USAF National Museum of the Air Force remembers ‘Aztec Eagles’

3/3/2010 - DAYTON, Ohio (AFNS) – National Museum of the Air Force officials revealed a new exhibit Feb. 26 here dedicated to Mexican airmen who fought alongside U.S. forces in World War II.

Members of the Mexican air force Escuadron 201, commonly referred to as the Aztec Eagles, are featured in the exhibit. “The Mexican Air Force,” is part of the growing display of the “Airmen in a World at War” exhibit.

Mexican officials declared war against Japan, Germany and Italy May 28, 1942, and Mexican servicemembers fought alongside the U.S. forces in the South Pacific during World War II. Manuel Avila Camacho, the President of Mexico during World War II, accepted a U.S. invitation to provide Mexican air force units in the war against Japan after breaking off diplomatic relations with those countries shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Terry Aitken, the senior curator of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, noted that these treatise included agreements for the unlimited reciprocal use of airfields and facilities as well as the establishment by the U.S. Army Air Forces of a number of bases in Mexico to train personnel.

In the summer of 1945, airmen from the Mexican air force flew combat missions along with their American allies. Mexico’s Escuadron 201, equipped with Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter aircraft, distinguished themselves in providing close-air-support to American ground units as well as long-range bombing strikes deep into Japanese held territory.

“The outstanding work made my those men (Escuadron 201) demonstrated that good things can only be achieved with leadership, teamwork and sacrifice, fighting side-by-side and shoulder-to-shoulder,” said Lt. Col. Jose Nunez, Mexico’s Foreign Liaison Officer from the Air Force Security Assistance Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, during the exhibit opening ceremony.

This unit of 33 pilots and more than 270 support personnel, along with a Mexican expeditionary air force (Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana) headquarters, moved to the Philippine Islands in February 1945. In March of 1945, Escuadron 201 members were attached to the U.S. 5th Air Force and the 58th Fighter Group which was based at Porac, Luzon in the Philippine Islands. The 58th Fighter Group merged the Escuadron 201 into combat operations and provided support to the new unit during its first combat missions.

In early July 1945, 58th Fighter Group members deployed to Okinawa, Japan, and Escuadron 201 members assumed responsibility for air operations in their area. The airmen provided close-in-ground support to the advancing U.S. 25th “Tropic Lightning” Division and Philippine Army units on Luzon, and seven-hour long-range fighter strikes on strategic Japanese targets on the island of Taiwan.

Retired Lt. Col. Justino Reyes Retana, one of only three remaining Aztec Eagles from World War II, was unable to make the trip to the exhibit opening ceremony, however, his son, Lorenzo Reyes Retana, relayed a message on his behalf.
 
“I was honored to be recognized by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for the work which the Aztec Eagles did, and this space will serve as a reminder of our efforts and job we did for generations to come,” he said. 

During its operational history, Escuadron 201 airmen flew 795 combat sorties, accumulated nearly 2,000 hours of combat flying and lost seven pilots. The Escuadron 201 remains the only military unit in the history of Mexico to engage in combat outside of its national borders.

Source: USAF
(U.S. Air Force photo)

Loss of a British Icon

Your Help Needed to Prevent the Loss of another British Icon.

The last flying example of one of Britain’s most iconic historic aircraft, Avro Vulcan XH558 only has weeks to live and Nuneaton Based Air Cadets are urging air enthusiasts and members of the public to pledge their support in a bid to help to keep her flying.

The Leicestershire based Vulcan to the Sky Trust who operate the Vulcan XH558 have until the end of February to prove that they can raise the funds needed to carry out the engineering work needed to keep her Alive.

Flt Lt Paul Hincks of 121 (Nuneaton) Squadron said, “Generations of young people have been inspired by the sight of the Vulcan’s unique delta wing shape and sound of its four mighty Olympus engines. As a young apprentice I have fond memories of working on Vulcans at Bitteswell and I think we need to do everything we can to keep XH558 in the air for future generations. Last year our Cadets had the chance to see XH558 in action as she did a low fly past during the Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing field day at Gamecock Barracks Bramcote near Nuneaton. Hopefully with the support of the public Vulcan XH558 will continue honouring the past and inspiring future generations of air minded young people.

2010 is XH558’s 50^th Birthday but she and we, may not be able to celebrate it if the trust runs out of money by the end of February so Vulcan to the Sky Trust is asking people to take part in a world record Birthday card signing.

