On 21 Sep 2003 10:04:42 -0700, (Kevin Brooks) wrote:


But regardless, it does sound as if it is likely to become a dumpee in
the case of the Russian Air Force.

Quite possibly, however Putin is said to be in favour of it.

Actually, I was not comparing it to the A400 (of which I am no
tremendous fan), just noting that the An-70 has to date been a rather
troublesome project, and not a very realistic option for the Europeans
(despite the past rhetoric out of Germany).


AFAIK the germans were *very* close to ordering it, but french blackmail
about so called euro 'solidarity' shamed them out of doing so, that's the
reason why the A400 changed from an all jet paper plane to a prop fan one.

Having the prototype go
crunch was bad, continued engine reliability problems are just icing
on the cake. IMO the Euros would have been better off going with a
joint force (similar to the NATO AWACS fleet) of a combination of a
few leased C-17's for oversize hauling, complemented by C-130's/C-130J
stretches,

You'll get no arguments from me on that score, if the A400 is like any
other project to keep french workers in welfare, it'll end up costing as
much as a C17, be a decade late and be completely unsuited for the role.

This wouldn't be the 1st time, IIRC someone in this forum described The
Transall C160 as carrying 2/3rds the payload of a C130, 3/4s the distance
while burning all the fuel for the same unit cost.


That would have given them a credible short term
capability while the A400 is developed; or alternatively, keep that
force and dump A400 development.

See that would make sense, however common sense never ever enters into the
equation for european aircraft procurement. Instead european forces wont
have any form of strategic airlift for at least another decade. If at all.


Use of proven aircraft (and the An-70
most definitely does not meet that description) for the near-term
would be smart.

FWICS given a relatively small amount of more much needed development cash,
the An70 is everything the A400 could be and more.


greg

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