All news – Page 6717

  • News

    Datalink-equipped F-16s prepared for expeditionary trial

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Two US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16s equipped to receive target imagery in the cockpit via datalink will take part in an experimental expeditionary force exercise at Eglin AFB, Florida, in September. The trial will evaluate the tactical use of datalinking target images direct to the cockpit in an ...

  • News

    VTOL UAV demonstration enters next phase

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    The US Department of Defense's vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) demonstration has entered its next phase with the exercising of contract options with Bell Helicopter Textron and Bombardier. Three months of VTOL UAV trials, which involved Bell's Eagle Eye, Bombardier's CL-327 Guardian and the Science Applications ...

  • News

    Sunshine jetset resets

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON While the sun is shining on Europe's holiday makers this summer, the tour operators have been hard at work on an industry-wide consolidation. The events of the last year or two have begun to reshape the major travel markets of Germany and the UK. The transformation has ...

  • News

    Fighting fit at 4,000

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/FORT WORTH Although it has the current best-seller on the fighter market, Lockheed Martin is aware that the market is changing. Competition and economic pressures are driving efforts to reduce cost and increase capability of the F-16. The most pressing issue facing Lockheed Martin is avoiding the production gap ...

  • News

    AASI hastens production climb

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures (AASI) is completing final assembly of the third Jetcruzer 500 pusher turboprop and has already amassed more than 50 flight-test hours on the second prototype. "Test flights are indicating better performance in terms of climb and cruise speed than we anticipated," ...

  • News

    General Atomics plans Altus move to Dryden

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    General Atomics' Altus remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) is expected to move to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California by early August to begin a month-long flight test programme. The Altus, a derivative of the company's Predator military UAV, has been developed to demonstrate technologies for NASA's environmental research ...

  • News

    CitationJet lands on road after flame-out

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

     A Cessna-owned CitationJet was forced to land on a US highway, narrowly avoiding an oncoming vehicle, on 9 July while flying to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, Kansas, during an experimental flight. The two-man crew escaped unhurt and the business jet suffered minor damage. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the aircraft, claimed ...

  • News

    GAMA figures reveal sales boom in USA

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    US general aviation manufacturers have reported a 62% increase in sales for the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to figures from the US General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). A total of 956 aircraft were shipped in the first half, to ...

  • News

    FAA prepares to clear MD 600N improvements

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    The US Federal Aviation Administration is expected to "sign off" on a performance improvement programme for the Boeing MD 600N helicopter by the end of July. The year-long effort will result in clearance for take-off and landing at 7,000ft (2,130m) density altitude at all-up weights of up to 1,750kg ...

  • News

    World record

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Englishman Brian Mitton has completed a round the world flight in a Pegasus flexwing microlight in 120 days. The 38,400km (20,750nm) journey, which was completed on 21 July, beats the previous record of 175 days, which has been held since 1924. Source: Flight International

  • News

    New owners pledge PBN expansion

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Pilatus Britten-Norman (PBN) has been sold to a private investment company for an undisclosed sum, ending months of speculation over the utility aircraft manufacturer's future. London, UK-based Litchfield Continental has acquired PBN from Switzerland's Pilatus Aircraft, which has owned the Bembridge, Isle of Wight-based aircraft manufacturer ...

  • News

    Ukraine grounds Il-76

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    The Ukrainian ministry of defence has grounded all 180 Ilyushin Il-76/78 it operates or leases out after a second crash within a week. In the latest accident an Il-78 crashed close to the Red Sea coast on 17 July 14km (8nm) from Asmera in Eritrea. Initial reports say the aircraft ...

  • News

    Production problems hit Boeing first half profits

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing has doubled the projected number of Next Generation 737s it will have to build to reach break even on the programme as the legacy of production problems continues to dog its financial performance. The USgiant admits that it is now likely to have to ...

  • News

    French aerospace revolution comes closer

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH As France paraded its latest piece of aerospace restructuring with the tie-up between Aerospatiale and Lagardère, the pressure was being kept up with timely media reports of merger talks between British Aerospace and Daimler-Benz Aerospace. Publicly, BAe and Dasa both welcomed the "encouraging" news ...

  • News

    Buffett to pay $725 million for Executive Jet acquisition

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Investor Warren Buffett has agreed to acquire Executive Jet, operator of the pioneering NetJets business-aircraft fractional ownership programme. Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, will pay $725 million, divided roughly equally between cash and stock, to merge with Executive Jet. Richard Santulli, Executive Jet chairman and ...

  • News

    GECAS is named as buyer of Gatwick training operation

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Leasing company GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has emerged as the buyer of the London Gatwick fiight training and simulation operation, picked up by Raytheon as part of its Hughes acquisition at the end of last year. In another deal related to its post-merger reorganisation, Raytheon will also acquire AlliedSignal's ...

  • News

    SAS firms up 737-600s

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    SAS has converted 13 options for Boeing 737-600s, taking the number of firm orders for the type to 55. Deliveries are to start in September and will be completed in mid-2002. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Star Alliance aims to build on Asia-Pacific links

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    The global Star Alliance is moving to consolidate its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with some small but critical bilateral co-operation agreements and approvals either being finalised or close to be being concluded. Founding Star partner Lufthansa has announced a code-sharing agreement with Air New Zealand (ANZ) on routes ...

  • News

    BAe training will move to Spain

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    British Aerospace is to move its entire UK pilot training operation to south-west Spain. The relocation is expected to be announced by the company around the end of this month. The Prestwick International Airport-based British Aerospace Flight Training (UK) operation is to be relocated to Jerez. Industry sources are ...

  • News

    Boeing alters strut rating of 777-200ER

    1998-07-29T00:00:00Z

    Boeing has revised the strut limitation of the 777-200ER, allowing powerplant manufacturers to offer a higher level of available engine thrust, giving improved payload performance from hot/ high and restricted runways. US industrial sources say Boeing has raised the engine strut rating from its earlier maximum of 400kN (90,000lb) ...