All aerospace news – Page 1823
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France and Germany to merge research
The French Government research agency Onera and its German counterpart, the DLR, are to integrate their helicopter research activities in a move they say will provide a prototype for a "unique European aeronautics and space research organisation". The two have co-operated since 1992 on helicopter research in support of ...
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Indian Airlines to order six ATR 42-500 turboprops
Indian Airlines is to order six ATR 42-500 turboprop airliners from the Franco-Italian ATR company. The deal also marks the start of a manufacturing cooperation between Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and the European aerospace concern. "Indian Airlines has not conveyed its decision to us, but its board has approved the ...
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Landing gear deal
Hindustan Aeronautics and Boeing have signed a contract under which the Indian company will manufacture the main landing gear uplock box for the 777 landing gear assembly. The deal, for 300 shipsets, will be worth $4.5 million, says Boeing. Source: Flight International
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HS-601 problems continue as battery failure hits Palapa C1
More problems have hit Hughes HS-601 satellites - another of the spacecraft is on the brink of losing its final workable battery and is about to be written off. The incident brings to seven the number of HS-601s that have malfunctioned this year. The latest problem satellite is the ...
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Heli contract
Helicopter Service has won a NOK250 million ($33 million) five-year contract from Saga Petroleum to provide support on the Norwegian continental shelf. The new contract will use one Sikorsky S-61N based at Floroe and two Eurocopter Super Pumas, based at Stavanger. Source: Flight International
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General Atomics flies ELINT Predator
General Atomics has test flown a Predator unmanned air vehicle adapted to carry specialised Radio Frequency payloads for a wide range of applications, including electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT). The Predator carried a suite of antennas during the flight evaluation, including three mounted on each wing and a single antenna integrated ...
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Delayed maintenance blamed for Nigerian 707 engine loss
Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS Delayed C-check maintenance on a Nigerian Boeing 707-320C freighter is being linked to the loss of its No 3 engine over Southern Belgium on 14 October. Belgian accident investigators say that the IAT Cargo aircraft, which made an emergency landing at Ostend, should have had ...
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Oneworld infrastructure begins to take shape
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Airline efforts to establish working arrangements for the recently unveiled oneworld alliance are intensifying, with the first meeting of chief executives from the five founding members and the proposed creation of a new common ground-handling operation in Europe. The heads of American Airlines, British Airways, ...
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Moscow court case brings end to Aeroflot/Transaero union
Alexander Velovich and Paul Duffy/MOSCOW The two-year-old alliance between Aeroflot Russian International Airlines and Transaero has ended, following a Moscow court ruling that Aeroflot must pay Transaero R3 million ($176,000) as a balance of mutual financial claims by the two airlines. In early September, Aeroflot officially informed Transaero ...
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Waiting to happen
If airline flight safety is the issue, the US Federal Aviation Administration is almost always a world leader in developing systems to promote it. There is one area - flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) - however, in which it has long wanted to advance, but has been immobilised by circumstances ...
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Somchem unveils warhead
Peter La Franchi/PRETORIA Denel's Somchem division has unveiled a concept demonstrator for a new type of anti-shipping missile warhead, designed to enhance the effect of impact shockwaves in causing structural damage. Somchem is now seeking a development partner to enable full development of the warhead to proceed. The ...
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Stretching out in the Enstrom 480 Turbine
Peter Gray/SHOREHAM The Enstrom 480 Turbine is a classic example of how a good original design can be adapted and modified for the demanding modern operating environment. It is also remarkably flexible for its size. At its maximum capacity, one passenger occupies the front right-hand seat next to ...
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The precision approach
David Learmount/CAPE TOWN Learning only from serious accidents and incidents is a flawed way of advancing flight safety. It took until the 1990s to create a system which is more effective and workable, and until now to persuade most of the world's regions to consider adopting it. The system ...
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African dawn
Lois Jones/DAKAR David Learmount/CAPE TOWN Air traffic services (ATS) in many parts of Africa are already unable to cope with current traffic levels, never mind increased demand. Meanwhile, wars and political instability raging in parts of the continent mean that basic air traffic control (ATC) is often neglected and ...
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Orbital attrition
Tim Furniss/LONDON A Chinese Long March 2C/SD booster is poised to launch two more Iridium mobile communications satellites into orbit this month or in early 1999, bringing to 86 the number of spacecraft so far sent on 18 successful launches since May 1997. Motorola's flagship project, which is ...
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New Piper boosts light aircraft production
New Piper Aircraft is to increase production by almost 10% next year, as its recovery continues to track that of the overall US general aviation industry. The company is scheduled to produce 329 light aircraft in 1999, up from 303 this year. The company plans to build 25 Warrior ...
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Helibus nears first flight
Sikorsky has completed initial main transmission and drive train testing of the S-92 Helibus ground test vehicle, clearing the way for the inaugural first flight of the new medium-size helicopter by the end of December and an anticipated production decision in 1999. The manufacturer has completed around 200h of ...
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US supersonic effort faces axe
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES The NASA-led US national High Speed Research (HSR) programme, aimed at developing a second-generation supersonic airliner, is threatened with closure following the team's decision to raise the noise targets beyond Stage 3, delaying development by as much as 10 years. The surprise move comes as ...
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Swissair reveals Express brand
Swissair is introducing an Express brand to coincide with the launch on 5 November of wet-lease services by Debonair of the UK on behalf of the Swiss flag carrier and Italian independent airline Air One. Debonair will operate one of its British Aerospace 146-200s, painted in Swissair Express colours, ...
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FAA reassures over data use as it launches quality programme
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC With the launch of a long-awaited airline flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) programme, the US Federal Aviation Administration has guaranteed that data obtained from aircraft flight data recorders (FDRs) will not be used against carriers or pilots. So far the programme has been limited to ...