Airbus starts construction for new A400M maintenance centre 9 October 2023 - Airbus has officially launched the construction of the new A400M maintenance centre in Wunstorf The traditional groundbreaking ceremony on the site at Wunstorf Air Base the base for the German Air Force's A400M military transport aircraft was held by Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schöllhorn together with high-ranking representatives from politics and the German Armed Forces Among them were Parliamentary State Secretary to the Minister of Defence Siemtje Möller Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and Vice President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) Ralph Herzog around 300 employees will service and maintain A400M aircraft from mid-2027 "The A400M has been in reliable service for the German Armed Forces for over ten years the new Airbus A400M Maintenance Center Wunstorf is an important step forward: here we will deepen the cooperation with the German Armed Forces and further improve the availability and operational capability of the A400M The new maintenance centre will sustainably strengthen the successful cooperation between industry and the German Air Force," said Mike Schoellhorn "Airbus' decision to establish the new maintenance center in Wunstorf is farsighted and correct Its proximity to the air base and also to Hannover airport will ensure smooth maintenance and operational readiness of the important A400M aircraft This project marks an important step in securing transport capacities for the security of our country and for aid transports to disaster areas," said Stephan Weil "The A400M is an indispensable part of the Air Force - whether as a transporter we are supporting Bundeswehr missions and NATO air forces on the eastern flank Evacuation missions from Kabul or Sudan would not have been feasible without the A400M we use the A400M to provide emergency aid in the event of natural disasters Worldwide operational readiness with our A400M fleet - that is only possible together with Airbus," said Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz The A400M maintenance centre is being built right next to the air base of Air Transport Squadron 62 (LTG 62) in Wunstorf The costs for the centre are in the low three-digit million range Airbus will create 300 new jobs at the A400M maintenance centre in Wunstorf The search is mainly for aeronautical engineering personnel According to current planning and depending on the progress of construction the increase in personnel is to begin gradually from 2025.  about 20 employees of the construction companies are on site; during peak construction periods more than 500 employees may be working there Completion of the A400M maintenance centre is scheduled for the end of 2026 Entry-into-service is scheduled for mid-2027 after approval by the German Armed Forces Airworthiness Office.  Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Airbus A400M Support Centre Wunstorf (from left):  Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz Chief of the German Air Force; Stephan Weil Minister President of Lower Saxony; Siemtje Möller Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defence; Michael Schöllhorn CEO Airbus Defence and Space; Ralph Herzog Vice President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw); and Carsten Piellusch A400M Groundbreaking Ceremony WunstorfJPEG image, 14.2 MB 3D Rendering A400M Maintenance Centre WunstorfJPEG image, 1.48 MB Infographic A400M Maintenance Centre WunstorfJPEG image, 1.77 MB Please activate JavaScript to use all functions on this site Bei manchen Mobilgeräten und Browsern funktioniert die Sprachausgabe nicht korrekt sodass wir Ihnen diese Funktion leider nicht anbieten können As the main hub and starting point for the transport and tanker aircraft Wunstorf Air Base plays a key role in the Air Defender 23 exercise Wunstorf is home to the German A400M transport aircraft and thus predestined as a location for the partners' transport aircraft As the only German Air Force base for transport aircraft Wunstorf near Hanover is the central location when it comes to air transport and air refueling there is a lot of expertise here in this capability field making Wunstorf the perfect logistics hub for the Air Defender 2023 exercise Even though many transport aircraft will land and take off in Wunstorf the air base is located outside the exercise areas Fighter aircraft will not be stationed at the site for the exercise On the occasion of the multinational exercise 62 ATW will welcome many allied foreign guests to the airfield from May 29 to June 30 The 2,600 German civilian and military forces stationed at the site will be joined by around 600 American Romanian and Hungarian servicemen and women during this period While the Romanians will be represented by a C-27 transport aircraft will station ten C-130s and two C-17s in Wunstorf for the duration of the exercise During the largest deployment exercise in NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization's history the air base will become the central logistics hub this means that the C-17 