Talking about aircraft and engines and why they are the shape they are is for me still a passion. I suggest that if you can dig BEagle up and get him started on the A400M you will learn a massive amount about what can be done when you transform the conventional into the unconventional. I don't buy all the A400M puff because you can have what they say but not all at the same time. Brochurespeak and the art of its translation by the unwary is fraught
Is BEagle a pprune poster? Because I too was curious why the A400M had gone with props when all the other planes in that class seem to have jets (C17, C5, IL76, Antonov etc).