Northrop Grumman Begins Producing First International F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Northrop Grumman Corporation  has begun producing the center fuselage for the first international F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, an F-35B short take off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the United Kingdom designated BK-1. The center fuselage is the core structure around which the F-35 aircraft is built.

The assembly process began Oct. 26 at the company’s Palmdale Manufacturing Center with the loading of an all-composite air inlet duct into a special tooling structure called a jig. This first assembly process, one of approximately 18 major steps in assembling an F-35 center fuselage, consists of attaching metal frames around the duct. The frames serve to brace and position the duct properly within the center fuselage.

“Jig loading the BK-1 center fuselage for the United Kingdom’s first F-35 demonstrates that the program is delivering on its promise to produce a fifth generation, multi-role fighter that meets the common air combat requirements of the U.S. and its allies,” said Mark Tucker, vice president and F-35 program manager for Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector. “Through a disciplined approach to managing costs and engineering changes, we’re continuing to reduce program risks, which will help the F-35 industry team put jets on the ramp on or before the initial operational need dates of our international partners.”

Tucker noted that the company had started assembling the BK-1 center fuselage three days sooner than the date indicated by the F-35 program’s master schedule.

Northrop Grumman is a principal and founding member of the F-35 industry team led by Lockheed Martin. To date, the company has delivered 25 center fuselages — 19 for the system development and demonstration phase, six for the low rate initial production (LRIP) phases of the program. BK-1 is being produced as part of LRIP3. The program is scheduled to produce 138 F-35Bs for the United Kingdom.

Final assembly of all F-35 jets is performed by Lockheed Martin at a facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The process includes mating a Northrop Grumman-built center fuselage to an aft fuselage produced by BAE Systems, and the forward fuselage/cockpit and wings produced by Lockheed Martin.

Northrop Grumman is responsible for the design and production of center fuselages for all three variants of F-35 aircraft: conventional takeoff and landing; short takeoff, vertical landing; and the carrier variant. The F-35 Lightning II program expects to build more than 3,100 aircraft.

As a member of the F-35 global industry team, Northrop Grumman is central to the development, production and support of the F-35 Lightning II. The company designed and produces the aircraft’s center fuselage, radar and other key avionics including electro-optical and communications subsystems; develops mission systems and mission-planning software; leads the team’s development of pilot and maintenance training system courseware; and manages the team’s use, support and maintenance of low-observable technologies.

Source and Picture: Northrop Grumman

GE’s 747 Flying Testbed Celebrates 40 Years of Flight

The aircraft rolled off the assembly line on October 17, 1969 and went into operation with Pan American World Airlines. GE purchased the aircraft in 1992.

“We are very proud of the length of reliable service the flying testbed has provided,” said Dom Pitocco, plant leader at GE’s Victorville Flight Test Operation. “The aircraft is a living relic, being the primary commercial engine test aircraft for GE’s top-performing and best-selling engines over the past two decades.”

The flying testbed, a first-generation 747-100 model, is the oldest version of the 747 still flying in the United States today and the fifth oldest in the world. The aircraft has flight tested GE and CFM International* engines of various sizes and thrust capabilities, from the CF34 engines for regional jets to the world’s largest, most powerful engine, the GE90-115B.

GE has flown the aircraft more than 600 cycles and 2,500 test hours, bringing its lifetime total to more than 18,000 cycles and 88,000 flight hours.

Worried Iran pilot asks passengers to pray

TEHRAN – A worried Iranian airline pilot asked passengers to start praying after his plane was hit by a technical glitch early on Thursday, highlighting once again the notorious record of Tehran’s aircraft.

The Aseman Airlines Boeing plane had taken off from Tehran airport after a six-hour delay, but had to return following a technical fault, the ISNA news agency quoted a passenger as recounting.

“The plane took off at 0015 in the morning and had to land back in Tehran after 45 minutes,” the passenger said.

“The pilot told the passengers ‘the plane is facing a technical problem and has to return. So please pray.’”

Iran has been under years of international sanctions hampering its ability to buy modern planes from major manufacturers, such as Boeing and Airbus, or spare parts, and has suffered a number of air disasters over the past decade.

