Boeing

Boeing 787 Dreamliner begins extreme-weather tests

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 F-15K41 completes first test flight

Boeing has conducted the first flight of F-15K41, the first of 21 F-15K Slam Eagles the company is producing under the Next Fighter II contract for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). The aircraft, flown by Boeing test pilot Steve Schmidt, took off from Lambert St. Louis International Airport at 2:36 p.m. Central time and landed at 3:44 p.m.

The F-15K is an advanced variant of the combat-proven F-15E. Equipped with the latest technological upgrades, it is extremely capable, survivable and maintainable. The F-15K enables the ROKAF to change its focus from the short-range defense of the past half century to a broader regional view that considers the omnidirectional threats it may face in the future. The aircraft’s service life is planned through 2040, with technology insertions and upgrades throughout its life cycle.

Boeing completed delivery of the 40 Next Fighter I F-15K aircraft in October 2008.

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.  

US Navy to fly biofuel powered F/A-18 Super Hornet

Boeing is supporting the U.S. Navy’s biofuel-powered flight, scheduled to take place on Earth Day, April 22. An unmodified, Boeing-built F/A-18F Super Hornet will take off from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., powered by a sustainable biofuel blend of 50 percent camelina and 50 percent JP-5 aviation fuel.

Operating Navy platforms with renewable energy sources such as sustainable biofuels is part of the service’s strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by half over the next decade, as well as the Secretary of the Navy’s broader emphasis on energy-efficiency efforts for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Boeing has been assisting the Navy through laboratory testing of fuel properties and engineering evaluations of fuel system compatibility, according to Tim Vinopal, Boeing’s environmental chief engineer supporting the Boeing Defense, Space & Security effort.

“We have worked closely with the aviation and fuels industries for several years to provide our customers with options to reduce environmental impact, including the use of sustainable biofuels,” Vinopal said. “We are honored to be able to support the U.S. Navy in this groundbreaking renewable-energy effort.”

Boeing biofuel testing has included demonstration flights of five commercial aircraft, testing of four engine types, and laboratory testing with various fuel processors, feedstocks, and engine manufacturers to ensure these fuels meet or exceed the high performance and quality standards specified for current aviation fuels, without modification to the engine or airframe. Camelina is one of several promising biofuel crops, as it requires little water or fertilizer and does not compete with food crops.

The company also is helping to create a commercial market for renewable fuels and to guide their approval for use in commercial aviation.

“Boeing is applying the significant knowledge we’ve gained during this sustainable biofuel development effort in support of U.S. Department of Defense specification revisions for military fuels,” said Vinopal. “Boeing recognizes the serious challenges facing the global ecosystem and is committed to improving the environmental performance of its operations, products and services.”

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: The Boeing RC C-17 Globemaster

This huge jet powered radio controlled Boeing C-17 Globemasteris amazing. Can anyone comment on how realistic its capabilities are compared to the real thing?!!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyR0eezwns

Rwandair get two new Boeing 737-500 aircraft

RwandAir and General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) have signed anagreement for the lease of two Boeing 737-500 aircraft.

RwandAir today signed an agreement with the world’s largest aircraft lessor which will see the national carrier receive two Boeing 737-500s in May and July this year. The initial agreement signed by Mr. Ryan Barrett, Vice President GE Capital (GECAS) and Mr. John Mirenge, Chairman & Acting CEO RwandAir paves way for a long term engagement between the two organizations in the areas of aircraft leasing, maintenance, training and human capacity development.

Speaking after the signing, RwandAir Chairman & Acting CEO Mr. Mirenge underlined the need of the national carrier to have a strong passenger revenue driven network with the right aircraft to serve the airline’s expansion plans. The two Boeing 737-500 are expected to be deployed on routes with heavy passenger and cargo demand like Johannesburg while also serving intended RwandAir destinations like Kinshasa.

“GECAS has a keen interest in making this partnership work and in the near future we will see our organization involved in a number of projects at national level in Rwanda”, said Mr. Barrett, GE Capital Vice President.

Korean Air reports highest Q1 profits - passengers and cargo growth

Korean Air have announced today its preliminary results for the first quarter of 2010 ended March 31, 2010. Korean Air recorded the highest ever operating profit numbers for the first quarter.  

Thanks to the surging growth in international passenger business and Korea-outbound traffic, as well as the rising demand for premium class services in the first quarter of 2010, the airline posted an operating revenue of 2,599 billion KRW, a year-on-year increase of 14.8%, while operating profit recorded a historic jump of 33.3 times to 220.2 billion KRW. Income before tax turned to the black from a loss of 673.9 billion KRW in Q1 2009 to a surplus of 226.9 billion KRW during the reporting period. International passenger and cargo businesses remained the major revenue contributors for the airline in Q1, accounting for 55% and 33% of the operating revenue respectively.

