Yesterday India's HAL, Russia's United Aircraft, and the two firms' joint venture signed an agreement to get started on the Medium Transport Aircraft programme.I found a few images of what this aircraft is supposed to look like.
From a public relations perspective, it would be great if these guys could align their images, and then furnish us journos with nice, high resolution images when making announcements. Not to be a prima donna, but don't they want publicity for this thing?
HAL provided an intriguing image of the MTA aircraft in desert camouflage, but it's in very low res, meaning we can't use it in Flight International. Heck, I'm even a bit embarrassed to use it here.
The other image by HAL is basically a model that's been laid on a dirt road somewhere at midday. It doesn't even look as if the model is equipped with landing gear, and somehow those tree shadows really throw things off.
If they really want to sell 60 of these things to other countries, it would help if they could come up with some sleeker marketing.
Luck was with me last week and I had the chance to spend three days in Toulouse where Airbus had invited about 150 journalists for an annual technical briefing at its headquarters.
Besides two days of briefings where we got updates on various programmes such as the A350, A380 and the much talked about sharklets, we were also given a short tour of the facility.
More specifically, we got to check out the A350 final assembly line and also the A330-340 cabin interior and engine fitting centre.
Time was tight and the tour was brief but still we managed to see some cool stuff - like the first static A350-900, MSN5000.
The front, centre and aft fuselage sections have been fused and the nose landing gear also installed. (we were only allowed to take photos from a single vantage point, so here it is)
Donning a protection cap, we were also allowed onto the 60 metre long fuselage where engineers were still busy at work. We were told that once work is completed at Station 50, the joined fuselage would be rolled out to Station 40 where the wings of the aircraft will be fitted, and also the main landing gear installed.
Then we saw the A330-340 cabin interior and engine fitting centre where everything you can find in an aircraft - carpets, seats, overhead cabin compartments etc are fitted. No photos were allowed though!
On the second day of our briefings, AirAsia's Tony Fernandes also made a surprise visit. The outspoken CEO was in Toulouse to take delivery of the carrier's 100th A320, which Fernandes had named after outgoing EADS chief Louis Gallois, and had been asked by Airbus to speak on how he grew his carrier from two to 100 aircraft in 10 years.
Fernandes is a man with a sense of humor and pretty much a "quote machine", so when the chance to take a dig at neighbouring carrier Singapore Airlines came up, he went for it: "Singapore Airlines is a confused airline. They have SIA, Silkair, Tiger, and a really ridiculously named airline called Scoot."
He then closed the session saying that the carrier's success really was because he dared to dream the impossible.
And of course, he had a slide to put his point across:
Another thing about being at Airbus' facility in Toulouse is that you don't have to try very hard to spot cool planes:
There was the Malaysia Airlines' A380, due to be delivered this week:
Also a treat to see
Airbus' super transporter Beluga, shaped just like the fish!:
Fruitful trip overall. Do
visit Flightglobal.com for stories filed from the event.
One month after the fact, a video showing the 'naval' variant of the HAL Tejas during its maiden flight has appeared on YouTube. After being rolled out in July 2010, this variant only made its first flight nearly two years later, on 27 April 2012.
While the main landing gear on this variant appears to be more robust than that equipping the Tejas Mk. 1, I find it odd that the 'naval' variant has a single nose wheel. Typically, it is the carrier fighters (F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, Rafale, F-14 Tomcat, etc.) that have two nose wheels. More bewildering yet, the Tejas Mk. 1 has two wheels. Odd. There are exceptions, such as the A-4 Skyhawk, but still.
This aircraft also does not appear to have an arrestor hook. While the ADA and HAL no doubt have a plan to add a hook at some point, I wonder how long will it take to get it working properly?
This programme's torturous history suggests that an effective hook could take years. Even the Lockheed Martin F-35C, which has sucked up infinitely more resources than the Tejas, has experienced early problems with its arrestor hook, calling for a substantial design re-think. It is worth remembering that the F-35C was developed by a nation with vast experience operating conventional carriers.
And what of the GE F414 engine? Originally plans called for naval Tejas to have an F414 power plant similar to the Tejas Mk. II. Yet, this aircraft has the F404. What gives? A while back an industry source told me that HAL had a few extra F404s in stock, so decided to go ahead and plug them into a 'naval' variant. Of course, all the Tejas variants were supposed to be powered by the ADE Kaveri engine, but let's not go there.
I would also be curious to know how the heavier landing gear of this 'naval' variant has affected the aircraft's weight. This is an important issue given that it has the same power plant as the reportedly overweight Mk. 1.
Aside from all that, it's a cool video. Worth watching twice.
Singapore-based military aircraft photographer @alert5 just shared this cool clip
from Chinese TV of a Kamov Ka-28 barely escaping disaster as it attempts to
land on a Peoples' Liberation Army Navy Type 054A frigate. Thankfully the pilot managed to do a go
around and land safely. On the second landing attempted I was impressed by the 16 guys
(looked like four per wheel) racing out to secure the helicopter to deck.
Brilliant stuff!
Singapore Airlines' (SIA) long-haul, low-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has unveiled its aircraft painted in full livery.
