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A400M refuelled in flight for first time
As reported on Flight Global:-
An Airbus Military A400M has received fuel in-flight for the first time, with one of the programme's three development aircraft having achieved the milestone behind a French air force Dassault-Breguet C160 Transall. "There were no problems for the aircraft," says A400M project pilot Tony Flynn, who describes the first wet contacts as having gone "perfectly" during a trials activity performed from Seville, Spain in late November. The work successfully validated a new set of air-to-air refuelling (AAR) flight control laws referred to as "D6R-P", he adds. "This is the first time we have had a satisfactory control law for the whole [receiver] task," Flynn says. This follows an extensive rewriting process, which was initiated following early trials performed behind a Vickers VC10 tanker in 2010. "To begin with, things didn't go well," he says. Cockpit video footage of the second dry contact made behind the now-retired Royal Air Force type shows the A400M pitching up and down, before climbing violently towards the tanker's T-tail as the crew abandoned the connection. "To begin with, things didn't go well," - :eek: Click on the link for the rest of the report. PS - I see that the humongous size of that photo has not been corrected, hence the continuing ruination of formatting! :ugh: |
do the flight control laws still have the direct lateral and vertical control laws for aar? ie pitch up = translate up with no pitch and roll translates left and right with no roll?
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Some more decent pics of all things A400m, with a few 'tasteful' shots thrown in! :E
Photos of the A400M Atlas in high-res : theBRIGADE |
Do all the loadmasters on A400M look like the ones on slide 12?
next time can I sit in the comfy chair shown in slide 46? |
Looks like a lot of legroom between the para seats. Three point harnesses as well . Hope the side seats are more crash resistant than the C130 and the sound/insulation material is more fire and fume resistant to that on the C130.
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Never mind the length feel the width
AA62, The extra width came about by a requirement to have two Landrovers side by side. back in 1995 the Air Portability section at JATE were working on the spec. at the same time the new landrover showed up with the spare wheel mounted on the side rather than on the bonnet.
I bet the team at Solihull did not appreciate what influence they had over the design of this aircraft 20 years on. I think the chairs with the side curtains and much improved harnesses are good for 9g. I know a lot of effort went into this aspect. I am pleased those arguing for grandfather rights did not get their way. I think this aircraft will be brilliant when it gets in service. I titled the post appropriately I hope - some folks will expect the cargo bay to be much longer than a long 130. the flat floor is only about 18" longer so without pallets on the ramp as in airdrop it can only do the same. (apart from the increased weight of course). You will be interested in the Dufelyte bicycle helmets on the BBC news today. What's that got to do with straps? Well I think consideration was given to straps from an Israeli or US company called Simula which incorporated airbags to meet the crashworthy requirement on the A400M. I think they may be in use on some choppers. |
I had a fairly close look at an A400M yesterday afternoon. It flew low level along the Ouvèze valley, did a quick fly-by of Orange Caritat, before proceeding on its way.
Not quite as low as the person who regularly does a "Bonjour Maman" in the Transall ... yet! :) |
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Dragartist
AA62, The extra width came about by a requirement to have two Landrovers side by side. back in 1995 the Air Portability section at JATE were working on the spec. at the same time the new landrover showed up with the spare wheel mounted on the side rather than on the bonnet. I bet the team at Solihull did not appreciate what influence they had over the design of this aircraft 20 years on. It was essentially a Series IIa 88", with shortened axles and some of the weight removed. They are still lumpy old things though. :) Roger. |
And there was me thinking the Argosy's lack of carrying capacity was the reason behind the Airportable Land Rover.
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Originally Posted by Georgeablelovehowindia
(Post 8265580)
I had a fairly close look at an A400M yesterday afternoon. It flew low level along the Ouvèze valley, did a quick fly-by of Orange Caritat, before proceeding on its way.
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Ah Landroger, I was not being contentious. just stating fact. These loading schemes were rolled up into what became Exhibit A. I am not sure if this became contractual document but worked to establish a baseline for trade offs. A stick to beat up Airbus with. One of the concerns was safety during emergency egress and load lozenging into those who may have been sat in the sideways facing seats. Some of VX275s mates from the day were arguing over reduced levels of cargo restraint during military ops. As we know this aircraft is being certified to the more rigorous civilian regulations.
It was nice to hear several years later that the seats and restraint would be more crashworthy than the C130 benchmark. By the way VX is quite an expert on transport aircraft history going back to the Dakota. He would know about these things for sure. When ESF was eating up all our cash on the Hercules Project Team my Dad kept giving me an earful of how the Argosy had been equipped with a superior system back in it's day. I do hope the A400M is so equipped. Al R, Thanks for posting the link to the RAF promo video. I only ever saw the computer mock ups of the Loadmasters workstation etc. I retired before the real thing came into being. I hope I get a chance to see one soon. |
Originally Posted by Landroger
It was essentially a Series IIa 88", with shortened axles and some of the weight removed. They are still lumpy old things though.
