Elixir launch all composite twin seat airplane

June 26, 2015, 11:44 am

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French start-up, Elixir aircraft unveiled a new two seat light aircraft at the Paris Air Show, designed for improved safety, comfort, performance and affordability in mind.

The pilot friendly aircraft has large touch screen Garmin glass cockpit, automatic pilot, engine and propeller single lever control, electric flaps and electric trim.

The all composite aircraft has low wing design, with wing and fuselage build as a single structure, eliminating structural bonding process, thereby increasing structural safety and integrity.The internal geometry of the wing features long wing spar boxes, permitting an optimal distribution of stress flows in the prepreg carbon fibers.

The unique anti exploding fuel tank run wing tip to wing tip and will be able to carry the whole 110 L of fuel with no need for a tank selector.

The oleo pneumatic landing gear (undercarriage) combined with standard Béringer® brakes will provide improved comfort and safety. This and the double-slotted flaps will give easy access to the most demanding landing strips without any specific training.

The aircraft also sports a BRS emergency parachute system that can bring down the plane safely to the ground in an emergency situation.

The composite airframe allows to carry payload weighing more than its own weight. The aircraft weighs 265 kg and can carry 280 kg.

The aircraft has a cruising speed between 144-171 kts, depending upon the altittude.

The 4 cylinder 100 hp Rotax 912 iS engine, has a fuel consumption of 14L/hour or 5 L per 100 km, providing 7 hour endurance and more than 1000 nmi range.

Currently in detailed design phase, the aircraft is priced at $180,000 and is scheduled for first flight in 2016. EASA certification and service entry is planned for 2017.

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Airbus Helicopters H160 begin flight test

June 27, 2015, 1:06 pm

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© Copyright Thierry Rostang - 2015

The flight test campaign of the Airbus Helicopters new generation H160 medium lift helicopter has been launched, following maiden flight on June 13, from Marignane, France.

The flight envelope is being progressively opened, with the aircraft already achieving 130 kts speed, during the second flight on Wednesday, June 17.

In order to complete this final development phase and to ensure the H160's entry into service in 2018, Airbus Helicopters is relying on three dedicated prototypes and two helicopter zero integration test means.

The first prototype will pursue its flight test campaign, including its first hot weather flight tests planned for this summer. The second prototype performed its first power-on 12 June.

With a cruise speed of 160 kts., the H160 can carry 12 passengers at distances of up to 120 NM. for oil and gas missions, and a 450-NM range with 20-minute reserve in public service or search and rescue tasks.

The H160 is the first-ever, fully-composite civil helicopter, resulting in an airframe that is lighter in weight, more robust, resistant to corrosion and fatigue, while requiring less maintenance.

Airbus Helicopters’ proven Spheriflex bearingless main rotor hub is further enhanced with the application of innovative composite thermoplastic technology – which reduces weight and increases damage tolerance.

The distinctive design of the H160 includes two Airbus Helicopter firsts, both offering improved performance and flight stability: the largest-ever Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, which is also double-canted at 12-deg. angles, further enhancing anti-torque control efficiency; and the all-new Biplane Stabilizer™, whose unique design involves a staggered placement of the dual-level, interconnected stabilizers. This feature facilitates pilot maneuvers and significantly reduces aerodynamic penalties in low-speed flight and hover.

An additional H160 technology breakthrough is Airbus Helicopters’ initial production use of its Blue Edge® main rotor blades, which reduce exterior noise levels by 50 percent (3 dB) and also allow a payload increase of up to 100 kg. when compared to traditional rotor blades, depending on flight conditions.

The 5.5-6-ton-class rotorcraft will be exclusively powered by Turbomeca 1,100-shp. Arrano turboshaft engine, enabling to achieve 15-20 percent more fuel efficiency.

Solar Impulse takes off to Hawai

June 29, 2015, 12:31 am

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André Borschberg, CEO, Co-Founder and Pilot of Solar Impulse in the cockpit of Solar Impulse ready to take-off from Nagoya, Japan

This morning at 3:03 am local time Japan (6:03pm GMT on June 28th) Swiss Pilot André Borschberg took off in the Solar Impulse 2 single seater aircraft from Nagoya endeavoring to reach Hawaii, in what will be the longest exploration leg of the Solar Impulse’s Round-The-World mission.

The first 10 hours of flight were difficult for the team who had to solve technical problems before giving the final go to head for Hawaii when Solar Impulse was already off the coast of Japan.

This is a second attempt after diverting the first time around to Nagoya, Japan following a take off from Nanjing, China. This flight will be demanding and challenging particularly given its duration and the fact that no immediate landing is possible and will be a feat never accomplished before in the world of aviation.

The attempt to reach Hawaii from Japan will represent a real life test of endurance for the pilot while at the same time pushing the limits of the airplane to even new levels. Successfully arriving in Hawaii will proving that the impossible is achievable.

