Author Topic: A400M maiden flight today  (Read 1337 times)

Offline RTHolmes

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A400M maiden flight today
« on: December 16, 2009, 09:35:04 AM »
4 years late ... but finally she takes to the air. A400M is a heavy lifter, midway between C-130J and C-17A. interestingly the swept props turn towards each other on each wing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MT2HjJcdYY

should be in service with RAF from 2012, meaning we'll have C-17A, A400M and C-130J, pretty much covering all bases :aok
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Offline Noir

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2009, 11:24:43 AM »
well done cause we french are currently moving our stuff with C47's  :old:
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Offline Yeager

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2009, 12:19:04 PM »
its a beautful design.
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Offline Serenity

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2009, 03:07:12 PM »
4 years late ... but finally she takes to the air. A400M is a heavy lifter, midway between C-130J and C-17A. interestingly the swept props turn towards each other on each wing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MT2HjJcdYY

should be in service with RAF from 2012, meaning we'll have C-17A, A400M and C-130J, pretty much covering all bases :aok

Um, maybe it's the American in me, but the C-17 is MAYBE a medium lifter, so the A-400M falls more into light than heavy airlift :p

Offline Gixer

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2009, 03:50:02 PM »
A400M is too big, but Aussie needs a replacement for it's DHC-4 Carbou what an amazing aircraft and history of operations with the RAAF.




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Offline Rich46yo

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2009, 04:25:54 PM »
The A400M is going to have a great service life with a lot of countries. Congrats to our French/European friends. :salute
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Offline Bodhi

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2009, 04:37:11 PM »
It looks like a C-17 and a C-130 mated.
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Offline Spikes

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2009, 04:39:39 PM »
A beauty to fly in FS. Love the props on that baby.
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Offline Rich46yo

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2009, 04:30:07 PM »
A400M is too big, but Aussie needs a replacement for it's DHC-4 Carbou what an amazing aircraft and history of operations with the RAAF.

(Image removed from quote.)


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The Caribou can be considered a "legend". In US service as well, "tho many Yanks dont know that". A magnificent airplane design. :salute
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Offline MachFly

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2009, 04:54:26 PM »
well done cause we french are currently moving our stuff with C47's  :old:

 :O Really? I was pretty sure they had C-130s
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Offline SmokinLoon

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #10 on: December 17, 2009, 10:24:31 PM »
My dad made many flights as a passenger in one of these things in Vietnam.  He watched them come and go almost non-stop from PhuCat AF base in central Vietnam circa '68-'69.

A400M is too big, but Aussie needs a replacement for it's DHC-4 Carbou what an amazing aircraft and history of operations with the RAAF.

(Image removed from quote.)


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Offline SectorNine50

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2009, 05:33:40 AM »
Why was the gear extended the entire flight?
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Offline Yossarian

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2009, 06:45:45 AM »
Why was the gear extended the entire flight?

I'm not sure on the specifics, but I think that's done in many test flights in case something goes wrong, and it has to be landed, but they don't want to risk having a problem with lowering the gear.
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Offline AWwrgwy

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2009, 11:54:21 AM »
Why was the gear extended the entire flight?

It's the maiden flight.  They're not ready to test the hydraulics yet.

IIRC, on the fifth flight of the F-14 the hydraulics failed and the test pilots got to test the ejection seats.


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Offline Ruler2

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Re: A400M maiden flight today
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2009, 12:28:30 PM »
C130 engines, mini-C17 body, C141 cockpit.  Come on, all Airbus could do to reply to US transports was to take three and glue them together?   :neener:

Someone was telling me some of the specs earlier this week, it really isn't all that impressive as they say it is, it was supposed to be a rival to the C-17 but it only carries about 3/4 of the payload, and even though it can't carry as much, it can't climb or stop or do much anything much faster, if at all faster than a C-17. You COULD try to compare it to a C-130, but even then things look pretty much in American favor in a lot of aspects. Besides, I've flown on a C-17, and the name sounds cooler anyway  :devil