To: Spktyr; Paleo Conservative
C-17 has it beat in load capacity.
C-130J has it beat in configuration flexibility and maintenance/parts readiness.
They both have it beat in a/c availability.
Heck, I think they both have it also beat in unimproved runway landing/take-off ability.
The A400M is an a/c built for political reasons by committees that could not agree on the final product and did not speak the same language.
7 posted on
03/09/2010 2:13:31 AM PST by
Tainan
(Cogito, ergo conservatus)
To: Tainan
The funny part is that Lockheed was involved early on with the A400M project, got fed up with the ‘design-by-committee-but-please-make-it-a-jobs-program-too’ so they bailed out, went home, and thoroughly modernized the C-130 instead. The C-130J-30 comes within a hair of all the capabilities of the larger A400M, and is going to be cheaper.
11 posted on
03/09/2010 2:37:34 AM PST by
Spktyr
(Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
To: Tainan
Agreed. The A400M was another european socialized jobs program. When there is no motivation to break even or turn a profit, odds are the project ends up just like it has.
21 posted on
03/09/2010 2:47:19 PM PST by
Proud_USA_Republican
("The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.")
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