The Airbus A400M stunned the crowd with a near-vertical combat takeoff.
Posted by Snoo99928@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 445 comments
Posted by Snoo99928@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 445 comments
Pyptpop9@reddit
Just how
krikszkraksz@reddit
I have seen it live last weekend at the Paris Air Show. I tell you, even though there were many fighter jet displays, this big girl impressed me the most! It did so many crazy bank angle turns and it could fly sooo slowly, I could not understand how it hasn't fallen from the sky set.
voxcon@reddit
One of the main reasons why it can fly so slowly is, because it was designed not only as a logistical transport aircraft, but also as a tanker for jets and helicopters. And especially helicopter refueling can only be performed at relatively low speeds (mainly due to the needed vertical separation and high hose slope). You can find interesting articles that go into more detail it if you search for HAAR (helicopter air to air refueling).
krikszkraksz@reddit
Ah I thought it's flying that slowly because of the parachuters jumping out of it!
Ehrlich68@reddit
And the slower it can fly the shorter the runway can be to land on.
Kaimito1@reddit
I suppose due to the weight it'll still need a respectable runway to land right?
I imagine even if it's slow that's alot of weight so force required to stop would be high
No-Reach-9173@reddit
Yes but for one they weigh a lot less than when they took off. Also brakes and tires are pushed to their limits, along with thrust reversal means it can land in a shorter distance than they need to take off. 770m vs 980m.
donkeykink420@reddit
i've heard enough, land it on a carrier or no balls
Professional_Team852@reddit
Negative pitch of the propellers helping with this.
AggressorBLUE@reddit
It is a lot of weight to bring to a stop, but those big props can be thrown into reverse pitch and do a great job of slowing her down.
-Prophet_01-@reddit
I'm not entirely sure on the exact numbers but this plane was designed to replace the Hercules which was famous for landing supplies and troops on pretty shoddy and short runways.
It's a very relevant capability because bombing airfields is one of the first things that will happen in a war. This category of plane is intended to keep things running when half the run way is still full of craters or when there's nothing better to land on than a modified highway.
BecauseWeCan@reddit
According to Wikipedia 625m are enough for landing.
Ehrlich68@reddit
Sure, but at the same weight, the lower the landing speed is the shorter the distance to come to a stop.
1nVrWallz@reddit
And take off. Almost like it's a Short Take Off and Landing aircraft (STOL)
CodeName_Empty@reddit
I took many STOL flights while working overseas. They would make us get on the scale with all our gear to get exact weights. I swear, I think the pilots would fly crazy sometimes to see if we would throw up. :)
DrahKir67@reddit
Did they weigh you afterwards to see who vomited the most?
voxcon@reddit
That's another reason. Not sure which one is more limiting in speed though.
ApacheKillbot@reddit
Refueling usually gets a speed envelope whereas jumpers get a set speed. With jumpers, you want things to be as consistent as possible to prevent jumper injury. Plus the faster you go, the higher the opening force on the parachute, since drag force has a velocity squared term in it.
Sensitive_Yellow_121@reddit
So, technically, they could do both at the same time?
MSaxov@reddit
Here is fuel and a new pilot incoming...
ApacheKillbot@reddit
Technically yes, but in practice no. The KC-130 and A400 have pods on their wings which is where the refueling equipment is stored. So you could technically just jump out the door on the opposite side of where the receiver is gasing up.
The other part of the envelope is altitude and refueling is usually done in the thousands of feet while static line jumpers are dropped in the hundreds of feet. You're also usually refueling far away from any trouble and usually jumpers are meant to go after the trouble, so its unlikely you would ever do both at once.
obecalp23@reddit
I don’t understand your point about the altitude. I mean jumpers could jump from thousands of feet right?
ApacheKillbot@reddit
They can and they certainly do, but it becomes more of a parachute driven limit. At higher altitudes you've got a higher relative speed and the chute opens a lot harder, so the chute needs to be designed with that in mind.
Most of the gliding chutes you see sport jumpers and special forces guys in movies use have a slider on the suspension lines to slow the chute opening to enable high altitude jumps.
Usually, if you're jumping from an altitude where'd you be refueling somebody else, you'd first free fall for a bit until you reach a certain altitude and glide a ways. You can hop and pop immediately and you can glide for a bit but its probably shorter than you'd think. In either scenario, you definitely need oxygen to jump at high altitudes.
Wild_Snow_2632@reddit
There’s a limit. At a certain altitude it’s cold and there’s not enough air. Refueling can happen to 30,000 feet for example. 10,000 feet is about the limit for a paratrooper without supplementary oxygen.
Visible_Ad_309@reddit
Somebody has to wipe the windshield down.
Itwasareference@reddit
Skydiver here. Not really accurate, the jump run speed doesn't affect the opening force. They use these planes for MFF (freefall) jumps. They take a delay after exit before deployment, so no matter the exit speed, the deployment is always in the 120-140mph range.
Even on a HAHO jump, there is a delay. You have to get stable before deployment.
What a high jump run speed does do is blast your ass on the hill, which is why you see MFF jumpers flip on exit. Not an injury risk, just annoying and hard to keep stable.
At Perris CA, they jump out of a DC9, and that plane is hauling ass, like 160mph on jump run.
poorly-worded@reddit
possibly the parachuting gas station attendants
Gnonthgol@reddit
Even low altitude drops give the paratroopers enough time to slow down before their chute opens fully before they hit the ground. There may be a max speed you can safely jump out of an airplane but it is far above the stall speed of these airplanes.
What is more likely a limitation is when they do equipment drops without parachutes. They literally fly slowly in ground effect and chuck out pallets of gear onto the ground. It is not that difficult to do with food and ammunition since the grunts can just pick up the scattered cargo off the ground. But they do it with cars and trucks as well.
Adding to this the stall speed depends on the weight of the airplane. The airplane needs a low enough stall speed that it can take off from a short runway even fully loaded. So when the airplane is empty the stall speed is much lower then needed.
ausmomo@reddit
I hope they're not doing that during HAAR
J-L-Picard@reddit
Helicopter refueling!! What will they think of next?
Kaheil2@reddit
Aerial refuelling of...helicopters...is a thing? Refuelling the gigantic spinning blade of death that flies thanks to its hatred of physics via a hose. In the air. Whilst moving.
I am surprised the gonads on the pilots don't create their own solar system damn...
cheatdeactivated@reddit
I was wondering the same thing. Do Helicopters even have such long range to require refueling mid-air?
nleksan@reddit
They do! In fact, It's a critical part of the whole system as they're what the helicopter goes into orbit around while refueling.
SaengerDruide@reddit
The correct airspeed isn't set by lift restrictions, but for the correct speed to achieve balls-stationary orbit
nleksan@reddit
I wonder how much of the recently filled fuel tanks are expended just reaching escape velocity from those gravity well testicles?
DesireeThymes@reddit
I'm trying to picture this in medium to bad weather conditions and it must be impossible.
EvilGeniusSkis@reddit
The helicopters usually have a an extendible refuelling boob long enough to stick out from under the rotors. https://youtu.be/VAdpKpppZiA?si=4B6i_yMBSndI7XCy
Visual-Brilliant-668@reddit
Yup.
D0D@reddit
r/holdmyaviationgoggles
AggressorBLUE@reddit
At a certain point you’re just showing off
Kaheil2@reddit
A very expensive crash waiting to happen...
AnyoneButWe@reddit
Yeah, the spinning death blades don't like it either: https://youtu.be/NZA8fCSKE8c?si=hht5QB_-bWIBwH1k
Kaheil2@reddit
Unholly Newton who art in heaven how the everloving fornication did that not break the balde(s) and lead to gravity winning the day...
