Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines. Tony has covered avionics, unmanned vehicles, the supply chain and cyberwarfare.
LONDON — Airbus Helicopter has completed the redesign and certification of the bevel gear vertical shaft fitted in its EC225 heavy helicopters. Failure of the component — a critical part inside the main gearbox — caused the ditching of two EC225s into the North Sea in May and October 2012, prompting a nine-month halt in operations for both the EC225 and the military version, known as the EC725. The stopping of operations over hostile environments created issues for oil and gas operators across the globe.
LONDON — BAE Systems is carrying out wind tunnel trials to assess the aerodynamics of mounting conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) onto the Eurofighter Typhoon. The testing, taking place in the company’s high-speed tunnel facility in the U.K., aims to accelerate the clearance process for the tanks to be integrated onto the combat aircraft. The two CFTs, which would be fitted on top of the rear fuselage of Tranche 3 aircraft only, can carry the same amount of fuel – 3,000 liters – as three external fuel tanks combined.
