Flybe plane passengers 'saw wheel fall off'

Passengers who saw a wheel fall off a plane as it took off did not immediately inform the crew, a report has said.

The accident happened in March on a Flybe flight from Exeter to Newcastle.

The captain returned to Exeter and used the emergency brake and "significant amounts of right rudder" to safely land the plane. No-one was injured.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said the wheel's outer bearing had seized.

A mayday alert was sent to air traffic controllers and after circling the airport for more than an hour, the 39 passengers on board the Bombardier Q400 were "evenly distributed" in the brace position as the captain attempted to land the plane.

The wheel fell off as the aircraft's landing gear retracted after take off
'Left wing down'

As it touched down, it veered to the left but the captain was able to hold the aircraft steady and the passengers were able to disembark through the front left door.

The AAIB report said the wheel's outer bearing had seized and "consequential damage had allowed the wheel to detach".

Some passengers saw the wheel fall as the plane's landing gear retracted just after take off, but "they did not inform the cabin crew at this point", the report said.

Air traffic control contacted the flight crew and when the captain asked the senior stewardess to inspect the right landing gear area, she was then told of the loss by passengers.

The decision was taken to return to Exeter using the "alternate landing gear extension" procedure.

The co-pilot contacted the airline's chief pilot by radio and it was agreed that the crew would use a "left-wing-down" technique ensuring the left main wheels touched down on the runway first, with the remaining right main wheel then being lowered onto the runway as gently as possible.

The AAIB said that the captain had inspected the right main landing gear before the flight and had not noticed any abnormalities.

The report said: "Given the nature of the bearing failure, it is unlikely that any (abnormalities) would have been visible.

Several safety actions had been initiated following the incident, the AAIB report concluded.

India's Kingfisher Airlines considers rescue package

India's beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines is considering proposals, including selling property, to cut its $1.3bn debt by more than 50%, officials say.

Kingfisher has never posted a net profit since it started operations in May 2005

Kingfisher's board is meeting on Monday to finalise its quarterly results.

They are reported to be considering converting loans from its parent company into equity and changing its aircraft leasing terms.

Creditors have asked the company to raise $159m (£100m) in equity so that its debts can be restructured.

State Bank of India Managing Director Hemant Contractor said that the airline must also have a credible business plan before any restructuring takes place.

Kingfisher has cancelled scores of flights over the last 10 days as shares hit a new low amid ongoing debt fears.

India's second-biggest airline is about $1.2bn (£760m) in debt.

If approved, the proposals will help the company to get badly needed bank loans to run its operations.

Cutting flights

Founder and part-owner Vijay Mallya insists the airline will not close but is just cutting losses by "rationalising flights".

Shares in Kingfisher rose by 7.6% on Monday in Mumbai after a fall by as much as as 18% on Friday.

Correspondents say that the airliner has become one of the main casualties of high fuel costs and a bitter price war between a handful of Indian airlines who have all ordered hundreds of aircraft for delivery over the next decade.

The sale of Kingfisher's assets or shares to raise more funds is one of a number of options which the State Bank of India has discussed with Kingfisher.

The bank has a debt exposure of 14 billion rupees to Kingfisher, making it the airline's biggest lender.

Although Kingfisher has never posted a net profit since it started operations in May 2005, its problems have become more acute in recent months.

The airline announced last week that it was cutting its daily operations to 300 flights from the previous 340. It also recently stopped its low fare operations, saying they were unviable.

Alderney aircraft crash: Search called off for man

he search for a man missing since a private aircraft crashed in the English Channel has been called off.

The plane was carrying two people, identified by police as Mr and Mrs Dickinson, both aged 79, from the UK to Alderney when it ditched on Saturday.

Mrs Dickinson was airlifted to a French hospital after being found by a Russian merchant ship, the Jork Rider. She has since been discharged.

The French rescue service called off the search on Sunday afternoon.

Guernsey Police have not released the first names of the couple at the request of their family, but confirmed they were Alderney residents.

Lost radar contact

Mrs Dickinson was recovering in the care of her family after being treated for hypothermia in hospital in Cherbourg, police said.

She was found in a life raft by the Jork Rider.

The Piper Warrior aircraft, which is based at Alderney Flying Training Club, was en route from Lee-on-Solent to Alderney when the crash happened just off the coast of the island at about 15:50 GMT.

Air traffic controllers at Guernsey Airport first raised the alarm after losing radar contact with the aircraft.

Lifeboats from Guernsey, Alderney and Cap de la Hague, French Coastguard helicopters and Channel Islands Air Search were called in as part of the search operation on Saturday night.

Alderney lifeboat coxswain Declan Gaudion said: "By the time we did get to the scene, it was getting dark and the light conditions were not ideal.

"We had to use a search light and night vision equipment, but we did a search as best we could, given those conditions, for approximately three hours."

Plane's wheel found

Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne assisted in the search on Saturday night.

Lt Cdr Will Peters, from the ship, said that those searching had found what they thought was one of the plane's wheels.

The search was stopped at midnight and had resumed at 07:00 GMT on Sunday, the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Jobourg, France, said.

