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.
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.
The An-26 is high-wing, twin-engine tactical military aircraft that features a retractable rear ramp. The aircraft is powered by ZMKB Progress AI-24VT turboprops (2,820 shp each) and can carry up to 40 passengers 1,375 nm. The aircraft's first flight took place in May 1969, and more than 1,400 units were produced through 1986. Nearly 40 An-26 variants were produced, including some for firefighting, flying-hospital and electronic-intelligence applications.
The KC-390 is a twin-engine, high-wing military transport under development by Embraer. As envisioned, the KC-390 will be able to carry a payload of 50,705 lb. Embraer has selected International Aero Engines' V2500-E5 turbofan engine (27,000-29,000 lb. thrust) to power the new aircraft. First flight is planned for 2014, with service entry in 2016. To date, Argentina (6 aircraft), Brazil (28), Chile (6), Colombia (12), the Czech Republic (2) and Portugal (6) have committed to acquiring the KC-390, with the Brazilian air force acting as the program's prime sponsor.
A three-engine, medium-lift, multirole helicopter, the AW101 (formerly known as the EH101) has been produced in naval, military utility and civil versions. They have been equipped with a number of engines, such as the General Electric CT7 and T700 and the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322. Through 2012, 175 AW101s were produced. Some 52 more are forecast to be built in the 2013-22 period.
The P-8A maritime patrol/antisubmarine-warfare aircraft (ASW) is a variant of Boeing's 737-800 commercial transport, and is powered by two CFM56-7B turbofans rated at 27,300 lb. thrust each. The aircraft will succeed the Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion in U.S. Navy maritime patrol/ASW service. Flight-testing of the P-8A began in April 2009. The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As. India has ordered eight of the P-8I variant, with options for an additional four; the first of these arrived in December 2012.
The Hurkus is a primary and basic trainer aircraft under development by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to meet a Turkish air force requirement for 15 new trainers. The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries and TAI signed a Hurkus development contract in December 2006. TAI completed the aircraft's critical design review in April 2009, and first flight took place in August 2013. TAI is developing two versions. Hurkus-A will be certified with the European Aviation Safety Agency, according to CS-23 requirements.
The Chinook is a twin-engine, tandem-rotor, medium/heavy-lift transport helicopter that first flew in 1961. The current CH-47F production model is powered by two 4,733-shp Honeywell T55-GA-714A engines. The MH-47G Special Operations helicopter is based on the CH-47F. Through 2012, Boeing produced approximately 1,145 Chinooks, Kawasaki built 90 under license and AgustaWestland built 178 under license. Through 2012, 91 CH-47Ds had been converted to the CH-47F configuration, and 62 MH-47G conversions were completed.
The Antonov An-140 is a twin-engine transport primarily used as a commercial regional airliner, but also employed by the Russian defense ministry. The aircraft is powered by Motor Sich TV3-117VMA-SBM1 turboprop engines rated at 2,500 shp each, although Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127A engines (also 2,500-shp) may be used as alternatives. First An-140 flight occurred in 1997, and an estimated 30 have been built. The Aviacor plant in Samara, Russia, also manufactures the An-140, and Iran's HESA offers a license-built Oghab maritime-patrol aircraft variant.
After a tortuous, nearly two-year review, punctuated by Washington's budget spasms and political fights, U.S. nuclear and rocket scientists have a bold, new strategy for downsizing and upgrading the nation's nuclear warhead arsenal.
The K-8 is a tandem-seat trainer aircraft produced by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, with 18% of components produced by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. First flight occurred in 1990. The K-8 is powered by either a 3,600-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2A turbofan engine or a 3,792-lb.-thrust ZMKB Progress AI-25TL turbofan. Three K-8 flying prototypes and at least 432 pre-production and production aircraft were produced through 2012, with another 162 forecast for production through 2022.
The C-130 is a four-engine, turboprop-powered military transport. Several variants have been produced, including the AC-130 gunship and the KC-130 tanker. First flight of a C-130 occurred in 1954, and the current production model, the C-130J, made its initial flight in 1996. The C-130J is equipped with four 4,591-shp Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines, new avionics and other improvements. Through 2012, Lockheed Martin produced 2,432 C-130/L-100 series aircraft: 463 C-130A/Bs, 491 C-130Es, 1,000 C-130Hs, 66 C-130Ks, 20 EC-130Qs, 279 C-130Js and 113 commercial L-100s.
