It's Up Up and Awayyyyy!!

[Nigel H-J]

4 years behind schedule though, does that remind you of something else?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8407825.stm

Nigel.

[Garry Russell]

Thaks Nigel

It was expected this week and I was looking out for it but began to wonder if there was another delay

Next up is the 7L87 on the 22nd

[Chris558]

http://www.airbusmilitary.com/Multimedi ... llery.aspx

Nice to see the RAF's latest line of 4-prop transports taking to the air.

Hastings, Beverley, Argosy, Belfast, Hercules...A400M, I wonder what it will be named?

[TSR2]

Great result, nice to see something fresh. Well done to the team

[Garry Russell]

Counter rotating props

According to someone who works at Airbus..roughly speaking, it has a field requirement slightly greater than the Hercules but carries the load of a Belfast at about the speeds of an early 737/DC9.

[Chris558]

One wonders why the US didn't opt for something like it, instead of updating Albert.

[TSR2]

time / Cost?

[Garry Russell]

The Albert update was sometime ago

Could be in the future there will be an all new American design a few years after a major update of the 400M and the same question would be asked.

To update the existing 130 was sound at the time..........the airframe has more than proved itself. The Europeans had to go with something all new and their necks have been well and trully stuck out with this, especially given that they don't have the security of the huge home market the US has.

There is room for both types.

[Chris Trott]

The problem with the A400M is that it's almost as expensive as a C-17 with much less capability. In addition, it's not really a C-130 replacement as it's much larger. Albert fits its own niche. The A400M was trying to fit between the C-130 and C-17 as not all needed a C-17, but wanted something bigger than the C-130. Unfortunately, unless Airbus can go through testing without a fault, I fear that the program will be cancelled as it's 4 billion Euros behind (2 billion put aside for losses, 2 billion needed to put the plane in production) and the cost has nearly tripled.

As it is, South Africa's backed out (after their 1.6 Billion Euro purchase turned into over 6 Billion), Britain is very close to cancelling its orders (again due to cost), and the Canadians have dropped consideration as well.

I would like to see the plane work, but sadly, EADS is becoming another 1970's Lockheed - always late and way over budget. With the economy the way it is right now however, it may spell the end to the program unlike Lockheed who had a good enough economy to be able to struggle through it.