André will venture into the unknown and demonstrate his courage by adapting to extreme circumstances, ranging from living in a small, 3.8 metre cube cockpit; maintaining his confidence that the energy collected from the sun throughout the day will last through the night; and, remaining physically and mentally alert throughout the entire journey. For this, André will sleep only for 20 minutes at a time and will use yoga and meditation to keep his body energy and mindset functioning well.

“The real moment of truth still lies ahead. We are now at the point in the Round-the-World Solar Flight where everything comes together, the engineers who worked on the airplane for the last 12 years, the Mission Control Center who will have to predict weather and guide the airplane through good conditions, and Bertrand who had this vision 16 years ago of an airplane flying for days without fuel to change our mindset regarding the potential of clean technologies and renewable energies" said André Borschberg, Co-Founder, CEO and Pilot.

“An airplane flying day and night without fuel is more than a spectacular milestone in aviation, it's the living proof that clean technologies and renewable energies can achieve incredible feats; and that all these energy efficient technologies should now be used globally in order to have a cleaner world. Solar Impulse is the result of years of innovation from our partners and the hard work of our engineering team led by André”, said Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse Initiator, Chairman and Pilot.

Bertrand Piccard, who will pilot the airplane from Hawaii to Phoenix, will complete the crossing of the Pacific.

Information on Flight 8: Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa (Hawaii)

Pilot: André Borschberg, Solar Impulse Co-Founder and CEO

When: Take-off at 3:03 am local time Japan on June ( 6:03 pm GMT on June 28th)

Expected flight time: 120 hours

Expected flight distance: 7200 km

Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard (Chairman) and André Borschberg (CEO) are the founders, pilots and driving force behind Solar Impulse, the first aircraft able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel – propelled solely by the sun’s energy. With the Si2 aircraft, they will attempt the first Round-

The-World Solar Flight in 2015. Supported by Main Partners Solvay, Omega, Schindler, ABB, and Official Partners Google, Altran, Bayer MaterialScience, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Swisscom and Moët Hennessy, this historic first aims at demonstrating that clean technologies can achieve the impossible.

After the original Solar Impulse Si1 prototype which holds 8 world records, Si2 engineers have designed and constructed a new single-seater aircraft made of carbon fiber. It has a 72 meter wingspan (larger than that of the Boeing 747) for a weight of just 2,300 kg, equivalent to that of a car.

The 17,248 solar cells built into the wing supply electric motors (17.5 CV each) with renewable energy. The solar cells recharge four lithium polymer batteries totaling 633 kg each, which allow the aircraft to fly at night and therefore have virtually unlimited autonomy.

Track the flight LIVE on www.solarimpulse.com

Video:Falcon 9 crash post crash analysis

June 29, 2015, 1:11 am

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The SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on its sixth resupply mission to International Space Station, exploded over florida seconds into lift off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on sunday.

Following a nominal liftoff, SpaceX says the Falcon 9 experienced a problem shortly before first stage shutdown. Preliminary analysis suggested the vehicle experienced an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank approximately 139 seconds into flight.

Telemetry indicates first stage flight was nominal and that Dragon remained healthy for some period of time following separation.

The Dragon spacecraft onboard was carrying food, water, and equipments weighing around 2 ton to ISS.

The loss is a big blow to SpaceX, as the Falcon 9 was recently certified by U.S Air Force to carry national security payloads currently exclusively orbited by ULA launch vehicles. Rockets used for lofting national security payloads require higher reliability as it may endanger U.S. national interests.

The mission failure will not affect the operation of ISS, as a Russian Progress vehicle is ready for launch on July 3, followed in August by a Japanese HTV flight. In April, a Progress spacecraft on a resupply mission to ISS failed to dock and was destroyed on re-entry to atmosphere.

The incident marks the third major space accident to private U.S. space company's, including the crash of the first prototype of Space Ship Two and loss of Orbital ATK Antares rocket last year.

Orbital ATK, is moving ahead with plans for its next launch later this year using its Cygnus spacecraft onboard a ULA Atlas V rocket, rather than the Antares rocket.

Indian Light Combat Helicopter complete hot weather trials

June 29, 2015, 11:37 am

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© Aviation Analysis Wing

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's (HAL) indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) attained a milestone by successfully completing the hot weather flight trials for a nearly one week at Jodhpur recently.

“Test flights were carried out in the temperature range of 39 to 42 degree Celsius. These were done with the involvement of customer pilots from Indian Air Force and Army in presence of representatives from RCMA and DGAQA”, says Mr. T. Suvarana Raju, CMD, HAL.

LCH prototype, TD-3 was ferried from Bengaluru to Jodhpur to achieve the successful trials. The flight testing covered 'temperature survey of engine bay and hydraulic system', 'assessment of performance', 'handling qualities and loads' at different 'all up weights', 'low speed handling' and 'height-velocity diagram establishment'.

LCH had completed cold weather flight testing at Leh in February 2015. Two LCH – one on static and another on flying display- enthralled people at Aero India 2015 held in Bengaluru earlier this year. The LCH is expected to receive Initial Operational Clearance and enter into series production by the end of this year.

