"Bob (not my real pseudonym)" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:17:42 +0100, "Andrew B"
wrote:


"Bob (not my real pseudonym)" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:57:45 +0100, "Andrew B"
wrote:


"DAN" wrote in message
m...
Thanks, Andrew !
great series.

The A-400M looks so weird. Sorta mutt.

Brothers pic's from RIAT at Fairford



Thanks DAN,

I have to agree with you about the A-400M.

I'm not used to seeing eight bladed props so it looks a little odd to
begin
with. Then those almost pod like housings for the undercarriage together
with six wheels per housing look a bit out of proportion as well. The
whole
probably works very well but it will take me a time to get used to it. I
certainly don't see it as a great beauty.

From what I've read of delays in the A400M program - time is one thing
they have in spades...

Delays seem to be quite the fashionable thing in the aircraft production
industry at the moment

"Boeing will sell no 787 before its time!"

That may very well be true, however it was originally scheduled to enter
service in May 2008 and now looks likely to be entering in 2011. There are
677 orders by 56 customers according to Wiki so most will probably have just
a little longer to wait than originally intended.

Personally I think that most manufacturers of such a complex type of product
are inclined to be rather over optimistic in setting delivery dates when
delay causing problems are almost a certainty. No one is immune and airlines
that purchase or order these aircraft in advance realise that I'm pretty
sure.

--
Andrew B (Cheshire, England)

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
(Lord Kelvin, president Royal Society, 1895.)