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Aero News and information from aviation, aerospace, the aero world, from home
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AERO NEWS
RCAF Accepts 17th New C-130 Hercules
 Click the picture for the C-17 Globemaster.
May 9, 2012 Lockheed Martin has fulfilled its contract to deliver seventeen C-130 Hercules aircraft and supporting equipment to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The deal, worth some US$1.4 billion, was entered into on December 17, 2007, with deliveries commencing in mid 2010.
April 26, 2012 The first C-17 Globemaster, built as a demonstration aircraft in 1991, will be put on display at the U.S.A.F. Museum in Dayton Ohio. The aircraft has been used throughout the years for testing new technologies.
Feb. 10, 2012 The British RAF will purchase an additional Boeing C-17 Globemaster, bringing recent purchases to a total of eight aircraft. The C-17 sells for about US$218 million per aircraft.
Jan. 23, 2012 The United States Air Force will be purchasing an additional five C-17 Globemaster aircraft from Boeing under an existing contract. The purchase raises the total contract value by US$693.4 million. The aircraft are manufactured at Boeing's Long Beach, California facility.
25% of F-35 Test Flights Completed
 Click on the picture for the F-35.
May 9, 2012 Lockheed Martin announced that about 1/4 of the scheduled system development flights for the F-35 Strike Fighter have now been completed. The F-35 first flew on Dec. 15, 2006.
May 9, 2012 The British Royal Navy announced their decision to cancel the purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35C conventional take off and landing navy strike fighter. It was originally anticipated that they would purchase 138 of the aircraft to equip their new aircraft carriers.
In December 2011 it was announced that the F-35C had not been able to land on an aircraft carrier due to its landing hook not being able to engage the arresting wires necessary to bring the aircraft to a stop. At the time Lockheed said that the solution is a simple matter of changing the angle of the hook, while a number of aviation experts said that the hook is about ten feet from where it should be positioned. If so, the aircraft will need major rebuilding. Since Lockheed's initial announcement about the simplicity of correcting the hook issue in early January of 2012, we have not heard of any progress on fixing the landing hook to date.
At about the same time the hook issue was disclosed, it was announced that it would cost about £2 billion to install catapults and landing systems to launch and retrieve the F-35C strike fighter variant on new British Royal Navy aircraft carriers, instead of the originally estimated £400 million. Also, due to the landing hook and other issues, the F-35C may not be ready for deployment until into the 2020's.
Latest British Royal Navy plans appear to include the purchase of about 50 of the F-35B (STOVL) short take-off and vertical landing models to be used on their new aircraft carriers. Some government and manufacturing estimates are that the "B" version of the F-35 could be operational as early as 1918.
The F-35B only has about half of the ordnance capacity and about 1/3 less range of the "C" version due to the weight and space taken up by its lift fan, necessary for STOVL operations.
April 26, 2012 The U.S. government is giving Lockheed Martin another US$114.2 million to try to get the software and other systems of the F-35 to perform as specified. The project is billions of dollars over budget and many years behind schedule with all 63 of the F-35 aircraft delivered and paid for to date needing rebuilding before they will be ready to fly combat missions.
March 30, 2012 The Pentagon has agreed to pay Lockheed-Martin an additional $39.3 million for changes to the F-35 Strike Fighter and testing to be performed before October 31, 2014.
March 29, 2012 The Pentagon announced today that the total cost of the F-35 Strike Fighter program has increased by an additional US$16.3 billion to US$395.6 billion.
A Pentagon representative stated that the F-35 Strike Fighter program is about 1/5 complete and as problems are found with the fighter, money must be added to the program to fix them. However, he further stated that it "is getting under control."
March 27, 2012 Represents of the Australian, British, Canadian, Danish, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Turkish governments announced at a joint meeting that they will withdraw from the F-35 Strike Fighter project unless Lockheed agrees to lowering the estimated costs and expediting deliveries of the aircraft.