The airline, which will operate ex-SIA Boeing 777-200s, is
in final stages to prepare for its inaugural flight on 4 June to
Scoot will also operate services to
Images courtesy of Scoot Pte Ltd
Japan Airlines (JAL) will deploy a specially painted aircraft on selected domestic routes to show its support for the country's sportsmen and sportswomen, who will be participating in this year's summer Olympics.
A Boeing 777-200, registered JA772J, will feature the
official slogan of the Japanese Olympic Committee - "Gambare!
Credit goes to Japan Airlines.
The greatest single question facing the Lockheed Martin F-35 programme is how many will end up actually being bought? Barely a week goes buy without one of the future operators such as Canada, Japan, or Norway expressing concern about the aircraft's cost.
Australia is in the same boat. It originally talked about buying 100, and has far as I know has never officially moved away from this figure. In early May Canberra said it would delay the acquisition of 12 aircraft by two years, although it will still receive two aircraft in 2014. This pair will remain in the USA and be used for training pilots and ground crew.
The 12 remaining aircraft to be purchased under Project Air 6000 Phase 2A are to be followed by a whopping (and yet to be confirmed) order for 58 under AIR Phase 2B. This would bring Canberra total F-35 fleet to 72, well short of the magic 100 number.
In any event, it was with some interest that I read a research note about Australia composites maker Quickstep, a subcontractor for the F-35 programme. The note was published by analyst Alan Hill of Australia's State One stock broking firm after he talked with RAAF personnel at the recent Perth air show.
Most of the note highlighted the F-35's capabilities, but one passage caught my eye:
"The information was timely after PM Gillard had recently announced that the F-35 programme was a core element of Australia's defence strategy going forward, despite Australia's initial deliveries of the F-35 having now been pushed back, in line with recent deferments in the US. Australia, it appears, remains intent on purchasing 3 squadrons of the aircraft, i.e. a total of 72 aircraft. The first 2 aircraft are due in 2014, with the full complement due by about 2020."
It is impossible to say whether 72 will be Australia's final number, of course, based on what were probably informal discussions on the sidelines of a minor air show.
Australian defence expert Andrew McLaughlin tells me that the F-35 is 'pencilled in' for the third tranche of 28 aircraft (Phase 2C), which would take Australia to 100 F-35s. This could see the aircraft replacing Australia's 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets. That said, by the time a Phase 2C decision is made, Canberra could end up opting to buy an unmanned combat aerial vehicle, or even the F/A-XX that could replace the US navy's Super Hornet in the 2030s.
While i'm usually happy to have a drink or two at the airport lounge or bar before a flight, it has never crossed my mind that the pilot on my flight could be doing the same.
Just imagine the beer guzzling guy sitting beside you at the bar later in the cockpit of the aircraft you're on.
This may sound bizarre and unlikely, but judging from figures released by India's civil aviation minister recently, some pilots are definitely boozing it up before their flights.
From January to March this year, 14 pilots and 31 cabin crew members in India failed the pre-flight breath analyzer test.
Last year, 17 pilots were "found drunk" before a flight. The number was 23 in 2010.
Under Indian regulations, pilots who fail the breath analyzer test for the first time will be suspended for three months. If he fails a second time, he will then be suspended for five years.
These numbers may not seem huge given the number of pilots in the country. But still, shouldn't all pilots have the professionalism to take their job seriously, and the decency to turn up for work sober, considering how hundreds of passengers' lives are in their hands on each flight?
Airbus Military is highly displeased with Australia's decision to go for the C-27J over its own C-295 (Surprise! Surprise!). In recent months Airbus Military made a compelling offer, the promise of more A330 multi role tanker transport (MRTT) conversion work provided Canberra plumped for 10 C-295s and a sixth A330 MRTT - designated the KC-30 in Australian service. This was not, alas, sufficient to defeat the C-27J.
It was inevitable that Airbus Military would issue a statement protesting the decision - although for some reason they failed to post it on their web site. In any case, I thought it would be of interest to our readers to post their comments on the C-27J selection in full - see below.
Apart from Airbus Military, there are others who question the buy. One Australian industry source I spoke to called the C-27J "a shiny toy picked by the fighter pilots" who he believes hold sway in the air force. He said Australia would have been better off forgoing the C-130J and following New Zealand's example by upgrading its C-130Hs with new glass cockpits and avionics.
Anyway, opinions about aircraft and their merits are never in short supply in the defence aerospace sector.
Below is Airbus Military's position in full:
AIRBUS MILITARY EXPRESSES SURPRISE AT CARIBOU REPLACEMENT DECISION
Defence Minister Stephen Smith yesterday announced that the C-27J from Alenia will be Australia's new Battlefield Airlifter via a $1.4 billion AUD sole source acquisition of 10 aircraft through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process.
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COMAC has posted an update of ARJ21 crosswind testing taking place in western China. Apparently all is going well, with an ARJ21-700 (aircraft 102) conducting tests at Jiayuguan airport in Gansu province.
The MRJ PR office sent out a few cool photos this morning of the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1200G geared turbofan for the MRJ mounted on a 747SP test bed. The engine has started testing - a bit of good news after last week's news of a one year delay in the MRJ flight test schedule.
Last August I wrote in this blog that
That said, is it really in the interests of
the
Exchanges between
Over drinks in
Though the
No matter what happens, this is all great stuff for us journos.
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