Flight International articles from March 2004

Flight International archives from March 2004

ACSS unveils enhanced safety system package; Avionics specialist also releases revamped datalink and communications product.
March 2, 2004... ACSS, the Phoenix, Arizona-based avionics specialist and developer of the combined terrain and traffic collision avoidance system (T2CAS), is expanding the concept further by developing a wider platform of combined safety systems dubbed the...

surveillance; Airservices in search of radar site.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Airservices Australia is examining suitable sites for deployment of a transportable radar to extend surveillance. The radar is one of a number of solutions to address shortcomings identified with the National Airspace System (NAS) in a review...

Delivery; Austrian takes first A319.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The first of seven Airbus A319s has joined Austrian Airlines' single-aisle fleet of eight A320s and six A321s. The CFM International CFM56-5B6/P-powered A319s are equipped with a two-class, 126-seat interior and will operate on Austrian's...

internet Craig Hoyle / london; Boeing predicts strong demand for satellite broadband system.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Market demand for the capabilities offered by Connexion by Boeing is so strong that the system could be aboard 4,000 aircraft within the next decade, says Stan Deal, the company's vice-president for global network sales. Six airlines have...

EC renews bid to reform slots rules ; With lessons learned from previous attempt to liberalise trading, Brussels is gearing up for second effort.(Justin Wastnage / Brussels)
March 2, 2004... The European Commission is likely to relaunch its attempt to deregulate the airport take-off and landing slot market, as the harmonisation of existing rules is finally approved. European Union member states had delayed the adoption of a...

fleet planning Max Kingsley-Jones / London; Finnair closes on short-haul revamp; Finnish carrier near to finalising strategy for replacement of ATR 72s and Boeing MD-80s with single regional type.(Finnair Oy)
March 2, 2004... Finnair hopes to finalise a plan in the coming months to replace the ATR 72s and Boeing MD-80s operating on its short-haul network with a single regional type. The airline has been holding a long-running aircraft evaluation with the...

safety; Fumes drill for turbine aircraft crew.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The UK Civil Aviation Authority says pilots and cabin crew of jet aircraft should have specific safety drills if they suspect contamination of the cockpit or cabin air with fumes, writes David Learmount. Although the serious incident that...

insurance Justin Wastnage / London; Carriers likely to face damaging lawsuits if proposed third-party liability rules are adopted.
March 2, 2004... Airlines could be faced with massive private lawsuits from relatives of people killed as a result of aircraft crashes if new International Civil Aviation Organisation rules on third-party damage liability are adopted, warn aviation lawyers. ...

expansion; Investors breathe new life into Spirit.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... US carrier Spirit Airlines is poised to renew its fleet of 33 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and Boeing MD-80s. A group of investors led by Los Angeles-based Oaktree Capital Management has provided the Florida-based airline with $125 million,...

communications Guy Norris / Los Angeles; Steerable Connexion antenna ready for service.
March 2, 2004... Lufthansa Technik is installing the first "black label" mechanically-steered Connexion by Boeing broadband satellite-communication antenna on a Lufthansa-operated Airbus A340 following completion of the bulk of flight tests on Boeing's...

Europe shows USA the way in RNAV operations; Carriers urge FAA to make development of arrival and departure procedures a priority.(air traffic management, Graham Warwick, washington DC; )
March 2, 2004... US airlines have cautioned the Federal Aviation Administration not to overlook the benefits of basic area-navigation (RNAV) in its new push for a performance-based airspace system. Carriers are concerned the basic RNAV capability of most US...

in brief.(contracts)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... belgian start-up A new Belgian charter airline, Belgiumexel, is being formed by the Exel Aviation Group of the Netherlands, to fill the void left by the demise of Sobelair. It will take over Sobelair's long-term contract with tour operator...

certification ; Embraer 170 cleared for delivery to LOT following EASA approval.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Embraer 170 launch operator LOTPolish Airlines is poised to receive the first of 10 aircraft it has on order, following last week's type certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Embraer says that this was the first type...

layoffs ; Aero Vodochody cuts workforce as military contracts dry up.(Aero Vodochody Ltd)(Aerospace Electronics Systems)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody is laying off a quarter of its workforce due to a lack of contracts, especially for military aircraft. The move, which take effect in May, will see its employee level cut from 2,000 to 1,600. ...

investment Graham Warwick / Washington DC; US industry calls for R&D funding; Association's second five-year plan says investment in aeronautics at FAA and NASA is "insufficient and unfocused".
March 2, 2004... Facing cuts in budgets for civil aviation research and development at both the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA, US industry has launched a campaign to increase funding for aerospace R&D by almost $38 billion over the next five years....

expansion; EJM enjoys 2003 growth.(Executive Jet Management Inc)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Executive Jet Management (EJM), the aircraft management arm of fractional-ownership operator NetJets, saw charter revenues grow 36% last year, compared with 14% in 2002, and is projecting 24% growth this year. The company says its revenue...

in brief.(National Air Transportation Association )(National Business Aviation Association )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... NATA SURVEY The US National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has issued a survey to operators offering air tour and sightseeing flights under US Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135 and Part 91. These operations are the subject of an...

Consolidation Alexander Campbell / London; Europe's missile makers step back from merger.(MBDA)(LFK Lenkflugkorper GmbH)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Further consolidation in the European missile industry now seems less likely, with leader MBDA playing down forecasts of a merger with LFKby June. BGT, leader of the international consortium building the IRIS-T air-to-air missile (AAM),...

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE; FAA issues PC-12 flying advice after anomaly.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued advice to US Pilatus PC-12 operators following a Swiss civil aviation authority emergency airworthiness directive on how to handle an approach anomaly reported by some pilots flying the...

Airports escape anti-terrorist rules: European Parliament exempts smaller bases and jet aircraft from regulations hastily drawn up after 11 September.
March 2, 2004... Smaller European business aviation airports have avoided being subjected to new anti-terrorism security measures due to be enforced from next year. The European Parliament added a change to the European Union civil aviation security...

Comanche down.
March 2, 2004... The USA has decided that Boeing/Sikorsky's RAH-66 should be sacrificed to cure the rest of army aviation's woes. And it is right The sudden death of the RAH-66 Comanche last week came after the US Army made a sensible determination. The...

airborne communications; France funds airborne relay study.(DGAprocurement agency)(airborne communications )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... France's DGAprocurement agency is funding development of an airborne communications node suitable for integration with manned aircraft, unmanned air vehicles and airships for radio relay and broadcast applications. Now around six months into...

studies BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE; Boeing looks to 7E7 for next-generation tanker; Version of new airliner among future concepts from company and Lockheed Martin.
March 2, 2004... Boeing and Lockheed Martin are studying several concepts for a next-generation in-flight refuelling aircraft, including a potential tanker variant of the former's 7E7 airliner. Senior vice-president and general manager of Boeing air force...

Avionics; BAE Systems to perform Mi-24 updates.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Poland's ministry of national defence has selected BAESystems of the UKto act as avionics systems integrator for the prototype phase of a project to bring around 16 of its Mil Mi-24 assault helicopters up to NATOstandards. Announced on 26...

UAVs; USAF aims to accelerate Predator B.(United States Air Force)(General Atomics)(MQ-9)(unmanned air vehicle)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The US Air Force wants to speed up the General Atomics MQ-9 Predator B programme to meet its demand for an armed unmanned air vehicle capable of holding targets at risk for extended periods. The move could lead to the service fielding the...

development; USAF unveils combat SAR strategy.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The USAir Force is to unveil a low-risk development strategy for its planned new medium-lift helicopter, to enable it to field a replacement combat search-and- rescue (CSAR) capability as early as possible. To be announced on 4 March, the...

electronic warfare PETER LA FRANCHI / ADELAIDE; Updated jamming suite set for RAN's Learjet 35; "Smarter Crow" to replace interim system this year in support of fleet training.
March 2, 2004... Raytheon Australia is fitting out a Learjet 35 business jet with an advanced stand-off electronic-warfare jamming suite that will enter operational service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) later this year. The system will be used to support...