March 23, 2012 Lockheed has paid US$15.85 million in a settlement of False Claims Act allegations against it. The settlement is a result of charges brought against Lockheed subcontractor Tools & Metals Inc. regarding over-charging on tool orders to the U.S. government to be used for producing aircraft such as the F-35 Strike Fighter. The U.S. Justice Dept. called Lockheed's actions reckless due to their lack of proper monitoring of costs from its supplier. The president of Tools & Metals is currently serving a prison term for his role in the over-charging. Lockheed did not admit guilt as part of the cash settlement.
March 20, 2012 The U.S. General Accountability Office announced that the first 63 F-35 Strike Fighters delivered exceeded budget by US$1 billion. U.S. taxpayers paid more than 2/3 of the excess, while Lockheed absorbed the rest.
The GAO reports that the excess costs are due to numerous issues which were found when the aircraft were tested. It is anticipated that many more issues will be found and have to be corrected, incurring additional cost overruns, before the aircraft are combat ready. Primary issues have involved software and the inability of the aircraft to perform to specifications during flight tests.
According to the GAO, the U.S. is continuing to pour billions of dollars into initial production of small numbers of aircraft, yet there are an additional 2,380 aircraft, as yet not proven combat worthy, still on order.
The Pentagon placed an order for 2,443 F-35 Strike Fighter aircraft with Lockheed before a single aircraft was built. The idea was that it would be less costly to correct problems found during testing once the aircraft were built rather than purchase aircraft, at a higher initial price, that have already been proven combat worthy.
March 17, 2012 David Krayden, executive director of the Canadian Center for Policy Studies, wrote an editorial that was published in the Calgary Herald. In it Krayden concludes that the F-35 Strike Fighter is the best choice as Canada's next fighter aircraft.
Krayden argues that the F-35 Strike Fighter project is supported by both the Canadian and U.S. governments. Canada ordered the aircraft due to their suitability for its defense.
Canada and the United States often work together for their mutual defense. The U.S. has chosen the F-35 Strike Fighter for use by all of its fighting forces, with the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard. Other Canadian allies also plan to use the F-35 Strike Fighter. Canada should use the same aircraft as its allies.
March 14, 2012 Recently a meeting was held regarding the F-35 Strike Fighter. At the meeting Vice Admiral David Venlet, the senior U.S. military officer in charge of the program, stated that further postponements, additional reorganization, or further differences in plans will only frustrate efforts currently being undertaken to correct recognized issues. Given sufficient time and funds, there should not be any issues with the F-35 Strike Fighter program which can not be resolved, according to Venlet.
The Vice Admiral did not give an estimate for when the laundry list of problems would be resolved before the aircraft could become operational and ready for combat. The Pentagon put out the list of items of the the F-35 Strike Fighter that needed fixing in December of 2011. Venlet also did not comment on how much more it would cost to make each aircraft operational.
It has been estimated that it will cost an additional US$6 to 8 million per aircraft and take an additional two to four years time before 63 already paid for and delivered F-35 Strike Fighter aircraft will be able to fly combat missions. That is, provided that no additional problems are encountered.
Feb. 20, 2012 The Pentagon announced that US$15.1 billion payments to Lockheed will be postponed with the delay in deliveries of some 179 F-35 Strike Fighter aircraft over the next five years.
Rather than accepting deliveries and paying for Strike Fighters which need rebuilding, the Pentagon anticipates saving billions of dollars that would be spend rebuilding the aircraft. They will do this by delaying production until Lockheed can deliver the aircraft in ready for combat condition.
Lockheed has thus far delivered 63 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but the Pentagon says none will be combat ready without major rebuilding. Only test pilots are currently cleared to fly those aircraft.
The Pentagon says that they will only delay purchases, but not cut the number of F-35 Strike Fighters planned.
In related developments, Italy will be reducing the number of F-35 Strike Fighters they anticipate purchasing from 131 to 90.
