All aerospace news – Page 1850
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Failure report
NASA's TRW-built Lewis remote-sensing technology demonstration satellite, which failed in orbit on 26 August 1997, two days after launch, did so because of a "combination of a technically flawed attitude control system design and inadequate monitoring of the spacecraft during its early operations phase", says NASA. Source: Flight International
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Standard maintenance
Winnipeg, Canada-based Standard Aero has become the first authorised maintenance centre with a certified test cell for all models of the Allison 250 turboshaft/ turboprop family. Source: Flight International
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B/E interior design
As part of its renewed round of acquisitions B/E Aerospaceis to buy SMR Aerospace, a world leader in designing, installing and reconfiguring airliner interiors. The acquisition, which is priced at around $142 million and is expected to be completed in August, will help B/E build a complete service in the ...
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Burbank completes 707 hushkit work and expects STC soon
Burbank Aeronautical (BAC) has completed flight tests of its Stage 3 Boeing 707 hushkit and expects to receive a supplemental type certificate (STC) by late August. Work has now begun on a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-50/61 kit. The STC will be obtained by Quiet Skies, a company established by Burbank ...
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Chinese study European overhaul proposals
China Southern Airlines is reviewing plans to invest in an engine test and overhaul facility while it considers separate joint venture proposals from MTU and Sochata. SR Technics, in the meantime, is pursuing a maintenance joint venture with China Eastern Airlines, as Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (HAECO) and Shandong Airlines ...
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Debonair looks for frequent flier links
Low-cost UK carrier Debonair has emerged from its meeting to discuss setting up a joint frequent flier programme for the independent airline sector, declaring that it has up to 15 European carriers on board, including Virgin Express and Air Malta. Potential deals are also in place to extend the scheme ...
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EC aims to be at the helm of global navigation
The European Commission (EC) has responded to calls from the airline industry and other bodies and accelerated efforts to define a future European global navigation satellite system (GNSS-2). While existing plans for an interim satellite-based system, the European geostationary navigation satellite system (Egnos), remain in place, the EC is ...
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Routes
-Sabena will introduce jet services on its Brussels to London City service on 13 September, replacing the existing Bombardier Dash 8 with an Avro RJ85 on one of five daily flights. ++ Swissair will cease flights to Philadelphia at the end of October. The airline will offer connections via New ...
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Dollars and sense
The ARAC studied use of inert gases (including nitrogen and exhaust gases), fuel "scrubbing" and "washing" the ullage space above the fuel, which are methods of purging oxygen from the tank. Scrubbing fuel at the airport fuel farm offered little added protection while use of foam would reduce aircraft payload ...
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ARAC advises caution on fuel tank safety improvements
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC An aviation industry advisory group led by Boeing and Airbus Industrie says the US Federal Aviation Administration should continue to investigate cost-effective ways to enhance fuel tank safety on in-service and new airliners while ordering the changes for new aircraft designs. Six months ago, the ...
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Workshop
-Hawker Pacific Aerospace has won a $5 million five-year contract to repair and service landing gears on 16 UPS Airlines Boeing 747 freighters. It will perform the work at its facility in the UK. The company has also secured a $6 million five-year landing gear maintenance contract from SAS, LOT ...
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Boeing gets go-ahead for CALCM upgrade
Boeing has won a $5.5 million development and production contract to develop and deliver retrofit kits to upgrade AGM-86C conventional air-launched cruise missiles (CALCMs) to Block 1A standard. Block 1A includes an eight-channel global positioning system receiver with navigation and guidance enhancements and an adaptive, anti-jam, antenna array designed ...
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AASI hastens production climb
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures (AASI) is completing final assembly of the third Jetcruzer 500 pusher turboprop and has already amassed more than 50 flight-test hours on the second prototype. "Test flights are indicating better performance in terms of climb and cruise speed than we anticipated," ...
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FAA prepares to clear MD 600N improvements
The US Federal Aviation Administration is expected to "sign off" on a performance improvement programme for the Boeing MD 600N helicopter by the end of July. The year-long effort will result in clearance for take-off and landing at 7,000ft (2,130m) density altitude at all-up weights of up to 1,750kg ...
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New owners pledge PBN expansion
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Pilatus Britten-Norman (PBN) has been sold to a private investment company for an undisclosed sum, ending months of speculation over the utility aircraft manufacturer's future. London, UK-based Litchfield Continental has acquired PBN from Switzerland's Pilatus Aircraft, which has owned the Bembridge, Isle of Wight-based aircraft manufacturer ...
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Star Alliance aims to build on Asia-Pacific links
The global Star Alliance is moving to consolidate its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with some small but critical bilateral co-operation agreements and approvals either being finalised or close to be being concluded. Founding Star partner Lufthansa has announced a code-sharing agreement with Air New Zealand (ANZ) on routes ...
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TrunkLiner programme is scrapped
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE China has scrapped the Boeing MD-90-30 TrunkLiner programme less than a month after the collapse of AE-3IX co-development negotiations with Airbus Industrie Asia, delivering a double blow to the country's once bold aerospace ambitions. Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) has instructed Boeing's Long Beach plant to ...
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US Airways plans fleet overhaul
US Airways is planning to update and expand its Shuttle fleet with Boeing 737-300s, but it claims that this will require its pilots to agree to a modified employment contract The division, which operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 727-200s on services between Boston, New York and Washington DC, ...
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WorldNav communications unit to become ACARS successor
Honeywell has launched its own communications management unit (CMU), catching up with competitors AlliedSignal and Rockwell Collins and filling a gap in the company's WorldNav product suite. Honeywell expects the CMU, which complies with the latest ARINC 758 standard, to succeed the current airborne communications addressing and reporting system ...
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GAO says ISS may need debris shield
The International Space Station (ISS) may require a $5 billion debris shield and particle tracking network to protect its operation in orbit, says the US Government's General Accounting Office (GAO) - but funding is not included in current ISS cost estimates. Particles of debris as small as 10mm could puncture ...