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It flies! Airbus' hulking A400M has maiden flight
The Associated Press / AP hosted by Google ^
| Friday, Dec. 11, 2009
| Emma Vandore
Posted on 12/11/2009 5:12:45 AM PST by wolf78
SEVILLE, Spain The A400M military transport plane that has been causing Airbus and European defense ministers budgetary and logistical headaches finally took to the skies for its maiden flight on Friday.
But even as the hulking gray airlifter took off from the Spanish city of Seville, defense officials are meeting on the sidelines of the event to decide how to continue with the much delayed and over budget project.
Louis Gallois, head of Airbus parent EADS, said he found the takeoff "more moving than I expected. It's enormous. We've been waiting a long time."
[...]
The 127 ton (140 short tons) plane took off 15 minutes late after a few glitches with the flight instruments, said Fernando Alonso, head of Flight Operations at Airbus. It headed southwest, over the Spanish region of Extremadura.
At a briefing an hour after lift-off, Alonso said that "everything is going fine" and the crew "feel very comfortable with the airplane."
The crew, dressed in orange jump suits, are equipped with parachutes and helmets just in case.
"It's only after they land that we will be able to party," Alonso said.
EADS has asked governments to renegotiate the initial contract, which was agreed along the lines of Airbus' standard fixed price commercial contracts, rather than a risk-sharing military deal.
Enders has slammed the contract agreed by his predecessor, which saddles the European planemaker with most of the costs of delays.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: a400m; aerospace; airbus; aviation; eads
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1
posted on
12/11/2009 5:12:46 AM PST
by
wolf78
To: sukhoi-30mki
2
posted on
12/11/2009 5:13:19 AM PST
by
wolf78
(Inflation is a form of taxation, too. Cranky Libertarian - equal opportunity offender.)
To: wolf78
The Euros turned the C17 into a Prop Plane ; - )
3
posted on
12/11/2009 5:18:11 AM PST
by
NCCarrs
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/30/quake.usa.editorial.reut/index.html)
To: wolf78
More pictures:
Thye have 184 orders so far, including 60 for Germany, 50 for France, 25 for England, etc.
There will be cargo transport, troop transport, Medical evacuation, aerial refuelling, and electronic surveillance versions.
Nice aircraft.
4
posted on
12/11/2009 5:22:39 AM PST
by
Jeff Head
(Freedom is not free...never has been, never will be. (www.dragonsfuryseries.com))
To: wolf78
The crew, dressed in orange jump suits, are equipped with parachutes and helmets just in case. Hehe,heh,heh............................confidence in their own design is underwhelming.................
5
posted on
12/11/2009 5:23:37 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Al Gore is the Bernie Madoff of environmentalism. He belongs in jail. - Unknown Blogger)
To: wolf78
They’ll need it to airlift Europeans out of Europe when Islam finally takes over.
6
posted on
12/11/2009 5:23:59 AM PST
by
Dallas59
(No To O -Time is going by really really really really slow.)
To: wolf78
7
posted on
12/11/2009 5:24:51 AM PST
by
missnry
(The truth will set you free ... and drive liberals Crazy!)
To: NCCarrs
Call them and tell them we can haul it for them in a C-5 Galaxy..............
8
posted on
12/11/2009 5:25:01 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Al Gore is the Bernie Madoff of environmentalism. He belongs in jail. - Unknown Blogger)
To: Red Badger
Uhm, everybody does that on the first test flight. Expect more orange jumpsuits when the 787 finally takes to the sky soon.
9
posted on
12/11/2009 5:27:24 AM PST
by
wolf78
(Inflation is a form of taxation, too. Cranky Libertarian - equal opportunity offender.)
To: wolf78
Fully loaded, I would think it would take a runway the length of Kansas to get off the ground.
To: wolf78
Didn’t they first roll this plane out last year? What has kept it on the ground?
11
posted on
12/11/2009 5:28:44 AM PST
by
P8riot
(I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.)
To: wolf78
12
posted on
12/11/2009 5:32:46 AM PST
by
6SJ7
(atlasShruggedInd: ON)
To: Jeff Head
Looks like engines 1 and 3 turn clockwise, and engines 2 and 4 turn counterclockwise? I have never seen that setup on a 4 engine aircraft. Several twins have had counter-rotating propellers to simplify engine-out handling problems though.
To: Jeff Head
But... but.. How many palm trees were harmed in the making of this plane?
To: P8riot
What has kept it on the ground?
AFAIK mostly engine troubles. The
EuroProp TP400 is a very ambitious design, the second-largest turboprop there is, highly efficient and not slow at all. But it had its share of teething problems.
Didnt they first roll this plane out last year?
You have to remember that the Boeing 787 rollout took place in summer 2007 and that aircraft still hasn't flown yet. I'm not dissing Boeing at all, it rather seems to be a sign of an industry-wide trend that new aircraft programs have gotten so complex these days, with such elaborate supply-chains that delays are almost inevitable.
15
posted on
12/11/2009 5:37:11 AM PST
by
wolf78
(Inflation is a form of taxation, too. Cranky Libertarian - equal opportunity offender.)
To: wolf78
Prop? Isn’t that a step back?
16
posted on
12/11/2009 5:37:21 AM PST
by
deadrock
(Liberty is a bitch that needs to be bedded on a mattress of cadavers.)
To: wolf78
Seeing that it took off from Spain, I’m surprised they weren’t pink................
17
posted on
12/11/2009 5:38:01 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Al Gore is the Bernie Madoff of environmentalism. He belongs in jail. - Unknown Blogger)
To: P8riot
Didnt they first roll this plane out last year? What has kept it on the ground? Gravity.............
18
posted on
12/11/2009 5:38:50 AM PST
by
Red Badger
(Al Gore is the Bernie Madoff of environmentalism. He belongs in jail. - Unknown Blogger)
To: 19th LA Inf
19
posted on
12/11/2009 5:40:03 AM PST
by
wolf78
(Inflation is a form of taxation, too. Cranky Libertarian - equal opportunity offender.)
To: Dallas59
Theyll need it to airlift Europeans out of Europe when Islam finally takes over
Islam is taking over here in the states where are we going to fly to??
20
posted on
12/11/2009 5:40:21 AM PST
by
bikerman
(Buck Farack)
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