Lufthansa boasts of 100% A380 technical dispatch reliability

jueves, 30 de septiembre de 2010

Lufthansa has consistently experienced 100% technical dispatch reliability on its Airbus A380s, but Air France is frequently dropping below its 98.5% target.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/29/347943/lufthansa-boasts-of-100-a380-technical-dispatch-reliability.html

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The first 'Flying Car (LSA)' receives go-ahead by Federal Aviation Administration to begin production.

The Orlando office of the FAA issued a historic Special Light Sport Aircraft airworthiness certificate to Itec, a Central Florida Christian Non-Profit humanitarian organization; for their unique land, air, water and snow capable vehicle.

Itec Design Manager Troy Townsend says the issuance of this first ever certificate for a vehicle that drives and flies, using the same simple controls that virtually anyone can master in a matter of hours, is the culmination of 6 years of research and development by Itec, the Indigenous Peoples' Technology and Education Center in Dunnellon Florida.

The Maverick was developed as an all-in-one transportation vehicle for people in frontier areas of the world. Itec plans to produce this unique machine commercially for extreme sport enthusiasts, search and rescue, fire spotting and other uses in order to lower the cost to its primary non-commercial market - Indigenous People in the world beyond roads.

-------More Technical Info ---------

The Maverick uses a patented 'Dual Drive System', 'Integrated Controls' (it drives and flies using the same steering wheel and gas pedal) and 'Wing Deployment System' to make this unique vehicle user-friendly.

Classified technically as a 'Powered Parachute' by the FAA when in flight configuration, the Maverick is, by design, very 'crash' resistant. Itec has tested earlier iterations in frontier areas of Africa and South America, operated by non-pilots, without mishap.

On the ground, both on-road and off-road, the Maverick is a 'Hot Rod' capable of out accelerating most sports cars, due to its aircraft type rugged but light construction.

Itec is entertaining the possibility of licensing production to an outside entity so it can concentrate time and resources on continued development of its primary technologies in Health Care for people beyond the reach of medical services.

Maverick-LSA


Vídeo

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Indonesia Plans 180 Flankers Plus F-16s

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2010/09/30/03.xml

Indonesia intends to acquire 180 Sukhoi Flankers and also to buy Lockheed Martin F-16s, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro says, setting out plans for a massive expansion of the Southeast Asian country’s air combat force.

If Indonesia is serious about buying 180 Flankers, then Canberra will almost certainly fund the Royal Australian Air Force’s plan for 100 Lockheed Martin F-35s, says Andrew Davies, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Until now, there was a significant chance that Australia would buy fewer F-35s.

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Russia, Ukraine to build 60 An-124 cargo planes

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100930/160778861.html

A proposed Russia-Ukraine venture has received orders for 60 An-124 cargo aircraft, Antonov Civil Aircraft said on Thursday.

"The contracts have not been signed yet but we have already received orders for the production of 60 planes," the statement said.

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Boeing Statement on Award of B-52 Modernization Contract

he Boeing Company today received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from the U.S. Air Force for B-52 Stratofortress weapon system modernization. The company released the following statement:

"This B-52 modernization contract will include several delivery orders over an eight-year period. The Air Force announced a contract ceiling of $11.9 billion. This is a contracting vehicle that will allow engineering sustaining contracts, studies, production and other activities to occur in support of the B-52. No funds were committed with this contract announcement. We expect our first delivery order to be awarded on Sept. 30."

Boeing has been maintaining and modernizing the B-52 bomber for 55 years -- including engineering services and upgrades to communication technology -- allowing the B-52 to remain a relevant weapon system in support of military missions around the world.

Boeing


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Russian Navy to get fifth generation carrier fighter after 2020

miércoles, 29 de septiembre de 2010

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100928/160747881.html

Previously, representatives of the armed forces command and Defense Ministry had said a new naval fighter based on the Sukhoi T.50 design could enter service around 2016.

"It's difficult to say when this aircraft will enter naval service. First it will go into service with the air force, and then be 'navalised.' To build a new aircraft from scratch costs huge money, it's irrational and not competent. Conditions might be suitable by 2020," he said.

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PICTURE: Poland unveils first modernised Orlik trainer

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/29/347887/picture-poland-unveils-first-modernised-orlik-trainer.html



Dubbed the Orlik TC-II, the aircraft features a Pratt & Whitney PT6-25C engine, which replaces its original Walter M601T, plus new wings, Garmin avionics and rearranged cockpit instruments.

The upgrades result in the Orlik TC-II having an improved climb rate, an increased top speed of 246kt (456km/h), a claimed 40% improvement in manoeuverability and a 20% reduction in fuel consumption.

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First serial Su-30M2 completed test flights

Moscow, September 28. Sukhoi Company has completed factory flight tests for the first serial multi-role double seater Su-30M2 fighter jet. The tests occurred at the flight test station of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft production association named after Yuri Gagarin (KnAAPO).

At the present time the Su-30M2 is getting ready for the certification test.

The state contract for four Su-30M2 aircraft was signed with the Russian Ministry of Defense at the international aerospace show MAKS-2009. During the air show, the Ministry of Defense also signed contracts for 48 Su-35S multi-function super-maneuverable fighters and 12 upgraded Su-27SM fighter jets.

The Su-30M2 is a long-range strike aircraft based on the Su-30 fighter design optimized for precision strikes on ground and naval targets

Sukhoi

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Un tribunal reconoce una falta penal en el accidente del A-330 que cubria la ruta Río-París

La Comisión de Indemnización de Víctimas de Infracciones Penales del Tribunal de Gran Instancia de Tulon considera oportuno conceder una indemnización de 20.000 euros a los familiares de una de las azafatas que perdió la vida en el accidente, dada la "coexistencia de fallos anteriores y de un fallo constatado la noche del accidente que afectan a las sondas Pitot".

Se trata de la primera vez que la justicia francesa considera que hubiera podido haber una falta penal en relación con el accidente.

http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=534203

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Pratt & Whitney hits back at Rolls-Royce in engine patent dispute – Suppliers Share Wrap

http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/share-market/2010/09/29/pratt--whitney-hits-back-at-rolls-royce-in-engine-patent-dispute--suppliers-share-wrap/page1

Pratt & Whitney has hit back at Rolls-Royce patent suit against it, filing a lawsuit against the UK-based engine manufacturer. The US company, a unit of United Technologies Corp, has filed a suit in a US Federal Court in Connecticut claiming that Rolls-Royce has misled the US Patent and Trademark Office to obtain a patent and then unlawfully used that patent to enter litigation against Pratt & Whitney, interfering with its business and engaging in unfair business practices.

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CFM56 Fleet Logs Five Hundred Million Flight Hours

CINCINNATI, Ohio - 27 September 2010 - CFM International's CFM56 fleet has become the first high bypass turbofan family in history to achieve 500 million engine flight hours in service as the company celebrates its 36 anniversary.

The first CFM56 engines entered service in1982 powering re-engined DC-8 Super 70 aircraft and USAF KC-135 tankers. The engine provided a quantum leap to this industry segment in terms of fuel burn, noise and emissions levels. These early applications were followed by a succession of new aircraft applications, including the Boeing 737 Classic, the Airbus A320 and A340 families, and the Boeing 737NG.

CFM International was formed as a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran group) and GE on September 24, 1974. In 2008, the two parent companies extended the partnership agreement to the year 2040. Through August 2010, CFM has received firm orders for a total of 26,500 engines.

Since the CFM56 first entered service in 1982, CFM International has delivered more than 21,000 engines to 500-plus operators around the globe. The fleet is logging one million flight hours every eight days and, at any given moment, there are more than 2,400 CFM56-powered aircraft in the air.

