(as the previous thread had been drifting off-topic and was at 200 replies anyway, I think it's worth starting a new, dedicated thread to comment all the happenings immediately before, during and after the first flight).
Good luck to the Airbus Military flight test team!
EBJ1248650 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1932 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 11597 times:
Arm chair strategists and engineers are always available to beat up a new airplane. This is especially true during the design and development stage. As has been said before, once the bird gets into service, all that stuff is forgotten and what the plane is doing in operation becomes the topic of discussion. My sincere hope is that the A400M does very well and meets and even excedes expectations.
Greggarious From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 361 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 10544 times:
What a pleasant break from studying for exams! Looks like a miniature-scale C-17 with turboprops. Congratulations, EADS!
EPA001 From Netherlands, joined Sep 2006, 3582 posts, RR: 36 Reply 20, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 10323 times:
Quoting NicoEDDF (Reply 18): My stream isn't working either, nevertheless, great to know its flying.
Yes it is. Great news for this interesting, but troubled program. I hope (and expect) that if she enters service, she will deliver all that is promised and will make it a fantastic plane for the air forces who have ordered them.
NicoEDDF From Germany, joined Jan 2008, 1051 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (3 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 10295 times:
Quoting EPA001 (Reply 20): Yes it is. Great news for this interesting, but troubled program. I hope (and expect) that if she enters service, she will deliver all that is promised and will make it a fantastic plane for the air forces who have ordered them.
It will be a fantastic plane.
I had the honour to work with a supplier for the program 2007 & 2008 - its just a fatanstic aircraft and will be an incredible step forward for the forces!
I had the honour to work with a supplier for the program 2007 & 2008 - its just a fatanstic aircraft and will be an incredible step forward for the forces!
She looks and sounds great! Thousend times more of a beauty then the Herc or the C-17 IMO.
Apart from that i am pretty sure Airbus will hit the specs or even overdeliver on this incredible achievement.
You will agree as someone "involved" that anyone claiming the A400 is just a bigger C-130 and not a technology leap has not the slightes idea from what he's talking from.
This plane is worth for to wait and will be from great value for the air forces.
Guess all naysayer and bashers of this program will have a bad time this day.
Congratulations EADS!
O tempora o mores
25 EPA001: Or these nay-sayers are just feeling that there favorites are being well surpassed by newer technology planes coming out of different countries then
26 Flagon: apparently MSN 1 is going to Toulouse next week? It could be an opportunity for anyone who leaves in this area to do some pictures...
27 R2rho: She flies! Congrats to everyone! It's been a rough development phase, but this is nevertheless a great achievement! This event culminates a phase and
28 Zeke: Is that fuel you can see venting from near the port outboard engine ?
29 BeakerLTN: and wow! - Doesn't she look like a C-17 from the rear (about 50secs into the youtube vid) ..and I gotta admit, there's something venting there by No1.
30 Francoflier: Condensation from the wing tip vortices? On the picture you posted you can see it originating from the right wingtip as well. Or maybe they topped it
31 JumpJet: There's now a story on BBC News website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8407641.stm
32 Flagon: Guys, apparently the landing is now scheduled at around 12.00 GMT, I am not sure how reliable this information is however (internal Airbus com's) Che
33 TGIF: After some work, I finaly got the stream working and it seems we're back live now. Now we'll just have to wait.
34 KPDX: Can this thing take hard landings, like the C-130? I haven't heard much about the A400M. It is a beautiful plane though! It looks to me like a C-17 wi
35 Seefivein: a video http://www.airbus.com/en/A400M/
36 Vfw614: Just had a look at the EADS website. Is the stuff I am seeing right now at http://www.airbus.com/en/A400M/ live or a replay?
