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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 9:25:20 GMT 12
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Post by conman on Feb 28, 2017 9:53:06 GMT 12
Sat next to the RAF / Airbus group at a restaurant on Saturday night , quite a big team sent out so pretty serious about getting some sales. They were discussing the best way to display the aircraft that showed off its advantages, taking some pointers from the displays on the day, the RAF guys were really quite excited about the capabilities of the aircraft (not just because the Airbus execs were picking up the dinner tab !). Sounds like they are still getting to grips with how it fits in operationally with the rest of the airlift fleet.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 28, 2017 11:42:27 GMT 12
I have heard the RAF are keen to dump their A400's as they are not well liked, which could explain why they are so keen to show them to the RNZAF - maybe another Andover/Seasprite/RAN Skyhawk style cheap deal coming up?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 12:27:15 GMT 12
That's interesting to hear, Dave - quite a contrast to what conman overheard. Of course I was too starstruck to ask the crew about what they thought of it! Wikipedia is surprisingly light on operational info, this is about it for the RAF:
"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."
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Post by conman on Feb 28, 2017 12:39:38 GMT 12
They are probably still ironing out the operational aspects as you would expect with a new aircraft, not sure that they have figured out how it fits between the C130 and the C17 yet, I understand that the systems on the aircraft are still "evolving" with regard frequent software enhancements etc, bound to cause a degree of frustration, eventually they stuff will be sorted and it will become a mature platform.
Would have been nice to have seen a Kawasaki C2 at the Air Tattoo and see how it compared dimensionally with the A400M and the C17 ( that thing is huge inside)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 28, 2017 12:46:01 GMT 12
It's the usual scuttlebutt that goes round in air force circles. Apparently the crews love them but the hierarchy don't.
As for ironing out issues, yes indeed it's still early days and all aircraft get this sort of negativity surrounding them from some quarters till all the bugs are removed. I recall the huge storm of negativity towards the Eurofighter Typhoon which proved to be nothing since they are now a great platform. Same will happen for the F-35 too... in a few years from now people will all say what an awesome fighter it is.
It's only the aircraft that get cancelled that were the "true greats" in these people's narrow minds, like the TSR2 that people still crap on and on about. Had they not been cancelled and made it into service they'd have had big teething issues too, then settled in, and then been replaced eventually and just be another old has been.
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Post by conman on Feb 28, 2017 12:51:45 GMT 12
Too be fair the TSR2 was a truely fantastic aircraft given it was designed in the days before sophisticated computer modelling, but not without its idiosyncracies, I think having the C17 and the A400M is maybe too much capability overlap
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 28, 2017 14:00:29 GMT 12
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Post by nuuumannn on Feb 28, 2017 14:13:43 GMT 12
Regarding how the A400M fits into the RAF's strategy, I asked that very question and got a pretty succinct answer from one of the RAF guys on the aircraft. He said it fits in as a long range tactical airlifter, which can deliver heavy payloads to a battlefield across great distances, and although the C-17 is designed to do the same, within the RAF the latter won't be used as a tactical lifter, but for strategic heavy lift only. A couple taken on Friday afternoon before the show of ZM401 arriving at OH.   I suspect Dave's pretty aware of that, KTJ; just a blip of the mind, is all. And here's me swinging it back off topic - sorry - momentarily, in support of an article I had published in October 2015 issue of NZAvNews about 60 years since the TSR.2's cancellation, I'm giving a talk about the aircraft to the Blenheim Branch of the RAeS in March. I have some pretty pictures I acquired from the RAF Museum. Errol, you must have been standing right next to me; I was precariously balancing on the trig railing. |
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 28, 2017 14:34:06 GMT 12
I was on the fence-post! A view of some Frecklingham avgeeks, link only so as to not visually clutter the thread. flic.kr/p/Sagn9G |
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Post by nuuumannn on Feb 28, 2017 14:43:37 GMT 12
Yes, recognise you from your pic, Errol. Nice to put a face to the name - I do like your photos.
I'm not in that photo. I got talking to the American dude with the brown shirt during the show, nice fella - he said he'd come over especially to see the show and had seen everything on display before except (in his words) "what the hell is that thing?" pointing at the Devon!
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 28, 2017 16:23:41 GMT 12
@70sqna400m: A night-stop at RNZAF Whenuapai near Auckland and then on to Australia. Thanks to all @nzairforce for your welcome and Happy 80th. pic.twitter.com/iVFvnM7Jt3 ://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sigErVUAYLyLO.jpg ://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sigEvUYAAkoSA.jpg ://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sigEsVUAUQhQ9.jpg
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 2, 2017 23:35:06 GMT 12
@royalairforce: Ever wondered which way round the Airbus A400M 'Atlas' goes to get to Australia? pic.twitter.com/P6diEdkPDD
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Post by mumbles on Mar 10, 2017 8:41:54 GMT 12
Errol, you must have been standing right next to me; I was precariously balancing on the trig railing. In that case I think you were standing right next to me - I was balancing on the other corner of the trig! I was on the fence-post! A view of some Frecklingham avgeeks, link only so as to not visually clutter the thread. flic.kr/p/Sagn9GI can see my car in that pic but not me  |
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Post by rayo on Mar 10, 2017 10:30:19 GMT 12
That now makes 5 at Frecklington road for the A400 arrival. I was the one without the 2 foot long camera only a wee Vidcam trying to see through the netting. Dazz was up on the stepladder in the L/H corner. Nice to meet you Dazz. I should have worn my WONZ tee shirt that day but it was just by pure chance I was there at the right time.
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