One of the distinguishing features of the CFM56 product line is its unrivaled reliability, which has served as the industry benchmark for more than 20 years. The average time on wing for current production CFM56 engines before a first shop visit is approximately 30,000 hours with the fleet records at 44000 hours. That equates to driving a car the distance to the moon and back 30 times without ever putting it in the garage for service. Or driving the same car for 1,000 years--the time it would take to log 15 million miles and circle the earth 367 times--with nothing more than oil changes and new spark plugs.

"We are obviously very proud of reaching half a billion flight hours, but we know we could never have achieved this milestone without the continued confidence of our customers around the world," said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM International (CFM). "From the beginning, the CFM model has been to meet all of its commitments, to continually invest in the product line, and to provide world-class customer and product support. It is a model that has enabled the CFM56 product line to become the industry benchmark for reliability and low cost of ownership, and it is the same model we are using for the future as we continue to expand the current CFM56 fleet and develop the LEAP-X engine for future generations of single-aisle aircraft."

CFM56

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Cargo UAS Steps Forward

The US Navy has finally issued the RFP to provide unmanned cargo services in Afghanistan to resupply small forward-based Marine Corps units. Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter have powered up the Bell 407-based Fire-X unmanned helicopter. And the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory has released an RFI for tactical evacuation of injured personnelusing unmanned aircraft. All signs that momentum continues to build behind what many see as the next major market for UAVs after ISR - carrying stuff.


http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog:27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post:466d2f0b-c5ee-4ec1-83c2-56739757d475&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest

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Boeing source reveals specifications for KC-767 NewGen Tanker

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/29/347896/boeing-source-reveals-specifications-for-kc-767-newgen.html

Boeing's proposed KC-767 NewGen Tanker for the US Air Force incorporates the wing and fuselage from the 767-200, the cargo door and floor from the 767-300F and the cockpit from the 767-400ER, also feature a new boom.

Boeing marketing documents illustrate as an example the tight ramp at Royal Air Force base Akrotiri in Cyprus, which was used during Operation "Desert Storm". Boeing claims this can accommodate only six Airbus A330-200-based KC-45 tankers, or nine KC-767 NewGen Tankers at one time. Although each A330 can carry more fuel, the total amount of fuel and passengers that can be carried with a mission at Akrotiri is higher with the Boeing solution.

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Boeing Receives Multi-Year Contract from US Navy for 124 F/A-18 and EA-18 Aircraft

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 28, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a new multi-year procurement (MYP) contract from the U.S. Navy for 124 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.

The new contract is valued at $5.297 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing will deliver 66 Super Hornets and 58 Growlers to the Navy from 2012 through 2015.

"The men and women of Boeing are honored to provide the Super Hornet's advanced, combat-proven multirole capability and the EA-18G's unmatched airborne electronic attack capability to the American warfighters serving their nation around the world each day," said Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs Vice President Kory Mathews. "Procurement of these 124 aircraft through a multi-year contract takes advantage of the full efficiencies of Boeing’s production and supplier operations, which will generate more than $600 million in cost savings for U.S. taxpayers."

The new contract is the third multi-year agreement between Boeing and the Navy for production of the F/A-18E/F, the Navy's frontline strike fighter, which delivers forward-deployed air combat capability around the world from the decks of 11 Navy aircraft carriers, including ongoing missions in Afghanistan.
The EA-18G, the United States' newest combat aircraft, conducts advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) missions to support Navy and joint force requirements. The EA-18G is scheduled for its first combat deployment later this year.

"Boeing and its Hornet Industry Team suppliers have delivered every Super Hornet and Growler on schedule to the warfighter and on budget for the taxpayer from the first Super Hornet delivery,” said Mathews. “The first two F/A-18E/F multi-year contracts generated more than $1.7 billion in savings for the United States. We look forward to continuing to provide unmatched capability and value through this contract."
Boeing delivered 210 Super Hornets to the Navy during the initial F/A-18E/F MYP, which spanned fiscal years 2000 through 2004. Boeing was then awarded a second MYP that included aircraft procurement during fiscal years 2005 through 2009. Aircraft deliveries under that contract continue through 2011 and total 257 aircraft.

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 430 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy.

The Boeing EA-18G Growler is the only air combat platform that delivers full-spectrum AEA capability along with the targeting and self-defense capabilities derived from the Navy's frontline fighter, the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet. A derivative of the two-seat F/A-18F Block II, the EA-18G's highly flexible design enables warfighters to operate either from the deck of an aircraft carrier or from land-based airfields. It is replacing the Navy's current AEA platform, the EA-6B Prowler, which has been in service since 1971. The EA-18G joined the Navy's aircraft fleet in 2008, when it was introduced to fleet training squadron VAQ-129.

Boeing

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AAI Wins TX-Transformer DARPA Flying-Jeep Study

martes, 28 de septiembre de 2010




AAI has received a $3.05 million contract for Phase 1 of DARPA's Transformer Vehicle (TX) program to demonstrate a "fly-drive" tactical vehicle. Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works is also expected to receive a contract.

Full text

Related:
AVX presenta su Jeep Volador [Spanish]
Tyrannos ATV English Spanish
DARPA's Transformer TX 'flying Humvee' project gets off the ground & Otro coche volador para el concurso de "Flying Humvees" TX-Transformer [Spanish]

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APES 0018 el Becario



Pincha en la imagen para ver a tamaño completo.

Y os recordamos... ¡¡no podéis perderos el nuevo capítulo de http://www.laserieonline.com/ http://twitter.com/laserieonline

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Coming soon: Unmanned robot aircraft to fly domestic skies (but NOT tomorrow, Mr O'Leary)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/Coming-soon-Unmanned-robot-aircraft-to-fly-domestic-skies/articleshow/6641744.cms


Unmanned aircraft are generally used by the military for spying on terrorist camps and even threatening enemy aircraft, but now, soon they could be seen flying domestic skies too.

They would work as airborne traffic cops, patrolling the border and maybe even shuttling cargo between cities.

"They are inherently more green. They use less gas, have less weight and overall less waste,"Discovery News quoted Wesley Randall, a former Air Force logistics officer and professor at Auburn University, as saying.

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Máster en Gestión y Dirección de Empresas de Transporte Aéreo

La Escuela Europea de Negocios organiza desde hace unos años un Máster en Gestión y Dirección de Empresas de Transporte Aéreo que este año por primera vez se podrá estudiar en Málaga, además de en sus otras sedes de Madrid y en Murcia.

Este Máster propio, organizado con la colaboración de Aertec e ITAérea entre otras entidades tiene como objetivo habilitar a los participantes para trabajar como gestores y mandos intermedios en compañías aéreas, aeropuertos privados y públicos, y empresas asociadas en las áreas de RRHH, Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, Jurídica, Económica, Infraestructuras, Mantenimiento, Sistemas de Navegación, etc.

http://blog.aergenium.es/2010/09/master-en-gestion-y-direccion-de.html

web de la Escuela Europea de Negocios

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[Photos & Video] More about FLAVIIR project and the flapless Daemon UAV demonstrator flight

Youtube Video













VIDEO can be found here




A novel unmanned air vehicle (UAV) which showcases a wide range of new technologies has successfully demonstrated 'flapless flight' in the UK

The UAV, called DEMON, made the historic flight from an airfield at Walney Island in Cumbria on Friday 17 September. Developed by Cranfield University, BAE Systems, and nine other UK universities, DEMON is designed to be able to forgo the use of conventional mechanical elevators and ailerons which usually control the movement of an aircraft in favour of novel aerodynamic control devices using blown jets of air."

Such an approach offers several advantages over 'moving flap' technology which has been used since the early days of aviation, in that it means fewer moving parts, less maintenance, and a more stealthy profile for the aircraft. DEMON's trial flights were the first 'flapless flights' ever to be authorised by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

In Cumbria last Friday, DEMON successfully demonstrated flapless flight when, for a planned portion of a test-flight, the conventional flap control system was turned off and the aircraft flew and manoeuvred using the new technology. BAE Systems is already recognised as a leader in the field of intelligent autonomy for unmanned aircraft. It promoted the development of the £6.2m FLAVIIR (Flapless Air Vehicle Integrated Industrial Research) programme which led to the DEMON demonstrator after laying down a 'Grand Challenge' to UK universities five years ago.


