Flight International articles from June 2005

Flight International archives from June 2005

Crashed An-12B was overloaded.
June 7, 2005... An inquiry into the crash of an Antonov An-12B cargo aircraft at Entebbe, Uganda has identified overloading and engine failure as the causes of the accident in which the six Russian crew died. It also cites a culture of poor maintenance and...

'Arabesk' alliance ready to launch.(Arab Air Carriers Organisation )(International Air Transport Association)
June 7, 2005... Middle Eastern carriers agree to codeshare and co-ordinate schedules in effort to gain competitive edge Six Middle Eastern carriers planning a multilateral alliance -- aimed at schedules co-ordination and codesharing -- have named their group...

777LR tests reach half-way point.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The second Boeing 777-200LR joined the flight-test programme last month as the effort edges towards its half-way point. The second -200LR, WD002, had its first flight on 24 May. Boeing flight-test captains Mike Bryan and Randy Austin were at...

2007 trial at Bremen will assess ILS replacement.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... German air navigation service provider DFS is setting up the first European operational trial of a satellite navigation system for precision runway approaches. Its accuracy and integrity is provided by a ground-based augmentation system (GBAS),...

UAVs will fill the skies, CAA warns industry.(Civil Aviation Authority )(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The UK Civil Aviation Authority warns that, as soon as unmanned air vehicles have a proven "sense and avoid" capability, their numbers in the skies will soar -- but many in the industry appear unaware of this likely development. The authority...

Galaxy is Airbus first in Japan.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Japanese start-up Galaxy Airlines has agreed to be the first Airbus freighter operator in Japan, with an initial fleet of one used and one new A300-600F. Logistics company Sagawa Express will launch Galaxy in June 2006 with a leased A300-600...

Go Air set ?to expand.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Indian start-up Go Air plans to place an order for 20 new narrowbodies plus 20 options by year-end to meet the second phase of its fleet plan. It has selected used Airbus A320s for the first phase, but project manager Jeh Wadia says he is...

Regional looks to jazz up fleet with CRJ trade-in for Q400 turboprops.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Air Canada Jazz wants to add 70-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops to its fleet "at some point", possibly by trading in some older, 50-seat regional jets it is getting from parent Air Canada. "We're taking 25 Air Canada [Bombardier]...

KAI bids for A350 work.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Airbus considers sourcing composite wing panel outside Europe to reduce costs Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is in talks with Airbus about supplying the A350's composite wing panel. Industry sources say Airbus is considering sourcing the...

SIA will launch fresh widebody competition.(Singapore Airlines)(request for proposals)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Singapore Airlines (SIA) is preparing to issue a new request for proposals (RFP) to Airbus and Boeing for mid-size widebodies in a competition that will pitch the A350 against the 787. The carrier will also consider additional Airbus A380...

Swiss rolls into Star.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Swiss International Air Lines has been accepted as a future member of the Star Alliance and expects to complete entry formalities over the next 12 months, writes Nicholas Ionides. Meanwhile, Star has opened talks with Shanghai Airlines on a...

TopDeck offered for CSeries.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Thales is in talks with Bombardier about supplying its integrated cockpit, dubbed TopDeck 2005, for the proposed CSeries airliner. The company is developing cockpit technologies for future large business jets and "small commercial jets", and...

Crew operating procedures.
June 7, 2005... Back in 2001, an ultra-long-range crew-alertness steering committee (CASC) was assembled. It was co-ordinated by the Flight Safety Foundation, with participation from the regulatory authorities, and was sponsored by Airbus and Boeing. Using...

Study dismisses ultra-long fears.
June 7, 2005... Crew alertness and performance no worse than on conventional extended flights, says group of industry experts Experts monitoring crew-fatigue risk and human factors safety on the world's first ultra-long-range airline flights say they have...

'Flaws in P&W's JT8D manual'.(Pratt & Whitney)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's (TSB) final report on a March 2003 in-flight engine failure involving a WestJet Boeing 737-200 cites flaws in Pratt & Whitney's maintenance manual for the JT8D. It says a compressor surge in the...

EC moves aviation closer to emissions trading.
June 7, 2005... The European Commission moved closer to endorsing aviation's inclusion in emissions trading after a key debate last week. During the EC's environment-focused Green Week, the Brussels-based executive was presented with views from stakeholders...

