Helicopters – Page 454
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Decoy test finds heat snag
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Flight testing of the ALE-50 towed decoy on the Boeing F/A-18E/F has revealed that heat from the engine exhausts burns through the cable when afterburners are engaged, and can melt cable insulation and short out power to the decoy when engines are on full unreheated power. The ...
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Israel will evaluate 707 replacements
The Israeli air force is preparing a fleet replacement programme for the 13 ageing Boeing 707-300s it operates in transport, electronic warfare (EW), electronic intelligence and tanker roles. The service is planning to gradually replace the 707s with a newer generation Boeing type selected from the 737, 757 or ...
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DARPA puts limits on UCAV competitors
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The competition to demonstrate an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) is to be limited to four companies - Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Systems - says the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). A request for proposals is to be released on ...
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Boeing to begin DC-10 conversions for FedEx at Kelly AFB
Boeing is making its much heralded move into the maintenance business with its plans to begin a conversion and maintenance work in early May at its new Aerospace Support Center at Kelly AFB near San Antonio, Texas. Kelly is to be closed by the US Department of Defense in ...
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Boeing sets date for solar power module
Boeing's solar orbit transfer vehicle (SOTV) is to be launched aboard one of the company's Delta III or Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles in October 2001. The company has received a $48 million contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, to produce the first ...
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Australia winds up for fight to supply Army helicopters
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Australia's Defence Acquisition Organisation plans formally to kick off the Army's long awaited Air 87 programme with a request for proposals in May for a new fire support and reconnaissance helicopter. The Air 87 timetable calls for potential bidders to respond within three months and ...
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Fokker 50 cargo conversion studied
A cargo conversion programme is being studied by Fokker Services to meet a perceived need for a Fokker F27 freighter replacement. Fokker Services product marketing manager Leon Boenders says that of the 210 Fokker 50s now in service, some 30-50 have been identified as likely to become available up ...
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MD 900 left in limbo in Bell deal
Bell Helicopter Textron has agreed to acquire the bulk of Boeing's civil helicopter business, but says that it will not take the MD 900 twin engined line because of conflicts with its own range of helicopters. Bell president Terry Stinson says that he expects the deal to go through ...
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Poland drafts emergency plan as Huzar faces more delays
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH The Polish Government is considering bringing forward planned orders for PZL-Swidnik W-3 Sokol transport helicopters to help the manufacturer if the Huzar battlefield helicopter programme suffers from further significant delays to its schedule. Deputy defence minister Romuald Szeremietiew has assured the manufacturer that this will be ...
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AIA 98 FINALIST:Alenia Difesa and Swedavia (Infrastructure)
The FarAway project, co-ordinated by Italy's Alenia Difesa, represents another step in the development of the future air traffic management concepts that Europe will have to adopt if growth is to continue in its overcrowded airspace. The project, financed by the European Commission, aims to validate the benefits of ...
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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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RSAF fighter choice hinges on support
Training and base support are emerging as potentially key discriminatory factors in the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) choice of a next generation fighter aircraft. The RSAF is working toward selection of a fighter in 2001 to replace its fleets of Northrop F-5s and McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, ...
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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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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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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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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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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, ...