Mindful not to solicit donations at this time whilst they are uncertain about XH558’s future, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust have launched the XH558 Survival Appeal Pledge Scheme and are hoping that they can raise £650,000 in new pledges by the end of February to reach their target.

If you would like to sign XH558’s Birthday card and pledge your support and help to keep her flying, please visit the Survival Appeal website at http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

If you would like to know more about the Vulcan to the Sky Trust please visit their web-site at http//www.vulcantothesky.org/

Editor: Flt Lt Paul Hincks RAF

Swedish pilot prevents drama

A Swedish pilot of a small airplane faced a dramatic turn of a simple parachuting flight in Portugal on Sunday.

Mikael Anderson took off with three passengers from an airfield near Evora, east of Lisbon.

Two of the passengers were skydivers, suddenly the third passengers held a gun to the head of Mikael and demanded the pilot and the skydivers to leave the airplane. Mikael took the plane up to the correct jumping altitude so that the skydivers could jump the airplane. Mikael refused to jump.

The Hijacker took control of the aircraft, but Mikael Anderson managed to keep the airplane in the air with the controls of the co-pilot and got the plane to make an emergency landing in Tires just outside Lisbon.

“The small aircraft practicly crashed but we survived” said Anderson. The Hijacker committed suicide shortly after the crash landing with the gun.

News Source: Nu.nl

Eurocopter celebrates maiden flight of CH-53GA right on schedule

Donauwörth, February 10,
The CH-53GA medium-lift military transport helicopter successfully completed its maiden flight over the Bavarian town of Donauwörth today before an admiring crowd of approximately 150 guests. Eurocopter test pilot Rene Nater and flight engineer Antoine Van Gent were at the controls. This first flight came just three years after the contract was awarded, and represents a major milestone for the CH-53GA program, as well as for Eurocopter Germany’s support centre for the German Army helicopters. Thanks to the new upgrades, the helicopter’s service life has been extended to 2030. Training flights are slated for early 2011, with the first deliveries of the retrofitted helicopters later in the same year. The German Armed Forces will then be able to deploy the CH-53GA with its state-of-the-art equipment for international missions (e.g. Afghanistan).

As Senior Vice-President Ralf Barnscheidt, responsible for German military contracts at Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH, points out: “Over the past 30 years, the Eurocopter support centre for German Army helicopters has completed many important upgrades on the CH-53G transport helicopter, working in cooperation with the Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung (Federal Agency for Defense Technology and Procurement). I am extremely pleased to see the CH53-GA flying today, as it further demonstrates the successful cooperation we enjoy with the German Armed Forces that has enabled us to complete the program on time and within budget.”

Functional Requirements – Optimized Implementation
The CH-53G is being retrofitted so that the helicopter can be deployed in a wide range of national and international missions. The following major functional requirements for the CH-53GA have been defined and embodied:

• Improved display and flight control systems via state-of-the-art digital avionics
• Advanced accurate navigation system and improved flight capabilities in line with international IFR flight regulations
• Integration of a new automatic flight control systemAFCS/4-axis-autopilot) with automatic hovering
• Installation of auxiliary fuel tanks in the cabin to increase the range to 1,200 km
• Upgrade of communication equipment for joint missions with Tiger and NH90 helicopters
• Integration of a modular mission equipment package including FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared), satellite communication system (SatCom) and a cutting-edge electronic warfare system (EWS) for self-defense and identification of threats

Production work on the CH-53GA is scheduled to start at the Donauwörth plant in 2011 and continue through 2013. The first helicopters will be made available to the German Army before the end of 2011.

The CH-53G in Action – Domestic and International Missions
The CH-53G has been in service for over 35 years, and in the years to come it will continue to form the backbone of the German Army’s deployments in foreign missions. The helicopter is used to harsh conditions. Since entering service it has been the cornerstone of the German Army’s versatile troop and equipment transport units as part of the country’s NATO obligations, and has also been an important platform for operations in foreign missions in cooperation with other NATO forces. The helicopter has served in conflicts from Kosovo to Kabul since the early 1990s. In addition, it has been deployed in numerous missions to provide aid during national and international catastrophes such as forest fires and floods. The CH53GA will meet the German Army’s need to expand the mission capabilities of its medium-lift transport helicopters for domestic missions and deployment abroad.

