2010 AirVenture features the Cobalt Co50 Plane

Cobalt Aircraft’s Cobalt Co50 five-place aircraft will be on display at Area 22 of the 2010 AirVenture held at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Cobalt Co50 design

The short to medium-range Cobalt Co50 has a push configuration for its 350hp engine. Canard and split vertical stabilizers are incorporated in its design. It also has retractable landing gear.

The company’s headquarters is located across from Toussus-le-Noble Airport and only 20 km from Paris. The first aircraft in the Cobalt range, the Co50, shall be the first certified canard in its class in the world.

Side-Rear view of Cobalt Aircraft's Co50

The prototype is nearly completed and Cobalt will begin its joint EASA/FAA certification program which is expected to last for two years. The aircraft will be assembled in France for European customers and negotiations are underway for a US manufacturing location..

The famed air show started last July 26 and will continue until August 1. The Cobalt Co50 will be on display today, July 28.

- aero-news.net

-wikipedia.org

-airventure.org

Fuel-efficient landing tests by Alaska Airlines at Seattle-Tacoma Airport

Recently, Alaska Airlines said that it flew another test flight of landing procedures which could save fuel, reduce noise, and cut emissions by a third. The test flight was conducted at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Satellite technology that permits the aircraft to fly a shorter, more direct and slower approach was used. The procedure was already used in Alaska and at several Lower 48 airports.

Alaska Airlines is working with the Port of Seattle, Boeing and other airlines to get the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval to use the techniques at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Alaska Airlines estimates that more than 2 million gallons of fuel could be saved each year if this was approved. The project began last summer, and this week’s test involved a Boeing 737-700 jetliner making eight approaches to the airport.

Ben Minicucci, Alaska’s Chief Operating Officer, said “Sea-Tac is the ideal location to pursue this cutting-edge project. Seattle has the highest percentage of advanced RNP-equipped planes in the nation, and—working with the FAA—Alaska Airlines, Boeing and the Port of Seattle are committed to making ‘Greener Skies’ a reality as soon as possible. Ultimately this project could serve as a blueprint for next-generation aviation technology throughout the country.”

A Boeing 737-700 of Air Berlin

The 737-700 is a narrow-body passenger jet produced since 1996. It has a length of 33.6m and a height of 12.5m. It a maximum speed of 514 mph. 137 people can seat in a two-class cabin or 149 people in an all-economy configuration of the 737-700 jet.

-seattlepi.com

- greencarcongress.com

-wikipedia.org

SECOND $900M PLAN ORDER FOR SUPERJET 100

Sukhoi Superjet 100

Recently, Russian plane maker Superjet revealed at the Farnborough Air show that 30 orders have been made for the Superjet 100 passenger plane. The passenger plane has seen belated overseas interest and the orders costs around $900 million in total.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the much delayed Superjet 100 will be the first passenger plane built by Russia. It’s an attempt to challenge current market leaders Airbus and Boeing in the regional carrier sector. Superjet is controlled by Russia’s state-controlled Sukhoi and 25 percent owned by Italy’s Finmeccanica. It has reported 60 firm orders during the first three days of the Air show, taking the program’s total to 161. The latest was a $900 million deal with Bermuda-based lessor Pearl, with delivery of the 30 planes due next year.

At this year’s Farnborough Airshow, commercial plane orders have gained great demand as the industry emerges from a two year market lull caused by the global economic slowdown.

The mid-sized Superjet 100 first flew May 2008, but a series of project delays mean first deliveries will not be made until the end of this year. Early orders were predictably dominated by Russian state airline Aeroflot maybe because Prime Minister Vladimir Putin publicly urged Aeroflot chief executive Vitaly Savelyev to buy more locally made planes earlier this month. Aeroflot had ordered 30 planes while Hungary’s Malev has also ordered 30, but the multi-national make-up of the Farnborough buyers takes the firm out of Eastern Europe.

During the air show, 49 Superjet 100s have also been ordered including possible 24 orders from Thailand’s Orient Thai Airlines, although these are either optional deals or at the memorandum of understanding stage. In a separate deal, Gazpromavia Airlines said it had signed a letter of intent to buy 10 Superjet 100s. And Russia’s OAK also said its Irkut subsidiary had signed a deal to sell 50 MC-21 passenger planes to Malaysian firm Crecom.

-news.airwise.com

-wikipedia.org

C-Series: A possible competition to the B737

Conceptual art of Bombardier's C-series

US plane maker Boeing said that the Bombardier Aerospace’s C-series narrow-body jet is likely to be a competitor to Boeing’s in-demand 737 aircraft.

Last Monday, General Manager Pat Shanahan of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said at the Farnborough Air show that the C-series was an “ambitious” endeavor. “It certainly is added incentive for us to continue to invest in new products and new technology,” Shanahan said, adding “They are a potential competitor.”

With its C-series aircraft, Bombardier hopes to enter the narrow-body market. 90 orders of the aircraft as well as 90 options have been secured. But at the air show, the Canadian company surprisingly showed only a small order for executive jets from Qatar Airways. Experts expected it to see more orders.