Its civil and military fleet is made up of ancient aircraft in very poor condition due to their age, and lack of maintenance.

In July it suffered one of its worst air disasters when a Caspian Airlines plane, a Russian Tupolev 154, crashed near Qazvin, northwest of Tehran, killing all 168 people on board.

Source: business.maktoob.com

US Air Force Officials Announce Candidate Bases for JSF

Eleven bases have been selected as candidate bases and include for training: Boise Air Terminal Air Guard Station, Idaho; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Holloman AFB N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station, Ariz. The six bases selected as candidate bases for operations are: Burlington International Airport Guard Station, Vt.; Hill AFB, Utah; Jacksonville International Airport Air Guard Station, Fla.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Shaw AFB, S.C.; and McEntire Air Guard Base, S.C.
The list of candidate bases was approved by the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force and identifies the first group of bases to be considered for joint strike fighter basing decisions. The selection of these bases signifies the determination of Air Force officials that these locations have the greatest potential to accommodate the F-35 training or operational mission.

Survivors Unlikely in Midair Crash, Pentagon Official Says

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2009 – Search efforts continue after two military aircraft collided off the California coast yesterday, but a Defense Department official said it’s unlikely there are survivors among the nine people aboard.

The crash occurred about 7 p.m. local time last night some 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, Calif., when a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft with seven people aboard collided with an AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter containing two pilots, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Web site.

“The search is still on, but it’s likely taken the lives of nine individuals,” said Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman, calling the collision a “tragic event.”

The Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps are involved in the search, with Coast Guard assets including two MH-60J Jayhawk helicopters, the Cutters Edisto and Petrel, from San Diego, and the Cutter Blackfin from Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Coast Guard aircraft from Air Station Sacramento was engaged in a search and rescue mission and the Marine helicopter from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was conducting a routine training mission at the time of the crash. The Navy reported to the Coast Guard that they observed what appeared to be a midair collision, according to the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard and Navy crews searched through the night amid conditions offering unlimited visibility and “ideal search conditions,” the Coast Guard reported.

Efforts are focused on the search for survivors, and the Coast Guard is investigating to determine the cause of the accident.

Source: DOD

Denim Air expands fleet with Fokker 100

The Dutch aviation company Denim Air festively added a Fokker 100 to its fleet at Rotterdam Airport on Thursday, 29 October 2009. This aircraft will in particular be deployed for the so-called wet lease and will considerably increase the market share of the company. 

Denim Air was founded in 1996 and is the European market leader in Wet Lease (ACMI), a service provision whereby airline companies can lease aircraft, as desired, complete with cockpit and cabin crew, maintenance and insurance. Denim Air also leases aircraft for charter flights.

The company not only leases aircraft but also provides trainings for the crew of other airline companies and it has its own maintenance company to carry out maintenance, repairs and checks on wheels, tires and brakes in particular; both for its own aircraft as well as those of other airlines. 

Denim Air and Fokker Services recently signed an alliance strategy.

This alliance provides Denim Air with logistics and technical support from Fokker Services; not only for the Fokker 50 and 100, but also for the Dash 8. This includes logistic programmes such as Abacus, with which Fokker Services will support an optimum deployment of the aircraft through an engineering support and documentation. An AOG-service ensures 24/7 worldwide availability of spare parts.

The jet engine powered Fokker 100, with a capacity of approximately 100 passengers, is an important addition to the fleet, which up to now consisted of 50-seat Fokker 50 and Dash 8 turboprop aircraft. The additional seats of the Fokker 100 are not the only asset that makes it attractive for a new target group, its greater range of 3,000 kilometers is also a major plus point. 

“This aircraft not only allows us to compete with the larger propeller aircraft with a capacity of 70 passengers, we can now also accommodate comfortable jet flights for the somewhat longer distances”, comments a spokesperson for the company. “We will therefore be targeting the smaller tour operators that cannot fill 180 seats, but which have insufficient aircraft capacity during the vacation periods. The Fokker 100 is particularly ideal for summer destination flights.” 

