World War II plane recovered from Lake Michigan

A World War-II era plane has been recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan, where it has been for nearly 70 years.

The FM-2 “Wildcat” Fighter, crashed during aircraft-carrier training near Waukegan on Dec. 28, 1944. It went down in about 200 feet of water in an accident blamed on engine failure. Crews recovered it Friday, Dec 7, 2012.

The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation sponsored the recovery. The foundation wants it to eventually go on display in the Chicago area.

More than 17,000 pilots completed the training in Lake Michigan. That included World War II pilot and future president, George H.W. Bush.

The aircraft carriers used for the training docked at Chicago’s Navy Pier. The pilots flew from Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview.

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Source: http://www.rrstar.com/updates/x1353217739/World-War-II-plane-recovered-from-Lake-Michigan

Boeing Delivers the 5th C-17 Globemaster III to UAE Air Force

Earlier this month, the Boeing was able to deliver the fifth C-17 Globemaster III airlifter to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force. The other four C-17s was already delivered  last 2011 and the UAE Air Force is waiting for one more airlifter later this year.

UAE Air Force is Boeing’s sixth C-17 international customer. The UAE Air Force received their first airlifter on May 10, 2011. Since then, the UAE Air Force and Air Defence C-17 had more than 2,000 flight hours and carried more than 3,000 passengers and about 4 million pounds of cargo.

“It’s amazing to see all that the UAE has accomplished with its fleet of C-17s in such a short time, including standing up a new base; qualifying three aircraft commanders and four mission-ready loadmasters; and conducting humanitarian aid and peacekeeping missions,” said Bob Ciesla, Boeing Airlift Vice President and C-17 Program Manager. “We’re proud to be a part of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence mission long after each C-17 is delivered. With a mission-capable rate above 90 percent, UAE C-17s are ready to save lives and deliver hope whenever they are needed.”

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is known as a large military transport aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas in which later merged with the Boeing company. The C-17 is widely-used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases all over the world. The C-17 Globemaster III can also perform tactical airlift, medical evacuation and airdrop missions.

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Source: http://www.defencetalk.com

Etihad, Air Berlin Pools Boeing 787s

Air Berlin and UAE’s Etihad Airways announced plans to merge their Boeing 787s, three months after the Abu-Dhabi-based carrier raised its stake and interest in Germany’s second-biggest airline to almost 30 percent.

The UAE airline furthers that the agreement calls for Etihad and Air Berlin to share in infrastructure and pool maintenance, and develop joint training for the aircraft.

They will also purchase bundle of equipment for 787′s engines as well as electronic and inflight entertainment systems and cooperate on product development for the planes.

Etihad has already ordered 41 planes, with 25 options and purchasing rights while Air Berlin has initially requested 25 787s but canceled 10 of them in 2010 due to its uncertainty whether it will increase its long-haul network.

A spokeswoman from Air Berlin said on Tuesday it was not yet clear which routes the 787s would service, and given the partnership with Etihad, it still cannot be concluded that the planes are set forth to fly to Etihad.

Source: news.airwise.com

China’s first aircraft carrier, Jet-15 to be deployed in August

China’s first aircraft is likely to be commissioned on August 1 and deployed in the contended South China Sea, adding fighter jets for a series of scientific exploration and sea trials.

“The military authority plans to let the aircraft carrier be commissioned this year,” Deputy Commander of Chinese navy Xu Hongmeng said.

Shanghai Daily also quoted Xu saying that the unnamed carrier has already taken part in four sea trials in the Pacific since August last year.

Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman said in an interview that the carrier would be used mainly for scientific research and training pilots for future carriers.

Since 1985, China has acquired four used aircraft carriers for study – the Australian HMAS Melbourne and the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk, Kiev and Varyag. The said carrier is redeveloped from the previously unfinished Varyag and is believed to be the first of the three being eyed for acquisition by the Chinese navy. 

Sources says that China has conceived of deploying J-15 fighters which is said to be the variant of Russia’s Su-33 to operate from the carrier. Military experts regard J-15 as the most suitable aircraft for the carrier. The vessel is reported to be capable of carrying around 30 fighters and helicopters as well as a crew of around 2,000.

Experts believe that China’s early deployment in SCS could stir up more tensions in the region and to counter America’s strategy in global supremacy at the sea.

Source: http://www.brahmand.com

RAF Requests New C-17 Engines for $300M

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of 20 F117-PW-100 engines and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $300 million. (www.defencetalk.com)

The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has called for a possible sale of 20 F-117-PW-100 engines, support equipment, Global Positioning Systems, engine exchange kits, communications equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and all other related elements of program support.