Working Closely with the German Army
Eurocopter’s support center for German Army helicopters at Donauwörth is under contract to retrofit a total of 40 medium-lift CH-53G transport helicopters to CH-53GA configuration. The work includes the repair of airframe fatigue due to extensive use and ageing in order to extend the helicopters’ design life from 6,000 to 10,000 flight hours. The entire electrical system, which is nearly 35 years old, will also be replaced. The entire support center for German Army helicopters is involved in the development work on the CH-53GA. The center has experienced substantial growth over the last twenty years; the work force of 69 employees in 1991 has increased to 530 employees today, and still shows an upward trend.

Source: Eurocopter

Boeings new 747-8 flies for the first time

Boeing’s new 747-8 started it’s test flights February 8 2010 form Everett. And Touches Down Safely After 3-Hour, 39-Minute Mission

The Boeing (NYSE: BA) 747-8 Freighter successfully took to the sky for the first time today before more than 5,000 employees, customers, suppliers and community leaders. The flight begins a test program for the world’s most efficient freighter.

With 747 Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein and Capt. Tom Imrich in the flight deck, the newest member of the 747 family took off at 12:39 p.m. local time from Paine Field in Everett and landed at Paine Field at 4:18 p.m.

“It was a real privilege to be at the controls of this great airplane on its first flight, representing the thousands of folks who made today possible,” said Feuerstein. “The airplane performed as expected and handled just like a 747-400.”

Today’s flight was the first of more than 1,600 flight hours in the test program for the newest member of the Boeing freighter family. The airplane followed a route over Western Washington, where it underwent tests for basic handling qualities and engine performance. The airplane reached a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet (5,181 m) and a speed of up to 230 knots, or about 264 miles (426 km) per hour.

Powered by four General Electric GEnx-2B engines, the 747-8 Freighter will transition its testing program to Moses Lake, Wash., and Palmdale, Calif., where the other two test airplanes will join it in the coming month.

“This truly is a great day for The Boeing Company and the 747 program,” said Mo Yahyavi, 747 program general manager and vice president, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “It’s the culmination of the hard work and dedication of our employees, suppliers and customers. While there is still much to do, I am excited to begin the flight-test program, which will demonstrate the capabilities of this airplane.”

The 747-8 Freighter is the new, high-capacity 747 that will give cargo operators the lowest operating costs and best economics of any freighter. The airplane is 250 feet, 2 inches (76.3 m) long, which is 18 feet, 4 inches (5.6 m) longer than the 747-400 Freighter. The stretch provides customers with 16 percent more revenue cargo volume compared with its predecessor. That translates to an additional four main-deck pallets and three lower-hold pallets.

“The 747-8 Freighter continues the leadership of the 747 Freighter families, which carries more than half of the world’s air freight, making it the standard of the air cargo industry,” Yahyavi said.

Boeing launched the airplane on Nov. 14, 2005, with firm orders for 18 747-8 Freighters: 10 from Cargolux of Luxembourg and eight from Nippon Cargo Airlines of Japan. All told, Boeing has secured 108 orders for the 747-8, of which 76 are orders for the new freighter. Cargolux, Nippon Cargo Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Emirates SkyCargo, Guggenheim and Korean Air all have ordered the 747-8 Freighter.

The 747-800 is the largest civilian Boeing ever to fly, it looks like a normal 747 but the plane has enormous changes which makes it larger, faster, more economical, Eco-friendlier, and capable of carrying more cargo.

First Flight Sukhoi PAK FA

First flight of the experimental example of the fifth generation combat aircraft that took place from the KnAAPO factory aerodrome brings evidence that today the history of the world aviation is being written in Russia: in Komsomosk-on-Amur, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Rybinsk, Ufa, Remenskoye, Zhukovsky and other cities where indigenous design houses and aviation plants, their partners and suppliers are located.

Starting from the times of Mikhail Lomonosov, Aleksandr Mozhaisky and Nikolai Zhukovsky, who laid the foundation of aeronautics in this country, Russia has been at the edge of progress in aeronautic technologies and development of flying vehicles.

The flight with duration of 47 minutes opens a new horizon for the Russian aviation for the rest of the XXI century and, hopefully, even further. Successful beginning of flight trials on the next-generation aircraft stimulate us for new achievements and sparks up our desire to create.

Let me congratulate all participants of the next-generation combat aircraft project and all those who facilitate the project with its hard work, experience and knowledge.

