About Airbus A400M:
- It is a European-built military transport aircraft.
- The aircraft is manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, a division of the European aerospace and defence firm Airbus.
- It combines the capability to carry strategic loads with the ability to deliver even into tactical locations with small and unprepared airstrips.
- It can carry large cargo, vehicles, troops, and paratroopers or be configured for medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions.
- Features:
- A powerful turboprop engine that gives the A400M the ability to operate from short, unimproved airfields.
- Maximum takeoff weight: 141 metric tons (309,000 pounds)
- Maximum payload: 37 metric tons (41 short tons).
- It can carry up to 116 fully equipped troops or 66 stretchers and 25 medical attendants. The cargo hold can take nine standard military pallets.
- Range: 8,900 kilometres (5,530 miles)
- Speed: 780 kilometres per hour (485 miles per hour)
- The aircraft is equipped with in-flight refuelling capabilities.
- The aircraft’s independent navigation system comprises an inertial reference system (IRS) integrated with a global positioning system (GPS).
- It features an advanced glass cockpit with modern avionics and control systems.
What is a turboprop aircraft?
- A turboprop aircraft uses a turbo-prop engine rather than a piston-powered engine or a jet engine.
- They have one or more gas-turbine engines connected to a gearbox that turns the propeller(s) to move the aircraft on the ground and through the air.
- Turboprop aircraft have lower operating costs than jets because they burn less fuel, but they are also slower than jets.