The Light Combat Helicopter is a twin- engine, dedicated combat helicopter of 5.8-ton class designed and developed by HAL to meet the requirements of Indian defence forces, derived from the HAL Dhruv multi role helicopter. The helicopter is designed to carry out dedicated combat roles such as air defence, anti-tank, scout and support combat search /rescue missions.

The indigenous design of the helicopter incorporates advanced technology features for facilitating combat operations and includes a narrow fuselage with tandem seating configuration for Pilot and Co-pilot / Weapon system operator (WSO).

It incorporates a number of stealth features such as reduced visual, aural, radar and infra-red signatures and crashworthy landing gear, armour protection for better survivability. The helicopter is powered by two license built Turbomeca/HAL Shakti engines rated at 895 kW each.

Maximum speed of LCH is 265 kmph with a range of 500 km and can reach a altitude of 6.5 km.

Indian Army and Indian Air Force has ordered 115 and 65 LCHs respectively. LCH can be armed with 20mm gun, missiles and rockets.

Airbus delivers Vietnam Airlines' first Airbus A350

June 30, 2015, 6:16 am

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Vietnam Airlines has become the second airline in the world to operate the all-new A350 XWB, following a special ceremony in Toulouse today.

The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to global lessor AerCap on lease to the airline for operation on long haul routes and is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi tomorrow. Altogether, Vietnam Airlines is set to acquire 14 A350 XWBs, including 10 ordered from Airbus and four from lessors.

Adding a special touch is the Vietnam Airlines logo on the vertical tail, featuring one of the most enduring and meaningful symbols of Vietnamese culture: the Lotus flower; while the livery’s distinct gold colouring underscores this jetliner’s high quality and evokes a sense of luxury.

Vietnam Airlines will inaugurate commercial service with the A350 XWB later this week, initially on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh domestic sector and then on non-stop flights from Hanoi to Paris.

The aircraft is configured with a premium three class layout, with 29 seats that convert to full flat beds in Business Class, 45 seats in Premium Economy and 231 in Economy. In addition to more personal space in all classes, the aircraft features the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems throughout.

Vietnam Airlines’ new A350 XWB will join an existing Airbus fleet of 59 aircraft flying with the carrier, comprising 49 A321s and 10 A330s.

RAAF inducts first C-27J Spartan airlifter

July 3, 2015, 7:28 am

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The first Alenia Aermachi C-27J Spartan battlefield airlift aircraft arrived in Australia on Tuesday at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond.

The acquisition of the C-27J Spartan will fill a gap in Australia’s military capability for tactical fixed wing airlift, which has been left open since the retirement of the Caribou fleet in 2009.

The fleet of 10, C-27J Spartan will initially be based at RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales, until their permanent home at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland is completed.

The acquisition which has been planned since 2012, signifies a $1.4 billion investment in Australia’s airlift capability.

The aircraft will complement the capabilities of the C-130J Hercules and C-17A Globemaster and will be able to carry medium-sized loads and access smaller runways that are not suited to other aircraft. The Spartan has common C-130J Hercules infrastructure and aircraft systems such as engines (Rolls-Royce AE 2100-D2), avionics and the cargo handling systems.

With a maximum weight of about 30,000 kg, the airlifter has a range of 9800 km and can fly at a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet and reach 670 kmph speed. The payload include 40 troops or 21 stretchers, or 8000 kg cargo.

Within Australia, the C-27J can access over 400 airfields compared to around 200 for the C-130J Hercules aircraft, and over 1900 in the region.

The C-27J aircraft provides protection from a range of threats through features such as missile warning systems, electronic self protection, secure communications and battlefield armour.

Initial Operational Capability for the C-27J fleet is planned for late 2016, with Final Operational Capability expected within the following two years.

Bell 525 Relentless complete maiden flight

July 3, 2015, 10:25 am

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The new Bell 525 Relentless super-medium helicopter completed its maiden flight from Bell Helicopter’s aircraft assembly center in Amarillo, Texas on Wednesday.

The Bell 525 is the world's first fly-by-wire commercial helicopter, able to operate in austere environments safely and reliably with decreased pilot workload. Developed with continuous customer input, the Bell 525 offers unparalleled situational awareness and enhanced safety and reliability with the first touch screen glass flight deck designed for helicopters.

The first flight test started with taxi testing and maneuvers and then went into an initial hover, performing various hover maneuvers and then tested low speed handling qualities with winds gusting to 20 knots, piloted by Jeff Greenwood, senior flight test pilot at Bell Helicopter.

The 9 ton Bell 525 was announced at Heli-Expo in 2012, and is capable of carrying more than 16 passengers for 250 nautical miles and more than 8 passengers for 500 nautical miles. In high density configuration it can seat 20 passengers.

The Bell 525 is powered by two GE CT7-2F1 turboshaft engines, and features a Garmin G5000H fully-integrated glass flight deck, and Bell's (Lift Assist Tail Boom Design) LATD™ technology for improved hover performance.