Lockheed announced that the delayed purchases are going to mean a rise in the cost of the F-35 aircraft, but would not specify by how much.
Jan 18, 2012 Lockheed announced that acceleration of the F-35 Strike Fighter in the transonic speed flight envelope probably will not be able to meet original specifications.
The problem, according to Lockheed, is that its engineers did not properly anticipating the drag on the aircraft due to its stealth design, particularly the model C aircraft with larger wings, designed to fly from aircraft carriers.
Dec. 6, 2011 In a recently interview with AOL Defense, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral David Venlet disclosed that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is far from ready for deployment. Lockheed, primary contractor of the aircraft, stated that they disagree with the Admiral's conclusion.
Tony Capaccio of Bloomberg News wrote on December 5th, that there are currently 725 change orders to the F-35 program as yet unaccomplished. One example is the tail hook of the F-35 Navy version. It has thus far failed to function during all of its testing. Should the airframe of the F-35 need redesign to accommodate a new tail hook system, the stealth aspects of the aircraft may be further compromised.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Director of Testing Michael Gilmore have ordered that pilot training in the F-35 be delayed pending the mitigation of risks associated with flying the newly delivered aircraft. Presumably implementation of the change orders and retrofitting of the aircraft will be a factor in their decision to let the aircraft fly.
Dec. 20, 2011 In a move that surprised aviation experts around the world, Japan announced that they will purchase 43 F-35 Strike Fighters from Lockheed. At this time it is unclear which version of the aircraft they intend to purchase, although it is rumored to be the F-35B STOVL version. The aircraft will arrive in Japan with about 60% of their components already assembled. The final assembly will take place in Japan. The deal is worth approximately US$7 billion to Lockheed.
New RF Jammers For The F-18
 Click on the picture for the F-18 Hornet.
May 5, 2012 The
U.S. Navy has purchased 104 new radio frequency counter measure and
jammer systems for its F-18 Hornet aircraft. ITT Exelis will be
building the systems, worth US$238 million. Deliveries are scheduled
through 2016.
April 9, 2012 The
U.S. Navy has asked General Dynamics to produce additional Gatling gun
systems for use in their F-18 Hornets. The systems are being produced
at the General Dynamics Saco, Maine U.S.A. plant and are to be delivered
before the end of 2012. The US$7.8 million award is the third addition
to a US$10 million contract from 2005, with a US12.5 million addition
in 2006.
Feb. 22, 2012 The
Navy has awarded Boeing a US$30 million contract for inner wing
replacements to their F-18 Hornets. This will enable the continued use
of the aircraft until the long delayed Lockheed F-35 Strike Fighter is
ready to replace them. Replacement inner wings are to be delivered
within one year.
Jan. 26, 2012 Boeing
will be producing an additional 15 F-18 Hornet aircraft for the United
States Navy with deliveries commencing in early 2015. One Hornet will
be the two seat "F" variant and the remainder will be the single seat "E" models. Value of the order is US$687.5 million.
BAE Wins US$367 Million Contract
 Click on the picture for the Boeing F-15.
April 25, 2012 Seventy Saudi F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft will be upgrading their electronic warfare and missile warning systems with avionics from BAE, Nashua, NH. All work will be done in the United States. The total contract is for US$367 million, with deliveries by November 2018.
April 4, 2012 The South Korean Air Force now has 61 Boeing F-15 Eagle fighter bombers with the last two delivered today. The aircraft can launch the latest long rang air-to-ground and and anti-shipping missiles.
March 20, 2112 The U.S.A.F. took delivery of the first of sixty upgraded F-15 Eagle fighters today. The upgrade work was done by Korean Air Corp. and is expected to increase the service life of the jets operating in the Asian Pacific area.