airborne early warning GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES; Wedgetail platform nears flight testing; Aircraft now virtually complete externally, with ground vibration trials scheduled to start later this month.
March 2, 2004... Boeing is on track to begin flight tests of the first 737-based Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Australia in May, following the completion of ground vibration tests which will start later this month. ...

helicopters Brendan Sobie / Singapore; Changhe gets ready for first test flight of civil Z-8 ; Military transporter re-engined for new role as Chinese look to change rotor system.
March 2, 2004... China's Changhe Aircraft Industries is poised to begin test flying the new Z-8F heavy civil transport helicopter and is courting potential Western partners to help upgrade the aircraft's rotor blade. The China Aviation Industry Corporation...

LAW ENFORCEMENT Graham Warwick / Washington DC; EADS-PZL aims Wilga 2000 at US police forces.(EADS EFW)(Albuquerque Utilities Corp)
March 2, 2004... EADS-PZL is targeting the US law-enforcement market with the PZL-104M Wilga 2000 short take-off and landing light aircraft. North American distributor South Aircraft plans to take delivery this month of a demonstrator equipped with the POP200...

approval; Liberty Aerospace XL2 piston single receives certification.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Liberty Aerospace has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification for its two-seat XL2 piston single, following four years of development. First deliveries of the XL2, which has its roots in the Europa line of kit-built aircraft,...

HARMONISATION; FAA set to align US and European noise rules.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... US noise limits for single-engined propeller-driven aircraft will be harmonised with those in Europe under a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The NPRM reduces the noise limit for...

Briefing.(Vought Aircraft Industries)(BAESystems)
March 2, 2004... Eurocontrol extends CPDLC incentive subsidy Eurocontrol is extending its "pioneer" programme of subsidising the first airlines that agree to fit VHF datalink-2 (VDL-2) controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC). The agency has met...

Defence Stephen Trimble / Washington DC; Helicopter jammer need sparks bidding feud despite unity plea.
March 2, 2004... An acrimonious bidding war has erupted between BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman over the US Army's urgent call for active self-protection systems on helicopters. Senior army leaders have encouraged the two competitors to work together to...

Cover Story Stephen Trimble / Washington DC; US Army calls time on Comanche ; Cancellation of the helicopter programme will help finance a $14.6 billion overhaul of the service's aviation arm.
March 2, 2004... No effective opposition has emerged to block a US Army proposal last week to bankroll a $14.6 billion overhaul of its aviation branch by cancelling the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche helicopter. Congress is expected to vote within two weeks to...

FedEx invites 737 conversion bids: Specialists vie for work to convert up to 50 aircraft.(Air Transport Brendan Sobie / Singapore; )
March 2, 2004... Boeing 737-300/400 cargo conversion suppliers are responding to a request for proposals (RFP) from FedEx Express for 25 aircraft plus 25 options. FedEx has asked Taiwan's Inter-Continental Aviation Services (ICAS), Israel Aircraft...

air transport nicholas ionides / singapore; SIA opens contest for new aircraft.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Singapore Airlines (SIA) has issued a long-awaited request for proposals (RFP) to Airbus and Boeing covering new aircraft for modernisation and growth purposes. The competition will be a particularly heated one, as Boeing will be fighting to...

USCG to tackle HH-65 snags.(United States Coast Guard )
March 2, 2004... The US Coast Guard is moving to upgrade airframe-mounted components that Honeywell blames for more than half the partial power-loss mishaps afflicting Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphins. Citing an "alarming increase" in mishaps, the USCG has launched an...

Defence Stephen Trimble / Washington DC; Weight continues to dog JSF as design review is put back; Lockheed Martin plans interim meeting to assess data on F-35A CTOL version.
March 2, 2004... The critical design review (CDR) for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been postponed by several months into 2005 as the programme organisers continue to wrestle with excess weight. A final development schedule that will...

Stars of 2004.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Two of the industry's most successful executives - one famous for selling airliners; the other for operating them - were the recipients of the two prestigious individual categories at the Flight International Aerospace Industry Awards, held...

