium.
The work to fit the refueling kit to the A330s will be done adjacent to where EADS is performing a similar task for the Royal Australian Air Force, which is the lead customer for the A330 Multirole Tanker Transport configuration.
The Australian program is running slightly behind schedule; first delivery may be late, but company officials still hope to reach in-service fielding goals on time.
Photo: EADS CASA