Richard Williams, BAE Systems programme director for Future Capability, said: "What the FLAVIIR Team have achieved in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable. I was in Cumbria to watch DEMON fly and I feel sure I have witnessed a significant moment in aviation history." He added: "What makes it even more poignant is that this is the result of British brains collaborating to produce world-leading technology. It, and other initiatives like it, will help ensure we maintain both a level of sovereign capability and a competitive edge."

Professor John Fielding, chief engineer and lead for the DEMON demonstrator team from Cranfield University, said: "To make an aircraft fly and manoeuvre safely without the use of conventional control surfaces is an achievement in itself; to do that while at the same time bringing together new construction techniques and new control mechanisms could be said to be over-ambitious - but we have done it. The DEMON UAV has been developed within a research programme but it is a representative, complex, high technology aircraft. Gaining approval from the CAA and flying it successfully has required great skill, dedication and patience by the team and they should be very proud of their achievement."

The flapless system, developed around a concept called fluidic flight control, was the result of collaborative work between Manchester and Cranfield universities together with BAE Systems' Advanced Technology Centre and was tested in wind tunnels and on models before the full-scale trials on DEMON took place.

While Demon itself is not expected to become a production aircraft, a number of the technologies it contains have and will continue to filter through to a range of other aviation platforms.

BAE

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UTair Aviation firma con Eurocopter Vostok un contrato de compra de 20 helicópteros Ecureuil

La empresa rusa UTair comprará 20 helicópteros ligeros Ecureuil en virtud de un nuevo acuerdo que prolonga las relaciones estratégicas de largo tiempo mantenidas con Eurocopter.

Moscú, Rusia, 28 septiembre 2010

La firma del contrato de compra estuvo a cargo de Andrey Martirosov, director de UTair Aviation, y de la delegada general de Eurocopter Vostok Laurence Rigolini, en presencia de Christian Gras, vicepresidente ejecutivo “clientes” del Grupo Eurocopter. El contrato contempla la entrega de 20 aparatos de la familia de helicópteros ligeros Ecureuil, en versión monomotor AS350 B3 y bimotor AS355 NP, desde el verano de 2011 hasta la primavera de 2013.

“La ampliación de la flota de UTair con esos 20 Ecureuil reforzará nuestra posición de liderazgo en el mercado mundial del helicóptero, porque estos aparatos ligeros cumplen a la perfección con los más altos estándares industriales y por eso gozan de una excelente acogida por parte de nuestros clientes de Rusia y del mundo entero”, dijo Andrey Martirosov.

En palabras del vicepresidente ejecutivo Gras, éste es el mayor pedido de helicópteros ligeros efectuado en Rusia hasta. “La realización de este programa ilustra el nuevo grado de asociación existente entre nuestras dos organizaciones. Además, con él comienza una nueva era en la utilización comercial de monomotores de Eurocopter en Rusia”.

UTair explota helicópteros de Eurocopter desde 2006. Su flota cuenta en la actualidad con helicópteros AS350B3, AS355N y BO105 de Eurocopter, que vuelan para cubrir una amplia gama de misiones, desde servicios VIP y de apoyo de la industria del petróleo y el gas hasta operaciones de socorro medico. Por otro lado, como cliente lanzador del EC175 de Eurocopter, la empresa tiene intención de cursar el pedido de 15 de estos aparatos de peso medio y se reserva la opción de compra de otros 15.

“El nuevo pedido de Ecureuil supone un importante logro a la hora de fortalecer nuestras relaciones con este cliente estratégico y confirma que los productos de Eurocopter satisfacen los extremos requisitos operacionales de UTair” Como parte integrante de la cooperación entre UTAir y Eurocopter se esta instalando un centro certificado de mantenimiento y una academia de formación en la base de ingeniería de UTair situada en Tyumen. Con ellos mejorará el apoyo prestado a la flota del operador ruso y a otros clientes de Eurocopter de ese país, dijo la delegada general de Eurocopter Vostok, Rigolini.

eads

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La prohibición de llevar líquidos en el avión toca a su fin

  • La retirada de la prohibición podría acordarse en la Asamblea de Aviación Civil
  • También tratarán la seguridad en el transporte y la lucha contra el terrorismo
  • Intentarán llegar a un acuerdo para reducir el impacto de las aeronaves en el medio ambiente.
"Después de dos años llega a su fin la prohibición" gracias a la instalación de equipos que permiten detectar explosivos, según indicó el secretario general de la agencia especializada de la ONU, el francés Raymond Benjamin.

Texto completo aqui

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¡ya está aquí el 9º episodio de Remove Before flight! (tu podcast aeronáutico ;-D)

Pasado el verano, y el episodio especial verano, volvemos a los capítulos de una hora y a los contenidos habituales. En ésta ocasión, traemos más noticias y más análisis de la actualidad. Pero la cosa no acaba ahí, tenemos también una edición de burradas aeronáuticas en la que hablamos sobre cierto "troll" irlandés, así como un monográfico en el que nuestro redactor, Jose Manuel Gil, entrevista a Francisco Larios, ingeniero técnico aeronáutico que ha participado entre otros proyectos, en el diseño del 787, sobre las diferencias entre la filosofía de diseño aeronáutico ruso y occidental. Es decir, dos cracks del diseño aeronáutico hablando sobre diseño aeronáutico. No os lo perdáis, ¡es muy muy interesante!

Podcast: Download (41.3MB)

(Para escuchar sin descargar, visita http://rbf.com.es/?p=220)

Contenidos Episodio 09:

00:00:00 Introducción
00:03:25 Plan de vuelo (sumario)
00:04:25 Noticias
00:08:42 Actualidad A Fondo
00:26:21 Burradas Aeronáuticas
00:40:00 Monográfico: Entrevista a Francisco Larios, ingeniero técnico aeronáutico, sobre la diferencia de la filosofía de diseño ruso y occidental.
00:57:53 Despedida
(duración total: 01:00h)

Dirección del episodio: Javier F. Lago
Redacción: Jose Manuel Gil, Anna Esquius, Javier F. Lago
Coordinador de redacción de noticias: Jose Manuel Gil
Locución: Jose Miguel Morales, Jose Manuel Gil, Anna Esquius & Javier F. Lago
Música y edición: Javier F. Lago
Layout & Diseño: Anna Esquius & Javier F. Lago
Medios, hosting y soporte: Satori Produccions SL
Producido por Satori Produccions SL (info@satori-produccions.com)




Este podcast se distribuye bajo licencia Creative Commons by-nc-nd
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.es
Algunos derechos reservados

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Experimental boundary-layer-control bed testUAV 1st flight

lunes, 27 de septiembre de 2010



The jets on the DEMON aircraft work in a different way. The plane works by manipulating the air that flows immediately next to its skin, rather than changing its shape.

Jets of air close to the trailing edge of the wing change whether the air moves away from or towards the wing. Sensors along the wing constantly monitor the airflow and can adjust the direction of the jets of air.

The DEMON has an eight-foot wingspan and weighs just 200lbs. DEMON can fly parts of its mission by itself but is not fully autonomous as it is still just an experimental vehicle.

Full text

video



Related:
[Spanish] El proyecto FLAVIIR ensaya nuevas formas de controlar el avión 

 
  • General FLAVIIR poster (A1 pdf)

  • Manufacturing at Liverpool University (A1 pdf)

  • Circulation Control at Manchester (ppt)

  • Thrust Vectoring at Manchester (ppt)

  • Integrated thrust vectoring and circulation control demonstration craft at Manchester(ppt)

  • Predictions in composite structure at Imperial College (ppt)

  • Concept Design at Southampton (A1 pdf)

  • Flight Control Systems at Leicester (ppt)


     

  • Read more...