transporters will fly material and personnel from America to the Lower Saxony air base where it will be transshipped and flown from Wunstorf to the other exercise locations by the C-130s transport is also via road using American flatbed trailers the air exercise is one of the largest events for the Wunstorf site since the air base was established the accommodations in the barracks and the hotels in the region are heavily utilized To ensure that the more than 230 aircraft taking part in the exercise over Germany do not run out of fuel the special engineers from Husum have set up a mobile field fuel depot on the grounds of the air base in recent months This is necessary because fuel is needed not only for the transport and tanker aircraft for the upcoming air refueling operations This enormous demand cannot be met by the conventional aviation fuel depot the German special engineers will be supported by a small contingent of Hungarian pipeline forces the field tank farm will continue to be used to modernize the existing fixed tank farm is now the home base of the German A400M fleet The 39 transport aircraft stationed here are set to grow to 50 in the future With one of the most modern military airfields in Europe 62 Air Transport Wing meets all air transport requirements After initially being used for logistical airlift the A400M is increasingly being deployed in tactical airlift as its capabilities grow for example for medical evacuation (MedEvacMedical Evacuation) or aerial refueling Decide for yourself which data is recorded and customise your settings here You can find detailed information about data protection in our privacy policy Decide for yourself which data is recorded and customise your settings here. 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According to The Amazon Panopticon — UNI Global Union’s report on the intrusive and all-encompassing Amazon worker surveillance systems—Amazon’s highly invasive and ultrafast delivery process is hiding harmful effects on its 1.3 million workers and subjected to high-pressure and gruelling conditions Commerce Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates from UNI Global Union This work, 182nd Airlift Wing leads C-130 Hercules operations at NATO’s Air Defender 2023, by TSgt Paul Helmig, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker By 2023-10-10T09:58:00+01:00 The German air force’s A400M tactical airlifter fleet will receive enhanced in-service support from later this decade with work having started on a new facility at its Wunstorf air base A ground-breaking ceremony for the future A400M maintenance centre was held on 9 October with officials including Airbus Defence & Space chief executive Michael Schoellhorn and air force chief Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz in attendance Germany’s air force has received 41 of its 53 on-order A400Ms “The A400M has been in reliable service for the German armed forces for over 10 years,” Schoellhorn says the new centre is an important step forward we will deepen the cooperation with the German armed forces and further improve the availability and operational capability of the A400M.” “The A400M is an indispensable part of the air force tanker or in its role as MedEvac,” Gerhartz says “Evacuation missions from Kabul or Sudan would not have been feasible without the A400M,” he adds noting: “Worldwide operational readiness with our A400M fleet – that is only possible together with Airbus.” Construction work on the new facility is due to be completed by the end of 2026 with its operational use to commence in mid-2027 It is expected to eventually employ 300 people “The costs for the centre are in the low three-digit million range,” Airbus says Berlin is the largest customer for the European-developed A400M with Cirium fleets data showing that it currently has 41 in-service examples tanker and medical evacuation tasks for Germany Germany’s BAAINBw procurement and support body awarded Airbus a seven-and-a-half-year contract to provide continued maintenance support for its Atlas transports This covers the provision of MRO activities at its Manching site near Munich Airbus has signed a series of agreements with Indian companies to locally produce airframe and wing parts for the A320neo The US government has cleared two possible sales of air-to-ground munitions for NATO allies in Europe including the sale of the new AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) to the United Kingdom Italian carrier ITA Airways has edged into full-year operating profit with a surplus of €3 million ($3.4 million) a performance which it claims is ahead of schedule While ITA also posted a net loss of €227 million it states that it achieved the positive operating result even before the intervention .. India has conducted a maiden flight for a so-called “stratospheric airship platform” with the aim of collecting data to inform future sorties Unmanned air vehicle (UAV) producer Tekever is to invest over £400 million ($532 million) to boost its activities in the UK and add more than 1,000 employees to its workforce When Portugal signed for five Embraer C/KC-390 