Airbus A400M Atlas
The Airbus A400M Atlas is a multi-national four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military (merged in January 2014 to Airbus Defence and Space) as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. As well as transport, the A400M can perform electronic surveillance and aerial refuelling.
The A400M's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville, Spain. Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development program delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support of the project. A total of 174 A400M aircraft have been ordered by eight nations as of July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.
Development
Origins
The project began as the Future International Military Airlifter (FIMA) group, set up in 1982 by Aérospatiale, British Aerospace (BAe), Lockheed, and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) to develop a replacement for the C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160. Varying requirements and the complications of international politics caused slow progress. In 1989 Lockheed left the grouping and went on to develop an upgraded Hercules, the C-130J Super Hercules. With the addition of Alenia of Italy and CASA of Spain the FIMA group became Euroflag.
Podcasts:
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by Decemberists
I 4 U & U 4 Me
by: DecemberistsYou're all made a tattered heel
And you're the only constant all my life.
We could go together some
And we could get each other through the night.
We are one and we are two
And we are simply wicked to a T.
Never a better thing were said
Than I for you and you were made for me.
Well I heard that your plans were all fouled up
And I heard that you hit the wall.
Hit your smarting arms
And skinned your knee.
Will you drop your sling and stones
You can't make it on your own.
You see?
It's I for you and you were made for me.
You were young your parents said
You act like that, you do it on your own time.
You grew up all crooked, bent
So barely there you couldn't walk a straight line.
Well here we are right where we came
And it's a pretty sticky wicket isn't it dear?
A few missed steps along the way,
But I'm really pretty happy to be here.
So this is a toast to the old town drunk,
To the bums on the Broadway Bridge (?).
Raise a glass to the bones
Of the Circle K.
Will you drop your sling and stones,
You can't make it on your own.
You see?
It's I for you and you were made for me.
You see?
It's I for you and you were made for me.
Well I heard that your plans were all fouled up
And I heard that you hit the wall.
Hit your smarting arms
And skinned your knee.
Will you drop your sling and stones
You can't make it on your own.
You see?
It's I for you and you were made for me.
You see?
It's I for you and you were made for me.
And you were made for me