Royal Air Force A.400M Atlas

[Garry Russell]

Interesting to see that the outer prop is stopped and feathered (both sides, if you look closely at the other under the aircraft).

Kevin

I don't see the far outer prop...just two blades of the inner looking like the two on the inner this side??

[Garry Russell]

'Atlas'? I thought it was called 'Grizzly', which I think suits it more.

Is Atlas just the RAF name for it?

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbrizenorton/eq ... matlas.cfm

I seems the prototypes were known as Grizzly, perhaps because of the issues.????

Atlas is the production name.

[DaveG]

Saw it at Fairford a couple of years back. Put on a very impressive display, but it's still ugly though

[J0hn]

I couldn't say ugly or not (though I would definitely say that about the cockpit!) but I think it looks very capable.

We had a Herc fly over very low on Friday (I mean, about 250ft - like the DC-3 does with it's flypasts) which was just great. Would like to see one of these doing the same.

The thing is, no matter how it looks and sounds, it's never going to fill the boots of the Herc, reputation-wise. The sound of those Allisons is something that stays with you, let alone in full reverse.

Will this be able to drop stuff out the back at tree-top height? Or are they planning to just fit something in between the Herc and C-17? That isn't how it looks to me.

[Paul K]

Two small questions:

Two colour roundels in peacetime? Hardly think a small white circle would undo the low-vis scheme. Maybe this is another RAF change that I haven't kept up with.

Been like that for many years, Mike. If you google some older RAF aircraft, say the F-4 or Buccaneer, you'll see pictures of them in the old grey/green camo scheme, with both the two-colour and three colour roundel.

Two colour for example... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... ited-2.jpg

[Airspeed]

Much appreciated Paul,
Good choice, using the Phantom, bit sad that the National colours have been abandoned though. It doesn't make much sense to me.
The RAAF still uses the old red white & blue, except on low-vis.
When it comes down to it, they're not required for normal visual recognition, it's all electronic now, and travelling that quickly that humans wouldn't see them anyway. It follows that the use of fancy tail art is merely a morale booster for air and ground crew while the aircraft are on the ground.
Now, I wonder if anyone knows about all those little flap thingos.

[SkippyBing]

Now, I wonder if anyone knows about all those little flap thingos.

They stop spanwise flow. Probably help hide the control mechanism as well.

[J0hn]

I think you'll find that the two-tone roundels are due to A) not being spotted on aerial/satellite imagery so easily whilst in flight and B) camouflage purposes on the ground.

It may be peacetime now, but in the event of a squadron suddenly finding itself in a conflict, they don't want to be spending time painting over white roundels that could be better spent doing something else (making the sqn leader a char ).

[Garry Russell]

Is it peacetime now?

The UK has been involved on and off in various conflicts for years.

[Garry Russell]

The thing is, no matter how it looks and sounds, it's never going to fill the boots of the Herc, reputation-wise. The sound of those Allisons is something that stays with you, let alone in full reverse.

I take it you mean a proper Herk...the C-130J just doesn't cut it for me.

How can such a beast sound like a Dash Eight

For me, a real Herk with proper propellers...not sure if the engines are that different but the props certainly are.