Straight & Level roger.bacon@flightinternational.com.(aviation titbits)
March 2, 2004... Imperial confusion? As part of the transatlantic co-operation on the Joint Strike Fighter, training has apparently begun in the UK "for imperial measurements". "Now, as you Brits should know," says Locksneeze Marsbar's Max Tension, "the...

EADS focuses on Asia-Pacific.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... EADS is aiming to source 30% of its turnover from the Asia-Pacific region in about a decade. Asia-Pacific business accounted for 7% of EADS's sales in 2002. The company says it foresees 20% of its sales to come from the region within the next...

Development; A400M deadline looms ; Manufacturer urges decisions from countries looking for industry participation in project.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Airbus Military says time is running out for countries to sign for the A400M military transport if they want their industries to share in the programme. Head of marketing David Jennings said at Asian Aerospace that Airbus Military is in...

Order; Low-cost Air Deccan to take seven A320s.(from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Indian low-fare carrier Air Deccan agreed at Asian Aerospace to order two Airbus A320s from the manufacturer and lease five others from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) under its plan to serve key domestic trunk routes. The deal was...

Technical training; Alteon eyes expansion.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Boeing subsidiary Alteon is to boost its presence in the Asia-Pacific by expanding its technical training partnership with Singapore-based Mil-Com Aerospace to cover other markets. Alteon and Mil-Com say at least five aircraft...

manufacturing; Avcraft Aviation prepares to select wing supplier for Dornier 328JET.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Avcraft Aviation will by the end of March choose one of five wing suppliers for its resurrected Dornier 328JET - or decide to build the wing itself - as it gears up to deliver its first "new" aircraft by the middle of next year (Flight...

cargo Conversions; Boeing hopes to add Asian 747-400 MROs.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Boeing expects to appoint additional Asian maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) organisations over the next year, possibly including two in Singapore, as conversion centres for its recently launched 747-400 Special Freighter. Boeing...

Propulsion; Companies set to submit final 7E7 engine bids.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce are preparing to submit their final technical proposals to power to the 7E7 twinjet this month, ahead of the expected selection of two winning candidates as early as April. "The schedule...

Launch campaign; Boeing surprises industry with 7E7 pricing strategy; Observers expected manufacturer to charge a premium for fuel efficient airliner.
March 2, 2004... Boeing revealed the first details of its 7E7 pricing strategy at Asian Aerospace, indicating that the list price of the airliner will be "close" to the $115.5-127.5 million range occupied by the 767-300ER, based on 2002 dollars. The...

helicopters; A109 adds to police power.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... AgustaWestland has delivered an A109 Power helicopter to the Shenzhen, China, police. The aircraft will be used for night surveillance operations and is equipped with a video link, rescue hoist, cargo hook, rappelling kit, searchlight and...

demonstrations; Eagle flies into history.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The Israel Aircraft Industries/EADS Heron/ Eagle unmanned air vehicle has become the first unmanned system to fly at a major air show with a series of demonstrations at Asian Aerospace 2004. All air traffic in and out of Changi International...

evacuation; Goodrich prepares to deliver A380 escape slides.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Goodrich expects to deliver the first set of Airbus A380 passenger emergency evacuation slides in September 2005. Testing has been under way since 2000, and the slides are designed to be operable in winds from any direction of up to 25kt...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Sri Lanka plans The Sri Lankan air force is looking to acquire additional transport helicopters and potentially fixed-wing aircraft. Commander Donald Perera says the timing of any purchases hinges on the govern-ment's budget. The first...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... KAI picks isis Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has selected Smiths Aerospace's integrated standby instrument system (ISIS) for the KT-1 turboprop trainer. Smiths supplies avionics for the T-50 supersonic jet trainer. The ISIS can compute...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Goodrich stars Goodrich has been picked by Australian low-cost start-up and Qantas subsidiary Jetstar to supply wheels, carbon brakes and overhaul services for the airline's fleet of 20 Airbus A320s. barnes facility Barnes...

in brief.(contracts)(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Qantas tops up Qantas has ordered an additional Bombardier Dash 8 Q300. Bombardier says the airline has firmed up an option taken when it placed a firm order for six 50-seat Q300s in December. tobago Sale The Indonesian navy has...

helicopters; Bell and AIDC sign AH-1Z tail boom supply deal; Meanwhile, Taiwan studies Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow for attack rotorcraft need.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Bell has signed a contract with Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) covering the supply of tail booms for US Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1Zs and UH-1Ys ahead of the acquisition by Taiwan's army of 30 new attack helicopters....

