Fixed-wing – Page 1199

  • News

    Chengdu reveals redesigned F-7 technology demonstrator

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Chengdu Aircraft (CAC) of China is trying to further refine the performance of the venerable Mikoyan MiG- 21/F-7 fighter design with a newly unveiled technology demonstrator sporting a radically reshaped nose section with a chin air intake and ogival radar housing. The heavily modified F-7FS testbed is based on the ...

  • News

    Mata develops infrared night light for helicopter rotor blades

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    The Mata helicopter division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has developed a novel rotor blade tip light that will improve the safety of night formation flight. The add-on unit is a self-contained, battery-operated unit that generates an infrared light which is is undetectable by ground forces but can easily ...

  • News

    Ministry steps in to sort out Rafale F2 pricing squabble

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS Senior officials at the French defence ministry have taken over pricing negotiations with Dassault Aviation on multi-year procurement of the Rafale multi-role combat aircraft after talks with its weapons procurement division (DGA) broke down. The DGA had told industry suppliers to the Rafale programme to reduce significantly the ...

  • News

    Pilatus appoints Western to market PC-7 trainer

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Pilatus has appointed Western Aircraft to market the PC-7 turboprop trainer to civil customers in North America. There are five civil-registered PC-7 already operating in the USA, and the Swiss manufacturer sees a market for a limited number of new and used aircraft. Western, based in Boise, Idaho, will ...

  • News

    T-6A Texan II heads for Farnborough

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

     Raytheon Aircraft is hoping to demonstrate the new T-6A Texan II production prototype at the Farnborough air show in September following a successful 108min maiden flight on 15 July. The company is hoping to use the show to boost exports after Bombardier's recent decision to become its first foreign ...

  • News

    Tiltrotor marketing effort hots up as Bell Boeing chases UK work

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Bell Boeing is stepping up its efforts to market the V-22 tiltrotor in the UK to meet two emerging requirements - the Future Amphibious Support Helicopter (FASH) and the Future Organic Airborne Early Warning (FOAEW) aircraft. The team has responded to a request for information ...

  • News

    Upgraded Canadian T-33s head for resale

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Kelowna Flightcraft is hoping to offer surplus Canadian Forces Lockheed T-33s for upgrade and resale to third countries. The company is upgrading 23 of Canada's 45 CT-33s for use in electronic-warfare training, and wants to market surplus aircraft to existing T-33 operators planning to upgrade and replenish their fleets. ...

  • News

    WAH-64 purchase

    1998-07-22T00:00:00Z

    Lockheed Martin is to produce 62 APR-48A radar frequency interferometers (RFIs) for GKN Westland WAH-64 Apache attack helicopters being purchased by the UK, under a $30 million multi-year subcontract from Northrop Grumman. Deliveries will begin in December and are expected to be completed in February 2003. Last January, Lockheed Martin ...

  • News

    RAF sees Panorama

    1998-07-15T15:40:00Z

    SEOS Displays has been awarded a £2.5 million ($4 million) contract by CAE Electronics to supply six Panorama visual display systems for medium support helicopter simulators at RAF Benson, UK - three Boeing Chinook Mk2s, two EH Industries Merlin Mk3s and one Eurocopter Puma. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Chile delivery

    1998-07-15T07:00:00Z

    Chile has taken delivery of a Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk utility transport helicopter. The air force's plans to replace its Bell UH-1 fleet call for the incremental purchase of additional aircraft, the pace of which is likely to be slowed by Chile's economic downturn. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Launch of Falklands airline is put back

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Plans to launch an airline to serve the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic from the South American mainland have been postponed until later this year. British South Atlantic Airlines (BSAA) had been planning to start operations between the Islands and Sao Paulo, Brazil, in April with a wet-leased ...

  • News

    Lockheed Martin to develop targeting system for AH-1Z

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Bell Helicopter Textron has selected Lockheed Martin to develop and produce an advanced target sight system (TSS) for the US Marine Corps upgraded AH-1Z attack helicopter. Lockheed Martin's Electronics & Missiles unit says work on the 54-month, $8 million engineering development and integration contract will begin this month. Lockheed ...

  • News

    Australia insists on deadline and raises CN235-330 partners ire

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Aerospace Technical Services (ATS) has attacked the Australian Government's decision not to grant IPTN a tender extension, claiming that it was close to securing additional funding to complete the CN235-330 Phoenix development. According to ATS general manager Glenn Keys, two unidentified Australian companies had expressed willingness to invest in ...

  • News

    Spar C-130 upgrades stay on course for Canadian Forces

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/EDMONTON Spar Aviation Services will begin delivery of upgraded Lockheed Martin C-130s to the Canadian forces this month. The third of 32 aircraft in the CC-130 Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - the first for an operational unit - will be delivered by the end of July. The ...

  • News

    UK to overhaul RAF tanker/transport capability

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Douglas Barrie/LONDON The Royal Air Force's airlift and tanker capabilities are to be revamped as a result of the UK's Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which could see the Vickers VC10 and Lockheed L1011 Tristar replaced earlier than originally planned, and the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III enter RAFservice as a ...

  • News

    Russia to overhaul nuclear weapons arsenal

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Russia is to attempt to maintain its nuclear arsenal, with its security council clearing of the acquisition of a new generation of air-launched missiles for both the Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear H and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, as part of an overhaul of the country's strategic weapons. The strategic weapons upgrade ...

  • News

    US trainers make progress with first flights and roll-outs

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    The first production Raytheon T-6A Texan II trainer for the US Air Force is expected to make its maiden flight from Wichita, Kansas, by 17 July. The first of more than 700 T-6A Texan II trainers for the US Air Force and US Navy's Joint Primary Aircraft Training System ...

  • News

    Venezuela selects MB339FD and AMX ATA combination

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Andrea Spinelli/GENOA Venezuela has chosen a mix of the Aermacchi MB339FD jet trainer and the new ATA version of the Alenia-Aermacchi-Embraer AMX trainer/attack aircraft to meet its advanced jet trainer and light strike fighter requirements. The purchase of the AMX will be the first export order for the aircraft. The ...

  • News

    Preparing for Tiger

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/LUC EN PROVENCE French army aviation is changing fast. The decision two years ago to move France's armed forces towards an all-professional body has meant that the army must cut its force by 60% before 2002 and its helicopter numbers by more than one-third. In addition, ...

  • News

    Have Hercules, will travel

    1998-07-15T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON, DC Nobody has done a tour on this scale, according to Lockheed Martin international business development vice-president Rick Hundley, who claims to have "kissed the ground" at Marietta, Georgia, when he and the C-130J Hercules 2 completed their marathon sales drive on 27 June. The world ...