One of the most important advantages that the A400M will bring to its operators is the ability to fly into and out of rough fields. This is an aircraft that can cruise at jet-like speeds and heights but then land close to the battlefield or where humanitarian supplies are needed. And it can keep on doing it without destroying the runway because of its landing-gear design.

Airbus Military’s test pilots constantly remind you that a key role for them is to find problems and help fix them. This video from early 2010 shows an investigation of the airflow around the sponsons using tufts attached to the aircraft to visualize the flow. You can see how the flow is initially smooth but is disturbed by the deployment of the landing-gear and landing-gear doors – something for the design team to work on.