Airbus Military Tanker Passes Civilian Noise Restrictions


Spain's National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) successfully took part in the Noise Certification of the Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi Role Transport Tanker) using Brüel & Kjær's equipment and expertise.

One of the main reasons for the success of the Airbus A330 MRTT to date is that it can operate in civil airports, for example during international human aid operations. However, the aerodynamic modifications from the basic A330 to the A330 MRTT aircraft required new noise certification.

Living up to the exacting standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) called for precise measurement equipment, and for Ernesto Ibáñez, an aeroacoustic engineer at INTA, Brüel & Kjær was the obvious choice.

"One of the reasons to choose Brüel & Kjær for this complex test is the extreme flexibility of the PULSE(TM) system. In addition to an Acoustic Calibrator Type 4231, we also borrowed additional portable PULSE units from Brüel & Kjær to generate electrical noise signals for in situ verifications," he said.

Immediately after the flight pass, the acoustic data were validated together with meteorological and trajectory data in only four minutes. Time was critical with an expensive aircraft in the air, so it was vital that measurements were reliably recorded instantly for later analysis and reporting.

According to Ernesto Ibáñez, "We knew it was going to be a long and complex process requiring a lot of initial tests and support. We have been working with Brüel & Kjær Spain long enough to know that they not only sell great quality instruments, but also provide first-class local support and fully understand our needs.

Pascual Rodriguez from Airbus' parent company EADS added that "Brüel & Kjær's assistance during measurements saved our skin at very critical moments, for example, when EASA authorities required us to perform some complex instrumentation verifications."

For more information, please contact: 01763 255 780 or ukinfo@bksv.com

About Brüel & Kjær

Brüel & Kjær is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of sound and vibration measurement systems. Brüel & Kjær helps its customers measure and manage the quality of sound and vibration in their products and in the environment. Focus areas are aerospace, space, defence, automotive, ground transportation, airport environment, urban environment, telecom, and audio.

Brüel & Kjær has an unparalleled portfolio of sound and vibration equipment, and is a renowned deliverer of innovative instrumentation, including sound level meters, microphones, accelerometers, conditioning amplifiers, calibrators, noise and vibration analysers and software. To see the full range of products and systems, please visit www.bksv.com.

Brüel & Kjær also runs a variety of training courses, from basic introductions to noise and it's effects to more specialised classes teaching customers how to get the most out of their equipment. Free, online training courses - conducted by our expert engineers - run throughout the year too. For all course registration details visit www.bksv.com/courses.

Brüel & Kjær is a subsidiary of UK-based Spectris plc (www.spectris.com) that has annual sales of £787m and employs around 6,000 people worldwide in its 13 business units. Brüel & Kjær has 1150 employees worldwide, and is represented by sales offices in 55 countries.

For additional information please contact:

Heather Wilkins

Marketing Coordinator

Bruel & Kjaer

Telephone: 01763 255 780

Web: www.bksv.com

Email: heather.wilkins@bksv.com

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