It has a cruise speed of 155 knots (287 kmph) and a range of 500 nautical miles (926 km). With a highly reconfigurable main cabin, the Bell 525 Relentless is adaptable to several mission needs, including corporate/VIP, firefighting, energy, helicopter air ambulance, and search and rescue.

One of the unique characteristics of the Bell 525 is the ability to perform CAT-A takeoffs and landings, to and from a helipad at maximum gross weight. Even in the event that one of the two engines fails, the Bell 525 provides sufficient power to maintain occupant safety while lifting off with a single operational engine.

With over 60 helicopters reserved under letters of intent, the Bell 525 will compete with Airbus Helicopters EC175, Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW189.

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Investigators say crashed Transasia Flight GE235 should have been aborted

July 3, 2015, 11:56 am

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Investigators of the February 4, 2015 crash of  the ill-fated Transasia ATR-72 airliner in Taiwan, says the pilots should have aborted the take off, after knowing that a safety mechanism was not armed.

The investigators have found that the aircraft’s automatic take-off power control system (ATPCS), which provides automatic support – including uptrim and auto-feathering – in the event of an engine failure during take-off, was not armed initially during departure.

The Flight GE235 crashed into the Keelung river shortly after take-off from Songshan airport, when the crew inadvertently reduced power from its healthy left-hand engine, instead of the right-hand engine which has flamed out.

There were 58 people on board, including 3 flight crewmembers (including 1 flight deck observer), 2 cabin crewmembers and 53 passengers.

At local time 10:54, the aircraft crashed at 5.4 km ESE from the end of Runway 10 of Songshan Airport, causing 43 fatalities. Thirteen passengers and one cabin crew sustained serious injuries and one passenger sustained minor injury.

Flight Data:

ATC Time	Event
1051:39	GE 235 began takeoff roll.
1051:43	Pilot Monitoring (PM) called “no ATPCS armed”, and Pilot Flying (PF) replied “ok continue takeoff.”     (ATPCS: Automatic Take-off Power Control System)
1051:51	PM called “oh there it is  ATPCS armed.”
1052:01	The aircraft lifted off and climbed out. Autopilot was engaged after after-takeoff check completed.  The aircraft turned right after 1,000 ft.
1052:38	After climbing through 1,200 ft. master warning sounded. Engine and Warning Display (EWD) showed “ENG2 FLAME OUT AT TAKE OFF” procedures.
1052:41	PF disengaged autopilot while the flight climbing through 1,300 ft.
1052:43	PF announced “ I will pull back engine one throttle” and PM replied “wait a second  cross check”.  At this moment ENG1 PLA (Power Lever Angle) record indicated a reduction from 75 deg. to 66 deg.
1053:00	PM replied “okay engine flameout  check” and continued announcing “check up trim  yes  auto feather  yes.”
1053:06	PF said “pull back number one” and ENG1 PLA record showed a reduction to 49 deg. Meanwhile PM said “okay now number two engine flameout confirmed.”
1053:09	PF relied “okay” ; however ENG1 PLA remained at 49 deg. The aircraft reached its highest altitude of 1,630 ft. and started to descend at 102 knots.
1053:13	Stall warning sounded with stick shakers activated.  PM called “okay push  push back.”
1053:15	PF said “shut” and PM replied “wait a second  throttle  throttle.”  Between 1053:13 and 1053:15, ENG2 PLA was advanced to 86 deg. and ENG1 PLA was retarded to 34.5 deg. (idle position.)
1053:19	PF said “number one”, followed by “feather shut off”. Meanwhile PM said “number feather”.  Stall warning revived and stick pusher was in effect until 1053:27.
1053:22	PM said “okay” and PF said “uh number one.”
1053:24	ENG1 Condition Lever (CL) was in fuel shut off position.  Six seconds later ENG1 propellers were in feather position.
1053:35	PM declared emergency on engine flameout to Songshan tower.  Between 1053:46 and 1054:04 PF attempted to reengaged autopilot twice but failed.  The aircraft stalled again during the time.
1054:05	PM said “both sides lost”.  2 seconds later PM said “no  engine flameout we lost both sides.”
1054:09	PF announced “restart the engine” while the aircraft was at 545 ft. with speed 105 knots.
1054:20	ENG1 CL was advanced from fuel shut off position.
1054:25	PM said “cannot restart it” while the aircraft was at 401 ft. with speed 106 knots. ENG1 NH1 speed recorded an increase to 30%.
1054:27	PF said “wow  pulled back the wrong side throttle” while aircraft was at 309 ft. with speed 105 knots.
1054:34	“Pull-up” warning issued by Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) sounded.  The aircraft was at 83 ft. with speed 108 knots.
1054:35	At altitude of 55 ft. with speed 106 knots, aircraft increased its left bank from 10 deg. to 80 deg. and its left wing collided with a taxi driving on an elevated expressway at the left bank of Keelung River.  The left wing continued to hit the fence of the expressway as well as a light pole, before it crashed into Keelung River.

