All In Depth – Page 24
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In depth
Key changes introduced on new wing for 777X
Composite design features revised high-lift system compared with previous variants - and folding tips
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In depth
Why Bell plans to vertically integrate its eVTOL business and compete with Uber
In a partial break with its partner Uber – as well as its own historical business model – Bell plans to vertically integrate aircraft production, flight operations and nearly everything in between, in order to grab a large piece of the nascent electric-vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry.
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In depth
Airbus Helicopters enters home straight with H160
For Airbus Helicopters, the end of the long road to certification for the H160 now appears to be in sight. Launched in 2015, the medium-twin is in the final stages of its development campaign; test flights ended in late 2019 and, at the time of writing in mid-January, Airbus Helicopters was preparing to submit the final pieces of documentation to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
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In depth
Bell’s eVTOL vision changes as it eliminates two rotors and goes all electric
Bell changed the design of its proposed electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, removing two rotor ducts and adding a purely electric propulsion option, after hearing from potential customers that shorter inner city travel would likely come before longer-range trips between metropolitan areas.
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In depth
Kopter accelerates as gearbox issue fades from view
Swiss manufactuerer Kopter is making full use of its flight-test base in Sicily as it works to overcome setbacks and bring its SH09 light-single to market.
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In depth
Boeing 747 marks 50 years since Pan Am service debut
This week marks exactly 50 years since the 747’s first passenger service with Pan Am
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In depth
Has airline safety peaked?
The shock of a second 737 Max tragedy in the past year has prompted an urgent rethink of certification and training priorities after a long period of improving accident statistics
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In depth
Accident reports issued during the second half of 2019
Final report: Lion Air 737 Max 8, loss of control in flight, 29 October 2018 The Indonesian national transport safety committee (KNKT) found that the aircraft (PK-LQP), during the climb-out from Jakarta international airport on a short domestic flight, crashed when the crew lost control following a technical malfunction. It ...
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In depth
Max effect drags down overall sales and deliveries in 2019
Boeing’s pain across both orders and production significantly impacts overall metrics in the mainline airliner sector
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In depth
Outlook for 2020
For airframers, the year to come holds technical, regulatory and organisational challenges sure to keep management focused – or even awake at night. A turbulent economy is buffeting airlines, while the technology race for military advantage is only speeding up. Assessing ongoing trends and pending trials, FlightGlobal presents our outlook ...
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In depth
Airline deals offer hints of a sector in recovery
The year just gone was clearly one of some financial turbulence for airlines – high-profile failures included BMI Regional, Germania and Wow Air in Europe, Avianca Brazil, India’s Jet Airways and, of course, Thomas Cook. And the general backdrop of continued trade tensions hit demand while creeping fuel, labour and ...
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In depth
Max crashes prompt regulatory review
Like flashing Master Warning lights on a flight instrument panel, the Boeing 737 Max fatal crashes in the past two years have signalled that an airworthiness certification oversight system that served the world’s most powerful aviation industry well for decades is no longer coping – and needs updating. Meanwhile, silently ...
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In depth
Hypersonic arms race accelerates
The USA is hurrying to catch up with China and Russia, which could field an operational hypersonic boost-glide vehicle capable of carrying a nuclear weapon as soon as 2020. That urgency has prompted the US Department of Defense (DoD) to spend $2.6 billion on hypersonic weapons research as part of ...
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In depth
Gremlins in the works
Development of low-cost attritable aircraft could accelerate in 2020 with the US Congress eyeing at least $100 million in its upcoming budget for the new type of aircraft and the US Air Force (USAF) planning several new experiments. Attritable aircraft are unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) designed with limited lifetimes, that ...
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In depth
Still struggling to generate lift
On any forecast, the easy way out is to predict a curate’s egg of a year: some bits good and some bits bad. But when dealing with the helicopter industry it is probably an accurate representation of a sector that has not yet fully recovered from a downturn that has ...
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In depth
Lightning edges closer to striking gold
Will 2020 be the year the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II crosses the finish line? Despite a falling price tag and eight years of continuous aircraft deliveries, the F-35 has struggled to emerge from its engineering, manufacturing and development stage. The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced in October 2019 ...
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In depth
Embraer eyes exit from anti-trust limbo
Brazil’s Embraer ended 2019 facing some big tasks in 2020. With the first two members of its new three-aircraft E2 series of commercial aircraft performing well so far and the other in flight-testing, the regional jet manufacturer is anxiously awaiting regulatory approval to split off its commercial aircraft division and ...
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In depth
Tackling production issues vital for Airbus to face off competition
Airbus turns 50 years old – again – in 2020. While the European airframer chose to celebrate its half-century in 2019, using the partnership agreement signed in 1969 as a starting point, the official formation of the company took place in December 1970. Whether Airbus will be in the mood ...
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In depth
Bombardier realises its transition with CRJ sale
If all goes to plan, 2020 will go down as the year Bombardier ends a 34-year sojourn in commercial aviation. The company expects to sell its CRJ programme to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020, handing the last portion of a once mighty regional portfolio to the parent of the company ...
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In depth
Decision looms for F-2 successor
The new year promises to bring greater focus on Tokyo’s plans to develop a fighter to replace its Mitsubishi F-2, with a purely indigenous development or with foreign help. News about the F-3 – also known as the “future fighter” – continues to trickle out. Tokyo prefers leading a programme ...