After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles turned the tables on Russia's helicopter gunships and helped end the occupation. In the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, missile jammers have largely neutralized the threat. But still only a fraction of the aircraft that could find themselves in combat zones is protected by directional infrared countermeasures (Dircm) systems.
Despite a series of public setbacks in recent years, AgustaWestland is embarking on a new civil certification program for its AW101, a medium/heavy helicopter that has experienced more than its fair share of strife since its development in the 1980s.
Cessna and Embraer business jets should soon begin rolling out of Chinese factories, but how many of them will Chinese buyers want? (Sovereign photo: Cessna)
With the emergence of a new generation of large-cabin, long-range business aircraft, the industry could be witnessing a sea change in the traditional chicken-and-egg relationship between airframe and engine makers. Unlike previous generations, which use myriad bespoke engines derived from existing families, at least some of the new large business jets will be powered by purpose-designed powerplants, derived from the same all-new cores in development for the next generation of commercial airliners.
Beechcraft Hawker 400XPR Launched in November 2011, this factory upgrade reengines the Hawker 400XP/Beechcraft 400A light jet with 3,200-lb.-thrust Williams FJ44-4A-32s, adds winglets (and optional Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 cockpit), for a 450-kt. cruise and 1,655-nm range (four passengers). First flown in May 2012, deliveries are to begin by year-end. Bombardier Learjet 70/75
Five years after DayJet's ambitious adventure into per-seat, on-demand air taxi operations ended in financial failure, two key components are making a comeback—the Eclipse very light jet and the operations management and optimization software that was DayJet's secret weapon.
The story clearly seems too good to be true. A small, privately owned business jet operator places the biggest-ever order for large corporate jets and conquers the market with its not-so-unusual business model, while others complain about the continuing crisis in European business aviation.
The A318 is a twin-engine, 107-132 passenger narrowbody jetliner. Initial flight occurred in January 2002. The European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) certified the A318 (with CFM56 engines) in May 2003; this was followed by FAA certification in June of that year. Deliveries began in July 2003 and continued through 2012, Airbus had produced 78 A318s. The A318 is powered by two 21,600-23,800-lb.-thrust turbofan engines, either the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 or CFM56-5B. Primary competition includes the Embraer 190 and 195, and Bombardier CSeries.
These models, along with the A318, make up the Airbus A320 family of twin-turbofan, narrowbody airliners. The initial model in the series was the A320, which made its first flight in February 1987. A320 deliveries began in 1988, followed by the stretched A321 in 1994 and the A319, a shortened variant of the A320, in 1996. All three original models are available with either CFM56 or International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants. The A319 typically seats 124 passengers, the A320 carries 150, and the A321 seats 185.
Airbus developed the A330 twin-engine, widebody commercial passenger transport to replace aircraft such as the A300, DC-10-10 and L-1011. An A330 prototype first flew in November 1992, with customer deliveries following in December 1993. Customers have a choice of turbofan engines in the 64,000-72,000-lb.-thrust class: the GE CF6-80E1, Pratt & Whitney PW4000 or Rolls-Royce Trent 700. Three A330 models are available. The A330-300 seats 335 passengers in two classes, or 295 in three classes. The A330-200 seats 293 in two classes, or 253 in three.
The A340 is a four-engine, intercontinental, widebody commercial transport aircraft. A prototype flew in October 1991, and deliveries began in January 1993. The A340-200 and-300 were certificated by the JAA in December 1992 and FAA in February 1993. Both models are powered by four 31,200-34,000-lb.-thrust CFM56-5C4 turbofan engines. Two newer models, the longer-range A340-500 and stretched A340-600, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines. Typical seating patterns for the -200, -300, -500 and -600 are 262, 295, 313 and 380 passengers, respectively.
Currently in flight testing, the A350 is a twin-engine, widebody jetliner intended to compete with Boeing's 777 and 787. The A350 is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines rated in the 75,000-97,000-lb.-thrust range, and will have a cruise speed of around Mach 0.85. Three basic versions are being marketed: the -800, -900 and -1000. Depending on the version, the A350 will seat 270-350 passengers, and will have a range of 8,100-8,500 nm. An ultra-long-range version, the A350-900R, and a freighter, the A350-900F, are also planned.
In developing the 525-passenger A380, Airbus chose to leap past Boeing's 747 in capacity class. Boeing markets the 747-8 to indirectly compete with the A380, but no direct competition to the A380 exists in the 500-plus-seat market. The A380 is powered by four turbofan engines rated 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 passenger version of the A380. First flight occurred in 2005, with 101 A380s produced through 2012.
The C212 made its first flight in March 1971, and deliveries began in May 1974. It is currently built in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). Some 477 C212s (of all versions) were produced in Spain and Indonesia through 2012. The C212 is an unpressurized, 21-28-passenger regional twin-turboprop. The C212-200 is powered by Honeywell TPE331-10R-511C or -512C turboprop engines rated 900 shp each. The C212-300 used TPE331-10R-513C turboprops, also rated 900 shp each. The latest production model, the C212-400, is equipped with TPE331-12JR-701C engines rated 925 shp each.
The 15-19-passenger L-410 is an unpressurized, twin-turboprop regional/utility transport aircraft. The current production L-410UVP-E20 is powered by two GE M601 engines. Under development is an improved variant called the L-410 NG that will feature GE H80 engines, Avio AV 725 five-blade propellers, a new wing and a new glass cockpit. As a first step toward development of the NG model, Aircraft Industries is integrating the H80 engine and the AV 725 propellers into the L-410UVP-E20.
The An-28 and An-38 are twin-turboprop utility/transport aircraft. First flight of the An-28 occurred in 1969, with temporary Soviet certification following in 1978 and full certification in 1986. A westernized version of the An-28, the PZL Mielec M28, made its first flight in 1993 and received FAA certification in 2004. A stretched An-28 version, the An-38, made its first flight in 1994 and received Russian certification in 1997. The An-28 is powered by two PZL Rzeszow TWD-10B/PZL-10S engines, with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B powering the M28.
The An-124 is a four-engine, intercontinental-range, heavy-lift cargo transport, and the An-225 is a six-engine, heavy-lift jet that was designed to carry the Soviet shuttle orbiter Buran. Initial flight of a production An-124 prototype took place in 1982, and commercial operation began in 1986. The An-124 is powered by four Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines, while the An-225 uses six. Fifty-five An-124s and one An-225 have been produced.
The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine in 2007. Power for the aircraft comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Two test aircraft and 15 production aircraft were produced through 2012, and an additional 60 are forecast for production through 2022. The An-158, a 99-passenger version that is also powered by D436-148s, first flew in 2010.