Dec. 24, 2011 Today Saudi Arabia contracted with Boeing Aircraft to purchase 84 of their F-15 Eagle fighters, ordnance, supplies, training, and upgrading 70 of their current aircraft, plus sundry items in a US$30 billion deal. It is anticipated that over 50,000 people will be employed throughout the United States for at least the next ten years to enable the additional manufacturing in order to fulfill the provisions of the agreement.
Upgrades to current Saudi aircraft should commence by June of 2014 and deliveries of the first new fighters are expected in early 2015.
The strengthening of Saudi Arabia's air force is seen as a further deterrent to Iran's military ambitions in the area.
Sept. 30, 2011 The U.S.A.F. has contracted with Korean Air Corp. Busan, Korea, for the upgrading of sixty F-15 Eagle jets stationed in the Asian Pacific countries. The upgrades will include replacing the tail sections of the aircraft and the wiring of aircraft avionics for completion by 2015.
P-8A To Get US$1.3 Million In New Avionics
 Click on the picture for the P-8A Poseidon.
April 24, 2012 Herley Microwave Components, Lancaster, PA, USA, will be providing microwave assemblies for the United States Navy for US$1.3 million. The quantity of assemblies and length of the contract was not disclosed. The assemblies are expected to be installed in P-8A Poseidon ASW aircraft, newly acquired by the U.S. Navy.
March 28, 2012 The United States Navy officially showed off its new land based Boeing P-8A Poseidon ASW aircraft today. Eventually the Navy hopes to acquire 117 of the aircraft.
Rolls-Royce Providing More Engines For V-22's
 Click on the picture for the V-22 Osprey.
April 23, 2012 Rolls-Royce is getting US$598 million from the U.S. for a total of 268 engines to power USMC V-22 Osprey aircraft. Deliveries will take place over five years, with first year production of 70 engines expected.
Feb. 6, 2012 The U.S. Navy will purchase 24 less V-22 Osprey rotorcraft through 2017 than originally anticipated to bring its budged in line with current military cuts. As now budgeted, the Navy will eventually have 98 Ospreys. Estimated budget savings from the cuts will be some US$1.75 billion.
On Jan. 13, 2012 The Pentagon reported that software upgrades have helped improve overall performance of the V-22 Osprey in the last half of 2011. Mission availability of the V-22 Osprey has most recently been tracked at 53%, slightly down from its 2010 57% availability rate.
Nov. 19, 2011 U.S. aircraft including the V-22 Osprey, B-2 Spirit, F-35 JSF, and F-22 Raptor are among the most sophisticated in the world. Their advanced technologies enable them to perform missions no other aircraft can. Yet the sophistication and technology makes them extremely expensive to maintain. Down times can mean that almost as many as half the aircraft deployed aren't mission ready. These programs are seriously being scrutinized, with budget cuts looming.
Lockheed Awarded US$1.3 Million
 Click on the picture for the MH-60 Seahawk.
April 20, 2012 Under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, the Australian Navy will be getting avionics and cockpits for 24 of their MH-60 helicopters from Lockheed. The modification to an existing contract is valued at US$1.3 million, with deliveries to be completed by March 2017.
April 6, 2012 Lockheed-Martin will be updating the avionics on over 200 Sikorsky MH-60 helicopters for the U.S. Navy through 2017. The total amount of the contract is around US$1.05 billion, with the work being performed at Lockheed's Oswego facility.
Quantas Airbus A320's To Get New Engines
 Click on the picture for the Airbus A320.
April 19, 2012 Quantas Airlines has placed an order with CFM International valued at about US$2.0 billion for some 156 new LEAP-X engines. When powering the soon to be introduced Airbus A320 NEO (New Engine Option) aircraft on order by Quantas, the engines, in addition to added winglets, are expected to greatly reduce the amount of fuel consumed. The A320 NEO is expected to use only about 85 percent of the fuel consumed by earlier model Airbus A320 aircraft.
CFM International is an equal partnership between SNECMA, Courcouronnes, France, and General Electric Aviation, Evendale, Ohio, USA.
