Flight International articles from March 2002

Flight International archives from March 2002

derivatives; High-capacity 737-900 launch hinges on talks.(Boeing Co. wants more orders)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Boeing is aiming to launch its proposed higher capacity, longer range737-900 derivative by the end of this month, subject to the outcome of sales talks with prospective customers Preussag and Qantas. The 737-900X, which has a higher maximum...

Going behind the investigation.(study by National Transportation Safety Board)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that pushing the rudder of a public transport-category aircraft fully one way and then almost immediately fully the other way - rudder reversals - "can produce loads [on the vertical...

SAFETY David Learmount / London; NTSB revisits 1997 for clues about fatal New York crash; Miami incident also involved an overstressed American Airlines A300-600 tail-fin.(National Transportation Safety Board)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is studying a 1997 near-accident which, like the 12 November American Airlines crash near New York, may have overstressed an Airbus A300-600R tail fin. But in the earlier event - involving an...

CAPACITY; Air France plans to increase frequencies on Africa routes.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Air France is set to boost capacity to African destinations this summer to fill the gap left by the collapse of Sabena and Swissair. The increase in capacity to Africa is part of the airline's summer schedule, which will see overall capacity...

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL; Europe faces serious ATC staff shortages during next three years.(Air traffic controllers)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Europe is struggling with an overall air traffic control officer (ATCO) shortage of 12%, and some countries are staffed 25% below the proper level, according to Eurocontrol's head of human factors and manpower unit Alexander Skoniezki. "Air...

Fleet development MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / SINGAPORE; Emirates makes long-range move; Dubai-based carrier pits Airbus against Boeing in quest to acquire widebody that can reach US East Coast.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Emirates is to intensify its search for a long-range widebody by evaluating the Boeing 777-300ER alongside a proposed extended-range Airbus A340-600. In November, the carrier signed an eight-aircraft memorandum of understanding (MoU) with...

AIRSPACE ; USA to make key decisions.(Federal Aviation Administration considers airspace regulations)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The USFederal Aviation Administration is set to make two key airspace-modernisation decisions in the next few months, but faces challenges in rolling out its plan to increase air traffic capacity 30% by 2010. Selection of the datalink for...

SECURITY; Israeli F-16s intercept Lufthansa flight.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Israel air force Lockheed Martin F-16s intercepted a Lufthansa Airbus A340 near Israel's coast on 25 February after radio contact with the airliner was lost owing to the use of the wrong frequency aboard the aircraft. The A340, carrying 181...

co-operation ; R-R seeks new partner.(Rolls-Royce)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Rolls-Royce is searching for a new partner to offer Trent engine overhaul services in Europe after SR Technics pulled out of an earlier agreement to establish a joint venture in Switzerland. Meanwhile, Asian Trent overhaul specialist...

routes.(airline flight additions)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... n?Libyan Arab Airlines hasre-started Tripoli-Paris services after a 10-year hiatus, with a once-weekly Airbus A320 flight. n?German regional carrier Eurowings launched Lufthansa-codeshared services from Berlin Tempelhof to London City airport...

Maintenance ANDREW DOYLE / SINGAPORE; Companies line up to grab a piece of SR Technics pie ; Fate of the maintenance arm of bankrupt Swissair Group to be decided soon.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The future of bankrupt Swissair Group's maintenance arm SR Technics will be decided during the next few weeks after several potential buyers expressed an interest in acquiring all or part of the business. Lufthansa Technik and Singapore...

SAFETY; Delayed audit shows safety health of US airlines.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Almost 18 months after completing exhaustive safety audits of the major US carriers, the FederalAviation Administration reports that it is satisfied that standards are being upheld. "Carriers today have stronger safety programmes because of...

SELL-OFFS Paul Lewis / Washington DC & Rebecca Rayko / FLORIDA; US majors set to unload regionals; Moves to dispose of subsidiaries come in the wake of last year's strike at Comair and majors' losses.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Major US airlines have begun to spin off their profitable regional carriers, reversing a trend towards ownership. The move follows last year's damaging industrial action at Delta Air Lines' Comair subsidiary, and comes in the face of mounting...

start-up; Bid to revive Canada 3000 fails as markets refuse to stump up.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Former Canada 3000 chief executive Angus Kinnear has abandoned plans to revive the airline, blaming a lack of cash and investor interest. Kinnear was trying to raise C$75 million ($47 million) to start a smaller version of his old airline,...