The proposed sale is said to back up UK’s continuous access to the States Air Force/Boeing Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership program supporting the UK’s fleet of eight Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. The estimated cost is $300 million.

The proposed purchase will contribute to the national security of the United States.

‘The UK was the first foreign client for the C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft. This is said to provide an increased force protection capability that enhances regional and global stability. The UK will have no problem absorbing these additional engines and support into its armed forces.

The prime contractor will be The Boeing Company in Long Beach, California. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this sale will not require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the UK.’ (defencetalk.com)

Source: http://www.defencetalk.com
Photo taken from armybase.us

U.S. eyes V-22 aircraft sales to Israel, Canada, UAE

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Florida (Reuters) – The U.S. government is eyeing Israel, Canada and the United Arab Emirates as possible initial foreign buyers of the V-22 Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a top U.S. Marine Corps official told Reuters.

Lieutenant General Terry Robling, deputy Marine Corps commandant for aviation, said U.S. officials were continuing to drive down the cost of the aircraft and hoped to sell it to allies overseas to keep the production line running past 2018.

U.S. officials plan to show off the aircraft, which flies like an airplane but tilts its rotors to take off and land like helicopter, at the Farnborough Air Show outside London in July. It also made appearances at the Dubai and Singapore air shows in recent months, Robling told Reuters aboard a military aircraft after a Marine Corps event at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, and Boeing issued a news release in December after the Dubai air show, saying the aircraft had received “significant interest” from potential customers, but it did not identify them.

Boeing and Bell have been trying to generate foreign interest for years, but potential buyers were holding back to see how the plane did in combat, and because of the relatively high price of buying and operating the plane — both of which are now coming down.

Washington is increasingly looking to foreign military sales to keep the cost of weapons systems from rising as the Pentagon cuts its own orders to strip $487 billion from its planned defense budgets over the next decade.

Robling said Israel, Canada and the UAE had expressed interest in the aircraft, but had not received formal pricing and technical information for the Osprey.

The Marines will ask lawmakers to approve a five-year procurement plan for 91 aircraft that will run through fiscal 2017 — 24 less than initially planned for the period.

But the service still plans to buy those aircraft and has not changed its overall requirement, Robling said, although he acknowledged that postponing production resulted in more uncertainty given the current difficult budget environment.

Marine Corps Commandant James Amos this month told U.S. lawmakers that the Osprey, which can cruise at 290 miles an hour — twice the rate of military helicopters — has performed “exceedingly well” since being put into operation. He said it gives U.S. and coalition forces a “maneuver advantage and operational reach unmatched by any other tactical aircraft.”

 

-more at finance.yahoo.com

Canadian DND figures shows little wiggle room in replacing CF-18s with stealth fighters

Ottawa, CANADA – There’s little wiggle room to prolong the life of Canada’s CF-18 jet fighters beyond 2020 and they may have to be flown gently if there are further delays in the F-35 program.

A Defence Department chart that tracks maintenance on all 77 aircraft shows the CF-18s had used up about 73 per cent of their airframe life prior to last year’s Libya bombing campaign.

National Defence has acknowledged there is no back-up plan if the multi-national F-35 stealth fighter program encounters more problems or postponements.

The retirement date for all but three of the CF-18s is set at 2020, according to the spreadsheet tabled in Parliament last year in response to written questions by Opposition parties.

On average, each aircraft is expected to end its service life with just over 7,000 hours in the air; most had already surpassed an average 5,151 hours at the time the snapshot was taken in late 2010.

The aging fighters have gone through a decade-long $1.8-billion upgrade to their weapons systems and sensors, and senior defence officials say they’ll “easily be effective” for another eight years.

All of the jets were purchased between 1984 and 1989. Aircraft No. 925 is expected to clock out with the airtime at 8,637 hours, according to the documents.

The first of the problem-plagued F-35s is supposed to be delivered in 2016, with the bulk of the planned 65 aircraft arriving in 2020.

The New Democrats say it’s foolish that the Harper government has not prepared a solid back-up plan, even if that contingency is simply investing in some sort of airframe life-extension.

“The way they are proceeding simply confounds me,” said NDP critic Matthew Kellway. “I don’t know how they could have painted themselves into this corner without a back up, and if they have one they refuse to tell us what it might be.”

But for the Harper government, the figures underscore the need to replace the aging fighters.

“Canada’s CF-18s are nearing the end of their usable lives,” said Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino.

“We have set a budget for replacement aircraft and we have been clear that we will operate within that budget. We will make sure that the Air Force has aircraft necessary to do the job we ask of them.”

Other nations, notably the United States, have invested in programs to keep their F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles flying because of delays in the US $328-billion stealth fighter, which is the most costly weapons program in American history.