International Passenger Business

The airline posted overall growth of 1.8% and 14.4% in international passenger capacity and traffic compared to the corresponding period last year, reaching 18,386 million ASK and 14,153 million RPK respectively. Thanks to the rebound of the global economy in the reporting period, the demand for premium class services rose sharply, up 22% year-on-year, and became a significant contributor to profit. Moreover, the airline saw a steady pickup of transit passenger volume since 2008, which also facilitated the overall surge in profitability.

Attributable to the faster recovery of the economy in China and South East Asia compared to other parts of the world, travel demand also saw a quicker rebound in these regions. Korean Air saw 16% and 27% growth respectively on these routes during the reporting period. A stronger Korean Won in Q1 2010 also led to an increase in Korea-outbound traffic.

Cargo Business

Demand for world cargo rose steadily as reflected in a significant improvement in the performance of Korean Air’s cargo business in the first quarter of 2010. Capacity and traffic increased by 10.8% and 21.1% to 3,001 million AFTK and 2,315 million FTK respectively. Revenue generated from this segment posted a year-on-year increase of 57%, with China and Japan routes reaching new heights and exceeding their performance in 2008, a year when worldwide cargo business was substantial. Moreover, cargo revenue generated from Korea surged markedly by 134%, attributable to the increasing exports of Korean IT companies.

2010 Operational Environment & Outlook

Korean Air expects 2010 will be a thriving year for the aviation industry, driven by the positive operating environment both domestically and internationally. International air traffic demand is expected to be boosted by the rebound of the global economy, together with international events such as the 2010 World Expo and the 2010 World Cup. Passenger traffic from China should benefit from the increase in US visa issuing posts in the country. Favorable factors in Korea such as a stable dollar exchange rate, US visa waiver program influence, and the G20 Summit to be hosted in Seoul should also be positive for Korean Air in the year to come.

Apart from passenger traffic, world cargo business is also expected to prosper in 2010, thanks to the healthy export of IT products (such as LCD, semi-conductor and cell phone), high growth of intra-Asia demand, the introduction of economic partnership and trade agreements between Korea and India and the EU, and stability in the US exchange rate and fuel costs. The airline expects to see double-digit growth in its operating revenue and cargo business in 2010. Korean Air sees the cargo business as a strong growth driver in 2010, and will continue its concerted efforts to maximize the profitability of this business segment through a range of initiatives.

With competitive, renovated next generation aircraft with new premium seats, Korean Air will continue its efforts to strengthen its premium class service, and will introduce new fleet with enhanced fuel, maintenance and environmental efficiency. In terms of fleet size, Korean Air targets to operate 132 aircraft in 2010 (126 as of March 2010). The airline has also announced orders to add Boeing 787s and Airbus 380s to its fleet mix in the coming years.

With the turnaround of the aviation industry, Korean Air has set high goals for the coming ten years, with a target of reaching 140 geographical destinations, 20 million in passenger traffic and 2.5 million tons of cargo carried in 2019, the airline’s 50th anniversary year. Korean Air will continue its long-standing commitment to achieving “Excellence in Flight” and optimizing its business while aiming to provide the best quality to its customers.

Boeing completes Chinook industrial cooperation program in Spain

The Boeing Company today announced that it has successfully completed its industrial cooperation program for the third phase of the CH-47D Chinook rotorcraft upgrades performed for the Spanish Army’s Airmobile Force, FAMET. Boeing finished the industrial cooperation program on schedule while exceeding the $80 million requirement, demonstrating the company’s continued success in meeting its commitments.

Over the 10-year program, Boeing completed 75 projects with 20 Spanish companies and institutions. All projects were coordinated through Isdefe, the company that negotiates and manages industrial cooperation agreements on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Defense’s Armament and Material General Directorate.

“In cooperation with Isdefe, Boeing is bringing high-value opportunities to Spanish industry,” said Gwen Kopsie, director of International Industrial Participation for Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “Spanish companies of all sizes were an integral part of the global supply base that brought state-of-the-art upgrades to the Spanish Army’s Chinook fleet. Many more Spanish companies also benefited from Boeing’s advanced technology transfer and training programs.”

Boeing also supports Isdefe’s efforts to develop Spanish industry through a $13 million industrial cooperation program for the Harpoon advanced weapon control system. That program is on track for completion in 2012.

“Boeing has been a partner to Spain for more than 75 years, serving the needs of both its commercial airplane customers and Spain’s military,” said Pedro Argüelles, president of Boeing Spain. “Today, Boeing’s presence in Spain remains strong thanks to our collaboration with airlines, government, academic institutions and industry. Through our Research & Technology Center in Madrid, we work with our partners in Spain to develop solutions for the environmental, safety and reliability, and air-traffic-control needs of today and tomorrow.”

