Now an A400M fan
I am enjoying this thread. You guys are great.
I think I have previously exposed my concerns about this A400M. (I becme loosely involved in 1995 and then on several A400M working groups before I finsihed last year- does that qualify me to comment? - I refer to another thread)
my point is that there is the art of the possible. A400M could probably do much of the role. not to the same extent as Nimrod so far as ASW goes.
Then there is the art of the affordable. we just have to face it as a nation we are destitute.
When I started work with the HJPT (before J and K merged then TriStar and then us S&AD people joined) there was a whole team looking after a proposed tanker version of the J. They were soon reallocated other dreamsheet tasks. One of those was an ASRA pallet.
We always finished up with something far less capable than desired. Difficult job to ballance the art of the possible with the art of the affordable.
I have no doubt that A400M (although late) will be worth waiting for and when in service it will grow the arms and legs to make it do all these wonderful things.
Now I must knock up some sketches to show how to drop torpedos and sonobuoys, fit a MAD boom and ESL pods (Fraudian slip for those Nimrod R men) Ah, there's another idea we will fit an ISO container full of Rivet Joint electrics. Sorry I think they did something similar on Snoopy.
A400M all things to all men. just need a good few more of them