37 Flagon: I guess like many other US built planes...
38 Vfw614: Funny to listen to all those pre-recorded statements of employees - the Spaniards speak Spanish, the French French and the British English - only the
40 Aesma: As usual, the plane flew a long time gears down, but now it's up. When you see people waiting, it's live. When you see the A400M, it's aerial footage
41 TGIF: The same thing is running again as I write. I'd say it's a replay. The smoke Zeke pointed out, seen during the take off, is gone in the in flight pic
42 Aesma: Recorded after the T/O I hope (they talk about how seeing it flying is emotional). Before the T/O, there was some interviews too, with all people spe
43 Francoflier: Nah, there was a french guy speaking english as well, with an even more atrocious accent. The in flight footage they are showing now is amazing. I se
44 R2rho: Yes, I think on the 18th. IIRC, 3 test a/c will be assigned to TLS, and 2 to SVQ. I think MSN2 will be based in SVQ. Looks like they won't be making
45 TGIF: From what I could see, they flew with a couple of different flap settings. It looked like they were extended a lot on one occasion and fully retracte
46 Aesma: Yes we saw the Corvette. In fact some time ago we even saw it come back and leave again (or maybe it was a second one ? I didn't see a refuel). I wou
47 Revelation: Is it really a time for taunting? I know it's hard to resist the urge, but still, let's try to enjoy this moment, no? The video I'm now seeing shows
48 Vfw614: They should have an insert like "live transmission" whenever it is live. It is quite confusing. Just sa a head-on shot. What a fat lady she is [Edited
49 Revelation: Yes, that got me confused as well. She's still in the air. They just announced a fly-past before landing in a few minutes.
50 Aesma: She's still in the air, but now approaching (30Km). She will do a pass for the public, nice ! edit : so the F/A-18 was there for its capabilities, bec
51 Vfw614: Just announced: Ten minutes to touchdown. By the way, the Spaniards have taken the opportunity to put on a nice display of CASA stuff - neatly arrange
52 Flagon: She's just down a low pass over the airport, landing in 10 minutes
53 Gipsy: It's a part of AIRBUS MILITARYs' product portfolio.....the A330 is a MRTT for the Australian Airforce.
54 Aesma: Yeah CASA is EADS and the fact that the A400M is assembled there is no coincidence. Oh no, I just saw the French defense minister. So she's back, nice
55 LifelinerOne: Too bad they didn't remove the flag of South Africa from the plane... Great looking prop and congratulations for all involved in making this plane hap
56 Vfw614: Was Seville airport temporirly closed down for incoming/outgoing traffic? Quite a flurry of take-offs since the touchdown of the A400M. I know. From t
57 Revelation: I enjoyed the videos they showed of the A400M being constructed. They've build some amazing facilities all over Europe to build this plane! Wings in
58 Gipsy: Congrats! Beautiful f1rst flight! Guess so, I didn't want to sound like a smart*** ....just pointed out the idea behind this presentation You can fain
59 TheSonntag: Great to see the first flight went well. Just remember, after the first flight of the Eurofighter in 1994, it took more than 10 years to get the birds
60 NA: A baby C-17 with props. Nice looking plane. Amen.
61 EPA001: I think the EIS is planned for somewhere in 2013. The flight test program is immense, as many different capabilities of this fantastic military versa
62 TheSonntag: Which sounds like the NH-90 desaster...
63 Keesje: I think Grizzly is a good nick name. fat, Big feet, high shoulders, grey, bitslow, black nose. Apparently the flight crew calls it Grizzly.. What do y
64 Francoflier: I think most of the facilities and subcontractors used to build the A400M's subassemblies are also used to build other Airbus subassemblies and parts
65 Spacepope: I was thinking along the lines of a euopean critter. I know we had Arctodus here during the ice age, the short faced bear. 5m tall when standing up.
