Year: 2009

Saudi Arabia Orders Additional A330 MRTT

Saudi Arabia has ordered three additional A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft (on which the Northrop Grumman KC-45 Tanker is based).

This second acquisition by the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation brings to six the total A330 MRTTs ordered for the Royal Saudi Air Force, with delivery of the service’s first aircraft scheduled in 2011. The contract also includes an in-service support package.

Saudi Arabia Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)

The Saudi Arabian A330 MRTTs will incorporate EADS’ next-generation fly-by-wire Advanced Refueling Boom System on the fuselage centerline, plus two all-digital Cobham 905E hose-and-drogue refueling pods under the wings.

Aerial refueling operations are controlled from a state-of-the-art Remote Aerial Refueling Operator station in the cockpit behind the pilots, incorporating an enhanced vision system with laser infrared lighting and high-definition digital stereoscopic viewing.

Airbus Military, an EADS company, is responsible for the design and production of the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, the air forces of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates have chosen the A330 MRTT.

Source/Image: EADS

First F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant Unveiled

Lockheed Martin today celebrated the rollout of the U.S. Navy’s first-ever stealth fighter, the F-35C Lightning II. The aircraft will enable the Navy to possess 5th generation fighter capabilities at sea, extending America’s reach and reducing the timeline from threat to response.

US Navy F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant

Tom Burbage, a former Navy test pilot and the vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration for Lockheed Martin, thanked Navy leadership for being fully engaged in the F-35’s development and “actively working to define joint and coalition tactics that will exploit this platform in ways we’ve never envisioned. We at Lockheed Martin are both proud and humbled by the trust the U.S. Navy has placed with us to lead the development and introduction of the Navy’s newest stealthy, supersonic strike fighter.”

The first F-35C, known as CF-1, will undergo a wide-ranging series of ground tests before its first flight, scheduled for late 2009. CF-1 is the ninth F-35 test aircraft to be rolled out, and joins a fleet of F-35A (conventional takeoff and landing) and F-35B (short takeoff/vertical landing) variants that have logged more than 100 flights.

The F-35C is on schedule to meet the Navy’s Initial Operational Capability in 2015, and represents a leap in technology and capability over existing fighters, combining stealth with supersonic speed and high agility. The Lightning II employs the most powerful and comprehensive sensor package ever incorporated into a fighter.

The F-35C possesses uncompromised carrier suitability and low-maintenance stealth materials designed for long-term durability in the carrier environment. The Lightning II’s operational and support costs are forecast to be lower than those of the fighters it will replace.

The F-35 and F-22 are the world’s only 5th generation fighters, uniquely characterized by a combination of advanced stealth with supersonic speed and high agility, sensor fusion, network-enabled capabilities and advanced sustainment. The F-35 is a supersonic, multi-role, 5th generation strike fighter. Three F-35 variants derived from a common design, developed together and using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide, will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the Lightning II the most cost-effective fighter program in history.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Photo: Lockheed Martin
Source: Lockheed Martin

SkyHook Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) – Design Completed

Boeing and SkyHook International Inc. today announced that the design of the SkyHook Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) has reached the configuration freeze milestone, meaning the aircraft’s overall performance and layout have been established.

Boeing and SkyHook have worked on the SkyHook HLV’s structural and systems design and its concept of operations since July 2008.

The next major program milestone will be Detailed Design in 2011, which centers on the design, analysis and specification of all hardware, software and related aircraft and ground support systems interfaces.

SkyHook is designed to carry 80,000-pound (40-ton) sling loads up to 200 nautical miles without refueling – a capability that is not currently available, but is desired by several industries, including oil exploration and mining operations in the Canadian Arctic and Alaska, as well as companies operating in remote locations in South America, Europe and Africa.

SkyHook Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV)

Boeing is designing and will fabricate a production SkyHook HLV prototype at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, Pa. The new aircraft will enter commercial service after it is certified by Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The first SkyHook HLV aircraft is scheduled to fly in 2014.

Photo: Boeing
Source: Boeing

Related: Boeing to Build Heavy-Lift Rotorcraft

Expanded Colgan CVR Transcript Released

On Monday the NTSB released an expanded transcript of the cockpit voice recordings from Continental Connection Flight 3407 (Colgan Air) which crashed February 12, near Buffalo, killing 50 people.

The Bombardier Dash 8-Q400, N200WQ, crashed during an instrument approach to runway 23 at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York after it stalled in icing conditions. The crash site was approximately 5 nautical miles northeast of the airport in Clarence Center, New York, and mostly confined to one residential house.

The information released by NTSB is factual in nature and does not provide analysis or the probable cause of the accident.

Download Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) Transcript (PDF, 111 pages):
http://www.ntsb.gov/Dockets/Aviation/DCA09MA027/423395.pdf

Turkish Airlines Orders Seven Additional 777-300ERs

Boeing and Turkish Airlines have finalized an order for seven Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes. This order is in addition to the five 777-300ERs that Turkish Airlines ordered in April 2009, bringing their total 777-300ER orders to 12. The airline currently operates a fleet of 65 Boeing airplanes including Next-Generation 737s and leased 777-300ERs.

