All news – Page 7122
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Italians say Prowler was not cleared for ski area
David Learmount/LONDON A US Air Force Grumman EA-6B Prowler which severed the wires of a cable car, causing the deaths of 20 people in north-eastern Italy, was not cleared for low flying in that area, the Italian authorities say. The aircraft suffered minor damage, but was able to land ...
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US Army allocates cash for THEL test
The US Army has awarded TRW an additional $43 million to field-test the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL). The THEL, which is a joint US/Israeli project, is also known as the Nautilus, and it would be used to neutralise short-range rockets. Nearly $132 million was previously allocated for the ...
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A smarter attacker
Allan Winn/DUBAI Ever since the then-Hughes AH-64 Apache entered service with the US Army in 1984, it has been the benchmark against which other combat helicopters are measured. Since then, it has undergone two marque-name changes (first to McDonnell Douglas, then, more recently, to Boeing) and become the most prolific ...
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Light twin, right price
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC When Bell introduced the Model 407 light single-turbine helicopter it was essentially competing with itself, or rather with the longevity of its popular Model 206 JetRanger/LongRanger family. With the new Model 427 light twin, the company is breaking new ground, and competing with helicopters from established manufacturers. ...
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Shake, rattle and roll
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC With deployment of the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche not due until the next century, and a conceptual Joint Transport Rotorcraft (JTR) available no earlier than 2015, the US Army and various defence contractors are working to improve the safety, comfort and performance of current-generation military rotorcraft. For ...
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Italy breaks waterbomber sales drought
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Bombardier anticipates additional orders for its CL-415 waterbomber this year, after breaking a year-long sales drought with the follow-on purchase of two aircraft by Italy's civil protection department. The company is confident that it will find customers for most of the 21 aircraft remaining from the first ...
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Eurocopter delivers Super Puma for North Sea
Eurocopter has delivered an AS.332C-L1 Super Puma to British International Helicopters (BHI) at Aberdeen in Scotland. The machine, which has been converted to the stretched L1 configuration by Eurocopter, was originally built as a "C" model. The Super Puma is destined for offshore work in the North Sea oil support ...
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Cirrus begins SR20 certification
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Cirrus Design hopes to begin deliveries of its SR20 light aircraft early in the second half of 1998, about six months behind schedule. The company flew the first production prototype on 28 January and is aiming for certification by mid-year. The exact certification schedule will be established ...
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Fairchild Dornier wins corporate 328JET orders
Fairchild Dornier has won six orders from four customers for its 328JET in executive jet and air ambulance configurations. Tyrolean Jet Service of Innsbruck, Austria, has become the launch customer, with an order for one aircraft in its corporate version, plus one for an air ambulance, to be delivered ...
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Investors rap Mesa for SJ30-2 distribution deal
Troubled US regional airline operator Mesa Air Group is coming under fire from investors for its year-old agreement to distribute the Sino Swearingen Aircraft (SSAC)SJ30-2 business jet. Wholly owned subsidiary Four Corners Aviation (FCA), a fixed-base operator located at Mesa's Farmington, New Mexico, headquarters, signed the distributorship agreement in ...
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Raytheon hands back MU-2 to Mitsubishi
Raytheon Aircraft has handed over product support for its MU-2 twin-engined turboprop to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA), so that it can concentrate on new product lines. The MU-2 production line was halted in 1986, after more than 30 years, when US manufacturer Mitsubishi Aircraft International was dissolved. Raytheon ...
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NBAA asks members to ground Stage 1 aircraft
Members of the US National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) are being asked to stop operating business jets meeting Stage 1 noise limits by 2005. The NBAA board has passed a resolution calling for members "to refrain from adding Stage 1 aircraft to their fleets, beginning in January 2000, and furthermore ...
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Vantage power deal
VisionAire has signed a five-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada, valued at $175 million, covering delivery of JT15D-5 turbofans for its Vantage single-engined business jet. The first Vantage test aircraft VT-1 is scheduled to be flown in December. Source: Flight International
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Durability problems threaten Lycoming piston engine
Textron Lycoming is evaluating whether to continue development of the IO-580 piston engine, following Cessna's decision to switch to the company's IO-540 to power its 206 Stationair piston single. Cessna decided to change engines after the turbocharged TIO-580 failed endurance testing. The switch-over has delayed deliveries of the 206 ...
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New stretch of 747 defined
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing has revised its future 747 growth studies to include a 500-passenger stretch version with a larger wingspan, known as the -400Y Stretch, while dropping another long range variant dubbed the -400ERY. The company stresses that the only new version of the 747 being formally ...
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Airbus puts back entry into service of A3XX
Julian Moxon/PARIS Airbus Industrie is to delay the entry into service of its planned 555-seat A3XX by at least nine months, to the third quarter of 2004. The consortium claims that the delay is "minor" and says that the current economic chaos in key Asian markets is not responsible ...
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Dash 8-400 flies
The Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-400 had its maiden flight on 31 January from de Havilland's plant in Downsview, Toronto, under the command of de Havilland chief engineering test pilot Wally Warner and engineering test pilot Barry Hubbard. During the 3h flight, a speed of 200kt (370km/h) was achieved ...
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CFMI reveals new technology initiative
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES CFM International (CFMI) is starting a series of multimillion dollar technology studies to support the development of a new baseline engine in the 89-178kN (20,000-40,000lb)-thrust range early next century. The drive is aimed at maintaining the current market dominance of the joint General Electric/Snecma company, ...
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EC to decide on Alitalia state aid probe
Julian Moxon/PARIS Marco Messala/ROME The European Commission(EC) is to decide on 11 February whether to open an investigation into allegations that Alitalia has broken the state aid deal agreed in July 1997. EC transport commissioner Neil Kinnock has written to Italian minister for transport and navigation Claudio Burlando, ...
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Iberia picks Airbus A320 family for short haul fleet
Iberia is to standardise on Airbus Industrie aircraft for its short haul fleet, following a decision to place orders for up 76 A320 family aircraft. The airline is to add 16 additional Boeing 757s for its short term needs, however. The Spanish flag carrier has signed a memorandum of ...