Fixed-wing – Page 1187
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France pumps more into defence budget
France has announced that it is raising its defence equipment spending by 6.1% to Fr86 billion ($14.3 billion) in 1999, marking the largest single increase in defence spending since 1990. The new budget, which has been presented to the all-party defence commission in the National Assembly and to the ...
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Japan brings forward formal start of AH-X programme
In a surprise move, the Japan Defence Agency (JDA) has advanced the formal start of its AH-X future attack helicopter programme by 18 months and issued competing European and US airframe and engine manufacturers with request for proposals (RFP). According to informed industry sources, the JDA has indicated that ...
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FAA approves C-130J
The Federal Aviation Administration approved the Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transport on 9 September, clearing the aircraft for export to Australia and delivery to the US Air Force. The first C-130J had already been delivered to the Royal Air Force on 26 August, as the service did not require ...
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Parker leads in actuator race
Parker Aerospace has produced what it claims is the first viable dual channel electrohydrostatic actuator (EHA). Electric actuators are likely to eliminate hydraulics in the Joint Strike Fighter. Early non-flying examples were delivered last month to Lockheed Martin for "ground integration and safety of flight" on the Advanced Fighter ...
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Rolls-Royce ties up RB211 Qantas upgrade
Rolls-Royce has secured a deal with Qantas to upgrade its fleet of RB211-524 turbofans to the new -524G/HT standard and a further $1 billion worth of Trent 500 engine orders from Emirates and International Lease Finance (ILFC). The Qantas order covers modernising airline's fleet of 18 RB211-powered Boeing 747-400 ...
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Thomson-CSF offers MiG-29 upgrade
Thomson-CSF has joined with MIG MAPO to offer new avionics and sensors for upgrading MiG-29 fighters and MiG-29UBT strike aircraft. The equipment includes the RC-400 radar system and the CLDP laser electro-optical targeting pod. The upgrade is intended for export customers which prefer a Western radar to Russian systems, such ...
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Denmark signs up for Canadian flying training package
The Royal Danish Air Force has become the launch customer for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme. A memorandum of understanding was signed on 7 September, under which the first six students and six instructors will be sent into the programme by 2000. The agreement, signed by ...
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First Comanche radar bids go in
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon have placed early bids for a new fire control radar (FCR) for the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche armed reconnaissance/attack helicopter. Further bids are expected. According to Boeing, the US Army is proposing to include the radar in production Lot 1, rather than Lot 5 as ...
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Romania approves funding for Soim upgrade
The Romanian Government has given the green light for $21 million of funding to begin upgrading 24 Romanian air force Avioane IAR-99 Soim jet trainers with Israeli avionics. The upgrade, carried out by Avioane at its site in Craiova, Romania, in partnership with avionics suite supplier Elbit Systems, is ...
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Rotary revolution
Tim Furniss/LONDON Rotary Rocket Company has raised $17 million from investors and hired Barclays Capital to assist in an additional $20 million private investment in its bid to offer commercial satellite launches. The Redwood Shores, California-based company will offer transportation of payloads weighing 3,200kg to low earth orbit ...
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RAF holds back on tanker programme
The UK Ministry of Defence has delayed releasing a request for information (RFI) for the Royal Air Force's future strategic tanker aircraft programme for six months as Airbus Industrie and Boeing prepare to square off with respective proposed new military derivatives of the A310-300 and 767-300ER twinjets. Manufacturers had ...
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Marconi radar mooted for updated MiG-29
Alan Dron MAPO is looking at installing an air-to-air radar from the UK's Marconi Electronic Systems in its updated MiG-29SMT and two-seater UBT multi-role fighter aircraft, the Russian company said yesterday. General designer Mikhail Korzhuyev also revealed that the UBT, derived from the UB two-seat conversion trainer but ...
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Airbus wins the battle, but the war goes on
Karen Walker and Mike Martin Farnborough '98 turned into the show that Airbus Industrie was able to relish, but which Boeing might want to forget.. Boeing's problem was mainly one of timing, however. The company came to the show still smarting from highly public production problems and the ...
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JSF landing gear delivered
Boeing and Messier-Dowty are celebrating a milestone in the Concept Development phase of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme. The first landing gear components for the Concept Demonstrator aircraft have now been delivered as Messier-Dowty prepares to hand over the first complete set of landing gear in March next ...
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Purdy makes UK show debut
First-time exhibitor Purdy is already looking forward to appearing at the next Farnborough airshow. Sales representative Ray Bull persuaded the Anglo-American company to exhibit its range of machine components and aerospace transmissions for the first time. "I convinced them that if they want to get into Europe this is ...
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ASTOR radar rivals use show to trade punches
Tim Ripley Raytheon has lambasted its American rival in the $1.1 billion UK ASTOR contest, describing Northrop Grumman's entry as a "high risk, high cost solution" that will not be in service for some time. The US defence electronics giant directed all its fire at Northrop Grumman's Joint ...
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Design review planned in prop development
Once Farnborough's out of the way, American company Hamilton Standard will be conducting a critical design review of its NP2000 propeller development programme with representatives from the US Navy, Northrop Grumman and Allison. The US Navy has selected the NP2000 for its E-2C Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound aircraft. The ...
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Whale of a day for Boeing giant
Boeing has hit the headlines around the world and for something other than its battle with Airbus for supremacy in the skies. The US Air Force has used a Boeing C-17 Globemaster to transport a most unusual cargo - Keiko, the 10,000lb (4,500kg) Orca star of the box office ...
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Air con system ready for flight test
Microtecnica of Italy has delivered its first vapour cycle air conditioning system to Sikorsky for flight testing on the new S-92 Helibus. First flight with the system is scheduled for later this year with system qualification testing to be completed by the end of 1999. The system provides ...
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Hercules unchained
Lockheed Martin executives breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday as the C-130J Hercules finally received full certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after one of the most comprehensive programmes ever for an aircraft. The priority now is to get the aircraft to its first customers, the Royal ...