tactical transports in July 2019 it was taking something of a gamble by becoming the first export buyer for the Brazilian-built type – but its air force’s 506 Squadron is now flying high with the Brazilian-built airlifter FlightGlobal is the global aviation community’s primary source of news analytics and advisory services to connect the aviation community globally and help organisations shape their business strategies identify new opportunities and make better decisions faster Site powered by Webvision Cloud member-first insights and commentary on the global aviation industry This work, 182nd Airlift Wing brings the “Peoria Way” to Air Defender 2023, by TSgt Paul Helmig, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Kentucky Air Guardsman continues Grandfather's WWII Legacy, by SMSgt Vicky Spesard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing participates in largest NATO Exercise: AIR DEFENDER 23, by SMSgt Paula Macomber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, 139th maintainers support 10 C-130s during Air Defender 23, by Michael Crane, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Contract extension covers 7.5 years / Airbus to build new A400M maintenance facility in Wunstorf 3 July 2023 – The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) in Koblenz Germany has awarded Airbus with a contract renewal for the Luftwaffe’s A400M In-Service Support The contract has a duration of 7.5 years and serves as an extension of the A400M In-Service Support contract that had been in place since December 2014 “This contract extension shows a long-term commitment of the German government to the A400M we have made big strides in recent years to improve availability as well as the operational capabilities of the A400M which has become an indispensable asset in Germany’s air force inventory” Head of Military Air Systems of Airbus Defence and Space “This contract allows us to deepen our fruitful cooperation which can serve as a role model of how industry and customers can work together successfully.” The industrial technical support of the German Air Force A400M fleet covers a wide range of services provided by the Airbus Support Centre in Wunstorf Air Base and the central Centres of Competence in Getafe Airbus will ensure full coverage of scheduled Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services from its main MRO base in Manching near Munich as well as at Wunstorf Air Base The contract also foresees the establishment of a new A400M maintenance facility in direct proximity to Wunstorf Air Base the facility will perform MRO services and also host the Airbus A400M Support Centre with a total workforce of approximately 300 who will work hand in glove with suppliers and customer representatives Construction work will commence with immediate effect Germany is the biggest customer of the A400M the Luftwaffe operates 40 A400M out of a total of 53 aircraft on order The entire fleet operates out of Wunstorf Air Base which is home to the Air Transport Wing 62 (Lufttransportgeschwader 62).  #DefenceMatters #A400M #Luftwaffe #Germany #Bundeswehr MRO ManchingJPEG image, 469.73 KB A400M contractJPEG image, 91.39 KB Headquarters to the Nazis and then the Soviets the East German military camp of Wünsdorf was once home to 75,000 Soviet men Now ‘Little Moscow’ has been abandoned – but one man keeps the memories alive Rusty keys jangle as Jürgen Naumann searches for the right one. He has 15 on one bunch, 25 on another. The last caretaker of the Red Army’s former headquarters in Germany he has access to all the buildings in what was once known as the Forbidden City – and remains a restricted area 23 years after the last Russian troops left for good “You get to know the keys over the years,” Naumann says But it still takes a while to locate the right one and the door creaks open to reveal a dimly lit hall with marble tiles Naumann’s footsteps echo across the empty space as he switches on the electricity illuminating two panoramas: one showing Soviet Moscow two huge photos from a world that no longer exists Wünsdorf – located about 25 miles from Berlin – was the high command for Soviet forces in Germany and the biggest Soviet military camp outside the USSR with daily trains going to the Soviet capital Juergen Naumann in the former Soviet theatre at Wünsdorf Photograph: Ciarán FaheyAfter the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union it was only a matter of time before the Russian soldiers would be called home when the order came for troops and their families to withdraw it still came as a shock to many of its inhabitants who was working at the time as a watchman collecting financial deposits from local businesses the shop boss was sitting in the office crying bitterly ‘What’s wrong?’ She had just received word that she had to go back to Russia the day after the next Soldiers had no idea where they were going Some pooled money and bought buses so their families would have some shelter while helicopter squadrons stripped the insides of their helicopters for the same reason Allied prisoners of war exercising at Wünsdorf in 1915 Photograph: Alamy/Bain News ServiceWhen they departed after the final military parade they left a vast site littered with 98,300 rounds of ammunition Families were in such a hurry they couldn’t take everything The pattern repeated itself throughout East Germany No country outside the USSR had more Soviet troops: an estimated 380,000 soldiers and 180,000 civilians spread across 1,062 urban and rural locations They left behind a legacy of abandoned ruins Grabowsee and elsewhere still await new purpose Most of the buildings in these former quasi-urban camps are off-limits Authorities have bigger fish to fry: a host of East German enterprises went out of business after the wall fell leaving a trail of vacant factory and office buildings across the country’s cities One of two Lenin statues to be found in Wünsdorf The other stands in front of the Soviets’ main headquarters building Photograph: Ciarán FaheyWünsdorf’s military history began long before it became a Soviet garrison town The whole area was militarised after the German Empire was formed in 1871 for Muslim POWs – many of whom were coerced into fighting for Germany Wünsdorf became headquarters for the Wehrmacht The Nazis’ entire second world war campaign was guided from the Zeppelin underground communications bunker at Wünsdorf providing direct contact through telex to the fronts at Stalingrad The Nazis’ buildings were of such strong construction that they proved very difficult to damage – a fact evidently appreciated by the Soviets after the SS had fled After sufficiently damaging the bunker complexes to make them unsuitable for military use according to the Potsdam Agreement The abandoned swimming pool in Wünsdorf Photograph: Ciarán FaheyThey immediately provided a boost to the local economy and relations with the East Germans were good even if locals usually needed special permission to enter what later became known as Die Verbotene Stadt – the Forbidden City “There were also illegal ways in,” says Naumann who remembers how soldiers were bribed by East German consumers to be allowed in to shop at the new miniature city’s stores “There were some things you couldn’t get outside of course you had to be careful to be back out again punctually So if you went in in the morning you had to be out by around 4pm at the latest You’d be held for 24 hours and made to peel potatoes for the troops.” Soviet artwork in Wünsdorf Photograph: Ciarán FaheySoviet soldiers and their families also left the garrison “They could party no problem,” Naumann says When there was ski jumping at New Year’s – the Russian athletes were still good at the time – you had to be careful when you spoke When the Soviets handed the Forbidden City back to the federal government the buildings fell into bureaucratic neglect taking care of an area he estimates to be around 200 hectares His job now is to check for damage caused by heavy rain or unwanted visitors there could be a little more going on at times A stairway in the Haus der Offiziere main building Wünsdorf was a military camp for the German empire Photograph: Ciarán FaheyAfter so many years in their service Naumann has formed a bond with the old buildings He speaks enthusiastically of the architecture dating back to the German empire and the enduring quality of the main building’s wooden roof “I don’t want to say you fall in love with it but I’m the type who has more of a thing for older buildings,” he says and there’s a connection with the architecture.” the abandoned city plays host to video artists wedding photographers or camera buffs with a penchant for abandoned buildings Photographers can make appointments to visit for a small fee “When you get a ‘thank you’ from visitors for looking after the place then you’re also a little bit proud,” Naumann says A monument to a Soviet soldier stands watch through the trees at Wünsdorf. Photograph: Ciarán FaheyHe imagines a small university could provide an ideal use for the buildings, particularly with the old swimming pool beside the main building and the theatre opposite. The government’s regional development company is looking for suitable investors to bring the remaining buildings back to life. In the meantime, Wünsdorf also receives visits from former soldiers or guests retracing their old steps. One woman who had performed as a child in a theatre for the Soviet soldiers came back years later to find the old stage where she danced. Another man told Naumann that he’d worked in the communications bunker for the Nazis, where he had struck up a relationship after exchanging messages with a German woman in Stalingrad at the other end. Read more“They always communicated through telex at night when there was nothing going on He said he tried to find her after the war but he couldn’t find her anymore He sent the last telex to Berlin: that the Russians were there now.” including one former commander who brought her daughter “A few of them told me that a Russian soldier is compelled once in his lifetime to go back to where they once served and fought Many soldiers go back to Afghanistan to visit and see something where they once served,” Naumann recalls a Russian bear of