The A320 NEO aircraft are currently on order with Airbus and initial deliveries to airlines are expected to commence in 2015.
F-89C Scorpion Jet Restoration Begins
 Click on the picture for the F-89 Scorpion.
April 18, 2012 The Selfridge Aircraft museum has recently acquired a F-89C Scorpion early jet fighter interceptor. A group of eight volunteers will be in charge of restoring the aircraft, that was flown in the 1950's, to its original condition. The museum has budgeted around $50,000 for the restoration, including the cost of the aircraft. Their goal is to exhibit the jet. It is believed that the limited edition F-89C, originally built by Northrop, will be the only aircraft of its type to be exhibited in the world.
Malaysia Places US$1.14 Billion Order with Airbus
 Click on the picture to learn about the A400M.
April 17, 2012 Malaysia has ordered four Airbus A400M aircraft plus support items for US$1.14 billion. Deliveries are expected to begin in early 2015 and be completed by 2016. The aircraft will supplement current cargo lifters being used by the Malaysian Air Force.
April 1, 2012 El Alto International Airport, outside of La Paz, Bolivia, has an elevation of 13,250 feet. That is where Airbus has been testing the performance of its new A400M cargo transport. Due to the thinner air at such altitudes, aircraft take-off performance can be dramatically effected. It has been reported that the A400M has thus far not encountered any problems during its high altitude tests.
Bell Helicopter Wins US$15 Million Contract
 Click the picture for more about the Bell 407.
April 13, 2012 The U.S. Army announced that they have signed a contract with Bell Helicopter for US$15 million to provide support for thirty Bell 407 helicopters in Iraq. The Bell 407 helicopters are used by the Iraq military for training and armed reconnaissance.
Sikorsky Gets US$25.7 Billion For CH-53 Work
 Click on the picture for more on the CH-53.
April 13, 2012 Sikorsky will be continuing their maintenance work on CH-53 helicopters for the U.S. Navy through December of 2015. The Navy added US$25.7 billion to an existing contract for the continuing work to be done at Sikorsky's Stratford, CN facility. The CH-53 is the largest helicopter flown by the U.S. military.
Grumman Albatross Restoration Completed
 Click on the picture for the HU-16 Albatross.
April 12, 2012 The Air Rescue Museum HU-16 Albatross is now fully restored and ready to appear at airshows due to the efforts of Northrop Grumman and PPG Industries. The employees of Northrop Grumman volunteered to paint the aircraft, while PPG Industries provided the necessary paints.
Two More HC-144A Aircraft for USCG
 Click the picture for the Ocean Sentry.
April 11, 2012 The United States Coast Guard has awarded US$78.5 million to Airbus Military for two additional HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft. That brings the total ordered up to seventeen aircraft.
Jan. 31, 2012 The United States Coast Guard took possession of its latest Airbus Military HC-144A Ocean Sentry turboprop search and rescue aircraft. A total of 36 of the new aircraft are anticipated to be ordered, replacing the current fleet of HU-25 jets. The turboprop aircraft have over two times the flight time of the jets that they are replacing. This is the 13th aircraft received.
Gardu Orders 11 More Airbus A330's
 Click on the picture for the Airbus A330.
April 11, 2012 Gardu Indonesia has contracted with Airbus for an additional eleven A330 passenger aircraft to be delivered by the end of 2017. The order is for US$2.54 billion. This latest order will bring the total Airbus A330 aircraft ordered by Gardu to 21.
Egypt Receives AW139 Helicopters
 Click on the picture for more on the AW139.
April 11, 2012 In May of 2011 Agusta Westland, Reston, VA was awarded a US$37.8 million contract. It was for the sale of two AW139 helicopters, equipment and training, to the Egyptian Air Force. Delivery was scheduled for conclusion by November 30, 2012. Today Agusta Westland delivered the helicopters to Egypt, well ahead of schedule.
4,500 F-16 Falcon Jets Produced
 Click on the picture for the F-16 Falcon.
