All aerospace news – Page 1891
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Canada orders review of SAR bidding
The Canadian Government has refused to endorse the Department of National Defense's (DND) recommendation to procure the EH Industries EH101 Cormorant helicopter to meet its search-and-rescue (SAR) requirement. The EH101 came top in the DND's technical recommendation, but the Federal Cabinet is now demanding that the bid process be ...
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Bell 427 Airborne
Bell Helicopter flew its Model 427 light twin-turbine helicopter for the first time on 11 December. The 4min flight took place at the firm's Mirabel, Canada, commercial-helicopter manufacturing plant. The company has orders for more than 70 aircraft, with US certification planned for December 1998 and deliveries due to begin ...
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BA drops B/E Aerospace as IFE supplier
British Airways is to ditch B/E Aerospace as its in-flight entertainment (IFE) hardware supplier and is expected to announce a tie-up with Hughes-Avicom International around 15 December. The contract could have eventually been worth around $225 million to B/E Aerospace. The UK carrier decided to re-evaluate its IFE programme ...
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Airbus gives the go ahead for A340 offspring
Max Kingsley-Jones and Kevin O'Toole/LONDON Airbus Industrie is working at top speed to fly the first Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340-600 in January 2001, following board approval for the full launch of the $2.9 billion A340-500/600 programme. The European consortium says that it holds some 100 commitments, from seven ...
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Sempati to revitalise fleet with ex-United 737s
The owners of Sempati Air Transport are to acquire 26 Boeing 737-200s from United Airlines, in an effort to revitalise the financially struggling Indonesian carrier. Asean Marketing Investment (AMI) has reached an agreement with United Airlines to purchase the surplus 737s for use by the Indonesian regional carrier. AMI ...
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Air 2000 to expand long-haul operations with 767-300
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Air 2000 is set to become a genuine long-haul airline in 1999 following the signing of a lease deal for delivery of its first dedicated widebodies in the form of the Boeing 767-300ER. The charter airline, which is based at Luton in the UK, has signed ...
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Challenge launches Omega DC-10 freighter programme
Challenge launches Omega DC-10 freighter programme Challenge Air Cargo is set to be the launch customer for the Omega Air-backed McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40 freighter-conversion programme, with the acquisition of up to five aircraft, starting in 1998. According to company president Bill Spohrer, the Miami-based regional freight operator is ...
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Boeing plans to push up 777-200 weight
Boeing is planning a further incremental increase in the 777-200IGW (increased gross weight)'s maximum take-off weight (MTOW), in an effort to meet improved range and payload performance requirements from Air France, which is already a customer, and potential client Qantas. The proposed new weight offering would increase the MTOW ...
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Bedek aims to convert twinjets and seeks co-operation with Boeing
The Bedek division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is looking to move into the market to convert Boeing twinjets to freighters, and wants to work with the US manufacturer. Boeing is known to be looking at the setting up of an after-market 767 freighter-conversion line alongside that of the ...
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White House report warns against total GPS reliance
The US government must conduct an in-depth risk assessment of the planned satellite-based air-navigation system before it dismantles the current ground-based radio- navigation system, a White House report has warned. The President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection says that the use of the global-positioning system (GPS) as the sole ...
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IATA establishes N Korean trials
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has invited five Asian and US carriers to participate in flight trials through North Korea's Pyongyang Flight Information Region (FIR), following the installation of a new direct-communications landline to South Korea. A Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-400 freighter, en route from Anchorage to ...
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Alitalia plays down privatisation but closes on alliance decision
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON Alitalia chairman Fausto Cereti is downplaying the chances for a quick privatisation of the Italian flag carrier, despite the announcement by its parent state-holding company, IRI, that it will cut its stake. The choice of a European alliance partner is promised within weeks, however. Cereti says ...
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Global warning
As the world's environment experts began to assemble in Kyoto, Japan, for the United Nations (UN)summit on global warming, amid the general pronouncements on climate change come some timely reminders that aviation remains firmly among the industries on the target list for environmental activists. Among its other positioning papers ...
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Satellite Launcher directory
Tim Furniss/LONDON The success of the European Space Agency-funded demonstration launch of the Ariane 502 in October buoyed the European space industry after the calamitous failure of the 501 in June 1996. Assuming a successful 503 demonstration flight in May, the Ariane 5 will be taken over by Arianespace ...
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Coast Guard looks at civil tilt-rotor option
Bell Boeing's Model 609 civil tilt-rotor is among options being considered by the US Coast Guard as it begins planning its long-term search-and-rescue requirements. The Coast Guard is examining its aviation needs and is expected to award study contracts in 1998. Bell Boeing has briefed the Coast Guard on ...
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MD Explorer goes to Grand Canyon
Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters has taken delivery of its first Boeing MD Explorer. The company is due to begin operations on 15 December. The eight-seat, twin-engined aircraft will be equipped for multi-mission operations, including search and rescue and firefighting. The acquisition was made in response to a recent ...
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Spaceball camera makes debut on Columbia
NASA's first test flight of the $3 million spherical Aercam Sprint robotic camera has been completed from the Space Shuttle Columbia STS87. Like the German-built Inspector craft which will be evaluated outside the Russian Mir space station this month, an uprated version of the Sprint will be used during International ...
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Airbus launches more safety aids
Julian Moxon/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie plans to introduce a variety of new automated functions to all production aircraft from 1998 in a move aimed at improving safety. Coupled with improved pilot feedback and training, the initiatives are aimed at reducing the number of human-error accidents, which Airbus calculates account ...
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Singapore seeks fighter trainers
Singapore has requested proposals for a fighter-training system which will include simulators for the Lockheed Martin F-16, McDonnell Douglas A-4S and Northrop F-5E. Bids are due in by mid-December. Bidders could include CAE Electronics, Hughes Training, and Lockheed Martin with Thomson Training &Simulation. The Integrated Fighter Training (IFT) contract ...
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Mars Express plan gathers support
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Science Programme Committee has endorsed the preliminary stage in the development of the Mars Express mission. The craft will enter orbit around the Red Planet and deposit up to four landers on the surface after launch on a Russian Soyuz U booster scheduled for 2003 ...