a man – he broke out in tears.” “There were soldiers running around here with sabres once Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion, and explore our archive here As US government spokesman said that more than 100,000 people had been flown out in the last two weeks since the Taliban took control of Kabul President Biden says the airlifts will continue until the end of the month Canada and Australia have announced that their emergency evacuations have ended The United Kingdom has stopped processing applications and its last flights are underway British officials said their timetable hadn’t been affected by the bomb attacks at the airport on Thursday but did confirm a continuing threat to the airstrip from the so-called Islamic state group President Biden paid tribute to the thirteen American soldiers that died in the attack the World Health Organisation has warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan said the organisation had only a few days of medical supplies left and had been forced to seek an alternative route into the country Turkey’s President Tayipp Erdogan says his government is in direct talks with the Taliban about helping the militant group operate Kabul airport after the departure of international forces Thank you for reading our article. 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Just click here In February 2023, BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr handed over a true-to-life cargo part task trainer for the Airbus A400M transport aircraft to the Airborne Operations/Air Transport School in Altenstadt The delivery of a second trainer to Air Transport Wing 62 in Wunstorf is planned for June 2023 The cargo part task trainer (CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer) in Altenstadt will primarily be used for training paratroopers and air cargo transshipment personnel it will be used for training load masters and as a procedural trainer extensive mission-related exercises can now be conducted in Altenstadt without the training participants having to be in the air dropping paratroopers or carrying out emergency drops of paratroopers the soldiers at the Airborne Operations/Air Transport School have been trained for this using the Transall trainer But even before this aircraft type reached the end of its service life in the Bundeswehr in 2021 it was replaced step by step by the Airbus A400M from 2014 onward the inside of an A400M is not the same as that of a Transall every action has to be correct in case of an emergency – this applies to the A400M as well The required routines must be consolidated in many exercises so that this only works if the different scenarios can be practiced with the right aircraft type the technical loadmasters and the entire staff with tasks in the A400M cargo hold of Air Transport Wing 62 have been trained on the Cargo Hold Trainer - Enhanced (CHT-ECargo Hold Trainer – Enhanced) The structure of this trainer is much more detailed than that of the A400M CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer It also has more functions compared to the CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer That is why the CHT-ECargo Hold Trainer – Enhanced can cover a considerable amount of training contents already today Wunstorf will also receive a simulator of the new type this simulator will be used for the development and definition of procedures and processes and it will allow loading significantly larger loads and tonnages The CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer in Wunstorf will allow the physical handling of loads and cargo that are similar to deadweight capacity of the A400M Using simulators like the full-scale CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer does not only save mission aircraft Training can also be carried out in a flexible manner and independently of external influences flexible means that weather forecasts and the consideration of light conditions are no longer part of the curriculum when working with the simulator This independence increases training opportunities and ultimately contributes to enhancing the capabilities of training participants Add to that another advantage: The cargo hold can be adapted to the individual needs at any time conditions are created that are as realistic as possible both for simulations on the ground and in the air The technical branch at BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr responsible for the in-service use management of A400M had coordinated the respective requirements with the users in advance two individually adapted A400M CPTTCargo Part Task Trainer were procured by BAAINBwBundesamt für Ausrüstung Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr With a total order volume of 33 million euros for both cargo part task trainers and a delivery time of about two years two objectives set in advance were reached manufacturer of the European A400M military transport aircraft contracted with Rheinmetall in February 2021 to supply two CPTT training simulators to the Bundeswehr’s Wunstorf and Altenstadt bases The order was worth a figure in the lower-two-digit million-euro range The Air Movement Training Center in Altenstadt already took delivery of the training simulator at the end of 2022 Cargo personnel and paratroopers have been successfully training on the system ever since The transfer of the second Rheinmetall simulator brings this elaborate project to a successful close one at France’s national A400M training centre in Orléans and another at the Royal Air Force National Training Centre in Brize Norton Indo Defence – Jakarta – 11-14 June DSEI – London – 9-12 September PARTNER – Belgrade – 23-26 September Seafuture – La Spezia – 29 Sept.