66 NA: Yes, but... ..the Grizzly is a North American creature, the A400M a European. Nothing extinct please.
67 MadameConcorde: Congratulations Airbus. Long live the A400M.
68 Revelation: It would appear the Brown Bear, Ursus arctos, hails from Eurasia then migrated to North America, which might be a good sign for those who are hopeful
69 Tugger: I might offer "Tarpan". It is big, has a big tail, can carry quite a load, is European, it's not extinct, and the color even echos the A400M's (well
70 Flagon: Not quite true, the wing for example required a new assembly line in Filton inherent to the use of composite material instead of metallic on previous
71 Oroka: I still say it will never fly (seriously, j/k) Grizzly is too Western (or too English). It needs a French name or something. A400M Le Froggy, A400M Gl
72 Revelation: How about A400M "Le Enfant Terrible"?
73 Keesje: I learned the Grizzly moved into North America only 30.000 yrs ago. Which is very short ago on an evolutionairy scale. Most live in Canada but they a
74 Revelation: Feel free to call it the Grizzly if you like. I think I'll go with the Panda because a Panda is a cuddly creature. It would be appropriate to call it
75 Oroka: Grizzly just doesnt sound right for a cargo hauler. More of a bomber. How about A400M Cratus for the Greek God of Strength and Power? Also, if you pro
76 Spacepope: Calling it Grizzly would be rubbing salt in the canadians wounds. First they get snubbed on the powerplant, next they name the A400M after a bear that
77 SASD209: It's always nice to see a new type A/C taking flight for the first time. Congrats EADS!!!
78 Baroque: Since there will be more than one, Les Enfants Terribles might be better. But the 1929 novel by Jean Cocteau: It concerns two siblings, Elisabeth and
80 JarheadK5: Not fuel... prop vortices. Look at the "A400M Grizzly" picture Keesje posted in Reply 63 to see them much more clearly.
81 PPVRA: Found one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swT2t4ZLI8g Seems to come in rather "stiff" for the landing. Windy day? I see some flags towards the end of
82 DEVILFISH: Entonces..... .....since it is made in Spain, how about "El Toro"? - the Flying Bull - tough, mean and strong! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MCAS
83 Francoflier: Or simply the fact that no one has ever landed this aircraft and that no matter how good a test pilot is, landing a new aircraft for the first time i
84 Fridgmus: What a beautiful Aircraft! So what if it looks like a C-17 with turboprops. Both are beautiful aircraft! Would love to see one in USAF livery! (hint!)
85 JoeCanuck: Grizzly doesn't seem like all that great of a nickname to me...especially considering their flying characteristics.
86 Revelation: Well, considering how much bull sh*t is flying around this program, perhaps it's appropriate!
87 DEVILFISH: I was just waiting to see how long it would take before someone picks it up and runs away with it. Seriously, it might be worth a look once all the "
89 Keesje: RTO video (if you like big props) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHTqSeF8TLg Inflight & post landing video http://www.airbusmilitary.com/Multimedia/Vi
90 Corey07850: Notice the plane has a French registration, any reason why it doesn't have a Spanish reg? I guess it has something to do with JAA/EASA?
91 Cargotanker: What about the Bulldog? Very British, but a great name for a fat, tough aircraft.
92 Osiris30: Just wanted to pop in and congratulate the Airbus folks (and by that I mean employees) on the FF. It's no secret I dislike the manner in which EADS is
93 DEVILFISH: I think the French and Germans would have great reservation and a lot to say about that.
94 TristarAtLCA: Does 'Mammoth' translate well? filler
95 CMB56: First off I am very glad to see the A400 fly and really like the look. Civilian aircraft don't get names so why should military birds? A few years ago
96 Keesje: IMO it would miss out on key requirements of a bigger Transall/C130 replacement. - Real soft airfield performance for in theatre / relief operations
97 CMB56: Thank you. I appreciate the comparison. It is in fact not just about the EU spending their tax money close to home. There has not been much play given
98 Ctr: Nickname for A400 M? After looking at photos of those huge props with curved blades and reading about it's French registration, the nickname "Flying C
99 R2rho: If you ask me, the reasonable thing to do with the long and complex A400M flight test program would be to certify an a/c with basic capabilities first
100 CMB56: The basic capability could still be installed on the aircraft. For example the air refueling, the plumbing and pumps, all the control systems etc coul
101 Keesje: I wonder what child bribed daddy into having this creature joining first flight. It aint a Grizzly, that's for sure..
102 R2rho: How about some dog name? Seen at from the front, it looks a bit like a dog....
103 Revelation: And from the back, given the large fairings, it also looks like a (male) dog too!
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