SECURITY; Boeing and El Al abandon alliance plans.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Boeing and El Al have abandoned their plans for a joint venture on airport and airline security. In the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the USA, Boeing and El Al signed a memorandum of understanding as a first step towards...

results; Snecma breaks record.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... French aerospace group Snecma has posted record earnings of c358 million ($314 million) for last year, a 17.8% rise on 2000. But chairman and chief executive Jean-Paul B?chat says profits in 2002 could be down 10%. Meanwhile, group...

ALLIANCES MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / BANGKOK; Star to integrate booking as members move closer; Group is also looking to China, eastern Europe and India for potential members.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The Star Alliance, led by Lufthansa and United Airlines, will bring its 15 member airlines closer over the next year through integration of their computer reservation systems (CRS). The alliance is also eyeing new members to expand its...

BUYOUTCOLLAPSE PAUL PHELAN / CAIRNS; Ansett's $1.5bn white knight beats a last-minute retreat ; Tesna consortium backs out of planned purchase with just two days to spare.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Solomon Lew and Lindsay Fox, the Australian businessmen leading the Tesna consortium, walked away from their planned A$3 billion ($1.54 billion) buyout of Ansetton 27 March, just two days before the scheduled handover by its administrators. ...

take-over; Thales seeks approval for ADI defence acquisition.(Discussions with Australian goverment officials)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Thales has applied for Australian government approval to take over ADI, one of Australia's top five defence contractors. ADIis jointly owned by Thales Pacific and Australia-based Transfield Holdings. Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board...

EMPLOYMENT DAVID FIELD / WASHINGTON DC; Carriers start worker recall as US recovery begins to take hold.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Recovery has begun for major UScarriers as they begin to bring back staff furloughed after 11 September. In the months immediately after the attacks, the airlines cut capacity - and employee numbers - by around 20%. But by the end of February,...

RESULTS; Defence deals lift Ultra sales.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Ultra Electronics Holdings, the UK-basedaerospace and defence group, increased turnover by 5.6% to ?239.5 million ($341 million) and raised pre-tax profits by 5.6% to ?27.1 million in the year ending 31 December 2001 as new defence contracts...

AIRLINE MERGER HERMAN DE WULF / BRUSSELS; Virgin and SN Brussels fail to agree.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The planned merger between Brussels-based airlines Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines has collapsed, after the two carriers concluded that their operations were too different. SN was until recently DAT, the regional subsidiary of bankrupt...

ALLIANCES; Oneworld to expand.(seeks new members, plans to strengthen realtionship between existing members)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The American Airlines- and British Airways-led Oneworld alliance hopes to complete negotiations with several possible new members by early summer. After the failure of American and BA to secure antitrust approval for their transatlantic...

The third element.(Northrop Grumman offers to acquire TRW)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Northrop Grumman's acquisition of TRW, if successful, would inject some dynamism into an increasingly polarised US defence market With the aerospace industry's attention focused on winning the hearts and minds of wary customers at Asian...

BOMBER UPGRADE PAUL LEWIS / ORLANDO; B-2 to receive maintenance boost ; Automated material application will drastically cut number of man-hours needed to service low-observable bomber.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Northrop Grumman is hoping to cut substantially the number of maintenance man hours needed to support the B-2 Spirit bomber through the automated application of new low-observable (LO) material. The move is part of wider improvements being made...

FIGHTER DEVELOPMENT PAUL LEWIS / ORLANDO ; USAF outlines plans for Raptor developments.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... TEXT: The US Air Force has mapped out a follow-on development plan for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor, including an enhanced radar and weapons capability, as it seeks to accelerate production of the new aircraft to generate cost savings...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... ADVANCED HUNTER The US Army is considering the purchase of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Hunter unmanned air vehicle (UAV)systems following its decision to transfer its existing Hunter systems to light fighting force units. The army...

FIGHTer ACQUISITION PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC; Lockheed Martin fights for Polish and Austrian orders; F-16 sales run into difficulties as Warsaw revises requirement list and Vienna protests.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Lockheed Martin is revising its offer of F-16s to Poland to reflect a shift away from a mixed purchase of used and new fighters in favour of 48 new-build aircraft. At the same time there is growing industry concern that mounting criticism...

