Watch the Airbus A400M successfully completing certification tests on a grass runway.
The A400M grass runway tests, for which the development aircraft MSN2 has been used, took place over a three-week period at Écury-sur-Coole airfield in France in Sep. 2015 and evaluated the aircraft’s behaviour on grass and natural soil landing strips.
As the following video shows the A400M demonstrated excellent performance both in taxiing maneuvers (such as U-turns) as well as during take-off and landing on the 1,500m strip.
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These tests followed earlier successful results on the gravel surface at Ablitas in Spain and will be followed by tests on sand surfaces in 2016. Airlifters’ unique ability to perform tactical landings on austere runways is essential to ensure logistics support in a contested battlefield.
