A400M MSN 001 gets its propellers

Early June has been a busy time on the A400M programme. While the TP400 engine was being ground-run at Marshall's facilities in the UK, the first production aircraft, A400M MSN 001, has had its propellers fitted at the Final Assembly Line in Seville. All four of the huge Ratier-Figeac / Hamilton Sundstrand propellers have now been integrated with the engines on the wings of a/c No 001.

Measuring 5.3 metres (17.5 feet) in diameter, the eight-bladed propellers manufactured in France from woven composite material are amongst the largest of such in the world.

The state-of-the-art scimitar-shaped blades, in handed pairs turning in opposite directions on each wing, will drive the A400M at cruise speeds of up to 430 knots. This puts the A400M in the class of the fastest turboprops allowing speeds and climb performance similar to turbofan-powered aircraft. The A400M's engine/propeller rotation configuration is described as "Down Between Engines" and provides numerous advantages in terms of aerodynamic efficiency and structural design.