Jig Peter,

All good news. But whether good enough for the UK remains to be seen. Personally, I'm delighted that CAS appears to have made it clear that the number is 25 and that the price is per the contract. If Airbus take a bath on the initial 180, then that's no bad thing - I'm sure that they'll make their money back on the through-life support.

S41

Airbus Military runs A400M engines
 

In Flight International:-

Click on the link for more info + photos. Some very overdue positive news at last!

I do hope they remember to take the S. African flag off the forward fuselage before 1st flight... :)
Maybe UK plc could get a quick, pre-emptive bid in for an additional 8 'spare' ac now that the yarpies have thrown in the towel? :}

No, that can't be right. Scoff being 'quietly' anything would be a first! Eh, shag? :p

Seriously, it'll be great news when it does fly.

TT, perhaps someone needs to speak nicely to the Scandiwegians about the ex-Seth Efrikan order - and persuade them that the A400M would be a better multi-role aircraft for their needs than the Embraer KC-390?

UPDATE 1-Airbus A400M countries to meet in Berlin-Germany

BERLIN, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Officials from countries who have ordered the delayed A400M military transporter from European plane maker Airbus will meet in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the matter, the German Defence Ministry said.

"On Thursday, the state secretaries from the countries involved in the deal will meet in Berlin," Defence Ministry spokesman Christian Dienst told a regular government news conference on Monday when asked about the deal. "Before a decision is made, anything you read at the moment is rumour, speculation or agenda-setting on the part of others."

Airbus parent EADS (EAD.PA) is in talks to rescue the 20 billion euro ($29.8 billion) contract with seven European nations that ordered the plane: Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey.

German daily Financial Times Deutschland reported on Monday that Airbus could split delivery of the A400M into two tranches to avert the collapse of the project. Due to make its maiden flight next month, the A400M airlifter has been delayed by three to four years by engine snags and other industrial problems. Last week, British and French air chiefs suggested pooling maintenance or even sharing the use of some planes to balance cost increases.

FTD cited industry sources as saying France in particular favoured splitting the 180-plane order into two tranches. elsewhere by Reuters.......Under the plan the first tranche would be delivered at the previously agreed price while there would be fresh price negotiations for the second tranche, it said.....

Oh, whoopee. Another opportunity for our wonderful, masterful SoS the Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP to excel. :E

LL -

I think that the problem is that A400M is made of composites: doubtless El Bob would be all over A400M like ferret up drain pipe if only he could "meet metal bashin' lads on plant floor"...

:ugh:

S41

Gentlemen, place your bets..... :cool:

Irish bookmaker betting 1-2 odds Dreamliner flies before the Airbus A400M

Forget Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. An Irish bookie is taking bets on whether Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner will fly before Airbus’ A400M military transport aircraft.

Both planes are supposed to take their maiden flights by the end of the year. Both programs have been hit by numerous delays. Some commentors are speculating that the flights may be pushed into next year, the bookmaker, Paddy Power, notes.

Paddy Power bills itself as Ireland’s largest bookmaker and a leading provider of gaming services. It’s offering odds of 1-to-2 that Boeing’s Dreamliner will take to the skies first. It’s offering 6-to-4 odds that the Airbus A400M will fly first.

“This has the makings of a very interesting race with obviously billions on the line for both airlines,” Paddy Power said in a statement. “Our betting suggests that Boeing is the early leader, but this could obviously change very fast.”

:confused: wtf?

ah, I see...

Airbus first engine runs on A400M successful

MADRID, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Airbus Military said on Thursday it had successfully run all of its A400M military transporter plane's engines for the first time, paving the way for its first maiden flight next month. "This is the first time we completely powered up the aircraft using the engine power and the first time that the aircraft has been operated completely autonomously," Fernando Alonso, head of flight operations, said in a statement.

The A400M airlifter, which has been delayed three to four years by engine snags and other problems, is due to make its first maiden flight in a few weeks time.

My money's on the first flight for the A400M sometime next week.

Re the SA flag
 

T. Trousers,

Not yet they haven't, they're "too busy"!!!


http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...-all-four.html

Maybe I'll pop down to the hangar with some white spirit and a rag tomorrow :ok: There is certainly a lot of purposeful activity occuring at the moment!

Will you be on the first flight, T.T?

Tester07: P.M. awaiting you!

Another meeting to come ...
 

Apparently the meeting in Berlin last Thursday (19/11) decided that another meeting was needed in early to mid December ...at which, with any luck, Mr. Enders will be able to show nice air-to-air shots of the A400M flying (at last). That should help the Ministers concerned to agree to let the programme continue, while re-negotiating the incredibly convoluted set-up - like sorting out the vague responsibility chain, from OCCAR upwards and downwards. And then there's the money thing ...

Tha French Senate's report on the programme indicates that, apart from alternative aircraft not being available in less time than the A400M, their cost to do the tasks set for the A400M would be even more* ...

Talk of the proverbial rock and hard place ... :ugh::ugh::ugh:


* But then, they would, wouldn't they ?

Jig, not so sure...


Boeing offers C-17B as piecemeal upgrade

@ Vin Rouge
 

That was then, Rotwein, like August's try by Boeing to keep the Big Giy's line going, and that would be a whole lotta money more than the custpmers are likely to want to pay ...
But this is now, and we'll see soon enough what the December meeting brings forth - elephant or mouse ... Preferably with the Eurolifter reprieved, eh ?

A400M - decisions would be nice...
 

TT / Jig Peter,

I don't doubt that when it gets flying A400M can be made to be a decent - indeed, potentially world-beating (:cool:)- airlifter that by bigger than the -130J has a niche that makes it ideal for supporting fielded forces with medium weight capabilities over the three decades from 2013/14. It also looks more elegant than a -130J, which is clearly vital.

HOWEVER, the damn thing is at least three years late at a time we desperately need all of the airlift we can get, and the "fixed-price" contract appears to be anything but. If the rumours of a reduction to 19 aircraft for the same cash are accurate, we are accepting a unit cost increase of >30% (in addition to the aforementioned delays).

<<Rant mode: ON>>

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE NAIL AIRBUS'S FEET TO THE FLOOR AND ENFORCE THE BL**DY CONTRACT THAT AIRBUS FREELY ENTERED INTO?!?! :ugh:

<<Rant mode: STANDBY>>

It's not as if EADS / Airbus can't afford it... they can - and unlike the RAF / MoD's shameful and craven approach to BAES over Nimrod MRA4, it's more than time for industry to pay for it's mistakes - like they would for their airline customers.

S41

A400M performs first taxi trial
 

In Flight International today:-

Full article.

That first flight might just be made before the year end :cool: