All Helicopters articles – Page 453
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AIA 98 FINALIST:Boeing (Military Aviation)
Success of the C-17 in the longest ever USAF airdrop mission. The US Air Force led the longest-range airdrop exercise in its history on 14-15 September, flying troops and supplies from the USA to Kazakhstan. At the heart of the mission was the Boeing C-17 Globemaster. Eight USAF C-17s ...
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AIA 98 WINNER:F-22 Raptor (Military Aviation)
First flight of the high agility, stealth F-22 fighter The first flight of the Lockheed Martin/ Boeing F-22A Raptor was undoubtedly one of the aerospace highlights of 1997. It was quickly heralded as bringing in a new era in fighter aircraft design. The Awards judges agreed that the aircraft represents ...
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RAAF works to extend F/A-18 life until 2010
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is working toward a full definition of its planned F/A-18A/B Hornet upgrade by the third quarter of this year, the aim of which is to extend the aircraft's combat effectiveness until 2010. The upgrade programme, say sources close to the project, is likely ...
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USA could buy Thai F/A-18s
The US Government may offer to acquire Thailand's eight unwanted Boeing F/A-18C/D fighters, now in production, unless a foreign buyer can be found for the aircraft or a satisfactory arrangement can be reached on either cancelling or deferring the $392 million order. US sources suggest that the scheme is ...
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Australians look overseas for Wedgetail orders
The winning bidder for the Australian government's Project Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft will benefit not only from that country's order, but also its desire to seek additional orders for Wedgetail from other nations. "There are a lot of Australian companies involved in the various aspects ...
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Tiger hopes to claw back into display
Paul Derby Eurocopter executives hope to have a replacement Tiger combat helicopter flying in today's display after the original craft destined for Asian Aerospace '98 crashed in Australia only days before the start of the show. Executives at Changi say they had to move "incredibly quickly" to cut through red ...
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Aerospatiale pours scorn on innuendo of French self interest
Tim Ripley Aerospatiale has hit out at "misperceptions" of France's position on European aerospace and defence industry consolidation. Denis Verret, Aerospatiale vice-president for international and commercial affairs, describes as "bullshit" suggestions that the French government will use its controlling shares in Aerospatiale to safeguard jobs above the commercial efficiency ...
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RAAF picks Sidewinder successor
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Matra BAe Dynamics has beaten competition from Rafael and Raytheon to have its Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missile (ASRAAM) selected by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as its successor to the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The deal secures the first export order for the ASRAAM. The Australian ...
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Pathfinder quest
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US military may have cooled to the concept of solar electric powered unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), but NASA has set new lofty goals for the emerging long endurance UAV. In 1993, the US Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) envisioned deploying Raptor (Responsive Aircraft Programme for Theatre ...
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Finance remains last hurdle for Rooivalk in Malaysia
Paul Derby Denel is optimistic that negotiations with the Malaysian government over the provision of eight Rooivalk attack helicopters will re-open by mid-year. The potential deal is on hold because of Malaysia's current economic problems, but both parties say that the decision to buy has been made and that it ...
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One of the family
Peter Henley/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie views its present commercial success - 1997 was its best ever year, with 671 sales and commitments worth $44.2 billion, 15 new customers, new derivatives launched, 182 aircraft delivered and a turnover of $11.6 billion - as a resounding endorsement of its family policy. This has ...
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Singapore is first non-NATO state to be cleared for US datalink
Singapore has become the first non-NATO country cleared to receive the US-developed Link 16 tactical datalink. Industry sources say that the US Navy pushed through the approval, citing the need for interoperability with the USA's major ally in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore plans to acquire datalink terminals for its ...
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LHTEC stays on schedule to produce T800 for US Army
LHTEC is on schedule to start T800 turboshaft production in 2000 to support the US Army's UH-1H re-engine programme. The first two engines are "on contract and in production" for the initial qualification phase at Fort Rucker, Alabama, says Fred Dickens, T800 business development director for the AlliedSignal/ Allison ...
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Bonn's high risk An-70 strategy threatens UK FLA participation
Douglas Barrie/LONDON Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH German brinksmanship over pre-launch activities on the European Future Large Aircraft (FLA) is threatening to end UK participation in the tactical transport programme. Sources within the FLA industry partners are warning that unless pre-launch activities gets under way within the next couple of months, ...
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Defence spending cuts viewed as short-term
Tim Ripley Huge cuts in Asia-Pacific defence spending are temporary phenomena which will not affect the region's good long-term prospects, say market analysts and corporate sources. Overall defence cuts of up to 25%, and larger cuts in overseas purchases because of regional currency crashes, have resulted in a ...
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Textron decision on buying Boeing helicopters looms
Paul Derby A decision should be made in a matter of days on whether Bell Helicopter Textron's proposal to buy Boeing's commercial helicopter business will get the green light. Bell executives confirm evaluation of the business is almost complete. President and CEO Terry Stinson told delegates at last week's Heli-Expo ...
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Airshow organiser sees silver lining in cloud of economic crisis
Mike Martin The economic difficulties of the Asia-Pacific region are a short-term challenge that offers the region an opportunity to take stock and re-emerge as an even stronger market for the long term, Clive Richardson, Asian Aerospace international sales and marketing director, said yesterday. Speaking at the organisers' press conference, ...
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Future fighter needs
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Fighter pilots have long jested that Singapore measures only four minutes by four minutes in terms of flying time. The island's diminutive size, however, belies its strategic importance. Situated at the tip of the Malaysian peninsular Singapore occupies an economic and geographic crossroads between the Eastern and Western ...
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P&W prepares for first JSF engine tests
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Pratt & Whitney plans to begin test runs of the first two Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) engines in the "April-May timeframe" and will begin initial tests of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variants in the third quarter of this year. The first two ...
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Boeing to sell civil helicopters
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Boeing has taken a strategic decision to leave the commercial helicopter market, which will lead to the disposal of the business it acquired through its merger with McDonnell Douglas, along with the transfer of its 49% stake in the Bell Boeing 609 civil tilt rotor to ...