Air New Zealand has confirmed that the first scheduled Boeing 787-9 route will be from Auckland to Perth, Australia, with the aircraft taking over existing service on Oct. 15, 2014. The carrier is the launch customer for the 787-9; the first aircraft is expected to be delivered in July. It will be used on some one-off flights to other Australian cities before it is assigned to the Perth service. Air New Zealand says its 787s will next be deployed on its existing flights from Auckland to Shanghai and Tokyo.
The Lynx is a twin-engine, multirole military helicopter that has been produced in a variety of models for antisubmarine warfare, training, utility and transport roles. The Super Lynx 300 series aircraft is powered by a pair of LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines rated 1,384 shp each. The upgraded AW159 Lynx Wildcat, designed for the U.K. military, features a new airframe, CTS800-4N engines rated 1,361 shp each and a new glass cockpit. The AW159 variant's first flight occurred in November 2009.
The MiG-AT is a twin-engine jet trainer. One prototype made its first flight in 1996, and a second in 2004. The aircraft uses two 3,150-lb.-thrust Turbomeca/Snecma Larzac 04-R20 turbofan engines, although it has also been tested with 3,750-lb.-thrust Soyuz RD-1700 engines for the Russian air force. RAC MiG has also conceived a single-seat light fighter/attack version designated the MiG-AS.
Additive manufacturing has captured industry's imagination, but even as the first parts appear inside jet engines, the technology's possibilities are only just being realized.
Since the end of the Cold War, France has roughly halved its nuclear arsenal and eliminated the option to conduct land-based strikes. But with 300 warheads still in its stockpile, Paris is investing in a major upgrade of its deterrent force through 2030, with plans to modernize strategic submarine and aircraft fleets, missiles, warheads, communications networks and production facilities.
The E-3/E-6/E-8 series is a family of special-purpose military aircraft based on the Boeing 707. All three models are currently out of production. Some 76 E-3s, 17 E-6s and 20 E-8s were built. The E-3 AWACS platform made its first flight in February 1972. Production E-3s were powered by either four Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines or four CFM56-2 engines. First flight of the E-6A Tacamo II communications platform, which uses four F108-CF-100 (CFM56-2A-2) turbofans, took place in 1987.
Jean-Michel Hillion (see photo) has been named corporate senior vice president for Boeing programs for Paris-based Safran. He succeeds Norbert Gaillard, who has retired. Hillion has been head of Safran Electronics and was director of programs for the Hydraulics and Braking Control Divs. of Messier-Bugatti.
A recent In Orbit column (AW&ST Oct. 28, p. 22) touted the potential of a cancer cure developed on the International Space Station (ISS). Nice idea, but first, even if the clinical tests work out, given the cost of getting the raw materials up to the ISS and returning them, will anyone be able to afford the cure?
The J-20 is a twin-engine fighter aircraft with apparent stealth features. It first flew in January 2011 and is scheduled to become operational in 2017-19. Little is known about Chinese aircraft programs, and the effectiveness of the low-observable features on the aircraft is a matter of debate. Analysis of the exterior features of the aircraft has tended to question its agility. The aircraft may be designed for long-range attack missions or as an aircraft that can penetrate the U.S.
Commonly used in search-and-rescue and offshore duties, the twin-engine, 15-passenger civil/commercial AW139 helicopter is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turboshaft engines rated 1,679 shp each at takeoff. Originally named the AB139 when the AW139 was a joint venture of AgustaWestland and Bell, the name changed when Bell withdrew from the program. Approximately 550 AW139s were delivered through 2012. A total of 689 AW139s are slated for production between 2013 and 2022, mostly for civil customers.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries began development of the C-2 twin-engine tactical transport in 2001 as a replacement for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's C-1As and C-130Hs, with the first flight in January 2010. The C-2 is powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofans rated at 52,500 lb. thrust each and has a maximum payload of 82,892 lb. Twenty-five C-1s are forecast for production from 2013 through 2022.
The L-39 family includes two-seat trainers and single-seat light-attack aircraft; all are single-engine-powered. The most recent version is the L-159 and although the aircraft is still available for order, no new ones have been produced since 2003. Power for the L-159 is provided by a 6,300-lb.-thrust ITEC (Honeywell/AIDC) F124-GA-100 turbofan engine. The maiden flight of the L-39 occurred in 1968, with the L-159 following with its first flight in 1997 and first delivery in 1999. About 2,800 of the nearly 3,000 aircraft produced remain in service worldwide.
