First Tranche 2 Eurofighter Typhoon Aircraft to Start Final Assembly

, HALLBERGMOOS Germany: The first Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of Tranche 2 standard are about to start final assembly in Germany and the United Kingdom. The first Tranche 2 aircraft will be IPA7 (Instrumented Production Aircraft), the 29th single-seater of German production. IPA7 is scheduled to move to the final assembly rigs at EADS Military Air Systems' Manching facility at the end of the year. 
 
The first flight of IPA7 is due in 2008 with the aircraft to be used for testing the Block 8 capabilities together with IPA6 (British single-seat BS031), a Tranche 1 aircraft that will be upgraded to receive the Tranche 2 standard avionics. IPA6 is already undergoing initial tests at BAE Systems in Warton. 
 
The first Tranche 2 aircraft to be handed over to a Partner Air Force will be BS037 (British single-seat BS037) for the Royal Air Force. The front fuselage section of BS037 has already been shipped to the BAE Systems facility at Warton from their site at Samlesbury, while the aircraft's centre fuselage has concluded the equipping process at Manching and is due for delivery to the UK shortly. BS037 will fly for the first time in 2008 and will be handed over to the Royal Air Force in the same year. 
 
The Eurofighter consortium is under contract to deliver 620 aircraft to the four Partner nations (production go ahead for 384 aircraft received with signature of Tranche 2 in 2004) and 18 aircraft to Austria. 254 of which are Tranche 2 and 148 Tranche 1 standard. 
 
101 production aircraft have been delivered to date including five Instrumented Production Aircraft operated by industry and owned by the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency NETMA. 
 
Seven units in four nations are successfully operating Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with more than 12,000 flying hours already accumulated by the Partner Air Forces, in addition to the almost 4,800 flying hours by the test fleet.