Development; FB-22 proposed to US Air Force; Bomber would provide stealth and supercruise, but Lockheed Martin fully expects to encounter some competition.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Lockheed Martin is proposing the FB-22 - a bomber derivative of the F/A-22 - as one of several solutions on offer to meet the US Air Force's potential long-range bomber req-uirement, says the company's executive vice-president Dain Hancock. ...

JSF team to add partner.(Joint Strike Fighter )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Singapore is expected to sign within the next month a letter of agreement (LoA) to join the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project as a security co-operation participant. Singapore signed a letter of intent to join the project a...

Fighters; Singapore to be offered AESA radar; Raytheon secures US government licence to offer APG-63(V)3 in anticipation of city state's fighter decision.
March 2, 2004... Singapore is poised to become the first export customer for the Raytheon APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar should the Boeing F-15T be selected in the city-state's fighter contest. Raytheon has secured approval...

Unmanned systems; Northrop Grumman forecasts strong Fire Scout sales in Asia.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Northrop Grumman is forecasting a potential market for between 25 and 40 RQ-8B Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicles (VTUAVs) in Asia-Pacific during the current decade. Australia, Japan and South Korea are all...

Product launch; Gulfstream announces G350.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Gulfstream has confirmed the replacement of the G300 with the G350, completing the revamp of its entire range begun 18 months ago at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Orlando. Formally announcing the variant at...

selection; Engine Alliance ready for A380 powerplant battle ; Partnership expects decision from Malaysia Airlines and Korean Air later this year.
March 2, 2004... General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance president Lloyd Thompson expects Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Korean Air (KAL) to make powerplant selections later this year for the Airbus A380s they have on firm order. Thompson said at...

Licensed production; Embraer to make ERJ-145 move decision.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Embraer expects to decide by year-end whether to transfer full production of ERJ-145 fuselage barrels for Chinese- assembled examples of the regional jet to Harbin Embraer Aircraft. The forward and centre fuselage plugs are now produced by...

Asian Aerospace.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Asian Aerospace was held in Singapore from 24-29 February amid increasing optimism that fortunes in the aerospace industry are picking up. Organisers said 148 delegations attended the event, compared with 120 in 2002. Highlights included the...

weapons; Lockheed Martin eyes miniature JASSM cruise-missile variant.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Lockheed Martin is studying development of a miniaturised version of its AGM-158 JASSM cruise missile for carriage by Lockheed Martin F-35 and F/A-22 fighters as well as the Northrop Grumman B-2 bomber. Lockheed Martin is also working on...

drones; ST Aero shows off scaled version of multirole UAV; Project unveiled with view to securing international partners for full-scale development.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) has unveiled a one-third scale low-observable multirole unmanned air vehicle demonstrator designated MAV-1, with initial test flights to start in the next two months. The Multi-role Unmanned Air...

Mission systems; Asian nations examine Raytheon and Thales solutions for surveillance requirements.(Raytheon Aircraft Co.)(CN-235(aircraft))(ATR 42(aircraft))
March 2, 2004... Several Asian countries are evaluating potential platforms to meet new maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) requirements. MSA suppliers say Brunei, India, Malaysia and Thailand are all evaluating their solutions and are expected to acquire...

Surveillance; Surplus USN P-3s attract interest; India, Pakistan and Taiwan also seen as possible customers for the US Navy's planned Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft.(Lockheed Martin Corp.)(US Navy Lockheed Martin P-3)
March 2, 2004... India, Pakistan and Taiwan are looking to acquire surplus US Navy Lockheed Martin P-3s to meet their maritime patrol aircraft anti-submarine warfare (MPA/ASW) requirements. Taiwan, which last year rejected a Lockheed Martin proposal to...