    Airline Virtual Classes Could Be The Future

    “The future of the aircraft cabin is set to go through significant changes as customers are able to share their preferences with airlines, and airlines will be expected to meet their individual needs,” the report says.

    “For example, some passengers in today’s economy [class] would have access to a wide variety of [paid] electronic services, such as Wi-Fi, gaming and entertainment. Others might prefer quiet or distraction-free zones. The integration of these different subclasses with other specialized paying services (such as improved meal services or preferred seating arrangements) could result in further effective fragmentation,” the report continues.

    Full Text


    Full Amadeus report “The Travel Gold Rush 2020”  [pdf] or Scribd

    Travel Gold Rush 2020 En

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    Flight testing of Eurocopter’s X3 high-speed hybrid helicopter demonstrator marks a new milestone in the company’s innovation roadmap




    Eurocopter has begun test flights of the X3 demonstrator for its innovative High-speed, long-range Hybrid Helicopter (H3) concept, which combines excellent vertical takeoff and landing capabilities with fast cruise speeds of more than 220 kts.

    The X3 demonstrator is equipped with two turboshaft engines that power a five-blade main rotor system and two propellers installed on short-span fixed wings. This creates an advanced transportation system offering the speed of a turboprop-powered aircraft and the full hover flight capabilities of a helicopter. The concept is tailored to applications where operational costs, flight duration and mission success depend directly on the maximum cruising speed.A wide range of utilizations are envisaged for the H3 configuration, including long-distance search and rescue (SAR) missions, coast guard duties, border patrol missions, passenger transport and inter-city shuttle services. It also may be well-suited for military missions in special forces operations, troop transport, combat SAR and medical evacuation – benefitting from the hybrid aircraft’s combination of higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical takeoff/landing performance.

    “Innovation is at the core of Eurocopter’s strategy to continue its leadership in the global helicopter sector, and the X3 demonstrator represents a key element of our innovation roadmap,” said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President & CEO. “The teams at Eurocopter took this hybrid helicopter from concept to first flight in less than three years, which demonstrates their skills, capabilities and dedication to defining the future of rotary-wing aircraft.”

    The X3 demonstrator’s first flight occurred September 6 in southern France at the Istres Center of “DGA Flight Testing”, which is operated by the French DGA government agency and ensures a secure and controlled environment. Initial testing will continue through December with reduced power, progressively opening the flight envelope to speeds of approximately 180 kts. After a three-month upgrade, X3 flights will resume in March 2011 with the goal of reaching sustained cruise speeds in excess of 220 kts.

    Eurocopter

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    Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares y el Consejo para el Desarrollo Económico de Sinaloa firman 1 acuerdo para producir y comercializar biocombustibles derivados de la Jatropha

    http://vuelolibre.tv/index.php/breves-de-la-aviacion/1607-mexico-desarrollaran-asa-y-codesin-biocombustibles-para-la-aviacion

    Para el año 2015, el reto es consumir el uno por ciento del bioenergético, lo que representa producir 40 millones de litros.


    Relacionado:
    Guía para principiantes a los BioCombustibles de Aviación

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    First A350 XWB Sim In Development

    domingo, 26 de septiembre de 2010

    CAE Announces $67.6 Million Dollars In Contracts For A350, Other Simulators

    Though it may be some time before the A350 XWB is ready to fly, a simulator for the new Airbus is already in development. CAE announced Thursday that it has signed a contract with Airbus to design and manufacture two CAE 7000 Series full-flight simulators (FFSs) for the Airbus A350 XWB, representing the world's first FFSs for the new long-range aircraft. In addition, CAE will develop six CAE Simfinity A350 XWB Airbus Procedures Trainers.

    http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=da348efa-6c1f-40a8-8af7-ee9ad31a5d84&Dynamic=1



    CAE announces C$70 million in contracts for world's first two Airbus A350 XWB full-flight simulators, Airbus simulator upgrades, and Boeing 777 FFS for North American customer

    Montreal, September 23, 2010 – (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) – CAE today announced that it has signed a contract with Airbus to design and manufacture two CAE 7000 Series full-flight simulators (FFSs) for the Airbus A350 XWB, representing the world’s first FFSs for the new long-range aircraft. In addition, CAE will develop six CAE SimfinityTM A350 XWB Airbus Procedures Trainers. CAE also announced that it has signed contracts with Airbus to perform a range of upgrades on Airbus-owned FFSs, and that it has received a contract from a North American customer to provide a Boeing 777 FFS. The contracts are valued at approximately C$70 million and bring the total FFS sales that CAE has announced to date in fiscal year 2011 to nine.

    CAE has designed, developed and delivered the word’s first full-flight simulators for more than 40 new aircraft representing 16 different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

    "Airbus customers expect the highest standards of innovation, quality, safety, efficiency and service in their training programs," said Jeff Roberts, CAE’s Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services." He adds: “CAE has a long history of exceeding expectations, and we look forward to continuing this heritage by developing the first simulators and training devices for A350 XWB aircraft customers around the globe."
    http://www.cae.com/news/details.ashx?lng=English&location=InvestorsNR&showEvents=False&count=0&id=1126&year=2010

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    About Embraer’s Multinational KC-390 Tactical Air Transporter

    The global competition in the 20-ton air transport segment continues to intensify, with Embraer’s launch of its KC-390 program.

    It will develop a jet powered transport that will compete with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J,the larger Airbus A400M, Russia’s AN-12 and its Chinese copy YUN-8/9. Smaller aircraft like the EADS-CASA C-295M and Alenia C-27J could also become indirect competition.

    Embraer seeks now to extend its efforts and markets by crafting a jet-powered medium transport with cargo capacity of about 25 tons, that can be refueled in the air, and can provide refueling services to other aircraft by adding dedicated pods.

    Full text

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    Proponen un satélite que captaría la energía del Sol y cubriría las necesidades energéticas de nuestro planeta.

    El concepto para un satélite llamado Dyson-Harrop comienza con un bucle de alambre de metal largo y puntiagudo enfocado hacia el sol. Este cable es el encargado de generar un campo magnético cilíndrico que captura los electrones que suponen la mitad del viento solar. Estos electrones son canalizados hacia un receptor esférico de metal para producir corriente que alimenta el campo magnético del alambre, consiguiendo así que el sistema auto-sostenible.

    La corriente que no es necesaria para alimentar el campo magnético alimenta un láser infrarrojo que apunta a las antenas parabólicas en la Tierra diseñadas para capturar energía que apuntan a la Tierra. El aire es transparente a los rayos infrarrojos y la atmósfera terrestre no se absorbe la energía del haz antes de llegar al suelo.



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    BinterCanarias galardonada por la ERA como mejor Aerolínea del Año

    viernes, 24 de septiembre de 2010

    La compañía aérea española BinterCanarias ha sido galardonada con el prestigioso premio Airline of the Year por la Asociación de Aerolíneas Regionales Europeas (ERA, en sus siglas en inglés), según ha anunciado esta institución durante la Asamblea General que celebra en Barcelona, que integra a las 74 principales empresas de este tipo del Viejo Continente, además de aeropuertos, fabricantes de aviones, motores y equipos y proveedores de servicios.

    El jurado independiente ha valorado especialmente su expansión en tiempos de crisis, la calidad de sus servicios, el cuidado del medio ambiente, su modernidad y estructura.

    El galardón fue entregado al presidente de BinterCanarias, Pedro Agustín del Castillo, y a uno de sus consejeros  delegados, Alfredo Morales. Pedro Agustín del Castillo ha manifestado: "Es emocionante y gratificante conseguir este galardón que reconoce el trabajo de todos los profesionales que componen BinterCanarias en beneficio de nuestros pasajeros, especialmente en un entorno económico tan difícil para el mundo y, especialmente, para Europa y España. Es un estímulo para seguir trabajando mejor  y poder conseguir todavía un mayor grado de satisfacción para nuestros clientes". Se trata de la cuarta vez en su historia que la aerolínea obtiene el máximo galardón de la European Regions Airline Association".

