Airbus A400M Rollout Yesterday

I agree with Bill Sweetman’s assesment (see also here), that this is a sweetspot for tactical airlift.

Looking at the picture’s, it’s clear that the aircraft is about twice the size of a C-130, and half the size of a C-17, and it’s got a lot of tire, which translates to good rough field performance.

The only real competitor out there is the AN-70 (picture below), which carries about 10 more tons, but has somewhat shorter ranges at a similar load out, but the Russians and the Ukrainians need to fund it past the one remaining prototype (see bottom picture).

Comparison:

A400M

An-70

Empty Weight (kg)

70,000

66,230

Max Gross Weight(kg)

145,000

141,000

Speed (km/h)

780

780

Max Payload (kg)

37,000

47,000

Range w/20 t Payload

6,600

3,300

Ferry Range (km)

8,000

9,300

I would note that with its contra-rotating props, the An-70 is a lot louder, and would therefore likely be unacceptable for the partners in EADS, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Also, there are provisions for aerial refueling the An-70 in the pictures that I’ve seen.

On the minus side for the A400M is that it’s engines are behind schedule, and so it will be a while before it flies and ships.

A400M

A400M

AN-70

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