BEags, the only trouble with a one for one type swap is that you're not swapping like for like. Shiny new A400 will roll straight into strat lifting; your intra-theatre lift and airdrop will still have to be covered by the J for a long while yet. As for the Italians I'd heard they were trying to offload their tankers a while back - maybe just unfounded rumour :)

Can't make it on Friday unfortunately as I'll be flying round in circles chucking stuff at the sea!

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...ml#post5799652

'Good to see Tony Flynn flying the A400M'

I was just thinking the very same thing!!

Will the real Tony Flynn reveal himself please!

"I'm Tony Flynn, and so is my wife!" etc, etc. :)

@ Bandoleer's #20
 

In an interview with Flight at Farnborough, Ed Shipman said they'd soon be fitting one of the flight test aircraft with hose units, to find out if there's any effect on handling. Already they've done some formation work, to see what the slipstream's like in the "getting" position, which showed up no problems. He didn't say whether any fuel would be passed in the near future.
He also mentioned that they would soon be starting trials with a "mocked up" rough and pebbly strip at Toulouse before going to a real "rough strip".

While the RAF will "induct" (as a current, if unlovely, term is) the A400M in their own inimitable way, its other customers and operators certainly have some tasks and strips for which its capabilities will be needed, well away from 11000 feet of tarmac. So if you want dramatic shots of a work-horse working, look for other national markings ?

WTFIT? (Who the f*ck is that?) Is he related to Harold Strongman, by any chance?

Whoops !
 

Many, many apolologies to Mr.STRONGman - distinct senior moment there ... :{:{:{

Grizzly Three visited Hamburg last night for cold weather trial preparations. Don't know if that was Mr. Shipman's business again.:} Returned to LFBO this morning.

Airbus A400M für Kältetest in Hamburg - FLUG REVUE

Cold test
 

It's an ill wind that blows nobody good, as they say! ;)
The nasty cold spell in Germany these days seems to have come at a good time for the bearbus. At least someone profits from it...

Number 4 is airborne as well.

picture:
Vierte A400M startet in Sevilla zum Erstflug - FLUG REVUE

1,000 hrs passed
 

Good to see that, TT! Have you done much flying yet?

My compliments to the cosmonaut, next time you see him!

Well one of them has just been doing racetracks over my house with the port outer feathered. Impressive beast I must say.

Pardon my hignorance but what is that stuck off the back of the tail in TT's link? Orange panel at the apex of the tailplane and what looks like a whip aerial stuck out horizontaly with an orange tag on the end.?

It is a trailing static pressure sensor the better to get a handle on the ambient pressure in the vicinity of the aircraft.

If you google tailing static cone you will see plenty - on the 787 first flight for example.

Well if they keep cutting the Armed Forces the way they are, in a about 5 years, they'll be able to get the whole Army in the back of that aircraft.

Mind you, with a bank angle like you can see in that photo, the aircraft won't last long enough . . . (yeah I know about barrel rolls, but flew long enough to see not that many pilots could actually do that).

Dresden fatigue testing has started.

"By then the A400M programme - which is several billion euros over budget and four years late - should be running smoothly.

Seven European governments have each ordered dozens of the A400M aircraft in order to support the project.

In March this year (2010), the seven agreed to inject 1.5bn euros (£1.3bn) in additional funding.

So, how many of them are the RAF going to get, how many years late and at what unit cost?