    BinterCanarias celebró el año pasado su 20 aniversario. Es una aerolínea privada, cuya totalidad del capital está aportado por inversores de las Islas Canarias. Cuenta con una moderna flota de 19 aviones ATR 72 de fabricación francoitaliana y es la única compañía aérea que opera en los ocho aeropuertos canarios, además de rutas internacionales al Norte de África y a Madeira. La plantilla de BinterCanarias consta de  1.000 profesionales, que se distribuyen entre las diferentes  compañías  (NAYSA, BinterTechnic, Binterswift, Atlántica Handling, BinterVende, etc.).

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    Lufthansa volará con un A380 entre Frankfurt y Mallorca

    http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=528050

    La compañía aérea alemana Lufthansa anunció hoy que el primer fin de semana de octubre cubrirá la ruta entre Fráncfort y Palma de Mallorca con su Airbus 380, el mayor avión comercial del mercado, por un repunte de la demanda.

    La aeronave, con capacidad máxima de 526 asientos, hará sendos viajes de mañana el 2 y el 3 del próximo mes entre la capital económica alemana y el aeropuerto internacional de Son Sant Joan, coincidiendo con el Día de la Unidad Alemana, festivo en Alemania.

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    Boeing promete ahorros de hasta 27.000 millones con sus tanqueros frente a EADS

    http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empresas/Boeing-promete-ahorros-27000-millones-tanqueros-frente-EADS/20100924cdscdiemp_13/cdsemp/

    Según el informe, una flota de 179 aviones cisterna fabricados por Boeing (a partir de su modelo 767) sería entre un 20% y un 25% más barata que otra compuesta por aparatos de EADS (a partir del A-330 de Airbus), con unos ahorros que oscilarían entre los 11.000 y los 36.000 millones de dólares (entre 8.250 y 27.010 millones de euros)


    Dudas que me surgen: ¿hablan solo de precio de compra, o bien de dinero ahorrado en toda la vida operativa, bajo qué hipótesis se hace esto?

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    UAVs Pushed For Missile Defense

    http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/awst/2010/09/20/AW_09_20_2010_p72-253599.xml&headline=UAVs%20Pushed%20For%20Missile%20Defense

    Advocacy of an air-launched, missile defense system is being proposed by two veterans of the Pentagon’s “Star Wars” era and a 1990s program to mate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and long-range air-to-air weapons.

    Len Caveny, a former director of science and technology, and Dale Tietz, a retired U.S. Air Force officer who focused on unmanned aircraft, were part of the Pentagon’s Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO). Now they are offering a new concept—backed up with several decades of research—to kill theater ballistic missiles (TBMs) soon after launch when they are slow, bright targets.

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    Aernnova cierra su primer contrato con el grupo italiano AgustaWestland

    http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empresas/Aernnova-cierra-primer-contrato-grupo-italiano-AgustaWestland/20100923cdscdsemp_9/cdsemp/

    Este contrato, para el periodo 2011-2016, supondrá el suministro de estructuras para 141 unidades del NH90 del constructor italiano. Las estructuras se fabricarán en Álava y Andalucía. Este acuerdo se suma a los que Arnova ya tenía con fabricantes de helicópteros como el consorcio europeo Eurocopter para el superpuma Sikorsky.

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    Competitition starts to demonstrate close air support by UAVs

    jueves, 23 de septiembre de 2010

    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/23/347692/competitition-starts-to-demonstrate-close-air-support-by.html

    A $47 million contract now in competition will challenge defence companies to prove that even unmanned air vehicles can be trusted to strike targets close to friendly troops.

    The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has issued a request for proposals for the persistent close air support (PCAS) project, which could lead to a live-fire demonstration in four years.

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    DARPA Aims to Revolutionize Defense Manufacturing

    Approach may compress systems delivery times by at least a factor of five

    Agile and flexible design and manufacturing approaches are needed to meet the demands of rapidly changing threats to national security, declining defense budgets and the increasing complexity of systems. Current approaches to the development of defense systems and vehicles have proven inadequate for the timely delivery of much needed capability for the warfighter. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a portfolio of programs aimed at dramatically compressing development timelines for complex defense systems. DARPA’s Adaptive Vehicle Make (AVM) portfolio will fundamentally alter the way systems are designed, built and verified, significantly improving the capacity to handle complexity—which has been rapidly outpacing existing 1960s-vintage approaches to managing it.

    According to Paul Eremenko, DARPA program manager, “DARPA’s goal is to replicate the success of the integrated circuit industry in coping with rapidly growing product complexity by moving to higher levels of abstraction in design, introducing design automation and model-based verification and decoupling the design and build phases of the development process.”

    The AVM portfolio is composed of four synergistic efforts: META, Instant Foundry Adaptive through Bits (iFAB), Fast Adaptive Next-Generation Ground Combat Vehicle (FANG) and Manufacturing Experimentation and Outreach (MENTOR), which will culminate in the development of a next generation infantry fighting vehicle. “The aggregate aim is to compress development timelines by at least 5X, shift the product value chain toward high-value-added design activities drastically democratize the innovation process and build the next generation cadre of manufacturing innovators—starting at the high school level,” said Eremenko.

    Earlier this year, DARPA launched the first of the AVM efforts—META—a program to develop metrics, a representation metalanguage, design tools, and verification techniques to enable the synthesis of vehicle designs that are correct-by-construction. “META will create a toolset that enables the development of complex military vehicles and avoids the design-build-test-redesign loop that tends to lead to cost and schedule growth as we chase unanticipated interactions within the system,” said Eremenko.

    iFAB complements META’s “fab-less” design capability with a “foundry-style” manufacturing approach. “The ultimate vision,” explained Eremenko, “is for a bitstream-programmable manufacturing facility that can be rapidly configured to produce a new design or design variation with nearly zero learning curve,” adding: “We call this large-scale manufacturing in quantities of one.” An iFAB-style facility is the defense industry’s analog to modern integrated circuit manufacturing plants, which are automated, adaptable and capable of producing a broad spectrum of products.

    The culmination of AVM is the FANG program which will leverage the META and iFAB capabilities to produce an infantry fighting vehicle. But FANG has yet another objective in mind. “We are looking to expand the number of contributors in the design process by orders of magnitude—we call this ‘democratizing innovation’,” said Eremenko. To that end, DARPA will develop a collaborative infrastructure for crowd-sourcing vehicle designs, called vehicleforge.mil. DARPA expects that the site will employ the META metalanguage to represent designs and will include version control and “branching” features similar to those found in open-source software forge sites—all in an effort to enable thousands across the globe to contribute to vehicle designs. “Naturally, we are also investigating novel mechanisms for credentialing users and for ensuring the integrity of the final design,” Eremenko noted. After vehicleforge.mil goes operational in 2011-12,
    DARPA envisions a series of Adaptive Make Challenges—prize-based competitions of increasing complexity with winning designs manufactured in iFAB—the output of which may ultimately be evaluated against Army prototypes.

    As AVM engages non-traditional participants in the making of defense vehicles, DARPA hopes to generate a renewed interest in the manufacturing field and foster the next generation cadre of innovators. “DARPA will deploy a variety of 3D printers to high schools across the country,” said Eremenko, “our goal is a thousand schools within three years.” Under the MENTOR effort, students will engage in a distributed design and manufacturing experiment using conventional social media to collaborate across schools to develop and build vehicles such as mobile robots, go carts, etc.

