Airbus A400M: They Finally Built It

[cancidas]

after many delays and other problems, the A400 is finally sitting in one piece:

[wunaladreamin]

Looks like what would be iffin a C-17 and a C-130 humped and made a retarted kid.

[Matt Molnar]

Wow, that's as ugly as many of Soviet Russia's scariest cold war abominations. The props look cool, but the rest is a mess.

[moose135]

I've only been halfway following the A400M, so I don't know for sure, but it seems to me from the look of the props on the port side, that the engines turn in opposite directions. Does anyone know for sure? Does it look that way to anyone else?

[cancidas]

I've only been halfway following the A400M, so I don't know for sure, but it seems to me from the look of the props on the port side, that the engines turn in opposite directions. Does anyone know for sure? Does it look that way to anyone else?

i've never found out why, but they do rotate in opposite directions. the inboards roate outboard, the outboards inboard.

[cancidas]

more from FlightGlobal:

PICTURES: EADS rolls out fully painted Airbus Military A400M
By Craig Hoyle

EADS has performed the roll-out ceremony for the Airbus Military A400M transport, moving the €20 billion ($31.3 billion) project a step closer to service entry in early 2010.

Performed at the A400M final assembly line at EADS Casa's San Pablo site near Seville in southern Spain, the 26 June event saw the first aircraft rolled out several months before EADS's targeted first flight milestone of later this year. Company officials have recently spoken of a "summer" debut as having moved to late September or early October.

to the untrained eye this airlpane could pass for a C-17 with props. i wonder how they compare in size, and cost for that matter.

[SengaB]

I wasn't aware Airbus had a military :) "Airbus Military"
I think its beautuful!
It has strong similarities to so many other cargoplanes.
C-130
C-5
C-17 and my most favorite the C-141 witch it looks the most like!
I look forward to seeing it in various liveries.
It would looks even more impressive if it had some camoflauge colors or even Desert Tan!
I hope the U.S. picks up a few out these.
The only thing I am not a fan of is the 8 blades. I wonder what that sounds like.
Good stuff!
Senga

[cancidas]

i can see the resemblance in the nose senga. definately looks like the love child of a C-141 and C-27!

[SengaB]

Yea makes you wonder if they did that intentionally.

Senga