on MArCh 6, 2013,;seville,;spain;witnessed;a;key;milestone;for
Airbus;Military.;After;a;protracted;test;and;development;phase,;their
first-production,;flagship,;Airbus;Military;A.400M;new-generation
airlifter;took;to;the;skies;–;it;has;also;been;christened;Atlas.;This;is
MsN7;(manufacturers;serial;number;7),;which;will;be;delivered;to;the
french;Armée;de;l’Air,;part;of;their;order;for;50;A400Ms;and;total
world-wide;orders;for;174;aircraft;from;eight;nations.
test;pilot;hugues;Van;Der;stichel;captained;the;five;hour,
42-minute;flight;and;declared,;“The;performance;of;the;aircraft;was
as;expected;and;we;had;a;very;smooth;flight,;confirming;the;great
handling;capabilities;of;the;aircraft.;The;result;of;this;first;flight;(of;a
production;aircraft);gives;us;full;confidence;for;the;on-time;delivery
to;the;french;Air;force.”;The;aircraft;will;be;delivered;to;Armée;de
l’Air;escadrille;at;orléans;in;late;May;at;the;start;of;replacement;for
ageing;c-160;transall;and;lockheed;c130s;in;the;combined;strategic
and;tactical;transport;roles.;it;will;also;participate;in;the;Paris;Air
show;a;few;days;later.
seville’s;san;Pablo;final;assembly;site;at;Getaffe;air;base;is;the
focus;for;A400M;final;assembly;and;test;flying;–;like;Airbus’s;civilian
airliners,;components;are;fabricated;and;manufactured;through-out;europe;and;transported;to;seville;for;assembly.;The;program’s
five;development;aircraft;have;exceeded;1,600;test;flights;clocking
4,800+;hours;total;time;since;the;types;maiden;flight;on;December;11,
First-Production Airbus
A400m Atlas Flies
2009.;The;A400M;program;was;launched;in;2003;to;respond;to;the
combined;needs;of;seven;european;nations.;international;sales;have
also;been;achieved;in;Malaysia,;although;initial;customer;south;Africa
cancelled;its;order;citing;budgetary;constraints.
The;A400M’s;“wide-body”;fuselage;has;an;external;width;of
18;feet,;6;inches;(same;as;an;A330/A340;civil;airliner).;This;flight
also;confirmed;the;design’s;maximum;payload;requirement;( 37
tonnes/81,600;pounds).;The;unique;europrop;international;(ePi)
tP400-D6;engine;problems;are;now;history,;although;initial;aircraft,
including;MsN7;will;have;its;engines;replaced;after;two;years;in;ser-
vice.;MsN8;will;also;go;to;france;with;MsN9;delivery;to;turkey;sched-
uled;for;september;and;MsN10;to;france;in;December.;ten;aircraft;will
be;delivered;in;2014;including;the;first;to;the;uK;and;Germany.;french
and;uK;pilots;and;loadmasters;started;training;on;type;in;January;at
san;Pablo;and;in;toulouse;(france);;an;eAsA;approved;Thales;full;flight
simulator;will;come;on;line;in;April;before;pilots;gather;“real”;flight;ex-
perience;in;development;aircraft;MsN3;and;MsN6;at;seville.;further
A400M;sales;in;the;Gulf;and;in;Asia;regions;are;possible;with;Airbus
Military;hoping;total;production;will;top;400;aircraft;eventually.
A;further;landmark;was;reached;for;the;A400M;on;March;13
when;eAsA;(european;Aviation;safety;Agency);granted;it;a;full;civil
certification,;an;essential;step;towards;customer;delivery;of;the;first
aircraft.;—Geoff Jones
Photo;courtesy;of;Airbus;MilitAry
The Multi-mission MC-130J Commando II
Fleet Continues to Grow
First Flown August 23, 1954,;the;venerable;c-130;has;been
in;continuous;service;for;the;u.s.;Armed;forces,;staunch;allies;and
friendly;air;forces;since;December;9,;1957.;it;first;entered;into;full
production;in;Marietta,;Georgia,;in;1955;and;it;is;still;being;produced
after;58;years;of;continuous;production;with;no;end;in;sight.;No
other;aircraft;has;been;produced;for;such;a;long;time.;in;this;time
This is the 14th of the 37 MC-130J Commando ii aircraft (usAF serial number 09-5713)
to be delivered by Fiscal Year 2017. (Photo courtesy of lockheed Martin)
period;some;2,500;hercules/super;hercules;airplanes;have;been
built.
The;Mc-130J;commando;ii,;formerly;known;as;combat;shadow
ii,;is;one;of;the;latest;versions;in;the;ever-growing;hercules/su-per;hercules;family;of;medium;lift;tactical;cargo;transport;aircraft.
This;versatile;tactical;airlifter;was;recently;delivered;to;an;Air;force
special;operations;command;(Afsoc);squadron;at;cannon;Afb
in;New;Mexico.;The;multi-mission;Mc-130J;commando;ii;is;used
for;such;missions;as;in-flight;refueling,;infiltration;and/or;exfiltra-tion,;and;aerial;delivery;and;resupply;of;special;operations;forces.;it
is;missionized;and;optimized;for;clandestine;nighttime;operations
for;reduced;detection.;it;can;land;and;takeoff;it;short;distances;and
from;unimproved;airfields.
The;Mc-130J;is;propelled;by;four;rolls-royce;Ae;2100D3
turboprop;engines;—;each;one;delivering;a;thrust;of;4,590;shaft
horsepower.;it;has;a;maximum;speed;of;362;knots;true;air;speed
(KtAs);at;22,000;feet.;it;is;97;feet,;9;inches;long,;38;feet,;10;inches
high,;with;a;wingspan;of;132;feet,;7;inches.;its;maximum;takeoff
weight;is;164,000;pounds;and;it;can;fly;a;distance;of;3,000;miles
unrefueled.;—steve;Pace
