A400M Flight Testing Progress
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 117
Likes: 2
From: Wiltshire
Cargo Bay Design
Exhibit A was as you describe, made up of all the loads that the partner Nations wished to carry in A400M at that time.
Thus, it was that:
The Warrior Recovery Variant - weight 31.5 tonnes - drove the payload.
A German ground to air missile system - drove the cargo bay height
Vehicles side by side drove the width and so on.
Having then set the dimensions there comes a moment when the design parameters have to be frozen to allow design work to begin. These then drive the design through things like aircraft component loads and very quickly it gets to a stage where nothing basic can be changed. Adding 50cms to the width of the fuselage has huge ramifications for weight, drag and then power required and speed as well as changing the interfaces with the wings especially. Likewise increasing the weight has huge ramifications for the loads on the wing and the design has to change to reflect these which in turn means further weight increases.
There always is a danger that the world will move on and the only way to compensate is to design to over-egged requirements but this then has a knock on effect on cost. The bigger the aircraft the higher the cost. I saw all this during my years with Airbus and even now the customers are still asking for apparently small changes without consideration for what they in fact mean when translated into reality.
I remember years ago seeing the then Army Multi-Role vehicle platform (I cannot now remember the name) - it was specified to be air-transportable in A400M but was outgrowing even before any metal had been cut and that was before the mega amounts of armoured protection for Afghanistan.
Thus, it was that:
The Warrior Recovery Variant - weight 31.5 tonnes - drove the payload.
A German ground to air missile system - drove the cargo bay height
Vehicles side by side drove the width and so on.
Having then set the dimensions there comes a moment when the design parameters have to be frozen to allow design work to begin. These then drive the design through things like aircraft component loads and very quickly it gets to a stage where nothing basic can be changed. Adding 50cms to the width of the fuselage has huge ramifications for weight, drag and then power required and speed as well as changing the interfaces with the wings especially. Likewise increasing the weight has huge ramifications for the loads on the wing and the design has to change to reflect these which in turn means further weight increases.
There always is a danger that the world will move on and the only way to compensate is to design to over-egged requirements but this then has a knock on effect on cost. The bigger the aircraft the higher the cost. I saw all this during my years with Airbus and even now the customers are still asking for apparently small changes without consideration for what they in fact mean when translated into reality.
I remember years ago seeing the then Army Multi-Role vehicle platform (I cannot now remember the name) - it was specified to be air-transportable in A400M but was outgrowing even before any metal had been cut and that was before the mega amounts of armoured protection for Afghanistan.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Joined: Jul 2000
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 24,627
Likes: 7,334
From: Peripatetic
First A400M Airlifter Delivered to France
LONDON — The French Air Force has taken delivery of the first A400M airlifter from Airbus Military following type certification and initial operating clearance of the aircraft in the last few days.
The DGA, the French military procurement agency, authorized the delivery today after issuing the military type certificate on July 24. The aircraft is scheduled to fly Aug. 2 to the French Air Force base at Orleans-Bricy from where it will operate.
The delivery marks the culmination of a 10-year effort by Airbus Military to develop a European airlifter. The program has overcome serious technical problems, delivery delays and budget overruns that almost saw Airbus and the partners nations scrap the airlifter.
Handover of the first aircraft follows the July 31 receipt of Type Acceptance at the Initial Operating Clearance standard from OCCAR, the European Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, which has been managing the project on behalf of the seven-nation effort................
LONDON — The French Air Force has taken delivery of the first A400M airlifter from Airbus Military following type certification and initial operating clearance of the aircraft in the last few days.
The DGA, the French military procurement agency, authorized the delivery today after issuing the military type certificate on July 24. The aircraft is scheduled to fly Aug. 2 to the French Air Force base at Orleans-Bricy from where it will operate.
The delivery marks the culmination of a 10-year effort by Airbus Military to develop a European airlifter. The program has overcome serious technical problems, delivery delays and budget overruns that almost saw Airbus and the partners nations scrap the airlifter.
