Unknown facts about the 'sky fighter' A400M that once came to Vietnam

The French military's super transport aircraft A400M can simultaneously transport three combat helicopters and 116 soldiers or two light armored vehicles of the Marine Corps. In particular, it can refuel in the air, something few aircraft can do.

The A400M turboprop is one of the largest and most modern transport aircraft in Europe, researched and manufactured by Airbus Military since the 1980s with the support of 7 member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including: Belgium, France, Germany, Türkiye, the UK, Luxembourg and Spain. This is Europe's most important defense project.

Dubbed the "sky warrior", the A400M specializes in carrying out missions related to transporting military equipment, soldiers, remote support, aerial refueling and electronic reconnaissance, and can fly faster and further.

The A400M is equipped with four TP400-D6 turboprop engines, each with a capacity of 11,000 horsepower. The fuselage is 45.1m long, the wingspan is 42.4m, the wing area is 225 square meters, the maximum flight speed is 781 km/h, the flight range is 8,700km and the flight ceiling is up to 12,200m. The take-off/landing distance on the tactical runway is 980m and 770m respectively.

The A400M has a payload capacity of up to 40 tons while still being able to operate flexibly in the air. The A400M's cargo hold is nearly 4 meters high and wide, nearly 18 meters long, allowing it to transport 3 combat helicopters and 116 soldiers and easily travel a distance of more than 8,700 km.

In addition, the A400M can carry two light armored marines or a CH-47 helicopter or a rescue boat, 116 paratroopers.

The A400M in particular has water stored in a fixed tank located in the cargo hold of the aircraft and retained by two independent doors, connected to the exhaust pipe. When the aircraft operates at an altitude of 46m and flying at a speed of 230 km/h, this kit can discharge 20 tons of water in less than 10 seconds.

The A400M has a crew of 3-4 people, including 2 pilots and 1 loadmaster; a third pilot is optional.

The A400M is equipped with damage-resistant control systems, an armored cockpit, a bulletproof windshield and inert gas in the fuel tank, enhancing survivability.

The A400M has four twin propellers and is specially designed for landing and taking off on short runways and makeshift runways with suitable payloads.

The propeller turbines are designed to best support the "sky warriors" from refueling in the air, parachuting or landing on short and unpaved runways.

The A400M can take off from short runways (980m) and land on short runways (770m). The French military currently owns over 20 A400Ms and plans to increase the number of these aircraft to 35 by 2030.

In August 2018, an A400M flew over Hanoi and several other northern localities within the framework of the PEGASE campaign (deployment of a large-scale air force formation in Southeast Asia) in the Asia- Pacific region, with the French team performing a demonstration flight.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/dieu-chua-biet-ve-luc-si-bau-troi-a400m-tung-den-viet-nam-2425677.html