UNMANNED AIR VEHICLES PAUL LEWIS / ORLANDO ; Afghanistan conflict heralds new age for combat UAVs; Recent success spurs US Department of Defense to seek $1.1 billion to boost programmes for air force, army and navy.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... As the US military starts to digest the lessons from the Afghanistan conflict, it is clear that unmanned air vehicles have emerged as clear winners from the war on terrorism. This is reflected by the US Department of Defense's recently proposed...

Engine competition; Change of plan for A400M bid.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... A new engine venture created to develop a powerplant for the Airbus Military Company (AMC) A400M transport will propose a turboprop based around a true three-shaft core rather than a modified Snecma M88 fighter engine high-pressure section as...

MARITIME PATROL AIRCRAFT; Brazil mulls P-3 upgrade offers.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... The Brazilian air force has received the final responses to its request for proposals (RfP) for a Lockheed Martin P-3BR maritime patrol aircraft upgrade. EADS CASA, Galileo Avionica and Lockheed Martin tendered proposals for the $300...

avionics GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC; F-22 avionics testing increases pace; But with only one aircraft dedicated to clearing the flight envelope, testing has been slower than anticipated.(Raptor testing)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... After a slow start, Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor avionics flight testing is gathering pace. But the stealthy fighter is likely to enter US Air Force operational evaluation next year with significant limitations because of delays in...

PROPULSION GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES; Japanese consider pulse- detonation powered missiles.(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is leading Japanese aerospace industry efforts in developing pulse-detonation engines (PDEs) for several new applications, including small cruise missiles and unmanned target drones. MHI, which is thought...

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS ; Paradigm chosen for Skynet 5 in $2.8bn deal.(selected by United Kingdom Ministry of Defence)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Paradigm Secure Communications, the European consortium led by Astrium, a ?2 billion ($2.8 billion) contract to build and run the Skynet 5 communications satellite system for UK armed forces. ...

widebodies; Regionals are latest converts.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Embraer and Fairchild Dornier are ready to launch convertible passenger/freighter versions of their new large regional jets - providing they can find a customer. Both manufacturers have studied what would be the first regional-jet convertibles,...

GPS modernisation graham warwick / washington dc; Navigating the future.
March 5, 2002... US Department of Defense (DoD) officials were due to meet at the end of February to decide the future of global positioning system (GPS) modernisation. Development of GPS's next generation, Block III, was put on hold earlier this year - to...

decision; day.(Galileo space program needs funding)
March 5, 2002... Europe will have to give up its satellite navigation ambitions unless the continent's transport ministers commit funds to Galileo at their crucial meeting this month EMMA KELLY / LONDON The future of Europe's Galileo satellite...

system development VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW; Russia's Glonass set to be reborn.(navigation satellite system)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Russia's Glonass global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is to undergo something of a revival over the next few years. Following years of system capability gradually being eroded due to lack of funding, last year saw the Russian government...

widebodies; A300-600 to enter US fray.(Airbus receives contracts)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Two US leasing companies hope to introduce the Airbus A300-600 converted freighter in North America this year. Intrepid Aviation Partners has committed itself to 12 A300-600 conversions, making it the second customer after FedEx in EADS' new...

Loads of trouble.(wet-lease cargo industry, management strategies, goals, and prospects for recovery)(Industry Overview)
March 5, 2002... The wet-lease cargo sector has collapsed in the worst market conditions for a decade. What are the prospects for recovery? Brendan Sobie / Washington DC Although its recent financial struggles and corresponding business moves have been...

export; German Alfa kitplane is on course to achieve UK certification this year.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Germany's Alfa Service Team (AST) is to launch test flights of its HB 207 Alfa kitplane in the UK next month, with the objective of achieving UK approval by the middle of this year. In 1997, the kitplane won approval from the German...

AVIONICS; FAA adds to VDL-3 radio agreements.(Avidyne and Honeywell)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Low-cost avionics manufacturer Avidyne has signed a cost-sharing agreement with the USFederalAviation Administration to develop a VHF datalink Mode 3 (VDL-3) air-to-ground radio for general aviation. The FAA plans to make VDL-3 mandatory in US...

PROPULSION; Williams prepares Sabreliner testbed for EJ22.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Williams International is modifying a Rockwell Sabreliner to act as a flying testbed for the EJ22 small turbofan that will power the Eclipse 500 personal jet. The 700lb-thrust (3.1kN) engine will be mounted on a pylon above the fuselage,...