Alexey Fedorov

President, Chairman of control board, United Aircraft Corporation

The fighter, tentatively dubbed the T-50 and designed jointly with India, is intended to challenge the technological superiority of the U.S. F-22 Raptor, and to boost Russia’s own defense capabilities for several decades.

Designed by Sukhoi and built by the company’s Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, the T-50 prototype flew for 47 minutes and landed on the plant’s airfield. In a statement distributed by Sukhoi on Jan. 29, its pilot, Sergei Bogdan, said the airplane “performed well on all stages of the test-flight program design by us. It is easy and comfortable.”

According to Sukhoi, the fighter – Russia’s first all-new warplane since the collapse of the Soviet Union – has new avionics systems, a phased-array radar, and equipment to exchange information with both ground command-and-control systems and other aircraft in an air warfare group.

“This allows a significant increase in military effectiveness,” a company statement said, stressing that the T-50 answers all requirements of a fifth-generation fighter, including a supersonic cruising speed. The sophisticated control systems “allow a pilot to concentrate on tactical tasks,” while use of composite materials, the aerodynamic design of the body and measures taken to decrease the visibility of the aircraft engine provide for “unprecedented low radio, optical and infrared visibility,” the statement said.

Eurocopter celebrates the maiden flight of its new EC175 helicopter

Marignane, December 17

EC175, the latest member of the Eurocopter range, today performed its official maiden flight in the skies above Marignane. At the controls were Alain Di Bianca, Eurocopter Experimental Test Pilot, as well as Michel Oswald and Patrick Bremont, Flight Test Engineers. Officials, industrial partners, launch customers and Eurocopter employees were all on hand for the event. This newest addition to the Eurocopter family in the 7-metric-ton class has been developed and manufactured in cooperation with the China Aeronautics Industries Group Corp. (AVIC), a longstanding Eurocopter partner.“It’s an immense pleasure to see the EC175 soaring through the skies,” declared Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling. “This helicopter was developed in close cooperation with our customers to ensure it would be perfectly suited to their needs—particularly in terms of safety and comfort. This is the product everyone’s been waiting for on the civil market. I would like to congratulate and thank our colleagues from China, all our personnel who invested so much time and effort in this project, and, of course, our industrial partners. Their combined efforts have made it possible for the EC175 to perform its maiden flight right on schedule, that’s to say exactly four years after the program was launched, which is a real technological wizardry. ”
The new generation EC175 has a multirole design and can carry out a wide scope of civil missions. It slots perfectly into the Eurocopter range between the AS365 Dauphin (4/5 metric tons) and the AS332/EC225 Super Puma (9/11 metric tons) families. It benefits from a mix of proven and advanced technologies, making it a very performing and reliable helicopter. Depending on its configuration, it can hold up to 16 passengers. A total of 114 EC175s have already been ordered by 14 different customers. Certification of the EC175 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is slated for 2011, and the first deliveries are scheduled to follow in 2012. Eurocopter expects to sell 800 EC175s over the next twenty years, creating nearly 2000 new direct and indirect jobs.

 

Cooperation
The EC175 program was launched on December 5, 2005. The helicopter was developed in cooperation with Chinese industry in just four years thanks to innovative new computing tools that offer major time savings. The work teams, separated by some 10,000 km, have been working together under the aegis of the French and Chinese governments. Their cooperation has been exemplary, and has benefitted from 30 years of close ties between the partners, first through the Dauphin and then through the EC120. During the development phase, an average of 50 Chinese employees joined their Eurocopter colleagues in France to define the helicopter’s characteristics. Now it’s the turn of Eurocopter’s employees to reciprocate, and a staff of 30 is currently on permanent assignment in China to assist the teams with design, quality, production and procurement work.

The development and industrialization work has been equally split between Eurocopter and AVIC according to the specialties of each company. Two different helicopters will result from the common platform: The EC175 manufactured, sold and maintained by Eurocopter in Marignane and the Z15, manufactured, sold and maintained by the AVIC Group.

Missions
The EC175 is a medium-lift twin-engine helicopter that can perform many different civil missions. Initially designed for the oil & gas industry to carry work teams to the platforms, it meets the strictest safety and availability requirements that have become a must for operators in the industry.

The helicopter is also being developed for missions such as search and rescue and emergency medical transport, and can also meet the needs of the commercial aviation industry for VIP and corporate transport.

