Friday, May 29, 2015
Airbus unveils first H160 prototype
Airbus Helicopters today unveiled the first prototype of its next generation H160 medium class helicopter in the presence of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
Airbus said the helicopter carried out its maiden engine ground run on May 28 ahead of first flight later this year.
A full-scale representative model of the rotorcraft was revealed at the Heli-Expo industry show’s opening in Orlando, Florida on March 3.
The 5.5-6 ton class helicopter is the first-ever, fully-composite civil helicopter and is suited for oil and gas operations; public services, air medical and coast guard duties; along with commercial transport, private and business aviation.
The H160 features the breakthrough Blue Edge® main rotor blades, which reduce exterior noise levels by 50 percent (3 dB) and also allow a payload increase of up to 100 kg.
The composite airframe is lighter in weight, more robust, resistant to corrosion and fatigue, while requiring less maintenance.
With a cruise speed of 160 kts, the H160 can carry 12 passengers at distances of up to 120 nautical miles for oil and gas missions, and a 450 nautical mile range with 20-minute reserve in public service or search and rescue tasks.
The H160 is powered by two Turbomeca 1,100-shp. Arrano turboshaft engines. The flight test and development program will consist of three dedicated prototype aircraft, fully supported by two new ground-based integration test means and service entry is planned for 2018.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Airbus delivers first 242 tonne A330 to Delta Airlines
The first 242-tonne Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) variant of the Airbus A330-300 was delivered today to Delta Air Lines, after rolling out in March.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
GE-Honda HF120 engine ready for HondaJet EIS
The GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine that power's the new HondaJet light business jet, represents GE’s return to the business jet space – a market the company helped create in the 1960s. At the time, GE engineers converted the J85 military jet engine into the CJ610 turbojet to power the first Learjet 23 business jet developed by the legendary aircraft designer Bill Lear.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Monday, May 18, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
A400M crash: a huge setback
The May 9 crash of the A400M airlifter in Spain was a huge setback to Airbus Defense & Space's A400M program, which has been beset with problems from the begining.
Friday, May 15, 2015
NTSB Video on Importance of Preflight Checks to Catch Flight Control Problems
Rockwell Collins to develop cockpit display to show sonic boom over land
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NASA’s initial depiction of sonic boom footprint integrated with real-time, local-area moving map. |
Crashed Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopter located
Thursday, May 14, 2015
KAI selected for Korean KF-X fighter program

South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has selected the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) as the preferred bidder to develop the indigenous KF-X fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and Indonesian Air Force
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Spanish MoD to probe A400M crash
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A400M completes May 12 flight test |
Spanish Defense Ministry will probe the May 9 crash of a production Airbus A400M airlifter during a flight test in Seville, Spain.
Image: Mi-26T airlifts Mi-26 fuselage
The world's heaviest-lifting commercial helicopter, the Russian Helicopters Mi-26T has successfully airlifted a fuselage of a Mi-26 Russian military transport helicopter from Yoshkar-Ola to Rostov-on-Don.
The 14 tonne fuselage was transported by Rostvertol-Avia for repair work as ordered by Experimental Design Bureau Rostov-Mil. The Mi-26T, which can lift up to 20-tonnes of cargo took nine days to complete the mission.
The MI-26T helicopter is the only aircraft capable of lifting objects of such weights and dimensions.
In Krasnoyarsk Territory in 1999 it was used to carry a mammoth encased in a block of ice. In 2001, the Mi-26T helped restore the cupola and cross to the church in Pavlovskaya settlement, Krasnodar.
In 2002 and 2009 it helped evacuate 11-tonne fuselages of US Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters that had crashed in Afghanistan.
In 2009, the Mi-26T transported a 27-metre Alinghi 5 catamaran, and a Tu-134 passenger plane. No helicopter in the history of the helicopter-building industry has ever carried out operations of this scale.
The Mi-26T was designed based on the military transport Mi-26 helicopter. Work to design the initial model by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant(now part of Russian Helicopters) started in the 1970s and it was first unveiled to the global public at the Paris airshow in 1981, after the USSR Defense Ministry recommended serial production be launched.
The serial production of the Mi-26T was launched in 1985. Unlike its predecessor, the helicopter was fitted with additional radio communications, avionics, and navigation systems, and an automatic hover system. It was also stripped of its military counterpart's arms and armour.
The helo has a maximum take-off mass of 56 tonne with standard take-off mass being 49.6 tonne. Total fuel capacity of the main tanks is 12 tonne. It has a cruising speed of 255 km/h and operating range of 590 km.
Rostvertolis preparing for the series production of the upgraded Mi-26T – the Mi-26T2 helicopter with reduced crew and the latest avionics. These modernization significantly increase flight safety, improve its ergonomics, and facilitate the work of the helicopter crew.
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