All news – Page 7646
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O-ring anomalies delay the Shuttle missions
Tim Furniss/LONDON NASA HAS POSTPONED the launch of the Space Shuttle mission STS 69/Endeavour until late this month, to complete a review of hardware associated with O rings in the nozzle joints of the solid-rocket boosters (SRBs). Examination of the two boosters used for the ...
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Hawker focuses on Vee-8 improvements
HAWKER SIDDELEY Canada's Orenda division has delayed certification of its Vee-8 aero-engine, originally due in December, by up to 11 months while design improvements are incorporated. Flight-testing of the 445kW (600hp)-class engine is to begin in the third quarter of 1995 on a Beech King Air C90 and a de ...
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Alpha Jet deal hit by nuclear-test issue
AUSTRALIA HAS dropped the Dassault Alpha Jet ATS from the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) $740 million lead-in fighter contest as part of an escalating row over French plans to conduct a series of nuclear tests in the South Pacific. Defence minister Senator Robert Ray announced the move, ...
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Foreign interest raises Qantas flotation price
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS AUSTRALIA'S long-running airline-privatisation programme has come to an end with the flotation of the remaining 75% state holding in Qantas Airways. Despite early doubts over demand for the shares, the Australian Government estimates that it will receive around A$1.45 billion ($1 billion) from ...
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US-1A follow-on work begins
SHINMAYWA INDUSTRIES plans to modify an US-IA amphibian with new engines and avionics, to serve as a development testbed for a possible replacement search-and-rescue aircraft for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). The company has been pressing Japan's Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for funding to develop ...
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SAIC develops radar training
SAIC HAS DEVELOPED A RADAR SIMULATOR designed for use as a cost-effective training tool for radar users. The UK based company's Radsim system, uses a database-generation tool called Photomap, to create high-resolution imagery. Photomap creates digitised imagery from various sources, including digital-terrain models and satellite photographs. Appropriate "reflectance values" are ...
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El Al plans to switch from purchasing to leasing
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV EL AL HAS APPROVED a new strategic plan in which the Israeli carrier will freeze a scheme to purchase new aircraft over the next five years and switch to a policy of leasing. El Al has previously purchased all of its aircraft. ...
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El Al to evaluate cockpit system
EL AL IS TO EQUIP two of its Boeing 747-200 freighters with a wall-mounted, removable integrated cockpit-information system developed by Elisra subsidiary, Avionitek. The evaluation could lead to the airline equipping the bulk of its fleet with the unit. The idea is to provide each member of ...
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MEADS project partners make overtures to UK
THE USA, Germany, Italy and France have informally invited the UK, to join the medium extended air defence system (MEADS) missile project. The MEADS partners' overtures towards the UK have come to light in the Parliamentary Defence Committee's report into the 1995 Defence Estimates. According to ...
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Learjet crash blamed on miswiring
THE FATAL CRASH of a Learjet 35A on 14 December, 1994, in Fresno, California, was caused by improperly installed electric wiring which led to an inflight fire, says the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Two pilots were killed and 21 people on the ground injured when the ...
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AN.4 Campana unveiled at Moulins
THE PRE-PRODUCTION VERSION of the Campana AN.4 was shown for the first time at the annual Reseau du Sport de l'Air rally at Moulins, France. A prototype of the aircraft was flown for the first time in 1993. Campana Aviation, of Tarbes in south-west France, has developed the AN.4 as ...
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French agency considers Topex-Poseidon successor
Julian Moxon/PARIS French space agency CNES is looking for a successor to its Topex-Poseidon oceanic-research satellite, produced in co-operation with NASA and launched in 1992. The "Topex follow-on" craft will be smaller than the 2,430kg Topex, at around 450kg, and will cost around Fr1 billion ($208 ...
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MDC offers the USAF 88 more Globemasters
McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) has submitted a proposal to the US Air Force covering the purchase of up to another 88 aircraft at prices ranging from $212 million, down to around $190 million per unit. The proposal was submitted to the USAF as part of the preparations for the ...
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JDA lists aircraft requirements
THE JAPAN DEFENCE Agency (JDA) has provisionally requested funding in the 1996 fiscal year budget to purchase a total of 85 new military fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) seeks 42 aircraft, the Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) wants 26 and the Maritime Self-Defence Force ...
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Pentagon threat puts Heliwing UAV on hold
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US DEPARTMENT of Defense moves to kill the Boeing Heliwing project have led to plans for a second unmanned-air- vehicle (UAV) demonstrator being at least put on hold by the manufacturer. Boeing had decided to build a second demonstrator, but says that its ...
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Boeing climbs back on top in jet-airliner orders competition
Gunter Endres/LONDON AFTER HITTING rock bottom in 1994, jet-airliner orders in the first half of 1995 provide some encouragement for the three major manufacturers. Total order intake reached 250, with few cancellations to take the shine off the figures. Honours so far go to Boeing, with ...
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Hong Kong and Taiwan agree on routes deal
HONG KONG HAS agreed to Taiwan's demand that two airlines from each country can serve the lucrative route between the two. The two sides have been wrangling for months over the opening up of competition between the two destinations. The previous agreement expired at the end ...
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Indians go to Moscow for Sukhoi Su-30MK talks
A SENIOR INDIAN delegation is visiting Moscow this month to discuss the potential purchase of 20 Sukhoi Su-30MK multi-role combat aircraft. The discussions may also cover the possibility of licence production of the aircraft. The Indian air force is looking for a long-term replacement for its Mikoyan MiG-27M ...
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Il-76MF flown at last
ILYUSHIN'S STRETCHED version of the IL-76, the MF, finally had its first flight on 1 August from the Chkalov production plant-owned airfield in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 40min flight went well, according to test pilot Anatoly Knystov. A shortage of funds and the late availability of a suitable engine ...
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Asiana sets RFP deadline for fleet bid
ASIANA AIRLINES of South Korea has given Airbus Industrie, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas until 10 August to respond to its request for proposals (RFP) for up to 24 new 150-seat aircraft (Flight International , 2-8 August). The airline has asked the three airframe manufacturers to provide pricing for ...