The Safari Helicopter Company, which
manufactures the widely used piston-engined
400 variant, has launched its new Safari 500.
This two-seater prototype, registered N15BB,
has an all carbon bre fuselage and a dual-
skid undercarriage.It uses the dynamic components of the
Safari 400 with power from a 180hp Lycoming
O-360-C2C engine. The cabin will be air
conditioned, have dual controls and a large
central console with space for a substantial
avionics package. Rod SimpsonA new corporate livery, featuring a more prominent use of blue on the tail and a restyling of the titles on the fuselage, has been introduced by
Kuwaiti low-cost carrier, Jazeera Airways. Aviation Image Network/BaoLuoJazeera Airways Goes Blue
World Cup Airport Worry
A new runway at Sheremetyevo International
Airport, Moscow, may not be completed
before the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
begins. The football tournament, which kicks
off across the country in June, is expected
to welcome up to one million visitors – many
arriving via the Moscow hub.This expected in ux prompted an
expansion project, increasing terminal
capacity to 57 million per year, adding a third
runway and a supporting network of taxiways.
Local press reports suggest less than 44%
of the new runway had been laid by October,
with further progress likely to be hampered bywinter weather. The construction company
is con dent work will be completed on
time although the Russian newspaper
Vedomosti has said the slow progress had
forced Sheremetyevo to make provisions to
accommodate the increased traffic with its
existing infrastructure.AT200 Cargo Drone Flies
The Institute of Engineering Thermophysics
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
successfully conducted a 26-minute rst
ight of the AT200 pilotless cargo aircraft
on October 26 from Neifu Airport, near
Puncheng, in Shaanxi Province. The
AT200, which is tted with a remote
piloting system developed by a group ofChinese technology companies, is based
on the New Zealand-built PAC750XL utility
aircraft.
The prototype, registered B-10HE (c/n
200), is a standard production airframe
tted with Paci c Aerospace’s normal belly
cargo pod, and all its windows blanked
out. In freighter con guration it can carrya load of 1.5 tonnes (3,307lb) and has a
range of 1,356 miles (2,183km).
The AT200 uses the PAC750XL’s STOL
performance to operate from 656ft (200m)
airstrips. The twin aims of the project are
delivering cargo to remote places in China
and for military logistics support for the islands
in the South China Sea. Rod SimpsonFlorida-based Safari has already sold six of its new 500 helicopter and expects to start
deliveries in 2018. Rod SimpsonCIVIL NEWS
10 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018Safari 500
Unveiled
FedEx Launch
Order
A contract for the rm purchase of 30
ATR 72-600Fs, plus 20 options, has
been signed by FedEx Express. The
turboprops will be the rst ATRs to
be delivered in freighter con guration
from the factory, with the new variant
equipped with a forward large cargo
door (LCD) and a rear, upper-hinged
cargo door.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in- FedEx worked with ATR to develop
the new aircraft.
Commenting on the contract, David L
Cunningham, FedEx Express President
and CEO, said: “ATR aircraft have been
successfully operating in FedEx service
for many years. The ’72-600F will play an
important role in our global network by
helping us deliver fast, economical service
to small- and medium-sized markets.”
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