AnyoneButWe@reddit
Blades are amazingly robust: https://www.reddit.com/r/WWIIplanes/s/FWxse12nRk
That's the only propeller on the plane, she made it home and the propeller propelled the whole way.
I have seen the aftermath of a civil helicopter touching a tree. The helicopter still had all blades and the blades were straight, but notched. The tree lost serious limbs. Like arm thick limbs. Clear cuts. Military helicopters have more armor.
Doogers7@reddit
It’s just the tip.
Unusual-Obligation97@reddit
Dude, even Airwolf had air refueling back in the 80s. The nozzle was the only weak point in its armor.
Worth-Silver-484@reddit
Idk if helicopters could air refuel back in the 80s. Can we not tv shows for what things exist. I am still waiting for my version of KITT to talk to and siri is not even close. Lol
Unusual-Obligation97@reddit
You wanna get serious? Let's get serious. :)
From National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Worth-Silver-484@reddit
Ok. What does this have to do with using a tv show for reference? Airwolf could also break the sound barrier, fly higher than even currently possible for a heli.I also did not say air refueling was not possible in the 80s. I said I did not know if it was possible for a heli in the 80s.
Mich3St0nSpottedS5@reddit
Yes, Helicopters that can do aerial refueling have a long ass probe like a lance that they can use to take gas on from a basket type receptacle.
Harder to do than a fixed wing aircraft, and with more restrictions on weather.
Kaheil2@reddit
Ahh, so that's how helicopters reproduce then...
serrimo@reddit
They have to time each drop so it falls between the rotating blades...
Exotic-Hour677@reddit
I think they count for the thrust needed
VegetableArmy@reddit
I really liked how you expressed your admiration there. Well said!
RuachDelSekai@reddit
Well you explained the purpose of flying slowly but the issue is with the physics. It doesn't seem to make sense.
voxcon@reddit
Why not? As long as the engines produce more thrust than the plane produces drag, you're good to go. Even at high AOAs.
RuachDelSekai@reddit
I know nothing about how planes work so that's a contributing factor :p
I always just assumed there was a minimum speed required to keep an aircraft aloft, unless it had rotors on the top for that specific purpose.
ukezi@reddit
There is(with the exception of some fighter jets with more thrust than weight). However how much speed is needed depends on the plane and how much it is loaded. You can assume this one is empty and not fueled up all the way. There is a lot of additional lift available.
MiloPengNoIce@reddit
those are reasons why it has to fly slowly.
I wanna know what special science tricks they did to enable it to fly slowly
pepinyourstep29@reddit
The turboprop engines (propellers) essentially make it like a helicopter on steroids. It's basically kind of cheating conventional flight that way, and it has bigger fatter wings so it floats more like a paper airplane or glider with a lot of drag, rather than cutting through the air efficiently.
AggressorBLUE@reddit
Variable pitch turbo props are great at delivering lots and lots of static thrust, even when compared to modern high bypass turbofans. Said another way, they don’t just make a lot of thrust, they make a lot of thrust from a standing start.
Also, flaps. So much flaps. Makes wing beeg. Beeg wing makes beeg lift.
FujitsuPolycom@reddit
Big wing, big thrust.
krikszkraksz@reddit
Yepp, me too!
gigglefarting@reddit
I get philosophically why it flys slow, but I don’t understand physically how it does it.
Khialadon@reddit
I’d wager it’s probably not filled with fuel when doing these manoeuvres, so being much lighter than normal operating weight must increase manoeuverability
RathaelEngineering@reddit
Big lift. Low Reynolds.
somepplpayextra4that@reddit
That’s awesome you’re impressed by it. Everyone wants to see fighter jets but don’t realize these stunts are also impressive and risky.
daaa_interwebz@reddit
A C130 did a fly over at a race I went too. It took so long for it to fly over the track 😂
gm0ney2000@reddit
I was at Aviation Nation in Las Vegas about 15 years ago and saw the C-17 flying a demo and it was just jaw dropping seeing what those big birds can do.
gwoates@reddit
Check out some videos of them using the thrust reversers while in flight. Impressive aircraft indeed.
https://youtu.be/yuA0Qyc2iXM?si=Z-8UCYDlDtLzgHQu&t=462
theshiyal@reddit
Someone commented awhile back about riding into the sandbox in the back of one and the description of that, made my stomach hurt.
Hammer466@reddit
Back in the day when the insurgent folks were still shooting at most everything flying in and out of Baghdad International I got to fly (in the back obviously) in a combat departure and arrival in a C-130. Short field takeoff followed by a steep banked climb staying in the center of the airport footprint. The arrival was almost worse, steeped banked descent followed by a quick 180 to a short field landing.
The crew chief warned us ahead of time that was what we were in for, but words don’t really express the roller coaster ride we were getting on. I enjoyed it, some of the other folks, not so much.
jerkface6000@reddit
Eckholm gets some great access.. but he is a propaganda mouthpiece.
krikszkraksz@reddit
Wow amazing! Although I know I would be shitless scared of the feeling of the negative Gs :'( Due to awful roller coaster experiences I'm struggling with that a lot. But I wish, I could see this crazy descend from outside at least.
AffectedRipples@reddit
I've seen the C-17 demo a few times and I'll always think the most impressive part to me is when they show how short the damn thing can land and stop.
Snuhmeh@reddit
Yeah my favorite is the short landing, then they keep the thrust reversers deployed and back up down the runway to where they touched down. So cool.
SparksFly55@reddit
For these demo flights these transport plane are empty with minimal fuel in the tanks.
krikszkraksz@reddit
There was also an C-17 on static display there. I took tons of selfies with that cutiepie, I can imagine how it flies😍 Have you ever sene the C-5 live? That's my biggest favourite in the category!
SkyPL@reddit
I seen An-225 Mriya at ILA Berlin back before it was blown up by Russians.
It humbles C-5. The thing looks like a flipping hangar, not an airplane.
BecauseWeCan@reddit
Yeah, back then (ILA 2018) it was even possible to get into the crew area and the cockpit. So sad that it got destroyed.
krikszkraksz@reddit
I never had the chance to see the Mriya, before it got destroyed🥲 But at least I saw it's smaller sister land and take-off at the local military airport and it was huge! I have also seen the IL-76 there, was also quite big but nothing compared to the AN-124.
jaxxxtraw@reddit
Yeah, the Galaxy is amazing. Absolutely looks too big to fly, and when they rotate it feels like they can't possibly be going fast enough. But that thing somehow lumbers into the sky every time.
krikszkraksz@reddit
and it's insanely beautiful <3 hehe
foxhelp@reddit
Because of your post, I looked up some of the differences between the Hercules and the Atlas, and came across this podcast of an Hercules/Atlas pilot talking about them and how happy he is with it, their capabilities, comparison.
https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/insideair-podcast-episode-105-a400m-atlas-a-worthy-successor-to-the-c-130-hercules/
TLDR: Atlas can do everything the C-130 can do and a bit more, just working through some teething developments, so it sounds like it will be a great replacement.
Dry-Blueberry-6885@reddit
When it’s empty it must be soooo overpowered.
absurdmcman@reddit
I heard those planes buzzing overhead all week, really made me want to try and go next time! How far in advance do you have to get tickets generally?
trakspile@reddit
the show lasts a week I went on Friday and bought my ticket on Tuesday for 18€. The last three days its open for the public
krikszkraksz@reddit
Uh good question, I wrote it into my calendar a sear ahead then totally forgot to buy the tickets after I checked in December when they were supposed to be online but they weren't. But when I bought mine there weren't any tribune tickets anymore for Saturday, So I would suggest to be quick.
