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Manufacturing sites all across Europe are buzzing with the activities of assembling the newest heavy transport to hit the skies, the A400M, Airbus Industries. In a little under two years, this "Heavy Hauler" will start doing what it was made to do...transport. The A400M is being made with emphasis on "out-of-area" operations. The need for an aircraft capable of handling rapid responses to crisis on short notice, over long distances, with a capability for hauling greater loads of either cargo, both military and for humanitarian needs, was realized when it came to someone’s attention that the aircraft being used at present date back to the 60's and 70's. The current global military fleet consists of more than 2300 tactical airlifters, and these have an average age of 26 years old. Needless to say, avionics and aviation have come a ways in the years since the 60's and 70's! With an eye on the financial aspects of the aircraft, Airbus Industries have come up with not only a great looking aircraft, but also a highly functional and advanced aircraft. The folks at Just Flight and Wilco Publications have done an outstanding job creating, what they believe, is a very close
Shrinking defense budgets and a need for an aircraft to fulfill a wider set of roles - the focus of development is on reliability and availability, versatility and flexibility, commonality, and interoperability, all very important aspects when considering a military aircraft design. Some of the highlights of the A400M are:
Extended reach;
Outsize and heavy load capability;
Fast transit/high cruise altitude;
High cruise speed for a rapid response;
Autonomous ground handling and rapid role change capability;
Short, soft field performance;
Low speed characteristics for air drop and tactical flight;
Reliability, Maintainability, Testability and dispatch availability;
Affordability
rendition of what the real A400M might be like, and in my opinion, they have done a fine job in doing so! Before I tell you about the simulated version of the A400M, let me fill you in on the A400M project.
The A400M will be powered by four very uniquely designed, 8-bladed turboprop engines, pumping out 11,000 hp; the engines (TP-400-D6) are made by Europrop International. The three-shaft TP400 will power an eight-bladed, all-composite prop, manufactured by Ratier-Figeac. The blades have a carbon spar and a composite shell. A polyurethane coating is applied on the shell to protect against erosion. Electrical de-icing is used along the leading edge. The outer part of the blade leading edge has a nickel guard to protect against erosion.
With all four of these beasts turning, the A400M will be capable of 0.72 Mach. The power gearbox of the engines is an interesting piece of aviation engineering. When I was doing some research on the A400M, I found that this gearbox design is unique in that it is capable of driving the output shaft either to the left or right, since the A400M's props on the left and right have opposite rotation. What this causes is what they call a "down between engines” (DBE) effect, which produces a symmetrical flow of air over the wings, which in turn improves lift and lateral (side-to-side) stability. The DBE effect also allows for a better optimization of the wing and tailplane, eliminating most of the effects of torque and prop wash, and in the event of an engine failure, severe yaw is also eliminated. One of those cool, "gizmo" facts I thought I'd share. If you've ever flown some of the VERY realistic models that
are out there of the old prop bombers and such, you'll feel the difference in this model developed by Wilco and Just flight!
Airbus Industries is comprised of various European countries, and is best know for the manufacturing of commercial passenger aircraft, most notably, the A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft. The A400M will go into the history books as Europe's first military transport aircraft, as well as Airbus Industries first military aircraft. Airbus Military offers the military air transport world a modern, multi-role military airlifter which will replace the ageing fleets of C-130 Hercules and C-160 Transall in service with the air forces around the world.
Many countries have already put in orders for the A400M, and more are in negotiations for the procurement of this aircraft. The figure at right shows the current orders and the countries that are waiting for the deliveries of this much anticipated aircraft. Germany's order of 60 aircraft is the highest of all orders made for the A400M, and the aircraft that are produced for Germany will be of higher specifications than most. The fleet of 60 aircraft will be divided between strategic and tactical missions, with ten aircraft being fitted as in-flight tankers. There have been tests conducted as to its
effectiveness in a maritime patrol configuration, with possible 11 hour mission flight times. South Africa had expressed interest in this particular configuration.
Time to talk about the A400M that's ready to fly today! The product comes in a boxed version, with a manual that is 36 pages long. Although the manual is not extensive, it is easily understood and covers just about everything you need to know to operate this model. Everything from installation of the product to engine start up and shut down is covered, and if you follow along with the steps provided, you won't have any problems at all. There's not much info on the performance specs in the manual. The operational aspects of the avionics are simple enough for an "advanced beginner" and there are good images of the panels to help you in understanding the locations of the various instruments. The folks involved with putting a manual together have quite a challenge in front of them. They have to make it detailed enough to enable you to operate the aircraft, yet they must try to make it as "short and sweet" as possible, so that the simmer can grasp a simple, basic understanding of the model, and go from there. I like a good, written manual. Even in this age of computers, I still tend to be a "book worm of sorts". If a product has no written manual, then a
decent PDF formatted manual will do. Some developers include both a simplified version of the manual in its printed form, and also include a more detailed and technical PDF manual. There is no PDF manual with this product, but again, there's a wealth of information in the included documentation, and everything seemed to be right on the money, no errors in procedures that I could find. So, read the manual and you should be fine in this aircraft.
