ROYAL NETHERLANDS AIR FORCE says preliminary results from May 26 F-35A noise tests at Volkel and Leeuwarden air base communities showed “no distinguishable noise difference between an F-35 vs. an F-16 to the human ear.” CFM INTERNATIONAL INC. has $32.5m U.S. Navy contract for field assessment, unscheduled engine repair, assistance with removal/replacement of P-8 CFM56 engines.
VR Technologies, a design bureau created in 2014 as part of Russian Helicopters, displayed a unconventional quad-tiltrotor unmanned aircraft at the HelRussia 2016 exhibition on May 19-21 in Moscow.
In observance of Memorial Day in the U.S., Aerospace Daily & Defense Report will not be publishing on Monday, May 30. The next issue will be dated Wednesday, June 1.
The May 26 midair collision between two Super Hornets represents a rare occurrence for the F/A-18s, but the line of Hornets and Super Hornets has been involved in more incidents than any other U.S. Navy aircraft so far this fiscal decade, according to an Aviation Week analysis of data provided by the U.S. Navy Safety Center.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. For a complete list of Aviation Week Network’s upcoming events, and to register, visit www.aviationweek.com/events (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) May 31—MRO Network—ap&m Summit, London, U.K. For more information go to www.aviationweek.com/events June 1-2—MRO Network, ap&m Europe, London, U.K. For more information go to www.aviationweek.com/events
Analysis of the first noise trials in the Netherlands with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has found that the difference in noise levels between the F-35 and F-16 is perceived to be small.
The vast majority of the Moon’s water, a small but significant volatile stored primarily in the lunar interior, was delivered by impacts from asteroids rather than comets over a 200-million-year period that followed the Moon’s formation, an analysis shows.
Norwegian air accident investigators probing the fatal loss of an Airbus H225 helicopter are studying potential failures of the epicyclic module, suspension bar attachments and the conical housing in the main gearbox as possible causes of the accident.
India has delayed until June its plan to launch 22 satellites—a mission touted as a landmark step toward boosting the country’s potential in the global space business.
Italian aerospace and defense group Leonardo-Finmeccanica says it may reassess its future in India if it is blacklisted by the country’s ministry of defense over long-running claims of corruption in a VIP helicopter deal.
The British public votes on June 23 whether the U.K. should remain in the European Union. Whichever way it goes, it’s a massive decision for Britain and the EU.
L-3 COMMUNICATIONS VERTEX AEROSPACE has $302m U.S. Navy contract for logistics services for Marine Corps Reserve C-12 and Navy TC-12B trainer aircraft. UNITED AIRCRAFT CORP. plans May 30 rollout of Be-200ES seaplane, produced by BERIEV AIRCRAFT CO. for Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. UKROBORONPROM plans to expedite production of modernized BTR-4 armored personnel carriers for Ukranian army. MARAND PRECISION ENGINEERING of Australia will build full-size F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training aids for worldwide use under subcontract to LOCKHEED MARTIN.
Battery-powered electric light training and recreational aircraft are becoming a reality, and now Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. has taken the next step, unveiling the Sun Flyer, a solar-electric general aviation trainer. Rolled out in Denver earlier in May, the proof-to-concept prototype will be used to finalize the design for an FAA-certified production version of the all-electric two-seater. Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology will help develop a complete training system for the Sun Flyer. The aircraft weights 2,700 lb.
Darpa’s new competition to build and fly the XS-1 experimental spaceplane requires bidders to submit a plan to transition the vehicle to a commercial business model.
Approval to begin the definition phase of the Future Fighter Capability program is scheduled for 2017, leading to a request for proposals in 2017-19 and contract award in 2018-20.
Italian investigators probing the fatal crash of the second prototype AgustaWestland AW609 commercial tiltrotor have reportedly impounded the third prototype, preventing it from being shipped to the U.S. for flight testing.
Researchers say data from a successful Mach 7.5 flight test will help designers of future hypersonic vehicles and weapons more accurately predict the behavior of the boundary layer, one of the great areas of uncertainty still remaining in the high-speed flight regime.
Flight tests of an extremely high frequency through-weather targeting sensor developed by Raytheon are planned for late this year under Darpa’s Video Synthetic Aperture Radar program
Flight decks of the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are to be protected from damage by the exhaust from Lockheed Martin F-35Bs using a U.K.-developed metal coating.
Japan and Italy are partnering with NASA to fly three CubeSats beyond Earth orbit on the U.S. space agency’s inaugural flight of a new Space Launch System (SLS) in 2018.
The U.S. Navy successfully validated significant progression in the Fire Control Improvement Process (FCLIP) program through a live-fire test involving the Ship’s Self Defense System (SSDS) and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Guided Missile Weapons System at Point Mugu, California, Naval Sea Systems Command (Navsea) says.