With the arrival of the Fokker 100, the Denim Air fleet now totals 17 aircrafts. Denim Air handles over 35,000 flights within and outside Europe each year and its workforce of 225 pilots and cabin crew was instructed and trained by the company itself. Other airline companies also regularly have their personnel instructed by or attend further training at Denim Air.

Source: Denim Air

Boeing to Upgrade CV-22 Trainer With Virtual Reality Enhancements

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], with partner Bell Helicopter, has received a contract from the U.S. Navy to upgrade the CV-22 Cabin Part Task Trainer (CPTT) with modifications including an Aircrew Flight Simulation (AFS) that deploys a fused reality system that fuses video images with virtual reality. The upgrade will be delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command, 58th Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The CPTT is a full-fuselage device that is used to train flight engineers on the CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The AFS process integrates real and virtual environments in an image processor. This enables the student to view both the interior cabin environment and the simulated outside world in a composite picture sent to the student’s helmet-mounted display.

“This is an innovative approach that allows students to train on ‘real time’ cargo air drops, parachute drops and emergencies, including wing fires, hydraulic leaks and engine smoke,” said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president of Training Systems & Services. “This modification opens the door to future upgrades that could enable simulated mission operations with separate cockpit flight simulators, where the CPTT could ‘fly’ with the cockpit simulator on a common mission.”

The team’s latest effort is part of an ongoing development program for the CV-22 CPTT, which also includes trainer concurrency, providing on-budget, on-schedule, tactically relevant training to the warfighter.

The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft manufactured by Boeing Rotorcraft Systems and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. [NYSE: TXT] company. Bell and Boeing are teamed in a Strategic Alliance Agreement for the design, production, and sustainment of the V-22.

Source: Boeing

Picture: Rob Vogelaar, ZAPP group

Air France receives its first A380

Air France has taken delivery of its first Airbus A380. The French carrier is the first European airline to fly the all-new double-deck aircraft on scheduled services. The aircraft is the twentieth A380 delivered by Airbus. The aircraft was handed over in a delivery ceremony today in Hamburg, Germany, to Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, Chief Executive Officer of Air France KLM and to Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Air France KLM, by Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO, and in the presence of James Moravecek, Engine Alliance President.

At the ceremony Air France unveiled its spacious and comfortable cabin, featuring 538 seats in a three class configuration (nine First, 80 Business and 449 Voyageur Economy). The cabin features innovative mood lighting with several different lighting scenarios to create a calm atmosphere and environment for its passengers.

“Each A380 will enable Air France to save 12 to 15 million euros a year, which, in today’s depressed economic climate, provides the Company with the means to withstand the crisis” said Pierre-Henri Gourgeon Chief Executive Officer of Air France KLM.” Air France will therefore be able to offer customers even greater comfort, while keeping costs under control. Furthermore, the performance of the A380 is in line with our environmental commitments”, he added.

“This delivery marks another milestone in the longstanding history and partnership between Air France and Airbus,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. “It fills us with great pride that our first ever aircraft customer is now also the first European airline to operate the A380.We are convinced the A380 will greatly contribute to Air France’ continued success.”

The aircraft is powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 engines delivering up to 72,000 lbs of thrust each. The A380 has an unmatched fuel efficiency, consuming less than three litres per 100 kilometres per passenger. Thanks to excellent aerodynamic performance, the A380complies with today’s strictest noise limits, and also makes it the quietest large aircraft flying today. The all new double deck aircraft generates only half as much noise on take-off and landing as the previous largest passenger aircraft. The A380 provides also vital extra passenger capacity without increasing the number of flights, and is therefore part of the solution for sustainable growth at congested airports

The aircraft’s efficient performance and industry leading technology result in higher operational flexibility and outstanding operational economics. With a range of more than 15,000 km/8,000 nm and seat-mile costs 20 per cent lower than its closest competitor.

Air France ordered 10 A380s in June 2001 and added another two in 2007.

Air France’s first A380 will start its commercial service with inaugural flights on the 20th and 21st November on the Paris – New York – Paris route. As the largest Airbus operator in Europe with a fleet of 183 aircraft, the airline currently operates 34 A330 and A340 aircraft as well as 149 A320 family aircraft. Air France took delivery of the first Airbus aircraft in 1974 and was also the first carrier in the world to operate aircraft from the entire Airbus Single-Aisle A320 Family.

