SFFP;
What appears on these fine pages is NEVER the full story, regardless of topic, hence the "Ru" in the name
South Bound;
As you suggest, I doubt you'll ever find anyone saying Airbus is great. The customer always wants to receive more "stuff" for less money, and the supplier always wants to give less for more money. It's economics and Airbus is in it to make a profit, just like every other defence contractor out there. There will be differences of opinion and there will be gaps in understanding between partners. It was/is inevitable.
OTTB;
I will "fess up" to being directly involved in the project, although not directly employed by Airbus/AMSL. I will also admit to having served on both C130 and C17, so I think I am qualified enough to comment here.
The A400M will never be the aircraft that the C17 is, but it isn't meant to be.
It is meant to be a C130/C160 replacement, not a C17 replacement, so that's where its capabilities lie. Why create something to compete with the C17 when it already has the market share. Why not create something which is actually needed instead? Face it, the C130 is just too small, and realistically speaking there is no replacement currently available. The C17 is just too big for some of the tasks the C130/C160 fleets undertake.
The A400M WILL meet the requirements that have been laid out for it, and I am confident, from my vantage point anyway, that it will do so admirably. There may well be bits we would like to do differently, but at the end of the day it will enable the air forces involved to do more than they can do with their current kit.
It was a risky move to incorporate so much new technology into the design, and to a large extent it hasn't paid off, but if the right tools for the job don't exist, do you wait for someone else to create them, or do you go and make them yourself?
I know my answer, hence I'm "involved" rather than bleating on PRuNe.
BEagle,
Sorry, can't comment knowingly on the low speed characteristics, not being the piloty sort, but the cargo hold is looking good
. I'll get the business end sorted and let folk cleverer that wot I is sort the rest.
