Fixed-wing – Page 1327
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Rotary rumble
Military machines may dominate at Le Bourget, with the imminent UK attack-helicopter decision occupying the thoughts of many Kieran Daly and Douglas Barrie/london The battle for the Netherlands is over - the battle for England is about to begin. Well, not quite - the battle for the ...
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Worth its stripes
The Eurocopter Tiger has been designed with versatility as a key asset. Julian Moxon/PARIS The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 meant that, almost overnight, instant obsolescence rather than Russian armed might became the threat to Western weapons systems. No longer, for example, will anti-tank helicopters ...
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USAF renews GPS approach tests
THE US AIR FORCE IS to conduct precision-approach tests using the global-positioning system (GPS). A Lockheed C-130 will be used to conduct 75 GPS-guided approaches at Hurlburt Field AFB, Florida, in June. For the trials, the C-130 has been equipped with a GPS landing-system supplied by Interstate Electronics ...
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F-22 starts to take shape at Boeing
CONSTRUCTION OF the first composite wing skin for the Lockheed/Boeing F-22 fighter has begun at Boeing, marking the start of major-component manufacturing at the Seattle-based Defense and Space Group. Boeing is charged with 32.5% of the F-22 work, with primary responsibility for the wing, aft fuselage, radar, 757 ...
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UK and USA study Starstreak project integration
THE UK AND US defence ministries are discussing a joint programme to integrate the Shorts Starstreak high-velocity missile on to their respective attack helicopters. The Starstreak is included as a "mandatory option" in the UK's attack-helicopter procurement requirement. Shorts and Lockheed Martin formally agreed on 25 May to ...
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Business partners
Corporate-aviation customers will be of intense interest to the avionics suppliers at Paris. Graham Warwick/Atlanta While public attention will be captured by the Paris debuts of the latest commercial airliners and military aircraft, including the Boeing 777, Northrop Grumman B-2 and Bell Boeing V-22, the avionics ...
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Back onparade
Exhibitors are returning to the air show scene after years of cost cutting. Forbes Mutch/LONDON It has been an up-hill struggle for air shows in recent years, with recession-hit manufacturers demonstrating a reluctance to exhibit in the numbers and opulent style familiar during the 1980s. Air-show exhibitors ...
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Table-top training
Low-cost competition is set to shake up the simulation market. Graham Warwick/Atlanta Consolidation has left the flight-simulation industry smaller, but possibly stronger, as the market shows signs of beginning to recover. The airline recession and defence-budget cuts have made customers more cost-conscious, however, and low-cost ...
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Making a noise
New power plants for new aircraft: there will be plenty to talk about in military-engine circles at Le Bourget Guy Norris/Los Angeles For a sector in the doldrums, the military- engine arena will be surprisingly busy at Paris, with many significant propulsion decisions on the near horizon. ...
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IAI to test fly maritime radar on Heron UAV
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Industries (IAI) is about to start test-flying a maritime-surveillance, radar-equipped, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV). Radar manufacturer Elta has developed a variant of its EL/M-2022A maritime-surveillance radar. The radar will be flown on the IAI Heron. Elta has redesigned the radar's antenna to allow ...
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Hungary looks for East German Hinds
GERMANY AND Hungary have discussed the supply of former East German (GDR) armed forces' Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters to the Hungarian air force. The talks took place during a visit to Germany by Hungarian defence minister Gyorgy Keleti. Keleti held discussions with his German counterpart Volker Ruhe. ...
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Polished performance
The North American version of a Polish trainer is likely to find favour in the USA. John Wiley/Atlanta Polish manufacturer PZL of Warsaw and US company Cadmus, of Northfield, Illinois, have teamed up to build, certificate and market the Koliber II light-trainer aircraft. On the ...
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Eurocopter delivers Russian BO.105s
EUROCOPTER Deutschland has handed over two BO.105 CBS helicopters to the Russian civil-defence and emergencies ministry. The helicopters have been fitted with rescue hoists, searchlights and auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft will be used for medical-evacuation and search-and-rescue duties by the ministry, which is responsible for lifesaving in ...
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South Korea seeks help with engines
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE SOUTH KOREA HAS asked US and European engine manufacturers, to submit proposals for a new or derivative-development 71kN (16,000lb)-thrust turbofan, for its planned KTX-II advanced trainer/light combat aircraft. Lockheed Martin is already working with South Korean lead contractor Samsung Aerospace on a preliminary KTX-II ...
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India and Mikoyan struggle over MiG-21
Alexander Velovich/MOSCOW THE INDIAN defence ministry and Mikoyan are struggling to conclude a contract covering the upgrade of Indian air force Mikoyan MiG-21s, with India once again considering alternative prime contractors. The delay is the result of a considerable rise in Mikoyan's initial bid price. ...
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Germany blocks Eurofighter funds
THE GERMAN parliamentary budget committee has once more blocked the payment of DM375 million ($271 million) of Government money to Daimler-Benz Aerospace to cover the cost of delays which Bonn introduced in the Eurofighter programme. The 1992 decision effectively delayed the programme by two years and reduced the ...
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Expanded attack role for F-18 Hornet
THE US NAVY hopes to replace six squadrons of aging Northrop Grumman A-6E attack aircraft and F-14 fighters with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet strike aircraft over the next five years under a $1 billion programme designed to counter a shortfall of tactical naval aircraft. According to Rear Adm. ...
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France purchases Paveway II kits bomb kits
THE FRENCH AIR FORCE will begin receiving Texas Instruments Paveway II laser-guided bomb kits in the second or third quarter of this year as part of a $29 million production contract signed in late May. Deliveries to the French navy are expected to begin this year and continue ...
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Yakovlev rolls out Yak-130
Alexander Velovich/MOSCOW YAKOVLEV HAS rolled out its contender for the Russian air force's advanced jet-trainer programme, the Yak-130. The company has also signaled its intention to design a single-seat light attack variant of the aircraft. The aircraft was presented on 29 May, two weeks after ...
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BAe and Saab to reveal Gripen details
BRITISH AEROSPACE and Saab will unveil formally a joint marketing, support and manufacturing agreement covering the Swedish manufacturer's JAS39 Gripen fighter aircraft at the Paris air show later this month. The deal has been under negotiation for the past two years, with the Swedish and UK Governments signing ...