NZFF

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:12 pm**

Bucketing down... what's this then, an RAF C-17 stopping in?

Noo... Airbus Military!
Quite a bit heftier than our trusty Herkie Bird too

It's the Wilco model, not normally a publisher I follow, but: $8 + Postage ==> in my mailbox in short order for 20 bucks.
Not bad at all, and I changed my mind about the aircraft too; it's a very serious workhorse, fitting between C-130 and C-17, and it gets into tight spots, very quickly indeed.

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:30 pm**

Great one Charl

, I just don't get it, the entire world is downgrading their arm forces and they look and keep on building oversized transports ... for what you can stick an entire Battalion off radio controlled tanks in a Herc .... A400M .... the whole damn Army

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:42 pm**

The war is won on logistics... no matter how small the conflict, getting there is everything.
The French discovered how good this thing is when they went to Mali last year.
Nothing else could have delivered the necessary men and materiel into that sandy spot in the same time.
Importantly it is just big enough to take a fully protected armoured vehicle.

Good as the C-17 is, there was no place to land (and get off again) in the available timeslot.
And the A400 is fast - 130kts faster than the C-130 which would still be flying back and forth today...
The AN-70 will give it a run, but that's not proven yet.

If the C-17 production line is allowed to end, the West will have nothing else.

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:58 pm**

Charl wrote:
QUOTE (Charl @ Mar 6 2014,5:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
If the C-17 production line is allowed to end, the West will have nothing else.

I'm working on something right now .. I just need a budget .. .. I no exactly what is needed, current still on the drawing boards but cheap cheap CHEAP !

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:56 pm**

Charl .... great post , this a/c (A400M) is a honey ... and as much as love the Herc .......

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:20 pm**

Cheers Marty, I was surprised by this bird...

Ian Warren wrote:
QUOTE (Ian Warren @ Mar 6 2014,5:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
... but cheap cheap CHEAP !

Meh, no such thing in military hardware sales, you know that!

Case in point: the A400M programme was renegotiated when Airbus stated it would cancel against potential losses of 2.5 Billion Euro.
Now the cost overrun is "only" 7 or 8 billion Euro...

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:28 pm**

Charl wrote:
QUOTE (Charl @ Mar 6 2014,9:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Meh, no such thing in military hardware sales, you know that!
Case in point: the A400M programme was renegotiated when Airbus stated it would cancel against potential losses of 2.5 Billion Euro.
Now the cost overrun is "only" 7 or 8 billion Euro...

Trouble is today's world people complain about everything, coffee to hot - to cold .. .... funny they are the ones who don't do anything or create ideas and simply blame overruns on others . .... or they just pass the buck ...

Posted: **Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:17 am**

Magic set of shots Charl, I have the A-400 too I havnt used in a while,..I thought the 2D panel was really not good,...VC was ok but the external was really nice..may have to dig it out and dust it off from the boneyard !

Posted: **Fri Mar 07, 2014 3:45 pm**

Looks like a nice, efficient concept!

Outside of the C-130J, I think the only competition it had at this point was going to be the An-70, but I suspect the Antonov program will be suspended indefinitely (again) due to the war situation.

Posted: **Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:15 pm**

SeanTK wrote:
QUOTE (SeanTK @ Mar 7 2014,4:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Outside of the C-130J, I think the only competition it had at this point was going to be the An-70, but I suspect the Antonov program will be suspended indefinitely (again) due to the war situation.

Nothing like a War to build the best out of aeroplanes ! AND THAT IS A FACT !

Posted: **Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:16 am**

Adrian Brausch wrote:
QUOTE (Adrian Brausch @ Mar 7 2014,9:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Magic set of shots Charl, I have the A-400 too I havnt used in a while,..I thought the 2D panel was really not good,..

Thanks mate, 2D panel... mmm we know what to do, eh?

QUOTE

Outside of the C-130J, I think the only competition it had at this point was going to be the An-70[/quote]Well there is one other, 20 years younger than the Hercules, plenty of development and plenty left.
Let's introduce an Indian visitor to the party:

A fair bit bigger than the AN-70, but comparable range/payload.

QUOTE

Nothing like a War to build the best out of aeroplanes ![/quote]
Too right... Through Cold War and Hot, from Afghanistan to Zaire, this one has hauled stuff.
There's a very nice new Il-76 model too, at Avsimrus

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:38 am

by Ian Warren

One transport that dose have that appeal, 1992 ? they used one during the Auckland Airport Airshow for chute jumpers and course Ive seen one on the ramp here a couple times, Its a strange the story how the Russians come to built one that look so similar to the C141 .. there is a story that an aircrew invited a crew on board during a relief mission and they photoed the aircraft through and through , on return to the USA the crew got into serious trouble ... court martial .

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:04 am

by Charl

Yes the one thing the Russians would have learned is that the Starlifter was too skinny - it often "bulked out" its payload before it came close to the weight limit.
(It's why the widebody C-17 exists.)
The Il-76 hit the sweet spot and could carry a balance of bulk vs weight.

Interesting to compare C-141/Il-76/C-17:
All 3 go 450kts over 4,500 km, but look at the payload:
32t/48t/77t

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 1:45 pm

by Ian Warren

Arr the learning days, Starlifters , increasing the fuselage length almost increased the fleet by a third but as you said it was the slim tube that let it down.

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:47 pm

by Splitpin

amazing shots Charl ..real class stuff .
As A.B said . i must dust mine off and have another look ... great post , cheers.

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 3:59 pm

by deeknow

Great show Charl. Nicely proportioned bird too, like the look of it.
The poor old Wilco gets a bit of a hammering reviews wise but if it ever goes on sale I'd snap it up now based in these screenies.

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:18 pm

by Adrian Brausch

Charl , any chance you may be able to link to the new Il-76 model pleease

,..oh and does it have a VC ?...

AB

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:27 pm

by Charl

Sorry I thought my link went there, it is of course for FS2004, don't know if it works elsewhere?
http://www.avsimrus.com/f/fs2004-aircrafts-40/
It's floating down the page with time, there's an update to the 2D panel in there too.
Yes it has a VC.
The model is an early preview and has some issues, you need to remove/replace the radio gauge (it crashes the sim), and add some better smoke effects, that kind of thing.

Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:01 pm

by Adrian Brausch

thankye sir