    Eremenko is under no illusion that the leap from integrated circuits to an infantry fighting vehicle is an easy one. “The diversity of components and interactions among them is much richer and much more dynamic, and the environment context in which vehicles operate is also significantly more complex—there is no doubt that this is a DARPA-hard problem, but the pay-off for success would be immense,” he said.

    http://www.darpa.mil/

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    Companies Introduce Sustainable Aircraft Deicing Process

    http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=6fa88330-7f59-4ae2-b9b9-eb5fb4918df0&Dynamic=1

    System Collects Glycol Solution For Recycling To Near 100% Purity
    A pair of companies has gotten together to develop an environmentally-friendly system for deicing commercial aircraft. ThermoEnergy Corporation, a maker of wastewater recovery technology and systems, announced a strategic alliance Tuesday with Contego Systems, which provides EPA approved aircraft deicing services to more than 30 airline companies located at major airport hubs around the U.S.

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    United Arab Eemirates & Brazil in talks for Embraer KC-390

    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/23/347720/uae-brazil-in-talks-for-embraer-kc-390.html

    Brazilian defence minister Nelson Jobim on 19 September met with Gen H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces.
    Jobim says a possible agreement on military co-operation in negotiation between the countries could include Abu Dhabi's participation in the KC-390 programme. Such a deal also would involve UAE interest in the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, he says.

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    Back in the Air: X-48B Blended Wing Body Resumes Flight Tests at NASA Dryden

    After undergoing a major overhaul and upgrades, the Boeing / NASA X-48B Blended Wing Body research aircraft resumed flight tests with a checkout flight Sept. 21 from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

    The subscale, manta ray-shaped, remotely piloted airplane, also called a hybrid wing body, is a tool of NASA's new Environmentally Responsible Aviation, or ERA, project. ERA aims to develop the technology needed to create quieter, cleaner, and more fuel-efficient airplanes for the future.

    After completion of its first phase of flight testing, the airplane was disassembled for a complete inspection and refurbishment. This new series of flight tests will focus on additional parameter identification investigations following installation and checkout of a new flight computer. The parameter identification work will evaluate the new computer’s control of the aircraft’s flight control surfaces and the airplane's performance.


    In addition to NASA and Boeing, the X-48B team includes Cranfield Aerospace Ltd. in the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio.

    The team completed the 80th and last flight of the project's first phase on March 19, 2010, almost three years after the X-48B's first flight on July 20, 2007.

    NASA

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    Remove Before Flight (www.rbf.com.es), tu podcast aeronáutico, en Premios Bitácoras 2010


    ¡No podíamos faltar en estos premios!

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    Ukraine hopes to set up joint aircraft venture with Russia in October

    miércoles, 22 de septiembre de 2010

    http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20100922/160682015.html


    Ukraine hopes that a joint venture with Russia to build Antonov aircraft will be set up in Russia as soon as October, the country's Minister of Industrial Policy said on Wednesday.

    The two countries discussed the structure of the venture last week, and Russia "fully agreed" with the Ukrainian proposals, Dmytro Kolyesnikov said.

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    Sasol takes to the skies with the world’s first fully synthetic jet fuel

    Lanseria, Johannesburg – Sasol, the world’s leading producer of synthetic fuels from coal and natural gas, today flew the world’s first passenger aircraft exclusively using the company’s own-developed and internationally approved fully synthetic jet fuel.

    The fuel, produced by Sasol’s proprietary Coal to Liquids (CTL) process, is the world’s only fully synthetic jet fuel to have received international approval as a commercial aviation turbine fuel.

    Sanctioned by the global aviation fuel specification authorities the jet fuel is the first fully synthetic fuel to be approved for use in commercial airliners. This marks a significant development in the adoption of clean burning alternate fuels for the aviation industry. The engine-out emissions of Sasol’s synthetic jet fuel, are lower than those from jet fuel derived from crude oil, due to its limited sulphur content.


    The historic flights, from Lanseria Airport in Gauteng to Cape Town, kicked-off Sasol’s 60th birthday celebrations, by staging a fly-past at the opening of the Africa Aerospace and Defense (AAD) 2010 exhibition at Cape Town’s Ysterplaat Air Force Base.

    Speaking from the air force base, where he landed on one of the inaugural flights, Sasol Chief executive, Pat Davies, said the event was a fitting manner to celebrate the company’s diamond anniversary.

    "The development and approval of this fuel is a testament to Sasol’s 60 years of technical innovation and is an important milestone in the company’s history. The approval by the international aviation fuel authorities, of this product, recognises the need to develop aviation fuel from feedstocks other than crude-oil, in order to meet the world’s growing needs", Davies said.

    "Sasol’s advances in synthetic fuel technology have brought us even closer to integrating viable alternate transportation fuel into the energy mix", he said. In 1998, Sasol became the first company in the world to gain approval for the commercial use of a 50% synthetic jet fuel component, which was blended with petroleum kerosene. To date, most of the aircraft leaving O.R Tambo International Airport have flown using Sasol’s semi-synthetic jet fuel.

    Spurred on by the world’s growing need for alternative fuels, Sasol continued with years of extensive test work and research that culminated in the production of the 100% synthetic jet fuel.

    In 2008, international aviation fuel authorities, including the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MoD), governing the Defence Standard DEFSTAN 91-91, approved Sasol’s wholly synthetic jet fuel as Jet A-1 fuel, for commercial use in all types of turbine aircraft.

    Managing director of Sasol Technology, Willem Louw, said the approval process was stringent.

    "A number of aviation stakeholders, including airframe, engine and ancillary equipment manufacturers; airlines and aviation authorities such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA); and relevant oil companies, were involved in the approval of this fuel", he said.

    "While this has been a long journey, the delivery of a viable alternate jet fuel solution that meets with the strict specifications of global aviation authorities, is a proud acknowledgement of the enormous talent and expertise within the Sasol Technology business", he said.

    The fuel is fully fungible and aligned with the current aviation infrastructure through its compatibility with the existing engine requirements and can be used with conventional crude oil-derived jet fuelling systems.

    "Through Sasol’s advanced technology and our innovative spirit, we have delivered a world first and, as we enter our 60th year, we look forward to the many innovations that lie ahead", Davies said.

    Sasol’s exhibit at AAD 2010 showcases the company’s fascinating innovative developments over the past 60 years and is open to the public from 21-25 September.



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    S&P eleva el 'rating' del consorcio EADS que pasa de 'BBB+' a 'A-' con perspectiva estable

    http://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-economia-empresas-sp-eleva-rating-consorcio-eads-pasa-bbb-perspectiva-estable-20100922185618.html

    "La mejora refleja nuestra visión de que EADS ha afrontado en los últimos tres años los riesgos de proyectos como el avión militar A400M y el A380, así como los progresos del programa de reducción de costes del constructor conocido como Power 8", indica en una nota el analista de la firma Werner Staeblein.

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    IAI reveals plans for K-80 tiltrotor UAV

    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/21/347638/iai-reveals-plans-for-k-80-tiltrotor-uav.html

    http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/09/22/01.xml



    • MTOW 60kg (132lb)
    • Endurance: 6h 
    • VTOL
    • Engines: electric, 2 @wings + 1 @aft fuselage
    • Take-off and landing fully automatic

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    Orion Spacecraft on the Path to Future Flight




    Production Operations Now Under Way at Kennedy Space Center

    CAPE CANAVERAL, FL , September 21st, 2010 -- Preparations for Orion’s first mission in 2013 are well under way as a Lockheed Martin-led crew begins lean assembly pathfinding operations for the spacecraft. The crew is conducting simulated manufacturing and assembly operations with a full-scale Orion mockup to verify the tools, processes and spacecraft integration procedures work as expected.

    As the nation’s next generation spacecraft for human spaceflight, the Orion crew exploration vehicle is designed to support missions to the International Space Station and far beyond into deep space. The Orion spacecraft will be fully assembled and integrated on site in the Operations & Checkout (O&C) Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, a capability that provides significant time and cost savings.

    “The unique benefit of this complete on-site operation is that we will build the spacecraft and then move it directly onto the launch vehicle at KSC, which saves the government transportation costs associated with tests and checkout prior to launch,” said Lockheed Martin Orion Deputy Program Manager for production operations Richard Harris. “This capability also facilitates the KSC workforce transition efforts by providing new job opportunities for those employees completing their shuttle program assignments.”

    Dubbed the “the spacecraft factory of the future”, the O&C, underwent a two-year renovation effort led by Lockheed Martin with support from Space Florida and NASA. The collaborative effort created a state-of-the-art complex designed with the flexibility to support NASA’s next generation spacecraft fleet.

    Orion Spacecraft on the Path to Future Flight - 2

    Technical innovations incorporated into the O&C include 90,000 square feet of air-bearing floor space, paperless work stations, a portable clean room system, and specialized lifting/lowering and support tools that were designed by United Space Alliance (USA). Specially designed air-bearing pallets will enable a small crew to effortlessly maneuver spacecraft hardware across the factory floor. The building renovation also incorporated modern energy efficient HVAC and electrical systems which will further enhance cost savings for the life cycle of the facility.

    With the help of an advanced crane that can position the spacecraft within millimeters of its target, the crew module, heat shield and service module will be integrated in tooling stations located on the O&C’s factory floor. These tooling stations are portable and will be moved to various Orion facilities around the country to provide low-cost and affordable vehicle processing on the Orion project.

    The industry team supporting O&C tooling station operations include Lockheed Martin, USA and EMF, Inc. a small business based in Merritt Island, Fla., that built the tooling station and support pallets.

    According to EMF Vice President Jeff Flick, the Orion program has been a “bright spot” in the space industry. “As a small business owner that supports NASA and the Department of Defense, I believe it is critical for our country to retain the unique skill mix of expertise that supports key national programs such as human space flight and defense initiatives.”

    Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor to NASA for the Orion Project and leads the industry team that includes major subcontractors as well as a network of minor subcontractors and small businesses working at 88 facilities in 28 states. In addition, the program contracts with more than 500 small businesses across the United States through its expansive supply chain network.

    Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin (LMT: NYSE) is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion. http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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    First Production C-5M Super Galaxy Takes Flight

    C-5M Super Galaxy made its first flight here Sept. 19 sporting the new “Super Galaxy” tail flash and nose art. It is set to be delivered Sept. 30 and will arrive for duty at Dover Air Force Base, Del., in November.



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    New Russian Missile Could Land With Hezbollah

    http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/asd/2010/09/22/05.xml

    Russia is planning to sell Syria the P-800 Yakhont anti-ship cruise missile, which Israeli officials believe will be transferred to Hezbollah armed forces and used to threaten Tel Aviv’s navy warships.

    Russia previously sold sophisticated, supersonic Kornet (9M133) AT-14 anti-tank missiles to Syria that were then supplied to Hezbollah.

    The weapons were used to destroy and damage a number of Merkava 3 main battle tanks and blunt the Israeli armored attack into Southern Lebanon in 2006.



    Syrian missile deal threatens Russian/Israeli UAV pact
    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/22/347670/syrian-missile-deal-threatens-russianisraeli-uav-pact.html

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    Argentina: La Fabrica de Córdoba volverá a producir aviones, los primeros desde 1982. Fumigadores y Entrenadores


    existe “un mercado interesantísimo”. Concretamente, la demanda sería en torno a entre 100 y 150 aeronaves anuales que, si bien son pequeñas, podrían aportar un importante flujo de ingresos, ya que tienen un costo de venta que ronda entre los 150.000 y 250.000 dólares.



    El otro proyecto es el recientemente anunciado para la construcción de un avión de entrenamiento primario (el Pampa es de entrenamiento avanzado) denominado IA73, cuya producción comenzaría en 2013. Dicha iniciativa, que es propia de Fadea, ya atrajo el interés de las empresas aeronáuticas estatales de Italia, Alemania; y Chile, Enaer.




    Córdoba fabricará un nuevo avión
    Se trata del IA73, aeronave de entrenamiento que reemplazará al actual Mentor. Estará lista en 2013.
    http://www.diaadia.com.ar/?q=content/cordoba-fabricara-un-nuevo-avion&comunidad=4611


    Argentina launches work on IA-73 trainer
    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/22/347671/argentina-launches-work-on-ia-73-trainer.html
    Aimed at first replacing the service's Beechcraft B45 Mentor ab initio trainers, the IA-73 is also expected to later succeed the Embraer EMB-312 Tucanos currently operated at the air force's Córdoba flight school

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    XCOR Completes Lynx Supersonic Wind Tunnel Tests at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

    September 20, 2010, Mojave, CA and Huntsville, AL: XCOR Aerospace, Inc. announced today they have completed the primary supersonic wind tunnel testing of the Lynx suborbital spacecraft. The tests were performed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) using a precision scale model and demonstrated the integrity of the Lynx aerodynamic shape and provided data to make final refinements to the vehicle. These new data provide confidence that the Lynx aerodynamic shape will have stable and controllable flight throughout the range of Mach numbers and angles of attack needed for the Lynx mission.


    The recent tests add to subsonic wind tunnel testing data obtained by XCOR late last year at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton. As part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), XCOR, NASA and the Air Force will all benefit from the data. The tests are a joint effort between XCOR and the AFRL’s Air Vehicles Directorate.

    Lynx is a two-seat, single-stage winged suborbital vehicle that lifts off from a runway powered by non-toxic, reusable rocket engines. The vehicle can carry safely to the edge of space and back a pilot, one spaceflight participant, and engineering and scientific payloads. The Lynx can be flown up to four times a day with minimal touch labor between flights.

    “We continue to make excellent progress on the Lynx aerodynamic shape,” said XCOR CEO Jeff Greason. “The tests at MSFC gave us live information about the aerodynamic profile of the Lynx in transonic and supersonic flows, which occur during ascent and re-entry. We greatly appreciate the warm welcome and support we received at Marshall.”

    The trisonic wind tunnel at MSFC, which also tested the Jupiter C, Saturn family, and Space Shuttle, evaluates the integrity and stability of rockets and launch vehicles with subsonic, transonic, and supersonic wind flows.

    “Commercial space companies such as XCOR can benefit from NASA’s extensive facilities and experienced staff, while NASA benefits from the data generated by innovative designs such as the Lynx spacecraft and interaction with the US commercial space industry,” said Jeff Greason.

    Andrew Nelson, XCOR COO added, “These tests complete another milestone toward delivering wet-lease Lynx vehicles and provide a great example of how government and commercial space entrepreneurs can work together to invigorate American industry and rebuild the Tier 2 and Tier 3 aerospace supplier base in our country.”

    # # # # #

    XCOR Aerospace is a California corporation located in Mojave, California. The company is in the business of developing and producing safe, reliable and reusable rocket powered vehicles, propulsion systems, advanced non-flammable composites and other enabling technologies. XCOR is currently working with aerospace prime contractors and government customers on major propulsion systems, and concurrently building the Lynx, a piloted, two seat, fully reusable, liquid rocket powered vehicle that takes off and lands horizontally. The Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-commercial mission vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude up to four times per day and are being offered on a wet lease basis. Research, engineering, and educational communities interested in using the Lynx should contact XCOR directly regarding scientific, earth observation, materials science, upper-atmospheric weather research, and micro-gravity experiments at www.xcor.com. For the general public, advanced ticket sales for a return flight to the edge of space are available at www.rocketshiptours.com



    XCor

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    Reforma fiscal: IRPF dividido en 5 tramos,24% para las rentas entre 5.050 y 17.360€, 28% para 17.360-32.360€, 37% para 32.360-52.360€ y 43% para los superiores

    http://www.elmundo.es/mundodinero/2010/09/22/economia/1285158417.html?a=0f44%0A8ee3cf2bd68feb8d70a71a83e643

    Según la Fundación de Cajas de Ahorros, la creación de un nuevo tramo del IRPF (45%) para los que superen los 100.000 euros, es decir, más contribuyentes que con esta medida, apenas aportaría 185 millones a las arcas públicas, el 0,017% del PIB.