Technical characteristics
The EC175 benefits from the most cutting-edge technology available. It is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67E engines with dual-channel new generation Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC). With its completely new avionics, the EC175 has an effective and easy-to-use man machine interface, which considerably reduces the pilot workload. Both the pilot and co-pilot can therefore concentrate more fully on their missions. The EC175 is indeed equipped with a full screen cockpit and a digital four-axis Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) that outperforms any other automatic pilot system on the market. It also has a five-blade Spheriflex main rotor and an airframe that complies with the most stringent certification requirements.

The EC175 offers the widest cabin of any helicopter in its category, which provides an unmatched level of comfort. The aircraft can be boarded easily using the wide sliding doors on either side of the fuselage and the immense baggage compartment is also accessible from both sides of the helicopter. All very large windows offer a great visibility and can be jettisoned so that passengers and crew can quickly exit the helicopter in the event of an emergency.

The EC175 has also been designed to reduce vibration levels to a minimum; its blade design has taken forward the concepts that have proven so successful on the EC155 and EC225. Special care has been taken to reduce both internal and external noise levels to make the EC175 the quietest helicopter in its class, offering levels well below the limits recently established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner has taken to the skies for the first time (video)

Finally, the Dreamliner gets free from the concrete at Paine Field.

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner has taken off with Captain Mike Carriker and co-pilot Randy Neville at the controls for  its first test flight – almost two and a half years late.

The fuel-efficient wide-body jetliner took off from the runway at Everett Paine Field 30 miles north of Seattle into a cloudy sky for a five-hour foray around Puget Sound and inland Washington state.

This distinctive form will be seen on many Airports worldwide in the future, the wings in an ‘arch’ like a glider.

at 1:31 PST the test flight of the first B-787 Dreamliner ended with a landing at Boeing Field Seattle. Due to bad weather the flight was cut short to about 3 hours instead of the intended 4 – 5 hours. Despite this setback the test was successful, half of the planned tests were carried out

After landing external inspections of the ‘Number one’

Captain Mike Carriker ‘happy with this test flight, the plane did everything we expected and more’

Boeing press release about the first flight

The Boeing (NYSE: BA) 787 Dreamliner took to the sky for the first time today, ushering a new era in air travel as it departed before an estimated crowd of more than 12,000 employees and guests from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The flight marks the beginning of a flight test program that will see six airplanes flying nearly around the clock and around the globe, with the airplane’s first delivery scheduled for fourth quarter 2010.The newest member of the Boeing family of commercial jetliners took off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash. at 10:27 a.m. local time. After approximately three hours, it landed at 1:33 p.m. at Seattle’s Boeing Field.787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker and Capt. Randy Neville tested some of the airplane’s systems and structures, as on-board equipment recorded and transmitted real-time data to a flight-test team at Boeing Field.

After takeoff from Everett, the airplane followed a route over the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Capts. Carriker and Neville took the airplane to an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) and an air speed of 180 knots, or about 207 miles (333 kilometers) per hour, customary on a first flight.

“Today is truly a proud and historic day for the global team who has worked tirelessly to design and build the 787 Dreamliner – the first all-new jet airplane of the 21st century,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We look forward to the upcoming flight test program and soon bringing groundbreaking levels of efficiency, technology and passenger comfort to airlines and the flying public.”

Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, the first Boeing 787 will be joined in the flight test program in the coming weeks and months by five other 787s, including two that will be powered by General Electric GEnx engines.

The 787 Dreamliner will offer passengers a better flying experience and provide airline operators greater efficiency to better serve the point-to-point routes and additional frequencies passengers prefer. The technologically-advanced 787 will use 20 percent less fuel than today’s airplanes of comparable size, provide airlines with up to 45 percent more cargo revenue capacity and present passengers with innovations that include a new interior environment with cleaner air, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting and other passenger-preferred conveniences.

Fifty-five customers around the world have ordered 840 787s, making the 787 Dreamliner the fastest-selling new commercial jetliner in history.

First Flight of Airbus A400M Successfully performed (post udated with video)

First take-off Airbus A400M successfully performed  at 10:16 , landed back in Seville, Spain at 14:02 local time,after completing a successful maiden flight lasting 3h 47min on December 11, 2009.

