I worked on a stand at the 1994 Farnborough Airshow, and I remember that at the show there was a full scale wooden mockup of (what is now) the A400M).
SIXTEEN years down the road we have JUST had the maiden flight and the project is zillions over budget. (But EADS are demanding even more, or they are threatening to throw their toys in the pram). Forgetting (for once!!) the rest of Europe, we should ask does the RAF really need this thing?. We've a tactical transport fleet primarily comprised of C130K's & J's, and a few C17's, which have served us incredibly well and continue to do so in exremely trying times. OK, the old K is getting long in the tooth and is progressively being withdrawn, but rather than waste EVEN MORE money on this Scarebus thing wouldn't we be far better served by buying more
Js and C17s? (As an old Herc man I always used to think that she was the best transport aircraft that the RAF has ever had. The C17 has now changed my opinion, I think the throne is now occupied by the former McDonnel Douglas clan
).