The General Electric Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team was due to make the first run of the F136 development engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as Flight International closed for press. The engine is scheduled for up to 200h of performance and operability testing in 2004, before running up to 300h of endurance tests in early 2005. An engine in short take-off and vertical landing configuration is to join the test effort in 2005.
Source: Flight International
Grob Aircraft and Pilatus have been awarded contracts to supply a combined 42 new turboprop-powered aircraft for use as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s future pilot training system.
US regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will take no immediate action to address a smoke-related issue involving the CFM International Leap-1B engines that power the Boeing 737 Max.
While Turkey will still move forward with the purchase of 40 new F-16V fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, Ankara has decided to scrap a planned acquisition of 79 Block 70 upgrade kits for its existing F-16 fleet, opting instead to contract with domestic Turkish Aerospace for the modernisations.
