Turkey’s indigenous primary/basic trainer program now has a name–Huˇrkus¸. It officially received its name on May 23, during the International Defense Industry Fair in Ankara. The name honors Vecihi Huˇrkus¸, who made significant contributions to the local aerospace industry and was chosen after a questionnaire was circulated among employees of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
Paris Air Show » June 19, 2007
June 18, 2007 - 9:10am
Israel launched another reconnaissance satellite last week as military tensions increase in the Middle East. After lifting off from the Palmachim range at 2:40 local time on June 11, the Shavit three-stage launcher successfully delivered the 300-kilogram Ofeq-7 into a low-Earth, elliptical orbit. Once in orbit, Ofeq-7 unfurled its solar array that should give it a minimum life of four years.
June 18, 2007 - 7:32am
CMC Electronics (Hall 3, Stand D7) is introducing a so-called “portable mission display” for military aircraft called TacView that will do for armed-forces pilots what electronic flight bag (EFB) portable computers do for civilian fliers.
June 18, 2007 - 7:29am
The retiring president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association of America, John Douglass, said modifying the U.S export control system could double the trade surplus from the present record $55 million. “We have to get rid of a Cold War philosophy that puts many civil products in the military domain,” he told Aviation International News in an exclusive interview.
June 18, 2007 - 7:26am
In the fighter aircraft business, there’s no substitute for combat experience, if you want to impress potential customers. The Dassault Rafale has now dropped bombs in anger as part of NATO’s stabilization effort in Afghanistan.
June 18, 2007 - 7:21am
Since the appointment at the beginning of 2006 of Itzhak Nissan as president and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the company’s finances have undergone a radical improvement–a fact underlined by a massively oversubscribed public bond issue concluded earlier this month.
June 18, 2007 - 7:18am
In one of his first appearances as new chief executive of ATR, a somewhat hesitant Stéphane Mayer announced new orders from Berjana Airlines of Malaysia (for four ATR 72-500s) and from Total Linhas Aereas of Brazil for three ATR 42-500s, two 72-500s and five options.
June 18, 2007 - 7:11am
Following two years of record orders for new jetliners, a principal consideration for the manufacturers is how best to manage assembly and provision of supplies to match the higher rates of aircraft delivery. One way European manufacturer Airbus is addressing this challenge is by establishing a final-assembly line for the A320 series of single-aisle jetliners in China.
June 18, 2007 - 7:10am
Mixed results for Safran’s subsidiaries last year and an internal investigation into accounting irregularities last December that resulted in top executive changes have again raised the question of the wisdom of the controversial merger of leading French aerospace and engine and equipment manufacturing group Snecma and telephone and defense communications group Sagem.
June 18, 2007 - 7:07am
Regional turboprop maker ATR has picked CMC Electronics’ class-2 electronic flight bags (EFBs). These will be available both as an option on new ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft or for retrofit on in-service ones. CMC’s EFBs feature 8.4-inch, high-resolution XGA displays. They provide up-to-date aircraft documentation, checklists, approach charts and real-time weather information–among other features.