Boeing has successfully implemented industrial participation programs totaling more than US$41 billion in nearly 40 countries over the past 30 years.

The Chinook is a true multi-role, vertical-lift platform. The primary Chinook mission is transport of artillery, troops, ammunition, fuel and supplies within military theaters of operation. CH-47s also have performed humanitarian-support, disaster-relief, rescue, firefighting and nation-building missions on six continents in all climates and conditions. The Chinook is currently in service with more than 18 countries worldwide.

Qatar Airways spells out commitment to Indian market

Qatar Airways today spelt out its continued commitment to India, helping strengthen commercial and economic ties thanks to the launch of its latest flights to the country – daily services to the southern Indian IT city of Bengaluru. (Bangalore)

Otherwise known as India’s Silicon Valley due to its huge infrastructure in information technology, Bengaluru has helped put the country on the global IT map, with large international corporations setting up operations in and around the city.

Since the launch in February of daily non-stop flights between the airline’s operational hub of Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, and Bengaluru, Qatar Airways reports the new service proving to be one of its most successful start-up routes.

Qatar Airways currently operates 74 flights a week spread across 11 Indian cities – in addition to Bengaluru, daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Cochin, Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad and Goa, with four services-a-week to Amritsar.

Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru today, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the newest addition to the airline’s Indian network further strengthened its presence in one of the world’s most vibrant markets.

“I am delighted that Bengaluru has finally joined our international network. The route has performed exceptionally well and further demonstrates our commitment to give the travelling public greater choice,” he said.

“This new strategic air link fosters a stronger partnership between India and Qatar, and further provides excellent connectivity through our flights to rest of the world via Doha.

“India has grown rapidly into a dynamic market and we at Qatar Airways are extremely delighted to be part of the great success story of India Inc, working with the relevant authorities here to open up more air links to the world.”

Bilateral trade between India and Qatar stands at US$3.7 billion, according to figures for 2008 – a staggering increase from US$140 million in 2000. Trade focuses on oil and gas, food and agricultural products, health care and IT services.

Added Al Baker: “In the last six months alone, we have stepped up capacity to India from 56 to 74 flights-a-week thanks to the introduction of services to Bengaluru, Goa and Amritsar. This represents a remarkable 30% increase in frequency to and from India.

“Our Doha – Goa flights increased to daily only last week and we plan to step up capacity on the Amritsar route to daily within the next few months. And we will continue to explore new strategic opportunities to expand our presence to even more cities across this wonderful country.”

Home to India’s largest IT software industry, Bengaluru also has some of the country’s most affluent colleges and research institutions with numerous public sector companies across the aerospace, telecommunications and defence industries.

Bengaluru has been at the heart of India’s software industry for years, enabling it to capitalise on establishing commercial and social ties with cities around the world, including its US west coast IT centre counterpart, San Francisco.

Through code share flights operated by partner carrier United Airlines, Qatar Airways provides convenient connections to many cities across the US, including San Francisco.

And with excellent connections from Europe, Middle East, Africa and the United States, the new route is expected to be popular among expatriates returning to Bengaluru, as well as the international business community having strong commercial links with the city.

Flying from Bengaluru, passengers have a wide choice of destinations to travel to via Doha, including New York, Houston, Washington, London, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Muscat.

Travelling to long-haul destinations such as New York and Washington, passengers can experience a raft of great facilities onboard the airline’s flagship Boeing 777 aircraft, including seats that convert into fully flat horizontal beds in Business Class and extremely spacious Economy seats with a pitch of 34 inches.

All passengers travelling on Boeing 777s also have access to individual seat back touch screen TVs with up to 900 audio and video interactive entertainment options.

Connecting through Doha, Qatar Airways’ First and Business Class passengers can experience the airline’s exclusive Premium Terminal where they can unwind and relax and enjoy facilities such as spa treatments, fine dining, business centre and duty free shopping.

Bengaluru was the first of several route launches for 2010 during a year of aggressive expansion, which will see a further four destinations added to Qatar Airways’ global network from Doha, together with capacity increases across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Scheduled flights were launched to the Danish capital Copenhagen on March 30; the Turkish capital Ankara saw services begin on April 5; the Japanese capital Tokyo will be served from April 26; and flights to the Spanish Mediterranean port city of Barcelona start on June 7.

Qatar Airways completes its global jigsaw this summer by adding the South American continent to its burgeoning network with flights to the region’s two largest cities.

Beginning June 24, daily services will operate to Sao Paulo in Brazil, continuing onto the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Added Al Baker: “These are exciting times for Qatar Airways. With three new routes launched over the past few weeks, we look forward to further global expansion to some exciting destinations in the coming weeks and months.”

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 82 aircraft to 88 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia and North America.

On the Doha – Bengaluru route, Qatar Airways operates an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy.