In developing the 525-passenger A380, Airbus chose to leap past Boeing’s 747 in capacity class. The A380 is powered by four turbofan engines rated at 70,000-76,500 lb. thrust each, and can be outfitted with either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or GE/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200. Airbus currently produces only a commercial version of the A380, delaying development of a freighter until at least 2014. Boeing is marketing the 747-8 to indirectly compete with the A380, but no direct challenger exists in the 500-plus-seat market.
Geysers erupt from the cracks at the south pole of Saturn’s frozen moon Enceladus in this view collected by the nuclear-powered Cassini probe as it hurtled by on Aug. 13, with the planet’s layered atmospheric limb visible beyond its night side in the background. During the same pass, Cassini scientists used the nuclear-powered spacecraft’s composite infrared spectrometer and high-resolution imaging camera to obtain new maps of the polar cracks, which were dubbed the Tiger Stripes after their discovery by Cassini in 2005.
Bombardier plans to commence CRJ1000 deliveries on Dec. 14. The handover is taking place almost a year late owing to problems during flight trials, but Bombardier hopes the start now will strengthen its last-quarter earnings.
Mitsubishi formally launched the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) family in March 2008. Two basic models are planned: the 70-80-passenger MRJ70 and the 86-96-passenger MRJ90, both using a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofans. Extended-range and long-range versions of each basic model are also envisioned. First flight is scheduled for 2012; Japanese certification is slated to be obtained in 2013, and FAA certification concurrently with deliveries in 2014.
TAG Aviation of Zurich is partnering with China First Mandarin Group to form a company that will provide business aircraft management, maintenance and charter services in China.
A twin-turbofan-powered, narrowbody commercial passenger transport, the Chinese-built C919 is designed to compete in narrowbody airliner sales against Airbus and Boeing. The program is being driven by the Chinese government, which wants an indigenous capability to produce airliners competitive with those built by Western manufacturers. Variants include the baseline C919-200 seating up to 168 passengers; the -100, a 130-seat model that will compete against the Airbus A319; and the -300, a larger 190-seater designed to compete with Airbus’s A321 and Boeing’s 737-800/900.
Delta Air Lines Capt. (ret.) R.C. Bauer (Fleming Island, Fla.)
The recent articles on the Delta Air Lines/Northwest Airlines merger were well written (AW&ST Nov. 15, p. 70). Indeed, Delta has a history of successful mergers over a 50-year period. However, there is a factual error.
Tony Tyler has been recommended to become director-general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association , succeeding Giovanni Bisignani, who will step down next year. Tyler is CEO of Cathay Pacific Airways.
France is forging ahead with the optical component of Europe’s next-generation imaging intelligence satellite network, even though final agreement on cooperation in the six-nation undertaking, including a common ground network, has not yet been reached.
. . . why the crew of the Qantas Airways A380 elected to fly the airplane for about 105 min. after the uncontained failure of the No. 2 engine shortly after takeoff on Nov. 4 (AW&ST Nov. 15, pp. 28 and 33; Nov. 29, p. 32). A representative letter: As a retired FAA aircraft certification flight-test engineer, I know there are several performance and structural issues associated with overweight landings.
Honda Aircraft is set to make the first flight this month of the first test article of the seven-passenger business jet it expects to deliver from its Greensboro, N.C., factory in 2012. The initial flight using the “conforming” aircraft—a prototype was flown in 2004—will include the jointly developed GE Honda HF120 powerplants manufactured in nearby Burlington, N.C.
The ERJ 135/140/145 is a family of twin-engine, 37-50-seat regional jets. The initial model was the 50-seat ERJ 145, which first flew in August 1995; deliveries began in late 1996. The next model was the 37-seat ERJ 135, which made its initial flight in July 1998; deliveries began in July 1999. The 44-passenger ERJ 140 first flew in June 2000, with initial deliveries in July 2001. A longer-range version, called the ERJ 145XR, has also been developed. All models use the Rolls-Royce AE3007A engine.
