Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The A400M occupies the space between smaller tactical transports and larger strategic airlifters. Its high wing, rear loading ramp and four large propellers are organised around moving troops and bulky cargo. Airbus developed it as a replacement for older transport fleets including the Transall C-160. Its turboprops and modern electronic cockpit make an unusual combination in a simulator.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A new transport brings a memorable view of Table Mountain
Christoph had wanted to visit the cockpit whenever his family travelled by air. After nine years flying the Transall, conversion to the A400M brought a much more automated working environment. He still found takeoff exciting, describing the aircraft’s acceleration as something that brought both a smile and goosebumps.
Bundeswehr German-language interview · July 2021. Lufttransportgeschwader 62 pilot; the source publishes only a surname initial.
Bundeswehr · Read more ↗Use the cockpit keyboard for flight-management entries
The guide specifies the KCCU keyboard for manual entries. A physical keyboard can trigger other simulator controls; ENT confirms variable-length fields.
A400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Gung Ho Vids · 6 min ·
Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas • Flight & Cockpit Video
Cockpit and flight footage from an RAF A400M visit to Scott Air Force Base.
Real aircraft · Airbus A400M Atlas
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet Airbus A400M Atlas
The A400M occupies the space between smaller tactical transports and larger strategic airlifters. Its high wing, rear loading ramp and four large propellers are organised around moving troops and bulky cargo. Airbus developed it as a replacement for older transport fleets including the Transall C-160.
The simulated aircraft combines cargo handling and transport missions with an electronic flight deck, whose controls are described in the included manual.
Airbus A400M Atlas
Airbus → · Explore the family →
Airbus A400M Atlas
Wikipedia contributors · Airbus A400M Atlas ↗Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024 →Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Training and transport can share the same journey
Ralph’s 2025 circumnavigation combined copilot and loadmaster training, a public appearance at Avalon and a cargo pickup in Washington. Newer crew members gained experience far from home during the A400M deployment.
Bundeswehr · Abu Dhabi, Australia, Washington and Wunstorf: around the world ↗Operator interview; one particular deployment rather than a standard itinerary
Development milestones
First flight: 11 December 2009
Wikipedia contributors · Airbus A400M Atlas ↗Airbus A400M Atlas · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1371476720
Pilot accounts
A new transport brings a memorable view of Table Mountain
Christoph had wanted to visit the cockpit whenever his family travelled by air. After nine years flying the Transall, conversion to the A400M brought a much more automated working environment. He still found takeoff exciting, describing the aircraft’s acceleration as something that brought both a smile and goosebumps.
One particularly enjoyable assignment came during his aircraft-commander training in 2017, when he flew the type to Cape Town. Clear weather on arrival and departure allowed the crew to enjoy a view around Table Mountain. His interview sets that memory beside the more routine work of carrying people and equipment to Lithuania. Transport flying appealed to him for its crew friendships and the variety of places the job could take him.
Bundeswehr German-language interview · July 2021. Lufttransportgeschwader 62 pilot; the source publishes only a surname initial.
Read the full account · Bundeswehr ↗A final trip around the world still has students to teach
Ralph regarded the round-the-world journey as a kind of farewell assignment before his planned retirement. It was also a working trip: two copilots were building experience through line training, and the loadmasters had younger colleagues to teach. The route joined training, an Australian airshow and a cargo pickup in Washington.
At Avalon, meeting other crews and welcoming visitors into the aircraft made the presentation enjoyable. The destinations sounded like a holiday itinerary, but Ralph emphasised the need for fuel stops, rest and adjustment to changing time zones. After weeks away, home had a renewed attraction.
Bundeswehr German-language interview · June 2025. A400M commander on a three-and-a-half-week journey including the Avalon Airshow; surname withheld by the source.
Read the full account · Bundeswehr ↗Long-distance flying makes crew concentration a central concern
Knoll explained that the nonstop Hawaii trial required two crews to alternate through a very long working day. Tanker support came from the wing’s own A400Ms, and the route passed close to the polar region. The flight brought together tasks that the crews had previously practised in the simulator.
His strongest emphasis was on concentration. Having personally flown close formation, he described how unusual it feels to bring two large transports near each other, and how refuelling demands still greater precision. Maintaining that focus after many hours awake added another challenge to the trial. The interview does not identify Knoll as the sole operating pilot of the flight.
Bundeswehr German-language interview · June 2026. A400M pilot and wing commander discussing the unit’s Hawaii trial; the article does not establish that he personally piloted its entire route.