Solar Impulse lands in Hawai

July 3, 2015, 9:50 pm

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Information on Flight 8: Nagoya (Japan) to Hawaii (USA)

Pilot: André Borschberg, Solar Impulse Co-Founder and CEO

When: Take-off at 3:03 am local time Japan on June 29nd, 2015 (6:03 pm GMT on June 28th, 2015)

Landed at 05:55 am local time Hawaii on July 3rd, 2015 (3:55 pm GMT on July 3rd, 2015)

Flight time: 117:52 hours

Maximum altitude: 8,634 m (28,000 ft)

Average speed: 61.19 km/h

Flight plan distance: 7'212 km

The longest and most difficult leg of the Round the World Solar Flight attempted since last March by Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg ended successfully in Hawaii. At the controls of Solar Impulse 2, pilot André Borschberg landed safely in Hawaii after flying 117 hours and 52 minutes over the Pacific Ocean from Japan powered only by the sun.

A historic landing took place in Hawaii after a perilous nonstop flight for 5 days and 5 nights. With the sun rising this morning at 5:55 am local time Hawaii (15:55 GMT), Solar Impulse 2 touched down at the Kalaeloa Airport after traveling a distance of roughly 4,480 miles (7,200 km). Pilot André Borschberg, also co-founder of Solar Impulse with Bertrand Piccard, broke the world records of distance and duration for solar aviation, as well as the world record for the longest solo flight ever, (117 hours and 52 minutes - around 7,200 km. These world records will be ratified upon landing by the International Aeronautical Federation.

André endured many challenges requiring him to carefully maintain a balance between wearing an oxygen mask for long stretches of time during high altitude, getting enough rest and maximizing the energy levels of the plane, particularly during turbulent weather conditions. Successfully accomplishing this 8th leg by remaining airborne for 5 consecutive days and nights has now proven that the airplane’s critical components perform exceptionally and that Solar Impulse’s vision of reaching unlimited endurance without fuel, using solely the power of the sun, was not only a dream: perpetual flight is a reality.

“I feel exhilarated by this extraordinary journey. I have climbed the equivalent altitude of Mount Everest five times without much rest. The team at the Mission Control Center in Monaco (MCC) was my eyes and my ears… The MCC was battling to give me the possibility to rest and recover, but also maximizing the aircraft’s energy levels and sending me trajectories and flight strategies simulated by computer", said André Borschberg, "This success fully validates the vision that my partner Bertrand Piccard had after his round-the-world balloon flight to reach unlimited endurance in an airplane without fuel", he adds.

"What André has achieved is extraordinary from the perspective of a pilot. But furthermore, he has also led the technical team during the construction of this revolutionary prototype. It is not only a historic first in aviation it is also a historic first for renewable energies.", said Bertrand Piccard, initiator of Solar Impulse, chairman and pilot.

Lockheed Legion Pod begin flight testing

July 4, 2015, 4:41 am

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Photo by Randy Crites

Lockheed Martin’s Legion Pod recently completed its first flight test, successfully tracking multiple airborne targets while flying on an F-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Legion Pod was integrated onto the F-16 without making any hardware or software changes to the aircraft. Additional flight tests on the F-16 and F-15C will continue throughout the year.

Equipped with an IRST21™ infrared sensor and advanced networking and data processing technology, Legion Pod provides high-fidelity detection and tracking of airborne targets. It also accommodates additional sensors without costly system or aircraft modifications.

Legion Pod is available to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force F-15C infrared search and track program of record, which include long-range detection and tracking in a wide field of view.

Its flexible design and open systems architecture enable Legion Pod to offer a variety of capabilities for other fighter and non-fighter aircraft.

ROKAF select Airbus A330 MRTT

July 4, 2015, 12:27 pm

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South Korean Royal Korean Air Force has selected Airbus Defence and Space A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport, powered by Rolls-Royce trent engines, as its future air-to-air refuelling and transport aircraft after an open and objective competition.

The $1+ billion deal for four MRTTs was clinched, beating Boeing's KC-46A Tanker offer, the next generation tanker for U.S. Air Force, which is under advanced stage of development.

The decision means that the A330 MRTT has won every tanker competition (outside of US) since it entered the market and has now been selected by nine nations plus the European Defence Agency.

The four tankers are scheduled for delivery in 2019.

Russia plans to restart the nuclear capable amphibious Mi-14 helicopter production

July 4, 2015, 12:54 pm

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During the 7th International Maritime Defence Show ( IMDS 2015), which is being held in St. Petersburg from 1 to 5 July 2015, Russian Helicopters announced potential plans to restart production of the unique amphibious Mi-14 helicopter, which can land, taxi and take-off from water.

The Mi-14 was a Soviet shore-based nuclear-capable amphibious anti-submarine helicopter derived from the earlier Mi-8T, developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and produced by Kazan Helicopters from 1973 to 1986, both enterprises now part of Russian Helicopters.