Airbus and TAM Airlines of Brazil have teamed to help establish a bio-kerosene processing plant to produce as much as 20% of the airline’s annual fuel requirement by 2013.
A prototype of the four-engine, intercontinental, widebody transport flew in October 1991, and deliveries began in January 1993. The A340-200 and -300 were certificated by the European JAA in December 1992 and the FAA in February 1993; both are powered by four 31,200-34,000-lb.-thrust CFM International CFM56-5C4 turbofan engines. The two newer models—the longer-range A340-500 and the stretched A340-600—are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500s. Typical seating for the -200, -300, -500 and -600 is 262, 295, 313 and 380 passengers, respectively.
Julian Beames has been appointed regional manager for Communications Software (Airline Systems) Ltd. He has held sales and marketing positions at British Aerospace, BAE Systems, Airbus and Qinetiq.
The crash of an Air France Concorde shortly after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport a decade ago was the result of a series of small mistakes, faulty assumptions and missed opportunities. They began with the design of the airplane. They continued until shortly before the takeoff roll. And they spanned events in the intervening years. It was a classic string of seemingly minor matters and improbable events adding up to tragedy.
Airbus is instituting new measures to ensure against nasty surprises during the development of the A350XWB twin-widebody. The effort should also leave the company better positioned to respond whenhiccups are encountered.
The UH-60 Black Hawk lands, rotors idling. The crew, at the end of their duty time, switch the helicopter to unmanned mode and disembark. The Black Hawk searches for and connects to the nearest ground control station, accepts the preprogammed mission and takes off to find and pick up its first load. That’s the operational concept behind Sikorsky’s Optionally Piloted Black Hawk, and is to be demonstrated by mid-2011 under the U.S. Army’s Manned/Unmanned Resupply Aerial Lifter (Mural) program.
This series comprises turboprop-powered regional transport aircraft. ATR is a joint venture of EADS and Alenia Aeronautica. The first ATR 42 was delivered in 1985 to Air Littoral. The ATR 72 entered service in 1989. Current production versions are the ATR 42-500 and the ATR 72-500. Deliveries of a new -600 variant of both models, powered by the new Pratt & Whitney PW127M engine, are scheduled to begin in 2011. The ATR 42-500 seats 46-50 passengers and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127E engines (2,160 shp. each).
Through 2009, Boeing produced 982 of these twin-engine, widebody commercial transports. A prototype was rolled out in August 1981, with first flight occurring the following month. Current models include the 767-200ER, -300ER, -400ER and -300F freighter, although it is likely that the -200ER and -400ER will no longer be produced. Typical two-class layouts are 224 seats for the -200ER, 269 for the -300ER and 304 for the -400ER. All three models are sold with a choice of General Electric CF6-80C2 or Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.
Members of the International Association of Machinists in Aerospace (IAM) have ratified a three-year contract with Pratt & Whitney that includes plans to close its two maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations next year. The contract includes an immediate 3% pay raise for 3,400 IAM members and 2.5% increases in 2011 and 2012. Also covered are a $2,000 one-time ratification bonus and increases in pension benefits.
Even though the Italian government is struggling to sustain defense spending, the 2011 budget will accommodate a small number of new programs to help plug holes in military capability. The request includes funding for a long-sought search-and-rescue (SAR) and combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) helicopter initiative, as well as the development of a laser-based infrared countermeasures system (Dircm) to help safeguard aircraft from infrared-guided missiles.
The 737 series is a family of twin-engine, narrowbody commercial transports. Seating capacity varies, though the most typical two-class configurations are 126 passengers for the 737-700, 162 for the -800 and 180 for the -900ER. All three models, which are the current production versions, are powered by two CFM International CFM56-7B turbofans. The first 737 flew in April 1967 and in December received FAA certification. The earlier -100, -200, -300, -400, -500 and -600 variants are no longer in production. Through March 2010, Boeing manufactured 6,348 737s.
