The AW109 is a twin-engine, eight-seat, single-main-rotor multipurpose helicopter. The current military model is the AW109LUH, which is powered by two Turbomeca Arrius 2K2 turboshaft engines, rated 670 shp each. Armament capability for the AW109LUH includes 7.62- and 12.7-mm machine guns, rocket launchers, antitank missiles (TOW, HOT or Hellfire) and/or air-to-air missiles (Stinger or Mistral). Through 2012, AgustaWestland produced 1,382 AW/A109s of all variants, including 88 AW109LUHs.
The Su-27/30/35 series comprises a family of twin-engine, single- and two-seat fighter/interceptor aircraft. Development of the Su-27 began in 1969, and a prototype made its initial flight in 1977. Power for the Su-27 comes from two Saturn/Lyulka AL-31F turbofan engines each rated at 27,557 lb. thrust with afterburner. Other derivatives of the base design include the two-seat Su-30M multirole combat aircraft, Su-34 fighter/bomber, Su-33 carrier-based naval aircraft and the latest iteration, the Su-35. India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
Lockheed Martin has tested for the second time the unique fairings that will shield radiators and other delicate hardware on the Orion crew capsule's service module during launch, using pyrotechnics and release mechanisms to jettison the hardware with simulated ascent heating.
The Mi-28 is a twin-engine, tandem-seat attack helicopter. In Russian military use, the Mi-28 has become the successor to the Mi-24. First flight occurred in 1982. The current version is the all-weather/night-capable Mi-28N, which saw initial deliveries in 2006. The Mi-28N is powered by 2,194-shp Klimov TV3-117VMA turboshaft engines. Through 2012, two Mi-28 prototypes, two Mi-28A prototypes, one Mi-28N prototype, and approximately 67 pre-production and production Mi-28Ns were built. An additional Mi-28N prototype was modified from an existing Mi-28.
The E-2 Hawkeye is an aircraft carrier-capable, airborne-early-warning-and-control aircraft. First delivery of the initial model, the E-2A, occurred in 1964. The improved E-2C model first flew in 1971 and was produced through 2009. The latest iteration is the E-2D version, which is now in production for the U.S. Navy. E-2D upgrades include Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A turboprops rated at 5,100 shp, a more powerful APY-9 active, electronically scanned array radar, and increased capabilities for surveillance of ground targets.
The Mi-24 series is a family of twin-turboshaft attack helicopters. The Mi-35M features two 2,400-shp Klimov VK-2500 engines and is available as a new-build helicopter as well as a retrofit package. More than 2,400 helicopters in the Mi-24/25/35 series were produced through 2012. An additional 82 are forecast to be produced through 2022.
Avic Engine, well into development of a technically conservative high-bypass turbofan, is pushing to replace fellow Avic unit ACAE as the supplier of a Chinese engine for the Comac C919 airliner. In doing so, Avic Engine, the main propulsion subsidiary of state aeronautics group Avic, is offering a more dependable and realistic way for China to accumulate early experience in developing, building and supporting commercial aircraft engines.
The FAA may still be lagging a congressionally mandated timeline for integrating unmanned aircraft into domestic airspace by 2015, but at least a new annual road map shows that the agency is getting somewhere.
Developed from the E-2A, the twin-engine C-2A Greyhound filled the U.S. Navy's need for a carrier-based personnel/materiel transport. Nineteen C-2A aircraft were produced from 1964 through 1967; these aircraft were overhauled in 1973. Production was restarted in 1982, when Grumman began building 39 additional and improved C-2As. Deliveries of the new C-2As began in May 1985 and ended in 1989.
is a light-strike/reconnaissance aircraft that was produced by Societe Europeenne de Production de l'Avion ECAT (Sepecat), a consortium consisting of BAE and Dassault. A prototype made its first flight in 1968, and deliveries began in 1972. Production by Sepecat ended in 1985, but Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. built a licensed version in India at various times up through 2008. Power for the Jaguar comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan engines; the exact version varies by aircraft model. Some 632 Jaguars were built through 2008.
The J-10 is a single-engine, single- or two-seat interceptor/ground-attack aircraft powered by a Lyulka Saturn AL-31FN turbofan rated 27,560 lb. thrust with reheat, although the Chinese have been working on a version powered by the indigenous WS-10 engine. The aircraft's first flight occurred in March 1998. An estimated 218 aircraft were produced through 2012, including prototypes and pre-production aircraft. Production of an additional 240 is forecast for the 2013-22 period.
