Latest Defence Helicopters news – Page 463
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Pentagon to hold talks with Europe on UAVs
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is to hold talks in April with France, Germany and the UK over possible involvement in the next phases of the high-altitude-endurance unmanned air vehicle (HAE UAV) and other programmes now being pursued under its new advanced-concept-technology demonstration (ACTD) initiative. Paul Kaminski, ...
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RAAF seeks initial funding for 707 tanker upgrade
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is hoping to secure initial funding in financial year 1998/9 to replace or upgrade its fleet of Boeing 707-300 tankers. According to local defence sources, Australia wants to advance its tanker replacement into the next five-year procurement cycle, because of rising concern ...
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Congress budget watchdog doubts whether USA can afford new fighters
THE US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned that the Department of Defense cannot afford the planned number of McDonnell Douglas F-18E/Fs, Lockheed Martin/ Boeing F-22s and Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) without doubling the proportion of its budget which is traditionally spent on new tactical aircraft. The CBO ...
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Omega Air to launch 707 re-engineing with JT8Ds
Omega Air has signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney about the re-engineing of its Boeing 707-320 fleet with P&W JT8D-200 engines. The Omega leasing company is the major partner in the US-based consortium "7Q7", which plans to certificate the JT8D-powered version in 1998. Omega, based in Dublin, ...
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Evergreen picks up USN demonstration
The US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) has selected operator Evergreen Helicopters, rather than Kaman Aerospace, for further civil-helicopter demonstrations of commercially operated vertical replenishment (VERTREP) of warships. Kaman's K-MAX was used successfully to demonstrate the concept over the past two years, but the MSC says that it ...
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BAe is poised to make decision on JSF partner
British Aerospace, a loser in the initial Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) shortlist, will decide shortly whether to join forces with Boeing or Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace firms selected by the Pentagon to continue development of the next-generation tactical aircraft. BAe had been teamed with McDonnell Douglas (MDC) ...
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US Army signs T800 deal for UH-1 Hueys
The US Army has agreed to re-engine 131 Air National Guard Bell UH-1 Hueys with the Allison-AlliedSignal LHTEC T800 turboshaft as part of a deal to provide production and in-service evaluation of the engine before it is needed for the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. The early production and fielding ...
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AWACS 767 tests are completed early
Boeing has completed flight-testing of the first 767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft three weeks ahead of schedule, logging 130 flights and 383 flight hours. The aircraft is now undergoing an instrument refurbishment in Seattle, before it is flown to Wichita, Kansas, where flight-test equipment will be removed. ...
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E-6B Milstar fatigue tests begin
A modified Boeing 707 fuselage section is being tested to verify structural changes planned for the US Navy E-6B airborne command post fleet as part of its recently expanded mission role. The E-6B fleet will be modified to take a large, roof-mounted antenna radome as part of the Milstar programme. ...
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Moving on up
The word "rebuilding" is likely to crop up frequently in conversations at the Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo '97 (2-4 February, Anaheim, California). Manufacturers will be talking about rebuilding business post-recession, while the HAI itself will be addressing the problem of "phoenix", or rebuilt, aircraft. According to HAI president ...
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Raytheon E-Systems picks A310 for Australian AEWcompetition
Raytheon E-Systems will offer the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) four modified Airbus Industrie A310s to meet the RAAF's airborne early warning and Control (AEW&C) System requirement, "Project Wedgetail". The four A310s are being provided by Airbus Industrie, the aircraft are likely to be second hand aircraft held ...
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SEP rockets into Snecma
Snecma has completed the takeover of rocket engine and advanced materials venture Société Européen de Propulsion (SEP), which now becomes a wholly owned group subsidiary. SEP, in turn, will take over Snecma's brakes subsidiary, Messier-Bugatti, to create what is claimed will be Europe's largest aviation and automobile braking company. ...
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Special Osprey
Bell Boeing has been awarded a $490 million contract to begin engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) of the CV-22 special-operations variant of the Osprey military tilt-rotor. The contract calls for the joint venture to design, integrate and install special-operations-unique systems, including terrain-following/terrain-avoidance radar, and additional fuel tanks, in the baseline ...
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Russia details 1997 launch programme
Funding permitting, Russia plans to launch 28 boosters in 1997, carrying a variety of satellites into orbit. These will include three manned Soyuz TM and four unmanned Progress M tankers to the Mir 1 space station. At least three commercial Proton launches are scheduled, starting with the flight ...
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Lockheed Martin chases Phalcon
LOCKHEED MARTIN is evaluating offering the Israeli Elta Phalcon phased-array radar on the airborne-early-warning (AEW) derivative of its C-130J Hercules 2 transport. The US company has applied for an export licence allowing it to discuss the AEWC-130J with Elta and hopes to begin talks within the next three to four ...
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PATS fuel tanks extend 767 range
JET AVIATION HAS completed modification of the first Boeing 767 to be fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks. The 15,000litre auxiliary fuel-system, produced by PATS, was installed in a corporate-configured 767-200ER completed at Jet Aviation's Basle, Switzerland, modification centre. The aircraft's owner has not been identified, but is believed ...
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Concurrent inks Lockheed Martin computer deal
CONCURRENT Computer has allied with Lockheed Martin to produce rugged versions of its PowerMAXION real-time computer for military applications. Lockheed Martin plans to use the PowerMAXION in systems for sensor fusion, situational awareness, route replanning and battle management. An early application will be the US Army's Rotorcraft Pilot's ...
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UK funds Tornado replacement study
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to launch the feasibility study for the replacement of its Panavia Tornado GR4s. The French defence ministry is also funding elements of the project in a clear indication that it has an embryonic requirement for a strike aircraft to complement the Dassault Rafale. ...
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Caught on camera
There may be more than a safety aspect to the use of external video-cameras on aircraft. David Learmount/LONDON The CIRCUMSTANCES of the" British Airtours disaster at Manchester in August 1985 led the UK Civil Aviation Authority to investigate the installation of external aircraft-surveillance video cameras. About a decade ...
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Two finalists selected in EELV competition
Competition for the $1.4 billion contract to build the US Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) fleet has been reduced to two companies, with Lockheed Martin and McDonnell Douglas each being awarded $60 million contracts on 20 December to produce final design proposals. The EELV programme will ...