It was called off at about midday on Sunday.

No other wreckage has been found.

Officers from the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) are travelling to Guernsey to look at paperwork and speak to air traffic control staff.

Police in Alderney have impounded all of the plane's technical logs to ensure the AAIB has full access to them.

Airbus Strikes Back With WTO Ad

As we all know, the guys at Boeing are a bunch of whiners when it comes to topics regarding its rival Airbus. At least since the tanker-fight and the latest WTO dispute they don’t pass up the chance to release statements with nothing but hot air and made-up “facts”. But now Airbus has jumped on the bandwagon as well. According to SeattlePi the European plane maker just released this ad, “correcting” a misleading Boeing ad regarding the WTO findings on illegal subsidies that was released earlier, giving its American rival an “F”.

Source: seattlepi

View the original article here

Airbus Develops Autonomous Aircraft Taxiing

Currently Airbus is developing an alternative that, in near future, could replaces the use of jet engine thrust during ground taxiing with electrical power.

The solution is simple: an electric actuator, powered by the aircraft’s APU, drives the landing gear’s wheels. Fuel consumption is expected to be five times less than it would be with engine power – saving as much as 200 kilogrammes of fuel per flight. In addition, this alternative delivers a feature much requested by airlines, providing greater autonomy at push-back from the boarding gate as no tug is required.

Design and implementation for the project, a transversal process involving Airbus’ Engineering and Procurement department, is progressing in two concurrent stages. The demonstration phase is scheduled to close in 2012 with completion of the prototype electric wheel actuator. In parallel, the modified APU and power systems will be tested on the Airbus electrical test bench, with full-scale rolling tests to begin in 2013. If all goes as planned, initial flight tests will take place in 2014.

Source: Airbus
Image: Airbus

View the original article here

Photos - 747-8 Intercontinental Unveiled

Boeing today unveiled its brand new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental - and man, she’s a beauty!

“The new 747-8 Intercontinental features the latest in innovative technologies — applying many of the breakthroughs also found on the 787 Dreamliner,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Albaugh. “We think our customers will value the low operating costs and passengers will enjoy the comfort of the striking new interior.”

“The 747-8 Intercontinental will be a great complement to our fleet, fitting nicely into the 400-seat category, improving our fleet’s eco-efficiency even further,” said Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Lufthansa Group Fleet Management. “As launch customer, we are looking forward to welcoming this new aircraft to our fleet next year as it adds to our ongoing fleet modernization and environmental efforts.”

Korean Air and VIP customers have joined launch customer Lufthansa in ordering a total of 33 747-8 Intercontinentals. First delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental is scheduled for the fourth quarter.

The 747-8 Intercontinental will have the lowest seat-mile cost of any large commercial jetliner, with 12 percent lower costs than its predecessor, the 747-400. The airplane provides 16 percent better fuel economy, 16 percent less carbon emissions per passenger and generates a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than the 747-400. The 747-8 Intercontinental applies interior features from the 787 Dreamliner that includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort, while adding more room for personal belongings.

The airplane unveiled today is painted in a new Sunrise livery of red-orange that only will appear on the first 747-8 Intercontinental and is a significant departure from Boeing’s standard blue. The new color palette honors many key Boeing customers whose cultures recognize these colors as symbols of prosperity and good luck.

Source: Boeing
Photos: Boeing

View the original article here

Iran to Ban Tupolev Tu-154

News agencies are reporting that Iranian authorities will ban flights of Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft from February 20.

“All Iranian airline companies which have Tupolev-154 in their fleet are required to end operation of their Tupolevs by February 19,” the country’s civil aviation chief told media.
Four Iranian air carriers - Iran Air Tour, Kish Air, Eram and Taban - who have a total of 17 Tu-154 jets in their fleets, were instructed to ground their Tupolevs by February 19 and replace them with other planes. Which planes that might be is unclear.

“The use of Tu-154 planes is banned in connection with recent incidents involving those aircraft,” the civil aviation chief said in his letter to the air carriers.
Iranian authorities criticized the Russian Tupolev manufacturer for refusing to respond to the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization’s request in connection with recent Tu-154 accidents.

Over the last 10 years, 5 Tupolev Tu-154 crashed in Iran, killing more than 300 people.

In an effort to renew its outdated civil aviation fleet, Iran plans to import 13 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and 6 Airbus planes in the near future. The Islamic Republic will also start the domestic production of the IrAn-140 passenger plane, that is based on the Antonov An-140.

Iran is treated by international sanctions (UN and US) which, at some level, prohibit import of modern airplanes, spare parts and any other “aviation related material”.

Source: RIA Novosti
Image: Wikipedia

View the original article here

Boeing 787 Dreamliner - New First Delivery Date

Boeing today announced a new date for first delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The plane maker expects delivery of the first 787 in the third quarter of this year. The new delivery date reflects the impact of an in-flight electrical fire on ZA002 during testing and subsequently modifications to electrical power distribution panels in the flight test and production airplanes.

