All news – Page 6857
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F/A-18E/F: Changing Roles
What the F/A-18E/F is - and what it is not - is best understood within the context of the programme's history, as the Super Hornet is the survivor of one of the most confused periods in US naval aviation planning. A decade ago, the carrier air wing envisaged for ...
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F/A-18E/F: Balanced Upgrade
Bigger does not automatically mean better. While, externally, the E/F is essentially a C/D scaled up by 25%, there is more to the Super Hornet design than the photographic enlargement of the original F/A-18 blueprints. "The E/F is a balanced design involving five variables: range, payload, bringback, survivability and growth," ...
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Mercenary intentions
Alan Venter/LUSAKA The shooting down of three Angolan air force Mikoyan MiG-23s in the first week of January by Unita forces fielding hand-held surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) has introduced a new dimension to the Angolan war. The MiGs were engaged in ground support operations against Dr Jonas Savimbi's rebel army. ...
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Thriving business
Andrew Doyle/TEL AVIV In an era when airline bosses preach the merits of focusing on "core activities", Arkia Israeli Airlines has learned to thrive through diversification. As Israel's largest domestic carrier, Arkia built its international charter unit into a major leisure travel business, selling everything from hotel rooms ...
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Management actions
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Flight management systems (FMS) are no longer luxury items found only on large airliners, but essential equipment on commercial aircraft of all sizes and ages. The reason is the navigation accuracy now possible and the cost benefits available to airlines in the form of fuel and ...
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Command decisions
Julian Moxon/PARIS Any doubts about the safety and cost effectiveness of fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control systems on civil aircraft were long ago dispelled with the success of Airbus Industrie's single-aisle A320 and, later, the European consortium's twin-aisle models. The justifications used by Airbus for introducing FBW were several, ...
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Sticky business
Tim Furniss/LONDON Dust from the comet Wild 2 will be collected and returned to earth by the fourth mission in NASA's Discovery programme which kicks off with a Delta II launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida on 6 February. It will be the first time that samples from a ...
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LHT expands
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has opened a 4,000sq3, maintenance hangar at Stuttgart Airport in Germany. The building replaces a smaller facility that is closing to allow expansion of the airport's passenger terminal. The DM15 million hangar will be used to perform line maintenance work on the 20 aircraft that night-stop at ...
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DaimlerChrysler Airbus will link headquarters
DaimlerChrysler has ordered an Airbus A319 Corporate Jet (CJ) for delivery in early 2000. The aircraft will be operated by a new subsidiary company, DaimlerChrysler Aviation, based in Stuttgart, to ferry employees between the German city and the conglomerate's second headquarters in Detroit, USA. Before it receives the International ...
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Agusta will certificate Koala - a year late
Agusta is planning to certificate its single engined A119 Koala in May, nearly a year later than originally scheduled. The Italian manufacturer blames the delay on its efforts to incorporate design changes to the aircraft, in response to customer demands. The design of the seven-seat Koala, which was originally ...
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Era expands tourist business activities
Era Aviation is expanding its helicopter sightseeing operation with a multimillion dollar order for five Eurocopter AS350B2 Astars. Era's executive vice-president, Richard "Lash" Larew says: "This deal brings our B2 fleet to 26, making us not only the largest commercial operator of this aircraft in the USA, but also ...
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Lancair investigates Columbia 300 crash
Lancair and the US National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the loss of the first Columbia 300 four-seater after it crashed into the Columbia River close to Portland International Airport, Oregon, on 8 January. Lancair company pilot Hans Oesch and a passenger are missing, believed dead, following the discovery ...
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NBAA sets fractional safety rules
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON The US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)has published safety and operational guidelines to owners and programme managers of fractional ownership schemes to "-enhance the safety culture" of this burgeoning market sector. "The document is part of an evolution towards a culture of safety. It will be ...
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Training expansion
The University of North Dakota's flight training fleet passed 100 aircraft at the end of 1998, with delivery over the year of 10 Diamond Katanas, 10 Piper Warriors, three Piper Seminoles, two Piper Arrows and two Rayheon Beech Barons, taking its fleet to 103. A further 14 will be delivered ...
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TAI aims for September flight testing for its first design
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) plans to begin flight testing its single-engined agricultural and firefighting aircraft in September. "The design phase should be completed shortly and then we will start building the first prototype," says TAI marketing director Yilmaz Guldogan. The single-seat aircraft, yet to be named, will be ...
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Pin plug problems prompt Lycoming/Cessna IO-360 inspections
Dave Higdon/WICHITA An unusually high number of reported piston-pin plug problems in the past three years has prompted Textron Lycoming to urge all US-registered owners, to inspect closely oil filter elements on their IO-360 piston engines and to have used oil analysed at every change. Cessna also plans ...
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Dasa moves closer to France after foiled BAe merger
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) has admitted that it was poised to unveil a merger with British Aerospace (BAe) last December before GEC offered a tie-up with its UK rival. The German newspaper Handelsblatt quotes the company as saying: "We had everything prepared, right up to the press conference." The deal ...
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Canadian unveils new image
Canadian Airlines has revamped its image with a new name, new uniforms and a new stylised "Canada goose" logo. The Calgary-based carrier has dropped the word "International" from its name in an effort to promote its domestic services, and the new livery features more bare metal so as to more ...
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Pakistan orders more F-7MG fighters, plans upgrades
Paul Lewis/ISLAMABAD Pakistan plans to order around 50 improved Chengdu F-7MG fighters from China, as the air force moves ahead with the upgrade of its existing F-7P and Dassault Mirage III/5 fighters and the delivery of more secondhand French aircraft. The Pakistan air force (PAF) is looking for ...
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SAS opts for A330/A340s but order awaits cost cuts to bite
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH SAS has selected the Airbus A330/A340 family for its planned long-haul fleet renewal but is holding off signing a firm order until its internal cost cutting targets have been met. The airline has decided to reject Boeing's offer of 10 Boeing 777-200ERs in favour of a ...