Industry confronts treaty 'no' vote.
June 7, 2005... European aerospace industry leaders have reacted cautiously to the prospect of the planned European Union constitutional treaty failing, despite the strengthened position defence had been given in the new document. The Aerospace and Defence...

CAE names UK centre for Falcon 7X and EASy.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... CAE has selected Burgess Hill in the UK as the location for its European training centre for the Dassault Falcon 7X, as well as the Falcon 900EX EASy and 2000EX EASy. Training will begin in the fourth quarter of next year. CAE is building two...

Grob chooses instrument display for Ranger.(Grob Aerospace)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Germany's Grob Aerospace has selected the Thales integrated electronic standby instrument (IESI) as standard equipment on its G160 Ranger single-engined business turboprop. The IESI, which displays attitude, airspeed and altitude data on a 3ATI...

MAS moves in on BBJ maintenance market.
June 7, 2005... Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) engineering division has expanded into corporate aircraft, offering overhauls and retrofits for the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). Last month, MAS completed work on its first corporate aircraft -- a BBJ operated by Las...

Rejection to have little effect.
June 7, 2005... France's emphatic rejection of the European Union constitution and subsequent government reshuffle is likely to have a limited impact on the ownership structure of the country's aerospace and defence industry, say analysts. It is possible the...

UK centre will showcase north-west's capabilities.
June 7, 2005... The UK's North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) hopes to have its Aerospace Innovation Centre (AIC) fully operational by October. NWAA chairman Dennis Mendoros says the blueprint for the AIC project could eventually be repeated elsewhere in the...

Ukraine leader pushes for Antonov merger.
June 7, 2005... Ukrainian president Victor Yushenko has given the country's government two weeks to approve plans to merge Antonov's design house and two production plants into a "nationally vertically integrated" organisation, following a meeting with...

IATA revises forecast for 2005 industry loss.
June 7, 2005... IATA has widened its 2005 loss forecast for the airline industry and is predicting red ink of $6 billion -- nearly 10% more than previously anticipated. Director general Giovanni Bisignani revealed the new loss forecast at the 61st IATA annual...

Inmarsat seeks $690m from offer.
June 7, 2005... Satellite communications company Inmarsat hopes to raise about $690 million in an initial public offering (IPO) of new shares later this month. The company is seeking a full listing on the main market of the London stock exchange. Following...

Embraer to offer EFB on Legacy.(electronic flight bag)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Embraer is preparing to offer an electronic flight bag (EFB) and enhanced vision system (EVS) for its Legacy business jet. The EFB is expected to be on offer "by the end of the year", says Embraer senior vice-president corporate aviation Luis...

Bombardier looks east for growth.
June 7, 2005... Bombardier is looking at several Russian satellite states for increased business aviation activity following the recent sale of the first Challenger 300 super mid-size aircraft to Ukraine. It will be operated by Bombardier's long-term...

Business helicopter hopes rise as range and noise issues diminish.
June 7, 2005... Helicopter manufacturers are in-creasingly confident that hurdles to rotorcraft being used in business aviation have been cleared in Europe, which could pave the way to increased sales within the region. Representatives from AgustaWestland,...

Javelin engine choice looms.
June 7, 2005... Aviation Technology Group and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) are close to selecting the 3,000lb-thrust (13.3kN) engines required for the Javelin Mk30 military trainer. The Mk10 very-light business jet and Mk20 military basic trainer will use...

Raytheon targets improved pod.
June 7, 2005... Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems is to enhance its ATFLIR targeting pod, only weeks before Australia is to announce the selection of a new-generation system to equip its Boeing F-18A/B Hornet fighters. A decision between the ATFLIR, Lockheed...

Bunker busters to be more potent.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... General Dynamics has launched production of a new class of more accurate and destructive 2,130kg (4,700lb) GBU-28C/B penetrator bombs for the US Air Force. The company has been awarded a $5.2 million contract to start building 71 new BLU-122...

Croatia to get Mi-17s.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The Croatian air force is to receive up to 15 new Mil Mi-8MTV/17 utility helicopters as part of a Russian debt repayment, according to a report in the Croatian newspaper, Vecernji. Forged last month during talks between presidents Stjepan Mesic...

UK MoD to stretch service life of upgraded Harrier GR9.(United Kingdom Ministry of Defence )(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The UK Ministry of Defence is considering a programme to further extend the life of its upgraded BAE Systems Harrier GR9/9A strike aircraft fleet to cover for the possible delayed introduction into service of its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint...