“This revised timeline for first delivery accommodates the work we believe remains to be done to complete testing and certification of the 787,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We’ve also restored some margin in the schedule to allow for any additional time that may be needed to complete certification activities,” Fancher said.

The 787 program has been gradually returning individual airplanes to the flight test program. After receiving interim software and hardware improvements, four flight test airplanes have been subjected to extensive ground testing and a thorough review to ensure their readiness to return to flight. The remaining two airplanes will be returning to flight in the days ahead to bring the full flight test fleet back up to flight status.

Source: Boeing
Image: Boeing

View the original article here

Chengdu J-20 Uses US Technology

British newspaper The Guardian is reporting today, that the Chinese stealth fighter Chengdu J-20 may be built using US technology. Balkan military officials said China may have gleaned knowledge from a US F-117 Nighthawk that was shot down over Serbia in 1999.
“At the time, our intelligence reports told of Chinese agents crisscrossing the region where the F-117 disintegrated, buying up parts of the plane from local farmers,” said Admiral Davor Domazet-Loso, Croatia’s military chief of staff during the Kosovo war. “We believe the Chinese used those materials to gain an insight into secret stealth technologies and to reverse-engineer them.”
A senior Serbian military official confirmed that pieces of the wreckage were removed by souvenir collectors, and that some ended up “in the hands of foreign military attaches”.
Continue at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/23/china-stealth-fighter-us-technology

Related:
Video - Chengdu J-20 First Flight
Spotted: China’s Chengdu J-20 Stealth Fighter

View the original article here

Rollout of 1000th Boeing 767

On Feb. 2, 2011 Boeing marked an important milestone in the company’s history. Boeing celebrated the rollout of the 1000th 767 airplane.

The 1,000th airplane is a 767-300ER (extended range) passenger model for ANA (All Nippon Airways) and was the final 767 to complete assembly on the current production line. Final production work already is underway on the 1,001 unit in a new, smaller bay that repositions the production line toward a leaner, more efficient operation.

Photo

Video

Boeing has offered the 767 as the platform for its NewGen Tanker if it wins the U.S. Air Force KC-X Tanker competition. A decision on the contract award is expected early this year.

The 767 family is settled in the 200- to 300-seat market. The 767 family includes three passenger models – the 767-200ER, 767-300ER and 767-400ER – and a medium-widebody freighter, which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage.

Source: Boeing
Photo&Video: Boeing

View the original article here

Iran Air Boeing 727 Crashed in Northern Iran (Video)

An Iran Air Boeing 727-286 (EP-IRP) crashed yesterday evening near Urmia (Orumiyeh) Airport (OMH), Iran, killing at least 77 souls on-board.
Flight IR277 was bound from Tehran-Mehrabad Airport (THR) to Urmia. The 36 year old plane crashed during an emergency landing in heavy snow storm after the pilots reported technical problems.

Video

Ongoing international sanctions on the country are blamed for the recent history of deadly aviation accidents. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929 still prohibits international supply of aircraft, strongly needed aircraft parts as well as “related material” to Iran.

View the original article here

Flightstory With New Website

You might have noticed that since last week nothing new has been posted here anymore. It’s because I was getting ready the all new Flightstory website!

I’m happy to announce that as of today the Flightstory Aviation Blog has moved to http://www.flightstory.net/! Many new features are waiting for you!
It’s important to note that this blog will remain online and used as archive. New content will solely be posted on the new website!

… So what do you have to do?

If you’ve subscribed to the RSS feed, you need to update the RSS feed address in your feed reader to: http://www.flightstory.net/feed
If you’re using Feedburner, you don’t need to chance anything since Feedburner has already been updated to use the new address.

… Why the new website?

First of all the new website is more modern, has a more friendly design and most important loads incredibly faster than the old one!

It now has full integration with Facebook and Twitter - so if you like, we can become friends!
Links: Facebook page | Twitter page

The category structure and page layout has been changed and new user functions implemented - like comment rating, new more modern comment form and related postings.

Participation has been enhanced as well:

You can submit stories, news and anecdotes or links using a new and better submit form - Link: Submit formPhotos and videos can be submitted as well - even works from any mobile phone! - Link: Submit formIf you’re on Flickr, you can add your photos to the Flightstory photo pool - Every week we’ll pick one entry that will be honored as “Photo of the Week” - Link: Flickr photo contestYou want us to review your products and services or want us to publish your press release, company news or dedicated article you can easily get in touch as well - Link: Contact form

We hope you like the new website! Please feel free to make suggestions and report errors. Any feedback is welcome!

View the original article here

Dangerous Laser Pointer Events in 2010

Dangerous laser pointer attacks on airplanes may be more common than you think. The FAA today published a list of laser pointer events on aircraft that have been reported in 2010. The list, that only includes incidents within the US, records the huge number of more than 2800 events only last year! This is the highest number of laser events recorded since the FAA began keeping track in 2005.

Los Angeles International Airport recorded the highest number of laser events in the US for an individual airport in 2010, with 102 reports, and the greater Los Angeles area tallied nearly twice that number, with 201 reports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport was a close second, with 98 reports, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport tied for the third highest number of laser events for the year with 80 each.

