Tecnam introduces the P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane

Tecnam’s reputation for developing aeroplanes for all aspects of General Aviation flying was further established today with the introduction of the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane.


This 6th generation development builds on the tremendous success of both the P92 Echo Classic and P92 Eaglet to offer potential customers seeking an innovative, spacious and cost effective seaplane.

Requiring a take-off run of less than 200 metres, coupled with an impressive climb rate and a 100 hp engine, the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane affords ease of operation, both on the water (be it lakes, rivers or sea) and in the air.

Tecnam aeroplanes are especially known for offering outstanding value. One reason for the Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane low cost is that it is produced at Tecnam’s new composites production facility, home to both the Tecnam P2008 and Tecnam P Twenty-Ten, in Capua, Italy.

‘’Our Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky Hydroplane offers you the pleasure of enjoying both blue waters and blue skies’’ said Paolo Pascale, Tecnam’s Managing Director. ‘’Not just designed to perform superbly on water but also on the remaining 29% of the worlds surface, land, by using our innovative 4 wheels retractable landing gear. Wherever you want to go today Tecnam has got the right aeroplane for you! Enjoy your time, meet land, sky and water!’’

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Tecnam lanza el hidroavión P92 Sea-Sky

24 de Enero de 2012

Tecnam lanza el hidroavión P92 Sea-Sky

Tecnam ha confirmado el lanzamiento del hidroavión Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky, la sexta generación del exitoso modelo P92 en las versiones Echo Classic y Eaglet.

El fabricante italiano ha aumentado su reputación con la introducción de nuevo hidroavión Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky.

El desarrollo de esta sexta generación se ha construido sobre las bases del tremendo éxito de los modelos P92 Echo Classic y P92 Eaglet, para ofrecer un hidroavión innovador, espacioso y de bajo coste operativo.

Con una carrera de despegue de menos de 200 metros, junto con un impresionante ratio de ascenso propulsado por un motor de 100 HP, el hidroavión Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky permite una facilidad de operación tanto en el agua (bien sea en lagos, ríos o en el mar), como en vuelo.

Las aeronaves Tecnam son especialmente conocidas por ofrecer una gran versatilidad. Una de las razones del reducido coste del hidroavión Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky es que está siendo producido en la nueva planta de materiales compuestos situada en Capua, Italia, donde también se fabrican los modelos P2008, y P Twenty Ten.

«Nuestro hidroavión Tecnam P92 Sea-Sky ofrece el placer de disfrutar tanto de las aguas azules como de los cielos azules» comentó Paolo Pascale, Director General de Tecnam. «No sólo ha sido diseñado para operar de manera excepcional en el agua, sino también para operar en el 29% restante de la superficie de la Tierra, usando un sistema innovador de tren de aterrizaje retráctil de 4 ruedas. Tecnam tiene el avión apropiado para ir dónde quieras hoy. Disfruta de tu tiempo, bien sea por tierra, mar o aire».



Sobre Tecnam



Tecnam Aviation fue fundada en 1986 por los hermanos Pascale. La empresa cuenta con dos plantas de fabricación en Italia. Una de 11.000 metros cuadrados cerca del Aeropuerto Internacional de Nápoles, en Capodichino, y otra de 12.000 metros cuadrados en Capua, en el Aeropuerto Oreste Salomone.

La red de distribución de aviones Tecnam incluye distribuidores en los países extranjeros, Dedalus Aircraft (www.dedalusaircraft.es) es la compañía distribuidora en España.



Los aviones Tecnam que se fabrican actualmente ofrecen una diversa gama de opciones ajustadas para cada cliente. Tienen configuración de asientos para dos o cuatro ocupantes, y utilizan en la mayoría de los casos el motor Rotax 912S de 100 cv. Además es un avión muy versátil que permite ser una herramienta excepcional para la enseñanza, ideales como avión escuela, tal y como demuestra la demanda de modelos como el P92 o el P2002.

