z Global briefing
WORLD
TEST UPDATE
(^4) AW169 COLD WEATHER
TRIALS IN ALASKA
The AW169 arrived at Heli-
Expo straight from Alaska,
where it successfully
completed extreme cold
weather trials in the framework
of civil certification.
Performance and system
reliability were demonstrated
at temperatures down to
-40°F/C. The latest testing
followed a series of hot and
high trials in Arizona last year,
which confirmed the aircraft’s
performance in demanding
environmental conditions.
Alaska, USA
(^5) FIRST SOUTH
CAROLINA-BUILT 787-
DREAMLINER
The first 787-9 Dreamliner
assembled at the North
Charleston, South Carolina,
facility has been delivered to
United Airlines. As the 250th
787 to be delivered, the
airplane marks a milestone
for the 787 program. In the
first quarter of 2013, Boeing
South Carolina teammates
began fabrication, assembly
and integration of the aft and
mid fuselage sections for the
first Boeing 787-9.
South Carolina, USA
(^6) KOREAN HELICOPTER
Airbus Helicopters will join
with Korea Aerospace
Industries in developing two 5
metric ton class rotorcraft that
meet South Korea’s
requirements for its next-
generation light civil helicopter
(LCH) and light armed
helicopter (LAH). As the LCH
and LAH competition winner,
Airbus Helicopters will
continue its relationship with
Korea, including the joint
program that developed
the Surion twin-engine
transport helicopter.
Seoul, South Korea
(^7) FIRST ITALIAN F-
The first Italian F-35A rolled out
of the Cameri Final Assembly
and Check Out (FACO) facility,
marking the first F-35A
assembled internationally, and
the first of eight aircraft
currently being assembled.
The aircraft will now proceed
to additional check-out
activities before its anticipated
first flight later this year. The
roll-out is a partnership
between the Italian Ministry
of Defence, Finmeccanica-
Alenia Aermacchi, and
Lockheed Martin.
Cameri, Italy
(^8) MRO DEAL FOR INDIA
DORNIER
HAL’s civil aviation business
got a boost with the
Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) according
an approval to HAL’s
transport d ivision at Kanpur
for maintenance and repair of
Dornier (Do-228) and Avro
(HS 748) aircraft. In
February, HAL bagged a
major defense contract for
supplying 14 Do-228 aircraft
to the Indian Air Force. HAL
has so far produced 125 Do
228 and 89 HS 748.
Kanpur, India
(^1) ADVANCED HAWKEYE MAIDEN
CARRIER DEPLOYMENT
Five E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes
assigned to Carrier Airborne Early
Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 will
make their maiden deployment as
part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1
aboard the aircraft carrier USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The
E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is set to
replace the E-2C Hawkeye in its
primary mission to provide airborne
early warning and command and
control capabilities for all aircraft-
carrier battle groups. While the
primary mission for the E-2 has not
changed, the Advanced Hawkeye
is able to gather and process data
more precisely and efficiently,
thanks to state-of-the-art radar
and communication equipment.
Norfolk, Virginia
(^2) SOLAR-POWERED RECORD
Solar Impulse, the fuel-free airplane,
has successfully completed the
second leg of its historic attempt to
fly around the world and is currently
on course with its third leg. Project
chairman Bertrand Piccard, piloted
the vehicle from Muscat in Oman to
Ahmedabad in India, crossing the
Arabian Sea in the process. The
journey, on March 11, took just over
15 hours. The distance covered –
1,468km – set a new world record for
a flight in a piloted solar-powered
airplane. The vehicle has another 10
legs ahead of it over the course of
the next five months. Included in that
itinerary will be demanding stretches
when the craft has to fly over the
Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Varanasi, India
(^3) UK MOD INVESTMENT IN
HELICOPTER FLEET UPGRADE
In the past 12 months, the Puma
Mk2, Merlin Mk2, Chinook Mk6, and
both the Royal Navy and British
Army Wildcats, have all been
declared ready for operational use.
As a result, UK forces now have new
military capabilities that can be
deployed around the world. The
Merlin Mk2 is currently delivering
vital support in Sierra Leone to
tackle the spread of Ebola; the Puma
Mk2 is preparing to contribute to
NATO’s training and assistance
mission in Afghanistan; and the
Royal Navy Wildcat is deploying
for global maritime operations.
London, England
04 |^
APRIL 2015
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