Aircraft News
All the latest aircraft news – fixed wing and rotary.
Boeing push Ohio job and economy benefits of NewGen Tanker win
The Boeing Company have announced that Ohio will benefit from approximately 690 total jobs and an estimated $33 million in annual economic impact if the Boeing NewGen Tanker is selected as the U.S. Air Force’s next aerial refueling aircraft.
Currently, Boeing works with 500 suppliers/vendors in Ohio, resulting in an estimated $4.7 billion in annual economic impact and supporting an estimated 190,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state.
One of Boeing’s key Ohio suppliers is Ravenna-based Allen Aircraft Products, a leader in the production of aircraft fluid systems components and metal finishing processing for both commercial and military aircraft.
“Allen Aircraft and its workers are proud to be a part of a Boeing team that is ready to provide the taxpayer with the best tanker,” said Neil Mann Jr., president, Allen Aircraft Products. “This partnership between Allen and Boeing’s talented U.S. work force will deliver a much-needed economic boost to Ohio communities and the most capable tanker at the best price to the Air Force.”
Some of the other Ohio manufacturers ready to produce critical components on the NewGen Tanker include:
- Achilles Aerospace Products, Twinsburg — mechanical standards
- Voss Industries, Cleveland — fabricated clamps.
The NewGen Tanker is a widebody, multi-mission aircraft based on the proven Boeing 767 commercial airplane and updated with the latest and most advanced technology. Capable of fulfilling the Air Force’s needs for transport of fuel, cargo, passengers and patients, the combat-ready NewGen Tanker is being offered as a replacement for 179 KC-135 aircraft. Boeing is writing a proposal to meet or exceed the 372 mandatory requirements described in the service’s final KC-X Request for Proposal released on Feb. 24. The Air Force is expected to award a contract later this year.
The NewGen Tanker will be made with a low-risk approach to manufacturing that relies on existing Boeing facilities in Washington state and Kansas as well as U.S. suppliers throughout the nation, with decades of experience delivering dependable military tanker and derivative aircraft. Nationwide, the NewGen Tanker program will support approximately 50,000 total U.S. jobs with Boeing and more than 800 suppliers in more than 40 states.
The Boeing NewGen Tanker also will be more cost-effective to own and operate than a larger, heavier tanker. It will save American taxpayers more than $10 billion in fuel costs over its 40-year service life because it burns 24 percent less fuel than the competitor’s airplane.
Boeing has been designing, building, modifying and supporting tankers for decades. These include the KC-135 that will be replaced in the KC-X competition, and the KC-10 fleet. The company also has delivered four KC-767Js to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and is on contract to deliver four KC-767s to the Italian Air Force. Three of the four Italian tankers are in flight test, with the fourth airplane in production.
More information on Boeing’s NewGen Tanker, including video clips and an interactive tour of the aircraft, is available at www.UnitedStatesTanker.com.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner begins extreme-weather tests
After the airplane is stabilized at either the hot or cold temperatures, flight test technicians will follow the Airplane Maintenance Manual to perform the steps required to prepare the airplane for flight release and operate under these conditions. Sensors and monitors will allow the test team to determine if all systems hardware and software operate as expected.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA003 undergoing extreme weather tests
Cold-weather testing is being conducted first, with preliminary hot-weather testing to follow. Additional extreme-weather testing will be conducted later in the flight test program.
“We have Dreamliner customers who will operate the 787 in a wide variety of environments throughout the world,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “This testing is about ensuring that the airplane meets the expectations of our customers.”
A crew of approximately 100 people traveled from Seattle to support the test operations on ZA003, the third 787 airplane to be built.
The McKinley Climatic Laboratory is the second remote testing location for the 787 Dreamliner. The second airplane in the fleet, ZA002, performed a variety of tests in Victorville, Calif., last month. The testing in Florida is expected to last nearly two weeks.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test program moves to Florida
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Boeing expanded type inspection authorization (TIA) today, clearing the way for its personnel to fully participate in future test flights and for the collection of required flight-test data. Initial TIA was granted 11th February, which supported the collection of flutter certification data.
The expanded TIA marks the FAA’s confirmation that the airplane and team are ready to collect additional certification data. Boeing achieved the expansion by demonstrating the readiness of the airplane throughout a variety of speeds, altitudes and configurations.
Boeing Dreamliner 787 ZA003 In Florida for testing
“This TIA expansion is another significant step toward delivering airplanes to our customers. We remain on track to deliver the first airplane to ANA this year,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Commercial Airplanes.
In addition to receiving expanded TIA, Boeing finalized the aerodynamic configuration of the 787.
“We have completed sufficient testing to decide that no additional changes to the external lines or shape of the airplane are required,” said Fancher. “Having an airplane match its expected performance with so few changes is rare and speaks to the maturity of the design.”
The 787 flight-test fleet logged its 500th hour of flying April 16. On Sunday, ZA003, the flight-test airplane outfitted with interior elements, landed in Florida, where it will go through extreme weather testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base.
Boeing released two videos highlighting flutter and ground effects testing. These videos feature commentary by the pilots and the chief project engineer and are available on www.boeing.com and www.newairplane.com.
Flight-test operations for Boeing 747-8 Freighter move to Southern California
The second Boeing 747-8 Freighter, RC521, landed in Palmdale, California , marking the beginning of a planned transition of 747-8 Freighter testing to Southern California. The more than four-hour flight from Boeing Field in Seattle included testing on avionics and cruise performance.
“Taking the airplane to Palmdale is a big step,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. “The team is focused on ensuring a seamless transition into the next phase of the flight-test program as we prepare to expand testing of the 747-8 Freighter’s performance characteristics.”
The airplane will be stationed in Palmdale for the majority of its scheduled flight-test program. The crew will conduct several tests on the airplane with fuel-mileage and engine-performance testing as key focus areas.
“Palmdale provides an excellent test environment for the 747-8 Freighter,” said Andy Hammer, 747 test program manager. “It allows us to take full advantage of one of the world’s premier experimental test flight facilities and the excellent weather conditions to meet our flight-test requirements on the road to obtaining our amended type certification.”
A contingent of employees has been stationed at Palmdale for the testing, including flight-test engineers and the support personnel who prepare the airplane for each day’s flights. In the coming weeks, the two other 747-8 airplanes in the flight-test fleet will join RC521 in Southern California.
The entire flight-test program calls for the three airplanes to perform a total of about 3,700 hours of ground and air testing. The first 747-8 Freighter delivery to Cargolux is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
Video: Watch the time-lapse footage of Airbus A320 Flight 1549
If your flight has been ground and you have a few minutes to spare why not watch this great bit of time-lapse footage.
It has been around a while but it is worth a watch if you have not seen it before.
Exclusive time lapse video footage of the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’, US Airways flight 1549 as it is struggling to stay afloat and avoid the barrage of an ice attack. Watch the Airbus A320 which survived a crash landing, as they remove the fuselage from the icy river.
“I shot these clips from a cheap compact Canon camera. The plane came to a strop outside my apartment here in NYC. Most of the footage on TV from CNN, NY Post, NBC and ABC was filmed from my apartment over those 3 days.”
“I seem to be the only one that captured the lift in time-lapse, i just regret I didn’t have my Canon 5d Mark ii back then. ” – David Martin
Cessna celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Caravan
Cessna Aircraft Company is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Caravan throughout 2010.
“The Caravan has been a tremendous success for Cessna. Its order book has remained resilient for 25 years including during this most recent economic downturn,” said John Doman, Cessna’s vice president of Worldwide Propeller Aircraft Sales. Read more
Hong Kong Airlines confirms order for six Airbus A330-200s
Hong Kong Airlines has finalised a firm order with Airbus for six A330-200s. The contract firms up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced during the Singapore Airshow earlier this year. The new aircraft will be powered by PW 4000 engines.