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    Eurocopter registra un incremento del 35 por ciento en el Sur de África

    Eurocopter, el líder mundial de los fabricantes de helicópteros en los sectores civil,  mantenimiento de la ley, respuesta a emergencias, militar y utilitario, ha registrado un incremento del 35 por ciento en sus operaciones del Sur de África, generado por las  inversiones en capacidades de mantenimiento del orden y respuesta a emergencias cívicas.

    La filial regional del Grupo, Eurocopter Southern Africa Ltd, presta apoyo en el Sur de África  a las bases y flotas de clientes que se encuentran en continua expansión.

    "Para el año 2010, Eurocopter Southern Africa espera pedidos por una cuantía aproximada  a 460 millones de ZAR (50,4 millones de euros) y una facturación de alrededor de 380 millones de ZAR (41,6 millones de euros). Esta subida del 35 por ciento sobre la cartera de  pedidos de 2009 refleja la tendencia actual del mercado, que ha experimentado un aumento en los pedidos y las entregas en el sector servicios públicos", explica el CEO de Eurocopter  Southern Africa Ltd, Fabrice Cagnat.

    A pesar de la recesión que afectó a la industria aeroespacial y al sector de helicópteros,  Eurocopter ha mantenido su posición como fabricante líder, con un 52 por ciento de cuota en el mercado civil y de servicios públicos.

    Eurocopter pronostica la recuperación del mercado del Sur de África, conforme a la mejora  de la economía mundial y regional. La empresa está bien situada para beneficiarse de la prevista reanimación, gracias a que posee la gama más amplia de modernos y eficientes helicópteros, así como a su pericia para configurarlos a la medida de las necesidades específicas de los clientes.

    "La probada idoneidad de nuestros variados productos civiles y militares sitúa a Eurocopter  en el primer puesto a la hora de beneficiarse del resurgimiento de los mercados mundial y africano. Mientras que los sectores corporativo y utilitario seguían tendencias a la baja de  2009, la demanda de helicópteros siguió siendo grande en las áreas se servicios públicos, de cumplimiento de la ley, seguridad pública y protección del medio ambiente", añade  Cagnat.

    En la actualidad, Eurocopter apoya a una flota que opera cerca de 240 helicópteros que vuelan en el Sur de África, en su mayor parte al servicio de fuerzas policiales de la región, organizaciones de rescate médico de emergencia, operaciones VIP y corporativas, así como  en misiones utilitarias. Se emplean, por ejemplo, en misiones geosísmicas, de censo de caza e inspección de líneas de alta tensión. Además, un cierto número de helicópteros vuelan también en el mercado turístico y chárter.

    La empresa cuenta asimismo con una Academia de Formaciónestablecida recientemente en Lanseria, cerca de Johannesburgo, para continuar el desarrollo de su negocio. El centro imparte cursos de conversión (type rating) y entrenamiento técnico a pilotos y mecánicos de helicóptero de clientes de toda la región. Para satisfacer la creciente demanda de instrucción, Eurocopter Southern Africa dará empleo a un instructor adicional a partir demecánicos.

    Eurocopter Southern Africa, que continua ofreciendo apoyo técnico a los clientes de la región, envió el año pasado técnicos a más de 80 misiones. "Las superiores prestaciones de nuestros helicópteros y su fácil mantenimiento hacen de ellos la primera opción para duras misiones, que llevan a cabo con frecuencia lejos de su base. Asumimos el compromiso de prestar apoyo a estos helicópteros y, para cumplirlo, nuestros equipos técnicos tienen que trabajar en los aparatos en ciertas zonas remotas de difícil acceso, tales como las selvas de la República del Congo", dice Cagnat.

    "Nuestras inversiones ponen de manifiesto la dedicación y el compromiso de Eurocopter Southern Africa a la hora de ofrecer servicios de primera categoría a los clientes del Sur de África y,enfatizan, nuestro compromiso a largo plazo en la región", añade.

    Eurocopter organiza en Ciudad del Cabo el 2º Seminario sobre Mantenimiento del Orden desde el Aire, coincidiendo con la exposición bienal Africa Aerospace & Defence, que se celebra esta semana en dicha capital. En ella, Eurocopter presenta su gama de helicópteros ligeros y medios. Asimismo se exhibe el sistema de arma autónomo SAWS (Stand Alone Weapon System) desarrollado por la empresa conjunta Eurocopter-ATE. Visite Eurocopter en el Hangar 5, "stand" 5/ N16.


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    Dedalus Aircraft y Tecnam en el Festival Aéreo de Málaga 2010





    • Cinco aviones volaron hasta Málaga para realizar seis pasadas en formación de flecha.

    22 de septiembre de 2010. El pasado domingo 5 de septiembre Málaga celebraba su Festival Aéreo, al que Tecnam no faltó. Dedalus Aircraft Distribution, distribuidor oficial de Tecnam, junto a Aero 2000, empresa dedicada a la formación de pilotos en el aeródromo de la Juliana, Sevilla, además de otros tres clientes de la marca desplazaron cinco aviones para participar en la segunda edición del festival.

     Los modelos elegidos, dos Tecnam P2006T y tres P2002 Sierra, volaron hasta el aeródromo de La Axarquía, base de operaciones de los aviones civiles participantes en el Festival. 

    Alrededor de las 11 de la mañana los 5 aviones pusieron rumbo a las playas de la Malagueta y Caleta de la ciudad de Málaga donde realizaron 6 pasadas en formación "flecha".

    Desde Dedalus queremos agradecer a la organización del evento así como a los sponsors el trato recibido y felicitarles por el éxito del Festival. 

     

    Nota de prensa Tecnam

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    Publicidad: Sistemas de vigilancia, PCE Ibérica





    Los sistemas de vigilancia se estan volviendo o se volvieron no una necesidad si no una obligación practicamente para la protección de nuestro hogar o industria. Pero habiendo tantos sistemas de vigilancia de los cuales muchos son atractivos pero en realidad no son seguros y por lo tanto no protegen lo suficiente por lo cual terminamos siendo un blanco facíl para cualquier delincuente ¿Desea saber más?.

    Por suerte podemos encotrar sistemas de vigilancia muy efectivos que si cumplen con nuestras espectativas tanto como para protección de nuestros hogares o industrias el sistema de vigilancia PCE-IMS 1 llego para quedarse entre sus características podemos encontrar la posibilidad de monitorización de humedad del aire, velocidad del flujo del aire, inundación, temperatura. Estas son características excelentes que no se encuentran en cualquier sistema de seguridad.

    El sistema de vigilancia PCE-IMS 1 es la solución mas económica para una monitorización de vigilancia rápida, segura y sencilla. Tambien permite la conexión de vigilancia por video cámara USB o IP. Todos los sensores se detectan de forma automática. Además cuenta con la posibilidad de enviar mensajes o imágenes (de una cámara USB), por SMS, correo electrónico o ICQ/AIM. A través de una estación intermediaria puede colocar los sensores y réles a varios kilómetros de distancia del sistema de vigilancia. Encontrará una visión general de todos los medidores aquí.



     

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    US Senator seeks to bind KC-X decision to illegal subsidies

    http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/21/347642/us-senator-seeks-to-bind-kc-x-decision-to-illegal-subsidies.html


    Illegal subsidies would have to be factored into the US Air Force selection process for the KC-X tanker contract if Congress passes legislation proposed today by a Washington-based lawmaker.

    Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat, introduced the proposal as an amendment to the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011.

    If passed, the bill would require the USAF to "consider any unfair competitive advantage" in the KC-X acquisition process.

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