All news – Page 7092
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Alliant fails in protest over wind-corrected bomb
THE US GENERAL Accounting Office (GAO) has upheld the US Air Force's selection of Lockheed Martin to produce 40,000 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs), worth $500 million. Alliant Techsystems had contested the award, citing questions about the USAF's cost evaluation and raising some technical objections. Work related to ...
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Thoroughly modern airship
After a gap of several years, airship production is returning to the Cardington sheds - birthplace of the historic R101in the 1930s - near Bedford, 70km (45 miles) north of London in the UK. The airship under construction there today is a totally new design which will have a 14,200m3 ...
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Speaking frankly
Seven years ago, British Aerospace Space Systems, GEC's Marconi Space Systems (MSS) and France's Matra Defense & Espace were competing against each other on some projects, but working together on others. It therefore came as no surprise when, in 1990, MSS and Matra Espace merged as Matra Marconi Space (MMS). ...
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Outlook:bright, with some cloud
US general aviation (GA) is poised to grow, and grow steadily - at least to 2008 - in fleet size, pilot population, aircraft use and hours flown. The US Federal Aviation Administration is predicting more than a decade of steady, incremental growth for the market. This should bode well for ...
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Japanese juggling
The Japanese airline industry is facing its biggest shake-up in more than 40 years, as the result of domestic deregulation and growing international competition. In response, the country's two leading carriers, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), have unveiled new corporate five-year plans. A combination of ...
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The NERC project
The NERC project was started in 1987, with the establishment of a programme directorate within NATS. The first phase involved the selection of a suitable site for the building which would house the new centre, and in 1990 the current location, at Swanwick, near Southampton, was picked. UK ...
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Moving target
The UK's £350 million ($570 million) Swanwick en route air-traffic-control (ATC)centre between Fareham and Southampton, Hampshire, is billed by National Air Traffic Services (NATS) as the largest and most advanced development of its kind in the world. It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that this ambitious project has ...
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Bombardier repairs third Global Express after wheels-up landing
BOMBARDIER PLANS to resume flight testing with the third Global Express long-range business jet in July, after repairs following an inadvertent wheels-up landing. The company blames "pilot error" for the incident, which occurred on 25 April, three days after the aircraft's first flight. No delay in certification or ...
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New regulations
The UK Civil Aviation Authority is confident that the next round of European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) regulations, known as JAR-OPS (1), governing the "self-audited" operation of fixed-wing aircraft, will be implemented on schedule by April 1998. The claim comes despite growing concern in the industry about delays to the ...
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EJA creates Hawker record
EXECUTIVE JET Aviation (EJA) has ordered 20 Raytheon Aircraft Hawker 800XPs, representing the largest single order ever for Hawker business jets. The fractional-ownership specialist, which already has 22 Hawker 1000s, has also increased its order for the Cessna Citation X to 31, from 25. The Hawkers are valued ...
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Grob pins revival hopes on new partner
Burkhart Grob says that it is "very close to an agreement" with a potential investment partner, which will allow the German manufacturer to continue development of the GF200 tourer and "other programmes". A decision on bringing a partner into the operation is expected by July. The company also manufactures the ...
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AlliedSignal Lear 45 engine is approved
The AlliedSignal TFE731-20 turbofan, the third and last model to be developed in the series of new-generation business-aircraft powerplants, has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification. The engine powers Bombardier's Lear 45 and is rated with a take-off thrust of 16kN (3,650lb) at sea level up to 34 ...
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Ayres wants more turboprop power for Loadmaster
AYRES WANTS more powerful engines for the LM200 Loadmaster freighter and it is talking to LHTEC and Pratt & Whitney Canada about how they can satisfy the new requirement. The agricultural-aircraft maker, based in Albany, Georgia, launched the Loadmaster cargo aircraft in November 1996 with an order for ...
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Socata plans for Morane engine
French general-aviation manufacturer Socata is to unveil plans at the Paris air show in June to launch a range of light aircraft re-engined with the new diesel engine it is developing with Renault Sport. The new Morane line-up (the name is taken from the original Morane-Saulnier company which ...
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Thomson-CSF/Lagardere could destroy Airbus, says Michot
The war of words between the two sides bidding for French state-owned defence-electronics giant Thomson-CSF has intensified, with Aerospatiale president Yves Michot alleging that a decision in favour of Lagardère could cause the break-up of Airbus Industrie and the end of hopes to re-centre the European aerospace industry. ...
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MDC opens MD-17 'window' with two white tails
McDonnell Douglas (MDC) has authorised production of two additional "white-tail" (unsold) C-17 transports in 1998, providing the first opportunity for the sale of a commercial MD-17 or foreign-military-sale C-17 versions. The US company says: "We think there's a good chance we are going to sell them commercially or ...
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US defence review cuts F-18E/F output by half
THE US DEPARTMENT of Defense (DoD) plans to halve production of the US Navy's McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-18E/F, to slightly over 500 aircraft. The cut is the most dramatic recommendation of the DoD's Quadrenniel Defense Review (QDR), which also calls for production of the US Air Force's Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 ...
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Airbus prepares for growth versions of A340-500/600
Airbus is preparing to brief airlines on its plans to develop heavier, longer-range growth derivatives of the A340-500 and -600, as it enters the final phase of commercial negotiations with Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce to decide whose engine will be offered on the baseline aircraft. The growth ...
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Lear focuses EVS sales on airlines
LEARASTRONICS has begun exploring the airline market for its autonomous landing-system (ALG), following completion of flight demonstrations in a United Airlines Boeing 727 (Flight International, 12-18 March). Military flight-testing continues in a US Air Force Boeing C-135 The company has signed an agreement with Flight Visions to offer ...
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AMR regional-jet competitors are running 'neck and neck'
AMR Eagle is due to make a final decision on its choice of regional jet by 23 May, after full evaluation of the two contenders, Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) and Embraer's EMB-145. The result is not expected to be made public until the Paris air show. With ...