Fixed-wing – Page 1345
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DarkStar rises over California
The Lockheed Martin/ Boeing DarkStar high-altitude endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) had its first flight at Edwards AFB, California, on 29 March. The 21m-span UAV had a fully automated flight lasting 20min from take off to landing using differential global-positioning-system (GPS) navigation signals for guidance throughout. "The ...
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Kuwait opts to buy armed Black Hawk
KUWAIT HAS agreed to buy an armed version of the Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk to meet its attack-helicopter requirement, rather than the McDonnell Douglas (MDC) AH-64A Apache. The Black Hawk will be supplied without the sophisticated combined forward-looking infra-red (FLIR)/laser designator used on armed Black Hawks operated by ...
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USAF 737 was 'off course' before crash
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA A US AIR FORCE Boeing T-43A is believed to have been off course when it crashed into a hill in stormy weather with poor visibility on the approach to Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia on 3 April. All 33 passengers and crew, including US ...
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White House blocks Turkish Cobra deal
THE CLINTON Administration is sitting on a year-old request from Turkey, for ten additional Bell Helicopter, Textron AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters. The White House has held up the foreign-military sales transaction for fear that the gun-ship sale to Turkey would damage US relations with Greece. The ...
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Pacific Rim
SEVERAL F-16 operators including Singapore have begun to consider which aircraft will succeed the Lockheed Martin product in their fighter inventories. Australia has also begun to examine its future fighter options beyond the McDonnell Douglas F-18. The Royal Australian Air Force, has for instance, been kept informed of the availability ...
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Aermacchi refuelling tests of MB-339 nearly complete
Aermacchi is completing in-flight refueling tests of its MB-339 advanced jet trainer at the Italian air force base of Pratica di Mare. The aircraft has already been qualified with the Panavia Tornado strike aircraft fitted with a centre-line buddy pod and a Boeing 707 T/T tanker. Tests are continuing to ...
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Comparing notes seems a good idea
Sir - Do civil and military flying organisations ever discuss their accidents and incidents with each other? If they do, then they do not seem to learn from them. The report, "Disconnected ailerons are blamed for RAF Hawk crash" (Flight International, 13-19 March, P4), bears an uncanny resemblance ...
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Norway briefed on JAST/JSF
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA Norway has been briefed formally on the US Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), as a potential candidate for its next combat-aircraft purchase. The Royal Norwegian Air Force is looking to replace its Northrop F-5s and is already evaluating the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter EF2000, Lockheed Martin F-16, ...
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The usual suspects
With all the expected hopefuls lining up for a Gulf contest for 50 to 80 strike fighters, companies are scrambling in the wings in anticipation. Graham Warwick/AtlantaDouglas Barrie/London If it were any where else, the finalists would be collectively sitting on the edge of their ...
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Eurocopter is close to clinching Cougar sales
Julian Moxon/MARIGNANE Eurocopter president Jean-Francois Bigay claims that the Franco-German consortium is aiming to conclude orders for "around 100" AS.532 Cougar military-transport helicopters this year. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and a further unnamed country are among those which could, says Bigay, make ...
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BAe names Hawk team partners
British Aerospace has named Qantas, Hawker de Havilland, Hunter Aerospace and maintenance group AirFlite as its major partners in a 16-company line-up for the supply and support of up to 40 Hawk 100 lead-in fighter (LIF) trainers for Australia. The Hawks are shortlisted as replacements for the RAAF's ...
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Europe
Poland is likely to be the first former Warsaw Pact nation to buy Western combat aircraft, with US and European manufacturers offering their wares. MAPO-MiG has also been offering licence-production. A defence ministry commission reported in February that co-operation with Saab in producing the JAS39 Gripen would be the best ...
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Holding out
Israel Military Industries is looking for partners in adesperate effort to restore its fortunes. Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV ISRAEL MILITARY Industries' new president and chief executive Shlomo Milo is looking at new ways to slim the business after an often painful rationalisation programme failed to return the company ...
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USAF wires up Starlifter for electric-actuator trials
THE US AIR FORCE is planning an in-service evaluation of electric actuators. A Lockheed Martin C-141 Starlifter is being modified with two Lucas Aerospace electric aileron-actuators and will undergo 20h of flight-certification testing, to be completed in May, followed by 1,000h of operational flying over 18 months. ...
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Spreading out
Newly formed maintenance company Malaysia Airlines Aero-Technologies is already looking at diversification. Paul Lewis/KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA AIRLINES (MAS) IS NOW undergoing one of the biggest structural shake-ups since the country broke off its union with Singapore 25 years ago. From 1 April (the start of the next ...
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Pakistan proposes K-8s for Indonesian N-250s
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE PAKISTAN HAS PROPOSED supplying Indonesia with Karakoram K-8 jet trainers, in part-exchange for 15 Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN) N-250 turboprop passenger aircraft and an undetermined number of CN-235 turboprops. The planned sale of the 64- to 68-seat N-250 aircraft to Pakistan International ...
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Indra delivers CN-235 simulator to Merpati
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA SPANISH ELECTRONICS company Indra has delivered a CASA/IPTN CN-235 full-flight simulator to Indonesian airline Merpati. The company, formerly known as Ceselsa, is now pursuing CN-235 simulator sales to the air forces of Indonesia, South Korea and Turkey. Work on the Level C simulator, ...
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France may convert missile base into helicopter training site
THE FRENCH DEFENCE ministry is considering the conversion of its Plateau d'Albion missile base into a multi-service helicopter-training site for the Eurocopter Tiger and the NH Industries NH90. A decision to withdraw the M-3 strategic nuclear missile from service was taken as part of the latest round of ...
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Turkey aims to step up fighter training
THE TURKISH air force intends to expand its biannual weapons and tactics course run at its Konya air base, beginning this year, as the basis for a fighter weapons-and-tactics school. The twice-yearly, weapons and tactics course is run by the 132 Filo (Sqn), but the air force wants ...
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GE's cost-cutting pays off
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON GENERAL ELECTRIC'S Aircraft Engines business pushed operating profits back above the $1 billion mark in 1995, confirming its place not only as the most profitable of the big three engine makers, but also as one of GE's star performers. In an upbeat annual ...