The SW-4 is a Polish light single-turbine helicopter powered by the 458-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2. First flight occurred in 1996, but deliveries to the Polish air force did not start until 2004. AgustaWestland acquired PZL-Swidnik in January 2010. By the end of 2011, some 32 SW-4s had been built. Production of 35 SW-4s is forecast over the next decade.
The F-22 is a single-seat, twin-engine, stealthy supersonic aircraft selected in 1991 as the U.S. Air Force's next air superiority fighter. Initial flight occurred in 1997. Propulsion is provided by two 35,000-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F119-100 afterburning turbofans. Some 177 F-22s were produced through 2011, including test aircraft. The last of 187 F-22s was delivered to the Air Force in early 2012, and production has ceased.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) was originally powered by two Turbomeca TM333-2B2 turboshafts rated at 1,000 shp each. Deliveries of an upgraded variant with the new Turbomeca/HAL Ardiden 1H1 turboshaft began in 2011. The Ardiden 1H1 is produced in India as the Shakti. The Dhruv's first flight with twin Ardiden 1H1s, each rated at 1,200 shp, took place in January 2009. An attack variant, the LCH (Light Combat Helicopter), is being developed; it will be powered by two Shakti turboshafts.
The Huey family of single- and twin-engine utility helicopters from Bell has been produced in a wide variety of models since its launch in 1958. The latest twin GE T700-401C-powered UH-1Y Venom variant for the U.S. Marine Corps is the only dedicated military model in production, alongside the commercial Model 412. Some 108 UH-1Y helicopters are forecast for production from 2012 through 2021.
Japan, it seems, is not betting on the Lockheed Martin F-35 as an air-superiority fighter. Denied permission to buy Lockheed's F-22, Tokyo is preparing to operate at least some of its Boeing F-15s for another 30 years, even though it will also have the F-35.
Schweizer Aircraft developed the Model 330 and 333 prior to the company's acquisition by Sikorsky in 2004. The 330 was developed from the company's piston-powered Model 300. The 330 and the improved 330SP models were both powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C20W turboshaft derated to 232 shp. The uprated Model 333 (redesignated the S-333) offered a 100-lb. increase in useful load and a redesigned, larger-diameter rotor system. The new S-434 is an evolved S-333 using the dynamic components and four-blade rotor developed for the Northrop Grumman MQ-88 Fire Scout unmanned aircraft.
In Virginia, the politics of defense budget cuts is in full swing, as the Republican governor and three Democratic lawmakers engage in a war of letters about how to handle looming budget reductions.
The E-3/E-6/E-8 series is a family of special-purpose military aircraft based on the Boeing 707. All three are out of production. A total of 76 E-3s, 17 E-6s and 20 E-8s were built. The Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System made its first flight in February 1972. Production E-3s were powered by either four Pratt & Whitney TF33s or CFM56-2 engines. First flight of the Boeing E-6A Mercury Tacamo II communications platform, with four F108-100 (CFM56) turbofans, took place in 1987. The Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.
Short/medium-range, twin-turboprop, short-takeoff-and-landing transport developed from the Alenia G.222 as a joint venture with Lockheed Martin. The prototype C-27J, which first flew in 1999, was a modified G.222 with an upgraded cockpit and two 4,640-shp Rolls-Royce AE2100D2 engines. In a military transport role, the C-27J can carry 34-46 paratroopers, 46-68 infantry, or up to 36 stretchers and six medical attendants. In a utility role, the C-27J has up to a 24,353-lb. payload. In 2007, the aircraft won the U.S.
Twin-engine, tandem-seat attack helicopter developed for the South African air force (SAAF). further developed by Denel with in-house funds. Two prototype/demonstrator aircraft, one pre-production and 12 production-standard aircraft (for the SAAF) were produced through 2004. Production Rooivalks are powered by two Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshafts rated at 1,843 shp each. Armament includes a Kentron GA-1 20-mm cannon in a steerable chin turret.