This helicopter can significantly expand the range of search and rescue operations for the emergency services, and can also be operated by the Navy.

The Mi-14 was in service with the Navy and also operated commercially in Bulgaria, Cuba, East Germany, Ethiopia, Libya, Syria, Vietnam, Yemen, and Yugoslavia. Today these helicopters are in service with the Polish Naval Aviation.

The basic version of the helicopter was the antisubmarine Mi-14PL, and from 1979 the towing minesweeper Mi-14BT and multirole search and rescue Mi-14PS were introduced into service.

The main design distinction is that they boast hermetically sealed boat bottoms, instead of traditional helicopter undercarriages, enabling them to land on water. The sides are fitted with floats for stability, which also support the retractable landing gear.

A watertight weapons bay is fitted to the centreline of the fuselage allowing internal carriage of a single torpedo or eight depth charges, while a radome housing a search radar is fitted beneath the nose.

The helicopter was required to have an endurance of 2 hours on station at a radius of 222 kilometres (138 mi) from base.

The Mi-14s other systems were also adapted for marine use, and numerous technical solutions developed for it later found application in Mi-8/17 helicopters, such as the Mi-8MT and its export variant Mi-17.

The nuclear capability was aimed at U.S submarines.

F-35 JPO refutes inferiority claims

July 4, 2015, 1:12 pm

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The F-35 Joint Program Office, which spearheads the $400 billion program, refuted the widely reported claims last week that an F-35 was outperformed by an F-16.

The JPO clarified that the F-35 involved in the trial was AF-2, was an basic F-35 designed for flight sciences testing, or flying qualities, of the aircraft, which is not equipped with the advanced sensor's later developed.

The Aircraft AF-2 did not have the mission systems software to use the sensors that allow the F-35 to see its enemy long before it knows the F-35 is in the area. Second, AF-2 does not have the special stealth coating that operational F-35s have that make them virtually invisible to radar. And third, it is not equipped with the weapons or software that allow the F-35 pilot to turn, aim a weapon with the helmet, and fire at an enemy without having to point the airplane at its target.

The tests cited in the article were done earlier this year to test the flying qualities of the F-35 using visual combat maneuvers to stress the system, and the F-16 involved was used as a visual reference to maneuver against.

While the dogfighting scenario was successful in showing the ability of the F-35 to maneuver to the edge of its limits without exceeding them, and handle in a positive and predictable manner, the interpretation of the scenario results could be misleading.

The F-35's technology is designed to engage, shoot, and kill its enemy from long distances, not necessarily in visual "dogfighting" situations. There have been numerous occasions where a four-ship of F-35s has engaged a four-ship of F-16s in simulated combat scenarios and the F-35s won each of those encounters because of its sensors, weapons, and stealth technology.

The F-35 manufactured, Lockheed Martin in press release said

“It [the F-35 in question] is not equipped with the weapons or software that allow the F-35 pilot to turn, aim a weapon with the helmet, and fire at an enemy without having to point the airplane at its target.”

Two additional KC-30A tankers for RAAF

July 4, 2015, 1:24 pm

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The Australian Government will purchase two additional KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force.

The two additional KC-30A(A330 MRTT) aircraft will be delivered in 2018 and provide a substantial increase to the air-to-air refuelling capacity of the RAAF.

Defense ministry has signed an update to the existing acquisition contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the two aircraft and associated conversion at a cost of approximately AUD $408m.

These aircraft will be based on two previously-owned Qantas Airways A330-200 airliners which will be converted to A330 MRTTs by Airbus at its site in Getafe near Madrid.

The aircraft is capable of refuelling F/A-18A/B Hornets, F/A-18F Super Hornets, E-7A Wedgetail, C-17A Globemasters and other KC-30A aircraft.

In the future it will refuel EA-18G Growler, P-8A Poseidon and the F-35A (Joint Strike Fighter) providing a force-multiplier so aircraft can remain on station longer, extending their range and persistence.

In RAAF service the A330 MRTT is equipped with the Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS), two underwing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods used to refuel RAAF F/A-18 and other fighters, and a Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI) allowing it to be refuelled itself from another tanker.

Each KC-30A has a fuel capacity of more than 100 tonnes, and can offload fuel via the 17-metre-long ARBS or the two hose-and-drogue refuelling pods.

The KC-30A continues to play an important role in the Middle East region as part of Operation OKRA, refuelling both a growing number of Australian and Coalition fighter aircraft.

Since September 2014, the KC-30A deployed to Operation OKRA has delivered more than 10,800 tonnes of fuel.

The additional two aircraft will be based at RAAF Base Amberley, increasing RAAF KC-30A fleet to seven. The MRTT can switch from tanker role to transport role according to the operational need.

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Airbus Helicopters-Mahindra JV for helicopter making in India

July 4, 2015, 1:37 pm

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Airbus Helicopters Fennec

Airbus Helicopters will team with India's Mahindra Group subsidiary, Mahindra Defence, to produce helicopters in India for Indian armed forces.