Australia reduces payments after late deliveries of Hawk.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has reduced the value of payments to BAE Systems by A$8.7 million ($6.6 million) for late deliveries on its Hawk 127 lead-in fighter trainer programme. Additional "payments in kind" of free...

Hornet decision deferred.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Australia is to defer a funding decision on an expansion to its Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet life-extension programme pending a review of the number of airframes required to keep the fleet operational beyond 2012. Additional airframe modifications...

Chinook deal to support crisis response.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Indonesia is considering acquiring used Boeing CH-47 Chinooks to meet a heavylift helicopter requirement formulated after last December's Asian tsunami. The Indonesian government has expressed an interest in acquiring about four Chinooks to...

Funding issues stall Indonesian air force plans.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Indonesia has agreed to acquire another five Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1 primary trainers, but budget constraints are threatening to block many of its other aircraft procurement plans, including the acquisition of more Sukhoi Su-30...

Israel opts for C-130 upgrade.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The Israeli air force has rejected offers to acquire Lockheed Martin's C-130J tactical transport or Alenia Aeronautica's smaller C-27J Spartan in favour of extending the service life of its current 23 C-130E/Hs by about two decades. Donated by...

JSF revamp gets DoD green light despite criticism of 'risk'.(Joint Strike Fighter)(Department of Defense)
June 7, 2005... A revamped Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development schedule that some US lawmakers criticise as highly risky has been approved by the US Department of Defense. Michael Wynne, undersecretary of defense for acquisition,...

Paris debut for M311 after first flight.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Aermacchi's M311 demonstrator -- a completely redesigned version of the Italian company's S211 basic turbofan trainer -- made its first flight on 1 June ahead of a public debut in the static display at the Paris air show. The 70min sortie...

MiG-29s to fly past 2020.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Slovakia will not replace its RSK MiG-29s with Western fighters until after 2020, says defence minister Juraj Liska. "The majority of our fighters do not have that many flight hours. I expect that we will not need new fighter jets in the...

Faults halt Canada's testing of Sperwer.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Flight testing of Canada's Sagem Sperwer unmanned air vehicles at Cold Lake, Alberta has been held up by three electrical failures that are being investigated by the French manufacturer and the Department of National Defence. Conducted in late...

Making history.
June 7, 2005... History has often been made at the Paris air show. And with the world's biggest airliner -- the Airbus A380 -- and the first fly-by-wire business jet -- the Dassault Falcon 7X -- due to make their air-show debuts, this year ranks among the...

A cut above.(comparative analysis of Boeing 787 and A350 aircrafts)
June 7, 2005... To the uninitiated, the A350 may seem like a knee-jerk reaction from Airbus to tackle the Boeing 787 with a warmed-over A330. The truth, however, is that the European manufacturer has been pushed by the market into spending ?4 billion ($5...

Not if...?but when.(aircraft industry forecast)
June 7, 2005... Attempting to forecast when Airbus and Boeing will launch new-generation successors to the A320 and 737 is a bit like trying to predict when the next big earthquake will rattle California. It is not a question of if, but when -- and all you...

assembly Preparing for the A400M.
June 7, 2005... Established in 1958 to maintain Spain's Lockheed T-33 Silver Star fighters, EADS Casa's San Pablo facility near Seville is being readied to host the final assembly of Europe's 180 Airbus Military A400M transports, and up to 200 more for the...

market USA offers niche potential.
June 7, 2005... EADS Casa has already tasted success in the USA, with its CN-235 being selected as part of the US Coast Guard's (USCG) $11 billion Deepwater fleet recapitalisation programme. The company has a contract to produce an initial three aircraft for...

Fuelling ambition.
June 7, 2005... When EADS was formed through the amalgamation of the French and German defence industries in 2000, the inclusion of a Spanish counterpart appeared a peripheral step to some observers. But by acquiring the interests of Spanish airlift specialist...

In from the cold.(North Atlantic Treaty to reunite the wartime alliance controversies)
June 7, 2005... Winston Churchill remarked at the end of the Second World War that it is much more complicated to keep a wartime alliance together to secure the peace. The USA and UK lost the USSR as an ally, but in signing the North Atlantic Treaty, 10...

Manufacturers briefed on compound helicopter.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Two former Sikorsky executives are leading a project with Indonesian engineers to develop a compound helicopter with a tractor propeller. Archie Loper, a former area director for Sikorsky Aircraft Asia, says a group of former Indonesian...