Evepaul@reddit
To be able to take off on a reasonably short strip and fly well when fully loaded, these planes end up having crazy capabilities when flying empty for an air show
FlaneLord229@reddit
I’ve seen an A380 do that in 2008. When it’s light it’s like a rocket
S_n_o_wL_e_o_p_a_r_d@reddit
Where they're going, they don't need roads.
Ancient_Sea7256@reddit
At that point it was a helicopter with 4 rotors.
Hunkeydorry@reddit
I've seen them 1st hand while I was fighting a wildfire. We were about to pull back when we were told to pull back quite a ways. It was then that I heard the little 2 engine spotter plane come out of the smoke about 100 feet from the tops of the trees. He flew across the unit and down to the creek and then stood on its tail and shot straight up. Right behind it came this gigantic plane dropping water covering the entire unit. Then, right down at the bottom of the draw, it stood on its tail, the engines screaming it practically stopped but then took off, nearly straight up vertically, up the other side of the canyon. It did this 3 more times and gave us the chance to get control and extinguish this fire. I've never seen power like that anywhere else and the pilots of these planes have to be the most amazing pilots there are. It's performance like that that makes me feel safe as a civilian. I support our armed services. I pray for them every day.
Successful_Fly4997@reddit
That there is actually a c-17
Dense_Review_5926@reddit
With turboprob? No.
Emotional_Base_9021@reddit
That’s not a plane, that’s a rocket. /s
Braincake87@reddit
When your airplane has helicopter mode 😁
kennybob@reddit
I lived by an air port/air guard base and used to take my kids to the restaurant there and watch the C-130's practice their tactical maneuvers. It's impressive what big planes can do.
Preindustrialcyborg@reddit
can we have an angle that isnt quite literally the worst possible one for this demonstration please?
antiTankCatBoy@reddit
I am part of my uni's SAE Aerodesign team. The entire longitudinal stability of cargo planes is designed around it carrying at least some weight: flying it underweight, even if the center of mass is correctly placed, will make it want to pitch up like crazy. In fact, if the payload to empty weight ratio is high enough, flying it without any cargo might just make it unable to fly level at all, as even the wing's stall speed generates too much lift compared to the weight!
Wall_Significant@reddit
Ngl, that pitch at the end is near the exact same maneuver that the one c-17 did just before it stalled and crashed.
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
Man I miss living back in the day where videos were in landscape mode instead of this cropped portrait BS, didn't have unnecessary music or captions, and just let people hear natural sound or be edited to fuck all. But I guess that just makes me old.
Cookie_conspiracy@reddit
Yeah, there are a lot of people wit VVS nowadays. It's a tragedy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dechvhb0Meo
redditbutnice@reddit
It’s better for watching on mobile.
TrueSpitfire@reddit
That’s always been happening since the dawn of internet (music over, not so much vertical)
Mindless-Peak-1687@reddit
Correction: Since the dawn of smartphones.
workinkindofhard@reddit
The problem is too many people think the internet is smartphones/apps
spacediver256@reddit
Yup. There've been times (of mostly landscape screens) when portrait videos were considered awful.
Inspi@reddit
There still are those times, but unfortunately people became too stupid to turn their phone sideways.
spacediver256@reddit
I see people watch entire videos at YT without turning phone landscape (yes, using about 30% of screen area). Is it me obsessed with fullscreening every possible video I watch? lol.
reductase@reddit
Video wasn't widespread on the internet for decades.
tmullato@reddit
A decade ago I griped about how everything on the internet is sliding toward vertical layout to cater primarily to mobile browsing. It's why so many websites are absolute trash. How people suffer Reddit on a desktop/laptop without using old.reddit I have no idea.
CardinalOfNYC@reddit
Also, the title says "stunned the crowd" and the video has no crowd visible so who knows how they felt about it?
AiringOGrievances@reddit
“Sound on!”. GTFO
whd4k@reddit
I wonder where is the boundary between being old and bitching, and just being right
Silviecat44@reddit
redditor yells at cloud, more at six
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
I don't yell at clouds, they yell at me.
OkDragonfruit9026@reddit
No, the giant cowboy heads in the clouds are the ones yelling!
spacediver256@reddit
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1373530/Militsioner/ ;)
Hillbillyblues@reddit
And we are back to feeling old again.
spacediver256@reddit
Yeah, and being slow-moed unexpectedly at random places.
imunfair@reddit
The worst part is even in good movies I've seen plenty of times where they don't bother to use slo-mo cameras, they just slow it in post, and it looks like stuttery crap.
Electronic-Dig1873@reddit
Portrait angle gets more engagement
NassauTropicBird@reddit
I don't know about "near vertical" but that's foo king impressive.
shadow_clone69@reddit
For me, its the bank angle than the angle of attack
zzgamma@reddit
Legit surprised how nobody else is mentioning the bank angle at that AoA.
Calm-Frog84@reddit
Why?
A wing will stall at same AOA whatever the bank angle.
zzgamma@reddit
High bank angle at a given nose attitude will cause the AoA on the upper going wing to increase more depending on the bank angle, and the AoA on the down going wing to decrease, which can cause an asymmetric stall and send you into a spin.
A spin at this altitude on this aircraft is a guaranteed death.
redditbutnice@reddit
Only if you pull back on the stick to maintain the nose attitude will it increase AOA
Calm-Frog84@reddit
Do you understand the flight physics of a lazy eight maneuver?
Banking an aircraft may even be an emergency procedure, as demonstrated in this incident: Falcon 7x trim runaway incident
zzgamma@reddit
I’m a flight student. Thanks for this.
gumenetka@reddit
The pilot is not necessarily pulling high AOA when they bank.
What the pilot is doing is very similar to a high pith unusual attitude recovery.
Basically you unload the wing, to reduce AOA and roll to the side to let the nose drop toward to horizon. You can actually go below stall speed for horizontal flight and still have roll authority if you are pulling leas than 1 G.
This is practiced both with GA aircraft in PPL, CPL and on initial and recurrent training on commercial aircraft.
NassauTropicBird@reddit
I know, right?
I would pay a lot of money to be on a flight like that.
Beanz4ever@reddit
Yah I know nothing about aviation and I still said "holy shit" out loud. That's a big ass plane doing something that my brain says a big ass plane should not be able to do.
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
Any large airliner can look like this when also filmed at extreme angles recorded withe 3000 mm lenes.
nemo24601@reddit
I'd expect military planes have specific requirements about performance that commercial airlines don't?
Nozinger@reddit
They do. Absolutely.
Military aircraft are built for very steep climb angles since you can only really secure a small area around the airfield.
You can't do a gentle climb in those cases. Or a gentle descent at that. You'd ust get shot on your way to/from the airfield.
Altitue is your safety so you need to be able to pull off such maneuvers. Civilian airliners don't need to do this. Civilian airliners are built for things like comfort noise reduction and fuel efficiency. Those are the things they are good at. And those are also things that are not the higherst priority for military aircraft.
Cafebiba@reddit
Most of modern comercial planes can easilly outperform military cargo planes when empty or even when loaded they can easilly match them.
There is basically zero difference in applied technology.
Nozinger@reddit
Zero difference in applied technology. That is why the a400m uses turboprops that are more efficient at lower altitude than the turbofans commercial planes use.
ABSOLUTELY ZERO DIFFERENCE GUYS!
ANd that is only the most obvious visible difference.
No these planes are indeed built to very different specifications. Now an empty commercial plane can do similar things that is true. But you ahve to eep in mind that an empty plane is also flying way below specs. No airline or military in the world asks for a plane that performs well when empty. They specify those things for load.
And i can assure you fully loaded commercial planes can't pull of the stuff that a military plane can. Also goes the other way round by the way a military plane can't do some thigns commercial ones can. These things are built for a job and they are good at that job. If you try to do another job with them they might still be able to do it but there are specialists out there that are simply better.