April 3, 2012 The 4,500th F-16 Falcon jet fighter produced by Lockheed-Martin will roll off their assembly line today. Production of the fighter aircraft began in 1978. About 50% of all F-16 aircraft produced are exported around the world, such as this aircraft, headed for Morocco. Around 1,600 Lockheed workers are involved in the production of the aircraft. At this time about 70 additional F-16 Falcon aircraft are on order through 2016.
Feb. 10, 2012 Pakistan received its final three F-16 Falcons today, the conclusion of a contract with the U.S. for the upgrading of a total of 35 of the jets to improve their all-weather flight capabilities. In addition, Pakistan has purchased 18 new F-16 Falcons.
In 2009 Pakistan contracted with Turkish Aerospace Industries to upgrade another 41 F-16 Falcons. This includes the installation of new avionics plus wing and fuselage strengthening. The contract is ongoing through 2014 with three of the refurbished aircraft also arriving in Pakistan today.
Feb. 6, 2012 The U.S.A.F. has announced that it plans to ask Ratheon and Northrop Grumman for competing bids to upgrade the avionics and airframes of some 350 F-16 Falcon aircraft through 2020. Overall improvements to the aircraft are expected to run about US$2.8 billion.
National Guard Like Their Lakota Helicopters
 Click on the picture for the UH-72 Lakota.
April 3, 2012 The North Carolina National Guard really appreciates their four mid-sized UH-72 Lakota helicopters. They are just the right size for medivac, drug patrols, transport, and for use in homeland security.
Lakota helicopters can be flown through mountain passes where larger helicopters will not fit. They are capable of seating up to eight soldiers and can hold two stretchers plus a medic for search and rescue missions.
The North Caroling National Guard has been operating their UH-72 Lakota helicopters for about three years.
Rolls Royce Maintenance of C-130 Engines
 Click on the picture for the C-130 Hercules.
April 2, 2012 The U.S. Navy has awarded Rolls Royce, Indianapolis, IN a US$25 million contract for maintenance to be completed within ten months to the engines and propellers of USMC KC-130J Hercules aircraft.
March 22, 2012 The United States has contracted with Rolls-Royce for an additional US$275 million in engines for their military aircraft including the C-130 Hercules, V-22 Osprey, P-3 Orion and C-2 Greyhound.
Dec. 24, 2011 The last of six Lockheed C-130J Hercules transports arrived in India today. The first aircraft of a total of six in a contract worth some US$1.2 billion was delivered in January of 2011. All of the aircraft are being deployed with India's Special Forces whose missions include deliveries of emergency relief supplies and search and rescue. It is anticipated that a contract will be completed shortly for an additional six new aircraft.
UH-60 Black Hawks Replacement Parts
 Click on the picture for the UH-60 Blackhawk.
April 2, 2012 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters will be receiving new tail rotor plate assemblies in a one year US$28.7 million contract with SPX Corp., Newington, CT.
Jan 21, 2012 Defective bolts were found during the inspection of a Australian UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The results has been that all Australian UH-60 helicopters are grounded while inspections and repairs ensue. We do not have any information at this time about how long the helicopter fleet of 33 aircraft will be grounded.
T-38 Talon Gets New Avionics
 Click on the picture for more about the T-38 Talon.
March 30, 2012 Boeing is getting a one year US$29.5 million contract for avionics upgrades to the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer aircraft. The upgrades will be performed at various Boeing locations throughout the United States.
F-22 To Receive US$664.4 Million Upgrades
 Click on the picture for more about the F-22.
March 30, 2102 Lockheed-Martin has received a US$664.4 million contract through 2012 for modifications to the F-22 Raptor fighter. Work will be done in Lockheed's plants located in Fort Worth, TX, Mariatta, GA, Palmdale, CA, and Seattle, WA.