UPGRADE; Glass cockpit makes it easy.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Dassault flew the first aircraft featuring its four-screen all-glass EASy cockpit, a Falcon 900EX, late last month. The 2h test flight was conducted from Dassault's site in M?rignac, near Bordeaux, France. The flight was designed to get a...

VIPAIRCRAFT; Italian air force updates fleet.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The Italian defence ministry has received formal go-ahead from the prime minister to buy an Airbus A319 Corporate Jet (ACJ) and a Dassault Falcon 900EX. The aircraft will replace two Gulfstream IIIs operated by the Italian air force's 31st Wing...

DELIVERY; LZ delivers first multi-mission L410 to South Korea.(nine-seat aircraft)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Czech aircraft maker Leteck?Z?vody (LZ), formerly Let, has delivered the first multi-mission version of the nine-seat L-410 aircraft to the South Korean agriculture ministry. The L-410 is the first to be built since Let and Moravan Aeroplanes...

REGULATIONS JUSTIN WASTNAGE / BEACONSFIELD, UK; UK CAA eases regulations for sport flying licences; Stringent European regulations and fewer pilots force CAA to create new licence.(Civil Aviation Authority)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The UK Civil Aviation Authority has finalised details of a new sport pilot licence, expected to be available by the middle of the year. Technical specifications for the new National Private Pilot's Licence (NPPL) have been completed and will be...

PROPULSION GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES; Higher power PW207 nears launch ; Canadian manufacturer says talks are under way with launch customers on re-engining and new helicopter developments.(Pratt & Whitney Canada)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is close to launching a higher powered PW207 variant for large single-engined helicopters and heavier versions of current light twins. The move comes as PW200 turboshaft family sales grow. The unit powered 70% of...

DEFENCE; F-16 contracts sealed.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $12.7 billion contract to provide post-production engineering and technical support for the US Air Force and foreign military sales (FMS) fleets of F-16 fighters over the next 23 years under a programme...

BUSINESS & GA; Sovereign flies.(general aviation; Cessna tests its Citation Sovereign business jet)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Cessna began flight testing the Citation Sovereign mid-size business jet on 27 February with a 1h 10min flight from Wichita, Kansas. Powered by two 5,770lb-thrust (25.7kN) Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306C turbofans, the Sovereign is due for US...

BUSINESS GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC; Hostile takeover bid expected for TRW; Northrop Grumman could add cash to $6bn all-stock.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... offerNorthrop Grumman was expected to launch a hostile bid for TRW after the aerospace and automotive company did not respond to its unsolicited takeover offer by the 27 February deadline. The US aerospace giant could also improve its proposal...

AIR TRANSPORT MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / SINGAPORE; Boeing favours GE for latest 747-400 development.(Boeing will use General Electric engines on new plane)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Boeing plans to retain the General Electric CF6-80C2 for its latest 747-400 development after confirming its aim to launch in June. But Rolls-Royce is pushing for its new Trent 600 to be offered on the aircraft. Dubbed the 747-400X Quiet...

SPACEFLIGHT; Envisat goes into orbit.(Europe's environmental monitoring satellite)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The European Space Agency's (ESA's) Envisat environmental monitoring satellite was launched on 28 February by the Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana. The 8.2t satellite is the largest and heaviest European spacecraft so far, and carries 10...

Briefing.(various news items)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... American warns of 'sizeable loss' results American Airlines warns in a filing with the USSecurities and Exchange Commission that it expects a "sizeable loss" in the first quarter and "is likely to incur a loss for 2002". The US carrier...

Business; MBDA set to absorb LFK.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... MBDA will integrate EADS' LFK missile unit this year, dropping plans to merge Germany's two missile companies into a single business until after the initial process is completed. Long-running plans to combine Germany's two missile houses,...

Air Transport; PW6000 delay grows.(Airbus A318 will not enter service until mid-2005)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The Pratt & Whitney PW6000-powered Airbus A318 will not enter airline service until mid-2005 - two-and-a-half years later than scheduled. The delay is due to problems with the PW6000's high-pressure compressor (HPC), coupled with requests for...