The Chinese Shenyang J-31 (aka J-21 or F-60) is a twin-engine medium fighter that looks similar to the Lockheed Martin F-35A. First flight took place in October 2012. The aircraft appears to be equipped with Russian-made RD-93 engines. The indigenously developed WS-13 engine is reportedly installed in operational aircraft, but some sources say it has not yet reached parity with Russian-made powerplants and remains in development.
The An-70 transport is a high-wing aircraft powered by four 14,000-shp ZMKB Progress D-27 propfan engines with six-blade counter-rotating propellers. Maximum payload is 103,615 lb. Two An-70 prototypes were built and flown: one in 1994 and a second in 1997. Each was involved in an accident, but both were repaired. In 2006, the An-70 effort took a further hit when Russia pulled out of a deal to acquire 164 aircraft, leaving Ukraine as the sole client.
The Boeing/BAE T-45 Goshawk is a variant of the BAE Hawk, designed specifically for aircraft carrier pilot training. The twin-seat aircraft is powered by a single Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour RT172 Mk 871 non-afterburning turbofan (5,845 lb. thrust), also known as the F405-RR-401. The U.S. Navy awarded exploration contracts in August 1980 and in 1981; the McDonnell Douglas (now-Boeing) design was selected. Prototype flight occurred in 1988, and the first aircraft carrier landing was in 1991.
The SW-4 is a light, single-engine helicopter powered by the 458-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2 engine. First flight occurred in 1996, but deliveries to the Polish air force did not start until 2004. (AgustaWestland acquired PZL-Swidnik in January 2010.) PZL-Swidnik built 36 SW-4s for military and civil customers through the end of 2012, and production of another 30 SW-4s is forecast over the next decade.
The Mi-26 is a twin-turbine military and commercial heavy-lift transport helicopter whose development began in the early 1970s. First flight took place in December 1977, followed by initial flight of the first series-production Mi-26 in October 1980. The Mi-26's versatility and large payload capacity make it well suited for a variety of civil and military roles. These include oil- and gas-industry support, aerial construction, cargo transport, firefighting, humanitarian assistance and logistics support.
The Kawasaki P-1 is a four-engine, antisubmarine-warfare and maritime-patrol aircraft powered by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries XF7-10 turbofans rated at 13,448 lb. thrust. The P-1 is a replacement for Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3Cs. A P-1 prototype first flew in 2007. JMSDF accepted the first two of its new P-1s in March 2013. Through 2012, Kawasaki built two P-1 prototypes and one P-1 production aircraft. Some 29 production units are forecast to be manufactured through 2022.
The AS565 Panther twin-engine, multirole, 10-15-seat helicopter is a military version of the AS365 Dauphin. Several variants of the Panther exist, including the U.S. Coast Guard's HH-65C (powered by Turbomeca Arriel 2C2 engines); the naval AS565MB (powered by Arriel 2C engines); and the land-based AS565UB (powered by Arriel 2C engines). Military roles include ground support, anti-armor, scout, medical evacuation, search-and-rescue, antisubmarine- and antisurface-vessel warfare, and airborne assault.
South Korean industry and the government are persisting with low-level work on the proposed DRA 90-seat turboprop airliner, despite failing to come to an agreement with Bombardier to co-develop the aircraft, a government official says. Potential partners are now seen as Embraer and Rekkof Aircraft, the owner of the design of the Fokker 100, which is no longer in production, says the official. Korea Aerospace Industries would probably be the leading local manufacturer, should development be launched; the aerospace division of Korean Air Lines could contribute.
The Mil Mi-8/17 series of helicopters is a family of twin-engine, multirole transports. The initial Mi-8 prototype first flew in 1961. Later models in the series have been powered by Klimov VK-2500 turboshaft engines rated at 2,367 shp each. Through 2012, more than 12,000 Mi-8/17s of all types were built for both military and civil customers. In the 2013-22 period, production of 1,244 additional military helicopters is forecast.
The F-22 Raptor is a single-seat air-superiority and ground-attack aircraft selected in 1991 as the U.S. Air Force's next fighter. Initial flight occurred in 1997. Propulsion is provided by two 35,000-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engines. Lockheed Martin built 195 F-22s through 2012, when production ceased.
