All aerospace news – Page 1785
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Boeing tackles winglet erosion in MD-11 modification package
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing plans to complete work by the end of the year on improvements to tackle long-standing operational problems on the MD-11. They include new coatings to prevent excessive erosion to the winglets, modifications to stop skin cracks and changes to system fittings and valves to prevent ...
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High endurance rotorcraft set to fly
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Frontier Systems this year plan to flight-test a revolutionary unmanned helicopter that can remain airborne for up to 48h and achieve an unrefuelled range of 5,550km (3,000nm). Neither DARPA nor Abraham Karem, Frontier president, will disclose details of the research ...
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Vagabond four-seater aims for home with private operators
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON A four-seat general aviation aircraft aimed at private operators is being developed by Italian design and engineering company Etruria Technology. The Vagabond piston single is in the design phase, says Etruria. "We are about two years away from the maiden flight of the first [of three] ...
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Eurotilt consortium drives for tiltrotor funding from EC
A consortium of European companies led by Eurocopter has requested funding from the European Commission (EC) for a new 19-seat tiltrotor ground test programme. The consortium comprises 33 companies from nine countries, including Spain's CASA and Fiat Avio of Italy. The European rotorcraft technology integration for a long-range transport ...
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Pop-out floats
The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved Robinson R44 emergency pop-out floats, allowing the pilot to resume flying, without noticeable loss of airspeed, once a cause of an emergency is corrected. Robinson says the $22,000 floats are lightweight, durable and inflate in about 2s. The company has delivered the first ...
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Diesel Air sets sights on general aviation piston engine market
As the potentially lucrative piston engine replacement market emerges, UK manufacturer Diesel Air has entered the fray, with plans to produce a diesel engine family aimed at the general aviation market. The 75kW (100hp) DAIR 100 is the first in a 75-450kW engine range. It has completed more than ...
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Digital data network software progresses
Aeronautical Communication International (ACI) has completed the first of three phases of aeronautical telecommunications network software for the communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management environment. The software will determine the routing of digital data messages between aircraft and air traffic control. ACI, which comprises Airsys ATM, AlliedSignal, Honeywell, Sextant ...
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Aerospatiale Matra tanker deal sparks Raytheon exclusivity row
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Aerospatiale Matra's partnership with Lockheed Martin on an air-to-air refuelling aircraft based on an Airbus Industrie aircraft violates an exclusive agreement between Raytheon and Airbus to develop and market a militarised Airbus A310-300, Raytheon officials claim. In April, Raytheon Systems and Airbus teamed on the ...
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Holding on
Mexico's aviation industry is battling regulations as well as competitors Roberto Mena/MEXICO CITY Despite significant advances in the past four years, Mexico's commercial aviation industry is struggling. Not only does it face intense competition from the onslaught of international carriers following deregulation, but government regulators seem determined to crush it. ...
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Exclusion zone
The unusual became the unprecedented last week when Boeing, having launched its original 777 programme giving airlines the choice of three competing engines, decided it would revert to a single exclusive supplier for a new variant of the aircraft, to the exclusion of the two rival powerplant manufacturers. This is ...
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Workshop
Air France Industries has concluded a seven-year agreement with Airtours International for the provision of full component repair and exchanges services to support the Airbus Industrie A320 and A321 fleet of aircraft operating within the Airtours Group. The fleet comprises 24 aircraft flying throughout Europe, North America and Canada. This ...
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African Star licence continues, despite troubles
Hilka Birns/JOHANNESBURG South Africa's Department of Transport (DoT) is continuing to process the licence application of African Star, despite the start-up's chief executive facing charges of contravening the country's Customs & Excise Act. Investigators refuse to comment on the case, but sources say that the diversion of duty-free ...
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Mergers
Aviation Sales is to buy Kitty Hawk's airframe and JT8D engine maintenance operations in Oscoda, Michigan. The $21.5 million deal includes a three-year agreement for airframe and engine maintenance on the airline's 34 Boeing 727s. The FHL Division of Claverham in the UK has formed a joint venture with Italy's ...
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Austrian checks on alliance options after Franco-US deal
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Austrian Airlines may ditch its Qualiflyer alliance partners in favour of a rival grouping - partly due to the recent Air France-Delta Air Lines tie-up and partly as a knock-on effect of an Austrian Government block on plans by Qualiflyer leader SAirGroup to increase its share in the ...
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Sound solutions
BFGoodrich's campaign to quieten Boeing 727s is making rapid progress Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Spending serious money to extend the life of an airliner is tough, but spending more to re-engine it is harder. Despite the apparent economic headwind, BFGoodrich's Super 27 Boeing 727 re-engining programme is rapidly gaining momentum and ...
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Proton failure puts question mark over ISS Zvezda launch
Tim Furniss/LONDON The failure of a domestic Russian launch of a four-stage Proton booster on 5 July has grounded International Launch Services (ILS) and casts doubts on a punctual launch of the International Space Station (ISS) Zvezda service module in November. The US-Russian ILS Atlas fleet is already ...
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Arianespace signs Ellipso deal
Julian Moxon/PARIS Arianespace has signed a unique partnership agreement with satellite telecommunications provider Ellipso, which involves the launch of a constellation of 20 satellites aboard the Ariane 5 and an investment in the system by the launch company. The memorandum of agreement, which covers four launches from early 2002, ...
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Rosetta goes on as NASA retires
The European Space Agency (ESA) has completed the final design of its Rosetta orbiter and is preparing the spacecraft for a comet landing in 2012. NASA recently cancelled its Champollion comet lander project because of budget cuts. Europe "has seized the opportunity the USA always misses", said ESA director ...
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SpaceDev and Lockheed Martin probe low-cost services scheme
SpaceDev and Lockheed Martin have joined forces to investigate the development and marketing of low-cost access to orbit for small payloads. The delivery service will be based on the Lockheed Athena booster and SpaceDev's standardised MiniSIL spacecraft buses. Two SpaceDev craft would fly on the Athena, carrying science and ...
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Starsem gathers new contracts
Globalstar has awarded a contract to Starsem to carry four more satellites on a Soyuz launch in 2001. This follows three launches of four Globalstars each this year. Another three previously contracted Globalstar launches are due later this year. The Aerospatiale-Matra/Arianespace/Samara/Russian SpaceAgency owned Starsem also has contracts for two ...