Cafebiba@reddit
You really need to start reading posts to understand discussiin. responding to the last post without reading the reat makes you just shouting at clouds.
Are you saying there is no turboprop comercial planes or you skimmed the post and didn't understand what was written.
Again , you did not look at the thread and you are shouting at the clouds.
We SPECIFICALLY talking about airshow performance of ...wait for it... EMPTY, SET FOR MAX PERFORMANCE cargo plane.
Loats of words that mean nothing to anybody with even basic interest in aviation.
There is very little difference in performance of military planes and comercial pla es, infact some comercial planes outperform military cargo planes for the simple reason that they are build to be as efficient as possible and save as much money as they can, while being as efficient at speed.
Meanwile military planes main objectibe is to cary cargo and not brake while being roughly handled.
Technology applied is exactly the same.
autofan06@reddit
I don’t think many commercial birds can pop the thrust reversers mid flight to help descend faster… or operate on short dirt strips.
Erigion@reddit
That, and when things get real tough, you can attach rockets to cargo planes
afito@reddit
Commercial airliners are supposed to bring people safely from runway A to runway B, not drop main battle tanks in bumfuck nowhere in the middle of a desert where even dirt runway would be too kind of a description.
UsualFrogFriendship@reddit
Don’t forget the empty cabin and “going nowhere” fuel loads.
I’d love to experience an “acrobatic” flight like this as an av-geek, but I can probably keep dreaming
piersonpuppeteer1970@reddit
I got into a debate about this with coworkers last week. (According to Title 14) That is aerobatic flight, not acrobatic flight. Part 91 defines aerobatic flight and they claim they do not have a definition for acrobatic flight. Part 21 defines acrobatic is a category the type of aircraft can fall under. Remember this: aerobatic is a flight regime classification while acrobatic is a category of airplane/type rating.
4evr_dreamin@reddit
Not always check out combat take off and combat landing.
ohhellperhaps@reddit
Also how much the cargo will complain. Even passenger jets can do far more than they regularly do if they don’t have to keep passenger comfort in mind.
hoax709@reddit
Fuck my comfort do a barrel roll!
Tuna-Fish2@reddit
Barrel rolls are actually really comfortable. Because it's a constant positive-g maneuver, if you're not looking outside you don't necessarily even notice it's happening, it just feels like accelerating. This is the canonical demonstration of it.
Aileron rolls, on the other hand...
hirokuzitu@reddit
So cool. I've seen this video so many times and it's still awesome.
nleksan@reddit
I literally was just reading about that guy yesterday! He was the guy who flew chase for Yaeger's flight that broke the sound barrier.
aka_Handbag@reddit
…are absolutely awesome!
Source: passenger rides in Pitts S-2, Nanchang CJ-6a, T-6G
clockworkpeon@reddit
RIP sky king
IamTheCeilingSniper@reddit
IIRC, there was a passenger jet that pulled 8g out of a dive. After this was discovered to have happened, the manufacturer requested that it be sent back to them for study because it should not have been able to survive the much g force.
leorolim@reddit
Much cooler when it's an airliner than a fighter jet.
Exhibit A: https://youtu.be/26H-WzIe858
dunno260@reddit
Closest feeling I have had was on a 767 plane repositioning from Dallas to Chicago. Didn't need to be laden down with fuel and probably had less luggage and cargo as well. By far the fastest acceleration on takeoff I have ever felt.
In comparison did one of the longest flights in the world (at the time, not sure where it ranks now) from Atlanta to Johannesburg. Longest takeoff I have ever been on as we seemingly used every bit of runway in Atlanta. Also took us a good half hour or so to get up to 10,000 feet. That was the sort of bizarre sensation of this isn't normal you only get if you have flown a decent bit.
useittilitbreaks@reddit
Half an hour to 10,000 feet? Was the plane broken?
dunno260@reddit
Just really heavy with fuel so climb rate was slow.
NassauTropicBird@reddit
I respectfully disagree. I've been to many an air show and seen many an airliner and "any large airliner" can't do that.
I remember seeing the latest 'Airbusoeing whatever' at the Fort Lauderdale Air and Sea Show back in the early 2000s and it did an amazing OMFG pop up for an airliner but it didn't do anything like this plane. And, and it was already flying when it did it.
PhDinWombology@reddit
He said can look like that but not actually do it
lethemeatcum@reddit
He still wildly incorrect. This is engineering and pilot magic.
Cafebiba@reddit
It is and angle and lens.
As much as it is impressive take off, It is not as steep as it looks on this video because most of it is just perspective.
There are perception misleading videos of passenger planes taking off that look almost as impresive as this.
Software_Dependent@reddit
No, I have seen these many times at RIAT at RAF Fairford, the take off is absolutely ridiculous, as though it should not be possible.
Cafebiba@reddit
It is but the point is that the perspective in this video is exagerated due to focal lenght and filming from the back angle.
Although impresive for plane like this, its nowhere near vertical and geting in to turn as steep as it apear to be on video, its just a perspective.
Here is what I believe exactly the same take off at Fairford from different angle.
https://youtube.com/shorts/HkY4ik4jSZY?feature=shared
PhDinWombology@reddit
It’s easier to just call them stupid
lethemeatcum@reddit
No, the performance of this aircraft is absolutely insane regardless of the damn camera.
Cafebiba@reddit
You just easilly impresssed by video tricks.
Go to nearest airport watch any Cargo Airbus or Boening taking off.
Sometimes they half loaded and sometimes but rarelly empty.
If this trick of camera on A400 makes you so impressed , its going to blow your mind.
Here is empty 777 that is double the mass of A400 at steep take off and its not even on trick your mind for tiktok clicks angle
https://youtu.be/kx1btNYZBJo?feature=shared
lethemeatcum@reddit
You have no idea what you are talking about bruh.
Cafebiba@reddit
LOL
I guess the pilots on that 777 didn't account for your expert opinion and just broke the laws of phisics to prove you wrong.
lethemeatcum@reddit
You have no idea about the performance or engineering of military aircraft.
Cafebiba@reddit
Thank god we have you as an expert. 😂
Here is some basic info for you.
Airbus A400 Max take off angle 12°
Boening 777 Max take off angle 15°
bye
lethemeatcum@reddit
Don't thank God, thank me.
Murky-Science9030@reddit
Especially if you can also play with the playback speed
LateyEight@reddit
3000m will crush the depth, sure. But the moment it turns and you see it at like 65° climb there's no lens that will distort that angle.
mattvandyk@reddit
There are other angles of this circulating now (including in r/aviation), and no, this is not some sort of illusion or camera trickery.
lethemeatcum@reddit
Nope
Two_Tetrahedrons@reddit
I was in military aviation. The first day of aviation theory school, the teacher said, "we know how to make planes fly. But they really shouldn't be able to." lmao
captain_ender@reddit
This is especially true with cargo class military aviation. The C-5 is an exercise in defying the laws of gravity.
Two_Tetrahedrons@reddit
Gravity defying behemoths!
smokie12@reddit
You just know the pilot said "In Thrust we trust" before jamming the levers full forward.
dontthink19@reddit
I've watched some c-17s do some crazy flying at the local air base. And when you compare them to the c-5 they're zippy little fucks in the sky. Which is weird to say about a pretty big cargo plane.
But I've seen one near vertical descent over the run way probably 10 years ago or so and it was wild to see
muck2@reddit
44000 hp on that big boy.
The_0ven@reddit
Something Something direction of the wind
doom_pizza@reddit
You can say fuck on the internet.