B737 of Southwest Airlines

Shanahan also said that the potential appeal of the C-series to airlines will also factor into Boeing’s decision on how to update its 737 model. According to Boeing executives, the company may decide later this year whether it will design an entirely new 737 or simply replace the engine with a new one in the old design.

Boeing’s biggest rival, Airbus, is considering a similar approach for updating its competing A320 model. Replacing engines would bring the updated planes to market faster than a redesign.

The Boeing General Manager said the biggest challenge the company faces is finding a way to increase aircraft production to meet the rising needs of airlines, especially in the Middle East, without straining the supply chain.

Recently, Boeing has announced plans to ramp up production of its 737. Shanahan also noted aggressive demand for Boeing’s wide-body 787 and 777 planes.

­-news.airwise.com

-wikipedia.org

35 More 737s for American

American Airlines and Boeing announced that an additional 35 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft is being considered to be purchased by American Airlines.

A Boeing 737-800 of Ryanair

This is part of the ongoing fleet renewal plan by American Airlines. Their McDonnell Douglas MD-80s are going to be replaced with Next-Generation 737s. According to Boeing, the 737 is more fuel efficient on a seat-mile basis.

According to American Airlines Chief Commercial officer Virasb Vahidi, “The 737-800 provides additional amenities for our customers while helping to reduce our operating and fuel costs and lessen our impact on the environment.”  He added that “The 737 is a product that benefits all of American’s stakeholders and is a good fit for our current fleet renewal plans.”

McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft

The new orders build on an order for 84 737s which began its delivery in 2009. Currently, the airline expects to have a total of 195 737-800s in by the end of 2012.

The 737-800 is a stretched version of the -700 model. Aside from replacing  the MD-80, it is also used to replace the MD-90 and 727-200. This aircraft competes with Airbus’s A320.

Airbus A320 aircraft

-aviationnews.net

-wikipedia.org

A320’s engine study only until end of September

Airbus Sales Chief John Leahy thinks that Airbus is deciding to upgrade its A320 narrow-body aircraft, their lead profit maker, with new engines and expects the Boeing will do the same.

But Airbus will not complete studies on the move before end of September as it juggles engineering resources. A new engine would offer airlines fuel savings of about 15 percent from 2015, pending more radical improvements in engine technology which Airbus does not expect for at least 15 years but which Boeing expects sooner.

A decision whether to put forward the engine upgrade soon, and risk decreasing of large backlogs of planes already sold with older engines, or wait for further technology developments and build a new plane and engine costing well over USD$10 billion bears on the shoulders of plane makers.

Leahy, Airbus’s top salesman, favors going for the interim step saying “We think that is way to go and that Boeing will be behind us before end of year,” about the “re-engining” project. “Let’s make sure we have engineering resources in place,” he said, adding that replacing the engines of the same plane with fuel-saving wingtip devices known as Sharklets would have strong demand. “We are running those tracklines through. By the end of September we will have whole thing put together… Assuming that it works I would like to think we would be out there in the fourth quarter,” he said, adding the proposals would have to be approved by the EADS board before Airbus could offer the plane.

“We had 131 firm orders at the end of June and I have a bet with Louis (Gallois) here that we will more than double that by the end of the air show,” he said, referring to the chief executive of Airbus parent EADS.

The timing is crucial for all companies involved as it would determine whether investments of several billion dollars in a re-engined Airbus A320 or Boeing 737 make financial sense.

“If the next generation is coming in 2019, then it would have a big impact on residual values, but if it is 2026-27, then it is a much longer run,” Leahy said.

“If we don’t re-engine, then Boeing probably won’t, and then there will be a niche for the C Series… but with re-engining there is no case for it,” Leahy said. He also expects “one or two” extra A380 orders this year after sale of thirty-two A380 aircraft to Emirates.

-news.airwise.com

Green engines’ success relies on its reliability

At a recent Eco-Aviation Conference, CFM International GM-Marketing Bill Brown said that airlines are unlikely to compromise reliability and low maintenance costs for the sake of lower carbon emissions. He said that CFM surveyed 400 operators over for four years as it developed the Leap-X. On-time departures and a hold on maintenance costs were the key operator expectations. Also, CFM operators now are enjoying 99.98% dispatch reliability from an engine that has 31 applications with 480 million flight hours of experience, according to Brown.

Brown claims that the LEAP-X will deliver 15% lower fuel burn; thus, CO2 and a 50% reduction in NOx will be up to 15dB quieter than Stage 4 while offering the same reliability and maintenance cost as the current CFM56. This has been achieved by incorporating much of the GE90 and GEnx technology into the new engine. The 15% lower fuel burn will come from a 45% higher propulsive efficiency through increased bypass ratio and lower weight combined with 45% higher thermal efficiency and integrated engine systems..

“LEAP-X technology will actually enter service in late 2010 on the GEnx engine,” Brown told the conference attendees. The GEnx has the same composite blades, compressor, TAPS and aero technology as the LEAP-X. CFM built the first core for the LEAP-X last year and the second core is underway. CFM is planning to complete three cores by 2012 with a design freeze in 2011. The engine’s blades already have passed critical bird strike, blade-out and crosswind tests. Airbus and Boeing are expected to commit to re-engine/new aircraft decisions for the A320 and B737 upgrade and/or replacement later this year.

Earlier reports have released that Airbus is planning to upgrade their A320s while Boeing will upgrade their 777s even if analysts criticize this decision and suggests Boeing to upgrade their 737s. Boeing comments that 737s will be upgraded after the release of their competitor’s A350XWB.

-atwonline.com

Sikorsky and Lockheed team-up for USAF HH-60 Recap

Sikorsky’s UH-60M BLACK HAWK

Former rivals Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky Aircraft are teaming up to offer a modified UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter they say will better meet the pared-down expectations for the U.S. Air Force combat, search and rescue (CSAR) replacement program.

The two companies signed a teaming agreement formalizing their intent to offer an advanced version of Sikorsky’s UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter for the Air Force’s HH-60 Personnel Recovery Recapitalization program (HH-60 Recap). The program would replace the 112 existing HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet with an equal number of new aircraft requiring minimal airframe modification or mission systems development.

The agreement positions Sikorsky as prime contractor, with Lockheed Martin as the major subsystems supplier.

“Our team has the resources and experience to rapidly deliver the proven UH-60M airframe design with mature situational awareness sensors and mission systems,” said Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems. “We believe a UH-60M aircraft missionized for the complexities of the combat search and rescue mission will fit seamlessly into established Air Force training and logistics operations.”

Lockheed Martin on the other hand, has provided integrated avionics and mission systems for other H-60 aircraft, including U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force special operations helicopters, and Air Force combat rescue helicopters. Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin also have a well established working relationship over 38 years, delivering more than 400 SH-60B and MH-60R/S mission-ready aircraft to the U.S. Navy.

“Lockheed Martin has 25 years of experience integrating mission systems for special operations and combat rescue helicopters,” said Dan Spoor, Aviation Systems vice president at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors in Owego, N.Y. “We also can bring to the HH-60 Recap program the mature systems and readiness from our work on the prior CSAR-X competition.”

The companies will share facilities, experience and engineering talent for both opportunities.

- planenews.com
- aviationweek.com

Newly re-winged P3, delivered

Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion

The first Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) enhancements was delivered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in ceremonies last Wednesday in GREENVILLE, S.C.

This aircraft is the first of many that will benefit with increased availability and reliability for critical homeland security missions. It will soon make its first flight and will immediately be a game-changer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“The P-3 Orion is unsurpassed in its flexibility in maritime patrol and reconnaissance,” said Ralph Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “The Mid-Life Upgrade will ensure this national asset continues to provide second-to-none service for the next 20 years.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will receive up to 14 upgraded P-3s for deliveries planned through 2015.

“We are excited about our partnership with Customs and Border Protection,” said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Programs vice president, “and we are committed to providing them with modernization enhancements to sustain the P-3 for decades to come.”

P-3 Orion is the standard for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and is used for homeland security, hurricane reconnaissance, anti-piracy operations, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, antisubmarine warfare and, recently, to assist in air traffic control and data gathering over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

- http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Monday crash at Horace Williams Airport raises safety concern again

Horace Williams Airport at University of North Carolina

A plane crash that occurred last Monday led to reviving the discussion about shutting down University of North Carolina’s Horace Williams Airport.

As it was approaching the runway, the Cirrus SR20 crashed on the north east end of the airport wherein one man died and two other passengers got injured. The privately-owned Cirrus SR20 was registered in Wilmington, Delaware according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The airport has been in operation since the 1940s and has been a concern since 1960 when schools and neighborhoods were built because it was expected to close back then.

“It’s certainly something that worries people,” Chapel Hill Town Council Member Ed Harrison said. “There are reasonable people who consider it threatening and there are also … pilots who don’t consider it threatening.” But the Town Council has no jurisdiction over the airport, which is owned and operated by UNC on state land.

A longtime neighborhood activist against the airport, Diane Bloom, stated “I think every time there’s a crash, people realize that it’s grown to be not a good place for an airport.” She added that “The airport does have an atypical flight path so when people are landing it’s different than other airports. It can be difficult for pilots.”

“There is no margin for error anymore,” she said. “When it was first built there was so much room around it, but now there’s houses and schools right under the flight path.”

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp was unreachable on Monday for comments about this matter, while Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said the university will close the airport once it is ready to move its Area Health Education Centers medical fleet to a new hangar at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The Cirrus SR20 is a four-seat civil utility aircraft with a length of 7.92m, height of 2.71m and wingspan of 11.68m. It is powered by a Continental IO-360ES engine, and is noted for being the first aircraft to equip a parachute for spin recovery.

A Cirrus SR20

-chapelhillnews.com

-wikipedia.org