The future A400M military transport aircraft, took off from the runway at the Airbus site in Sevilla. Under the Spanish sun, the aircraft took to the skies at 10:16 CET for its first test flight under the currently most critical eyes of government officials from the customer nations. The latter have travelled to Sevilla on the occasion of the maiden flight, to discuss the consequences of the delays with the EADS.

British test pilot Ed Strongman and the crew wore parachutes to power up the plane dubbed “grizzly” by test engineers after its burly appearance.

At the controls was Chief Test Pilot Military, Edward “Ed” Strongman, 60, with Experimental Test Pilot Ignacio “Nacho” Lombo, 43, in the right-hand seat. Four engineers are also on the aircraft: Senior Flight Test Engineer Jean-Philippe Cottet, 43, who has responsibility for the powerplants; Senior Flight Test Engineer Eric Isorce, 52, with responsibility for systems and performance; Senior Flight Test Engineer Didier Ronceray, 54, with responsibility for the handling qualities of the aircraft; and Test Flight Engineer Gerard Leskerpit, 50.

Between them the multi-national crew has logged more than 31,000 total flight hours.

The crew confirmed that the aircraft, known as MSN 1 and its four Europrop International TP400D turboprop engines performed as expected.

Ed Strongman said: “We have had a very successful first flight – the take-off performance was impressive, we explored a lot of the operational flight envelope, and it was a delight to operate in such a well-designed cockpit with its easy interface to all the normal and military systems. I’m sure our customer pilots are really going to like it – we certainly did.”

Nacho Lombo added: “From the very beginning of the flight we were impressed by the ease of handling of the aircraft which was in line with what we experienced in the simulator. The aircraft, systems and engine performance were highly satisfactory. We sense the great potential of this magnificent machine. It has been an honour for all the crew to fly the A400M on its maiden flight, representing all the people involved in the programme.”

Chief Executive Officer Airbus Military, Domingo Urena-Raso, said: “I would like to congratulate Ed Strongman, Nacho Lombo and all of the flight-test team for completing the first flight of the A400M with great success. I am also deeply grateful to everyone in the design, manufacturing and early operations of this programme for their enormously hard work and dedication that have made this aircraft a reality. And I want to thank all those people in our industrial partners and suppliers, as well as our customers, who have contributed so much to the definition and creation of an outstanding product.”

Airbus CEO Tom Enders said: “I hope we can soon provide certainty that we are able to continue the A400M programme. This is expected by those at Airbus, our partners and suppliers worldwide who contributed so strongly to today’s success as well as by the air forces who wait for their plane.”

For its first flight the aircraft took off at a weight of 127 tonnes, carrying 15 tonnes of test equipment including two tonnes of water ballast, compared with its maximum take-off weight of 141 tonnes. As planned, the six-man crew extensively explored the aircraft’s flight envelope in direct law, including a wide speed-range, and tested lowering and raising of the landing gear and high-lift devices at altitude. After checking the aircraft’s performance in the landing configuration the crew landed back at Seville.

In the first half of 2010 MSN 1 will be joined by two sister aircraft, MSN 2 and MSN 3, followed by MSN 4 by the end of the year. A fifth aircraft will join the programme during 2011. This fleet will be used for some 3,700 hours of test-flying between now and first delivery to the French Air Force at the end of 2012. This will be followed by additional military development flying. The type will be certificated by both the civil and military authorities.

Its four all-new Europrop International (EPI) TP400D turboprop powerplants producing 11,000shp (8,200kW) each are the most powerful propeller engines ever fitted to a Western aircraft.Over the last four weeks the aircraft has been extensively tested on the ground in an increasingly challenging programme leading up to the first flight.

The engines have been run at full power, the electrical systems and on-board data network exhaustively tested, and numerous taxying runs at progressively higher speeds have been performed culminating in a rejected take-off test at a speed of 123kt (227km/hr) on 8th December.
 
Today’s first flight marks the beginning of a test campaign that will see some 3,700 hours of flying by an eventual five aircraft conducted between now and entry-into-service at the end of 2012. The A400M will receive both civil certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and military certification and qualification.

Airbus and Airbus Military have drawn on their decades of technical experience in building civil airliners to produce the world’s most modern airlifter capable of both strategic and tactical operations. Despite being a true tactical aircraft that can land on soft, rough and short runways to deliver equipment and troops close to where they are urgently needed, it cruises at the same altitudes as jets and at comparable speeds.

It was designed from the outset as an aerial refueller and can offload fuel to both fighters and helicopters at their preferred speeds and heights.