NassauTropicBird@reddit
As in, "fuck you, you could have just scrolled by?"
doom_pizza@reddit
Exactly! There you go!
jtshinn@reddit
This perspective gets inexperienced viewers every time.
RuairiSpain@reddit
Passengers would need a vomit bag with that change in G-forces
waffels@reddit
Psst, you can say fucking on Reddit.
NassauTropicBird@reddit
Psst, you can scroll foo king by.
S1075@reddit
Its an impressive climb, but the zoom lens definitely changes the perspective.
TraceyRobn@reddit
Also the plane is empty, fuel tanks probably quiet empty too, so it's light.
Several_Vanilla8916@reddit
While empty, the takeoff run is basically the same as the C17.
AffectedRipples@reddit
Thats what I figured. The thing is powerful enough to carry large amounts of cargo, when its not carrying anything, it's probably a hotrod.
dunno260@reddit
I remember reading when that Alaska Airlines plane was stolen in Seattle and was doing crazy maneuvers someone mentioned that without its passengers, cargo, and fuel it would have a similar thrust/weight ratio of something like a P-51 mustang.
Narrow_Vegetable_42@reddit
Similarly to delivery vans, often even RWD. When completely empty, those things go fast
Creepy_Guarantee5460@reddit
Exactly. Rule 1 for going fast: be as light as possible.
andpaws@reddit
Tell Bolt that….
NassauTropicBird@reddit
I don't think it changes it all that much. For a few seconds that plane is nose up at least 45 degrees, and that's nuts regardless of weight/fuel load for a plane that size
Nuts and fookin awesome, that is
NotTheFBI_23@reddit
'This doesnt seem physically possible!"
-red vs blue
Cartoonjunkies@reddit
One cool thing about turboprops like this is that the airflow from the prop over the wing is enough to generate some amount of lift. So even if you’re at an airspeed where in theory you should be stalling, the added airflow can let you get slower than you normally could.
cmdr-William-Riker@reddit
I know the lens and the viewing angle amplifies everything, but that is still impressive!
eric_gm@reddit
Yeah. It’s 2025 and people still get tricked by lens compression.
The aircraft did an amazing maneuver but it’s very exaggerated by the lens.
reductase@reddit
There's no such thing as lens compression; you can crop a photo from an ultrawide to have the same perspective as a telephoto lens.
Distance between camera and subject is all that matters.
https://visualwilderness.com/equipment/understanding-focal-length-perspective-in-photography
futw3@reddit
Its funny how people always downvote this fact. Can’t defy physics ;)
redditonc3again@reddit
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think lens compression (ie. the effect of focal length and distance to subject) can alter the apparent angle of lines parallel to the plane of an image. Thus the climb/bank angle of this aircraft should appear the same to the naked eye.
SkyPL@reddit
Especially given that it uses propellers.
You would expect jets to do stuff like that, but props?!
Gordon_frumann@reddit
Helicopters entered the chat.
GeneraalSorryPardon@reddit
Helicopters taking off vertically is not really impressive though. That's kinda their thing.
Gordon_frumann@reddit
Oh no, the original commenter said it was impressive with propellers. I'm just highlighting that it's pretty common to take off vertically with propellers.
GeneraalSorryPardon@reddit
ah my bad. Nevermind.
SuicidalNapkin09@reddit
JATO rockets!
Legitimate-King8573@reddit
One hell of a engineering i guess.
DeliciousMight9181@reddit
With enough thrust even washing machine does fly.
Senior_Rub_9518@reddit
Amazing machine. Worked on its tanks few years back.
Taptrick@reddit
It’s steep but that is a bit of an illusion. Nowhere near vertical.
PeB4YouGo@reddit
Wow, instantly made me think of that B52 rolling over into a death plunge. Seams surreal to see it keep going.
One-Assignment-1995@reddit
Is this a Chandelle?
WalrusWarhammer3544@reddit
I saw an airliner do that, ofc it wasn't loaded.
Key_Cell_3980@reddit
When you need to get out of Dodge in a hurry……😁
NathanArizona@reddit
"near vertical"
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
That's what it says, and how it looks
NathanArizona@reddit
You think it’s near vertical?
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
Near
NathanArizona@reddit
So how close to 90 degrees?
icuchaseme@reddit
Assault Takeoff is common.
Dave_The_Slushy@reddit
Big empty planes can do some amazing stuff. I saw a 777 take off within two body lengths at Everett.
ThomasCro@reddit
what the fuck
StopTheFishes@reddit
Holy shit
Traditional-Step-246@reddit
It is possible when you have power
BabiesatemydingoNSW@reddit
"Shouldn't be possible" LOL The Herky bird can do it too, they're both tactical transports.
DesperateComb7326@reddit
If it was empty, it’s basically a missile.
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
And an F15D without 20k pounds old bombs with full fuel isn't?
EliteEthos@reddit
It wasn’t “near vertical”
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
Sure it was
EliteEthos@reddit
Nobody said it wasn’t impressive. But it wasn’t “near vertical”
https://youtu.be/DodKUmJEnbY
FalconX88@reddit
yeah that's more like 45 degree, so half way to vertical
EliteEthos@reddit
Right. I wouldn’t call 45 degrees “near vertical”
Mist_Rising@reddit
Are you arguing with yourself???
External_System_7268@reddit
Near vertical is not set in stone. Unless theres a scientific definition saying "near vertical" is exactly X degrees you got nothing to nitpick about here.
EliteEthos@reddit
Words have definitions…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertical
External_System_7268@reddit
Noone said it performed a vertical takeoff so why would you provide a definition for that exactly when the term in question is near-vertical which is purely subjective.
EliteEthos@reddit
If vertical is 90 degrees, what would “near vertical” mean to you bud? 35 or 45 degrees? That’s the most you’re seeing from the airplane in the video. Half or less than half is not “near vertical”.
The definition seems important because you’re the one saying I’m nitpicking.
“Near vertical” would be a HELL of a lot closer to 90 degrees than not. 75-90 degrees would be “near”.
By your “subjective” definition, a Cessna 172 taking off is near vertical… at 10 degree deck angle.
i_am_13th_panic@reddit
at what angle would you consider a manouver to to be "near" vertical then?
EliteEthos@reddit
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertical
i_am_13th_panic@reddit
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/near
EliteEthos@reddit
Close to. Yes. I’m aware. This is MAYBE 45 degrees nose up… likely less. That’s less than half. Explain how that is “near”…
GlassyComparison@reddit
For a plane that size without rocket assist? Damn right it was.
EliteEthos@reddit
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertical
87utrecht@reddit
Vertical is a direction. Directions have nothing to do with planes or size.
It wasn't near vertical, it's a perspective illusion.
Fruben83@reddit
We should ask Tom Cruise hour vertical it felt
Orb99@reddit
How much more did you expect?? Lol
gobbledygook212@reddit
Well if you use a telephoto lens compressing distance everything looks more impressive. That said and done, what makes you believe that the transport class engines are used at full throttle for normal take off?
These turbofans and turboprops are far more efficient than a turbojet at lower altitudes and they are massively powerful.
Look at the capability of a 747 to pull sustained g maneuvers at full throttle for reference.
Pattern_Is_Movement@reddit
Some comments here are from people that were there saying it was the most impressive display of any plane at the show.
lifestepvan@reddit
Can we appreciate something cool without condescending snark for once?
CankerLord@reddit
No, context is always good. Even if it breaks something.
lifestepvan@reddit
Context can be provided without acting like a smartass. But whatever, it's Reddit and a technical subject, so par for the course.
CankerLord@reddit
Yeah, but, like, who cares?
funk-the-funk@reddit
This sub is for aviation discussion, please keep your OnlyFans stuff out of here ok?
kharmael@reddit
They are. We don’t penny-pinch like airlines so just put it in TOGA for every take off.
