Flight Image of the Day: June 2011 Archives

View of the 787 wing in-flight

By

Will Horton

on June 28, 2011 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

AirSpace user Terry Buckland has shared these pictures showing the 787's wing, with Trent 1000 powerplants, in-flight over Washington State.

In the most recent 787 news, Boeing is planning two-tiered 787 ETOPS approval, with an initial 180min at entry into service with All Nippon Airways and then later a 330min certification.

RAF's newest and largest aircraft to debut at RIAT

By

Barbara Cockburn

on June 24, 2011 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Voyager, an Airbus A330 tanker, is to debut at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on 16-17 July.

It is the Royal Air Force's newest, largest longest and widest aircraft in the RAF's fleet with a wing span of 60 metres.

Visitors to the show will be able to see it on static display and there will be an official naming ceremony to confirm its title, Voyager.

The modified Airbus A330-200 landed at the Ministry of Defence/Qinetiq test centre on 18 April, having been flown from Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid. It is one of two examples to have been converted so far for the RAF under the 14-aircraft FSTA programme with the AirTanker consortium. Read more....

PICTURES: RAF's first A330 'Voyager' lands in the UK

GoAir A320neo

By

Will Horton

on June 23, 2011 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is a rendering from Airbus of what Indian carrier GoAir's livery will look on the A320neo, which the airline ordered 72 of today at the Paris air show.

Etihad's first 777 freighter

By

Will Horton

on June 23, 2011 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Etihad Airways today took delivery of its Boeing 777 freighter, which is based on the -200LR variant. The aircraft joins Etihad's 777 fleet of seven -300ER variants.

The acceptance comes near the end of this week's Paris air show. At the last major European air show--Farnborough 2010--Eithad took took delivery of its first A330-200F.

The 777F can fly 4900nm with a payload of 102 metric tons. The aircraft joins Etihad Crystal Cargo's fleet of two A330-200Fs, two Airbus A300-600Fs, and two McDonnell Douglas MD11s. It operates to 27 cargo freighter destinations in the Middle East and Africa and 76 destinations across the world.

LAN A320neo #PAS11

By

Will Horton

on June 23, 2011 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is a rendering from Airbus of what LAN's livery will look like on the A320neo, which it ordered 20 of yesterday at the Paris air show. Read more...

Frontier A319neo

By

Will Horton

on June 22, 2011 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is a rendering of what Frontier's livery will look like on an Airbus A319neo. The carrier's parent Republic Airways Holdings has tentatively signed to take 40 Airbus A319neos and 40 A320neos.

All 80 aircraft would be fitted with the CFM International Leap powerplant. Read more...

Special livery for ANA's first two 787s #PAS11

By

Will Horton

on June 22, 2011 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ANA announced at the Paris air show today its first two Boeing 787 Dreamliners will be painted in a special scheme to celebrate the type's introduction.

The livery features a large "787" at the front of the aircraft and then blue lines at the rear of the fuselage "designed to highlight how the three core elements of the airline's service brand - innovation, uniqueness and the inspiration of modern Japan - operate across the ANA network", ANA says.

After of the 787 numbering is the carrier's logo, its Premium class logo, and then the Dreamliner logo.

ANA is due to receive its first 787 in August or September. It is the launch customer for the type with 55 aircraft on order.

jetBlue A321 named '3, 2, 1...Blue!' #PAS11

By

Will Horton

on June 21, 2011 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Airbus has released this rendering of what a jetBlue Airways A321 will look like in the American carrier's livery. The aircraft bears the cheeky name "3, 2, 1...Blue!" JetBlue says the carrier will use the A321s on "high traffic" routes that should be "easy to figure out".

Long-time Airbus customer JetBlue Airways is the latest carrier to order the re-engined A320neo, pledging to acquire 40 of the type as part of a raft of adjustments to its narrowbody fleet.They will be delivered from 2017 to 2021.

The low cost carrier also plans to convert 30 of its 52 firm A320 orders to the larger A321s powered by IAE V2500 engines. Additionally, JetBlue is deferring eight A320s originally scheduled from 2014-15 to 2017 to reduce its capital commitments in the near term.

Airbus is finally granting JetBlue's wishes for a winglet retrofit programme, and is working with the airline to become a launch customer to retrofit its existing A320 fleet.

