Smiths Aerospace has been selected by China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) and Shaanxi Aircraft Company (SAC) to supply the integrated standby instrument system (ISIS) for the re-engined Y-8F600 civil freighter aircraft.
The ISIS is a fully integrated, self-sensing standby instrument capable of computing and displaying attitude, altitude, airspeed, heading, mach and ILS within a single 3ATI instrument, with liquid crystal display technology.
Essential
Standby instruments are provided to ensure that, even in the worst possible circumstances of failure in an aircraft's systems, the pilot will still have a presentation of the most essential flight information. Smiths is also under contract by CATIC to supply composite blade propellers for the Y-8F600.
Up to 100 aircraft are expected to be delivered during the first 15 years following aircraft certification.
Flight test hardware is to be delivered to SAC in spring 2004 with aircraft certification at the end of 2005 and entry into service in early 2006.
Letters of Intent have been received from three Chinese operators, including China Postal and China South West, for a total of 30 aircraft.
The aircraft will be operated in a civil freight role.
New generation trainer airborne for first time
Aermacchi's new M-346 trainer made its maiden flight just before the show, a 55min sortie at Vengono, Italy.
Announcing the successful flight at Farnborough, the company says Maurizio Cheli, Alenia Aeronautica's chief test pilot for combat aircraft used the flight to confirm the M-346's high thrust-to-weight ratio and excellent take-off performance.
Handling
Accompanied by two MB339 chase aircraft, Cheli also began exploring the capabilities of the BAE Systems/Teleavio full authority care-free handling digital fly-by-wire control system, which will allow the aircraft to remain fully controllable up to angles of attack of 40°.
Though developed from the Russian Yak-130, the M-346 is a thoroughly modern aircraft, with a glass cockpit, performance and handling characteristics that are fully representative of the latest generation of front-line fighters including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Source: Flight Daily News