Fresh-Word2379@reddit
I’ve often used camera lenses and compression to distort reality. #POV
Disastrous_Patience3@reddit
Impressive. But can it do that only without cargo?
FlyByPC@reddit
Even assuming it's empty and on almost no fuel, that's impressive.
DMMMOM@reddit
Didn't some guy do this once and stall it pretty soon after take off>?
Nannyphone7@reddit
Low fuel, no cargo, full power. Good show!
Think-Try2819@reddit
Cargo pilots are the best pilots.
Altruistic-Text-5769@reddit
Lol it can carry like 40 tons of cargo and 55 tons of fuel. If u dont have any cargo and are light on fuel, even big planes can do amazing things.
A modern widebody passenger plane can do some pretty insane stuff when its empty too
BMB281@reddit
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auddbot@reddit
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alpha_rat_fight_@reddit
How do you even generate lift at that angle?
ViolinistEmpty7073@reddit
Thrust
jmlinden7@reddit
In thrust we trust
ThinkpadGamer@reddit
i can’t believe i had to dig this far down in the comments for this phrase
saml01@reddit
Accelerated slipstream from those massive propellers helps too
RealUlli@reddit
You're confusing angle of attack with angle to the horizon. Plus the flattening of the perspective from the telephoto lens. The whole thing was a fairly normal high performance takeoff with a plane as light as they could make it.
alpha_rat_fight_@reddit
Oh. Thanks for clarifying :)
doorbell2021@reddit
Thrust to weight ratio.
No cargo, light on fuel for the demo, and this was probably done in the ballpark of 1:1 thrust/weight.
BrewCityChaserV2@reddit
By kicking in the optical illusion gear.
FalconX88@reddit
"weird" how these "vertical takeoff" videos are always filmed from the back or front, never from the side. and then they usually zoom in in a way you lose every reference point and it's impossible to judge what's actually happening.
7stroke@reddit
⬆️This side up⬆️
daygloviking@reddit
Who would have thought a near-empty overpowered STOL machine and forced perspective could make something look vertical?
Chrisdkn619@reddit
My thinking too! Stripped out and empty!
Rocketmanluke@reddit
I would not like to be in that during that manoeuvre
CloneClem@reddit
Nitrous for the win
Forgotthebloodypassw@reddit
That's one way to get rid of Tom Cruise.
Mother-Project-490@reddit
Boieng do the same, but going to the ground
morganational@reddit
Noice!
Goingboldlyalone@reddit
Reminds me of our Netjets flight last week.
StandingInTheHaze@reddit
Was at the Royal International Air tattoo when these were introduced. The A400M demonstrator did this unscheduled early in the morning, there were quite a few foul words spoken among spectators.
Opening-Ease9598@reddit
Wait til you’re inside one when the pilot does a combat takeoff. Most people lose their lunch the first few times lol. Same with the C17 and C130
lakimakromedia@reddit
Much bigger thrust / engines then it need just military stuff
BlueTeamMember@reddit
No do it with Tom Crusie Attached
interstellar-dust@reddit
Moe power, noe cargo. It’s possible.
captain_ender@reddit
Can a C-130 do this?
interstellar-dust@reddit
Yes, this is more common than you think and pilots are trained to do this. If pilots have to take off from hostile airfields e.g. in Afghanistan, they do what is called a tactical take off.
Scrub to 3:50 - https://youtu.be/wZeB_jxxozQ?si=Qmum3VI7EUGIqZh2
wearsAtrenchcoat@reddit
“With enough thrust even bricks fly” and when empty any airplane is quite light.
Very impressive display though!
TarkovGuy1337@reddit
Easily possible.
I do it in GTA V all the time.
doomiestdoomeddoomer@reddit
That is amazing
TONI2403@reddit
😂Me in Turboprop flight simulator be like:
r_a_d_@reddit
That thing can operate as a quadcopter
Lord_Mountbatten17@reddit
As long as the manufacturer says its okay, I'll try it. But otherwise, I'd be bricking it.
CCKMA@reddit
Aircraft was designed with a very specific scenario in mind. During the Balkan war it was really hard to get supplies into Sarajevo given the location of the city and it's airport (in the valley between some steep mountains). The EU wanted a transport aircraft that could land, drop the supplies/gear/whatever out the back and the take off without stopping.
Aircraft is a technical marvel but also a really good case study in cost overrun and scope creep on defense projects (took a NATO class in my undergrad and our professor used this aircraft as his example)
Prior_Rub402@reddit
I think Atlas is designed with payload capacity of 80k lbs or 37 tons. If you can take off with 37 tons of cargo, doing that in an airshow should be okay.
gitgat@reddit
Longer video without annoying music showing landing also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DodKUmJEnbY
Even_Kiwi_1166@reddit
Trust in the thrust
StrokeShowSteve@reddit
I’ve seen basically commercial pilots pull this shit on delta airlines. Like bro, fuck off. I don’t wanna feel like the plane’s gonna cut in half and my ass falling back to earth. Idgaf if you need to get to cruising altitude fast af. I want a smooth transition not something that feels like a fucking death climb
UnreasoningOptimism@reddit
I'm not sure you know what "vertical" means
Disastrous-Can-2998@reddit
Well, it's empty, that's probably why.
JohannaFRC@reddit
In my former job, I had to flight a lot in those fantastic machine. From time to time, we had the opportunity to take off like that. It's the best roller coaster I ever had the chance to do. A400M is literaly spitting on physic rules because it's able to do things that shouldn't be possible for something of that size.
pomodois@reddit
Stupid ass tik tok music as usual. That angle is misleading tho, if they filmed perpendicularly to the rwy it wouldnt look that much vertical.
49thDipper@reddit
That angle is SICK. It is just how it looks. That’s a tactical combat takeoff
It is as crazy as it looks
pomodois@reddit
Sick, absolutely it is. Almost vertical, nowhere near it. Title is baity, and clip is formatted for reel addicts.
Here you have the same maneuver from the side, without lens and positioning tricks.
49thDipper@reddit
I’m aware of all that
You need to sit in the back while unable to see anything to understand
Saying that takeoff is no big deal says a lot
JUST-CURlOUS@reddit
Fun fact the newest versions of the C-130J has a near 1:1 thrust to weigh ratio. That means it can almost fly strait up without a problem. Why it would need to do this IDK but if they got it to the point of having a 1:1 if not more than 1:1 ratio that would just look wrong to see a C-130 going straight vertical and not stalling.
PrincessKatiKat@reddit
My former Navy co-worker: “shit it prolly wasn’t possible at the time; but sometimes you just HAVE orders, know what I mean?” 😂
Correct_Response5946@reddit
Ok now do it in very hot air, full tanks, full load
Silenceisgrey@reddit
I have to go, my planet needs me
Several-Republic1393@reddit
runthisshitt insta
Normal-Background-74@reddit
Rocket launch
Soap_Mctavish101@reddit
Holy shit
Burr32@reddit
Downwind in 20 seconds. Nuts.
TrowelProperly@reddit
Request closed right? Closed right approved.
vitsigun@reddit
This is probably something between 45-60 degrees nose up, nowhere near vertical. However it does require massive amounts of thrust, which for a cargo plane is impressive. Probably empty, thats why it can do that
In all honesty, these angles appear to be vertical due to illusion. Its the same for 787, which makes it even more impressive, as you usually dont climb more than 10-15 degrees nose up for commercial air transport
iodizedpepper@reddit
That power to weight ratio 🤌🏻
Crazy__Donkey@reddit
That power to empty plane weight
hairygoochlongjump@reddit
This ^^ If That puppy can take off with 3 tanks in the fuselage, I was pretty sure it could do a takeoff like this
BelowAverageLass@reddit
The A400M can't take of with 3 tanks, it has a cargo capacity of 37 tonnes. Even the mighty C-5 can't take off with 3 tanks in the hold
Curiosive@reddit
Better?