Hong Kong Airlines now has a total of 23 A330s on order. The first of these will arrive in Hong Kong in the second quarter of this year and will initially be used on existing routes and later to launch the airline’s first services to Europe.
“Low operating costs and high levels of cabin comfort make the A330-200 the perfect choice to expand into the long haul market,” said Yang Jian Hong, President, Hong Kong Airlines. “We are looking forward to offering passengers a premium service on these routes.”
“The order from Hong Kong Airlines is another vote of confidence in the A330 as the most popular widebody in service today,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “With the A330-200 in its fleet the airline will be well placed to develop a profitable long haul operation.”
Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines currently operates a full service network linking Hong Kong with destinations in mainland China and the Asian region. In addition to A330s, the carrier also has 30 single aisle A320 aircraft on firm order for future delivery.
The A330 is one of the most widely used widebody aircraft in service today. To date, Airbus has won more than 1,000 firm orders for the various versions of the aircraft. More than 650 A330s have already been delivered and the aircraft is currently flying with over 80 operators worldwide.
Video: Solar plane in first test flight
A prototype solar powered plane has made its first successful test flight in Switzerland. The Solar Impulse, with a wingspan similar to that of a super-jumbo jet but weighing the same as a saloon car, took off from a Swiss airfield. Imogen Foulkes reports in the BBC clip from Berne.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X_vluYuRZo
Boeing 787 Dreamliner 'Final Assembly and Delivery' facility at Charleston begins to take shape
Boeing took another visible step toward full 787 Dreamliner production on Monday by placing the first steel column for its Charleston 787 Final Assembly and Delivery facility.
“This new facility will expand our production capability and strengthen the 787 program as we work toward rate,” said Marco Cavazzoni, vice president and general manager of 787 Final Assembly and Delivery, Charleston, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “And that reflects our commitment to our customers, our team and our South Carolina community.”
Today, Boeing Charleston fabricates, assembles and installs systems for 787 aft fuselage sections and joins and integrates midbody fuselage sections from other structural partners. With the new, 1.2-million-square-foot (92,903-square-meter) building, Boeing will perform final assembly and deliver 787s from North Charleston to customers around the world. Construction on the new facility is on schedule, with production due to begin in July 2011. Boeing will deliver the first 787 built in Charleston in first-quarter 2012. To date, 90 percent of the Boeing direct-contracted dollars for the project have been with South-Carolina-based companies.
Bulgarian Border Police takes delivery of its first AW109 Power helicopter
The Bulgarian Border Police has taken delivery of its first AgustaWestland AW109 Power light twin helicopter during an official ceremony held at Sofia Airport today in the presence of Representatives of the Bulgarian Government. This helicopter will provide a reliable air surveillance capability on the outer EU borders, since Bulgaria is expected to be a Schengen Zone Member starting from March 2011.
Thanks to the AW109 Power’s outstanding features, the Bulgarian Border Police will be able to enhance airborne law enforcement capabilities in the Country. An additional two AW109 Powers, recently ordered by the Ministries of Finance and Interior of Bulgaria, for the Bulgarian Border Police will follow, further expanding the helicopter fleet of the service. The Bulgarian Border Police also bought an AW139 medium twin helicopter in late 2009, confirming the success of the AgustaWestland’s range of law enforcement helicopters.
The AW109 Power is equipped with an impressive range of state-of-the-art avionics and mission-dedicated equipment including a NVG-compatible cockpit, moving map display, weather radar, searchlight, external loudspeaker, provision for FLIR, digital video downlink, video recorder and mission console. The ability to change the interior configuration provides exceptional versatility to support the range of law enforcement roles. With a maximum cruise speed of 154 kts (285 Km/h) and a range of 512 nm (948 km), the AW109 Power offers superior rapid reaction capabilities, area coverage and endurance. The AW109 Power law enforcement is designed to perform a wide range of security duties to meet the changing demands of law enforcement: patrol, surveillance and tactical operations, state border control, counter terrorism, search and rescue, armed interdiction and other homeland security missions.
