The Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter has been recognised by leading US magazine Popular Science as one of the major innovations in the aviation world in 2010.

Airbus Military is honoured to receive this accolade from a magazine which is one of the world´s foremost science publications for a general audience, with more than 1.1 million subscribers.

Editor-in-chief Mark Jannot says: “For 23 years, Popular Science has honoured the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future.

“The Best of What’s New Award is the magazine’s top honour, and the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.”

In its citation, Popular Science highlights the A400M´s remarkable load-carrying capability allied to its ability to operate from front-line airfields.

The magazine comments: “The A400M can haul two attack helicopters or 116 soldiers, while remaining manoeuvrable enough to get in and out of the front lines quickly. The relatively lightweight carbon-composite wings keep the plane’s weight low enough (the exact figure is a trade secret) that, when equipped with reinforced shocks, rugged tyres and debris-resistant turboprops, the A400M can land on and take off from dirt and gravel runways. Yet the craft can carry 80,000 pounds, nearly twice as much as the rival Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.”

Read Popular Science´s full report on the Best of What´s New 2010 at:
http://www.popsci.com/announcements/article/2010-11/best-whats-new-2010-our-100-innovations-year


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