The new Air France A380 is the 20th A380 delivered by Airbus – 10 are already flying with Singapore, five with Emirates and four with Qantas. These aircraft are connecting four continents on 13 major international routes. Today 12 major international hub-airports around the world regularly welcome the A380 including: Auckland, Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

Up to now, the A380 fleet has accumulated over 75,000 revenue flight hours in over 7,900 commercial flights. Over 2,5 million passengers have already enjoyed flying the A380.

Airbus has won 200 firm A380 orders from 16 customers worldwide, including Air France.

Source: Airbus

Alpen Co. Ltd Orders An AW109 Power Helicopter

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, and Kaigai Aviotech Corporation are pleased to announce that Alpen Co. Ltd of Japan has ordered an AW109 Power light twin turbine engine helicopter. This aircraft will be used for VIP/corporate transport purposes and operated from Nagoya. The helicopter is expected to be delivered to customer by the end of this year. This latest order further expands the exceptional success achieved by the AW109 Power in the Japan helicopter market, particularly for VIP/corporate transport and law enforcement applications.
AgustaWestland and Kaigai Aviotech Corporation signed a distribution agreement in 2007 for the sale of AW119 Ke, AW109 Power and Grand commercial models in Japan. Customers in Japan also benefit from leading support solutions which include a spare parts centre headquartered at the Tokyo Heliport. AgustaWestland has seen its position and share of the Japan helicopter market steadily increase in recent years to become a major supplier of helicopters to both the commercial and government markets and the company sees significant business opportunities in the future. Established in Nagoya in 1972, Alpen Co. Ltd is a leading company whose business includes the manufacture and retail of ski equipment as well as other sporting goods also including golf, tennis, marine sports, baseball and leisure goods and management of ski resorts and golf courses.

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates First Successful Flight Test for paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bombs

ARCHBALD, PA, October 29th, 2009 — Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully completed the first in a series of flight tests of the paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) guidance kit. The paveway II Plus LGB uses an enhanced laser guidance package, significantly improving precision when compared to existing paveway II LGBs.

The flight test consisted of two GBU-10s released from a U.S. Navy Super Hornet at the Navy’s China Lake, CA, test ranges. Each weapon included the new paveway II Plus MAU-209C/B Computer Control Group. Both weapons, which were also equipped with telemetry instrumentation, were released using a set of pre-determined flight conditions, initiated laser guidance as planned and successfully guided to direct hits on the target.

“The paveway II Plus is a revolutionary performance improvement to the paveway II LGB weapon system,” said Joe Serra, senior manager for Precision Guided Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our team fully embraced the challenge to cost effectively improve the precision of this mature weapon system without impacting logistics. The paveway II Plus provides significantly better impact accuracy without any changes to the aircraft platform or weapon employment.”

Lockheed Martin is a qualified provider of the paveway II LGB, of all three variants of the paveway II MK-80 series LGBs, and is the sole provider of the paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round and Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb.

Paveway II LGB guidance kits improve weapon accuracy and reduce risk to U.S. and allied ground forces by converting gravity weapons into precision-guided munitions. Each kit consists of a computer control group, which is the front-end guidance system, plus an air foil group which adds stability fins on the back of each weapon.

Lockheed Martin’s LGB kits can be carried on U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and most international aircraft platforms currently authorized to carry and release LGBs. Kits are fully compatible and interoperable with existing paveway II LGB logistics infrastructure, equipment, procedures and aircrew operations.

Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 55,000 LGB kits to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and international customers. Laser-guided bombs have been used successfully in Operation Iraqi Freedom and current overseas contingency operations.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Boeing Receives Follow-on Contract to Upgrade B-1 Bomber’s Avionics Software

LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 29, 2009 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced it has received an $84 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for additional upgrades of the B-1 bomber fleet’s avionics software.

The award continues a software-sustainment program that has continually updated and improved the B-1’s operational capabilities since the aircraft entered service in 1989. This new contract authorizes Boeing to start work on Sustainment Block 16 (SB 16).