Handover of the first aircraft follows the July 31 receipt of Type Acceptance at the Initial Operating Clearance standard from OCCAR, the European Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, which has been managing the project on behalf of the seven-nation effort................
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
From: Trumpville; On the edge
MSN9 airborne
And lo, it came to pass that the 3rd production A400M flew on its maiden flight today - sans paint, as advertised. Goes into the paint shop next week, and will emerge in TuAF colours 
Joined: Dec 2004
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 179
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From: Germany
MSN009 now got its paint job.
EADS Global Website - Airbus A400M flies in Turkish Air Force colours
"Merde gris" again...
EADS Global Website - Airbus A400M flies in Turkish Air Force colours
"Merde gris" again...
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 674
Likes: 0
From: UK East Anglia
Are Turkey doing their own flight testing
Are Turkey doing their own flight testing then.
Well the last I knew Turkey were taking the lead on all of the parachuting trials. (helped by Q2 and other UK formations)
No doubt some of these will be repeated specifically for UK by the same crew. A great deal of read across was being forecast to keep our [UK] costs down.
IMHO a very sensible approach was being taken.
Well the last I knew Turkey were taking the lead on all of the parachuting trials. (helped by Q2 and other UK formations)
No doubt some of these will be repeated specifically for UK by the same crew. A great deal of read across was being forecast to keep our [UK] costs down.
IMHO a very sensible approach was being taken.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 3
From: Hunched over a keyboard
There was one out here in the UAE a week or two back - and before that they had one based here for a couple of weeks (presumably doing hot weather trials). It's an impressive looking aircraft and going by some of the post-takeoff climb angles it demonstrated it must be a decent performer.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,442
Likes: 55
From: Under a recently defunct flight path.
France accepts second A400M Atlas
From Flight Global:-
As the list of customers is in alphabetical order, I trust this means the RAF is not really last in line for deliveries!
PS - presumably it is down to that damn great photo that the quoted text (above) is formatted so wiiiiide...
France has accepted its second A400M Atlas tactical transport from Airbus Military, with the aircraft due to touch down at the French air force’s Orléans base later this week.
One of 50 A400Ms on order for France, and first flown on 7 June, aircraft MSN8 was formally accepted on 6 November, the nation’s DGA defence procurement agency says. Its arrival with the air force’s 1/61 “Touraine” squadron will follow that of its first example, MSN7, which was handed over in August and formally introduced on 20 September.
Airbus Military is also poised to deliver its first of 10 A400Ms to the Turkish air force, which will become the second of its current eight customer nations to receive the type. Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain and the UK are its other buyers, with a total programme orderbook of 174 examples.
With its next export delivery slots available during 2016, Airbus Military will later this month be taking one of its A400M “Grizzly” development aircraft to the Dubai air show for the first time. The Europrop International TP400-D6-powered airlifter, which has a maximum payload capacity of 37t, is due to participate in 17-21 November event’s daily flying display.
One of 50 A400Ms on order for France, and first flown on 7 June, aircraft MSN8 was formally accepted on 6 November, the nation’s DGA defence procurement agency says. Its arrival with the air force’s 1/61 “Touraine” squadron will follow that of its first example, MSN7, which was handed over in August and formally introduced on 20 September.
Airbus Military is also poised to deliver its first of 10 A400Ms to the Turkish air force, which will become the second of its current eight customer nations to receive the type. Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain and the UK are its other buyers, with a total programme orderbook of 174 examples.
With its next export delivery slots available during 2016, Airbus Military will later this month be taking one of its A400M “Grizzly” development aircraft to the Dubai air show for the first time. The Europrop International TP400-D6-powered airlifter, which has a maximum payload capacity of 37t, is due to participate in 17-21 November event’s daily flying display.
PS - presumably it is down to that damn great photo that the quoted text (above) is formatted so wiiiiide...
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 263
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From: Sussex By The Sea
The delivery marks the culmination of a 10-year effort by Airbus Military to develop a European airlifter.