Recently in Business and GA Category

AgustaWestland is the latest UK defence contractor to announce big job cuts, with up to 375 people to be laid off, largely from its Yeovil factory, in response to reduced helicopter purchases by the UK Ministry of Defence as well as slowing export sales. The exact number of redundancies is yet to be determined, and the company has launched a voluntary scheme to minimise the number of compulsory cuts it will have to make.

The final number will be known in early 2012, following a 90-day consulting period, but could be in excess of 10% of the company's UK workforce of 3,600, including 3,400 at Yeovil.

The move follows BAE Systems' end-September announcement that it was cutting nearly 3,000 UK jobs in response to spending cuts in programmes ranging from the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter to Hawk trainers and Tornado attack jets.

The Finmeccanica division hopes to shift reliance away from defence business with the introduction of its AW169 multi-purpose civil helicopter, which is being readied for delivery from 2015. AW expects to sell 1,000 of the 10-seat models over 25 years, to transport and offshore operators and for law enforcement and surveillance duties.

The AW169 will make its first flight next year, and one of four prototypes will be based at Yeovil, which is focussing its attention on main and tail rotor and transmission development. But the company readily admits that in the short term the Yeovil plant, which assembles the AW101, Super Lynx and AW159 models, will increasingly have to make do with ongoing support activity for the UK armed forces.

And, it has yet to be decided how Yeovil will fit into the AW169 programme once it moves from development into production, and there is no guarantee that the plant will be a mainline production centre. The AW139, for example, is assembled in Italy and the USA, with a third plant soon to come online in Russia.

Managing director Ray Edwards said: "These steps together - the increased civil aircraft work-flow, the launch of the AW169 and the streamlining of the workforce - will place our UK operation on a strong footing and enable us to keep the skills needed for the UK to retain a viable helicopter capability. 

"Our military business remains central to our success. This said, extending our capabilities in civil production and competing for export programmes, both areas where the government has shown considerable support, are the keys to AgustaWestland's future."

Ultimately, AgustaWestland should have plenty of room to grow in civil markets - assuming its product can match the appeal of Eurocopter, which is increasingly a runaway market leader. As the table clearly shows, AW is a solid number two in the UK civil market, and growth appears to be coming at Bell's expense. Globally, AW is the clear number three; again a flagging Bell looks to be providing opportunity to gain ground - but that means grabbing sales from Eurocopter.

This image is a heatmapped collection of some of Flight Magazine's iconic front covers. 

As you will no doubt already be aware, Flightglobal has scanned in every issue, with a few exceptions, published since 2 January 1909 amounting to some 210,000 pdf pages.

However, there are some pages are missing. But, thankfully with your help, Flightglobal has been able to identify which pages and issues had not been scanned, and these will appear soon which will complete our valuable historic section.

There are three front covers in this heatmapped image that will not take you to the front cover page. But below we've provided links below so you can browse through the rest of the issue. See more on Flightglobal's dedicated page of iconic front covers...

See the rest of the first ever issue

 See the rest of this issue which features an in-service report for the Boeing 757  

See the rest of this issue which highlights the countdown to SpaceLab 

When you click on each front covers there will be thumbnails appearing on the lefthand side of each page allowing you to browse the whole issue.

You can purchase the any of these front cover images, which are available as prints from the Flightglobal Image Store.

If you would like to suggest other iconic front cover images from the Flightglobal pdf archive, send links to Barbara Cockburn, Flightglobal's content editor at barbara.cockburn@flightglobal.com 

• Buy prints at the Flightglobal Image Store
• FEATURE: Iconic Front Covers 

This collection of front cover images (above) was compiled by Flightglobal senior editorial artist Tim Bicheno-Brown.  

Six pilots from the Air France Lognes flying club are to take part in a challenge to land at 100 aerodromes in 24 hours as part of the Breitling 100/24 Cup challenge in June in a bid to promote general, light and business aviation and regional accessibility.

The Air France 100/24 crew consists of three private pilots, two airline pilots and a fighter pilot and they will relay each other in a Cirrus SR22.

The four-seat single engined aircraft has been chosen because of "excellent fuel consumption",performance and has the latest aviation technology and "glass cockpit" avionics".

Five touchdowns an hour must be performed along the route for refuelling and crew chageovers at speeds similar to that of Formula 1 Grand Prix pit stops.  The winning crew will be awarded the Cup on 22 June at the Paris Air Show .

Flightglobal publishes its Bombardier CRJ1000 cutaway of the aircraft that was launched in 2007. Deliveries began in December 2010. 

And you can see the dedicated page showcasing the aircraft. The page includes a flight test feature, a technical description, configurations, the CRJ programme dug out from the Flightglobal archive, images and latest news.

You can also get hold of this cutaway poster on the Flightglobal Image Store and discover a wide range of others like this.

PICTURES: First CRJ1000 comes together in Bombardier's Montreal plant

PICTURES of CRJ1000 in production on AirSpace

Production CRJ1000 successfully completes first flight

PHOTO: Bombardier confirms CRJ1000 first flight

Meet the Bombardier CRJ1000 EuroLite

CRJ1000 gains type certification from FAA

Seeing CSeries through

Regional airframers enjoy healthier start to 2010

VIDEO: CRJ1000 First delivery ceremony

Bombardier's video channel on YouTube

Related blogs

Runway Girl

January 2011 VIDEO: Inside the brand new Bombardier CRJ1000

Flightglobal archives Regional definition - The Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series 700 as a simple stretch of its smaller CRJ200 (June 1999) - includes a general arrangement diagram, specifications and a cutaway drawing.

