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Russia's Gazprom firms order for 10 SuperJet 100s
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) and Gazprom komplekt signed a contract Wednesday at the MAKS Airshow in Russia firming an agreement of intent for 10 SuperJet 100/95LRs initially announced during the Farnborough Airshow last year. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013, SCAC said. The aircraft will be operated by Gazprom subsidiary GazpromAvia.
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Bernstein: Boeing confronts 787 ramp-up, program profitability
New York-based Bernstein Research said that Boeing will take up to nine months longer than planned to reach a 787 production rate of 10 units per month. Bernstein said in a new report, “We assume a slower production ramp than Boeing's plan (10 per month rate reached in late 2014, rather than late 2013).” Boeing, however, has not changed its guidance.
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Asia/Pacific airlines take aim at UK policy
The Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines, which represents 17 major airlines in Asia, including Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways, has lashed out at the UK government for its punitive taxation of air travel in the form of the air passenger duty (APD), which was initially touted by the UK as an environmental measure.
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Tu-204SM shown off days after second prototype flies
Tupolev has shown off its upgraded Tu-204SM at the MAKS show for the first time, days after the maiden flight of its second flying prototype. The second prototype, with tail number 64151, has been on static display while another example of the Tu-204SM was towed-out for public view.
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United-Continental to offer Premium Economy on first 787
United-Continental has confirmed its plans to offer Economy Plus seating on its first Boeing 787, which began final assembly at the airframer's Everett, Washington factory 17 August. The aircraft will feature 63 Economy Plus seats with extra legroom, in line with the merged carriers plans to begin rolling out the premium economy offering on Continental aircraft in early 2012. Along with 120 economy seats and 36 BusinessFirst seats, the aircraft will seat a total of 219 passengers.
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JetBlue pilots again reject union representation
JetBlue Airways remains the largest carrier in the U.S. without organized labor groups after its pilots voted against joining a union for the second time. Mateo Lleras, a spokesman for JetBlue, said that 58% of the pilots' votes were against representation. After the vote, JetBlue CEO David Barger thanked the pilots for opting "to retain and expand their direct relationship with the company."
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Agency blocks expanded alliance between Air Canada and United
Air Canada and United Continental Holdings are blasting Canada's Competition Bureau for blocking a proposed expansion of their alliance. U.S. regulators have already approved the proposed five-year pact between the airlines. Blocking the deal "would significantly impede Air Canada's ability to compete [and] would have significant adverse effects on Canadian consumers," said a filing by Air Canada.
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Southwest launches low-key charm offensive in Atlanta
Southwest Airlines closed its deal to acquire AirTran Airways three months ago, and is now striving to become the chief rival in Atlanta to Delta Air Lines. Part of that effort includes a charm offensive that includes "Random Acts of Coolness," a low-key initiative as Southwest is months from putting its name on AirTran planes.
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US Airways fees are locked, and carrier is open to merger, CEO says
US Airways CEO Doug Parker visited Charlotte, N.C., for his monthly employee meetings and commented on a variety of subjects. Parker said the airline is open to the possibility of a merger and that the carrier will keep Charlotte as a hub even if it merges with another airline. Parker also said labor problems could last for years with US Airways pilots. While acknowledging that passengers may not prefer paying for fees, he said they are necessary for the airline's survival. "Our customers have let us know they prefer not to have those, but the reality is, it allows us to charge the customers that are using that service what we think is a very fair fee," said Parker.
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New imaging software is more efficient, TSA says
The Transportation Security Administration is installing new software on five imaging machines at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. The technology will produce a generic image of travelers' bodies instead of a detailed image. Officials say the machines are more efficient because a private viewing room is not necessary since the monitors with generic images may be openly displayed.
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DOT's enhanced consumer-protection rules will start next week
Some of the Department of Transportation's enhanced consumer-protection policies, such as the expanded tarmac-delay rule and increased compensation for bumped passengers, are scheduled to take effect Aug. 23. The new tarmac-delay rule will now apply to international flights with a limit of up to four hours, but domestic flights will remain at three hours. On the same note, passengers who are bumped from a flight can receive a maximum of $1,300 in the new bumped-passenger compensation ruling.
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Charlotte runway closes for $26.5M renovation
The Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina closed its center runway Monday for a $26.5 million renovation. Crews will install new lighting and replace the runway's concrete, which dates from 1979. Officials say the project will take 70 days.
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Airline shares continue to rise as oil prices drop
Oil prices declined on concerns about Germany's economy, which grew just 0.1% in the second quarter, helping to drive up shares in airlines. Airline stocks tend to trade in the opposite direction of oil, as jet fuel is one of the industry's largest costs.
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Other News

Boeing confirms final 787-8 flight test; program lasted 20 months: Some 20 months after achieving first flight, Boeing confirmed Wednesday it has completed "all flight tests required for type certification" on the 787-8 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. It expects US FAA to certify the aircraft this month ahead of first delivery to All Nippon Airways in September.