The airplane can seat up to 365 passengers in a three-class configuration and has a maximum range of 7,930 nautical miles (14,685 km). Turkish Airlines is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. It carries approximately 20 million passengers a year, with direct flights to 108 international and 33 domestic destinations. The airline was founded in 1933 with a fleet of five airplanes that carried a total of 28 passengers. The airline made its first domestic flight in 1933 and the first international flight in 1947.

Source: Boeing

Aria Air IL-62 Crash-Landed in Iran

Today an Aria Air Ilyushin 62M (UP-I6208) crash-landed at Mashhad-Shahid Hashemi Nejad Airport (MHD), Iran. Aria Air Flight 1525 was bound from Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR) to Mashhad. At least 16 people on board have been killed.

Apparently the IL-62 skidded off the runway, ripping off the nose section completely and came to rest next to a field.
The weather at time of the accident was quite good, wind from 060 with 14 knots, clear sky, unlimited ceiling. Probably the plane made a cross-wind landing.

Raw video by AP

Photos – 787 Dreamliner Painted in Special Livery

Boeing today released photos of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test airplane that has been painted in a special Boeing livery.

The fifth 787 flight test airplane (N787FT) is painted white with blue accents. The new livery incorporates visual and color elements from the distinctive blue-and-white Boeing Commercial Airplanes livery seen on the first 787 flight test airplane and other new commercial models. The simplified paint scheme will be applied to the three remaining unpainted flight test airplanes (Nos. 3, 4 and 6). Airplane No. 2 has been painted in the colors of launch customer ANA of Japan.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Painted in Special Livery

Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N787FT) Special Livery

The modified livery, which saves time and expense compared to the full Boeing livery, will remain on the airplane until the flight test program is completed and it is refurbished and delivered to a customer.

The airplane’s two GEnx engines have been temporarily removed and returned to GE Aviation so that planned minor improvements can be made.

Source: Boeing
Photos: Boeing

Australian F/A-18F Super Hornet Makes First Flight (Photo)

Boeing today announced that the first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet successfully completed its first flight on Monday.

Boeing unveiled the aircraft July 8 at the company’s Integrated Defense Systems facility in St. Louis.

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has orderd 24 F/A-18Fs. Delivery of the first one will be completed later this month, three months ahead of schedule. The remaining 23 Super Hornets will be delivered to the RAAF throughout 2010 and 2011.

Photo: Boeing
Source: Boeing

Photo – Boeing 747-8 Freighter Making Progress

Boeing today published a new photo, showing that they took a major step closer toward completing the assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter. Last week the forward and aft fuselage sections were loaded to join with the wing and center section.
Boeing 747-8 Freighter Joining Fuselage Sections and Wings
The 747-8 Freighter is 250 feet, 2 inches (76.3 m) long, which is 18 feet and 4 inches (5.6 m) longer than the 747-400 Freighter. The stretch provides customers with 16 percent more revenue cargo volume compared to its predecessor. That translates to four additional main-deck pallets and three additional lower-hold pallets.

Boeing has secured 78 orders from cargo operators for the new 747-8 Freighter. Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Emirates SkyCargo, Guggenheim and Korean Air all have placed orders for the airplane.

Source: Boeing
Photo: Boeing

First Airbuses Delivered to Juneyao & Shanghai Airlines

This week Airbus announced deliveries of A320 Family aircraft to two Chinese airlines.

Shanghai Airlines takes delivery of its first Airbus aircraft
Shanghai Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus aircraft, an A321 (B-6591), becoming a new operator of Airbus aircraft. The aircraft is the first of 10 A321s ordered by the Shanghai-based carrier in 2006 and 2007.

Powered by IAE V2533-A5 engines, the carrier’s first A321 is fitted in an all-new, comfortable two-class configuration with 178 seats (166 seats in Economy, 12 in Business Class). The aircraft will initially be deployed on domestic routes followed in the future by regional routes including Japan and Korea.

Shanghai Airlines was set up in 1985. Headquartered in Shanghai, the carrier now operates 68 aircraft on more than 170 domestic, regional and international passenger and freighter routes linking over 60 destinations across China and around the world. Shanghai Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance.

Juneyao Airlines takes delivery of its first purchased A320

Juneyao Airlines, a Shanghai-based privately-owned carrier, has taken delivery of its first purchased A320.

Juneyao Airlines currently operates 10 leased Airbus aircraft – two A319s and eight A320s – with 10 more A320s, via operating lease and purchase, due to join the fleet by the end of 2012.

The aircraft, the first of six ordered in June 2007, is powered by CFM56 engines and will accommodate 158 passengers in a two-class configuration, including eight first class seats. The airline plans to operate the A320 on routes between Shanghai and some of the most popular tourist destinations in China, as well as other destinations in Asia.

Source: Airbus