Programmes – Page 8
-
News
Comac confirms ‘C929’ moniker as widebody enters ‘detailed design’ stage
Comac’s in-development C929 widebody programme appears to be progressing, despite the Chinese airframer having quietly dropped its Russian joint-venture partner.
-
News
Stretched Ilyushin Il-96-400M carries out maiden flight
Russia’s United Aircraft has carried out the maiden flight of its Ilyushin Il-96-400M, a stretched and modernised version of the four-engined airliner. The Il-96-400M – rolled out in the aerospace firm’s corporate livery earlier this year – took off from Voronezh on 1 November for a 26min sortie. United Aircraft ...
-
News
Comac delivers first ARJ21 converted freighters
Comac has delivered its first pair of ARJ21 converted freighters, as the airframer hails the “solid step forward” for China’s aerospace sector.
-
News
Russian developer starts shipping domestically-built avionics for MC-21
Russian state technology corporation Rostec has shipped the first domestically-built avionics equipment for the Yakovlev MC-21. The equipment – system control panels and lighting for the cockpit – has been developed by radio-electronic specialist KRET’s Ulyanovsk instrumentation design bureau. Russia’s government has been pursuing a programme of import substitution, to ...
-
News
Airbus details range expectations from latest A350-1000 weight increase
Airbus expects the range of its A350-1000 to increase by around 180nm following a hike in the twinjet’s maximum take-off weight. The airframer is raising the take-off weight to 322t – an increase of 3t – and says this will stretch the aircraft’s range to some 8,900nm at maximum passenger ...
-
News
Air Inuit’s 737-800 freighters to be converted by Aeronautical Engineers
Canadian operator Air Inuit has selected US-based Aeronautical Engineers to convert three Boeing 737-800s into freighter configuration. The carrier had disclosed earlier this year that it planned to take three 737-800s to replace older 737-200s. Two of the three aircraft will be converted into a combi configuration. Aeronautical Engineers has ...
-
News
EASA indicates A350-1000 take-off weight hiked to 322t
Airbus has hiked the maximum take-off weight for the A350-1000 by 3t, to a total of 322t, regulatory documents indicate. The airframer’s documentation for the twinjet lists the MTOW of the -1000’s highest weight variant as 319t. But the Europe Union Aviation Safety Agency revised its type certificate data on ...
-
News
SJ-100 pylon for PD-8 engine undergoes windtunnel testing
Russian aerospace researchers are conducting windtunnel testing of the engine pylon for the Yakovlev SJ-100 version to be powered by domestically-built engines. The new model will feature Aviadvigatel PD-8 powerplants instead of the PowerJet SaM146 used previously. Yakovlev carried out a maiden flight of the SJ-100 in August but the ...
-
News
Boeing to inject cash into Spirit AeroSystems under new deal to lift deliveries
Boeing has reached an agreement with struggling aerostructures firm Spirit AeroSystems under which it will provide a funding boost to stabilise and support future 737 Max and 787s production rate rises.
-
News
Airbus rejigs management after restoring dedicated commercial aircraft leadership
Airbus is rejigging its management teams following its decision to restore the role of a dedicated commercial aircraft chief and appoint Christian Scherer to the post. Scherer will oversee an initial team of eight including Sabine Klauke as head of engineering, Philippe Mhun as head of programmes and services, and ...
-
News
A321XLR test flight simulates in-service operations
Airbus has completed a test-flight of its A321XLR with a complement of 200 people on board, simulating real-life in-service conditions. The flight, lasting 6h 12min, took place on 5 October, starting and ending in Toulouse. Airbus says 167 employees of the airframer, as well as 33 other occupants – specialists, ...
-
News
EASA cancels stricter fatigue regime for EFW A321 freighters after calculation error
Europe’s safety regulator has cancelled a directive tightening time limits to check Airbus A321 converted freighters for potential fatigue cracks in the centre wing-box area. The 12 September directive had emerged after stress and load calculations for A321 freighters were performed by conversion specialist EFW. These calculations had been prompted ...
-
News
China Eastern signs for 100 more C919s with deliveries running beyond 2030
China Eastern Airlines is to purchase another 100 Comac C919 twinjets, with deliveries of the aircraft set to commence next year. Five aircraft will be handed over in 2024, with another 10 in each year from 2025-27, rising to 15 over 2028-30, with the final 20 arriving in 2031. The ...
-
News
Airbus splits corporate and commercial aircraft leadership as Scherer takes key post
Airbus is splitting the roles of chief executive and head of commercial aircraft, appointing Christian Scherer – currently chief commercial officer – to the latter role. Scherer will take on a position which has been held by chief executive Guillaume Faury for the past five years. But Faury says that, ...
-
News
IAI to establish 777-300ER freighter conversion line in Arizona
Israel Aerospace Industries is set to establish a US-based Boeing 777-300ER freighter conversion line in Arizona from next year. The company has reached a 15-year agreement under which Ascent Aviation Services will carry out the modification work on the twinjet type at its facilities in Marana. Two lines of 777-300ER ...
-
News
Supply chain troubles push Britten-Norman into the red
B-N Group, the parent company of UK aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman, has blamed “extremely challenging” market conditions for a £3.6 million ($4.45 million) loss revealed in its latest accounts.
-
News
Deutsche Aircraft picks France’s Satys for D328eco interior fittings
Deutsche Aircraft has reached an exclusive agreement with France’s Satys Cabin for the design and production of interior fittings on its D328eco turboprop. The D328eco is a 40-seat regional aircraft, a modernised and enhanced version of the Dornier 328. Its manufacturer is intending to achieve first flight in mid-2025. Satys ...
-
News
A321XLR departs on 10-day flight-test maturity campaign
Airbus has embarked on a 10-day flight-test campaign using a single A321XLR prototype as part of the variant’s development programme. The aircraft being used is MSN11080 (F-WWAB), powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines, which first flew in October last year. It took off from Toulouse at around 09:35 on 13 ...
-
News
Il-114-300 engine cleared for operation at higher altitudes
Russia’s federal air transport regulator has approved an extended operating regime for the Klimov TV7-117ST-01 engine which powers the revamped Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprop. The approval, says Rosaviatsia, allows the engine to operate at altitudes up to 7,600m (25,000ft). Flight tests are planned for this year, it states, and a pre-production ...
-
News
EASA tightens timeframe for A321 centre wing-box checks on EFW freighters
Operators of certain Airbus A321 converted freighters are being instructed to implement a tighter inspection regime for potential fatigue cracks in the centre wing-box rear lower spar area. It follows new stress calculations for the centre wing-box and other structures during the certification programme of the new long-range A321XLR. The ...