IATA: June premium traffic up 6.4%: Though international premium traffic in June was up 6.4% and economy traffic up 4.8% year-over-year, respectively, IATA said in its latest "Premium Traffic Monitor" that the "level and growth rates for passenger numbers … in June dropped back from the levels seen in May," likely due to slower world trade growth and weakening business confidence.

JetBlue Airways maintained its status as the lone US major airline with no employees represented by a union when its pilots voted this week against representation by the Air Line Pilots Assn. The carrier said 58% of those voting cast ballots against unionization. Under air and rail union voting rules implemented by the US National Mediation Board last year, a majority of JetBlue's 2,100 pilots would have had to vote for unionization. Previously, only a majority of those casting ballots needed to vote for unionization; the number of JetBlue pilots voting was not readily available.

Bombardier announced Tuesday that an unnamed European airline signed an order for four Q400s plus four options. The firm order is valued at approximately $126 million at list prices.

Boeing delivered a 737-800 powered by CFM56-7BE engines to GOL, making the Brazilian carrier the first airline in Latin America to receive the engine type.

Skyworld Aviation arranged the sale of one former Alitalia Express ATR 72 to Helitt Aeronautical group. The aircraft is now based at Malaga for passenger operations.

Jet Midwest acquired two Fokker 100 aircraft from Aero Mongolia for dismantling purposes. To date, it has purchased 11 F100s for dismantling.



AVIATION QUOTE

The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by it's nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter.

This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to.

— Harry Reasoner, 1971.



ON THIS DATE

August 18th

---In 1871... Alphonse Pénaud achieves the first flight of an inherently stable airplane when his Planophore is flown 131 feet in 11 seconds before the Société de Navigation Aérienne in the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.

---In 1901... At the invitation of Chanute, Wilbur Wright addresses the Western Society of Engineers in Chicago with a 10,000-word paper titled “Some Aeronautical Experiments.”

---In 1911... The British F.E.2 biplane makes its first flight from Farnborough, England piloted by its designer, Geoffrey de Havilland.

---In 1930... Captain Wolfgang von Gronau and crew make the first east to west crossing of the Atlantic from Germany to New York.

---In 1932... J.A. Mollison makes the first solo flight east to west across the Atlantic by a light airplane. He flies from Ireland to Canada.

---In 1960…A C-119 Flying Boxcar captures a data capsule jettisoned from the Discoverer 14 spy satellite in mid-air.

---In 1967…First flight of the Handley Page Jetstream.

---In 1989…AQantas Boeing 747, Spirit of Australia sets a record for nonstop flight of a four-engined aircraft, flying from London to Sydney in 20 hours.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Naval Truism

"Any ship can be a minesweeper ...... once."

—Admiral Hornblower



TRIVIA

Spitfire

1. Who designed the Spitfire?
Jack Northrop
George de Havilland
R.J. Mitchell
H. Whitley Armstrong

2. The Spitfire's design originated in a series of highly successful racing planes. How many Schneider trophies did these aircraft win?
4
3
5
2

3. The combination of a Rolls-Royce R engine and an amazing airframe created the Spitfire. The revolutionary elliptical wing help its succsess. What aircraft do historians believe the wing was taken from?
He 70
A5M
Typhoon
Ar 68

4. The Spitfire line was manufactured by Vickers-Armstrong but designed by Supermarine. Sir Robert MacLean coined the name "Spitfire". What was the inspiration for the name?
His daughter's nickname
It was the name of a very successful Vickers transport
Inhouse contest
A newspaper contest

5. The Spitfire's first combat debut was on September 6, 1939. What type of aircraft was downed by the Spitfires from No.74 squadron?
Curtis P-36 Hawk
Hawker Hurricane
Junker Ju-52
Henschel Hs 123

6. Spitfires began to reach strength during the opening phases of World War II. What was the first full combat debut of the new fighter?
Battle of Britain
Battle of Dunkirk
Defense of France
Battle of Malta

7. The Spitfire had the biggest number of kills during the Battle of Britain.
True
False

8. During the Battle of Britain the Spitfire and Bf-109 where almost equally matched, but what was one distint advantage of the Bf-109?
The armament was more evenly spaced, creating a bigger firing pattern
It could dive without having to half-roll first
The engine of the Bf-109 was less suspect able to battle damage
None, the two planes where evenly matched

9. The Spitfire Mk.V was the next major variant of the Spitfire. Besides the powerplant and armament change, what major design feature were most later Spitfire variants equipped with?
The Bubble Canopy
The Universal Wing
The new "Trop" filter
The Merlin 45 engine.

