All news – Page 7018
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Sabena cost-cutting begins to pay off
Sabena's push to cut costs has put it on course to break even in 1998 and return to profitability in 1999, says chief executive Paul Reutlinger. The expected recovery follows record losses of Bfr8.8 billion ($24.6 million) in 1996, caused partly by the Belgian flag carrier's restructuring programme. ...
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Tunis Air plans growth as profits rise
Tunis Air produced a major improvement in net profits for 1996 and is heading for another good result this year on the back of forecasts of rapidly rising passenger numbers. The airline has also revealed plans to expand and replace a large part of its fleet. The Tunisian ...
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All at sea
One of the most overquoted, but least-obeyed, engineering maxims is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Some of the few things that ain't broke in this world are corporate-aircraft safety and reliability. So it was odd enough that Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) ever thought it necessary to consider ...
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Dasa prepares for AT-2000 definition go-ahead
AndrzejJeziorski/MUNICH Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) is completing the concept phase of its proposed AT-2000 supersonic jet-trainer project, and expects a decision on whether to proceed with the project-definition phase by the end of this month. The aircraft is being planned in partnership with South Africa's Denel and ...
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Bell markets UH-1N upgrade to US Army
BELL IS PROPOSING to modify US Air Force UH-1Ns with the four-blade-rotor upgrade under development for US Marine Corps helicopters. New engines, transmissions and rotors, plus structural and avionics upgrades, will almost double the UH-1N's payload and range. Under the Marine Corps' H-1 upgrade programme, 180 Bell AH-1WSuperCobras ...
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Bodenseewerk modifies IRIS-T
German missile manufacturer Bodenseewerk Gerätetechnik has unveiled the modified configuration for the IRIS-T imaging infra-red short-range air-to-air missile. Previously the design had a larger-diameter rear section to house the thrust-vectoring actuators, but BGT believes that this can now be packaged within a narrower constant-diameter airframe. The mid-body wing design has ...
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Myanmar and Israel discuss F-7M upgrade
Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) is in negotiations with Israel over the upgrading of its three squadrons of Chengdu F-7M fighters. Elbit is proposing to upgrade the 36 Myanmar aircraft along broadly similar lines to its update of the Romanian air force's Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbeds, dubbed the MiG-21MFLancer. ...
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RAAF narrows shortlist for DHC-4 Caribou successor
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE CASA, IPTN and Lockheed Martin Alenia Tactical Transport Systems (LMATTS) have been shortlisted to supply the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou replacement. The Light Transport Aircraft will be a fixed-wing type in the 15-30t maximum-take-off-weight range, capable of continuous operations ...
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GAO disputes effectiveness of Gulf War weapons
A newly declassified report says that the US Department of Defense (DoD) and manufacturers overstated the effectiveness of advanced aircraft and "smart" weapons used against Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. The report issued by the US General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of the US Congress, ...
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Kamov's Alligator gets airborne
Alexander Velovich/MOSCOW The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator, a twin-seat, side-by-side derivative of the Ka-50 Hokum attack helicopter, was flown for the first time on 25 June at Kamov's flight-test base in Lyubertsy, near Moscow. Sergei Mikheyev, Kamov's general designer, says that the helicopter will be part of ...
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South Korea backs KTX-II
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE The South Korean Government has agreed to support development of the Samsung KTX-II advanced-trainer/light-combat aircraft, in response to strong industry lobbying and in the absence of any other national aerospace programme. Project officials within the South Korean air force confirm that the Government has ...
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NH90 project hits industrial snag
A meeting to decide on industrialisation of the European NH Industries (NHI) NH90 transport helicopter has been postponed while major issues of production offtake and investment return are resolved. Talks between NHI and the armaments directors of the four partner countries (France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) were ...
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Hong Kong move
China's air force has moved six licence-built Xian Z-9 helicopters into Hong Kong, following the hand-over of the former UK colony to Chinese rule on 30 June. The six helicopters have been deployed at the Royal Air Force's vacated Sek Kong air base and form part of a initial 5,000-strong ...
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Have Nap hits
The first test flight of an upgraded Lockheed Martin/ Rafael AGM-142 Have Nap stand-off missile has resulted in a direct hit after launch from a US Air Force Boeing B-52H. The upgrade improves producibility and reduces aircrew workload. Source: Flight International
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Pentagon flight tests infra-red sensor for new missile defender
THE US Department of Defense has successfully flight tested an infra-red (IR) sensor for the proposed National Missile Defence (NMD) weapon. The purpose was to test the ability of the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) sensor to identify and track objects in space. Initial results show that the EKV ...
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Dasa develops reconnaissance-pod family
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) is planning to develop a family of reconnaissance pods to enhance the capabilities of the Panavia Tornado. The pods will be based on the mechanical structure of Dasa's current German air force Tornado reconnaissance pod, now being flight tested. Further developments ...
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Thomson-CSF reveals new multi-mode radar
Thomson-CSF'S Radar and Countermeasures (RCM)division has launched a new multi-mode airborne radar aimed at the growing retrofit and new light-fighter market. Based on the RDY radar developed for the Dassault Mirage 2000, the RC400 will be "the most modern light radar available", says RCM director general Patrick Helin. ...
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Ageing-airliner census 1997
The world's ageing fleet continues to expand as new roles are found for the older airliners Max Kingsley-Jonesand Ian Sheppard/LONDON The World's fleet of ageing airliners continues to grow, while the manufacturers are boosting the production of potential new replacements to new record- breaking levels. This year's ...
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Ageing aircraft
Supersonic Aerospatiale/BAe (BAC) Concorde Thirteen of the 14 Concordes delivered to British Airways and Air France between 1975 and 1980 remain in service. Twenty Concordes were built, including two prototypes, two pre-production aircraft and two production aircraft which were not delivered. One of the seven Concordes ...
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Quiet life
Re-engineing and hushkitting activity is intensifying along with noise legislation Andrew Doyle/LONDON Technology WHICH allows ageing airliners to meet the latest noise regulations coming into force in Europe and the USA is big business. It is an industry attracting a growing number of participants ...