All news – Page 6868
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Deadline looms over subsidy allegations
Rival manufacturers Bombardier and Embraer will complete their presentation of written submissions by 15 December to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over a long-running wrangle involving the alleged use of subsidies to sell regional aircraft. The manufacturers have made a formal submission and rebuttal to the two WTO dispute ...
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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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Lockheed urged to hurry C-130J orders
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Political pressure is mounting on the US Air Force to accelerate its planned purchase of additional new Lockheed Martin C-130J transports by up to four years to fill a shortfall in orders after 2000 and a threatened temporary shutdown in production. Lockheed Martin has existing ...
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F-22 Raptor flight testing clears critical targets
Flight testing of the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor has passed the critical 183h mark, clearing the way for the US Congress to release $800 million in funding for two production representative test vehicles (PRTVs) and long-lead items for the initial Lot I batch of six fighters. The first two ...
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USAF will evaluate CL-327 Guardian
The Bombardier CL-327 Guardian vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (UAV) has been selected by the US Air Force's UAV Battlelab to demonstrate how such craft can support non-combatant evacuations, humanitarian assistance and other missions. The series of demonstrations will take place next year under the sponsorship of ...
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South Africa unveils Mi-24 Hind upgrade kit
South Africa's Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE) has unveiled plans for a sensor and weapons upgrade kit for Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopters. The company expects to complete modification of one aircraft shortly, for use as a marketing demonstrator. Flight tests are due to get under way early next year. ...
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New Zealand approves F-16 lease
Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA New Zealand is to replace its ageing McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fleet with 28 Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs, originally built for Pakistan, under a leasing arrangement announced on 1 December by defence minister Max Bradford. New Zealand will pay just NZ$12.5million ($6.72 million) a year for ...
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Merlin enters Royal Navy service for flying trials
The Royal Navy formally introduced the Merlin HM1 helicopter into service on 1 December at RNAS Culdrose, where the aircraft will begin flying trials with the Intensive Flying Trials Unit, 700M Squadron. The squadron, which is likely to operate four Merlins, will be responsible for introducing service operating procedures ...
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NH90 prototype
The third of five prototype NH90 utility/transport helicopters has taken to the air at Eurocopter's Marignane plant. The aircraft is the first to be fitted with the core avionics system, comprising automatic flight controls, navigation, communication and identification, plant management system and "glass cockpit". The first prototype has now accumulated ...
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ATS trials SH-2S
Aerospace Technical Services (Aerospace) is to instrument and trial the Royal New Zealand Navy's KamanSH-2F(NZ) Super Seasprites at sea, to develop their operating limitations envelope for shipboard operations. The flight trials, which Aerospace expects to complete by the end of next year, will involve 60-85 hours flying on two ships. ...
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Navy mask
The US Navy is to purchase a Chemical Biological and Radiological Respirator for pilots from Camberley Rubber Mouldings in a deal worth up to $30 million over five years. The respirator is a derivative of the UK armed forces' AR5 model aircrew NBC respirator equipment. The USN will acquire 1,200 ...
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P-3 sustainment study may turn into MMA
Lockheed Martin, a Raytheon Systems/Bombardier Services team, and possibly Boeing have submitted bids for the US Navy's P-3C Service Life Assessment Programme (SLAP) that would lead to major airframe modifications designed to keep the Orion aircraft flying until 2015, when the Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) is expected to enter service. ...
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First production Rafale flies
Julian Moxon/PARIS The first series production two-seat Dassault Rafale fighter has flown as the French Government prepares to place a firm multiyear order for 28 aircraft, plus 20 options. The order, delayed considerably during negotiations over the future of Dassault and the Government's demand for cost reductions, will ...
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Agreement reached on J-STARS work
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon have agreed to develop the Radar Technology Insertion Programme (RTIP) radar upgrade for the Northrop Grumman Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), ending a row between the companies over the project. Research and development work will be split 50:50, with Raytheon becoming a subcontractor ...
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Pentagon awards seed money for suppression work
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have each won contracts valued at about $6.5 million to begin developing technologies that would allow for attack of air defences without dedicated suppression of enemy air defences aircraft, such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4G Wild Weasel and the General Dynamics F-16CH outfitted with the Raytheon ...
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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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Airborne warning S-2 is offered to Brazil navy
Embraer and Marsh Aviation have submitted a proposal to the Brazilian navy to produce S-2F3T/E-1T Turbo Trackers to meet the service's airborne early warning (AEW) requirement. The "informal" proposal, made in November, covers the conversion of former US Navy E-1s rather than ex-Brazilian air force S-2s. "We'd rather use ...
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Dawn of the auxiliary
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Tables complied by Air Transport Intelligence Auxiliary Power units (APUs) rarely grab the headlines. Until recent times, any mention of APUs has generally been for the wrong reasons - failures, poor reliability and inadequate support. Now it seems the tide has turned in virtually every aspect ...
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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 ...