Emirates aumenta frecuencia con Madrid y sumará ruta con Barcelona

Emirates aumenta frecuencia con Madrid y sumará ruta con Barcelona: Emirates Airlines reforzará su apuesta por España: según informó la aerolínea recientemente triplicará sus operaciones entre el país y Dubái, uno de los emiratos árabes más importantes y en “moda”, con más frecuencias y una nueva ruta que conectará con Barcelona. Esta iniciativa demuestra la confianza de la compañía en el mercado español, donde se pueden encontrar hotele

Iberia Express comenzaría a operar el 25 de marzo

Iberia Express comenzaría a operar el 25 de marzo: Iberia tiene, finalmente, todo listo para despegar con su filial de bajo coste, Iberia Express: según se informó recientemente, esta nueva empresa que cubrirá los vuelos de corto y medio alcance a una tarifa menor iniciará operaciones en marzo, más en específico, el día 25, como se venía adelantando.
Iberia está próxima a lanzar su filial modelo bajo coste, Iberia Express, el próximo 2

Textron CEO: Bell Helicopter to launch new helicopter next month

Textron CEO: Bell Helicopter to launch new helicopter next month: Textron chief executive Scott Donnelly confirmed that Bell Helicopter will launch a new commercial helicopter to be built at the company's Amarillo, Texas

737 Max development cost to be twice A320neo: report

737 Max development cost to be twice A320neo: report: With a greater level of structural modification required to accommodate new CFM International Leap-1B engines, Boeing's cost to develop the re-engined 737...

Boeing locks out 747-8 tail fuel tanks on flutter concerns

Boeing locks out 747-8 tail fuel tanks on flutter concerns: In order to meet certification requirements ahead of its first delivery, Boeing will lock out the 12,500l (3,300gal) horizontal stabiliser tail fuel tanks...

El ‘Juan Carlos I’ realiza la evaluación operativa con los helicópteros ‘Chinook’

Se ha comprobado la capacidad del buque para su carga y transporte, así como su movimiento en cubierta de vuelo y hangares utilizando los medios de abordo
jueves, 19 de enero de 2012

El buque de proyección estratégica ‘Juan Carlos I’ ha concluido, dentro de su evaluación operativa general, las pruebas con las unidades de las Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra (FAMET).

Incluido en su plan de entrada en servicio, la evaluación operativa comprueba que el funcionamiento de los equipos y sistemas del barco responden a lo reflejado en las especificaciones del contrato firmadas con el constructor.

En esta última prueba se ha evaluado la capacidad del buque de la Armada española para operar con los helicópteros CH-47 ‘Chinook’. Para ello, se han realizado varios despegues y aterrizajes con una aeronave en cada uno de los cuatro puntos de toma con que cuenta el buque para aparatos de gran tamaño.
El pasado día 19 de diciembre se efectuaron las pruebas de puerto con un `Chinook´ de las FAMET en la Base Naval de Rota. Entonces, se comprobó la capacidad del buque para su carga y transporte, así como su movimiento en cubierta de vuelo y hangares utilizando los medios de abordo.


Plataforma aeronaval
La cubierta de vuelo del buque de proyección estratégica ‘Juan Carlos I’ se ha diseñado para operar, lanzar, recibir y dar apoyo, tanto de día como de noche, a aviones y helicópteros, como los AB-212, SH-3D y AV-8B Harrier Plus. Está diseñado para transportar y operar hasta 30 aeronaves entre helicópteros medios y pesados en configuración de portaaeronaves anfibio, o bien entre 10 y 12 aviones AV-8B+, más un número similar de helicópteros medios, cuando está configurado como portaaviones.

Las misiones del ‘Juan Carlos I’ son la de transporte, desembarco y apoyo en tierra a una fuerza de Infantería de Marina; la de proyección y empleo de fuerzas; la capacidad de operar como plataforma aeronaval y las operaciones no bélicas como las de ayuda humanitaria en catástrofes o la evacuación de personal civil en zonas de crisis.

Fotos y video aqui

Boeing and Norwegian Announce Order for 100 737 MAX; 22 Next-Generation 737s

- Record order from a European airline, valued at $11.4 billion at list prices
- Norwegian is first European 737 MAX customer

OSLO, Norway, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Norwegian have announced a firm order for 100 fuel-efficient 737 MAX airplanes and 22 Next-Generation 737-800s. The total order is valued at $11.4 billion at list prices and represents the largest-ever Boeing order from a European airline.

Oslo-based Norwegian is the first European carrier to finalize an order for the 737 MAX. The order supports Norwegian's plans to build on the success provided by its fleet of Next-Generation 737-800s for its rapidly expanding operations.

"Norwegian has become one of the largest 737 operators in Europe and has been a valued Boeing partner since the airline was established," said Aldo Basile, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president Sales, Europe. "Since it began operating in 2002, Norwegian has achieved tremendous success with its low-cost model, providing significant value to both its passengers and shareholders."