The A400M features the same proven fly-by-wire controls technology as Airbus’ highly successful airliner family and an advanced cockpit that has evolved from that of the A380. Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) wings and other large structures bring weight and strength advantages and cut the risk of corrosion.

A total of 184 aircraft have so far been ordered by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom,

New Gulfstream G250 Takes First Flight

SAVANNAH, Ga., December 11, 2009 — Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today announced that its newest business jet, the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G250, has successfully completed its first flight. Gulfstream designed and built the super mid-size business jet in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Flown by IAI chief test pilot Ronen Shapira, the G250 took off from Ben Gurion International Airport today at 8:16 a.m. local time. During the flight, which lasted 3 hours and 21 minutes, the pilots tested the business jet’s flight-handling qualities and characteristics, and performed initial checks of several aircraft systems.

The aircraft was flown to 32,000 feet and achieved a maximum speed of 253 knots. Pilot Shapira commented that the flight was “extremely smooth with no issues.” IAI’s Flight Telemetry System enabled IAI and Gulfstream flight-test engineers on the ground to monitor the G250 aircraft systems in real time during the flight, as well as record the data from the first flight test point.

“The G250 performed extremely well, just as we expected,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “We’re looking forward to 2011 when we’ll begin delivering this aircraft to the customers who had tremendous input in its design.”

Itzhak Nissan, president and CEO, IAI, said, “The successful first flight of the G250 large-cabin, mid-range jet represents the achievements of Gulfstream and IAI as the designers, integrators and manufacturers of this advanced business jet. IAI continues to benefit from its world-leading, strategic partnership with Gulfstream.”

The G250 rolled out of the IAI manufacturing facility in Tel Aviv under its own power on Oct. 6, 2009. It remains on schedule for type certification by 2011, followed by entry-into-service the same year.

The G250 offers the largest cabin and the longest range at the fastest speed in its class. The cockpit features the new PlaneView 250™ system based on Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics. Powered by twin Honeywell HTF7250G engines, the business jet is capable of traveling 3,400 nautical miles at Mach 0.80 and has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.85. With an initial cruise altitude of 41,000 feet, the G250 can climb to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet.

It features an all-new, advanced transonic wing design that has been optimized for high-speed cruise and improved takeoff performance. At maximum takeoff weight, the G250 can depart from a 5,000-foot runway. Its 3,400-nautical-mile range means the G250 can fly nonstop from New York to London or from London to Dubai.

In terms of passenger comfort, the G250 features the largest cabin in its class, with 17 percent to 35 percent more floor area than any other large-cabin, mid-range business jet. The additional space provides for a larger lavatory, an improved galley and increased storage. The aircraft also features 19 panoramic windows, industry-leading sound levels, a vacuum toilet system and in-flight access to 120 cubic feet of usable volume in the baggage compartment.

The G250 will be completed at the Gulfstream Center for Mid-Cabin Excellence in Dallas.

Jet-Wing Man Ditches in Atlantic, Lives to Fly Again

A Swiss pilot ditched safely into the chilly waters between Morocco and Spain Wednesday after a technical malfunction ended the first attempted intercontinental crossing on jet-powered wings.

A rescuer helicopter winched Yves Rossy to safety from the wind-swept Atlantic.

Rossy, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot, had taken off from Tangiers but five minutes into what was supposed to be a 15-minute flight he vanished from TV screens providing live footage from planes and choppers accompanying him. For a good 10 minutes, no one knew where he was.

“The good news is that he is fine,” Stuart Sterzel, CEO of sponsors Webtel.mobi, told reporters on a beach outside this southern Spanish town, where Rossy was supposed to land.

“He gave the thumbs-up sign through the door of the helicopter,” said Sterzel.

Sterzel said the wing malfunctioned, possibly due to engine failure, but said Rossy had deployed his parachute and landed in the water in a controlled fashion.

Things started off fine. As planned, Rossy stood on the ledge of an open door on the small plane that took him into the air, and jumped, deploying the wing and plummeting about 500 meters until he upped his thrust and gained flight at a cruising speed of 220 kilometers per hour (130 mph) at an altitude of 1,950 meters (6,500 feet).

The wing has no steering mechanism. Rossy guides it by shifting his weight.

He banked sharply left at first, and strong winds buffeted him. At one point he flew through clouds and was lost from sight. Below him, a ferry sailed from Morocco to Spain.