Both companies will now get into discussions to finalize the formation of the joint venture which will act as the prime contractor for India's military helicopter tenders including the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter (RSH), the Naval Utility Helicopter and the Naval Multirole Helicopter procurement programs.

The resulting joint venture aims to become the first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the 'Make in India' initiative. This will create hundreds of high-tech jobs locally and lead to a flow of cutting edge technologies to India should it be selected in the governmental helicopter tenders.

Airbus Helicopter's single-engined AS550 C3 Fennec has demonstrated its capacity for the Indian Army and Air Force’s RSH tender, exhibiting the rotorcraft’s excellent performance in Indian field evaluation trials. But India has cancelled the tender for about 200 helicopters multiple times, due to corruption and single vendor conditions. The latest re-issued tender has total five competitors, including the homegrown HAL Light Utility Helicopter.

Airbus’s Naval Panther helicopter has been offered to the Indian Coast Guard’s ship-based light/medium helicopter requirement, as well as the Indian Navy’s anticipated acquisition of utility helicopters. The Naval Panther offered to India is a improved version of the AS565 MBe Daulphin.

The AS565 MBe Naval Panther is an all-weather, multi-role light helicopter tailored for operations from ship decks, offshore platforms and land bases, with demonstrated capabilities to cover the entire range of Indian Navy and Coast Guard mission requirements – including maritime surveillance, search and rescue, offshore patrolling and counter-terrorism, casualty evacuation and vertical replenishment.

Mahindra Aerospace has led the Mahindra Group's foray into utility aircraft and aerostructure manufacturing since 2008. Its utility aircraft business, based in Australia, currently produces the Airvan 8, the most capable, rugged and versatile utility aircraft in its class. Certified in 38 countries, over 200 are in service. Mahindra Aerospace is also developing a 10-seat turboprop, the Airvan 10, which is scheduled for certification in 2015.

Embraer orders Gabbiano T20 radars for KC-390 airlifter

July 4, 2015, 11:30 pm

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Selex ES has received a contract from Embraer Defense & Security to provide an undisclosed number of Gabbiano T20 radar systems for the KC-390 transport aircraft procured by the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira, FAB). Deliveries will begin this year.

Gabbiano is an X-band radar capable of delivering high accurate ISR, search and rescue and patrol missions on sea, coast and land. Based on a solid-state transmitter, it offers high resolution imagery and superior detection ranges. Gabbiano comes equipped with a suite of modes including air-to-sea surveillance with Track While Scan (TWS), high resolution ground mapping (Spot/Strip-SAR), ship target imaging and classification with ISAR and navigation with ground mapping and weather avoidance. It has been selected by ten international customers. The version of Gabbiano which will equip the KC-390 aircraft incorporates radar modes optimised for military transport aircraft.

The production contract from Embraer follows the earlier selection of the Gabbiano to be part of the KC-390’s baseline. The aircraft, which flew for the first time in February, is projected to play an important role in the international tactical airlift market with several countries having confirmed firm and option orders and sales campaigns ongoing all around the world.

Beyond the KC-390, Selex ES is firmly committed to Brazil, its armed forces and its defence industry. The company has installed equipment on-board all of the Brazilian Air Force’s and Navy’s key airborne platforms including the AMX, F-5, P95 and Lynx, with over 140 airborne fire control and surveillance radars (M-Scan and AESA) currently in service in the country. The company is also the main sensor suite partner for the Saab Gripen NG which has been procured by Brazil under the FX-2 programme.

Selex ES has also engaged with the Brazilian Navy in the modernization of the Niteroi-class frigates and Barroso-class corvette and has helped developing and deploying the Brazilian Army network capabilities through the delivery of the Sistac (Sistema Tatico de Comunicacoes) programme.

An in-country wholly owned subsidiary: i.e. ‘Selex ES do Brazil’, has also been established to create an independent national support capability and to develop relations with local companies in order to address opportunities in the defence and security markets.

Honeywell environment control system for Alenia M-345 HET

July 4, 2015, 11:49 pm

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Alenia Aermacchi

Honeywell Aerospace has signed a deal to provide its Environmental Control Systems and Cabin Pressure Control Systems for Alenia Aermacchi’s lightweight, new M-345 High Efficiency Trainer jets, due to enter service in 2018.

Designed for aircraft cooling, cockpit pressurization and temperature control, Honeywell’s Environmental Control Systems (ECS) and Cabin Pressure Control Systems (CPCS) will help keep pilots comfortable and safe while performing high-demand maneuvers in the new M-345 trainer.

Compared with competing technology, Honeywell’s Air Cycle ECS typically weigh 20 percent less and are easier to support in the aftermarket since they do not contain liquid refrigerant. As a result, this eliminates the risk of leaking as well as the need to refill the system or drain it for repair purposes.