Who makes what?
Now for the walk-about! She's a beauty, in the tradition of great looking aircraft; Airbus Industries has designed a very stout answer to the needs of countries in need of air transports. The rendition of the A400M is simply outstanding and frame rate friendly to boot! There are 12 liveries that come with the model, which range from various European Air Forces to liveries reflecting the humanitarian side of the A400M's mission, namely the Red Cross and UNICEF paints. The outside modeling of the aircraft is clean and crisp, with very realistic lighting and textures. The props and the prop textures look great! When I talk about prop textures, I am referring to how they look while spinning. Night textures and lighting are also very well done. All control surfaces function smoothly, as well as the crew hatches and rear cargo door. The realism of the model is enhanced greatly by how well the aircraft looks, and the developers have done an excellent job in this area. Zooming in on the aircraft's landing gear and tires, you can see the words "A400M" on the sidewall of the tire. I had to do a double take on that! That's attention to detail! Here are a few shots of some of the liveries and the details of this model...
As far as the interior goes, I'm going to break it up into "front and back", since there's quite a bit to talk about concerning what's inside this state-of-the-art aircraft. First, the flight deck. The A400M utilizes the glass cockpit and a newer version of the Flight Mission Computer (FMC), which in the case of the A400M, is called the Flight Management and Guidance Computer (FMGC) and is accessed by the pilot through the use of the Multi-Control Display Unit (MCDU). This unit functions much like the FMC's of commercial airliners, but has a "touch screen" interface instead of buttons to the sides of the selections. Pages in the FMGC include everything from an initialization page to a route page to a SID/STAR info page. To enter information, one types the info into the scratch pad, and then clicks on the appropriate space on the screen of the MCDU to enter the information. You can also import a flight plan from MSFS 2004 into the brains of this timesaver by simply clicking the button marked "Import MS Flight plan". Once this is done, all you really have left to enter is the cruise altitude. Setting up the aircraft to fly the flight plan on auto pilot is easy, yet there are a couple of different things here worthy of mentioning. For example, when engaging the auto pilot for
either speed or heading, you are give two options, selected or managed. With the selected mode, the pilot inputs the speed or heading into the Flight Control Unit (FCU) and then left clicks, pulling the rotating knob to engage the selected mode. A dot will appear next to your speed/heading reading indicating this mode is engaged. By "pushing" or right clicking these knobs, you enter into the managed mode, and this is where it gets interesting. In the managed mode, the on-board computer takes over and fly’s the course that has been entered into the FMGC. Not only does it follow the flight plan, it also manages the speed, be it for take off, climb cruise, or descent, and makes all the right decisions, all at the right time! I flew quite a few flights of varying length's and with diverse course changes laid in and found the avionics performed right on the money! I only had to get used to left click/right click, or "Push/Managed - Pull/Selected" options, since I found that if you enter into selected mode on either the speed or heading controls from the managed mode, the current settings are fixed into the auto pilot. This is what I would call a routine "Operator Headspace" problem, not an avionics problem! ;-) The manual covers the topic of programming the FMGC in an easy to follow manner, so I don't think you should have any problems with it. Even for beginning simmers, this would prove to be challenging but not a "hair-pulling" experience! There was a substantial "porpoising" problem when engaged in auto pilot mode. For those of you thinking what a porpoise has to do with an aircraft, let me explain...this model will vary in altitude up to 800 feet, when on auto pilot. It's like riding waves or a roller coaster. I'm not sure if this is an aerodynamic engineering issue or if it is a bug that needs patching within the software, but if there's a patch needed, I'm sure it will be made available. Always check the support forums!
One of the things that I am really liking about some of the panels that are being developed today, is the option to pop-up the various displays into a larger, easier to read view, that can be moved to a second monitor if you're set up for it. Not only can you view these pop-ups from the 2D mode, you can access them in any of the view modes. The panels were detailed, but some of the smaller buttons were difficult to read clearly, whereas the gauges were all easily read in both 2D and VC view modes. The glass displays include a Primary Flight Display, Navigation Display with various modes, an Engine/Warning Display, and a System Display, also with various modes. If left to their own accord, the displays will show information that is pertinent for that phase of the flight. You can manually change the modes easily also. Especially handy is the Vertical Navigation display in the bottom half of the Nav display. Top of climbs and start of descents can be easily monitored by the pilot. The pop up panels include the Top Front Panel, about half of which is actually functional, and includes controls for things such as HUD Brightness (yes, I said HUD!), lights, and APU controls, and the Overhead Display, which operates in a "lights out is good" way. In other words, if
you see a light on the Overhead, something is wrong and should be looked into! Functionality of the Overhead is limited to wing anti-ice and pitot probe anti-ice, four engine anti-ice buttons, four buttons for the four generators, and two buttons for the batteries on the aircraft. Accessible also is the Pedestal Panel which is mainly used for engine management, and includes the basic buttons and switches, with some eye candy thrown in for good measure. Night lighting is easy on the eyes and panels are readable in this environment. I had mentioned HUD earlier. Yes, this aircraft utilizes a Heads Up Display system, allowing easy viewing access for the pilot. Speaking of which, you have an animated co-pilot sitting next to you, looking about, just happy to be a part of it all! A Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is also part of the avionics suite. Tuning of the Comms and Nav freqs is done via the Radio Tuning Unit, which is also easily operated. Overall, I was impressed with the layout and how well the flight deck operated, which more than made up for a couple of "fuzzy buttons"! Most of the Primary Panel switches and buttons function, but there is a small amount of eye candy here and there, but not too much. Other basic panel instruments include; EFIS, HUD, FCU, and the Audio Control Panel.
Here's some more pic's of the panels and flight deck...
There's a bit more to see of the interior yet, so don't run away! Utilizing "F1 View" which is graciously supplied by Flight 1 and can be accessed on the disc, we are able to stroll down into the belly of the A400M, and take a look at the cargo we're hauling. You need a mouse with a wheel to use F1 View. As you "walk" on back into the aircraft, you'll notice that doors and hatches are operated by mouse clicking. There’s loads of detail throughout this plane, right down to the stairways which lead to the cargo bay!
A Load Manager Utility is included to allow you to alter the cargo that you will carry. This utility is accessed through the Start Menu, and needs to be launched from its original location, or it will not function correctly. Two types of payloads are available for you; Cargo, with a slider provided to set the amount of weight in tons of the payload, and the Vehicle Payload, where you select the types of vehicle combinations available. Selections here affect only the
weight of the payloads carried and not the visual model of what you see inside the cargo bay. All settings must be made before starting MSFS 2004, or your settings will not take effect. I don't usually "wander around" inside the aircraft models that I fly, for the simple reason that I'm there to FLY, not be a passenger or a Load Master, but...you can almost smell that "new plane smell" as you walk about the aircraft. I was especially impressed with how frame rate friendly this tour proved to be on my system!
As far as the flight dynamics are concerned, this is a "fly-by-wire" aircraft, so it handles extremely well for a large aircraft. There is an automatic stall recovery system and since it's a fly-by-wire system, it will try to keep you from pulling barnstorming stunts, one way of which to do this is by limiting your bank angle to a safe limit. The model of the A400M handled various runways and conditions well, with a good STOL ability (Short Take Off and Landing). Climb rate right out of the gates was really impressive, and can get away from you if you're flying manually and not paying attention. This is where the Automatic Stall recovery system came in handy! The A400M truly is an aircraft that can go almost anywhere, and land on almost anything!
The engines are managed by a system that is called Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), and this system runs the engines as efficiently as possible according to the pilot inputs. It manages engine start up, a seven step process, and engine shut down, a three step process. While in climb, cruise, or descent, the FADEC will operate the engines at their peak performance levels. It's like
having an auto pilot handle the fuel mix, prop blade pitch, etc., with just a minimum of input from the pilot and the FMGC. Operations of the aircraft went as smooth as a silk parachute, except for that bit about the porpoising, and that was not a huge issue.
The developers did a great job in "guessing" as to what the aircraft would be like to fly in real life. Now, I don't mean anything by it when I said "guessing", since they used any data they could get their hands on to program, as close as possible, the flight dynamics of this model...and a fine job indeed! For not having an actual aircraft to base any of their development on, I'd have to say, compared to other "heavies" that are on the market, and how they handle and perform, the A400M model feels like "the real thing".
The sounds of the aircraft, from the flaps extending to the voice callouts and warnings, are very well done and not "hypnotizing" at all! Again, for not having any real aircraft to base the sounds on, a fine job was done in this area as well. Yet another little item that sometimes gets under the radar is the vocal elevation call outs when landing...extremely handy when landing in inclement weather or at night on strips that are even questionable by day! All the "dings, clicks, clacks, and whirr's sounded great.
There are loads of systems and functions that were not mentioned, simply because this is a review, not a reprint of the manual! ;-) But...there are times when some things may be overlooked, so that's why I like to include in the review, a list of features, straight from the developers or publishers themselves, so they are along with the performance specs for the real A400M...
