All news – Page 6873

  • News

    Joint STARS upgrade

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    The US Air Force is upgrading the engines powering the Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft, installing improved turbine blades and vanes, to increase altitude capability. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Anglo-French venture

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Racal Radio and Thomson-CSF Communications have set up a joint venture called MBN to develop, build and market multimedia, broadband military digital access networks worldwide. The team has already been selected by the UK armed forces to supply a £250 million local area subsystem forming the backbone of the Ministry ...

  • News

    Canadian Aerospace aims to convert trainer

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Canadian Aerospace Group, a unit of SL Ventures, has hired Florida-based Micro Systems to design and install a guidance and flight control system for its Monitor military jet trainer, modifying it for unmanned surveillance and strike missions. Ontario-based Canadian Aerospace and Micro Systems plan to jointly develop unmanned air ...

  • News

    The best yet ?

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Dave Higdon/WITCHITA Could ITBE third time lucky for Cessna Aircraft? Might the 206 Stationair be the model that avoids the post-certification problems that plagued the reintroduction of the company's 172 and 182? Flight International was invited to evaluate the revamped, updated and upgraded 206 and given access to ...

  • News

    Free range

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Paul Seidenman/SAN FRANCISCO The US Air Force has completed more than 7,000 air combat training sorties using the Kadena Interim Training System (KITS). The USA's first operational rangeless training system, KITS was deployed in August last year at Kadena AB in Okinawa, Japan. KITS replaced the overwater Air Combat Manoeuvre ...

  • News

    Special delivery

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Tim Furniss/LONDON The Columbus Orbital Facility (COF), a pressurised science laboratory, was until recently the European Space Agency's (ESA) only major contribution to the International Space Station (ISS). Now, development of a fleet of Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs) to support ISS operations has begun with the award of a ...

  • News

    The spectrum challenge

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Chris Yates/MANCHESTER The aeronautical community must pool its resources and protect its strategic interests if it is to avoid losing the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in satellite navigation. The threat comes from an Inmarsat-sponsored proposal, currently before the International Telecommunications Union-World Radio Council (ITU-WRC), to share frequencies ...

  • News

    Airbus eyes potential for fractional market

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Airbus is eyeing the fractional ownership market in an effort to stimulate its orderbook for the corporate version of the A319CJ (ACJ). Although no details have been disclosed, the manufacturer is believed to be considering existing programmes or starting-up a venture of its own. "We are studying potential ...

  • News

    Bond responds to demand for UK air ambulance helicopters

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Bond Air Services is expanding its emergency medical services (EMS) activities with an order for two Instrument Flight Rules-equipped Eurocopter EC135helicopters. The company, a division of the UK's Bond Helicopters, is considering buying up to five new helicopters. The EC 135 purchase follows its award of ...

  • News

    UK EC-120 delivery

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    McAlpine Helicopters has delivered the first UK registered Eurocopter EC-120 Colibri to an unnamed private customer. The Oxford Airport-based distributor plans to take delivery of three single-engine Colibri's in 1999 and "four in 2000." The high demand for the five-seat, $795,000 light helicopter prompted Eurocopter to step-up production from four ...

  • News

    Cirrus selects Garmin as Trimble leaves market

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Cirrus Design has selected Garmin International to replace Trimble as avionics supplier for its newly certificated SR20 light aircraft. The last-minute change was forced when Trimble announced in September that it planned to exit the general aviation avionics market. Cirrus, based in Duluth, Minnesota, has selected the company's Trimline ...

  • News

    NetJets gears up for charter expansion after FAA approval

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Executive Jet's charter arm is gearing up to support the international expansion of the company's NetJets business aircraft fractional ownership programme. Executive Jet Management (EJM) has received Federal Aviation Administration approval to conduct charter operations from the USA to Europe and across the Pacific. EJM says the approvals "-are ...

  • News

    Flying wing completes tests

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES THE Centurion, a 63m (206ft) span flying wing, has completed initial low-altitude flight tests at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, California. The aircraft has since been disassembled and returned to its designer and manufacturer, AeroVironment of Simi Valley, California. There several of its systems ...

  • News

    Galaxy certification on schedule for year end

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Galaxy Aerospace is anticipating Israeli certification of the Galaxy business jet by 14 December, with US approval expected a week later. The company hopes to complete natural icing tests - now under way in northern Europe - before certification to enable the basic approval to include flight into known ...

  • News

    FAA certifies IL-103

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Ilyushin's Il-103 has become the first Russian manufactured aircraft to obtain US FAA certification. Fifteen Il-103s, built by MAPO's Loukhovitsy plant, are flying, two of which have clocked-up around 1,100 flights The five-seat, single-engine, piston-powered aircraft will cost $156,000, says Ilyushin. Source: Flight International

  • News

    FBO growth

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Mercury Air Group has added a 15th location to its growing US fixed-based operation chain, with the acquisition of independently owned Jackson Air Center, which is based in Jackson, Mississippi. Source: Flight International

  • News

    More Australian sales beckon for Exec 162F

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    RotorWay International is hoping to boost sales of its Exec 162F in Australia following approval of the kit-built helicopter by the country's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Approval of the Exec 162F in Australia, under rules that are more restrictive than the experimental category regulations applied in the USA, ...

  • News

    Boeing to revise twin-aisle development strategy

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing Commercial Airplanes is revising its twin-aisle development strategy because of the collapsing Asian market. The board is due to be briefed on the plan by 18 December. Product development cost cuts ordered as a result of the downturn will affect key programmes, including the ...

  • News

    Norman drives BBJ into the bunker

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Boeing has lost the services of one of its most famous customers for the Boeing Business Jet following a decision by Australian golf star Greg Norman to cancel his order. The move has caused much embarrassment at Boeing as the golfer, known internationally as the Great White Shark, has been ...

  • News

    Embraer cautious on 70-seat regional jet

    1998-12-16T00:00:00Z

    Embraer says any decision to develop a new 70-seat regional jet will depend on restrictive US airline pilot scope clauses being revised. It believes current operating conditions do not favour committing to such a programme. "The USA is the largest market and at present this market is closed to ...