Airbus, Europe's largest aerospace company, is already due to replace one of the four engines on the first aircraft in coming days, the ministry said. The problem with the second aircraft was discovered on Thursday, it said, confirming news first reported by Germany's Spiegel magazine.
Kieran Daly, spokesman for Airbus Defense and Space, said the company was working with Germany to address the issues.
"We confirm that two of the three German A400M aircraft have newly been discovered to have suffered the propeller gearbox cracking problem, and we will support the customer in addressing that," Daly told Reuters.
He declined to say how many of the 27 A400M troop and cargo carriers delivered by Airbus thus far had been affected by the issue, which involves a power gearbox made by General Electric's Italian unit Avio Aero.
European authorities mandated inspections after every 20 flight hours after the gearbox cracking was discovered earlier this year. (end of excerpt)
Click here for the full story, on the Reuters website.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Airbus spokesman Daly confirmed July 01 that the problem that has grounded the German aircraft is the same that has previously affected the propeller gear box of other A400Ms, and that clockwise-rotating engines are affected, as on other aircraft.
Visiting the A400M final Assembly line in Seville on June 30, Spanish Defense Minister Pedro Morenés reaffirmed his government’s support for the program, but warned that it is “important” for the process of adapting the air force to this new aircraft that the company deliver Spain’s first aircraft in September.
He added that "The hopes we have at European level for this airplane are very high; it has its niche and it is demonstrating that Europe, and particularly Seville and Spain, can compete in a very difficult market, and at a high technological level, as required for strategic military transport.”
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