10. Besides the design changes, the Mk.V also had the distintion of being the first Spitfire to do what?
First Spitfire variant used by a foreign country
Serve in full squadron combat overseas
First Spitfire to fly over Germany
First Spitfire to use bombs and rockets

11. What was the Spitfire that was equal if not better than the Fw-190 in nearly ever way?
Mk. VII
MK. VIII
Mk. IX
F.Mk. IV

12. The Spitfires made some of the greatest historical "firsts" and "onlies" of the war. What aircraft did a stripped down Spitfire battle with in the highest air battle of the war?
Me-262
Ju-86R
He-111Z
Bv-141

13. What was the biggest weakness of all of the Spitfire variants engaged in World War II?
None, the Spitfire had really no overall weakness
Single stage supercharger
An exposed glycol system
A very temperamental radiator

14. As World War II came close to ending many Spitfires where recalled to England to fight the V-1 threat. However, the Pacific Spitfires did not. What advantage did the Spitfire pilots use against the Japanese fighters?
They had no overall advantage, they were evenly matched
Turning radius
Speed
Low altitude performance

15. After World War II, the Spitfire continued to serve with many countries. Which late 1940s war saw Spitfires fighting Spitfires?
Bolivian War of Independence
Arab-Israeli War (1948)
1948 Palestinian War
Yugoslav-Soviet War

Answers:

1. R.J. Mitchell. R.J. Mitchell designed the Spitfire and its predecessors, the Sea Lion II, the S.5, S.6, S.6b. He died in 1937 and the design of his immortal aircraft was taken over by his chief engineer.

2. 3. The four aircraft that Mitchell designed prior to the Spitfire where all champion aircraft. The aircraft utilized the revolutionary elliptical wing. The aircraft were extremely fast and maneuverable. The Schneider trophy winners were a series of seaplane races.

3. He 70. In reality, Mitchell never had contact with the He 70. He may have been influenced by the design, but he did not copy it. The He 70 was a communication and liaison aircraft for the Luftwaffe. It was made of an unusual magnesium alloy armor, which burst into flames from as little as one rifle shot.

4. His daughter's nickname. A "spitfire" was a fiery, ferocious woman or girl with a spectacular temper. It sounds as if MacLean's daughter was hard to handle! Mitchell hated the name ...

5. Hawker Hurricane. The No.74 squadron Spitfires jumped an unfortunate pair of Hurricanes during the Battle of Barking Creek. This resulted in the death of one of the young pilots who became the first British pilot fatality in World War II.

6. Battle of Dunkirk. Spitfires from England were used over Dunkirk. Even though there where no Spitfires on the ground in France, Luftwaffe personnel constantly reported seeing the aircraft. It seemed that the Luftwaffe was terrified of the new fighter. This trend continued throughout the war, with Luftwaffe crews reporting being downed by Spitfires when they had really downed by other aircraft. This became known as "Spitfire Snobbery".

7. False. The Spitfires were generally seen as the dominant aircraft during the battle. However, the more rugged Hurricanes bore the brunt of the fighting. The Spitfires were usually called out to fight the maneuverable Bf-109 fighter escorts while the Hurricanes tangled with the less maneuverable Bf-110s and bombers. In this role, their superior armor excelled.

8. It could dive without having to half-roll first. The Bf-109 used a fuel injection engine allowing the pilots to nose directly down into a steep dive. If a Spitfire attempted this maneuver the Merlin engine would begin to splutter for lack of fuel. The pilots of the Spitfires soon learned to half-roll their aircraft first, and then dive. Fuel injection was introduced in 1943.

9. The Universal Wing. This was the most important design change of the Spitfire Mk.V. The universal wing could accept all armament configurations, the most widely used being two 20-mm cannons and 4 machine guns. The Mk.V was only an interim type and could not face the newest generation of Luftwaffe fighters.

10. Serve in full squadron combat overseas. A group of Mk.V Spitfire's were sent via the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle to the defense of Malta. Because of the dusty conditions, a large filter had to be fitted to the aircraft, increasing drag. The Spitfire Mk.V also served in Africa alongside Hurricane Mk.IIs.

11. Mk. IX. The Spitfire Mk.IX had a new engine and incorporated the Universal Wing of the Mk.V and also utilized a fully blown Malcolm hood canopy. It was fully capable of defeating the Fw-190 and all of the then current generation of Luftwaffe fighters.

12. Ju-86R. The Ju-86R was a high-altitude version of the Ju-86 bomber. It conducted recon runs from 41,000 feet. This was a higher service ceiling than all the RAF fighters. On September 12, 1942 a stripped down Spitfire battled with one of these bombers flying at 43,000 feet. This was the highest air battle of the war.

13. An exposed glycol system. The exposed glycol system enabled ground troops to disable a Spitfire with as little as one good bullet. If the glycol system was hit the Spitfire engine would seize up. This was a major disadvantage during the last two years of World War II, when Spitfires roamed the German skies at low altitudes. So much enemy fire would be thrown up that it was extremely likely that a lucky gunner could disable a Spitfire.

14. Speed. The Spitfire pilots where surprised to find that the Japanese aircraft could out-turn them. They utilized swooping tactics where their high speed gave the Spitfire's a huge advantage.

15. Arab-Israeli War (1948). The Arab-Israeli war saw some RAF veterans return to the trusty Spitfire. They fought against Egyptian Spitfires and greatly aided in the Israeli victory.