"This is a historic day for Norwegian – we have secured our fleet renewal for years to come and are very pleased with the agreement with Boeing," said Norwegian's CEO Bjorn Kjos. "Boeing has played a major part in our strategy to develop a cost efficient and environmentally friendly operation with high customer satisfaction. We are very happy to continue our valuable cooperation and we are proud to be the first 737 MAX customer in Europe."

"The 737 MAX will deliver fuel savings better than any competing single-aisle airplane on the market," said Basile. "We're really pleased to provide this great performance to Norwegian. Improved financial performance and improved environmental performance go hand-in-hand as fuel burn is lowered."

The 737 MAX is the new-engine variant of the world's best-selling airplane and builds on the strengths of today's Next-Generation 737. The airplane will be powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines which will reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by an additional 10-12 percent over today's most fuel-efficient single-aisle airplane. The 737 MAX will have the lowest operating costs in the single-aisle segment with a 7 percent advantage per seat over tomorrow's competition.

This order continues the momentum for the 737 MAX. With the Norwegian order, the 737 MAX has orders and commitments for more than 1,000 airplanes from 15 customers and the Next-Generation 737 family has orders for more than 6,300 airplanes.

Norwegian currently operates a fleet of 62 airplanes: 48 Next-Generation 737-800s and 14 737-300s. Including today's announcement, Norwegian has 184 unfilled orders for Boeing airplanes including: 100 737 MAX airplanes, 78 Next-Generation 737-800s and six 787 Dreamliners from Boeing and leasing company partners.

Carrying nearly 16 million passengers in 2011, Norwegian is the third-largest low-cost airline in Europe. Norwegian currently operates more than 300 routes across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East and employs approximately 2,500 people.  The company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2003. 

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Named ‘Aircraft of Legend’

EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 27, 2012 – The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been honored with the “Aircraft of Legend” Award presented by the Living Legends of Aviation organization.

Mike Sinnett, vice president and chief project engineer for the 787 program, accepted the award on behalf of the men and women of Boeing and the international team that created the Dreamliner.
“We’re honored to be named the first Aircraft of Legend,” said Sinnett. “It is recognition of the expertise, skill and dedication that has gone into the creation of this airplane and an inspiration we’ll always keep in front of us – it’s something to continue to live up to.”

To learn more, visit http://www.boeing.com/newairplane//787/legendsaward

Info - Italian Air Force Eurofighters in air-to-air refuelling mission

Air-to-air refuelling is one of the daily training activities undertaken by Eurofighter Typhoon pilots. In this picture, taken during one of those missions in January 2012, four Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) Typhoons (three single seat and a twin seater), belonging to the 4° Stormo (Wing) based at Grosseto airbase, refuel from a KC-130J of the 46^ Brigata Aerea (Air Brigade) from Pisa.

Such training missions are routinely flown to give the Typhoon pilots the opportunity to perform multiple plugs with the tanker’s hose and practice for real operations. “Dry plugs” are connections during which no fuel is pumped from the tanker, as opposed to “wet plugs” when the receiver gets fuel.

During Operation Unified Protector in Libya, KC-130Js operating from Pisa refuelled the Italian Typhoons deployed to Trapani tasked with HVAA (High Value Air Asset) escort and DCA (Defensive Counter Air) missions

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The Sukhoi Superjet 100 operations in Aeroflot: the first half a year

January 23, 2012, Moscow. Aeroflot currently operates the fleet consisting of four Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft (SSJ100). The Act of Delivery & Acceptance for the fifth deliverable aircraft was signed at Komsomolsk-on-the Amur on January 23, 2012.

By January 22, 2012 four SSJ100s of Aeroflot accumulated 2,381 flight hours in 1,418 revenue flights. Aeroflot mainly operates its SSJ100 aircraft on domestic routes from Moscow to ten Russian airports and Minsk. In December 2012 Aeroflot’s SSJ100 started to serve international routes to Budapest and Oslo. Aeroflot’s operations confirm that the aircraft is able to serve efficiently regional routes with the high frequency of departure. The SSJ100 is able to perform two to three return flights per day, achieving daily utilization from 9 to 11 flight hours. The best results in terms of number of flights per month and monthly utilization were reached by aircraft RA-89001 (149 flights and 229.3 hours) and RA-89002 (151 flights and 231.5 hours) in August and September 2011 respectively.