Technical Specifications
Dimensions
Overall Length45.1 m
Wing Span42.4 m
Overall Height14.7 m
Cargo Box Dimensions
Length (excluding ramp)17.71 m
Ramp Length 5.40 m
Width 4.00 m
Height 3.85 m
Height (aft of wing)4.00 m
Weights (2.25g)
Max. Take-off Weight 136.5 t
Max. Landing Weight120 t
Max. Payload37 t
Total Internal Fuel47.7 t
Performance
Cruise Speed RangeMach 0.68 - 0.72
Max. Operating Speed300 kt CAS
Initial Cruise Altitude at MTOW29 000 ft
Max. Operating Altitude - Normal ops37 000 ft
Max. Operating Altitude - Special ops40 000 ft
Range at Max. Payload *1700 nm
Range at 30-tonne Payload *2400 nm
Range at 20-tonne Payload *3450 nm
Ferry Range *4750 nm
Tactical Take-Off Distance ** 1150 m
Tactical Landing Distance ** 680 m
Features a simulated Fly-By-Wire flight control system with bank angle limiter and automatic stall recovery system.
Virtual flyers can use the load manager to exploit the A400M's massive 37-tonne capacity and transport cargo and vehicles to where they're needed!
Comes with a cockpit HUD and autopilot as well as TCAS and GPWS.
Detailed features
12 detailed liveries
Highly detailed replica of the Airbus A400M
Highly detailed 2D instrument panel
Pop-up instrument panels
Interactive 3D Virtual Cockpit, fully clickable
Detailed, printed Pilot's Guide
Outstandingly detailed 3D Cabin, fully textured with vehicles featured
Frame-rate optimised with different aircraft variants included (with/without interior, cockpit and virtual cabin) to allow for different computer performance.
Included liveries
A400M Airbus Industries camouflage
A400M Belgian Air Force
A400M French Air Force
A400M French Air Force (dark)
A400M German Air Force
A400M Red Cross
A400M Royal Air Force (green)
A400M Royal Air Force (grey)
A400M Spanish Air Force
A400M Turkish Air Force
A400M Unicef
A400M U.S. Coast Guard
Aircraft features
Unique flight characteristics.
Super sound effects.
Numerous animations; Flight surfaces, hydraulic action suspension, flaps, landing gear, cargo and pilots doors.
Simulated Fly-By-Wire Flight Control System: bank angle limiter and automatic stall recovery system
Load manager for cargo and vehicles
Animated 3D pilots in the virtual cockpit.
Unique 8-bladed propellers.
High resolution reflective textures with dynamic shine and realistic night lighting,
Paint kit included to help create your own liveries (suitable additional paint program such as Photoshop required).
Instrument panel features
Mouse Hotspots on the panel to access multiple 2D panels
High technology Vector gauges for the Primary Flight, Navigation, Engine/Warning and System Displays.
Head Up Display (HUD) with basic navigation instruments in 2D cockpit.
Realistic MCDU - New generation Airbus style with large clickable digital screen
SIDs and STARs included in the FMS database
Navigation Display with arc, rose, nav and plan modes
Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) with multiple audio callouts.
Pop-up EFIS screens for multi-monitor displays.
Resizable and detachable gauges for additional monitor use
Traffic and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) system
Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) simulated.
IRS (Inertial Navigation System) shows Latitude and longitude.
Warnings and caution messages
(MFD) Multi Function Display including NAV, Plan, Rose, Radio modes.
Accurate Autopilot control panel simulating the following features: Speed, Heading, Altitude, ILS approach, Autoland and Flight Path Angle modes.
Battery and generator switches fully operative with corresponding actions
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) startup/shutdown sequences simulated with corresponding EICAS messages
Anti-ice and lights sub-panels with active switches.
NAVDATA database compatible.
The cost of the A400M product is £ 19.99 / € 29.95 / $ 34.99, and is very reasonably priced for what you are getting, an almost flawless product! Hey, it's an imperfect world we live in, and "almost flawless" is pretty darn good!!! You can download a video of the A400M here so you can see what you’re getting. I must say that with the Just Flight Products, they lay it all out on the table for you to see, with loads of product videos on the disc of each product, plus you also get some free goodies included on the disc as well! I can recommend this product for everyone, as it offers so much to such a wide range of users. Beginners will enjoy the model for its ease of handling, yet it still provides that "next step" up the ladder for a challenge in the heavy aircraft area. Experienced simmers will enjoy the absolutely fantastic suite of avionics, as well as the beautiful liveries that come included. If you are handy with Photoshop or some such software, a paint kit is provided to you to express yourself with a personal paint job! Tons of fun for hauling tons of cargo, for sure!
For more information, visit www.justflight.com
Just Flight and Wilco Publishing Present
The A400M
Reviewed by Farmboyzim
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