All news – Page 7708
-
News
US Navy fires Hellfires from HH-60 Seahawk
THE US NAVY HAS test-launched Rockwell Hellfire missiles from a Sikorsky HH-60 Seahawk as part of a programme to mount the laser-guided anti-armour weapon on some of its combat-rescue HH-60Hs and anti-submarine SH-60Bs. Three ground and three airborne firings were conducted at the Navy's Patuxent River, Maryland, test ...
-
News
Hercules update
Edmonton-based CAE Aviation has received a C$135 million ($100 million) Canadian Forces contract to update the avionics in 30 Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports. Rockwell-Collins will supply avionics for the update. Source: Flight International
-
News
Thai profits in decline
PROFITS AT THAI Airways International fell by 25% in the first half of the carrier's financial year, with the blame largely being laid on a higher wage bill resulting from its staff reorganisation. The airline, which staged a recovery a year ago, has now seen net profits drop ...
-
News
Satellite centre rescued
THE WESTERN European Union has decided to continue with the operation of the WEU Satellite Centre in Torrejon, Spain. The future of the Centre, which has 50 staff and a $46 million budget lasting until the end of this year, had been in doubt. The Centre was established ...
-
News
ST50 belly-lands after engine fails
THE PROTOTYPE of the ST50 single-turboprop business aircraft was slightly damaged during an emergency landing in Israel on 19 May after an engine failure forced the pilot to land in a field near the airstrip. The all-composite ST 50 has been developed by the Minnesota, US-based Cirrus Design ...
-
News
UK contest seen as crucial test
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON The UK attack helicopter competition is being viewed as a crucial test of how the three main airframe manufacturers competing for the contract will fare in future battles to dominate world export markets, says Fred Hubbard, senior vice-president at Bell Helicopter Textron. At a ...
-
News
When an inspection calls
Operators are seeking better, less expensive ways to evaluate ageing airframe condition Graham Warwick/ATLANTA While cost-conscious carriers are keeping aircraft in service longer, they want to minimise the maintenance burden of ageing airliners. New inspection techniques provide one answer. The goal of NASA's Airframe ...
-
News
Cold comfort
Rationalisation is the only answer to saving Russia's crumbling military-manufacturing base. Douglas Barrie/MOSCOW Even by the manufacturers' own figures, military production in Russia has collapsed by 80% over the past four years. Combat-aircraft producers in the former Soviet Union are battling for survival, and it is a fight ...
-
News
Airbus partners disagree over future development strategy
Julian Moxon/PARIS Major differences of opinion are emerging between French manufacturer Aerospatiale and its principal partner in the Airbus Industrie consortium, Daimler Benz Aerospace (DASA), over future aircraft development strategy. Aerospatiale is seeking German support for investment in a supersonic transport, for which it believes there ...
-
News
Team launches DC-10 upgrade
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES McDONNELL DOUGLAS (MDC) has teamed with Alenia subsidiary Aeronavali to launch a DC-10 product-improvement programme ranging in scope from a completely new, two-crew, digital flightdeck to a full conversion from passenger to freighter. The plan is aimed mainly at the expected growth in ...
-
News
Boeing to cut more jobs than expected
Boeing expects to cut as many as 12,000 jobs this year - some 5,000 more than the company had anticipated. Updated 1995 employment forecasts revealed by Boeing show that more than half of the reductions will come from employees taking advantage of its one-time special retirement-incentive programme announced ...
-
News
FAA approves TFE731-60 for Falcon 900EX
THE US FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION has certificated the AlliedSignal TFE731-60 turbofan ahead of the first flight of the Dassault Falcon 900EX business aircraft, the first application for the engine. Four TFE 731-60 development engines have been delivered for flight tests. Almost 3,500h of tests have been amassed by the engines, ...
-
News
Czechs cut air force upgrade
The Czech DEFENCE ministry has reduced ambitious plans for a substantial upgrade to part of the air force's Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbed fleet. According to ministry sources in Prague, a more austere upgrade package is now envisaged. This will consist of replacing the Russian Odd Rods identification friend or ...
-
News
Ukraine wins first launch contract
Tim Furniss/LONDON NPO YUZHNOYE OF Ukraine has been awarded a contract from Space Systems/ Loral to launch 36 Globalstar telecommunications satellites into low-Earth orbit aboard three Zenit 2 boosters. The launches will be from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in 1998. The contract is the first dedicated commercial-launch deal ...
-
News
Taiwan airline sale
Taiwan's Investment Commission has approved the sale of 25% of domestic carrier Far Eastern Air Transport to the American International Group and Banque Paribas, for nearly $132 million. It is the latest in a series of share acquisitions in Taiwanese airlines. Source: Flight International
-
News
Japan rekindles Harrier interest
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE JAPAN'S MILITARY is signalling renewed interest in the British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas Harrier, and hopes to secure funding in the next five-year defence plan for an initial batch of the vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft. The purchase of between three and five aircraft is ...
-
News
Star performer
New Brazilian regional-airline Interbrasil STAR has begun operations with the first of three Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia Quick Change passenger/cargo aircraft ordered in 1994, for $22 million. Brasilia-based Interbrasil's main shareholder is Brazilian airline Transbrasil. Source: Flight International
-
News
A330 for Dragonair
Dragonair has taken delivery of its first Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered Airbus Industrie A330, leased from International Lease Finance (ILFC). The Hong Kong carrier is scheduled to receive a second A330, purchased from sister carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, in July, and an additional ILFC-owned aircraft in September. The aircraft will be ...
-
News
India tests engine
India's Hindustan Aeronautics has test flown an indigenously designed engine for the Lakshya unmanned air vehicle. It is uncertain whether the engine is a turbofan or turbojet. The first flight test of the engine took place on 18 May. Source: Flight International
-
News
GOES in orbit
An Atlas 1 model was used to launch a $220 million, Space Systems/Loral-built Geostationary Environmental Operational satellite, the GOES 9, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 23 May. For the first time since 1989, the USA has a full complement of GOES spacecraft in space. There are still three more launches ...