All Programmes news – Page 8
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NewsAirbus sees no A350 delivery impact after fire halts fuselage section work at Illescas
Airbus believes there will be no impact on A350 aircraft deliveries after a fire damaged equipment at its Illescas plant south of Madrid. The fire broke out on 25 March in one of the production halls. FlightGlobal understands that the blaze affected an autoclave in the area of section 19 ...
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NewsIl-114-300 prototypes fly formation as third aircraft joins test fleet
United Aircraft has flown its latest prototype airframe of the twin-turboprop Ilyushin Il-114-300, bringing the flight-test fleet to three aircraft. Its initial sortie – with three crew members on board – took place on 31 March and lasted for 30min. The crew tested controllability of the Il-114-300, number 54116, as ...
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NewsAeroflot Superjet accident probe asks United Aircraft to consider design modifications
United Aircraft has emphasised that the inquiry into a bounced landing, leading to a fatal fire which destroyed an Aeroflot Superjet 100, has found no faults with the aircraft design.
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NewsChina’s ‘Big Three’ expect strong growth in C919 deliveries
China’s three largest carriers expect a marked increase in deliveries of Comac’s C919 narrowbody jet this year, according to their latest fleet plans.
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NewsUnited Aircraft starts expanding flight envelope of PD-8-powered Superjet
United Aircraft has conducted a second test flight with the Russian-powered Yakovlev Superjet 100, to expand the operating envelope. The twinjet has been fitted with Aviadvigatel PD-8 engines as a replacement for the PowerJet SaM146. PD-8s will be installed as standard on the SJ-100, a newly-developed version of the Superjet ...
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NewsA380 testbed starts series of flights aimed at in-service fleet improvement
Airbus is undertaking a series of flight tests with its original A380 testbed as part of an effort to improve the in-service fleet. The airframer has not specified the nature of the testing involving MSN1. But it says the aircraft has undergone “several months of preparation” and system upgrades, as ...
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NewsModified Superjet 100 conducts maiden flight with Russian-built PD-8 engines
Russia’s United Aircraft has conducted the maiden flight of a Yakovlev Superjet powered by the domestically-built Aviadvigatel PD-8 engine. It took off from the manufacturing facility at Komsomolsk-on-Amur, on 17 March, for a sortie lasting 40min. The aircraft is a modified Superjet 100 airframe, serial number 95157, which was built ...
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NewsRussian civil aircraft production needs structural overhaul: United Aircraft chief
Russian aerospace firm United Aircraft’s new chief has underlined to the country’s prime minister the need not only to modernise equipment but overhaul the fundamental structure of civil aircraft production. Premier Mikhail Mishustin sought an update on civil aviation programme status from Vadim Badekha four months after he was put ...
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NewsVertical sufficiently funded for this year as VX4 advances towards wingborne test flights
Vertical Aerospace’s recent public offering means the business is sufficiently funded throughout 2025, the company states, as it prepares for full-scale piloted wingborne flight tests of its VX4 eVTOL. The company – which has newly released its fully-year results – says its cash position stands at £77 million ($99 million), ...
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NewsFirst A350F section 19 delivered featuring modification to protect freighter’s fuselage
Airbus’s Hamburg facility has taken delivery of the first A350 freighter section 19, the aerostructure which is located aft of the main fuselage barrel and interfaces with the empennage. It has been produced at the airframer’s Spanish facilities in Getafe. Manufacture has required a rethink of the plant’s production system, ...
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NewsLife extension sought for An-26 as replacements remain under development
Russian civil aviation research institute GosNIIAS has ordered the initiation of work to prolong the life of Antonov An-26 regional aircraft by another 10 years. The Soviet-era An-26 first flew in 1969 and the order – listed in procurement documents, according to news agency Interfax – would extend the type’s ...
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NewsKorean Air A321neos among Airbus orders recorded in quiet February
Airbus’s order activity quietened in February, with the airframer securing agreements for 14 aircraft, all from its single-aisle families. Korean Air signed for six A321neos while an undisclosed customer placed an order for eight. They took net orders for the first two months of the year to 65, following a ...
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NewsGerman researchers claim aerodynamic and fuel-burn benefits from predictive load-alleviation
German aerospace researchers believe predictive load-alleviation can improve fuel consumption by more than 7% while improving passenger comfort. The conclusion is based on windtunnel testing conducted under a project known as ‘OLAF’ to examine optimal load adaption. But the German aerospace centre DLR is seeking to demonstrate the technology further ...
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NewsBeta prepares to test electric Alia CX300 on Stavanger-Bergen route in summer
US aerospace firm Beta Technologies is to test its Alia CX300 electric aircraft in the Norwegian airspace zone set up as an area for zero- and low-emission trials. Beta became the first developer to sign formally for test flights through an agreement at Bergen on 4 March, under a partnership ...
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NewsMammoth Freighters carries out first cargo door installation on converted 777-300ER
Conversion developer Mammoth Freighters has conducted the first Boeing 777-300ER cargo door installation with modification partner Aspire MRO. The aircraft (N463AC) was formerly operated by Cathay Pacific and Russian carrier Nordwind. It has been undergoing conversion to a 777-300ERMF for AviaAM Leasing at Forth Worth’s Alliance airport. Door cut commenced ...
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NewsSubstituted MC-21 and SJ-100 to fly in first half: Russian trade minister
Maiden flights of the import-substituted Yakovlev MC-21 and SJ-100 are planned for the first half of this year, Russian trade minister Anton Alikhanov has stated. Alikhanov spoke during a meeting of the presidium of the Russian parliamentary council of legislators. “We understand that air carriers are waiting for all these ...
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NewsBoom’s XB-1 research jet shockwave captured during supersonic flight
US aeronautics agency NASA managed to capture the Boom Supersonic XB-1 research aircraft as it broke the sound barrier during its final flight on 10 February. The flight – the XB-1’s second in excess of Mach 1 – was the last in a series of test sorties by the aircraft, ...
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NewsUnited Aircraft names former deputy trade minister to strategic development role
Russian aerospace firm United Aircraft has named former deputy trade minister Oleg Bocharov as deputy chief executive. Bocharov will have responsibility for the company’s strategic development as well as the implementation of civil aircraft manufacturing programmes and other state initiatives. His appointment is the latest in a management shake-up of ...
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NewsUnited Engine starts delivering serial PD-14 powerplants for MC-21
Russia’s United Engine has started delivering serially-produced domestic powerplants for the Yakovlev MC-21 programme. The Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines have been developed for the MC-21-310, the Russian-powered variant of the twinjet. State technology firm Rostec says the PD-14 has hollow titatium fan blades and that, overall, United Engine implemented 16 “critical” ...
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NewsAirbus obtains EASA certification of P&W-powered A321XLR following engine approval
Airbus has secured European certification for the Pratt & Whitney-powered A321XLR, following the validation earlier this month of US FAA approval for the aircraft’s PW1100G engines. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued the type certificate for the variant on 20 February, two weeks after the powerplant validation. Certification enables ...