-2 October ADEX – Seoul – 29 October-2 November Dubai Air Show – Dubai – 17-21 November Milipol Paris – Paris – 18-21 Novenber Expodefensa – Bogotá – 1-3 December Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" she isolates the strings on a brand-new grand piano using rubber blocks then strikes the same one or two keys over and over again She may take a piece of sandpaper and gently abrade the surface of the felt on one of the hammers Wunstorf perfects the sound of every single piano that leaves the factory where she works Wunstorf is the “chief voicer” at Steinway & Sons in Hamburg, Germany—maker of what are arguably the finest pianos in the world—and she has worked there for 39 years Steinway was the piano of choice of Liszt and Rachmaninov and is the choice of Billy Joel and Randy Newman not to mention most professional classical players many of whom insist on having a Steinway shipped to wherever they play Wunstorf is the one who gives each new piano its distinct “colour” fullness and power—and says that achieving this is “an emotional job.” located just down the road from Steinway headquarters in Hamburg “But the piano is not an easy instrument to evolve.” a German immigrant who founded the company in New York City in 1853 (and changed his named to Steinway while there) discovered that a piano’s sound could be enhanced by using certain kinds of wood for each of its components: close-grained Sitka spruce is used for the soundboards is deemed good enough to be used in a piano The company opened up a European factory and offices in Germany in 1880 and would eventually gain nearly 130 patents the only truly secret part of the process is the construction of the diaphragmatic soundboard “It’s incredible that the manufacturing process has been largely unchanged for a century,” says Zimmermann the time for change arrived in the form of Spirio which launched in 2015 after a decade of development Self-playing pianos have been around for over 100 years but Steinway’s is considered the world’s most advanced player piano with a library (wireless connection via tablet) that is 3,000 recordings strong—and growing The system’s software—developed by an American company which Steinway acquired—has analyzed and recreated the performances of some of the instrument’s masters from Vladimir Horowitz to Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum “you can have the greatest pianists playing almost live in your living room.” “The piano is every bit an instrument of pop and rock Pianos belong at home as much as they do in a concert hall.” Some Steinways are bought by people who have no intention of tickling the ivories—(ivory is no longer used for the keys; instead a special resin first developed by the company is used) Steinways in good condition can be sold for 25 per cent more than the purchase price.) The company was caught somewhat off-guard by demand for Spirio: almost half of its sales are now for the player piano and demand may increase when new features for pro players are introduced next year “There are lots of people out there with the means to buy a Steinway because they see it as a piano only for serious pianists,” explains Zimmermann we could survive selling just to professional classical players especially since the piano market is increasingly splitting into two: entry-level products The piano is every bit an instrument of pop and rock the company launched its first Sunburst edition piano in which the standard “piano black” lacquer is given a glowing orange effect akin to that found on the electric guitar of the same name Future plans include setting up pop-ups and launching Steinway jazz and rock festivals globally that support young These could be boom times for the piano as an instrument the company created a subsidiary in China to cater to what can only be described as an obsession in that country with the piano in part down to the celebrity status of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang There are presently an estimated 40 million piano students in China “There are only so many pianos we can make and we can only increase capacity very slowly not least because of the challenge of finding and training the craftspeople I looked at the manufacturing here and I thought can’t all this be realized in a more modern way?’ Well The feeling the craftspeople bring to the pianos really matters “It’s not a very rational thing for an engineer to say but it’s all about those positive vibrations.” Never miss a story. 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