All aerospace news – Page 1749
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Canadians to be first civil S-92 Helibus users
Sikorsky has signed initial agreements to place its first civil S-92 Helibus helicopters with two Canadian operators. Nevertheless, the US helicopter company and rival EH Industries face a battle trying to break into the traditional turboprop airline market. Cougar Helicopters has signed a letter of intent to be the ...
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Agusta invites Bell into ERICA tiltwing study programme
Agusta has invited Bell Helicopter Textron to join its planned ERICA tiltwing study programme. It has also expressed interest in Bell's concepts for larger derivatives of the jointly developed Bell/Agusta BA609 tiltrotor. "We're interested in participating in further developments of the BA609 and we've invited Bell to participate in ...
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Whisper Jet to keep canyon quiet
A heavily modified, ultra-quiet version of the Sikorsky S-55, dubbed the Whisper Jet, has been unveiled by its Washington-based developer following certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration. Conceived and developed by Whisper Jet in conjunction with Florida-based Vertical Aviation Technologies, the initial version of the helicopter is entering ...
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Radio revolution
WorldSpace plans to operate three satellites providing digital-quality sound to portable receivers Tim Furniss/LONDON The next Ariane 5 launch in February will help to spread radio broadcasts across the world. One of the two satellites it will carry will be the AsiaStar, the second in the three-satellite WorldSpace constellation, which ...
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Tests of Australian aircraft show most suffer contamination
More than 90% of the grounded Australian piston-engined aircraft fleet tested are polluted with the ethylene diamine fuel contaminant. Tests are continuing on the rest of the 5,000 suspect aircraft. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued an airworthiness directive calling for tear-down inspections of aircraft fuel systems ...
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Rotor-burst danger triggers Premier I controls revamp
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Raytheon has redesigned the flight controls of the Premier I business jet to prevent an engine rotor burst severing the links to the elevator and rudder. The redesign will delay certification by three months, to the end of June, says Raytheon Aircraft president Art Wegner. "The aircraft ...
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VulcanAir awaits delivery of first Zoche Aero diesel
VulcanAir was expected to take delivery of the first Zoche Aero diesel engine by the end of January for its VA300 utility aircraft. The VA300 is an upgraded Partenavia AP68TP-600 Viator, due for certification in 2002. The Viator twin-turboprop will initially be a testbed for the Zoche engine, with ...
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Eurocopter secures first US EC155 sale
American Eurocopter revealed a number of orders at the HAI show, including the first EC155 sale in the USA, made to Fred Drasner, co-chairman of US News & World Report. The European concern also announced the sale of two EC120s to the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department, which will ...
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FAA opens door to helicopter IFR
Helicopter operators in the USA will have greater flexibility to operate in instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions after crucial amendments to rules just issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The changes reduce the ceiling minimum for helicopters from 600ft (185m) to 400ft and the visibility minimum for precision ...
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Order surge fuels Robinson's plans for expansion
Robinson Helicopter has booked orders for more than 170 R22 and R44 helicopters to be delivered this year, prompting the California-based manufacturer to begin a major expansion to its Torrance site and increase production of its four-place R44 from four to five machines a week. The move follows the ...
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NASA delays 'risky' HETE launch
Tim Furniss/LONDON The launch of the NASA High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) aboard a Pegasus booster from Vandenberg AFB, California, was cancelled in late January as the space agency considered it too risky. NASA wants more testing of the satellite and further preparations at ground stations before it goes ...
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Thruster contracts for Kaiser Marquardt
Kaiser Marquardt is to provide 110lb-thrust (490N) bipropellant engines for the attitude control system of the International Space Station (ISS) and 200lb-thrust engines for the ISS Propulsion Module. The contract has come from Boeing Reusable Systems. The Propulsion Module will share long-term attitude control and re-boost work with the ...
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Atlas blast-off kick starts new millennium space programme
The first satellite launch of the new millennium was routine, with an International Launch Services (ILS) Atlas IIA lifting off from Cape Canaveral on 21 January, carrying the US Air Force DSCS III B8 satellite. It was followed on 24 January by PanAmSat's Galaxy XR, a high- power Hughes ...
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Eutelsat orders fresh NewBird
Eutelsat has ordered a new communications satellite, provisionally called NewBird, from Alcatel Space. The craft will be equipped with 26 Ku-band transponders switchable to three areas of coverage - a wide beam over Europe, a beam covering North and South America, and a steerable beam. The satellite will be ...
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Spacehab contract
Spacehab has won a $4.2 million contract from NASA to supply an integrated cargo carrier (ICC) and two Spacehab Oceaneering Space Systems Boxes - unpressurised tool boxes - for next year's Space Shuttle International Space Station (ISS) assembly flight 7A.1. It will be the first flight of an ICC without ...
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Mergers
BAE Systems is to acquire Watkins-Johnson Telecommunications, a US specialist in military communications surveillance. The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based group will become part of BAE Systems North America's Aerospace Electronics division. A $16.5 million plan by Far East Ventures to buy privately owned Renown Air, including carriers Renown Aviation and Air Niagara ...
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people...
people ++ Evergreen International Aviation has named Joseph O'Gorman president and chief executive (CEO). He joins after retiring as CEO of Reno Air upon its sale to American Airlines. Timothy Wahlberg becomes chairman of Evergreen, the activities of which include helicopter charters, a cargo airline and aircraft leases. He succeeds ...
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Comment3...
Comment3 Headlines USA reconsiders JSF policy4 Dragonair plans 26-aircraft order Dash 8-Q400 delays lengthen5 Lockheed Martin eyes job cuts A400M engine rivals in joint talks 6 MDH to take over former owner's site Air Transport Bombardier picks regional engines8 Crew drills highlighted at Little Rock hearing BM starts CityLine services9 ...
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Seoul issues KAL maintenance directive
The South Korean Government has issued a directive ordering Korean Air (KAL) to enhance maintenance at airports outside South Korea. The order follows the 22 December crash of a Boeing 747-200F freighter at London Stansted Airport in the UK. A faulty attitude director indicator is believed to have contributed to ...
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Legend battles for February launch
Embattled Legend Airlines plans to initiate services from Dallas Love Field, Texas, late this month if it overcomes legal challenges from American Airlines, the city of Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Legend, which planned to begin interstate business-class operations last September, using six 56-seat McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s, ...