Military AircrewA forum for the professionals who fly the non-civilian hardware, and the backroom boys and girls without whom nothing would leave the ground. Army, Navy and Airforces of the World, all equally welcome here.
Christopher Booker, an occasionally tinfoil-wearing Sunday Torygraph contributor, suggests that the A400 programme is 'on the brink of collapse' here: 'Save the planet' rhetoric soars to crazy new heights - Telegraph (scroll down past the global warming stuff) and that therefore our armed forces 'will soon be incapable of fighting overseas' because C-130 goes out of service in 2012.
True. Still wonder if anyone will jump ship, however. Binning its A400M order would not have a particularly high financial or job risk to UK Plc as it would to the French or Germans. Most of the UK companies involved would still be working on it irrespective of it being ordered just as it hasn't after Italy decided not to buy it. The UK's need to be involved in the europlane moreorless ended the day BAE Systems sold its stake in Airbus. Other than the euroland politics involved, is it what the RAF really wants? Would they be content with more C-130Js and C-17s instead or is the A400M that important to the RAF?
Surely it's the army that would be most affected by the cancellation, in terms of yet another capability gap? Was not one of the major incentives behind the A400 the larger freight bay to take the latest generation of vehicles with their greater mass and size? Whilst more C130Js would give greater tonnage capacity, would that answer the perceived requirement?
My son is on contract with Airbus in Seville working on the A400, they are all on notice of termination and working from month to month, entirely possible project going belly up!
What effect that will have on EADS, MOD or anyone else is anybodies guess.
In answer to the earlier question about capability gaps then - no there won't be one. Ideally this thing goes down the tubes asap, we can stop mincing about and go get more Js and C17s. C17s can move the big stuff and we can carry on with the other stuff.
The army's FRES project for big, wide etc vehicles is more of a terminal basket case than the A400 anyway so is frankly irrelevant.
Was not one of the major incentives behind the A400 the larger freight bay to take the latest generation of vehicles with their greater mass and size?
Though the FRES programme has ballooned both in cost, and weight, so perhaps there won't be many of them, and those we do procure will be too large/heavy to fit in a standard A400? Have to hope that the Antonovs soldier on for a while, and that we stay on the same side as Ivan...
I heard through T bar gossip that Lockheed had proposed a widebodied C130 (a fat fat albert, or obese albert?). Other than the 1980's proposal, any update on newer evolutions?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 66
Posts: 5,335
In April 08 EADS said 'this summer'
Then in September EADS said: first flight is postponed beyond the end of this year, but the impact on the delivery schedule remains unclear.
The “unavailability” of the 10,000shp Europrop TP400-D6, the most powerful turboprop engine developed by the West, is blamed for the new delay.
The program is still waiting for the flying test bed – a C-130 modified by Marshall Airspace with one TP400-D6 under-wing – to get off the ground. That test campaign “should start in the coming weeks”,
OK, it flew on 17 Dec 08, then what?
Booker probably cribbed his article from the Economist - 8 Apr 09:
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 15,742
Which would be a bit of a shame - the FSTA is not proposed for helicopter AAR.
Whereas, from the brief I had - and judging by the way the USMC are currently using the KC-130J in theatre, there isn't much it can't do. Particularly in respect of FARP operations; also Harvest Hawk will soon be turning the bad guys into unwholesome hamburger......
Now remind me, how many external hardpoints do the UK's 130Js have which are wired and plumbed for AAR........
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 15,742
Hi Westie,
No, credit where credit is due - your USMC chums know what they're doing with the KC-130J. Whereas the version that the RAF has is....well, 'less capable'. Not by design, but by stupid procurement.
The A400M will eventually be a good aeroplane - but the political wrangling and bitch-fighting will be a thing of interest to behold!
By the way, I didn't even get threatened with a single 'latex glove' during my recent trip Stateside; contrary to alarmist reports, the natives were most friendly!
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