“This is a serious safety issue,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Lasers can distract and harm pilots who are working to get passengers safely to their destinations.”
Nationwide, laser event reports have steadily increased since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.

“The FAA is actively warning people not to point high-powered lasers at aircraft because they can damage a pilot’s eyes or cause temporary blindness,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “We continue to ask pilots to immediately report laser events to air traffic controllers so we can contact local law enforcement officials.”
Some cities and states have laws making it illegal to shine lasers at aircraft and, in many cases, people can face federal charges.
The increase in reports is likely due to a number of factors, including the availability of inexpensive laser devices on the Internet; higher power levels that enable lasers to hit aircraft at higher altitudes; increased pilot reporting of laser strikes; and the introduction of green lasers, which are more easily seen than red lasers.

Top 20 US laser event reports by airport in 2010

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)–102Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)–98Phoenix/Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)–80San Jose International Airport (SJC)–80McCarran International Airport (LAS)–72Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) –66Oakland International Airport (OAK)–55Honolulu International Airport (HNL)–47San Francisco International Airport (SFO)–39Denver International Airport (DEN)–38Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)–38Tucson International Airport (TUS)–37Miami International Airport (MIA)–36Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)–36Portland International Airport (PDX)–32LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT)–32Bob Hope Airport (BUR)–31Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI)–31John Wayne Airport (SNA)–31 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)–26

Source: FAA
Images: FAA

View the original article here

Boeing Wins USAF Tanker Deal

The Pentagon recently announced, that Boeing has won the $35 billion USAF tanker contract. The contract means Boeing will initially build 179 of its 767-based KC-46A tankers to replace the Air Force KC-135 tankers.
Boeing must design, develop, manufacture and deliver the first 18 combat-ready airplanes by 2017. The first tanker is scheduled to fly in 2015.

The contest was not just about the better plane but also about monopoly and immense lobbying - Boeing spent more than $17.8 million on lobbying, just in 2010.
In 2008 U.S. Air Force already selected the competing KC-45 Tanker offered by EADS/Northrop Grumman but the selection was revised later after protests filed by Boeing.

EADS has three days to ask for a debriefing as to why exactly it lost. That debriefing must take place within five days, after which EADS has another five days to decide if it wants to formally protest the decision.

EADS North America officials expressed disappointment and concern over the announcement that the US had selected a “high-risk, concept aircraft over the proven, more capable KC-45 tanker”.

“This is certainly a disappointing turn of events, and we look forward to discussing with the Air Force how it arrived at this conclusion,” said EADS North America Chairman Ralph D. Crosby, Jr. “For seven years our goal has been to provide the greatest capability to our men and women in uniform, and to create American jobs by building the KC-45 here in the U.S. We remain committed to those objectives.”

If selected, EADS North America had committed to build the KC-45 at a new production facility in Mobile, Alabama, with a U.S. supplier base of nearly a thousand American companies.

“With a program of such complexity, our review of today’s decision will take some time,” Crosby said. “There are more than 48,000 Americans who are eager to build the KC-45 here in the U.S., and we owe it to them to conduct a thorough analysis.”

Sources: Boeing, Airbus
Image: Boeing

View the original article here

Spotted: China’s Chengdu J-20 Stealth Fighter?

Aviation Week is reporting that Chinese aviation enthusiasts have spotted a mysterious jet fighter at Chengdu Airport, China. It’s believed that the plane might be the infamous J-20 - the first Chinese stealth fighter, built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC).
Judging from the pictures you can’t deny big similarities to an F-22 and the Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA. It seems to be much larger than an F-22 though.

More photos:
UPDATE:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3aa3fbcaf7-a35d-4351-a848-95ddfa7bbb72&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/1466/35mnl29.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/23hm914.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kFIPL.jpg
http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6069/j205poss.jpg
http://sitelife.aviationweek.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/1/d9382d54-6099-4a2b-b174-02387a5012d8.Full.jpg

The Chengdu J-20 was first disclosed by US Office of Naval Intellegence (ONI) in 1997 as XXJ, J-20 (?) and is a 5th generation fighter to enter service around 2015. The jet is believed to be a twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter with enhanced stealth capability and maneuverability comparable to American F-22. It was speculated that 601 Institute was working on a “tri-plane” design based on canard/conventional layout/V-shape tailfin while 611 Institute working on a design based on canard/tailless delta wing/all moving V-shape tailfin/side DSI/bump inlet layout. All designs were expected to feature an internal weapon bay to reduce its radar footprint. The overall performance of J-20 is thought to be superior to Russian T-50 but still inferior to Amereican F-22. In August 2008 it was reported that 611 Institute was selected to be the main contractor for the development of J-20 and 601 Institute as the sub-contractor. One rumor in May 2010 suggested that 611 Institute started to construct the first prototype, which is expected to fly by 2012. The latest rumor claimed that the first two prototypes have been constructed and the first high-speed taxiing trial took place on December 22, 2010.

