Just to keep the American Airlines Chapter 11 theme going for a bit longer, it's worth bearing in mind the carrier's huge order backlog. The consenus appears to be that the orders won't be affected by the bankruptcy, although that of course may change. Included within the tally are 141 Boeing 737NGs - not unlike this example pictured yesterday at position 3 on Boeing's Renton factory line 2.
Credit: Dominic Perry/Flightglobal
Much as the title suggests, really, given that the big news today is AA's woes. Having flown with the troubled carrier yesterday - five hours on a Boeing 737-800 - here's a shot of a 777 taxiing at London Heathrow 27L.
Image credit: flcriminal @ AirSpace
Pictured here are a Boeing AH-64 Apache, Eurocopter AS532 Cougar and a Boeing CH-47 Chinook of the Royal Netherlands Army Air Force on exercises at Volkel earlier this year, photographed by Flightglobal Airspace user Ghostplanes.
Credit: Airspace user Ghostplanes
OK, it's not really a pyrotechnic display to celebrate the over-consumption of turkey and pumpkin pie. In fact, according to the caption on the pic, it's a C-17 Globemaster III performing evasive counter measures by launching flares during a Mobility Air Forces Exercise earlier this month in Nevada. It sure is purty though.
Credit: US Air Force/Senior Airman Brett Clashman
Just in from Airbus Military is this shot of the first A400M for a customer - in this case the French Air Force - arriving at its final assembly line in Seville. The wings and nose are pictured being unloaded from the Airbus A300-600ST Beluga transport aircraft, although one colleague wondered if the Beluga's gaping maw was, in fact, a portal to another dimension. He doesn't get out much.
Credit: Airbus Military
And the lucky carrier to take the 100th airplane is Tajikistan-based Somon Air. So far the 737-900ER has racked up 414 orders from 16 customers. The 737-900ER is the longest 737, typically carrying 180 passengers in a two-class layout with an exit limit certified for up to 220 passengers in a single-class configuration. This is the airline's second 737-900ER, both with the Boeing Sky Interior, and is its sixth aircraft, all from Boeing.
Credit: Boeing
The news that the US Air Force has decided not to select the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 Texan II for its light air support contest has been met, as you might expect, with howls of protest from the Witchita airframer. However, it does give us the opportunity to use this splendid picture of an AT-6 during recent tests of guided munitions.
Credit: Hawker Beechcraft
Astraeus Airlines announced today that it was going into administration. As well as posing questions for a number of carriers who rely on the UK wet lease specialist, there's also Iron Maiden to consider. The band's lead singer, Bruce Dickinson, is a pilot for Astraeus and the airline also provided a 757, nicknamed Ed Force One, for its last world tour.
Credit: AIrTeamImages
Because it's friday and because of the sheer amount of effort that's gone into building it - here's an example of what you can do with lego if you put your mind to it. In this case, a pretty detailed reproduction of a Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey.
Credit: Mad physicist photostream on Flickr
For more of these fantastic models - click here (and be consumed with jealousy)
Courtesy of user Sharpshot on Flightglobal's Airpspace image gallery, here's a great picture of a slightly neglected Boeing 747SP. It began its life as a test aircraft for Boeing as it looked at the possibility of offering a 747SP Combi, before entering service with China Airlines in 1977. It wound up with Kinshasa in 2003 - registration 9Q-CWY - and was then acquired by Capital Asset management in 2007. It now sits waiting for oblivion at Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates, where it appears to have been for the past four years...
Credit: user Sharpshot on Flightglobal Airspace
Pictured over the Dubai desert is a joint display from the Al Fursan and Patrouille de France teams. Al Fursan - The Knights - is the UAE's aerobatic team, flying Alenia Aermacchi MB-339As. Video highlights can be found here.
Credit: Katsuhiko Tokunaga
Deals done in Dubai? Airbus A320neo for Arab and American airlines? Qatar's carrier chooses up to 80 Neos? Spirit selects 45 Neos? Lovely. (Just don't mention the A330 freighter conversions).
Credit: Airbus (both images)
Emirates has ordered an additional 50 Boeing 777-300ERs valued at $18 billion, the largest commercial aircraft order in the airframer's history.
The Dubai-based carrier is already the largest 777 operator with a fleet of 94 aircraft. It had another 41 on order before the latest announcement, which also includes options for another 20 aircraft.
"The 777's reliability, performance and operating economics have firmly established it as the backbone of our fleet," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates. Continue reading ....
Credit: Billypix
With the news that Airbus is to consign its four-engined A340 to the sales scrapheap, here's an entirely apt image of an A340 heading off into the sunset. In this case, it's an A340-500 operated by Singapore Airlines on the way into LAX.
Credit: AirTeamImages
Russian carrier Aeroflot is poised to deploy its third Sukhoi Superjet on international flights in the coming weeks having taken delivery of the aircraft recently. It's a bit grainy but you've got to love this night shot of the Superjet.
Credit: Superjet International
As a former logistics hack, I have a soft spot for the grungy world of cargo carriers. But somehow Boeing's 777 Freighter almost muscles its way into the 'glamorous' category, particularly in FedEx livery. It's a programme that's going great guns too - this being the 50th 777F, and the 16th for FedEx, pictured on its departure from Paine Field yesterday.
Credit: Boeing
A stunning photograph of the KAI/Lockheed Martin T-50Bs of the Republic of Korea Air Force Black Eagles display team performing at Osan Air Base's Air Power Day 2011 last week. (No capital letters were hurt during the creation of this blog post.)
Credit: US Air Force
In the light of the first delivery of the Block III variant of Boeing's Apache to the US Army yesterday, here's a nice shot of the attack helicopter (also featuring an AAI RQ-7 Shadow) on test at Dugway's Michael Army Airfield. (And for anyone wanting a somewhat low-tech version of same - click here).
Credit: US Army
For some reason when I see this picture of the sunset-lit Airbus Military A400M at Filton it reminds me of the classic movie, Top Gun. Only in the UK. And without fighter jets. Or Tom Cruise. Other than that, it's uncanny, I'm sure you'll agree.
Credit: user Michael Buckle on Flightglobal Airspace
Lockheed Martin's iconic airlifter, the C-130, currently in its J incarnation, has hit several milestones this week with the latest aircraft delivery. Pictured is the 10th C-130J Super Hercules for Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The aircraft is also the 100th overall C-130J delivered to the US Air Force and the 150th overall to the United States government.
Credit: Lockheed Martin
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