Brian J. Sinnwell has been appointed deputy executive director of planning and engineering and Timothy N. Haizlip maintenance director for the Louisville (Ky.) Regional Airport Authority. Sinnwell succeeds Karen A. Scott, who has retired. Sinnwell was director of planning and facilities at the Lehigh Northampton (Pa.) Airport Authority. Haizlip held the same position for the Capital Region Airport Authority in Lansing, Mich. Lesa Seibert has been named to the board of directors. She is president of Xstreme Media in Louisville.
The UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk series is a family of single-main-rotor, twin-turbine, medium-lift military transport and utility helicopters. The latest version is the UH-60M, powered by two 2,215-shp GE T700-GE-701D turboshafts. The UH-60 family also includes the new S-70i model, which undergoes final assembly at Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec in Poland. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries produces the Black Hawk under license in Japan. Through 2012, Sikorsky and Mitsubishi produced more than 3,110 Black Hawks.
The Mirage 2000 is a strike/reconnaissance aircraft. First flight occurred in 1978, with production running through 2007. Early aircraft of the type were powered by a Snecma M53-5 augmented turbofan (19,840 lb. thrust), while later aircraft were fitted with an M53-P2 augmented turbofan (21,385 lb. thrust). Single-seat interceptor and two-seat nuclear strike fighter variants were available. Some 607 Mirage 2000s were produced.
The W-3 Sokol is a medium, twin-engine multirole helicopter. Since its first flight in 1979, the Sokol has been built in a variety of variants, including the W-3RM search-and-rescue and W-3WA armed-combat versions. The W-3 is powered by two PZL-Rzeszow PZL-10W turboshafts rated at 900 shp each for takeoff. Through 2012, approximately 160 W-3s were built for military and civil customers and, from 2013 through 2022, another 49 W-3s are forecast be built.
Sukhoi is developing the single-seat, twin-engine T-50 to meet the Russian air force's PAK FA requirement for a new fighter aircraft. The initial T-50 prototype made its first flight in January 2010. A second prototype joined the flight-test program in March 2011. A third prototype took to the air in November 2011, followed by a fourth in December 2012. These aircraft are fitted with the Saturn 117 turbofan engine, which is to be used on initial production T-50s. Later production T-50s are to be powered by a new engine being developed by United Engine Corp.
The A400M is a four-engine, turboprop-powered military transport aircraft whose first flight occurred in December 2009. The aircraft is powered by four Europrop International TP400-D6 turboprop engines rated at 11,000 shp each, and has a maximum payload capacity of 81,600 lb. Seven European nations are participating in the A400M program: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the U.K. The seven nations intend to acquire a total of 170 A400Ms. Malaysia joined its European counterparts in the development effort in 2005, and will acquire four A400Ms.
The A330 MRTT is a military tanker/transport version of the Airbus A330-200 commercial airliner. The twin-engine A330 MRTT is powered by either Rolls-Royce Trent 700 or General Electric CF6-80E1 turbofan engines. Eighteen green airframes were produced for conversion through August 2012. An additional 12 are forecast to be built in the 2013-22 period.
The piston-powered CL-215 amphibian aircraft first flew in 1967, finding primary use as a firefighting platform, though the aircraft could also be used in other applications such as transport, maritime surveillance and search-and-rescue. Production of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA3-powered aircraft ended in 1989, with 125 produced. A new variant, the Bombardier 415, is currently in production and is powered by PW123AF turboprop engines. Eighty-three 415s were built through 2012. An additional 31 are forecast for production in 2013-22.
International Space Station occupancy temporarily surged to nine people on Nov. 7, with the launch and docking of the Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft. Onboard was a crew of three, including veteran aerospace engineer Koichi Wakata, who is slated to become the first Japanese commander of the orbiting science lab in March.
The AMX is a counter-air and close air support aircraft powered by a single 11,030-lb-thrust Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 807 non-afterburning turbofan. Alenia and Aermacchi (then independent companies) initially pursued separate designs for Italy's required attack/support aircraft, but began collaborating in 1978. Embraer joined the team in 1980. The resulting single-seat aircraft made its maiden flight in 1984, with deliveries beginning in 1989. A two-seat trainer variant, the AMX-T, flew in 1990.
