Airbus A400M Atlas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A400M_Atlas

The Airbus A400M Atlas is a European, four-engine turboprop military transport
aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (now Airbus Defence and Space) as a
tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport
aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The A400M
is positioned, in terms of size, between the C-130 and the C-17; it can carry
heavier loads than the C-130 and is able to use rough landing strips. Along with
the transport role, the A400M can perform aerial refuelling and medical
evacuation when fitted with appropriate equipment.

The A400M's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11
December 2009 from Seville, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced
cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns;
however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support of the project. A
total of 174 A400M aircraft had been ordered by eight nations by July 2011. In
March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
certification. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in
August 2013.

The project began as the Future International Military Airlifter (FIMA) group,
set up in 1982 by Aérospatiale, British Aerospace (BAe), Lockheed, and
Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) to develop a replacement for the C-130 Hercules
and Transall C-160. Varying requirements and the complications of international
politics caused slow progress. In 1989, Lockheed left the grouping and went on
to develop an upgraded Hercules, the C-130J Super Hercules. With the addition of
Alenia of Italy and CASA of Spain the FIMA group became Euroflag.

Since no existing turboprop engine in the western world was powerful enough to
reach the projected cruise speed of Mach 0.72, a new engine design was required.
Originally the SNECMA M138 turboprop (based on the M88 core) was selected, but
didn't meet the requirements. Airbus Military issued a new request for proposal
(RFP) in April 2002, after which Pratt & Whitney Canada with the PW180 and
Europrop International answered. In May 2003, Airbus Military selected the
Europrop TP400-D6, reportedly due to political interference over the PW180
engine.

The A400M is positioned as an intermediate size and range between the Lockheed
C-130 and the Boeing C-17, carrying cargo too large or too heavy for the C-130
while able to use rough landing strips. It has been advertised with the tagline
"transport what the C130 cannot to places that the C17 can’t".


Role
Strategic/tactical airlift

Manufacturer
Airbus Defence and Space

First flight
11 December 2009

Introduction
2013

Status
In service

Primary users
Royal Air Force
German Air Force
French Air Force
Turkish Air Force

See Operators below for others

Produced
2007–present

Number built
72

Unit cost

€152.4m(FY 2013) (France)

The pair of propellers on each wing of the A400M turn in opposite directions,
with the tips of the propellers advancing from above towards the midpoint
between the two engines. This is in contrast to the overwhelming majority of
multi-engine propeller driven aircraft where all propellers turn in the same
direction. The counter-rotation is achieved by the use of a gearbox fitted to
two of the engines, and only the propeller turns in the opposite direction; all
four engines are identical and turn in the same direction. This eliminates the
need to have two different "handed" engines on stock for the same aircraft,
simplifying maintenance and supply costs. This configuration, dubbed down
between engines (DBE), allows the aircraft to produce more lift and lessens the
torque and prop wash on each wing. It also reduces yaw in the event of an
outboard engine failure.

The A400M features deployable baffles in front of the rear side doors, intended
to give paratroops time to get clear of the aircraft before they are hit by the
slipstream.

On 29 December 2013, the French Air Force performed the A400M's first
operational mission, the aircraft having flown to Mali in support of Operation
Serval.

On 10 September 2015, the RAF was declared the A400M fleet leader in terms of
flying hours, with 900 hours flown over 300 sorties, achieved by a fleet of four
aircraft. Sqn. Ldr. Glen Willcox of the RAF's Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron
confirmed that reliability levels were high for an aircraft so early in its
career, and that night vision goggle trials, hot and cold soaking, noise
characterization tests and the first tie-down schemes for cargo had already been
completed. In March 2015, the RAF's first operational mission occurred flying
cargo to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.

Specifications

General characteristics
Crew: 3 or 4 (2 pilots, 3rd optional, 1 loadmaster)
Capacity: 37,000 kg (81,600 lb) 116 fully equipped troops / paratroops,
up to 66 stretchers accompanied by 25 medical personnel
cargo compartment: width 4.00-metre (13.12 ft) x height 3.85-metre (12.6 ft) x
length 17.71-metre (58.1 ft) (without ramp 5.40-metre (17.7 ft))

Length: 45.1 m (148 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 42.4 m (139 ft 1 in)
Height: 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 225.1 m2 (2,423 sq ft)
Empty weight: 76,500 kg (168,654 lb) ; operating weight
Gross weight: 120,000 kg (264,555 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 141,000 kg (310,852 lb)
Fuel capacity: 50,500 kg (111,300 lb) internal fuel
Max landing weight: 123,000 kg (271,200 lb)
Powerplant: 4 × Europrop TP400-D6 turboprop, 8,200 kW (11,000 hp) each
Propellers: 8-bladed Ratier-Figeac FH385 and FH386 variable pitch tractor
propellers with feathering and reversing capability (FH385 anticlockwise on
engines 2 and 4, FH386 clockwise on engines 1 and 3), 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
diameter

Performance
Cruise speed: 781 km/h (485 mph; 422 kn) at 9,450 m (31,000 ft)
Initial cruise altitude: 9,000 m (29,000 ft) at MTOW
Range: 3,300 km (2,051 mi; 1,782 nmi) at max payload (long range cruise speed;
reserves as per MIL-C-5011A) Range at 30-tonne payload: 4,500 km (2,450 nmi)
Range at 20-tonne payload: 6,400 km (3,450 nmi)

Ferry range: 8,700 km (5,406 mi; 4,698 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,200 m (40,000 ft)
Tactical takeoff distance: 980 m (3,215 ft), aircraft weight 100 tonnes (98 long
tons; 110 short tons), soft field, ISA, sea level
Tactical landing distance: 770 m (2,530 ft) (as above)
Turning radius (ground): 28.6 m




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