The Su-27/30/35 series is a family of twin-engine, single- and two-seat interceptor/multirole 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 turbofans, each rated at 27,557-lb.-thrust with afterburner. Derivatives include the two-seat Su-30M multirole combat aircraft, Su-33 carrier-based naval aircraft and Su-34 fighter/bomber.
In the wake of recent pilot breathing problems in the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor cockpits, the U.S. Navy says there are no spikes in similar issues with its F-18 aircraft, even though an Air Force report cites such incidents. “The F-18 has experienced a significant number of hypoxia-like events over the past few years,” says the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Report on Aircraft Oxygen Generation completed earlier this year and released last month.
NEW DELHI — India has cleared a proposal to buy more than 200 air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for the Indian air force (IAF). “The federal Cabinet Committee on Security [on Oct. 18] approved a proposal worth over 60 billion rupees [$1.2 billion] for purchasing, testing and integration of the BrahMos missile on the Russian-made Su-30MKI aircraft of the IAF,” a defense ministry official says.
NEW DELHI — Slashing its requirement by a third, the Indian air force (IAF) says it will induct only 144 of the Fifth-generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) that it is currently co-developing with Russia. The new figure is a dramatic drop from the IAF’s earlier stated requirement of 214 fighters.
Sikorsky is positioning itself to offer the S-97 Raider, a follow-on to its X2 high-speed helicopter demonstrator, for the Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) competition — if the U.S. Army proceeds with it. The Army is expected to decide sometime in December whether it will hold a competition or instead extend the life of the Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.
After spending “tens of millions of dollars” developing two options for the U.S. Army’s potential program to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, EADS is hoping the service will move forward with an Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) development program quickly, says Sean O’Keefe, CEO of the company’s North America business. Company officials hailed the performance of the EC-145-based designs during a voluntary flight demonstration (VFD) test phase from Sept. 24-Oct. 3 in Alamosa, Colo.
PRODUCTION BOOM: Boeing’s KC-46A refueler program continues to move forward with the commencement of boom assembly at Boeing Field in Seattle this week. Boom assembly was originally slated for Boeing’s Wichita facility (where previous boom work was handled) until the company announced plans early this year to close that plant. The design is based on the KC-10 boom but incorporates fly-by-wire technology and allows for a wider envelope than its predecessor.
After publicly pledging to bring back the F-22 Raptor, and then having campaign surrogates adjust his message in favor of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is now keeping “any and all options on the table” when it comes to the Air Force’s future fleet of tactical fighters.
The U.S. Navy continues to expand the mission envelope for its destroyer and cruiser fleets, proving in a recent exercise the vessels can handle evacuation operations normally done by much bigger ships. Guided-missile cruiser CG-64USS Gettysburg took part in a simulated, non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) Oct. 8 off the coast of Scotland. The exercise included evacuating 11 Royal Navy midshipmen posing as citizens in simulated danger from Mallaig, Scotland, to the Gettysburg on two rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).
Textron has taken a $14 million third-quarter charge to cover increased costs on starting up unmanned aircraft fee-for-service operations for the U.S. Defense Department. In April, Textron company AAI Corp. won a contract to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services for U.S. Special Operations Command (Socom) using the Aerosonde small unmanned aircraft system.
F-35 MILESTONES: The F-35 program achieved two milestones this week. AF-1, an F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing aircraft, jettisoned its first munition, a 2,000 lb. Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Oct. 17 during a flight test at Edwards AFB, Calif. This is the second weapons drop for the program. While weapons testing continues, the U.S. Marine Corps is continuing to prepare for standup of its first operational F-35B squadron.
NASA is considering a prize challenge to accelerate integration of unmanned aircraft into civil airspace, with two competitions of increasing complexity possibly offered in late 2013 and 2014 with a combined purse of $1.5 million. Under its Centennial Challenge program, NASA has previously staged competitions designed to engage the public in advancing technology for space elevators, electric aircraft, lunar landers and regolith excavation.
