Airbus A400’s mercy role could be its best: by Chris Pocock
The Airbus A400M is not just a military airlifter, according to Peter Scoffham, vice president of customer marketing for Airbus Military, speaking at the 2007 Military Airlift in London. It is also well-suited to the transport of humanitarian aid, which, he said, is one reason Malaysia has chosen the aircraft for its fleet.The A400M will fill this requirement gap, he said. Its four powerful yet fuel-efficient turboprop engines confer excellent tactical performance and a fast Mach 0.72 cruise at high altitude. This makes the new European airlifter suitable for both long- and short-haul transport, Scoffham said. “After the tsunami, the A400M could have reached Aceh, Indonesia, from the UK in one crew duty day, with only one stop and carrying a payload of 24 metric tons,” he said. “The aircraft is also capable of taking 25 metric tons into a 2,500-foot airstrip while holding enough fuel for a return trip of 1,000 nautical miles,” he added.
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