“Our priority is to establish an effective system of spare parts supply and to increase the delivery pace. However, at the initial phase of operation all new aircraft without exception deal with unexpected technical problems that emerge only in the regime of intensive operation. During the first year and especially in the first months of operation AOG (aircraft on ground) situations happen more often than in the course of further operation. We appreciate the fact that our launch customers are highly cooperative while working with the brand-new aircraft. It is important to mention that SSJ100 has high safety rates and received positive reviews from Aeroflot pilots” — noted Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.

“Piloting and handling the aircraft is easy. The ergonomics of the cockpit is being improved jointly with the manufacturer. We hope that the cockpit of SSJ100 won’t differ from modern Western aircraft as far as the level of comfort is concerned. The aircraft is perfectly protected from the point of view of piloting criteria such as an exit on great values of overload, stall flight and roll and excess of allowable speed of flight. There is no doubt that SSJ100 will show its efficiency and reliability, we believe in the great future of this aircraft” — states Evgeny Voronin, Chief of the Aeroflot SSJ100 pilots team.

“Aeroflot applies same rigid requirements to the technical condition of SSJ100 as to the Airbus and Boeing aircraft within our fleet. We understand that the aircraft is undergoing the initial phase of operation, so we treat it with maximum attention. It is important that the aircraft manufacturer is doing its best to build an effective system of after-sales support to ensure absence of schedule disruption for the airline. All the speculations that Aeroflot is displeased with the aircraft are absolutely groundless” — pointed the Deputy Director General, Chief Commercial Officer of Aeroflot Andrey Kalmykov.

For the time being Aeroflot, SCAC, SuperJet International (responsible for the technical support of the aircraft operations and maintenance) and PowerJet (the engine manufacturer) mainly concentrate on the improvement of the operations’ technical support and the establishment of the more efficient teamwork. The main priority is to provide the smooth supply of the spare parts and consumables. For this purpose the stock list of spare parts available at the SJI supporting warehouse in Sheremetyevo is being expanded to the one available at the SJI main warehouse in Frankfurt. It will allow to reduce essentially the time to deliver a requested part directly to the aircraft. In parallel Aeroflot technical services is receiving additional ground equipment and control devices.

Training for flight and technician staff for the SSJ100 aircraft is another important field to be focused. 16 crews with previous “glass cockpit” experience, four crews without such experience, 24 flight attendant-instructors and more than hundred technicians were trained by the mid of January 2012. The training is conducted at the Training center in Zhukovsky which has a range of the most advanced training equipment and simulators including Full Flight Simulator (FFS). Another FFS will be installed and put in operation in the Aeroflot training center in Sheremetyevo this year. It will allow the airline to train its pilots in its home base.

The stage of the initial commercial operations requests that all sides involved (the aircraft manufacturer, airlines and suppliers of the engines and systems) combine the professional skills, great dedication and efficient coordination. Aeroflot and SCAC work exactly in this manner.

Aeroflot puts its fifth Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in operation

January 27, 2012 Moscow – Aeroflot Russian Airlines puts its fifth Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft (SSJ100) in operation. The first revenue flight of the airliner, named after the famous Aeroflot pilot Dmitry Barilov, will be performed soon.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 MSN 95015 (registered number RA-89007) was delivered to Aeroflot under contract with the VEB-Leasing JSC on financial lease (leasing). The delivered aircraft is designed to carry 87 passengers in a comfortable two-class layout (12 - business class and 75 - in economy class).

Aeroflot ordered 30 SSJ100 aircraft in total.

“We are very pleased that our SSJ100 aircraft is becoming an important part of the Aeroflot’s fleet. We will do our best to make sure that the SSJ100 continues to meet the expectations of the airline”, noted Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, President of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.

Aeroflot currently operates five SSJ100 aircraft serving routes from Moscow to ten Russian cities as well as to Minsk, Budapest and Oslo. Aeroflot operations confirm that the aircraft perfectly match their requirements in terms of high frequency departures on regional routes

AviancaTaca firms up order for 51 eco-efficient A320 aircraft

Purchase agreement is biggest for a single customer in Latin America history
Blagnac,  26 January 2012

AviancaTaca, which includes subsidiary AeroGal of Ecuador, has signed a purchase agreement for 33 eco-efficient A320neo and 18 A320 Family aircraft. The order, which is the largest from a single airline in the region in terms of number of aircraft, follows a MOU signed during the Le Bourget Air Show in Paris in June 2011.

The new aircraft will support AviancaTaca’s expansion into new markets in Latin America, while keeping the airline’s fleet among the youngest in the region.