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...Dscf0017ed.jpg Beverley and Argosy: I'd always been given to understand that it was to fit inside the Andover C1. |
Nice lightweight FFR. Presumably the front tilt is rolled back to allow the driver to get in, as the door top appears to be attached to the tilt frame with "black and nasty" tape.:O
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The lightweight landy is a very British thing IMHO. Land rover took an existing design, and modified it, and the result was was known as lightweight.
Odd that, when you consider how much it weighed compared to the original :) |
I thought the "lightweight" part of the lightweight Landrover was the fact that the door tops and rear panel sides could be removed easily thus saving weight for transportation under the helicopters at the time.
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So what happened to he Mil Rugged Robin development programme :E
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...98_634x402.jpg Image Credit : SWNS.com |
good one Coff.
Probably finished up with all the Springers at Defence Disposals at Grantham. Most had the moulding flash still on the tyres! Like the Seagul OBM on the transom! This thread was about A400M. I don't believe either of these things were in Exhibit A! |
It's GREEN like the A400M Drag old chap ...
Hat, coat and headed for the door :ok: |
Originally Posted by dragartist
(Post 8458203)
good one Coff.
Probably finished up with all the Springers at Defence Disposals at Grantham. Most had the moulding flash still on the tyres! On special at £10.5K this month!! EPS, Springer ATV, #43613 - MOD Sales, Military Vehicles & Used Ex MOD Land Rovers for Sale |
Is that a Vickers a la WWI on that contraption?! And they want to impress the MOD?!
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..and what looks like an old British Seagull outboard motor on the back ( stern? ).
Excellent! |
s that a Vickers a la WWI on that contraption?! |
Back to reality
Extract from AWST 16 June.
"... although the Standard Operating Clearance (SOC) 1, ... will now be introduced on the first two UK RAF aircraft, MSN15 and 16, which are due for delivery in September. A400Ms to date have been delivered with basic logistics capabilities such as general transport of troops and loads, medevac flights and aircraft raising and kneeling to ease loading. These capabilities have allowed the French Air Force to conduct strategic airlift flights to Mali and French Guyana. [sic] SOC 1 enables aerial delivery of paratroopers, tactical communications management, combat offload of vehicles, unpaved runway operations and defensive aids and fuel inerting systems. It also delivers a specific UK requirement of wedge-based paradrops, using a device to the aircraft ramp, so that equipment can be paradropped without affecting the aircraft's ability to drop paratroopers from the doors in the rear fuselage. When it arrives in 2015, SOC1.5 will give the A400M a full defensive-aids-suite capability as well as the ability to deliver loads from the air and be refueled in flight. The last SOC iteration due in 2018 will add an all weather, low-level flight capability using sensors and terrain referencing." Exciting times ? LFH |
Nice pic, showing the spirit of international collaboration: Vickers MG at the front, mid-mounted .50 Cal and an Anzani outboard at the rear; all mounted on what looks like a VW Golf body!
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It's mainly the capability achieved for short/rough landing requirements. TP400-D series is a bit different
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Flight Global article on production problems. Airbus chief Enders promises action on A400M
“We have problems – I admit that,” Enders said while addressing an Airbus Group reception in London on 27 January. “We have additional delays and I very much regret that we are unable to meet the commitments made to our customers several years ago. “We are taking corrective action as fast as we can,” he says, adding that the issue will have “management and organisational consequences”. |
News from Airbus Defence & Space
Airbus Defence and Space announces management and organisational changes in Military Aircraft, A400M Business Segment
my bold Airbus Defence and Space has named Fernando Alonso (58) as Head of its Military Aircraft business unit as per 1st of March. Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, will act as interim Head of Military Aircraft until this date. Fernando Alonso replaces Domingo Ureña-Raso (56), who has resigned from his position. Fernando Alonso has been working with Airbus for many years and has a profound knowledge of the A400M as well as the other military aircraft programmes. Since 2007, Fernando Alonso has served as Head of Flight Test Operations at Airbus. Further to the top management changes, the A400M programme will be restructured. These organisational changes are designed to allow more efficient operations inside the Airbus Defence and Space Division and to put the A400M programme as well as its industrialisation in a position to best address currently existing shortfalls: · Responsibility for all industrial-related activities is being shifted to the Operations organisation, which is led by Pilar Albiac-Murillo. · Programme-related activities such as development and customer deliveries will remain in the scope of the Military Aircraft business unit, under the lead of Rafael Tentor, who serves as Head of the A400M programme. “I expect that the new team will rapidly address existing shortfalls in the most efficient way”, said Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “Every pilot who has flown the A400M to date praises the aircraft’s performance. It has even already been deployed in military operations and it will be a strategic asset to any of our customer nations’ Air Forces. But as for the integration of military capabilities and the industrial ramp-up in particular, we have not been performing at the level which had been expected from us. That is unacceptable and we will fix that. We are fully conscious of how dependent the customer nations are on this new airlifter and therefore take their concerns very seriously. We will do our utmost to overcome them so the customers receive the aircraft they need in the shortest time possible.” The current aircraft in service are showing good performance with the aircraft exceeding its specifications in its strategic, logistical role. The military capabilities consisting of aerial delivery, cargo handling system, Defensive Aids Subsystems (DASS) and air-to-air refuelling with pods will be integrated in the second half of 2015, following certification and qualification for each capability. Flight testing of these capabilities is continuing at a high pace. Additional military capabilities will be integrated gradually up till 2018 as contractually agreed. We are continuing our intense and constructive discussion with OCCAR and the customer nations regarding the delivery schedule and will communicate on this once those have been concluded. With regard to any potential financial impact of the revised delivery schedule a review is currently underway as indicated in November and its results are expected to be communicated at the Group’s 2014 Annual Results Disclosure on 27 February 2015. airsound |
Fernando Alonso? I thought he was a car jockey. :E
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City of Bristol
"City of Bristol"
How about we wait for the next one and celebrate a "Pair of Bristols" Seriously, are our aircraft so few in numbers that we now have high profile naming ceromonies when a new one is delivered ? https://www.gov.uk/government/news/u...ity-of-bristol If we are to follow the naval tradition of naming platforms can we not be a bit more imaginative and add some art work also ? eg Mamphis Belle,Ratlin Rita, Heavenly Body, Maid of Moray and of course Enola Gay ( scrub the last one - we can use that on the Armed Forces float at next years London parade) Particular favourite is "Pussy in boots" Lets see how long this post lasts - start the clock!:ok: |
It's a longstanding RAF tradition - VC10, Comet and Brittania (to name 3) all had names
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Do we have another 21 Cities worthy of being applied to these aircraft?
