All news – Page 7448
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Extra 200 is flown for first time
Andrej Jeziorski/DINSLAKEN German aircraft manufacturer Extra Flugzeugbau has flown its newest sports aircraft, the Extra 200. The maiden flight from the Dinslaken factory took place on 2 April, with company founder Walter Extra at the controls. Extra says that he is satisfied with his latest product. ...
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Sabena introduction
Sabena began operation of the Airbus A340-200 on 31 March, replacing a Boeing 747-200 for its Brussels-New York service. The Belgian airline, a launch customer for the A340, dry-leased its five aircraft to then-shareholder Air France. Now only four aircraft are being returned as their leases expire - the fifth ...
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Re-usable software tested by MDC
McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) has begun flight-testing a re-usable navigation-software module hosted on a commercial Power PC processor. The software and hardware were flown for the first time on 29 March in an AV-8B Harrier II technology-demonstrator. The same MDC-developed software module will be flight-tested in an F-15 equipped ...
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Air New Zealand plan for Ansett rejected
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS NEW ZEALAND'S Commerce Commission has rejected Air New Zealand's plan to acquire up to 50% of Ansett Holdings. The scheme foundered on the monopoly effect the deal would have on domestic services in New Zealand. Air New Zealand managing director Jim McCrea says ...
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USA and Japan start new row over passenger flights
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Just a week after Japan and the USA reached a basic agreement on air-cargo services, the two countries have become embroiled in a new row over passenger flights. The fresh dispute centres on the US Department of Transport's (DoT) rejection of Japan Airlines ...
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South Korea seeks more helicopters
The South Korean navy has issued a request for proposals for a second a batch of 13 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters to equip its new fleet of KDX-class destroyers. At least three manufacturers have so far submitted proposals, including Kaman offering the re-manufactured SH-2G Super SeaSprite, Sikorsky (with ...
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UK group is set to acquire airship from Westinghouse
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The stage is set for a resurgence for airship manufacturing in the UK with the pending sale of designs, patents and other assets of Westinghouse Airships to UK investor group London Wall. The transaction is expected to be finalised on 15 April. ...
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Pentagon plans aerostat cruise-missile defence
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US military is moving ahead with plans to field helium-filled aerostats to help support cruise-missile defences. A new tri-service project office, called the Joint Aerostat Project Management Office for Cruise Missile Defence is being established under US Army auspices at the ...
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North and South Yemen airlines to merge
North and South Yemen airlines to merge Six years after North and South Yemen, became a single republic, their airlines are to merge into a single company. Yemen Airways (Yemenia), based in the northern capital of Sana'a, was formed in the 1970s as a joint venture between the ...
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Regionals continue to grow in USA
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON WHILE THE MAJOR US carriers continue to make the most of the present business recovery, beneath the surface the second tier of national and regional airline groups are in the throes of making major changes. Perhaps the most visible evidence of these changes ...
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Danish evaluation
The Danish air force is to evaluate an advanced aerial photography system developed by Israeli manufacturer El Op. The system, based on technology used in the payload of the Offeq 3 Israeli spy satellite, will be installed in a pod developed by Per Udsen for Danish air force Lockheed Martin ...
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Italy becomes part of Eurocontrol
Italy has finally become a full member of Eurocontrol, clearing the way for its full participation in the agency's efforts to harmonise air traffic control (ATC) throughout Europe. Italy is the 21st nation to join Eurocontrol, its membership having previously been blocked by successive governments, which failed to ...
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DarkStar rises over California
The Lockheed Martin/ Boeing DarkStar high-altitude endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) had its first flight at Edwards AFB, California, on 29 March. The 21m-span UAV had a fully automated flight lasting 20min from take off to landing using differential global-positioning-system (GPS) navigation signals for guidance throughout. "The ...
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A321 deal breaks Boeing monopoly at Asiana
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE ASIANA AIRLINES OF South Korea has selected the Airbus Industrie A321 rather than the Boeing 737-800 as its next narrow-body passenger aircraft and signed a letter of intent for 18 aircraft. The agreement, expected to be announced shortly, does not include any options ...
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Europe aims for tighter foreign-airline safety
David Learmount/LONDON FOREIGN AIRLINES are to face tougher safety surveillance when they enter European airspace because of an agreement by the directors-general of the 33-member European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to raise safety standards. This follows a similar decision by European Union ministers early in March. ...
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An unsafe idea
EUROPE'S DIRECTORS-general of civil aviation (DGCAs) have decided (belatedly or after due deliberation, depending on your point of view) to take a more active interest in the safety of the airlines flying into Europe from elsewhere. In showing that increased interest, they are catching up with the Federal Aviation Administration ...
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Kuwait opts to buy armed Black Hawk
KUWAIT HAS agreed to buy an armed version of the Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk to meet its attack-helicopter requirement, rather than the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) AH-64A Apache. The Black Hawk will be supplied without the sophisticated combined forward-looking infra-red (FLIR)/laser designator used on armed Black Hawks operated by ...
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GE to sanction new growth plan for GE90
Guy Norris/LOSANGELES GENERAL ELECTRIC is set to sanction a revised growth plan for the GE90 turbofan by the end of this month, by agreeing to develop an engine capable of being in service at thrust levels up to 445kN (100,000lb) by 1999. The engine will be capable ...
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USAF 737 was 'off course' before crash
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA A US AIR FORCE Boeing T-43A is believed to have been off course when it crashed into a hill in stormy weather with poor visibility on the approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia on 3 April. All 33 passengers and crew, including US ...
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White House blocks Turkish Cobra deal
THE CLINTON Administration is sitting on a year-old request from Turkey, for ten additional Bell Helicopter, Textron AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters. The White House has held up the foreign-military sales transaction for fear that the gun-ship sale to Turkey would damage US relations with Greece. The ...