All air transport news – Page 2552
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Aero Industry Development Centre (AIDC)
AIDC has developed a single-seat attack variant of its AT-3 two-seat trainer. Some AT-3A trainers are being upgraded to AT-3B close-support aircraft, with Westinghouse APG-66 radar, head-up display and 1553B databus. Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) Production of the IDF was halted in October 1995 over ...
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British Aerospace McDonnell Douglas
HARRIER II/HARRIER II PLUS The RAF has taken delivery of the Harrier T Mk10 two-seat operational trainer, based on the TAV-8B airframe. A total of 13 of the aircraft have been ordered. McDonnell Douglas is continuing to work on remanufacturing 73 USMC AV-8Bs to the Harrier II Plus ...
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Chengdu Aircraft Industrial
F-7 Pakistan has test-flown the FIAR Scipio radar in an F-7P as part of its upgrade programme for the aircraft. The F-7-II, a considerably upgraded Chinese development of the F-7 (MiG-21F), entered production in the early 1980s and, by 1982, was being exported as the F-7B. ...
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ENAER
T-35 DT Pillan Turbo Studies for the design of this turbine-powered derivative of the original T-35 Pillan began in 1985. The following year, the Allison 250-B17D 315kW turboprop was fitted for the first time. The canopy was subsequently modified to a sideways-opening one-piece component. Soloy of Olympia, Washington, ...
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Lockheed Martin Skunk works
F-117A NIGHTHAWK The USAF has scaled-back or dropped some upgrade packages intended to improve the Lockheed Martin F-117 low-observable characteristics for budgetary reasons, preferring to retain avionics and systems upgrades for its 54-strong fleet. The company continues to offer the USN a carrier-based variant of the F-117, the ...
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Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems
F-16 FIGHTING FALCON Lockheed Martin's F-16 Block 60 proposal remain in the UAE's strike fighter competition, with an announcement now expected by the turn of the year. The last F-16 on order for the USAF will be delivered in 1997, although the service has a stated requirement for ...
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Lockheed Martin/Boeing
F-22 Re-phasing of the USAF's F-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter programme to cope with budget cuts has delayed the first flight of a development aircraft from the mid-1996 to the first quarter of 1997. The number of development aircraft has been cut from 11 to nine (seven single-seat F-22As ...
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MAPO
MIG-21 FISHBED India has "agreed" an upgrade programme for some 100 of its MiG-21s with MAPO, although it is not known as to whether the programme has actually begun. The package is based on Mikoyan's MiG-21-93 proposal, which includes the Phazotron Kopyo multi-mode lightweight radar. Israel Aircraft Industries ...
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McDonnell Douglas
C-17 GLOBEMASTER III The US DoD and Congress have approved a multi-year procurement for 80 additional C-17s for the USAF. This brings the planned fleet total to 120 aircraft by 2005. The decision followed the successful conclusion of a reliability, maintainability and availability demonstration concluded in August 1995 ...
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Northrop Grumman
A-6 INTRUDER The A-6E carrier-borne attack aircraft is being withdrawn from service. A limited upgrade of USN A-6Es added missile-approach warning, towed active decoys, satellite navigation and other improvements. Boeing-built composite wings were retrofitted to 172 A-6s. The last new A-6E was delivered in February 1992. ...
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Maersk begins overhaul of Estonian Air
Max Kingsley-Jones/BILLUND MAERSK AIR has set about ploughing its airline expertise into Estonian Air, following ratification of its agreement to take a 49% stake in the privatised Baltic carrier. In May, the Danish airline, in partnership with investment consortium Baltic Creco, was chosen by the ...
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Frontier dips
Frontier Airlines is the latest of the US start-ups to warn of a likely dip in its fortunes in the September quarter. The Denver-based carrier says that it expects to post a loss over the three months, blaming sluggish traffic, rising fuel costs and rising lease rates. The loss would ...
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Manufacturers' forecasts chart bright future for cargo aircraft
BOEING AND McDonnell Douglas (MDC) are forecasting strong growth in the air-cargo market, with the world's freighter fleet expected to double over the next 20 years. MDC's predictions are slightly more optimistic than Boeing's, with an annual growth rate in air cargo of 7.9%, compared with Boeing's assessment ...
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Maersk ponders Fokker options
MAERSK AIR is examining various options for the renewal of its 50-seat Fokker 50 turboprops, which include the acquisition of a regional-jet type. The Copenhagen, Denmark-based airline, a division of one of world's largest shipping companies AP Moller, operates seven leased Fokker 50s alongside its fleet of Boeing ...
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Computervision improves CADDS 5 design software
COMPUTERVISION has introduced a new version of its CADDS 5 computer-aided-design software, specifically targeted at helping collaborative design of aerospace products. Bedford, Massachusetts-based Computervision says that the CADDS 5 Revision 6 will enable a team of design and manufacturing engineers to work concurrently on an entire assembly, allowing ...
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Georgia Tech develops low-cost MMW
GEORGIA INSTITUTE of Technology is developing an inexpensive millimetre-wave (MMW) radar antenna suitable for use in aircraft all-weather landing systems and missile seekers. A prototype built by the Atlanta-based institute is believed to be the first "Rotman lens" to operate at MMW frequencies - as high as 37GHz. ...
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Bidders line up to rescue Air Liberté
Julian Moxon/PARIS BRITISH AIRWAYS and Virgin Express have emerged among the bidders for Air Liberté, the embattled French independent carrier which has been given six months to secure its future. British Airways made its offer through its French subsidiary TAT. Together, the two airlines would give BA a major slice ...
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TAM 'aid' comes under fire-
Brian Homewood/RIO de JANIERO BRAZIL'S THREE national airlines, Varig, Vasp and Transbrasil, have asked the Government to abolish a tax which they say effectively forces them to subsidise one of their main rivals. The airlines pay 3% of the value of each ticket sold into ...
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TABA cuts fleet as its routes are pruned
BRAZIL'S CIVIL aviation authority (DAC) has begun re-distributing among other carriers 12 routes no longer operated by troubled regional airline TABA. TABA reportedly owes $3.5 million to some 700 employees who were made redundant two years ago, and it has reduced its fleet from eight Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirantes ...
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Russian engines eyed for new US launcher concepts-
Tim Furniss/LONDON RUSSIA'S NK-33 liquid-oxygen/kerosene engines, developed for the N1 Moon rocket project, may be used on two new re-usable satellite launchers being proposed in the USA. The NK-33s, being modified and marketed with US company Aerojet, have been selected, to power the Kistler Aerospace ...