https://airbusdefenceandspace.com/our-portfolio/military-aircraft/a400m/
The link that T86 put up a few pages ago is worth a re-read with respect to the A400M. Not necessitating the 'hub and spoke' like in the traditional Tac/Strat approach is its very design advantage. As the Airbus marketing people say it is the USP or unique selling point. This is the kind of proposition that becomes attractive to the RNZAF.
Short Unpaved Airstrip Performance
The A400M is the only large airlifter that can fly heavy and outsize equipment directly to the point of need. The A400M is designed to operate efficiently from austere airfields, with unpaved airstrips, short runways, limited space for parking or manoeuvring and no ground facilities, conditions that present severe constraints for any tactical airlifter. The ability to use unpaved airstrips close to the final destination saves precious time in the delivery of heavy equipment, personnel or supplies and allows bypassing of intermediate airports that may be congested during times of crisis. As on turboprops like the EuroProp EPI TP400 Turboprops, the inlets are smaller than on turbofan engines and the propeller serves as a first line of defence, turboprop engines are less subject to foreign object debris (FOD) including sand dust particles.
Thanks to the design of its 12-wheel High Flotation Main Landing Gear and the robustness of its structure and systems the A400M offers unprecedented tactical capabilities in the heavy segment.
The A400M is therefore able to land on, and take-off from, any short, soft and rough unprepared CBR 6 airstrip, no longer than 750 m / 2,500 ft, while delivering up to 25 tonnes / 55,000 lb of payload, and with enough fuel on board for a 930 km / 500 nm return trip.
Autonomous Ground Operations
The autonomous capability of the A400M enables operations from remote austere airstrips. By minimising time on the ground, the A400M’ systems reduce the aircraft’s vulnerability to hostile action. The state-of-the-art digital Load Master Work Station (LMWS) enables full management of the Cargo Handling System and monitoring of aerial delivery operations. The cargo floor can be re-configured very quickly as rollers can be manually and easily turned upside down by a single operator in order to have either rollers down for flat floor configuration or rollers up for pallet configuration. The main landing gear can be kneeled to lower the rear of the aircraft in order to adjust the height from cargo floor to ground and reduce the crest angle formed between the Ramp and the Cargo Floor when the Ramp is deployed to the ground.
It tactical field capabilities are really not that much more than the smaller C-295.
https://airbusdefenceandspace.com/our-portfolio/military-aircraft/c295/
SHORT TAKE-OFF & LANDING (STOL) CAPABILITY
The C295’s STOL capability combined with a strong landing gear enable it to operate in the most austere locations with the worst conditions for take-off and landings. The aircraft is a tactical military transport with a light footprint to enable operations from short (no longer than 670 m / 2,200 ft), soft and rough (CBR 2) unprepared airstrips. The C295 is also designed to provide outstanding low-level flight characteristics for tactical missions, flying at speeds down to 110 kt.
Finally, to clear up the 'size' misconception about the training pathway from B-350 to A400M and that a graduated middle sized aircraft is somehow required. Not in the RAF who one could says is a model of best practice and rationalisation.
Future Pilots Meet Future Aircraft
The link that T86 put up a few pages ago is worth a re-read with respect to the A400M. Not necessitating the 'hub and spoke' like in the traditional Tac/Strat approach is its very design advantage. As the Airbus marketing people say it is the USP or unique selling point. This is the kind of proposition that becomes attractive to the RNZAF.
Short Unpaved Airstrip Performance
The A400M is the only large airlifter that can fly heavy and outsize equipment directly to the point of need. The A400M is designed to operate efficiently from austere airfields, with unpaved airstrips, short runways, limited space for parking or manoeuvring and no ground facilities, conditions that present severe constraints for any tactical airlifter. The ability to use unpaved airstrips close to the final destination saves precious time in the delivery of heavy equipment, personnel or supplies and allows bypassing of intermediate airports that may be congested during times of crisis. As on turboprops like the EuroProp EPI TP400 Turboprops, the inlets are smaller than on turbofan engines and the propeller serves as a first line of defence, turboprop engines are less subject to foreign object debris (FOD) including sand dust particles.
Thanks to the design of its 12-wheel High Flotation Main Landing Gear and the robustness of its structure and systems the A400M offers unprecedented tactical capabilities in the heavy segment.
The A400M is therefore able to land on, and take-off from, any short, soft and rough unprepared CBR 6 airstrip, no longer than 750 m / 2,500 ft, while delivering up to 25 tonnes / 55,000 lb of payload, and with enough fuel on board for a 930 km / 500 nm return trip.
Autonomous Ground Operations
The autonomous capability of the A400M enables operations from remote austere airstrips. By minimising time on the ground, the A400M’ systems reduce the aircraft’s vulnerability to hostile action. The state-of-the-art digital Load Master Work Station (LMWS) enables full management of the Cargo Handling System and monitoring of aerial delivery operations. The cargo floor can be re-configured very quickly as rollers can be manually and easily turned upside down by a single operator in order to have either rollers down for flat floor configuration or rollers up for pallet configuration. The main landing gear can be kneeled to lower the rear of the aircraft in order to adjust the height from cargo floor to ground and reduce the crest angle formed between the Ramp and the Cargo Floor when the Ramp is deployed to the ground.
It tactical field capabilities are really not that much more than the smaller C-295.
https://airbusdefenceandspace.com/our-portfolio/military-aircraft/c295/
SHORT TAKE-OFF & LANDING (STOL) CAPABILITY
The C295’s STOL capability combined with a strong landing gear enable it to operate in the most austere locations with the worst conditions for take-off and landings. The aircraft is a tactical military transport with a light footprint to enable operations from short (no longer than 670 m / 2,200 ft), soft and rough (CBR 2) unprepared airstrips. The C295 is also designed to provide outstanding low-level flight characteristics for tactical missions, flying at speeds down to 110 kt.
Finally, to clear up the 'size' misconception about the training pathway from B-350 to A400M and that a graduated middle sized aircraft is somehow required. Not in the RAF who one could says is a model of best practice and rationalisation.
Future Pilots Meet Future Aircraft