External_System_7268@reddit
Thats still power to weight ratio...
Doc_Dragoon@reddit
I mean when you think about it the thrust to weight ratio on an empty cargo plane has to be crazy right? Like something that's designed to fly with the weight of two main battle tanks inside it flying dry must be crazy
FormulaJAZ@reddit
Don't forget 75% empty fuel tanks, too.
Innalibra@reddit
Yeah that thing is so overpowered at that weight it might be able to take off with only 1 of its 4 props
BoltDodgerLaker_87@reddit
It’s like taking off from John Wayne airport.
jf145601@reddit
It’s a helicopter too
HeliosRunner@reddit
no load, almost no jet fuel, full throttle... so yep, wings are like "hey i'm on vacation here, props are doing all the job!"
safely_beyond_redemp@reddit
It's the same as when your truck is empty, those engines are powerful and it's not hauling anything.
TheManWhoClicks@reddit
Must be an orchestra of alarms in the cockpit?
Visual-Brilliant-668@reddit
BEEP BEEP BEEP AIRSPEED BEEP BEEP
reductase@reddit
that's an overspeed warning not a stall warning
FieserMoep@reddit
Not necessarily. Even commercial airliners suppress most alarms below 1500 ft as to not overwhelm the pilot suddenly during an approach and only allow the most critical alerts to go through audibly.
I suppose a military cargo plane in configuration for a combat take off would basically do the same, arguably with even less handholding as to allow a pilot to still receive and comprehend audible signals to engage counter measures if for example a targeter was to light them up.
Slight_Revolution163@reddit
Bank angle! Retard! Retard! Retard! Fuck you, I quit!
simpsonswasjustokay@reddit
I got to ride I. One in my himars a couple of times. Not fun when you can't see a thing lol.
airpab1@reddit
That’s dangerously stall level…yikes!
wong2k@reddit
boeing would've lost 5 doors or window panels minimmum
FMC_Speed@reddit
For me the most impressive was the 777 in the air show last year I think, I did the same steep climbing turn after takeoff and the huge size and wing span of the 777 really made it look awe inspiring
MurphMcGurf@reddit
According to all known laws of aviation...
blighander@reddit
Flight attendants, please double check the bathrooms for takeoff, thank you.
MikeTangoRom3o@reddit
And it's surprisingly a quiet plane.
ImaginaryAnimator416@reddit
C 390 >
StealthyGripen@reddit
Now do JATO and RATO.
4x4Welder@reddit
Reducing weight has a higher payoff than increasing power for performance. This thing was empty, probably minimum fuel too, so it had amazing performance. It'll still do ok loaded out, but isn't going to do a climb like that.
Clean-Car1209@reddit
can do fun things with an empty heavy hauler
Pier-Head@reddit
Is it flying empty?
mocatmath@reddit
Outrageous
r0thar@reddit
Loadmaster: "Could you not!"
ptkeillor3@reddit
I've seen Dad do that at Clover Field near Pearland. Grumman Super Ag-Cat with P&W R-985. He stood on the brakes, ran it up, released, went about 50 yds, then went nearly vertical for a couple hundred feet before pushing over to a normal climb. I'd never seen him show off before.
Of course, it wouldn't do that with a ton of anything in the hopper.
spacepeenuts@reddit
This is why they need you out if the bathroom before takeoff
Consistent_Loan_1436@reddit
y'all should check out turboprop simulator on the playstore. one of the best simulator around.
Soldawg81@reddit
I was in c130s doing vertical take offs out of iraq
quietflyr@reddit
FFS...you were not.
Vertical takeoff in aviation has a specific meaning. Helicopters can do vertical takeoffs. V-22s can do vertical takeoffs. C-130s cannot.
Theoretically, a C-130 could do a vertical climb after takeoff, but it can't actually do that either.
firesuppagent@reddit
was here for this. C-130s have done this all day for decades. woo now europe can say they have their own version finally.
NotTheBizness@reddit
It looks like it torques / bends considerably beyond 45 degrees that’s nuts
Also makes me thing of that tragic crash that (I think) was from an unsecured load on a military plane, thought it might’ve been an unsecured load on a fedex jet
Chiantiandfava@reddit
It was a military plane carrying Mraps im pretty sure.
Dry-Amphibian1@reddit
It was a contracted civilian airline.
Monster-_-@reddit
First of all, through God, all things are possible so jot that down.
Forgot_My_Rape_Shoes@reddit
Let me tell you how sketchy this feels from the inside. We did combat take offs and landings when I deployed to Afghanistan. Asshole so tight you could forge diamonds.
Tired_Profession@reddit
That's what she said.
thecaseace@reddit
This is actually about wing loading.
Wing loading is the amount of mass a wing can support per square meter.
Weirdly, fast jets have a very low wing loading, because they fly so fast that if their wings were efficient, sudden changes in the wind (e.g. a sudden gust) would send them wildly off course.
So they "barely fly" and can't really go slowly without stalling, but are stable at high speeds.
Whereas this thing clearly has huge wing loading, so it will be vulnerable to crosswinds and stuff, but because it's going relatively slowly the force will be (windspeed + slow plane speed) e.g. (80 + 100) not (windspeed + Mach 2) e.g (80 + 1500)
High wing load allows slow things to be maneuverable in the air
Aethermancer@reddit
When you let the Piper cub pilot get ahold of a multiengine craft.
concorde77@reddit
Good thing they double checked the cargo bay door!
Character-Delay4026@reddit
u/auddbot
auddbot@reddit
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O_Dae@reddit
Oh you found the one that worked then!
Mandalika@reddit
The thrust to weight ratio is a gateway to abilities some may find unnatural
murphys2ndlaw@reddit
Nothing beats a Hercules JATO… saw Fat Albert do it a handful of times back in the day.
alphgeek@reddit
Dude from the NZ airforce was famous for his 707 airshow performances back in the day. He didn't need smoke pods either, those stinky noisy engines made their own smoke. He'd barrel roll that mofo.
SquarePegRoundWorld@reddit
A good documentary about this plane popped up on my YouTube feed the other day. Was a good watch.
One_Friend1567@reddit
Tactical Takeoff with nothing on board.
stevewithcats@reddit
Pretty sure that was RIAT 2018 and it was the airbus A-400m test aircraft. I was standing about its 11 o’clock and videoed it from that angle . And I have seen the 400 since and it hasn’t done a wing over quite that extreme since
MightBeTrollingMaybe@reddit
Those engines are no joke. Each one of them is a 11,000 (eleven thousand) shaft horsepower turboprop.
FragrantExcitement@reddit
No, it's necessary.
Risc_Terilia@reddit
Farnborough?
w_actual@reddit
Physics: "Am I a joke to you?"
LonePupper453@reddit
Suddenly kerbal
Thesorus@reddit
Empty planes are really over powered.
They can do crazy maneuvres.
3D_Printing_Helper@reddit
Tom cruise is shouting save me those pilots have gone nuts
Ireallydontknowmans@reddit
I used to be airborn in the Bundeswehr. We used to jump out of the Transall C-160. 1 year after I left the army, they got these babies. I wish I could have jumped out of this plane once
Miserable-Lawyer-233@reddit
That looked dangerously close to a stall.
Tbolt65@reddit
High wings will do it every time. Great config for combat takeoffs and landings!!!
Arthree@reddit
35-40° is a lot closer to horizontal than vertical.
