Certification of the Sukhoi-80 regional twin-boom turboprop, first flown on 4 September, is set for 2003 to Russian AP-25 rules, followed the next year by US FAR Part 25 approval. The flight test programme could require 900 flights. Ground tests continue on a prototype at SibNIIA in Novosibirsk. As well as civil applications, the S-80 is being offered in armed border patrol version able to loiter for 6-9h at up to 350km (190 miles) from the base.
Source: Flight International
Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury admits that the airframer was not expecting to be negotiating an acquisition of key aircraft programmes from beleaguered US firm Spirit AeroSystems, but insists it is necessary and that Airbus is ready to absorb them.
Boeing has confirmed it will take over US-based aerostructures firm Spirit AeroSystems in an $8.3 billion agreement, including net debt, with Airbus poised to acquire its key programmes from the company. The all-stock transaction has an equity value of $4.7 billion, with each share of Spirit stock being exchanged for ...
Fokker Next Gen has ditched plans to modify a Fokker 100 to run on hydrogen power to focus entirely on developing a clean-sheet zero-emission airliner for service entry in 2035.
