AIRBUS A400 M

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Mr Enders’ comments will fuel speculation of imminent changes in the management at Airbus’ defence and space division. The business is in the throes of a significant disposal programme as it is streamlined to cope with a more difficult defence market.

There will also questions over management at Airbus’ Spanish production arm, which is responsible for final assembly of the A400M. Persistent quality issues have dogged the facility in Seville.

Howard Wheeldon, a consultant, said Mr Enders’ speech had been unusually blunt. “This can only suggest that not only will the company move mountains in order to better deliver on the A400M programme but also that more heads might be about to roll,” he added.

Mr Enders reassured the members of the UK Royal Air Force present at a reception in London that they would have seven A400M aircraft in service by the end of 2015. “Airbus is working hard to deliver this aircraft as rapidly as possible,” he said.

Domingo Ureña-Raso EVP for Military Aircraft at Airbus Defense and Space has resigned apparently over A400M delays.

— Tony Osborne (@Rotorfocus) 29 Janvier 2015

The A400M is able to accommodate a maximum single weight of 32 tonnes (70 550 lb) which in addition to other loads such as pallets and personnel reach the aircraft’s maximum payload of 37 tonnes (81 600 lb).

Admin a écrit:Pour lever une ambiguité :

La charge utile de l'A400M est bien de 37 t
Mais la masse max d'un seul colis est de 32 t
http://www.airbusmarketingnews.com/en/english/item/309-heaviest-vehicle-in-a400m-to-date

The A400M is able to accommodate a maximum single weight of 32 tonnes (70 550 lb) which in addition to other loads such as pallets and personnel reach the aircraft’s maximum payload of 37 tonnes (81 600 lb).

C'est important pour les allemands qui veulent embarquer ça

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma_%28IFV%29

http://tanknutdave.com/the-german-puma-ifv/

Ca passe dans un A400M mais en enlevant le surblindage. qui peut être transport jusqu'à concurrence de 5 t dans le même avion

The Airbus A400M new generation airlifter has further proved its credentials as a tanker by successfully demonstrating simultaneous air-to-air refuelling of two F/A-18 fighters. In the course of four flights, the A400M performed 74 contacts and dispensed 27.2 tonnes of fuel to the Spanish Air Force aircraft. Refuelling was conducted at altitudes of 20,000ft - 33,000ft, and airspeeds of 180kt - 300kt – the preferred refuelling envelope for fighters.

With a basic fuel capacity of 50.8 tonnes which can be increased by the use of extra cargo hold tanks, the A400M is the most capable tactical tanker in the market. The standard A400M aircraft has full provisions for air-to-air refuelling (AAR) operations already installed and only requires the rapid installation of the optional air-to-air refuelling kit to become a tanker. Designed from the outset to be a dual-role transport and tanker aircraft, the A400M provides air forces with a cost-effective way to acquire an air-to-air refuelling capability in addition to a versatile logistic and tactical airlifter.

Germany has long argued Airbus should meet its promises.

Urena-Raso "is a good manager but he was caught between the complexities of the German specifications, Spanish concerns over control, and Airbus in Toulouse who are fundamental to the whole project," a person familiar with the program said.

Urena-Raso is likely to stay in Europe's largest aerospace company but the move is a setback for one of its most respected and charismatic executives, who was once seen as a candidate to run the Airbus & Space Division, now headed by Gerwert.

One analyst, asking not to be identified, said however that Enders had "missed a chance" to resolve the A400M problems once and for all by uprooting it from Spain, which has had the lead on military transporters since folding its CASA business into a mainly Franco-German merger that created Airbus Group in 2000.

The A400M program is suffering the sicknesses of A380 and Boeing 787. Traveled work is a plenty at the Sevilla FAL especially from the Bremen fuselage Pre-FAL. There is substantial development and testing work still to be done and the industrial ramp up is problematic.

Le PDG du groupe Tom Enders a néanmoins déclaré que l'objectif était de "doubler" les livraisons par rapport à 2014, ce qui serait "une bonne cible". Il s'agirait donc de livrer seize A400M au cours de l'année 2015 et non plus 22 comme prévu initialement, soit les numéros de série MSN19 à MSN34. Selon un calendrier daté de juin 2014, si les prévisions se confirment, la France devrait ainsi recevoir trois exemplaires, la Grande-Bretagne sept, la Malaisie, la Turquie et l'Allemagne deux exemplaires chacun.