Sterzel says Rossy went down about a third of the way into the flight, but did not crash. Rather, it was his decision to ditch. He was in the water about 12 minutes.

“He was in control of the situation,” Sterzel said.

He called Rossy a hero just for trying, even though he did not make it from Africa to Europe has planned.

“He is a man of courage,” Sterzel said. “He will get up and dust himself off.”

Rossy was flown to a hospital in the southern city of Jerez for a precautionary checkup.

Sterzel said a full rescue rehearsal with Rossy in the water had been carried out Tuesday and the team had been fully prepared.

He said Rossy would probably attempt the crossing again in the new year.

The Spanish coast guard was expected to retrieve the wing and the parachute from the sea.

Rossy attempted the feat wearing a homemade wing spanning 2.5 meters (8 feet) and powered by four kerosene-fueled jet engines.

His endeavor had been billed as the first intercontinental crossing by man using jet-powered wings — over the North Atlantic between Africa and Europe.

Rossy provided the first public demonstration of his homemade aircraft in May 2008, doing figure eights over the Alps before touching down near the eastern shore of Lake Geneva.

He flew across the English Channel in September last year, going from Calais, France, to Dover, England.

This time the weather was of particular concern because Rossy had to fly over the spot where the Atlantic flows into the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. This makes for high winds that can suddenly change direction, or blow in two directions at once at different altitudes, organizers said.

“We are very proud of him,” said Sterzel. “We are extremely satisfied with his attempt. If something is easy it’s not a challenge.”

Source: goldsea.com

RAF pilot has ‘best job in the world’

A Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant has become the first pilot in the world to reach 1,000 flying hours on the Eurofighter Typhoon.

“It’s a special thing to be the first in the world, and that’s a historic milestone, not just for me, but for the Typhoon.

“It’s taken five years of flying to reach 1,000 hours – almost exactly five years to the day – and it’s a privilege to be the first pilot to get it.”

Flt Lt Parkinson joined the RAF in 1983, aged just 18, and in the last 25 years he has had an amazing flying career, in which he admits he has been very lucky:

“This is my fourth 1,000-hour badge,” he said. “I had 1,000 on the Phantom, then with the Tornado F3 before joining the Red Arrows and completing 1,000 hours in the Hawk.”

Flt Lt Parkinson came straight from the Red Arrows to the Typhoon, and has also, for the last three years, flown the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

 

“I’ve been so lucky. The Reds was probably the ultimate job – to loop and roll with nine aircraft is very different! Some things are the same though, whether I’m air-to-air refuelling in the Typhoon, or in the Spitfire formating on the wing of the Lancaster; I will visually, manually fly the aircraft – the raw flying skills are the same to fly the Spitfire, to be a Red Arrow or to fly Typhoon.

 “I probably have the best job in the world at the moment, flying the combination of Typhoon and Spitfire!”

Flt Lt Parkinson follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who flew with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and trained other pilots after the birth of the RAF in 1918.

Flt Lt Parkinson’s ‘day job’ is as an instructor with the Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coningsby, teaching pilots to fly the Typhoon. He also takes his turn as one of the pilots who maintain the station’s Quick Reaction Alert role.

He said:

“Not only have I probably flown with every one of the 100 plus Typhoon pilots in the RAF, but I’ve seen the very early version of the jet, and seen the capability of the aircraft rapidly increase in the five years that I’ve been flying.

“It has been very interesting and exciting seeing the aircraft become a truly multi-role platform. The raw performance of Typhoon is phenomenal, and technology has moved on so much since the Spitfire; we can go to 55,000 feet [16.7km], and pull plus nine G – they are both actually a joy to fly, although the Spitfire is way more difficult to land!”

The Typhoon FGR Mk4 provides the RAF with a highly capable and extremely agile multi-role combat aircraft, capable of being deployed in the full spectrum of air operations, including air policing, peace support and high-intensity conflict.

Initial production aircraft will be deployed primarily as air-superiority fighters, but will quickly be equipped with a potent precision ground-attack capability. The pilot can carry out many functions by voice command or through a hands-on stick and throttle system.

Combined with an advanced cockpit that is fully compatible with night-vision goggles, the pilot is superbly equipped for all aspects of air operations.

Source: MOD UK

Picture: Senior Aircraftwoman Sally Raimondo, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009

 

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