All aerospace news – Page 1818
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Rule change
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The aero engine service business has undergone a fundamental overhaul since 1995, when manufacturers began to recognise the untapped potential of the aftersales market to boost revenue. Airlines, struggling to cut costs, have been moving meanwhile to spin off their engineering divisions or to exit the ...
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World views
Tim Furniss/LONDON Orbital Sciences' (OSC) Orbimage division has acquired the worldwide sales and distribution rights for radar imagery to be returned by Canada's 1,650kg (3,600lb) Radarsat 2 satellite. The satellite, under construction by OSC's recently acquired MacDonald Dettwiler, will be launched in 2001 and is expected to be ...
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Dutch company buys Boeing civil helicopter production line
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Boeing has sold the former McDonnell Douglas (MDC) civil helicopter production line to Dutch holding company MD Helicopters, nearly two years after it snapped up the Mesa, California-based manufacturer in its merger with MDC. The deal is expected to be finalised and signed by 15 February, ...
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Executive Jet begins Middle East marketing
Executive Jet is planning to launch a five-week marketing campaign, kicking off on 15 February, to promote its Middle East fractional ownership programme in the region. Operations are to start in the second quarter. Executive Jet vice-president of marketing Charlie Lynch says: "We will hit the market with large ...
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Electrical problems spark Shuttle observatory delay
NASA has delayed its first Space Shuttle launch in 1999 by at least five weeks from 8 April, after discovering potential electrical problems with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The observatory is to be deployed by Space Shuttle STS93 Columbia, the launch of which has already been postponed from last ...
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US report plays down fears of GPS navigation signal jamming
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC A study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory concludes that risks associated with jamming of the global positioning system (GPS) signal can be managed. This can be achieved if steps are taken to minimise the prospects of intentional and unintentional interference, says a ...
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Lockheed Martin hit by new X-33 delays
Tim Furniss/LONDON The first flight of the $1.2 billion Lockheed Martin X-33 spaceplane technology demonstrator has been delayed again. The latest setback, caused by a hydrogen tank problem, pushes the maiden flight back seven months, to July 2000 at the earliest. The programme - which was started in ...
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Telephone approval
AirCell has received a waiver of approval from the US Federal Communications Commission, allowing operation of its airborne telephone system, which connects with ground-based cellular networks. The system is targeted at general aviation and airline markets by the Louisville, Colorado-based company. Source: Flight International
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FAA sends US 727F operators $192 million bill
The US Federal Aviation Administration has finalised airworthiness directives (AD) which impose severe payload limits on Boeing 727s that were converted into freighters by third party maintenance organisations. The restrictions remain in effect until floor structures on 270 US-registered 727Fs are modified at an estimated cost of $192 million, ...
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Whither Russia's Air Force?
Little wonder that few Westerners understand Russia. In the month that its air force finally reveals the closest thing it has to a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (MAPO's Article 1.44), and hints at grandiose plans for new fighters, missiles and long-range bombers, it also announces swingeing manpower cuts that include some ...
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India reveals light helicopter project
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has unveiled details of a study for a light observation helicopter (LOH) design under way for the Indian forces. The 3t-class aircraft, which will have a maximum payload of 1,500kg (3,300lb) and a design ceiling of around 19,000ft (5,800m), will be in a similar class to the ...
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Thriving business
Andrew Doyle/TEL AVIV In an era when airline bosses preach the merits of focusing on "core activities", Arkia Israeli Airlines has learned to thrive through diversification. As Israel's largest domestic carrier, Arkia built its international charter unit into a major leisure travel business, selling everything from hotel rooms ...
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Management actions
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Flight management systems (FMS) are no longer luxury items found only on large airliners, but essential equipment on commercial aircraft of all sizes and ages. The reason is the navigation accuracy now possible and the cost benefits available to airlines in the form of fuel and ...
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Sticky business
Tim Furniss/LONDON Dust from the comet Wild 2 will be collected and returned to earth by the fourth mission in NASA's Discovery programme which kicks off with a Delta II launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 6 February. It will be the first time that samples from a ...
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LHT expands
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has opened a 4,000sq3, maintenance hangar at Stuttgart Airport in Germany. The building replaces a smaller facility that is closing to allow expansion of the airport's passenger terminal. The DM15 million hangar will be used to perform line maintenance work on the 20 aircraft that night-stop at ...
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DaimlerChrysler Airbus will link headquarters
DaimlerChrysler has ordered an Airbus A319 Corporate Jet (CJ) for delivery in early 2000. The aircraft will be operated by a new subsidiary company, DaimlerChrysler Aviation, based in Stuttgart, to ferry employees between the German city and the conglomerate's second headquarters in Detroit, USA. Before it receives the International ...
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Agusta will certificate Koala - a year late
Agusta is planning to certificate its single engined A119 Koala in May, nearly a year later than originally scheduled. The Italian manufacturer blames the delay on its efforts to incorporate design changes to the aircraft, in response to customer demands. The design of the seven-seat Koala, which was originally ...
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Era expands tourist business activities
Era Aviation is expanding its helicopter sightseeing operation with a multimillion dollar order for five Eurocopter AS350B2 Astars. Era's executive vice-president, Richard "Lash" Larew says: "This deal brings our B2 fleet to 26, making us not only the largest commercial operator of this aircraft in the USA, but also ...
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Canadian unveils new image
Canadian Airlines has revamped its image with a new name, new uniforms and a new stylised "Canada goose" logo. The Calgary-based carrier has dropped the word "International" from its name in an effort to promote its domestic services, and the new livery features more bare metal so as to more ...