Mysterious_Try_7676@reddit
Why is it that impressive? With no hold weight? How much can it lift ? 50 tons? Cut the fuel weight also...
Responsible-Ant-1494@reddit
That’s propeller thrust for you. Turbo-prop, sure, but propeller. take-off and low to medium speed dynamics favor it.
srcDaniela@reddit
nothing special actually
if you take a plane that's rated for MTOW of 141 tons, and do a WOT take off at 78 plus 2-3 tons fuel, so basically running at a bit over 50% of MTOW, you get that sort of performance. and if you don't carry a load, no risk of shifting the crucial center of gravity.
especially considering that the plane was designed for short field war zone operations, and that a "short field" for us in Europe is basically your private front yard in the US.
Time-Master@reddit
Been on an ac-130 that did similar to this and I have hundreds of flight hours…it was awesome
Shoddy_Background_48@reddit
Now watch what happens when you strap some rockets to a C-130
AlternativeWood8169@reddit
That angle shouldn't be possible. That's what she said.
I-I2O@reddit
I can just imagine all the tie-down tackle sounding like a garage sale.
Silly_Specific3625@reddit
Damn. I am surprised with that angle of attack the wings were able to generate sufficient lift to not only keep it in the air, but also to keep climbing. I didnt see any JATO's on it.
SeaworthinessEasy122@reddit
Saw this a couple of years back at ILA in Berlin. Everybody was amazed in an instant. Strangers high-fived each other in order to affirm they just witnessed that. Pure excitement.
Tehkin@reddit
jesus whats the thrust output of those engines, thats insane
PilotKnob@reddit
Back in the late '90s I was flying for a United Express carrier operating Beechcraft 1900's out of ORD. They had a special departure just for our airline where we were cleared for takeoff 27L and did an immediate left 270 to cross the departure runway heading straight north at or above 5000'. Even with a full load, we did it every time. Those 1900's (especially the D models) were absolutely amazing climbers.
Another time we were cleared for takeoff behind a 727 and we were off the ground before they were. No, I'm not kidding.
Those little 1900's were like Porsches. Tiny, fast, and agile. Good times. After transitioning to the Brasilia, it felt like going from a Porsche to a dump truck. But it had an APU, lav, and flight attendant, so there was that...
Derp800@reddit
That's just your basic take-off at SNA John Wayne.
Lumpy-Home-7776@reddit
The angle might exaggerate it slightly, but damn, that A400M still pulled off a maneuver most planes its size could only dream of!
YoDaddyChiiill@reddit
Never with a full payload no
Salty-Package866@reddit
no cargo, minimal fuel. Typical airshow setup. Still impressive and easy to achieve on the Airbus with Alpha Floor protection. Just give it the beans and pull back on the side stick.
Flappie010@reddit
I hope the passengers followed the seatbelt sign....
Justhandguns@reddit
It's even more impressive with it's short landing, oh, and reversing, literally.
VaporTrail_000@reddit
Airbus A400M Heavy, you are cleared for takeoff and unrestricted climb....
ChimkimNugger@reddit
That cropping shouldn't be possible.
FirebirdWS6dude@reddit
Seeing that live is really impressive, I got to see the demo show by the Spain A400 at this year's Mexican Aerospace Fair and aside from the USAF F-35 no other plane impressed the crowds as much.
ffuucckko@reddit
WTF
Secure-Tradition793@reddit
Is that something cargo planes can do when they are empty? I know cargo vehicles are way overpowered when not loaded.
Professional_Low_646@reddit
I fly a small cargo plane, STOL (short takeoff and landing) certified, for a living. On a good day - low field elevation, no cargo, low temperatures etc. - we take off after about a 300 meter takeoff roll and have to pitch up aggressively to not overspeed the flaps. 20 degrees minimum. And that‘s with a full load of fuel. When we‘re really light, the thing stops in less than 200 meters on an unpaved runway.
It’s very comforting to know you have this kind of excess power available.
Bl4ckhide@reddit
The contents in your overhead bin may have shifted.
AutonomousOrganism@reddit
No payload and minimum fuel I guess. Empty it has a thrust to weight ratio of 0.57 (440 kn, 78600 kg).
Batavus_Droogstop@reddit
Empty cargo planes are insane when it comes to power to weight ratio.
Hertje73@reddit
Russian pilots?
Durable_me@reddit
It was empty, so it was 37 tonnes lighter than a fully loaded one.
4 x 11,000 hp gives you a pretty good power to weright ratio. :-)
DrNinnuxx@reddit
Army vet chiming in. Cool story brah time. My wife is an Air Force C-130 pilot and we were both stationed at Fort Bragg (she was at Pope). One airborne op we were going to fly nap of the earth and she knew I was on the flight as a primary jumpmaster. The mission was to fly out over the ocean and then hug terrain back to Bragg
For those who don't know, nap of the earth flying is to hug the ground and use every available terrain to conceal the bird from radar. She yanked and cranked that fucking bird.
Her mission set was to do just that and pull hard. I didn't even think a cargo plane could do that, but apparently it can and did.
Once my unit found out afterward, I was standing in front of our Colonel explaining myself and her actions. We didn't talk for a week. LOL Good times, man.
Personal-Business425@reddit
Airbus A400M be like I am a Cargo, and an Acrobat at the same time 😎
herohans99@reddit
Hey! One made it off the ground!
schnieg@reddit
Fake. This video is in reverse
SirR3ys@reddit
Last Saturday (28.6.) was 'Tag der Bundeswehr' (Day of the german army), where they showed its ability to take of from a really short runway, for an aircraft of its size.
Evo_ukcar@reddit
I've seen it take off like that several times at various airshows. Yes, there's probably hardly any fuel on board, yes, it's lighter it normally would be, but trust me when I say that the camera angle is not taking away from the spectacle. It is bloody impressive to see.
espike007@reddit
Watched many C-17s do that in Balad, Iraq after dropping their cargo/pax. We could almost hear'em say "let's get the F' outta here!"
Mr_Dudester@reddit
I still remember the C-130J crashed doing something similar
astral__monk@reddit
R/endedtoosoon
No_Warning8534@reddit
The photographer definitely takes belfies
spicynoodsinmuhmouf@reddit
Its empty. Easy peasy
Accomplished-Sun3981@reddit
Going against the physics
Government_Stuff@reddit
I would connect the rpg rocket
moretodolater@reddit
Unweighted and that much power, neat take off. Don’t let the mass fool you. If you were a giant and picked one of these up, it would feel like picking up a balsa glider. Now pack a fools amount of war time needed horsepower….. zoom zoom
redditistheway@reddit
T/W of cargo aircraft when empty can be pretty high…
Mobryan71@reddit
Let's see a side view, then judge.
bloregirl1982@reddit
No cargo, almost empty tanks, nice headwinds.
Exotic-Control-8821@reddit
it's impossible but yet here it is that's some damn good flyin
Imaginary-Advance-19@reddit
Isn't this the one in Mission Impossible
VHSVoyage@reddit
The A400M is one heck of a plane
ineligibleUser@reddit
Oh man I hope they bungied everything really good
RockApeGear@reddit
JATO isn't necessary when you have full right rudder.
Exotic-Control-8821@reddit
wow holy shit it pulled it's self into the sky
bk553@reddit
It's 81,000 lbs short of its max payload...so this makes sense.
Mr_Burgess_@reddit
Ugh, again people don't understand the basics about what a lens on a camera can do, so they resort to assuming the impossible
Ok_Adhesiveness_4939@reddit
Very nice. Now let's see Paul Allen's takeoff.
(Paul Allen is known for two things; the quality of his business cards, and never taking off with anything less than an 80% load)
Pro-editor-1105@reddit
That literally looks like AI. That's insane.