Sources:
aviationweek.com
cnair.top81.cn

View the original article here

Photo - First Korean Air A380 Leaves Paint Shop

Today the first Airbus A380 for Korean Air (MSN035) has been rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Hamburg.
The aircraft is the first of 10 A380s ordered by the Asian airline. Korean Air will become the sixth operator of the A380 when it takes delivery in the second quarter of this year.
Korean Air will initially operate the A380 on flights from Seoul to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Bangkok, followed later in the year by transpacific services to New York and Los Angeles.

Photo: Airbus
Source: Airbus

View the original article here

Airbus - 10000th Order

On Monday Airbus announced its 10,000th order with a firm contract from Virgin America for 60 A320s, including 30 A320neo aircraft. This is the first firm order for the A320 new engine option; therefore Virgin America becomes the launch customer for the A320neo. This formalizes and expands an initial commitment given at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2010 with the inclusion of the A320neo as a new development in that deal. The 30 A320s will feature fuel-saving large wing tip devices called Sharklets. Virgin America has not yet announced its engine choice on the newly ordered A320s or the A320neo. Seating configuration on the aircraft will be the same as its existing A320 fleet (146-149 seats) in a two-class configuration.

“At just three years old and at a time when many carriers are contracting, we’re pleased to be growing and bringing our award-winning service to new markets,” said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. “We credit a great deal of our success to date to having the right aircraft. The low operating costs, cabin comfort and carbon-efficient design of our all-new Airbus A320 fleet has helped fuel our growth and success in the North American market – and we’re confident the A320neo will only build on that.”

“We hit our 5000th order in August of 2004 – after more than 30 years. To achieve the 10,000th order just over six years later is a ringing endorsement of our product line,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. “And it gives a strong boost to our new, eco-efficient A320neo when ?Virgin America, one of our newest and trendiest customers, places the first firm order, for which we are extremely grateful.”

The A320neo responds to heightened customer environmental interest, offering a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption. The option was launched in late 2010 for first deliveries in early 2016. Airlines have the choice between CFM International’s LEAP-X engine and Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1100G engine. Each variant of the A320neo incorporates Sharklet wing tip devices. In addition to fuel savings, the A320neo will benefit from a double-digit reduction in NOx emissions, reduced engine noise, lower operating costs and up to 500 nautical miles more range or two metric tons more payload. The A319, A320 and A321 models on which the new engine option is offered will have 95 percent airframe commonality with the A320 Family, thus the A320neo will fit seamlessly into the existing Virgin America fleet.

Since the first Airbus aircraft went into service in 1974 with Air France, Airbus has seen sales of its aircraft grow steadily. By 1989, after its first 15 years in operation, Airbus had sold 1,000 aircraft. Less than half that time again, just seven years later in 1996, sales had risen to 2,000. Sales of Airbus aircraft had reached 3,000 in 1998, again cutting the time it took to sell another 1,000 planes by more than half. And by 2000 a total of 4,000 aircraft had been sold to the market.

Source: Airbus
Image: Airbus

View the original article here

Video - Chengdu J-20 First Flight

The Chengdu J-20, first Chinese 5th generation stealth fighter, today successfully completed its first flight! According to Chineses sources the jet fighter made a 15-minute flight in southwest China’s City of Chengdu.

The Chengdu J-20 is a twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter with stealth capability and maneuverability as compared to American F-22 Raptor and Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA.

Video:

Credits: http://www.defenceaviation.com

View the original article here

Many questions surround Bombardier/Comac partnership

Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off - FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis FlightGlobal.com HomePremiumArchiveVideoImagesForumBlogsJobsShop Follow This Blog Meet Jon Ostrower

Contact Jon

(Always Confidential)

