At an elaborate unveiling ceremony in Spain, Airbus held a public viewing of the A400M, its multi-purpose military transport plane that it hopes will replace the aging workhorses of many militaries across the world. At the same time, however, the company announced the airplane still faces six-to-12 month delays in deliveries caused by problems encountered in engine production. The first test flight is tentatively scheduled for September or October. The company currently has 192 orders for the plane on the books.
The plane is meant to replace the aging fleets of C-130 Hercules cargo aircrafts produced by Lockheed Martin Corp. as well as the C-160 that was developed by a French and German corporation. With twice the capacity and payload of the planes it will replace, the A400M will fulfill numerous roles from aerial refueling to dropping supplies during humanitarian relief operations. France is scheduled to take delivery of the first four-engine plane in 2010, a year behind schedule, followed by Germany a year later.
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