May 2011 Archives

The UK, Spain, Germany and Italy joined celebrations at BAE Systems in Lancashire, England, this week to mark the handover of the 100th Typhoon production aircraft.

This aircraft is the 35th Typhoon to be handed over to the RAF and the 100th production aircraft to be manufactured by the four partner nations.

Chris Boardman, BAE Systems managing director for the aircraft said: "This is a significant day for the Royal Air Force and for each of the other partner air forces. The Eurofighter programme is a massive and complex undertaking which requires the best talent from each of the four nations and produces an aircraft we believe is second to none. Pilots love the aircraft - and its capabilities have won respect across the globe."

 

Korean Air has formally taken delivery of its first Airbus A380, becoming the sixth carrier to operate the double-deck aircraft.

The Seoul-based operator accepted the jet, MSN35, during a ceremony at Toulouse.

Continue reading....

Video footage courtesy David Kaminski-Morrow 

PICTURES: Korean's first A380 takes deliveries almost to 50

PICTURES: Korean Air unveils newly painted A380

INTERIORS: VIDEO - Korean Air unveils A380 flying duty free shop

More Korean Air A380 coverage on Flightglobal

 

As our correspondent Mary Kirby reports on her Runway Girl blog, Gore Design Completions is showcasing a radical business aircraft interior design concept for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner at #EBACE11 in Geneva.

The design, which features an open floor plan, "is about movement and how it reflects its environment", says Core Design Completions. 

"Swirling patterns in the headliners, creative ceiling fans and the furniture construction and placement are meant to fall in line with the air currents on the aircraft creating a fluid environment that wraps itself around the passengers."

Airbus has introduced new names, branding and colours for its corporate jets, in a move aimed at reflecting commonality throughout the family and the modernity of the jetliners.

The words "Airbus ACJ" will now precede the model of the airliner from which each corporate jet is derived, with the A318 Elite becoming the Airbus ACJ318; the A319 Corporate becoming the Airbus ACJ319; the A320 Prestige becoming the Airbus ACJ320 and so on throughout the family, including the forthcoming Airbus ACJ350 widebody.

The new colours comprise metallic-blue shading on most of the fuselage and tail, highlighted by flowing curves "that echo the colour schemes often chosen by Airbus corporate jet customers", and are accompanied by a new "Airbus Corporate Jets" logo, said Airbus. Read more...

I break with our norm of only featuring one aircraft/photo to feature four aircraft who bear the connection of being the types involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed their crew and passengers, civilians in the buildings three of the jets were crashed into, and averted additional deaths from courageous actions of the passengers and crew on the four aircraft.

Paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 mastermind planner Osama bin Laden--who on Monday morning Pakistan time was killed in a United States military operation--extends beyond those who lost their lives on that cloudless Tuesday morning. The tribute extends to victims of other attacks throughout the world before and after 9/11, those who became injured, those who have lost family, friends, and acquaintances, and those whose lives were altered without consent.

It may be impossible to fully pay tribute. Indeed, the following variants and paint schemes do not match exactly. Nonetheless, I hope you will find this is a start.

American Airlines flight 11

Aerolineas Argentinas' new livery has made its Boeing 737 debut in Subang, Malaysia where former Virgin Blue 737-700 VH-VBA has been re-painted in the Argentine carrier's colours.

The livery was announced last June, a few months before the carrier revealed its intention to join the SkyTeam alliance, which it expects to formalise next year.

These photos are used with permission of Malaysian Wings photographer mdsaleh.