In order for helicopters to receive fuel from the A400M safely, Airbus has decided to switch from a 24m hose to one that is 37 meters long.
By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Airbus A400M 06) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Airbus is hoping that the new hose will place the main rotor blades of the receiver helicopter further away from the cargo plane’s horizontal stabilizers during the flight.
The disadvantage is that the hose’s diameter will be smaller in order to retain the same weight margin. This in turns lead to longer fuel transfer time.