In fact, Lockheed Martin, which manufactures both the F-35 and the F-16, announced last week that it would offer upgrade kits to keep older Falcons in the air and might even build new ones.

Industry observers see it as a hedge against more possible delays.

The current Defence Department plan in Ottawa sees the first F-35s arrive in 2016 and enter service in the 2018 time frame, at which point the oldest of the current fighters would be retired. But development setbacks and delayed orders from other allied nations have cast doubt on that.

Defence experts have been pushing the government since last fall to consider a further upgrade to the CF-18s.

Retired air force lieutenant-colonel Dean Black has said it’s something that should be considered rather than going down the road of Australia buying new Super Hornets, the beefed up version of the F-18.

 

-whistlerquestion.com

Wings of Freedom Tour goes to Pensacola

Pensacola, FLORIDA – The public can tour and — for a price — even fly in some historic World War II-era aircraft from March 5-7.

The Wings of Freedom Tour will be at the Pensacola Aviation Center at Pensacola International Airport.

The aircraft that will be on display are the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress,” Consolidated B-24 Liberator, and North American P-51 Mustang.

The national tour, now in its 23rd year, is sponsored by the Collings Foundation, a nonprofit educational group that supports “living history” exhibits. The tour usually visits 110 cities each year.

The cost to tour the aircraft is $12 regular admission and $6 for children 11 and younger. Tour hours are 2 to 5 p.m. on March 5; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 6; and 9 a.m. through noon on March 7.

A 30-minute flight aboard the B-17 or the B-24 is $425. A 30-minute flight aboard the P-51 Mustang is $2,200.

-pnj.com

Lockheed Dismisses Korea F-35 Schedule Issue

SINGAPORE — A Pentagon decision to reduce near-term F-35 purchases will not hinder Lockheed Martin from meeting South Korea’s demand for an early 2016 first delivery under the F-X3 fighter program, insists David Scott, director of F-35 international customer engagement for the prime contractor.

Current production capacity can build 48 aircraft annually, and with the U.S. looking to buy around 30 aircraft per year, there are slots to meet South Korea’s demands, as well as other near-term international buyers such as Japan, Turkey, Italy and Norway.

A Joint Strike Fighter steering board will convene soon to update and reconcile purchase plans. If there is need for extra tooling to be acquired either at Lockheed Martin or in the F-35 supply chain, there would be time to do so, Scott says.

The South Korean competition to supply 60 fighters will pit the F-35A against the Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle and, potentially, European bidders.

The international buys also will help maintain production of F-35s at a more economical rate, Scott notes.

Lockheed Martin would need a waiver to sell the fighter to South Korea because of a U.S. prohibition of exporting hardware before an aircraft has entered service with the U.S. The waiver is likely to be granted, though, with the U.S. government having already granted one for Japan.

Still unclear is what the next big F-35 competition will be overseas. The focus, after South Korea, likely will shift to solidifying plans with Singapore, Australia and others already involved in the program at various levels.

 

-aviationweek.com

-aerospaceweb.org

Singapore Sends RFI For 6 Aerial Refueling Tankers

Singapore has moved ahead with plans to order aerial refueling tankers to replace its Boeing KC-135Rs.

Industry sources say Singapore has issued a request for information (RFI) for six aerial refueling tankers. One of the sources says they anticipate a request for proposals (RFP) may be issued mid-year.

The Southeast Asian nation has four Boeing KC-135R aerial refueling tankers, the first of which the island nation received in late 1999. These aircraft are in fact A-model KC-135s that Boeing upgraded to R-model by re-engining the aircraft with new CFM International CFM-56 power-plants.

Industry sources say new aerial refueling tankers are a top priority for the Singapore Air Force, which has been complaining about the cost and difficulty involved in maintaining the KC-135R. This tanker is based on the Boeing 707 commercial platform.

One of the sources says the reason Singapore’s KC-135Rs may be difficult and costly to maintain is because Singapore’s KC-135Rs are a lower block standard than the U.S. Air Force’s.

At the Singapore Airshow (Feb. 14-19), Airbus Military had on display a U.K. Royal Air Force A330MRTT. Israel Aircraft Industries was also at the show promoting its 767 Multi-Mission Tanker Transport and Boeing was promoting its KC-46 aerial refueling tanker.

Boeing would ordinarily be the front-runner in the competition, because of Singapore’s close ties with the U.S., but the KC-46 is still in development. Boeing is already committed to deliver 18 KC-46As to the U.S. Air Force by 2017, leaving no early delivery slots for foreign customers. The earliest Boeing can delivery KC-46s to international customers is 2018. That may be too late for the Singaporeans.

-aviationweek.com