Each software sustainment block includes changes to navigation; weapon delivery; radar; electrical multiplexing; communication/navigation management system software; and controls and displays. Boeing engineers in Long Beach and Oklahoma City deliver the latest avionics software once a year for the Air Force’s fleet of 66 B-1s. SB 14 is in flight test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and will be delivered to the Air Force in 2011. SB 15 will be delivered in 2012, and design and development work for SB 16 will begin immediately.

“We are honored to continue providing these upgrades to the Air Force and are excited about all the B-1 potential that will be provided with SB 16,” said Mahesh Reddy, B-1 program director for Boeing. “This major block will enhance the aircraft’s color cockpit displays, data link, radar and navigation in ways that will significantly improve B-1 aircrews’ ability to execute their missions.”

Another B-1 milestone that Boeing accomplished this year was the July 30 first flight of a B-1 upgraded with the Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL). This upgrade includes new processors, color displays and communications architecture, enhancing B-1 crews’ situational awareness and communications capability. The FIDL aircraft is also in flight test at Edwards.

The multi-mission B-1 has been carrying the largest strike payload in the Air Force inventory since its combat debut. Its low radar cross-section, variable-geometry wings, advanced avionics, and afterburning engines combine to provide long range, maneuverability, high speed and survivability.

Source: Boeing

Airbus partners with Tianjin Free Trade Zone to establish a Logistics Centre in Tianjin

Logistics Centre to support on-going Airbus’ industrial cooperation programmes in China

Airbus signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) on the establishment of a Logistics Centre in Tianjin to optimise the supply chain management for all Airbus’ industrial cooperation projects in the country.

The MoU was signed by Bruno Gutierres, Head of Airbus Transportation and William Wei, Vice President of Tianijn Port Free Trade Zone Administrative Committee, in the presence of Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS, Airbus’ parent company, He Lifeng, Deputy Party Secretary of Tianjin and Wang Zhiping, Vice Mayor of Tianjin.

Airbus intends to organize its supply chain based on modern and efficient methods that have been deployed and tested in Europe and the USA in order to sustain the growth of its industrial activities in China. The Logistics Centre will serve as a hub to manage the transportation to and from China of all goods that are needed for the success of Airbus industrial projects in China.

According to the MoU, the project has been divided into three phases. In the first phase, both parties will jointly establish the logistics and customs processes as well as any other action necessary to launch the project. As early as January 2010, the logistics centre will start operation in a temporary location in the TJFTZ Comprehensive Bonded Area. The first step enables simple logistics operations for the Wing Equipping project in Tianjin with XAIC and the Manufacturing Centre with Hafei in Harbin.

In the second phase, a joint working team comprising Airbus, TJFTZ and Tianjin Customs will develop a Feasibility Study on the complete implementation of the project. A permanent location of the Logistics Centre will be decided during this period.

Finally, in phase 3, which is expected to be launched in March 2010, the Logistics Centre will be fully operational in the permanent location. The services of the Logistics Centre will be extended to cover all Airbus industrial packages in China, including the FALC.

Today, six Chinese aviation companies are directly involved in manufacturing parts and components for Airbus aircraft. These companies are located in different cities including Harbin, Shenyang, Tianjin, Xi’an, Chengdu and Shanghai, and each supply chain is organised separately.

“As Airbus is expanding its industrial activities in China, a logistics centre will help us optimize the supply chain for all our projects in a more streamlined way, while reducing costs and increasing efficiency. There were many reasons why we selected Tianjin as the location for our new Logistics Centre; among them, its geographic advantages as a major sea port, its proximity to several Airbus cooperation projects in China, FALC, and soon Wing equipping, and its excellent infrastructure,” said Laurence Barron, Airbus China President.

“Following the success of the various Airbus industrial cooperation projects in Tianjin, we are pleased to welcome Airbus Logistics Centre Tianjin. The success of the Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line China project has attracted more and more international as well as domestic aviation companies to Tianjin. The establishment of the Airbus Logistics Centre will further promote the development of Tianjin as one of the country’s major aviation cities,” said He Lifeng, Deputy Party Secretary of Tianjin.

Source: Airbus

Next Page »