DEFENCE ALAN GEORGE / LONDON; BAE/Boeing probe string of Saudi air force crashes; Investigators have visited Saudi Arabia to consider possible solution to high losses.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... A long line of crashes of Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) BAE Systems Hawks, Boeing F-15 Eagles and Panavia Tornados during training is causing mounting concern in Riyadh, London and Washington DC, and has prompted the despatch of investigation...

DEFENCE; UK plans to retire Sea Harrier FA2s.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The UK Royal Navy is to retire its BAE Systems Sea Harrier FA2s as part of a plan to operate a common aircraft across the RN and Royal Air Force squadrons that form Joint Force Harrier (JFH). As part of the change RAF BAE/Boeing Harrier...

Defence ANDREW DOYLE & STEWART PENNEY / SINGAPORE; Singapore to swap trainers; Embraer, KAI and Pilatus respond to Singapore air force request for information.(Embraer, Korea Aerospace Industries and Pilatus hope to win contrat to supply trainer aircraft)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has launched a competition to replace the aircraft operated at its basic flying training school at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Pearce in Australia. Airspace restrictions mean RSAF...

Regional Aircraft; ATR plans 'back to basics' approach to future aircraft; Manufacturer sees emerging technologies enabling a step-up in operating economics.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... ATR is eyeing opportunities towards the end of the decade to challenge in-development regional aircraft programmes. The Franco-Italian turboprop manufacturer believes technologies emerging in the next few years will allow an aircraft to be...

Used aircraft sales; BAT prepares for TWA 717s.(Boeing Aircraft Trading)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Boeing Aircraft Trading (BAT) will start to remarket the first of 24 ex-American Airlines Boeing 717s next month. The used aircraft sales and leasing arm has been tasked by sister company Boeing Capital to remarket the 24 717s American...

Industrial co-operation; EADS moves to up regional profile ; European manufacturer courts ST Aero in bid to boost revenues and decrease dependence on Airbus airline business.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... EADS is discussing a wide-ranging tie-up with Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) in airborne systems and defence electronics. The move is part of efforts by the pan-European aerospace conglomerate's Defence and Civil Systems unit...

Engine procurement; Engine Alliance wins Emirates deal ; Joint venture pulls ahead of rival Rolls-Royce in firm orders and commitments to power Airbus A380.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Engine Alliance has stormed into the lead in the battle to supply engines for the Airbus A380 following confirmation of the deal between the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney joint venture and Emirates, first revealed by Flight International...

Business jet order; Gulfstream wins first Chinese deal.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... TEXT: Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines is acquiring three Gulfstream 200s (formerly the Galaxy) in a $60-million deal. Deliveries will be in the third and fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2003, says Gulfstream vice president...

Development ; India orders production start for Light Combat Aircraft.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The Indian government has authorised Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to start limited series production of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and has ordered eight aircraft for delivery from 2006. The second General Electric...

naval helicopters; Singapore invites bids for utility role; Additional helicopters may be used in search and rescue.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Singapore has asked the three remaining bidders in its naval helicopter competition to respond to a supplementary invitation to tender (ITT) for an additional two to six helicopters for the utility role. According to industry sources,...

Unmanned systems; Silver Arrow's Hermes 180 set to make first flight.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Israel's Silver Arrow plans to fly its latest unmanned air vehicle (UAV), the Hermes 180, in May. The aircraft is designed for heavy-duty use in the field, says Silver Arrow senior director UAV operations Hemi Kurlander. The 6m- (1.8ft)...

Satellite imaging; ImageSat works to achieve higher resolution.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... ImageSat International is developing a technique that will allow it to offer satellite imagery at 0.6-0.7m resolution. The development comes as the company, owned by Israel Aircraft Industries, El-Op and Core Software Technology, continues to...

show report ; Andrew Doyle, Nick Ionides, Max Kingsley-Jones, Murdo Morrison, Stewart Penney report; Pictures: Michael Goh, David Hodges, Mark Snell.
March 5, 2002... Asian Aerospace 2002, in Singapore from 26 February-3 March, revealed an industry beginning to turn its back on recession. Although no major airframe orders were announced, aircraft deals were unveiled and the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney...