flightblogger@gmail.com

Recent Entries Boeing "evaluating the potential impacts" of US government shutdown (Update1) Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off Nine facts about Boeing's 737 Classic inspection Service Bulletin How did the FAA and Boeing identify the 175 737 Classics? Movie Monday - April 4 - Qantas Flight 32 in focus Breaking: FAA confirms Gulfstream G650 Roswell test accident (Update8) Many questions surround Bombardier/Comac partnership Exclusive: IndiGo selects PW1100G to power A320neo order Ten years after Sonic Cruiser, slow is still green Movie Monday - March 28 - The Birth of the Whittle Engine Lijit Search Archives Select a Month... April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 Lastest USA Aerospace JobsERJ 170 Sheet Metal, Structural Mechanic Job in Columbus, OhioTool Coordinator Job in Charleston, South CarolinaField Team Support for Sikorsky S-61 Helicopter Job in Moyock, North CarolinaEmbraer 145 A&P Mechanic Job in Louisville, KentuckyEmbraer 145 Sheet Metal, Structural Mechanic Job in Louisville, Kentucky April 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Tag Cloud 737 737RS 747 757 767 777 777F 787 A320 A330 A340 A350 A380 Air France Air India Airbus All Nippon Airways American Airlines Boeing Bombardier British Airways CFM China China Southern Continental Airlines CSeries Delta E-Jets Embraer Emirates Flight Test FlightBlogger Feature G650 Geared Turbofan General Electric Gulfstream IAM JAL KC-X Leap-X Lufthansa Pratt & Whitney QANTAS Qatar Airways RC001 RC501 Rolls-Royce Singapore Airlines Spirit AeroSystems Trent 1000 United Airlines Vought ZA001 ZA002 ZA003 ZA004 ZA005 ZA006 ZA100 ZY997 Categories Aerodynamics (5) AirVenture 2008 (16) AirVenture 2009 (11) AirVenture 2010 (5) Airbus (165) Aircraft Interiors 2010 (3) Airlines (94) Airports (1) Avionics (8) Awkward Airplanes (5) Boeing (640) Bombardier (45) CFM (1) COMAC (10) Cessna (5) Cirrus (2) Dassault (1) Dubai Air Show 2007 (10) Dubai Air Show 2009 (11) EBACE 2009 (11) EBACE 2010 (6) Embraer (29) Engines (25) FB On The Web (3) Farnborough Air Show 2008 (23) Farnborough Air Show 2010 (29) Fokker (1) General Electric (1) Global Economy (13) Gulfstream (27) Hawker Beechcraft (4) Honeywell ISTAT 2011 (3) Irkut (3) Liberty Aerospace (1) Liveblog (8) MEBA 2010 (3) Mailbag (1) Mitsubishi (2) Mooney (2) Movie Monday (65) NBAA 2008 (13) NBAA 2009 (4) NBAA 2010 (15) Open Thread (72) Paris Air Show 2009 (20) Photos of Note (38) Pilatus (1) Pratt & Whitney (7) Raytheon (1) Rockwell Collins (2) Rolls-Royce (8) Singapore Air Show 2008 (16) Singapore Air Show 2010 (9) Suhkoi (10) Trains (1) US Air Force (1) WAEA 2009 (3) Zhuhai 2010 (7) Recent Comments Torre commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: I remember Thomas M. Bakos commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: How was th Jim commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: As a retir Been there Done That commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: A single e Trebuchet commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: Didn't an Chris commented on Boeing "evaluating the potential impacts" of US government shutdown (Update1): The Washin 2Phast4Rocket commented on Accident Update: G650 was simulating single-engine take off: So what do 3dmashup commented on Nine facts about Boeing's 737 Classic inspection Service Bulletin: VPI studie iamlucky13 commented on Nine facts about Boeing's 737 Classic inspection Service Bulletin: So if I un Hreotio commented on Nine facts about Boeing's 737 Classic inspection Service Bulletin: The inner



Many questions surround Bombardier/Comac partnership By

Jon Ostrower  on April 1, 2011 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0) |
WEST PALM BEACH -- Two weeks ago when Bomabardier Commercial Aircraft President Gary Scott emphatically denied his company was pursuing a stretched CS500, pushing the CSeries into direct competition with the 737-800 and A320, many in the industry wondered why the Canadian airframer would rule out such a possibility. Within the context of the newly-signed Comac partnership, Scott's comments are now fully explained.
With no intention to compete or overlap products with Comac, Bombardier is cultivating a partner with seemingly limitless access to capital (and patience) to establish itself in both domestic and export markets. 
If the duopoly wasn't dead before, the last nail in its coffin was hammered in on March 24.
The Sino-Canadian agreement opens the door beyond just Bombardier and Comac, with Pratt & Whitney CEO David Hess seeing opportunity to accelerate his company's "on-going discussion" with the Chinese airframer to offer its PW1000G on the C919, placing it in direct competition with the A320neo, on which the engine is also an option.
"We're not privy to the conversations between Comac and Bombardier, but clearly there could be opportunity for collaboration on all the platforms," says Hess.

Hess says Comac is studying applications of the PW1000G on the C919, ARJ21 as well as potential new designs.

"They're very excited about a geared turbofan," says Hess. "They know where we are in development, they've seen the engine. In fact, we've had Comac people down here at test stands. So they're pretty excited about it. Certainly their initial selection was Leap-X, they'll start a flight test program with Leap-X, but they seem to be very interested in flying the next generation product family, either on derivatives of the C919, the ARJ21 - they are studying possible applications for ARJ21 - and for and certainly clean sheet paper airplanes."

In the near term, Bombardier and Comac are set to begin commonality studies to find overlap between the 110 to 149-seat CSeries and 156-seat C919, opportunities exists where the same suppliers cover both aircraft, including, but not limited to, the aircraft's Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics navigation and communication systems, Liebherr landing gear and Honeywell auxiliary power unit.

While the P&W may have a chance to add itself to that list of common suppliers, the opportunities created by the tie up is just one of the many questions that will begin to define the emergent strategic partnership and its potential to re-shape the global aerospace landscape.

Benjamin Boehm, Bombardier's vice president for international business, was instrumental in bringing this partnership to the fore. Having quietly left his post as vice president of commercial aircraft programs in November, the new role has his guiding the strategic machinations on an partnership that could crack the duopoly in a way Bombardier never could on its own.

The language of the press release points to significantly more than an "arms-length" partnership between the two companies, but the fundamental question for both partners in this deal is whether or not the actions reflect a long-term or short-term link up.