Airbus chief salesman John Leahy says the retrofit programme will be available to all A320 family variants. The retrofit is expected to deliver approximately the same 3.5% fuel burn improvement the linefit Sharklets do, although Leahy warns the retrofit may require a second mod kit, which could add weight. Read more...

China Southern A380 rolls out in full colours

By

Will Horton

on June 20, 2011 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

China Southern's first Airbus A380 has rolled out in Hamburg in full colours today.

The aircraft will seat 506 passengers.

360° view of 747-8I test interior

By

Will Horton

on June 19, 2011 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental arrived at Le Bourget for the Paris Air Show, where the 747 is making its international debut, Boeing invited attendees aboard. Jon Ostrower, editor of Flightblogger, made this 360° shot of the test interior between doors 1 and 2. The technique calls for a series of photos taken over time to be stitched together, a process that inadvertently shows the different colours settings of the mood lighting.

Click on the image below for a larger view.

#PAS11: 747-8I with Eiffel Tower

By

Will Horton

on June 19, 2011 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental is making its international debut here at the Paris Air Show and Jon Ostrower, editor of Flightblogger, captured this photo showing the aircraft arriving at Le Bourget with Paris's iconic building in the background.

#PAS11: Classic French jets: Concorde and A300

By

Will Horton

on June 19, 2011 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photograph: AirSpace user commercial aviation

AirSpace photographer commercial aviation has uploaded this picture to get you ready for the Paris Air Show, which we're covering live all this week.

His pic shows two classic French jets: Concorde and the A300. Later this week Boeing's newest jets--the 747-8F, 747-8I, and 787--as well as Airbus' A380 and A400M will take part in the show. Follow our special show site for all the news, photos, videos, blogs, Tweets, and more.

ATR celebrates 30th anniversary

By

Barbara Cockburn

on June 17, 2011 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Avions Transport Régional (ATR) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with this ATR 72-212 in a special "30 years ATR" livery.

Azul Linhas Aéreas will take delivery of the aircraft following a presentation at the 2011 Paris air show at Le Bourget.

ATR was formed in November 1981 by Aerospatiale (now EADS) and Aeritalia (now Alenia Aeronautica, part of the Finmeccanica group) to focus on a 42-seat turboprop aircraft, the ATR 42. Within three years of ATR's creation, the first turboprop took the skies.

First delivery was in December 1985 to Air Littoral Since, ATR has developed a 70-seat turboprop and at 31 December 2010, the manufacturer had 915 aircraft to customers. Its -600 series should start delivering next month with the first handover to Royal Air Maroc.

Backlog stood at 159 aircraft at the end 2010 including five ATR 42-600s, 43 ATR 72-600s, four ATR 42-500s and 107 ATR 72-500s, but a series of announcements at the air show should boost the backlog figure to 200 aircraft.

The 900th aircraft was delivered to TRIP Linhas Aéreas and ATR should reach the 1,000th delivery sometimes in the first half of 2012.

Words by Olivier Bonnassies, Finance Editor with Flightglobal'sCommercial Aviation Online

KLM unveils 777 sporting faces on delft-style tiles

By

Will Horton

on June 15, 2011 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photo: KLM

KLM has unveiled the Boeing 777-200 adorned with mini delft-style tiles created from people submitting their picture to the airline's project on Facebook. (Click on the image above for a larger and detailed look.)

In April KLM invited its Facebook fans to submit a profile picture to be featured on the fuselage of its 777 as part of its "Tile & Inspire" campaign.

KLM says it notified those whose delft-style tile it used, so if you submitted a tile but did not receive notification, better luck next time--whenever that will be, although airlines have periodically called on the public to help create special liveries. Such examples are Alaska Airlines calling for a sport-themed livery design and British Airways in 2005 covering a 747-400 with over 100,000 signatures supporting London's bid for the 2012 Olympics.

The Solar Impulse aircraft arrives at Le Bourget Airport

By

Barbara Cockburn

on June 15, 2011 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Photo credit: Mario Fourmy/ABACAPRESS.COM

One of the biggest attractions of the Paris air show, the sun-powered Solar Impulse, has arrived in Le Bourget at its second attempt, after a 16h 5min flight from Brussels.

The prototype, which is powered by batteries charged by the sun, will be on display at the show, where - weather permitting - it will fly each morning from 20 June. Continue reading