Rolls-Royce reveals new small turbine strategy.
June 7, 2005... Rolls-Royce is studying a new-generation, low-cost turbine engine for the light training helicopter market and could launch it this year. The engine plan is going through the company's internal approval process and, if sanctioned, could enter...

A380 service-entry delayed.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Airbus A380 launch operator Singapore Airlines (SIA) is warning that it could miss its 2006 entry-into-service target for the ultra-large airliner as a result of a major new delay to the delivery schedule. The manufacturer has warned early...

Ariane 5 ATV bay faces tough tests.(Automated Transfer Vehicle)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Tests will begin next month of a strengthened Ariane 5 upper stage vehicle equipment bay that will carry the European Space Agency's (ESA) first 19,600kg (43,000lb) automated transfer vehicle (ATV). The strengthened bay is needed because the...

Club reopens for business.(Club Airways )(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The assets of the insolvent members' airline Club Airways have been acquired by a private Swiss national, and services are set to resume this month under the brand of Club Airways International (The Club). The new owner has received a secured...

Thales beats CAE in race to supply 787 simulators.(Thales S.A.)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Thales has been selected to supply Boeing with training equipment for the 787, defeating CAE and at least two other simulator manufacturers. Deliveries to Boeing subsidiary Alteon Training will begin in 2007, ahead of the 787's entry into...

Management crisis deepens at EADS.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... EADS last week failed to meet its self-imposed deadline of 1 June to approve its new executive management line-up, including the anticipated appointment of German Gustav Humbert as chief executive of Airbus. The manufacturer refused to comment...

Bombardier forced to reassess CSeries.(Bombardier Inc. new product launch assessment )
June 7, 2005... Bombardier is revising the CSeries business case used by the company's board of directors in March to give authorisation to offer the potential new product line to airlines and risk-sharing partners. Core elements of the original business case...

New MMA wingtips combat icing.(Maritime Aircraft)
June 7, 2005... Boeing has changed the wingtip design of the 737-based P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) under development for the US Navy, following concerns about icing of the original 737-standard blended winglet at the MMA's lower, in-weather...

High-speed helicopter gathers pace.
June 7, 2005... Sikorsky is building a coaxial-rotor high-speed helicopter technology demonstrator that will cruise at 250kt (460km/h), compared with 150-170kt for conventional helicopters. The tandem-seat, single-engine X2 Technology demonstrator is being...

Sky-X UCAV demonstrator completes first flight.(unmanned combat air vehicle)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Alenia Aeronautica's Sky-X unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator has completed its debut flight. The vehicle took off from the Vidsel test range in northern Sweden, controlled by a company test pilot and systems operator...

Industry braces for WTO aid battle.
June 7, 2005... With both sides still claiming they want a negotiated settlement of the Airbus/Boeing subsidies spat, the USA and Europe last week launched rival World Trade Organisation dispute procedures that could take at least two years to reach a...

Grounded firefighters to fly again.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The US Forest Service (USFS) plans to reactivate nearly half of the large air tanker fleet that the agency parked last year due to airworthiness concerns, even as the search continues for a long-term replacement for the heavy firefighters,...

safetyCan a pilot be too educated?(Letter to the Editor)
June 7, 2005... Some recent incidents (a Bombardier CRJ200 double flame-out, the transatlantic British Airways three-engined Boeing 747 flight, China Eastern Airlines Airbus A340 tailscrape, for example), lead me to wonder if safety is really a top priority...

Don't dismiss Airbuses.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Boeing pilot Ali Rasheed (Flight International, 17-23 May) writes off Airbus for one incident. I flew the 100 series Boeing 707. I went back to it for my command conversion for a week, when continuous strong crosswinds and turbulence gave me...

EC sketches space policy as NASA draws roadmap.(European Commission)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The European Commission has outlined the first elements of a European space policy, which is expected to be devised and approved before the end of 2005. NASA, meanwhile, has published a series of strategic roadmaps for future space programmes....

Experimental RLV to be picked.(Reusable Launch Vehicle)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... An experimental re-entry vehicle concept to test critical reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technologies will be selected this month for the European Space Agency's Future Launcher Preparatory Programme (FLPP). Called the Intermediate Experimental...

Space-X fires up Falcon I.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Space Exploration Technologies (Space-X) performed a flight-readiness static firing of its Falcon I private-venture launch vehicle at Vandenberg AFB, California, on 27 May. The 5s firing of the first-stage engine was in preparation for a maiden...

Sub-launched UAV advances.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Lockheed Martin will complete preliminary design of its submarine-launched and -recovered multi-purpose unmanned air vehicle (MPUAV) under a two-year, $7.1 million US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract. DARPA's Cormorant...

Mono Tilt Rotor to ?be tested.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... An unpowered model of the Mono Tilt Rotor (MTR) heavylift rotorcraft is to be tested, and preliminary design of a scaled demonstrator completed, under the $5 million research contract awarded by the US Army to Baldwin Technology (Flight...

Electromagnetic weapon planned for AC-130.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... US company Communications and Power Industries (CPI) is developing a combined power source and millimetre electromagnetic wave generating device for a non-lethal weapon to be fitted to a US Special Operations Command Lockheed Martin AC-130...

Hoverpod prototype set for lift-off.(Entecho)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Australian company Entecho hopes to have a prototype of its Hoverpod hovering air vehicle by the end of this year. The Perth-based company is initially targeting the recreational market for the vehicle, but plans to develop an unmanned version...

Diploma for cabin crew.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Cathay Pacific Airways has teamed with the Open University of Hong Kong to offer a professional diploma in in-flight service, the first such qualification in Hong Kong offered jointly by an airline and a university. The course can be completed...

Eurocopter gives girls the tools.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Eurocopter held an open day at its Donauw"rth facility for girls aged between 15-17 as part of the national Girls' Day in Germany. The day was intended to get the girls to consider aerospace engineering and other technical disciplines as viable...

College collects top marks for excellence in aviation.(European Centre for Aerospace Training)(Macclesfield College)(European Centre for Aerospace Training)
June 7, 2005... Macclesfield College, in the north west of England, recently received confirmation that its European Centre for Aerospace Training (ECAT) has been named a fully fledged Centre for Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in the field of aerospace...

Driving a dream.(aircraft design)
June 7, 2005... Boeing's 787 programme is entering a critical period as it makes the transition from the joint definitions phase to detailed design, and seeks to consolidate its early lead over the aggressively competitive Airbus A350. The 787 is off to a good...

French revolution.(Dassault Aviation S.A. launches new aircraft)
June 7, 2005... Timing is everything when it comes to launching a new aircraft. Not only must the market conditions be right, but the manufacturer must be ready. Available technology, internal resources and the desire to replace or complement existing products...

Race for?the stars.
June 7, 2005... Eight months after Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOnecaptured the $10 million Ansari X-Prize, several of the competing teams are racing to be the first to offer commercial suborbital flights. But despite the fact that the first passenger flights are...

Virtual system produces digital dream.
June 7, 2005... design / Until a few years ago the design and manufacture of a new aircraft involved a monumental exercise in sharing the physical design information with the various partners. Then came early computer-aided design systems, including...

cockpit Flying the EASy way.(EASy flightdeck reduces workload for pilots)
June 7, 2005... "Pilot feedback on the EASy flightdeck installed in the Falcon 900EX and 2000EX has been extremely good," says Brigitte Bonneville, deputy director for sales engineering at Dassault. "So there was no debate about using it for the Falcon 7X."...

Triple powerplant.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Pratt & Whitney Canada was selected in October 2001 to power the new Falcon with its PW307A, a member of the PW300 series that includes the PW308C powering the Falcon 2000EX. For the 7X, the first three-engined application for P&WC and the...

Falcon 7X risk-sharing partners.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Wheels, brakes, braking system ABSC TCAS ACSS Flight simulator CAE Horizontal stabiliser EADS Casa External/interior lighting ECE Air data system, airbrake control system, electrical distribution and generation, flap control system,...

Between us and them.(trade tensions between Europe and the USA)
June 7, 2005... Two years ago, the Paris air show took place in the shadow of the disagreement between France and the USA over the Iraq war. This year, the show comes at a time when aerospace trade tensions between Europe and the USA are at their highest level...

Grand designs.(new generation unmanned aerial vehicle design proposals )
June 7, 2005... Three years after its launch, the European Commission-funded CAPECON civil unmanned air vehicle design project has unveiled proposals for a new generation of aircraft intended to significantly improve UAV reliability, facilitate air-traffic...

On their Machs.(supersonic transports development )
June 7, 2005... With none of the hyperbole that surrounded the endof civil supersonic travel with Concorde's retirement in 2003, industry is quietly and cautiously laying the groundwork for the next generation. Technology studies and demonstrator designs are...