Airbus A330 MRTT
The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is an aerial refuelling tanker aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330. The A330 MRTT has been ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal Air Force (RAF), United Arab Emirates Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force and Republic of Singapore Air Force. The EADS/Northrop Grumman KC-45 was a version of the A330 MRTT proposed for the United States Air Force.
Design and development
The Airbus A330 MRTT is a military derivative of the A330-200 airliner. It is designed as a dual-role air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft. For air-to-air refuelling missions the A330 MRTT can be equipped with a combination of any of the following systems:
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a medium to long range wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of Airbus Group. Versions of the A330 have a range of 5,600 to 13,430 kilometres (3,020 to 7,250 nmi; 3,480 to 8,350 mi) and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry 70 tonnes (154,000 lb) of cargo.
The A330's origin dates to the mid-1970s as one of several conceived derivatives of Airbus's first airliner, the A300. The A330 was developed in parallel with the four-engine A340, which shared many common airframe components but differed in number of engines. Both airliners incorporated fly-by-wire flight control technology, first introduced on an Airbus aircraft with the A320, as well as the A320's six-display glass cockpit. In June 1987, after receiving orders from various customers, Airbus launched the A330 and A340. The A330 was Airbus's first airliner that offered a choice of three engines: General Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, and Rolls-Royce Trent 700.
Airbus A330neo
The Airbus A330neo is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner currently under development by Airbus to replace the Airbus A330 (now A330ceo ("Current Engine Option")). There will be two variants of the A330neo, the A330-800neo and the A330-900neo. The letters "neo" in the name stand for "New Engine Option". The Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 will be the only engine to power the airliner. The A330neo will also feature other enhancements such as winglets (inspired by the Airbus A350), a longer wingspan (64 meters) and new engine pylons. According to Airbus, these enhancements will reduce the fuel burn per seat by 14%, with additionally lower capital cost making the A330neo the most cost-efficient medium-range wide-body aircraft in the market.
Development
Airbus's management had been studying whether to equip the A330, its bestselling wide-body airliner, with newer and more efficient engines: "New Engine Option", or "neo" to maintain sales. Airbus sales chief John Leahy felt it was competitive at mid-range routes with that of the Boeing 787, even without new engines. It was also the most inexpensive widebody aircraft positioned to serve high-density routes shorter than 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) and had the potential to create a monopoly in that market segment. Moreover, customers such as AirAsia X and Delta Air Lines were interested in a re-engined A330 and pushed Airbus to develop one. However, an A330neo could have also caused problems for Airbus; being in the same twin-aisle market segment as the Airbus A350, the A330neo could have hampered its sales.
Podcasts:
