Steam catapult launches F-35C

The F-35C completed its first steam catapult launch July 27 marking another milestone toward initial ship trials in 2013. Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Launch and Recovery Equipment) Brandon Barr used a TC-13 Mod 2 test steam catapult, representative of current fleet technology, launching F-35C test aircraft CF-3 into the sky.

“It was great to be able to be a part of this milestone in the F-35C test program,” said Navy test pilot Lt. Chris Tabert.

CF-3 is the designated carrier suitability testing aircraft, assigned to the F-35 integrated test facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

“Our first trip here to Lakehurst went very smoothly because of the true collaboration and hard work from the integrated team,” said Tom Briggs, government air vehicle engineering manager. “We look forward to another productive visit and staying on track for initial ship trials.”

In addition to the catapult launches at varying power levels, the integrated test team will execute a test plan over three weeks to include dual-aircraft jet blast deflector testing and catapult launches using a degraded catapult configuration to measure the effects of steam ingestion on the aircraft.

The F-35C carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter is distinct from the F-35A and F-35B variants. It has larger wing surfaces and reinforced landing gear for slower catapult launch and landing approach speeds and deck impacts associated with the demanding carrier take-off and landing environment. The F-35C is undergoing test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River prior to eventual delivery to the fleet.

Source: NAVAIR

JetBlue To Sell 11 of 12 E190s

JetBlue Airways has reached an agreement in principle to sell 11 of the 12 Embraer 190 aircraft it was scheduled to receive in 2013 and 2014 to a “third party” that the carrier would not identify.

JetBlue executives disclosed the agreement in a conference call July 26 on its second-quarter earnings. The New York-based low-cost carrier did not provide any other details about the deal.

Going forward, JetBlue expects to use lease returns, rather than sales, for its Airbus aircraft to “smooth out” its capacity growth in that aircraft type. CFO Ed Barnes says it plans to use sales of delivery positions to do the same with the Embraer 190 aircraft. JetBlue has 47 of the Embraer aircraft on firm order from 2012 through 2018.

JetBlue said in June that it plans to drop up to 25 of the Embraer 190s from its order backlog, but was adamant that it would not park aircraft to meet its 75-aircraft E-Jet fleet optimization goal. JetBlue also rescheduled its Airbus narrowbody deliveries and converted some A320 orders to the larger A321.

JetBlue currently operates 119 Airbus A320s and 46 Embraer 190s.

On second-quarter earnings, JetBlue reported a $25 million profit and 7.5% operating margin, which is lower than its $31 million profit and 10.2% margin in second quarter 2010.

The airline reported record second-quarter operating revenue of $1.2 billion on 8.7% more capacity and 7.9% more traffic, with increases of 13.9% in yield, 13.2% in passenger unit revenue and 12.6% in total unit revenue. Operating expenses, however, increased 26% year-over-year, or $220 million, largely because of a $160 million increase in the amount spent on fuel. That propelled unit costs to a 16% increase.

Also, leisure demand “unexpectedly and somewhat suddenly lost momentum” at the end of June, although forward bookings look good right now, Barnes says.

JetBlue executives say they remain confident in their strategy, which includes a focus on growth in the Boston and Latin American/Caribbean markets, a continued strengthening of its appeal to business travelers and additional interlining partnerships.

Meanwhile, other airlines are cutting their capacity by about 3% in the third quarter in Boston markets in which they compete with JetBlue, the carrier says.

JetBlue expects Latin American and Caribbean routes to account for about 25% of its capacity by year-end, and says competitive capacity will be down 13% in the third quarter in its Caribbean markets. The carrier’s Caribbean boost will come in part from plans to increase the number of seats by about 50% year-over-year into San Juan, where JetBlue recently overtook American Airlines in capacity because of JetBlue’s growth and American’s cutbacks.

 

-aviationweek.com

Royal Thai Army: Human error possible cause of helicopter crash

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has made its first official statement about three helicopter that crashed near the Thai-Burma border over just nine days, downplaying human error as possible reasons for the accidents.

Commander of the RTA Aviation Centre, Maj-General Phitthaya Krajangwong, repeated that poor visibility was a possible reason that the first two helicopters crashed.

They were a UH1-H on July 16 and a Black Hawk on July 19.

Meanwhile, mechanical failure was a likely cause of the third crash – a UH1-N – on Sunday. The details have been widely reported by the media and are known to the public.

Detailed results of an official investigation into the technical and other relevant aspects would be available soon, or after 30 days if an extension was necessary, he said.

All three incidents were being investigated by a single panel, which was looking into the technical, logistical and administrative aspects.

While admitting that the human factor was always a probability in any accident, Phitthaya did not mention it as a cause of the three incidents in his statement at the press conference yesterday.

He said the aviation center’s history dated back to 1967.

It had trained more than 2,000 pilots in a total of 55 classes. He cited the facts in an attempt to highlight the qualifications of the crews that perished, saying they were highly trained and had experience of flying long hours.

The three crashes are the worst air disasters in the history of the Thai military. All up, 16 personnel and a civilian cameraman were killed, while one crew member was also injured.

All UH-1N helicopters – about 20 belonging to the Army – have been grounded for a couple of days for an inspection, which may take a few more days. The general said maintenance and repairs to all three helicopters, as well as other aircraft in the RTA fleet, had been adequate and according to the manufacturers’ specifications.

The only new details given by Phitthaya was a theory related to the first crash. He said that thick clouds could have suddenly converged above a landing zone, affecting visibility and forcing the pilots to head up the UH1-H, without looking ahead, and hitting a hillside before climbing up.

In the case of the UH-1N, which is referred to by the Army and the media as a Bell 212, maybe to differentiate it from the UH-1H, he said the tail rotor was not damaged or gutted by fire and would be a crucial evidence and very useful to the investigation. He said it could confirm that it was a key mechanical failure, and possibly linked to the UH-1N losing control and hitting the ground.

Meanwhile, Army commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha reacted angrily to certain media reports and opinions of academics who questioned the decision-making of the Army’s senior leaders. They said that after the first two accidents, sending a third chopper could have been avoided. He called on them to show responsibility for causing a drop in the morale of the Army aviation personnel.

He said criticism could be made but should be based on facts and fairness to Army aviation personnel. He repeated Phitthaya’s insistence that the choppers had had sufficient maintenance.

Prayuth said the Army was upset over the incidents but not discouraged by them. “I welcome criticisms but they must be based on the right principles.

“What we can do now is to study the incidents, ensure the deaths were not in vain, and learn lessons from them to prevent future incidents,” he said.

Prayuth attended the funerals in Kanchanaburi of Maj-General Tawan Ruengsri, the highest-ranking casualty, among others. He travelled from Bangkok by road, instead of taking a helicopter.

Water granted by His Majesty the King in honour of the troops was presented at bathing rituals during funerals for all 17 killed. Most were promoted posthumously to higher ranks, and their families have been promised a full package of financial assistance and other support.

Prayuth said the families would be allowed to live in military apartments for a while, and the family of Channel 5 cameraman Sornwichai Khongtannikool would be also be granted extra assistance.

 

-sg.news.yahoo.com

U.S. Chinook shot down by RPG in Afghanistan

Minor casualties were reported after a rocket-propelled grenade downed a Chinook helicopter carrying U.S. and Afghanistan soldiers as it attempted to land at a coalition forces base in eastern Afghanistan early Monday. Some 20 people were on board, including soldiers and crew.

The Chinook helicopter crashed shortly after midnight when the rocket hit the rear of the helicopter on its descent into Nangalam Base in the Pech River Valley of Kunar province.

A rescue team that responded to the crash came under small-arms fire, drawing return fire from U.S. and Afghan soldiers. No further coalition casualties were reported.

No word on who was responsible for the attack has been released.

The Pech River Valley and several adjoining valleys, including the Korengal and Shuryak, are considered Taliban strongholds, and attacks on coalition forces remain a regular occurrence as the Afghanistan war approaches the 10-year mark.

Source: Stars and Stripes

777-200 for Singapore Airlines’ new LCC

Singapore Airlines selected the Boeing 777-200 as the aircraft type to comprise the fleet of its new long-haul, low-cost subsidiary airline scheduled to launch next year.

The aircraft will “initially” be acquired from SIA, which did not say how many 777-200s will make up the unnamed LCC’s operating fleet. SIA had 35 777-200ER‘s in its fleet as of March 31, according to Ascend.

The aircraft will be reconfigured in a new seating layout for the LCC that will almost certainly feature a 10 across 3-4-3 configuration in economy.

Campbell Wilson, newly named CEO of the LCC, said, “The selection of the initial fleet marks another milestone in the establishment of the new airline. The process is progressing well for our launch next year.” SIA said in a statement that “the aircraft type was selected following a detailed evaluation … The 777-200‘s proven versatility and reliability are key deciding factors in the selection.”

It called the 777 “a mainstay” of its fleet since its 1997 introduction. In addition to the 35 777-200ERs, SIA’s fleet as of March 31 also featured 31 777-300/300ERs.

The new LCC will be wholly owned by SIA, but will be operated independently and managed separately, operating no-frills, medium- and long-haul flights.”Details of its branding, products and services, and route network will be unveiled in the coming months,” SIA stated.

 

-atwonline.com

USS Wasp braces for F-35 JSF

USS Wasp is preparing to be the first ship to test the F-35B at sea. A group of Aviation Boatswain’s Mates from the ship’s Air Department will soon work in the jet at NAS Patuxent River to familiarized themselves with the aircraft.

Recently, four members of Wasp’s Air Department traveled to one of the Navy’s premier test facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to help give them a good idea of what WASP can expect when testing begins. The group consisted of Cmdr. Stephen McKone, Wasp’s Air Boss; Lt. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s Aircraft Handling Officer and F-35B Ship Integration Project Officer; Ens. Maguel Brooks, Wasp’s Air Bos’n; and Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler) Richard McCray.

The F-35B fighter will replace the Department of Navy’s current Vertical and /or Short Take Off/Landing (VSTOL) aircraft, the AV-8B Harrier.

“The F-35B is a really unique aircraft,” said Lt. Curcio. “This aircraft alone has the potential to completely revitalize the utility of large-deck amphibious platforms by adding significant strike capability to their resumes.”

During Wasp’s four-month maintenance availability conducted earlier this year, major modifications were completed to various elements of the ship including the flight deck and combat systems equipment. Also, the aft NATO Sea sparrow missile launcher mount was removed and replaced with a “dummy” launcher.

“The ship has had a few physical changes made to it,” said Curcio. “Some of these are necessary to accommodate the physical differences between the Harrier and the F-35B fighter, while others will help the engineers to collect data on both the ship’s effect on the aircraft and the aircraft’s effect on the ship.”

“For example, the flight deck tramline was shifted slightly to port to accommodate the F-35B’s larger wingspan, while the operational aft NATO Sea Sparrow launcher was replaced with an a test launcher laced with sensors to measure heat, vibrations, overpressure, and sound levels.”

According to Curcio, only five F-35B test aircraft have been delivered to flight test operations at Pax River from the factory. These prototypes are the product of millions of man hours of work and represent the full ingenuity and industrial strength of the United States.

As Wasp and her crew prepare to help test one of the world’s most technologically advanced jet fighters, Curico realizes that this will be a tremendous team effort.

“With any new piece of equipment being tested, there will some road blocks,” said Curico. “Since the crew will be working together on this, Wasp will be writing the book on how to operate the Joint Strike Fighter at sea.”

Source: dvidshub.net

Emirates optimistic about A380 approval in India

Emirates is still waiting to hear whether it will be allowed to fly Airbus A380s into major Indian airports, but it does not think there will be a long-term holdup.

Both Emirates and Lufthansa have said they want to operate A380 routes to India, but so far the government has not approved the use of the aircraft at Indian airports. Local media are reporting that this is partly to protect Air India, which is due to receive its first A380 this year.

However, the Indian government has not formed a specific policy on A380s, says Andrew Parker, Emirates’ senior VP-international affairs. The government is “being cautious and taking its time” in studying the operational implications of A380 service, Parker tells Aviation Week at the Aviation Outlook Australia Pacific conference in Sydney. “We’ll be patient, [although] we want to fly the A380 [to India] as soon as possible,” Parker says.

India is an extremely important country in the Emirates network, and this is “a market designed for A380s,” says Parker. The carrier has already flown a demonstration flight to New Delhi last year, and both Delhi and Mumbai airports are among those that can handle the aircraft, Parker says.

The official stance of the Indian government is that it is considering whether to approve A380 operations at these airports. Parker says Emirates has not formally sought to begin A380 service but has been holding discussions with the government on the subject. Emirates is “certainly hopeful” that a decision will come soon, and is optimistic that the A380s will be approved, says Parker.

 

-aviationweek.com

-wikipedia.org

USAF Weapons School to get F-35s

The U.S. Air Force has issued a Record of Decision for the proposed basing of F-35A Lightning II aircraft at Nellis Air Force Base.

USAF will bring 36 F-35 fighters to Nellis Air Force Base starting from next year till 2020. The decision is to proceed with the preferred alternative, which entails basing 36 F-35 fighter aircraft at Nellis AFB between 2012 and 2020 for the Force Development Evaluation and Weapons School programs.

The F-35 has been designed to have a low radar cross section primarily due to stealthy materials used in construction, including fiber-mat.Unlike the previous generation of fighters, the F-35 was designed with a shape for low-observable characteristics.

Implementation of this action will be accomplished as set out in the Final Environmental Impact Statement released in May 2011.

The beddown of the F-35 mission at Nellis will result in an increase of 412 personnel; require construction of new facilities, as well as alteration and demolition of existing facilities at Nellis AFB. Flight activities will occur at Nellis AFB and the Nevada Test and Training Range.

Potential impacts associated with implementing the Preferred Alternative were analyzed during the Environmental Impact Statement process.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement contains public and agency comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement as well as responses to comments.

Source: www.nellis.af.mil

Space Shuttle Fleet to retire in museums

The shuttle Atlantis returned to Earth for the final time today (July 21), but the orbiter has one more mission left on its docket — teaching and inspiring the public as a museum showpiece.

Atlantis landed at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:57 a.m. EDT (0957 GMT), officially ending NASA’s iconic shuttle program after 30 years of operation.

But Atlantis and the other surviving orbiters — Discovery, Endeavour and the prototype Enterprise used in landing tests — won’t fade into obscurity. Rather, they’ll occupy pride of place at museums around the country, serving as ambassadors for the shuttle program for years to come.

“We’re going to put Atlantis in a museum now, along with the other three orbiters, for the generations that come after us to admire and appreciate,” Atlantis commander Chris Ferguson said from the shuttle runway just after landing the orbiter. “I want that picture of a young 6-year-old boy looking up at a space shuttle in a museum and saying, ‘Daddy, I want to do something like that when I grow up,’ or ‘I want our country to do fantastic things like this for the continued future.’”

Atlantis, in particular, is NASA’s pride and joy. Unlike the other orbiters, which are bound for museums across the country, Atlantis will stay in Florida to be displayed at the nearby Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

“I think people will come here and finally appreciate the sort of underappreciated shuttle program,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of the Visitor Complex. “The shuttles did such a great job that spaceflight became relatively routine.”

Atlantis won’t roll off the runway and head immediately over to the Visitor Complex. It will undergo a months-long decommissioning and safing process, during which NASA technicians will remove some pieces for research purposes and others for safety reasons.

They’ll hold onto the orbiter’s main engines permanently, for example. And they’ll scrub away all traces of rocket fuel from the thruster system inside Atlantis’ nose before handing the shuttle over.

This process should be done by late 2012 or early 2013, Moore said. The Visitor Complex hopes to have Atlantis on display by July 2013 — perhaps two years to the day after its final launch, which took place July 8.

“I think it would be great to open on July 4, or July 8,” Moore told SPACE.com. “Do we open on the anniversary of its last flight? Do we open on America’s birthday? I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”

-news.yahoo.com

-nasa.gov

 

July 21 marks the completion of the 13-day flight of the Atlantis Spacecraft as it lands at dawn at Cape Canaveral. In commemoration of this mighty endeavor by NASA, Warplanes.com is bringing all Spacecraft Models on SALE!

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First Production Boeing P-8A Completes First Flight

The first Boeing P-8A Poseidon production aircraft completed its first flight on July 7, taking off from Renton Field and landing three hours later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of six low-rate initial production (LRIP) aircraft Boeing is building for the U.S. Navy as part of a $1.6 billion contract awarded in January.

“This is the first P-8 that will go directly to the fleet in Jacksonville, Fla., so the aircraft’s first flight is an important milestone for the Boeing team and our Navy customer,” said Chuck Dabundo, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager.

The Navy plans to purchase 117 of the Boeing Next-Generation 737-based P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet.

“As the Navy’s replacement for the P-3 Orion, the P-8A Poseidon represents the next generation of maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft,” said Capt. Michael Moran, program manager for Naval Air Systems Command’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft program office.

This is the first P-8A to include a new CFM56-7BE engine configuration that is now standard on all delivered Next-Generation 737s. The configuration is an improved design that includes high- and low-pressure turbine modifications. Coupled with drag reduction improvements that Boeing started phasing into 737 production earlier this year, it will result in lower fuel consumption and maintenance cost savings.

Source: ASD News