Engine Problems Keeping The Airbus Military Airlifter Grounded ... Again

Engine problems will keep the Airbus Military A400M as a static display at the Farnborough Air Show next week, rather than conducting flying demonstrations. Similar problems prevent the A400M from flying at the Paris Air Show last year.

The problems are not expected to force Airbus to miss its projected first delivery of the A400M to the French government at the end of the year, but Reuters reports that the company is citing "engine maturity" issues as the reason for pulling out of the flying portion of Farnborough.

Last year at the Paris Air Show, a gearbox issue was cited as the cause for the last-minute cancellation of flying demonstrations. The matter is apparently still not resolved to the point where Airbus officials want to allow the airplane to fly at Farnborough. While the airplane is not grounded ... it will fly into the show for static display ... the engine gearbox problems would prevent the airplane to be shown to the best of its ability, performing such maneuvers as steep, slanting turns it is reportedly known for.

Airbus insists that the A400M is on track for delivery. It is designed to fill a niche between Lockheed's C-130 and Boeing's C-17 airlifters.

FMI: www.airbus.com