March 23, 2012 F-22 Raptors are being fitted with air to ground missiles, new avionics and modified bomb bays for ground attack. The first modified aircraft have already been deployed and are operational. It is anticipated that all F-22 Raptor aircraft will have enhanced abilities to attack ground targets within the next ten years.
March 20, 2012 It was announced today that new emergency oxygen supply handles will be installed on the F-22 Raptor. The new handles should make it easier for pilots to obtain oxygen in the event of a system shut down.
Dec. 21, 2011 The United States Air Force issued their final report involving the death of F-22 pilot Capt. Jeff Haney and the crash of his F-22 Raptor. The report concludes that a malfunction of the F-22 air intake system caused the shut down of the oxygen supply to the pilot to protect itself from additional damage. Therefore it functioned as designed, and was not at fault in the pilot's death. The origin of the malfunction that caused the system to shut down could not be determined, although part of the emergency oxygen supply activation mechanism was found to be improperly installed.
When the oxygen supply to the pilot was cut off, standard procedure for the F-22 called for the pilot to dive the aircraft to an altitude where supplemental oxygen is not necessary and manually engage an emergency oxygen system. This involves finding a silver dollar size ring near the pilot's left thigh with a gloved hand while wearing night vision googles. Once the ring is found it must be removed from its retaining slot, and then pulled towards the front of the pilot. About 40 pounds of force are necessary to engage the system, all the while maintaining control of the aircraft while in an emergency dive and not being able to breathe.
Some aviation experts point out that it is virtually impossible to engage the emergency oxygen system of the F-22 by an oxygen deprived pilot and maintain control of a diving, speeding aircraft. They conclude that while the aircraft's systems may have operated properly, the initial malfunction that caused them to shut down is the cause of the crash.
It should be noted that the oxygen system of the F-22 is unique in that it uses the aircraft's engines to provide air. Other fighter aircraft oxygen systems use an oxygen tank independent of the aircraft's engines. We have to wonder why such a sophisticated aircraft has an emergency oxygen system that requires manual activation.
Dec. 6, 2011 The Lockheed F-22 Raptor, the most advanced U.S. jet fighter, is no longer grounded for ongoing system oxygen problems. However, it is unclear whether the cause of the problems has been discovered. Production of the aircraft has resumed, with the 177th aircraft currently undergoing testing before being deployed. The 187th and final F-22 Raptor is anticipated to leave the production line by April 2012. There are currently no plans for any additional aircraft.
Eurofighter Gets 2 Billion Euros
(US$2.7 Billion) Upgrades
 Click on the picture for the Eurofighter.
March 30, 2012 BAE, Great Britain has contracted for 535 million euros, Alenia Aermacchi for over 500 million euros, and EADS, Germany and Spain the balance in a deal to upgrade the Eurofighter aircraft including avionics, and radar systems through 2017.
About 320 Eurofighter aircraft are currently deployed, with about another 560 ordered.
Honeywell Gets US$73.2 Million Contract
 Click on the picture for the B - 1 Bomber.
March 27, 2012 Honeywell, Tempe, AZ received a contract worth some US$73.2 million to update numerous U.S.A.F. aircraft including the A-10 Thunderbolt II, B - 1 Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress, C-130 Hercules, C-135 Stratolifter, C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, E-3 Sentry, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, and KC-135 Stratotanker. Work on the aircraft will be performed in Phoenix, Tempe, and Tuscon AZ, and in Torrance, CA. It is to be finished before May of 2014.
Unmanned Heli Helps Supply Marines
 Click the picture for more on the K-Max UAT.
March 27, 2012 A radio controlled K-Max Unmanned Aerial Truck helicopter has successfully delivered over 600,000 lbs. of supplies to forward Marine bases in Afghanistan since mid December of last year. The helicopter is capable of carrying up to 6,000 lbs. on a sling beneath its belly.
Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit
 Click on the picture for the P-51 Mustang.
