One of Airbus' latest innovations isn't an airliner but a military troop and cargo transport plane.
The Airbus A400M Atlas can carry up to 37 tons of cargo and be used for transport, air-to-air refueling, and paratroop missions.
European, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries have been Airbus' top customers for the Atlas.
Airbus sells more than just commercial airliners, it also sells military transport aircraft.
Commercial aircraft manufacturers have long engaged in lucrative endeavors in support of the defense industry, and Airbus is no different. While the public marvels at Airbus' latest passenger jets, the top brass of national militaries marvel at its war-ready troop transport, aerial refueling, and military cargo aircraft.
Airbus launched the A400M Atlas program in 2003 with the goal of supplying countries of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. The first A400M was delivered to France in 2013 after 10 years of development and a four-year delay.
Source: Airbus and Financial Times
Now, numerous countries have placed 176 orders for the aircraft. Nations that have orders with Airbus include Malaysia, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and the UK.
Source: Airbus
The A400M is powered by turboprop engines and takes aim at the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. One of the most iconic planes in US military history, the C-130 has been in every US war since the Vietnam War.
Tom Cruise also famously latched onto the side of an Airbus A400 in the movie "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation," in the aircraft's first appearance in a Hollywood blockbuster.
The UK Royal Air Force brought one of its Airbus A400Ms to the Dubai Airshow in November. Here's what it's like.
A truly European aircraft, assembling the A400M requires three European countries. The A400's wings are built in the UK, its fuselage is built in Germany, and assembly takes place in Spain.
Source: Airbus
Airbus designed the A400M to be much like, well, an Airbus. The A400M boasts performance capabilities and qualities traditionally found in the commercial airliners that Airbus produces that places it a step ahead of older models like the C-130 Hercules.
Four EuroProp International TP 400 turboprop engines power the A400M and enable a top speed of Mach 0.72 and a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet that can be extended up to 40,000 feet in special circ*mstances.
Source: Airbus
Distance is also a key feature of the A400M as its maximum range of 4,800 nautical miles gives the aircraft a truly intercontinental purview. Under the right conditions, flights between London and San Francisco; Paris and Seattle; and New York and Honolulu are possible.
Though, the A400M can have an unlimited range thanks to its aerial refueling capabilities. Other fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters can even be refueled by the A400M.
Put simply, the A400M "can fly further, higher, and faster" than the C-130, Ed Horne, a wing commander with the UK RAF that formerly flew the Hercules and now flies the Atlas, told Insider.
Around 160 passengers can fit in the cargo compartment of the A400M when fitted with extra rows of passengers seats down the center.
Built-in passengers can be found onboard the aircraft alongside its cabin walls.
The seats, however, are quite basic with minimal cushioning, as is standard on military transport aircraft, and far from what can be found on Airbus' airliners.
And while the maximum passenger count is around 160, the RAF flew as many as 203 passengers on one evacuation flight during the Afghanistan refugee airlift in August.
Medical litters can be affixed in the cargo compartment to transport the injured and ill.
As many as 66 stretchers can be loaded onto the aircraft with room for 25 medical support personnel.
Source: Airbus and Financial Times
Wartime operations may see the A400M conduct everything from military cargo flights to para trooping over enemy territory, tasks for which the aircraft is more than capable.
The A400M’s cargo compartment can hold up to 37 tons, or 74,000 pounds, of cargo across 340 cubic meters of space.
Source: Airbus
Digital and autonomous systems on the aircraft help expedite the loading and offloading process while also reducing the workload of the loadmaster.
There's room for seven pallets on the main deck and two additional pallets on the ramp. A Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter can even be transported on the aircraft if need be.
Source: Airbus
Paratroop operations are a critical function of the A400M, especially when training for a wartime scenario.
Paratroopers that are jumping out of the A400M will typically do so via the two side doors at the rear of the aircraft. A static line parachute will typically be used that automatically deploys during the jump.
And one feature of the A400M is that winches are available to retract each static line after the drop is complete.
High-altitude paratroop operations, however, are conducted use the rear cargo door as a different type of parachute, known as freefall parachute, that's more conducive to jumping from the rear of the aircraft.
Paratroopers making a high-altitude jump are usually also carrying equipment that can't fit through the side doors.
As of November, however, the UK Royal Air Force was still breaking in the A400M and developing procedures for paratroop operations.
The A400M's co*ckpit can be found above the cargo compartment, which Airbus says is to maximize the aircraft's available cargo space.
One unique feature about the A400M is that its co*ckpit actually has the look of a traditional airline co*ckpit in many ways, as opposed to previous generations of American military aircraft.
Pilots have large high-definition displays to feed them flight data and navigational information, just like on an airliner such as the Airbus A380 or Airbus A350 XWB.
"Everything that is close to you is things that you will use every day," Horne said. "Everything is placed very nicely for the pilots."
Embedded in the heads-up display is an enhanced vision system that lets pilots see through the clouds during periods of reduced visibility.
Airbus’ iconic sidestick is what pilots use to maneuver the A400M with fly-by-wire technology allowing for a smoother flight experience.
And pilots can access navigational charts through their flight displays.
A third seat allows for a third crewmember to assist the two pilots during high-intensity missions, including "package" flights when a group of aircraft fly together.
Pilots also have multiple ways of escaping the co*ckpit in case of an emergency, including through the co*ckpit windows or an emergency hatch above the co*ckpit.
The loadmaster for the flight is tasked with ensuring the safety and integrity of the cargo and passengers onboard.
Digital and autonomous systems on the aircraft help expedite the loading and offloading process while also reducing the workload of the loadmaster.
Crew rest areas on the aircraft are quite meager but consist of bunks in the co*ckpit.
Flight crews on long-haul missions can retreat to the bunks to rest if the mission allows.
Lavatories on the aircraft are, however, very similar to those found on airliners.
This A400M had separate lavatories for crew and passengers.
Another unique feature of the A400M is that the nose avionics bay can be accessed through the lavatory.
The aircraft also has a galley area, similar to those found on an airliner.
And the most important part of the A400M's galley, for some pilots, is the coffee maker.
Cost overruns, delivery delays, and capability issues first plagued the A400M during its development and the first few years of operations, as the Financial Times reported.
Source: Financial Times
France received its first A400M four years later and the aircraft program cost Airbus more than 30 billion euros, according to Reuters.
Source: Financial Times and Reuters
But the end result has been a highly capable aircraft that's slowly but surely proving itself to be a fitting alternative to the C-130.
Read the original article on Business Insider