In the context of Piepenbrock's Red-Blue, is the partnership meant for the betterment and improvement of both OEMs with a stake in either's success? Or is this tie up a way to extract expertise and market access in the near term? The push toward commonality and part procurement would suggest that incremental technological and supply chain integration of the C919 and CSeries brings the two closer together in a way that the industry has never before seen.

Yet the key element Bombardier brings to the table may be less tangible, but no less useful for Comac. Creating discreet aircraft systems is far from a simple process, but integrating all those systems together into a self-sufficient airframe is the 'secret sauce' to building aircraft and Bombardier has this in spades. Tactically, the partnership allows an OEM-level of systems integration expertise to flow into the C919, one element missing from Chinese commercial aerospace.

"I think it will certainly give Bombardier access to the Chinese market place, and maybe some Chinese capital, and vice versa it will give the Chinese access to Bomardier's great technical and development capabilities," says Hess.

What remains to be seen is how Boeing and Airbus react to the partnership and whether or not the extensive efforts of both will remain sufficiently recognized by those in the central government as aircraft purchasing decisions are made with the 13th five year plan just beginning to take shape now.

Airbus was previously seen as having the biggest manufacturing presence in China with its Tianjin A320 final assembly line, while Boeing used selected structural component suppliers for all of its commercial programs. Bombardier has stepped beyond both, likely delivering access to the world's single fastest growing market.

No doubt with yesterday's publication of the WTO ruling, Boeing and Airbus have to be eyeing the Sino-Canadian partnership with great interest. How funds - if any - flow between the companies and their two governments, may spark a new chapter in the battle on research and development subsidies.

As the incumbent duopolists, any threat to Boeing and Airbus's status is sure to be met with fierce resistance, but does the tie up actually begin to tie the hands of the US and Europe who want the same access to China as they do today? With a strong desire to continue to sell their respective products in China, does any swipe at CSeries become an indirect swipe at the Chinese? Does a tie-up start to look more like a growing political alliance as the Airbus and Boeing - as mature players - fight to hold their industrial status?

The duopoly is dead, long live the duopoly. Categories: Bombardier, COMAC Tags: Bombardier, C919, China, Comac, CS100, CS300, CSeries, Red-Blue 0 TrackBacks

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Many questions surround Bombardier/Comac partnership.

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.flightglobal.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/197317

10 Comments By Aurora
on April 1, 2011 5:24 PM | Reply

"There was a young lady of Niger
Who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
With the lady inside,
And the smile on the face of the tiger. "

By Biggles209
on April 1, 2011 6:18 PM | Reply

"Two weeks ago when Bomabardier Commercial Aircraft President Gary Scott's emphatically denied his company was not pursuing a stretched CS500..."

If he denied he was not pursung, he confirmed that he was pursuing - which makes no sense relative to the rest of this article!

By V V
on April 1, 2011 7:49 PM | Reply

There was a speculation about Bombardier tie-up with another manufacturer. At that time an analyst thought that there was a possibility that Bombardier would build a partnership with Boeing. I discussed about this speculation in my blog entry in June 2010 http://wp.me/piMZI-VX
The recent announcement about BBD-COMAC cooperation clearly removes any possibility BBD-BA partnership.

The narrowbody sector is quite crowded and the competition will become even more fierce. The real duopoly battle between Boeing qnd Qirbus is now in the widebody-long-range sector. I discussed this in the following blog entry: http://wp.me/siMZI-duopoly

By JC
on April 1, 2011 9:56 PM | Reply

To defeat the tiger and rescue the beauty as well as itself Boeing needs to do the following:

1. Improve 737 and sell it at cost to render all newcomers profitless. (In reality there still is profit for Boeing though it goes to American workers in the form of salaries, thus the project should be considered a social welfare work, which most of the newcomers will be doing anyway).

2. Develope 797--Boeing does not suffer from 787 for nothing. Use monolithic composite technology to develope its patented flat fuselage with twin-aisle 2-3-2 that maintains the same efficiency as the competitors' but add on 20 to 30 more seats than the competitors' to be the bonus profit for airlines.

By Nicolas
on April 2, 2011 9:46 AM | Reply

This partnership will not prevent Bombardier to launch a 150 pax CSeries (CS500). The CS500 will be a little bit smaller than the C919 (range and size). The CS500 will be perfect for european carriers : 150-160 passengers with a range of 1800 nm or 2400 nm (ER version).

Some rumors also say that Bombardier could possibly launch a new family of regional jets (70-100 pax) to replace the CRJ in partnership with COMAC.

By Frank N Stein
on April 3, 2011 6:47 AM | Reply

Jon,

IMO you hit the nail on the head. It's the "holy sauce" of configuration and systems integration that the Chinese lack. The tie-up may well include fixing whatever bedevils the ARJ21, which so far has made a very pedestrian 'progess' in flight testing.
Then the C919 - the Chinese are nowhere near being able to pull it off alone. Someone has to do the wing, the overall configuration, then the structural concept, then the systems integration. Not to mention handling qualities or certification to FAA/EASA standards.
I wouldn't expect Airbus and Boeing to have much interest to come to the rescue. The Latinos are too proud and I don't see what they'd win. In contrast, Bombardier could at least help the Chinese to keep their face without 'selling the farm', in exchange for continued transportation business. Of course, it must not look like a rescue operation, hence the vague baseline strategic agreement.