Read the full account · Bundeswehr ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
MSFS 2024A400M Atlas
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
A400M Atlas
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 45.1 m (148 ft 0 in) |
| Wingspan | 42.4 m (139 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 14.7 m (48 ft 3 in) |
| Wing area | 225.1 m² (2,384 sq ft) |
| Empty weight | 78,600 kg (173,283 lb) |
| Max takeoff weight | 141,000 kg (310,852 lb) |
| Powerplant | 4 × Europrop TP400-D6 turboprop, 8,200 kW (11,000 hp) each |
| Propellers | 8-bladed Ratier-Figeac variable pitch propellers with feathering and reversing capability , 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in) diameter |
| Maximum speed | Mach 0.72 |
| Cruise speed | 781 km/h (485 mph, 422 kn) at 9,450 m (31,000 ft) |
| Range | 3,300 km (2,100 mi, 1,800 nmi) at max payload Range with 30-tonne payload: 4,500 km (2,450 nmi) Range with 20-tonne payload: 6,400 km (3,450 nmi) |
| Service ceiling | 12,200 m (40,000 ft) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Use the cockpit keyboard for flight-management entriesA400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The guide specifies the KCCU keyboard for manual entries. A physical keyboard can trigger other simulator controls; ENT confirms variable-length fields.
iniBuilds A400M manual v1.0 · PDF p.25; OCR checked against rendered original
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Import a prepared route from the initialization pageA400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The INIT REQUEST control imports a SimBrief plan. Departure runway, SID and transition selection then uses the temporary-flight-plan confirmation.
A400M manual · PDF pp.25–27; documented simulator workflow
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗A visual cockpit guide for the AtlasA400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The Atlas uses multifunction displays and keyboard/cursor control units for flight-management entries. The iniBuilds guide shows how those controls connect to predictions for time, distance, speed and altitude. Its illustrated cockpit maps are useful for locating the displays and their associated keyboards in this MSFS implementation.
iniBuilds A400M manual v1.0, 18 September 2024; documented simulator behaviour · PDF pp.22–23
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗The cargo door needs hydraulic powerA400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
In the simulated Atlas, a cargo-door command can produce an insufficient-pressure message. The manual traces this to the blue hydraulic system and identifies its guarded electric-pump control on the aft overhead panel. Door operation therefore involves both the tablet command and the aircraft's powered systems.
iniBuilds A400M manual v1.0, 18 September 2024; documented simulator behaviour · PDF pp.16–17
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Checklists inside the aircraft displaysA400M Atlas · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024
The NORM button opens the electronic checklist in the lower part of the engine/warning display. A pedestal joystick selects items and the ECAM check button confirms them. Some entries require manual acknowledgement; others detect a switch position and change colour automatically, including the manual's seat-belt example.
iniBuilds A400M manual v1.0, 18 September 2024; documented simulator behaviour · PDF p.34
Microsoft / aircraft developers · Read the source ↗Pilot account
A new transport brings a memorable view of Table MountainBundeswehr German-language interview · July 2021. Lufttransportgeschwader 62 pilot; the source publishes only a surname initial.
Christoph had wanted to visit the cockpit whenever his family travelled by air. After nine years flying the Transall, conversion to the A400M brought a much more automated working environment. He still found takeoff exciting, describing the aircraft’s acceleration as something that brought both a smile and goosebumps. One particularly enjoyable assignment came during his aircraft-commander training in 2017, when he flew the type to Cape Town.
Christoph S.
Bundeswehr · Read the source ↗A final trip around the world still has students to teachBundeswehr German-language interview · June 2025. A400M commander on a three-and-a-half-week journey including the Avalon Airshow; surname withheld by the source.
Ralph regarded the round-the-world journey as a kind of farewell assignment before his planned retirement. It was also a working trip: two copilots were building experience through line training, and the loadmasters had younger colleagues to teach. The route joined training, an Australian airshow and a cargo pickup in Washington. At Avalon, meeting other crews and welcoming visitors into the aircraft made the presentation enjoyable.
Ralph K.
Bundeswehr · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Airbus A400MMicrosoft / aircraft developers Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Airbus A400M AtlasWikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1371476720 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftType designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
Airbus A400M Atlas
Free and Pro · Revision 2 · Partial review
MSFS 2024
Airbus A400M Atlas: The selected fixed centre is a fly-by-wire control approximation; the available manufacturer overview does not quantify mechanical inceptor feel.
Airbus A400M Atlas
Airbus A400M Atlas: The selected fixed centre is a fly-by-wire control approximation; the available manufacturer overview does not quantify mechanical inceptor feel.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- Airbus A400M Atlas · MSFS 2024 · family starting point
Airbus manufacturer overview and image-heavy Microsoft A400M MSFS manual; detailed extracted system evidence is limited. · Selected choice: Airbus A400M Atlas. Documentary scope does not establish every variant, add-on revision or simulator binding.