“This deal represents a significant milestone for Honeywell and Alenia Aermacchi, broadening our strategic relationship and providing considerable benefits for pilots and owners of the new M-345,” said Steve Lien, vice president, Defense and Space International, Honeywell Aerospace. “By transferring Honeywell’s technology from the existing M-346, we are helping Alenia Aermacchi save time and cut costs, and keep pilots safe and comfortable.”

For the M-345, Honeywell was able to transfer 16 common components of both the ECS and the CPCS from the existing Alenia Aermacchi M-346, drastically reducing the number of new parts required for the M-345. In turn, this benefits Alenia Aermacchi and customers with minimized technical risk, lower logistics support time and reduced costs due to common spare parts between both platforms.

The M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) is the latest military pilot trainer aircraft from Alenia Aermacchi. Aimed at the basic through advanced phases of training, the design was launched officially in February 2014. Based on the M-311 demonstrator, the M-345 trainer is cost-effective and offers low acquisition and life-cycle costs in comparison to heavyweight turboprop trainers.

UPS Flight 1354 crash: Lessons to pilots

July 5, 2015, 10:54 am

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The National Transportation Safety Board released a new 8-minute video that focuses on the key lessons that pilots can learn from the investigation of a UPS cargo plane crash in Birmingham, Ala., in August 2013.

Accident Information:

On August 14, 2013, about 0447 central daylight time (CDT), UPS flight 1354, an Airbus A300-600, N155UP, crashed short of runway 18 during a localizer non precision approach to runway 18 at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Birmingham, Alabama.

The captain and first officer were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. The scheduled cargo flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan, and dark night visual flight rules conditions prevailed at the airport; variable instrument meteorological conditions with a variable ceiling were present north of the airport on the approach course at the time of the accident.

The flight originated from Louisville International Airport-Standiford Field, Louisville, Kentucky, about 0503 eastern daylight time.

A notice to airmen in effect at the time of the accident indicated that runway 06/24, the longest runway available at the airport and the one with a precision approach, would be closed from 0400 to 0500 CDT. Because the flight's scheduled arrival time was 0451, only the shorter runway 18 with a nonprecision approach was available to the crew.

Forecasted weather at BHM indicated that the low ceilings upon arrival required an alternate airport, but the dispatcher did not discuss the low ceilings, the single-approach option to the airport, or the reopening of runway 06/24 about 0500 with the flight crew. Further, during the flight, information about variable ceilings at the airport was not provided to the flight crew.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the flight crew's continuation of an unstabilized approach and their failure to monitor the aircraft's altitude during the approach, which led to an inadvertent descent below the minimum approach altitude and subsequently into terrain.

Contributing to the accident were 

(1) the flight crew's failure to properly configure and verify the flight management computer for the profile approach;

(2) the captain's failure to communicate his intentions to the first officer once it became apparent the vertical profile was not captured;

(3) the flight crew's expectation that they would break out of the clouds at 1,000 feet above ground level due to incomplete weather information;

(4) the first officer's failure to make the required minimums callouts;

(5) the captain's performance deficiencies likely due to factors including, but not limited to, fatigue, distraction, or confusion, consistent with performance deficiencies exhibited during training; and

(6) the first officer's fatigue due to acute sleep loss resulting from her ineffective off-duty time management and circadian factors.

Aerojet AR1 rocket engine development moves ahead

July 5, 2015, 11:17 am

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Aerojet Rocketdyne and NASA Stennis Space Center signed a Space Act Agreement for test services and test stand support of the AR1 multi-element pre-burner and main injector.

Currently in development by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the AR1 engine is a replacement for the Russian-made RD-180 engines that power the Atlas V launch vehicle. This agreement builds on the current assembly and testing of the company’s RS-68 and RS-25 engines at NASA Stennis.

“This is another example of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s focus to maintain schedule for the United States to be able to have AR1 ready to fly in 2019, to keep our country on track to end dependence on Russian engines,” said Julie Van Kleeck, Aerojet Rocketdyne vice president of Advanced Space & Launch.

Under the agreement, the company will pay NASA Stennis to modify the E-1 complex, cell 2 test stand over a period of six months. The test stand will be configured to conduct AR1 staged combustion testing.

The AR1 engine uses two combustion devices: a pre-burner and a main injector/combustion chamber. These two devices operate in extreme temperature and pressure environments and are critical to the function of the engine. As part of the development path to full-scale testing, AR recently conducted subscale pre-burner hot-fire testing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center using hardware fabricated via additive manufacturing that serves to reduce both cost and schedule for the production engine.

“We are using a stair step approach to eliminate the highest risk items first in our AR1 engine development program to ensure earliest possible delivery,” added Van Kleeck. “By incorporating additive manufacturing and other new processes, materials and techniques into our plan, we offer the Nation a timely, cost-efficient path to end reliance on the Russian engines.”

The AR1 engine provides 500,000 pounds of thrust and features advanced oxygen-rich staged combustion kerosene technology making it configurable to multiple U.S. launch vehicles.