Military helicopters; South Korea to name KMH leader; Country needs up to 400 multi-purpose helicopters to perform utility and attack roles with the armed forces.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... The South Korean government is to decide by the end of this month whether state-controlled research agency ADD or Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will lead development of the proposed Korean multi-purpose helicopter (KMH). The country...

light-attack aircraft; KAI arms trainer for new role.(Korea Aerospace Industries )(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled an upgraded, armedversion of the KT-1 basic trainer for use in forward air-control and counter-insurgency roles. The KO-1 is being developed jointly by KAI and government research and technology...

AVIONICS; F-16 cockpit upgrade seeks initial buyer after first flight.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Singapore Technologies Aerospace's (ST Aero) Lockheed Martin F-16C/D cockpit avionics upgrade technology demonstrator was flown for the first time on 15 February as part of a project sponsored by the Singapore ministry of defence. The...

Airliner development; Windtunnel tests boost Sonic Cruiser concept.(Boeing tests Sonic Cruiser concept)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Boeing says successful high- and low-speed windtunnel tests have proved the Sonic Cruiser concept. Dan Mooney, Boeing vice-president product development, says for competitive reasons the company had been reluctant to provide too much...

Military training ; Super Tucano ready to take on global markets; Embraer unveils upgrades to light-attack/trainer aircraft.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Embraer used Asian Aerospace to launch its Super Tucano basic trainer/light-attack aircraft in international markets. The aircraft, a Tucano upgrade, has a more powerful 1,600shp (1,200kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68/3, a new cockpit...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... SALE A320 Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise has placed a follow-on order with Airbus for one A320 for delivery in 2004. The deal lifts the Singapore-based leasing company's Airbus orders to 51, of which 21 have been delivered. ...

boosters TIM FURNISS / LONDON; Atlas IIIB launch paves way for maiden flight of Atlas V EELV; Mission demonstrates several new technologies developed for later version of booster.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Lockheed Martin's Atlas IIIB booster made its first flight on 21 February, from Pad 36B at Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying the 4,000kg Lockheed Martin-built Echostar VII communications satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The...

mars EXPLORATION; Missions face budget cuts.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NASA's head of Mars exploration has warned that future Mars sample return missions will be hard hit by the agency's budget squeeze. The twin Mars Rover mission due for launch next year is already under threat, with the possibility that one...

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION; Russia 'could take over programme leadership'.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Russia is making a bid for leadership of the International Space Station (ISS) programme in the face of NASA budget cuts and programme management criticism. Yuri Koptev, director of Russian aerospace agency Rosaviakosmos, says his country...

COMMUNICATIONS; 3G wideband faces test.(Roke Manor Research and Eurocontrol conduct flight trials)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Eurocontrol and Roke Manor Research have conducted flight trials of third-generation (3G) wideband communications in an effort to demonstrate the technology for air traffic management, airline operational and passenger applications. The...

PULSEDETONATION; USAF plans self-starting system for hybrid engine.(United States Air Force)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... A US Air Force Research Laboratory team hopes to develop a self-starting system for a hybrid piston-pulsed detonation engine (PDE), after demonstrating that both significant thrust and shaft power can be extracted from a test engine at the same...

PROPULSION GUY NORRIS / west palm beach; 'Flight-weight' scramjet is given green light for tests; Kerosene-fuelled engine now due for static tests under simulated hypersonic conditions.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... A "flight-weight" supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) has passed inspection by Pratt & Whitney, and will be transported to a supersonic/hypersonic blowdown test complex operated by GASL in Ronkonkoma, New York, for thermal and structural...

Straight & Level roger.bacon@flightinternational.com.(various items)(Brief Article)(Column)
March 5, 2002... Final countdown? Lookout: "Bridge, bogies visual, bearing red 034!" Bridge: "Roger. Can you identify them?" Lookout: "er?not sure sir." Bridge: "Not sure!" Lookout: "Well it doesn't seem possible but I'd say one is a,...

Unmanned systems; ST Dynamics flies first mini air vehicle.(Singapore Technologies Dynamics; Embraer expects 'tough year')(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... Singapore Technologies Dynamics has developed two small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The Mini Tailsitter flew for the first time last month and the PhantomEye is due to fly in the next few months. The Mini Tailsitter is powered by a ducted...

Chinese aircraft; MA60 makes debut.(regional turboprop)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Xian Aircraft's Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127-powered MA60 regional turboprop made its international debut at the show, as the manufacturer seeks more orders in the region. Xian says that talks are under way with Lao Aviation regarding a...