Missiles; Japan seeks PAC-3 co-production deal; Lockheed Martin anticipates 200 missile launch order.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Lockheed Martin expects to finalise a sale of its Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missile to Japan before the end of this year pending a government-to-government agreement on technology transfer, including licensed co-production of rounds, within...

Sell-off; Royal Brunei Airlines launches plan to spin off MRO business.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Royal Brunei Airlines plans to spin off its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business later this year into a separate subsidiary that will initially be wholly owned by the airline, but eventually part-owned by a strategic foreign partner....

Exhibition; AA air show gets new site.( Asian Aerospace )(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... The Asian Aerospace air show will finally move to a new site in 2008 that will offer twice the exhibition hall floor space. Show organiser Reed Exhibitions, a sister company of Flight International, says the new site is located at Changi...

manned flight; China reveals launch plans.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... China's next manned spaceflight, scheduled for launch next year, will last five to seven days, according to chief designer Wang Yongzhi. Following last October's first Chinese manned spaceflight by astronaut Yang Liwei in Shenzhou 5, two...

explosion RADHAKRISHNA RAO / BANGALORE; Blast at Indian space centre kills six people.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... An explosion triggered by a fire in the solid-propellant space booster plant at India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota island killed six people and injured three others. The accident, on 23 February, occurred as propellant was...

in brief.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Hubble extension NASA has issued a speculative request for information on methods and technologies that could be used to extend the mission of the Hubble Space Telescope and safely dispose of the massive spacecraft at the end of its...

Orbiters TIM FURNISS / LONDON; Shuttle return delayed to 2005; Date put back to allow extended investigation into foam insulation loss from tank that led to Columbia break-up.
March 2, 2004... NASA has moved the target window for the next Space Shuttle flight to March 2005 to provide more time to understand foam insulation loss from the external tank. Orbiter Discovery has been picked for return-to-flight mission STS 114, with...

computer-aided design Julian Moxon / Paris; Dassault uses 'virtual design plateau' to accelerate 7X ; Manufacturer is confident assembly of first aircraft will be achieved in record time.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Technology introduced by Dassault Aviation to speed the design-to-manufacture process for its new Falcon 7X will result in assembly of the first aircraft being carried out in "record time", says the company. Delivery of the fuselage, wing...

powerplants Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Laser peening technology revived.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Curtiss-Wright company Metal Improvement has commercialised a laser peening technology originally developed by the USA's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The Lasershot process is being used to increase the life of blades used in...

avionics; Australia studies mini radar warning receivers.(Brief Article)
March 2, 2004... Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO)and Tenix Defence Systems are exploring the development of a miniaturised radar warning receiver (RWR)that will enable unmanned air vehicles to support special forces operations,...

moving; target.(US Air Force's command and control aircraft)
March 2, 2004... The USAF aims to improve battlespace management with the advent of the E-10A multi-sensor command and control aircraft Stephen Trimble / Washington DC The final shape of a controversial leap in battle management technology for the US...

Flawed process.(Australia's acquisition of fighter aircraft)
March 2, 2004... A new report on Australia's planned Joint Strike Fighter acquisition highlights issues in decision making against a backdrop of an increasingly sophisticated air threat Peter La Franchi / Canberra About 20 months after Australia...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
March 2, 2004... safety How to reduce incursions There are simple and inexpensive precautions that could be taken that would do away with the vast majority of runway-incursion incidents ("Pilot mistakes blamed for most runway incursions, Flight...

regional jets; AVIC I near to ARJ21-700 design freeze.(Brief Article)
March 9, 2004... China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC I) aims to freeze the design of its 85-seat ARJ21-700 regional jet this month. The move comes as the manufacturer starts to gauge interest in a stretched 105-seat ARJ21-900. First metal was cut in...

aircraft programmes VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW; Companies unite to study Ruslan production restart; Volga-Dnepr predicts demand for An-124 will create need for 80-100 aircraft by 2025.
March 9, 2004... Antonov, Aviastar, Motor-Sich, NPK Irkut, Volga-Dnepr and ZMKB Progress have formed a joint working group and a council of directors to look at restarting production of the An-124 Ruslan heavy freighter. A decision on the programme is due...