By Integral Observer
on April 4, 2011 1:04 AM | Reply

Jon, I have enjoyed seeing your growth from being just an airplane guy to one who truly understands the airline business. This integrated knowledge has made you a first rate business journalist. Kudos to you and Dr. Piepenbrock for helping us all to grow our understanding of how business really works.

As I read through the comments of your many intelligent readers, I am able to beginning to discern a pattern. It seems that both EADS and the Chinese (COMAC) have had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Piepenbrock’s work and are now benefitting from it. On the surface, the COMAC/Bombardier linkup is a win-win for both parties. In the short-term, the BLUE Bombardier wins with near term orders and a needed cash infusion. In the long-term, the RED COMAC is able to get the airplane integration and certification knowledge they need to be an effective competitor.

In other industries, China has shown a willingness to leverage the short-term desires of companies to make a near term profit, to gain the technical knowledge needed to compete globally. Once they gain this knowledge, the Chinese end their cooperative relationship and become able competitors. This relationship does not bode well for Bombardier in the long-term.

By RedvsBlue
on April 4, 2011 8:32 PM | Reply

Jon,
While many questions surround the Comac/Bombardier partnership, I believe that Piepenbrock's Red/Blue theory provides a predictive model that can inform customers, employees, suppliers, and investors alike.

As Integral observer stated, "Blue" Bombardier is giving away key intellectual property in terms of certification and aircraft systems integration knowledge in order to obtain short-term market share growth; rather than growing organically and investing in product and process development to grow it's long-term market share. Similar to high-speed trains and solar power, China's Comac will end it's "partnership" and capital infusion to Bombardier once it has the technology know-how and reputation it needs to scale its aircraft industry.

By Paulo M
on April 5, 2011 3:56 AM | Reply

Is there no longer sign-in requirement for comments?

To the topic at hand, looks like Rome is quite eager to teach China how to spin gold threads -- i.e. silk...

There will always be room for foreign companies in the Chinese market, but they will become minor players, as evidenced by this New York Times piece on wind turbines/wind energy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/business/global/15chinawind.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

By JC
on April 8, 2011 4:23 AM | Reply

Chinese idiom:
"in, tsen, tse, ke"

--- (literally) to drink poison in order to quench one's thirst.

A New Practical Chinese-English Dictionary says: "A moment's relief or pleasure can bring endless sufferings to come".

Aside from technical savvy, Bombardier may need to develope a few antidotal tricks too.

Leave a comment Name Email Address URL Remember personal info? Comments (You may use HTML tags for style) ADVERTISEMENT FlightBlogger FriendfeedFlightglobal Blogroll Runway GirlThe Flight blogLearmountAsian SkiesThe DEW LineEditor's blogUnusual AttitudeHyperbolaLeft FieldImage of the Day blogAviation and the Environment Terminal QAs The Cro(ft) FliesAirline BusinessThe Networker Aviation News and Opinion FlightglobalAeroturbopowerAirline Industry ReviewAirline ReporterAutopia - Wired.comAv8rDan's World of FlyingBangalore AviationThe Cranky FlierEvan SparksIAG BlogJames FallowsJetwhineJourneys Across ContinentsLeeham.netMolly McMillinMSNBC AviationmyTransponder Ask a PilotPlaneBuzzPlane Talking Randy's JournalRichard AboulafiaScott HamiltonSeattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle TimesSimpliFlyingThings With WingsThings in the skyToday in the skyUresh Sheth Aircraft Makers and Information Airbus SAS Airbus A380 Orders from WikipediaBoeing 787 Orders from Wikipedia Boeing Company Boeing Orders and Deliveries Boeing's New AirplaneBombardierCessnaCirrus DesignCommercial Aircraft CensusEclipseEmbraerGulfstreamPilatusAviation Creativity Airliners.netAirplane Photo ZoneAir Fighters Aviation Corner (Spanish) JetPhotos.net Just PlanesLila DesignMatt Cawby - Skyline PhotographyPictAeroPlanePictures Travel Tools AirNav Airport ButlerDelta Blog FlightAware Flight MemoryGreat Circle Mapper Kayak.com LiveATC.netPilotOutlook.comSouthwest Blog Dreamlifter MovementsBOE8 filed a flight plan KMWH -> KMWHBOE8 filed a flight plan KMWH -> KMWHBOE4 filed a flight plan KBFI -> KBFIBOE3 filed a flight plan KMWH -> KBFIBOE1 filed a flight plan KBFI -> KMWHRandy's JournalTurning twoOur commitment to excellenceCreative marketingBehind the scenes story on naming the DreamlinerHere comes the sun Sign up toFlight Digital MagazineFlight Print MagazineAirline Business MagazineE-newslettersRSSEvents DisclaimerTerms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicySubscriptionsFlight NewsletterAbout UsMedia CentreContact usSite MapRBI media jobs UK© Reed Business Information 2009

View the original article here