My favorite named British aircraft was called 'Fochinell' which its Scotish pilot insisted was his family's moto. |
Seems that Spain has "delayed" their order for full buy, and will only take 14 A400's for now- which is @half their intended order. Allows for future buy, but who knows if that will ever happen. Can't be good for the program.
Spain and Airbus Agree Temporary Reduction In A400M Acquisition (excerpt) |
Didn't the same happen with the Eurofighter/Typhoon, that once workload has been distributed based on initial orders, cancellations erase some of those orders?
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It seems that Germany, the UK and now Spain have reduced their orders from original announcments, with both Germany and Spain indicating they hoped to sell off some of their orders to other buyers. Buyers market perhaps....but is anyone knocking?
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Video: A400M carries out sand strip landing tests
Interesting video of the latest tests. (Flight Global)
Airbus Defence & Space has carried out flight testing of its A400M transport on a specially prepared sand runway during certification demonstrations in Woodridge, UK. The surface is the last of three unprepared landing strips that the company is certifying the aircraft to operate from, and involved aircraft MSN2 performing three weeks of testing in August. This will now be followed by a final week of tests during which the Atlas will carry a higher payload, the company says. “The A400M demonstrated excellent performance in taxiing manoeuvres, such as U-turns, and during take-off and landing on the 1,600m [5,250ft] strip,” Airbus says. Previous testing saw the transport certificated to take off and land on a gravel surface during trials in Ablitas, Spain, while certification from a grass runway took place at Écury-sur-Coole, in France, in October 2015. To date, 31 aircraft have been delivered, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows, including nine each to the Royal Air Force and French air force. |
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Stunning to see a big aircraft flown tactically
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Exclusive: Europe's A400M army plane may see some features axed
SINGAPORE/BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe’s new troop transporter may never go into battle with all the promised military capabilities after buyers of the A400M agreed to let Airbus negotiate an opt-out for features deemed too difficult to build. A document signed last week between Airbus and seven NATO nations, and seen by Reuters, allows the planemaker to negotiate deals with the individual buyers so that some of the complex add-on features can be removed from the official specifications. The new “declaration of intent” appears to mark the first time the buyers have recognized that not all the features designed to outdo competing U.S. aircraft will be available. The agreement also recognizes that Airbus needs more time to deliver the plane than originally planned and paves the way for negotiations over a new delivery schedule. In return for these concessions, the planemaker has pledged to provide “all necessary support and resources to the A400M program” after chronic delays and glitches with Europe’s largest defense project, which have pushed it well beyond the original budget of 20 billion euros ($24.5 billion). The agency representing buyers Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey did not respond to a request for comment. Airbus said it could not comment on confidential negotiations. It was unclear what complex add-on features - known as “permanent non-compliance” items - could be removed from the plane’s specifications as they were not listed in the document. A source briefed on the agreement, who asked not to be identified because of the confidential nature of the matter, said countries had reasoned that it was better in some cases to accept partial progress towards a specific capability than to press for 100-percent achievement. “This means there will be compromises. Certain capabilities will not be delivered,” the person said...... Under last week’s deal, Airbus has re-committed to bringing new deliveries up to the final operational standard, known as “SOC3,” which includes flights at low level. It must also retrofit earlier planes in two stages by April 2027. Airbus must meanwhile pay or give credit notes for all damages for delays due as of last week, when the agreement was signed: a move that underscores likely fourth-quarter charges...... The agreement calls, however, for an easing of key cash-retention clauses which had allowed buyers to freeze payments to Airbus because of equipment problems. Instead, these will be modified to introduce “suitable incentivization mechanisms”. |
What's going on at Airbus that they can't deliver a transport airplane? These military capabilities are nothing new or unique. Indeed other aircraft have been providing these capabilities for nigh on a half century now. What is going on?
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