FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0404.PDF
DEFENCE EH Industries denies problems YEOVIL Rumours circulating before the Westland Group's annual general meeting that the EH.101 helicopter had encountered development problems have been denied by the company. Westland is a joint partner with Agusta in EH Industries, and it was on the rotor hub, designed by Agusta, that speculation centred. A spokesman for EH Indus tries tells Flight that there is no substance to the rumours, and that the test programme for the two prototypes was continuing as planned. The PP1 prototype at Westland is currently completing a sched uled refit, while PP2 at Agusta continues to amass flying hours. Blackbird II billed as new black programme BURBANK The US Air Force has finally embarked on a successor to the Lockheed SR-71 Black bird, according to an article that originally appeared in the Armed Forces Journal. Apparently the Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Group (ASG) is developing a succes sor to the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, in a secret $2 • 1 billion programme code-named "Aurora". Both the US Air Force and Lock heed refuse to comment on the report. The new aircraft is reported to be capable of Mach 5 speeds (3,800 m.p.h.) at 85,000ft, with a service ceil ing of 100,000ft. Defence industry financial analysts David J. Smith of and it fosters mediocrity. Nobody is ever to blame for anything because no one has full and final responsibility. Kelly Johnson had enough vision, intelligence, and a little ingredient, rare today, known as guts. He was willing to stick his neck out and risk his reputation. 'Hey, I think it can be done, I'm going to try'." Gen Geary said that his staff on the YF-12A and SR- 71 programmes numbered only 46, compared with several thousand on a major aircraft programme today. He had full responsibility and no interference. "To me, the biggest failure in life is the failure to try. We have kind of lost that," Gen Geary added. AGM-130 set for DT&E EGLIN AFB The initial flight trials of the Rockwell AGM-130 standoff weapon system, being devel oped for the US Air Force, have been completed satis factorily. The programme will now move to the full devel opment, test, and evaluation (DT&E) phase. Col Francis Sabo, USAF Systems Programme Director says, "All test objectives of the flight were met, including performance validation of stability over the weapon's full range, planned altitude changes, and guidance into the target". The DT&E will consist of eight powered launches from both McDon- nel Douglas F-4 and General Dynamics F-lll aircraft. An AGM-130 zeroes-in on a target after launch from a US Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom ' be under development Alex, Brown and Sons, and Suzanne D. Patrick of Sanford C. Bernstein think that Lockheed's ASG will have more than $1-1 billion in revenues in 1988 that cannot be attributed to any known aircraft programme. They believe that these funds may be for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) and Aurora. Nine of the 30 SR-71s designed and built by Lock heed's famed Kelly Johnson's Skunk Works in the 1960s are still thought to be operational and are based at Beale AFB, Sacramento. Commenting on why it has taken the US 28 years to embark on a successor pro gramme to the SR-71, General Leo Geary, the Blackbird's original pro gramme manager, told Flight, "The trouble with the acquisi tion system today is that it takes more time and money 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 20 February 1988
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