Hollywood actor John Travolta has upset crew members on Qantas in his introduction to the Australian flag carrier's safety video.

In the video that will be shown to passengers before short and long haul flights, he says: "I've been flying over 40 years as a pilot and I can tell you, there's no one I'd rather have at the controls than a Qantas pilot."

Anonymously flight attendants have posted their feedback online. One said: "We feel it's demeaning to be called 'the team. It makes us feel like we work at McDonald's."

Another described the video as "corny" and "tacky".

Some suggested Qantas  replace the actor star with a "real pilot" like Capt Richard de Crespigny, who piloted an aircraft, QF32, that was forced to make an emergency landing in Singapore in November, highlighting safety issues over its Rolls-Royce-built engines.

• VIDEO: Qantas safety video introduced by John Travolta

Flightglobal content

• Story involving Capt Richard de Crespigny: Multiple systems failures on QF32 after engine blow-out
• Engine profile: Rolls Royce Trent 900 engine
• Aircraft profile: Airbus A380
• Airline profile: Qantas
• John Travolta's Boeing 707 makes emergency landing 
  

...the catch in question being the 'crab' variety, when it stuck its wing into the water while landing at Biscayne Bay near Miami.

Having clocked up just 438 hours from new, this aircraft is being offered at a knock-down price on eBay.

"Now the bad news," says the seller. "The left wing is damaged and will need repair."

If you're feeling ambitious, and rich, and you know a mate who specialises in the aerostructures of rare Russian amphibians, then you're about $125,000 and a mouse-click away from a fairly good dinner-party story.

Those of you whose pay grade remains an obstacle to such eccentric hobbies will just have to be satisfied with reading the NTSB findings and watching the video of the accident. Not too gleefully, please.

News of an ornithopter with a wing span almost as wide as a Boeing 737 made it into my daily morning newspaper.

The ornithopter, known as the Snowbird, was created by Canadian engineers, from the University of Toronot's Institute for Aerospace Studies, has flown and stayed aloft by flapping its wings like a bird while the pilot in the cockpit pedalled furiously to stay up in the air.

The aircraft maintained altitude and airspeed for nearly 20s covering 145m(475ft) at an average speed of 25.6kph (16mph).

See a great picture from the University website.

"This represents one of the last of the aviation firsts," said Todd Reichert, the pilot and project manager, said in a statement.

During my commute this morning I wondered if Flight covered ornithopters of times gone by.

Here's what I found...

Ornithopters search term 

The problems with ornithopters

Flight provided a definition of terms in February 1909. Read about half way down in the second column for an Ornithopter definition.

A flying veteran, aged 94 has unveiled his latest flying machine according to a report from a UK daily news source.

Ken Wallis who invented and pilot of the autogyro, took off in his miniature helicopter reaching speeds around 80mph.

The autogyro, appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, uses natural air to power the overhead rotor, supplying the lift. The thrust is generated by the engine-powered rear propellers.

This most unusual way of soaring the skies is similar to a helicopter but with only one seat, it is a fraction of the weight and size.

Wallis holds records in the highest flight, travelling the length of Britain and soon plans to reach 140mph breaking his own fastest speed record.

• How Flight has charted Ken Wallis' career  

More on bizarre attempts at flight

Over the years other bizarre and astonishing ways have been used, in an attempt to fly. In September 2008 a Swiss pilot nicknamed "fusion man", scaled the length of the channel attached to a jet powered wing. 

Yves Rossy made the 34.5 km trip in less than ten minutes, averaging speeds of 100mph after jumping from a Pilatus Porter aircraft unfolded his 2.4m wing and engaged its four tiny jet motors. 

In July 2008 the first Martin Jetpack flight was made. The longest flight ever has been five and half minutes, reaching a mere six feet. At the time, estimates were made that within a year, adaptations could be made to allow the jetpack to fly for 30min and at 500ft.

By Alastair Clark, from Dulwich College, who is currently doing work experience with Flightglobal 

What's that? It is a plane, is it a car? Well, it's both. Remember those childhood dreams you had of flying in your car. Careering at speed down the road, and then suddenly a super-engine comes out the back, and you blast off into the skies, avoiding the traffic below.

Well, this vehicle comes quite close. Terrafugia, a small, privately-owned business, has developed a car, which, put simply, really can fly.

The car is able to travel 740km at a speed of 185kph whilst up in the air, about a fifth of what a normal plane can achieve. The wings are fold-out, so when you land at the airport, you can fold them up, and then drive out of the airport. Unfortunately, you won't be allowed to just take off randomly in the middle of a road, so taking off has to be kept to airports, for the moment at least.

And there will be no need to buy special gas; it will run on a single tank of regular unleaded gas and will be released in America next year.

When on the ground, the car uses front-wheeled drive, and has a roll-cage and airbags. It will not be very economic however, with a 30mpg rate, plenty of money will have to be spent on fuel. It can however, achieve highway speeds should you wish. You also do not need to leave the vehicle to unfold or fold the wings, as it can all be done within the cockpit, like a retractable roof on a super-car.

Overall, it may have its faults, it may be quite expensive to buy and run, and it could well cause some extra air traffic, but this is definitely the car of the future, now. The aircraft is much more convenient than having to go to the airport, checking in, waiting in the terminal and finally boarding the plane. With the Terrafugia, you can book your place early, and then arrive and go.

Flightglobal's business and general aviation editor Kate Sarsfield reports that Terrafugia has secured US approval to boost the maximum take-off weight of its Transition roadable light sport aircraft by 50kg (110lb) to 650kg, the same limit already allowed for LSA seaplanes.

By Joel Foreman from Sutton Grammar School currently doing work experience with Flightglobal