March 27, 2012 Duke Energy is sponsoring the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit now open to the public. The traveling exhibit featuring an early model P-51C Mustang, similar to the aircraft flown by the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, and a special trailer complete with movie theater that holds up to 30 people, will be touring Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina through May 2, 2012.
Flying Pancake To Go On Exhibit
 Click the picture for the Flying Pancake.
March 27, 2012 Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, TX announced that they will be exhibiting the Vought V-173, known as the "Flying Pancake", beginning on April 16, 2012.
It was donated to the museum by the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation, Grand Prairie, TX. The aircraft was restored by members of the foundation over an eight year period, using all of its original parts.
BAE 146 Next U.S.F.S. Water Bomber?
Click the picture for more about the BAE 146.
March 26, 2012 The United States Forest Service is currently evaluating a British Aerospace BAE 146 passenger transport converted to a water bomber. If accepted, the aircraft will be future replacements for the fifty year old air tankers currently comprising the Forest Service fleet. The U.S. Forest Service does not operate the water bombers, but contracts with a number of companies for their operation.
Dreamliners Finally Delivered
Click on the picture to read about the 787.
March 26, 2012 The first two of 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners were received today by Japan Airlines. Deliveries of the aircraft were expected to begin in 2009, but were delayed due to technical difficulties.
March 3, 2012 Boeing recently has received an additional 26 orders for the 787 Dreamliner from four airlines. Boeing says that the Dreamliner is now the worlds fastest selling widebody airliner.
Feb. 20, 2012 Air India is asking Boeing for US$840 million in compensation to cover their losses for the delayed deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner. The airline company ordered 27 of the aircraft in early 2006. The first Air India Dreamliner is expected to be delivered prior to the end of this month.
According to some analysts, at its overall rate of sales, the 787 Dreamliner may not earn a profit for Boeing for some 23 years.
India Upgrades Their Mirage 2000 Fighters
 Click on the picture for the Mirage 2000.
March 26, 2012 India has issued contracts to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Thales Group, and Dassault Aviation for upgrades to their Mirage 2000 multi-role fighter aircraft. Upgrades include structural strengthening, rewiring, avionics, and weapons systems. Work on all of the aircraft is expected to be finished in about nine years. There are currently 51 Mirage 2000 fighters in the Indian Air Force.
Russian AF To Get 30 More Su-30 Fighters
 Click on the picture to read about the Su-30.
March 22, 2012 It was announced today that Russia entered into a contract with Irkut Corp. for thirty additional Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters to be delivered by 2015. The total amount of the contract was not mentioned.
March 4, 2012 In December of 2011 Indonesia contracted to purchased six Sukhoi Su-30 jet fighters for US$78 million each for delivery by July 2012. Indonesian legislator Tubagus Hasanuddin has recently pointed out that the published price for the jets is US$70 million each and is asking for an investigation.
Dec. 22, 2011 India announced the purchase of an additional 42 Sukhoi Su-30 advanced fighter aircraft from Russia, bringing the total number of Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft scheduled for deployment by the Indian Air Force by 2018 to 272. Under a licensing agreement, India is also producing their own Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft. It is also importing some partially assembled Su-30 fighters for final assembly in India.
Ford Trimotor Flights For Florida
Click on the picture for the Ford Trimotor.
March 18, 2012 A 1920's era Ford Trimotor, restored by the Experimental Aviation Association Air Venture Museum, Oshkosh, WI., will be touring Florida airports from March 29th through May 6th. Fifteen minute flights will be offered on the nine seat aircraft at a cost of $80 per passenger.
The museum acquired the vintage aircraft in 1985 and carefully restored it to original condition over a twelve year period.
Second AS 350 For Peak Aviation
Click on the picture for the AS 350.
March 18, 2012 Peak Aviation Inc. Quebec, has announced the purchase of its second Aerospatial AS 350. The helicopters will be used by Peak Aviation in support of materials extraction, blaze suppression, and line laying.
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AERO NEWS