The simulator model and controls
The A400M occupies the space between smaller tactical transports and larger strategic airlifters. Its high wing, rear loading ramp and four large propellers are organised around moving troops and bulky cargo. Airbus developed it as a replacement for older transport fleets including the Transall C-160.
This starting point selects Airbus A400M Atlas. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
How this profile feels
The spring stays independent of airspeed. Directed aerodynamic loading is omitted.
Pitch-trim relief is off. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
Airbus describes fly-by-wire controls for the A400M and autopilot/flight-director assistance with aerial delivery. Its four turboprops and cargo systems give the transport a different equipment arrangement from an Airbus passenger jet. The manufacturer overview establishes this electronic-control architecture without providing a cockpit-inceptor force curve or an external autopilot movement signal.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
What the documentation establishes
Airbus identifies the A400M transport and describes fly-by-wire controls and guided aerial-delivery functions.
Responsive fly-by-wire is documented at overview level; the controller's mechanical feel source is not.
Airbus describes autopilot/flight-director assistance for aerial delivery; this is not an external servo-following contract.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
ReviewedThis starting point selects Airbus A400M Atlas. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
Flight controls
ReviewedAirbus describes fly-by-wire controls for the A400M and autopilot/flight-director assistance with aerial delivery. Its four turboprops and cargo systems give the transport a different equipment arrangement from an Airbus passenger jet. The manufacturer overview establishes this electronic-control architecture without providing a cockpit-inceptor force curve or an external autopilot movement signal.
Trim
Not yet reviewedHardware trim-centre movement remains separate from the transport's electronic flight-control and aerial-delivery guidance. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
ReviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. Separate neutral hold is on at strength 0.28, when a supported autopilot state admits it.
Equipment
Not yet reviewedGear, flap and ground cues follow the selected settings and available simulator-reported states.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets msfs2024. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyThe selected fixed centre is a fly-by-wire control approximation; the available manufacturer overview does not quantify mechanical inceptor feel. The baseline spring is 0.55. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whyThe stored 0.04 aerodynamic-load gain is inactive under the fixed-centre control law. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value260.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value90 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. The pitch spring-travel curve reaches output 1 at input 1. The roll spring-travel curve reaches output 0.3 at input 1. Spring-travel response contributes separately to axis balance. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. Separate neutral hold is on at strength 0.28, when a supported autopilot state admits it. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 49 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyThe selected fixed centre is a fly-by-wire control approximation; the available manufacturer overview does not quantify mechanical inceptor feel. The baseline spring is 0.55. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.01 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Starting centering force | Starting value0.03 | What it controls and whyThe centre preload is 0.03. It ramps outside the 0.01 deadband across 0.05 travel, shaping the passive centre independently of aircraft autotrim. |
| Center Starting Force Transition | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets the travel used to ramp in centre preload. Wider intervals make its onset more gradual. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whyThe stored 0.04 aerodynamic-load gain is inactive under the fixed-centre control law. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value20 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value90 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value260.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyAdds permitted spring resistance above the full-blend speed. Zero removes this high-speed increase. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. The pitch spring-travel curve reaches output 1 at input 1. The roll spring-travel curve reaches output 0.3 at input 1. Spring-travel response contributes separately to axis balance. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Travel Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyApplies the configured pitch and roll spring travel curves. |
| Output | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets response at the second pitch-curve point; it is an endpoint only if its input position is full travel. |
| Output | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whySets response at the second roll-curve point; its input position and other points determine the travel law. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyHardware trim-centre movement remains separate from the transport's electronic flight-control and aerial-delivery guidance. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. Separate neutral hold is on at strength 0.28, when a supported autopilot state admits it. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.28 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.06 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0.06 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- The image-heavy extracted MSFS manual does not provide enough text to establish autotrim or external trim-feedback ownership.
- Detailed flap, gear and controller mechanisms cannot be newly verified from the sparse extracted manual text.
- The overview does not validate a configuration-specific indicated-speed force reference.
- No usable force-feedback mapping or external axis-ownership specification is present in the extracted A400M manual.
- Fly-by-wire responsiveness does not determine the preset's passive spring strength or numeric force response.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
Discuss this aircraft (0)
Questions, observations and useful sources from the community.
No published discussions yet. Bring a question or share a useful source.
Open aircraft discussions →Content expanded · What’s new
Something missing or a source that needs attention?
Suggest a correction ↗