“With this order AviancaTaca and our subsidiaries will continue the modernization process that includes fleet renewal as its primary focus,” said Fabio Villegas, President of AviacaTaca. “Our goal is to offer travelers the most comfortable and efficient aircraft in the market, and we are proud that the A320neo aircraft is recognized for its eco-efficiency and cutting-edge technology,”

“At Airbus, we are very proud of our contribution to the success story of AviancaTaca,” said John Leahy, Airbus’ Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “Thanks to its unbeatable operating costs and the comfort it offers to passengers, the A320 Family has become the first choice for single-aisle aircraft among the most important operators worldwide.”

AviancaTaca has placed firm orders for 190 Airbus aircraft (including the latest 51) and has currently in service 88 A320 Family aircraft and eight A330. AviancaTaca operates the entire A320 Family, A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft.

Over 8,300 A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and some 5,000 delivered to more than340 customers and operators worldwide reaffirming its position as the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft Family. The A320neo has over 95 percent airframe commonality making it an easy fit into existing fleets while offering up to 500 nautical miles (950 kilometres) more range or two tonnes more payload at a given range.

The A320neo is a new engine option for the A320 Family entering into service from 2015 and incorporates latest generation engines and large "Sharklet" wing tip devices, which together will deliver 15 percent in fuel savings. The reduction in fuel burn is equivalent to 1.4 million litres of fuel - the consumption of 1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600 tonnes of C02 per aircraft per year. The A320neo NOx emissions are 50% below CAEP/6, and this aircraft also has a considerably smaller noise footprint.

To date, Airbus has sold 666 aircraft in Latin America and has a backlog of 351. The number of Airbus aircraft in operation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean reaches 435 units. In the last 10 years, Airbus tripled its in-service fleet, while delivering more than 60 percent of all aircraft operating in the region.

EADS scientists combat ice and flies

Munich,  25 January 2012

EADS opens Icing and Contamination Research Facility in Munich
Ways sought to prevent ice accretion on aircraft surfaces
Test method for insect contamination
New, compact wind tunnel allows higher test frequency
Aerospace and defence group EADS inaugurated iCORE, its new Icing and Contamination Research Facility at its German headquarters in Ottobrunn near Munich on Wednesday. The lab is part of EADS Innovation Works, the corporate research and technology network. At the core of the facility is a laboratoryscale cryogenic wind tunnel which combines the various elements that create icing conditions.

“This facility will greatly facilitate our efforts to increase flight efficiency. It also further leverages the research and technology capabilities of our Ottobrunn site and the Munich region,” said EADS Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti.

The main purpose of the new research facility is to find ways to minimise or even prevent the build-up and adhesion of ice on the plane’s surface, thereby reducing energy consumption for inflight de-icing. EADS IW scientists are studying the use of coatings and tailored surfaces to counter the accumulation of ice from supercooled water droplets – a common condition of meta stable water encountered during flight in the atmosphere and in cloud. The coatings are expected to support the use of newgeneration on-board de-icing systems that respond to the increasing evolution of electric aircraft. The applications for these solutions range from airliners and helicopters to military unmanned aerial vehicles.

The planned research activities in the new facility will address laminar flow technology. The effect of insect contamination on flow characteristics will also be investigated in this context. Insect contamination has no impact on flight efficiency today. When the laminar flow technology currently under development goes into use, however, this situation will change: minor turbulence may occur due to insect contamination. This would jeopardise the goal of fuel savings through turbulence-free airflow.

EADS Innovation Works’ Surface Technologies Group has developed a variety of test rigs to better comprehend how icing occurs in different conditions. It is also helping to understand the effects of sand and rain erosion on surfaces designed to resist insect contamination or ice accretion.

A cooperative agreement with the Department of Aerospace Engineering and the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State University enables EADS IW to utilise these US institutes’ expertise in computational fluid dynamics to model the impact of supercooled droplets on aerodynamic surfaces in airflow.

The new, more compact tunnel will increase EADS Innovation Works’ capability to perform icing tests using a smaller-scale facility than traditional tunnels. Conventional facilities are typically much larger due to the distance needed to cool the water droplets from their deployment out of a spray bar delivery system to their arrival at the test section. The opportunities for testing in such larger tunnels are limited because of the higher operational costs and limited availability of test sessions.

The facility’s initial focus will be on investigating multi-phase flow, phase change, the splash behaviour of drops and the crystallisation process of supercooled droplets. Data from these wind tunnel tests will be incorporated in an EADS Innovation Worksled European project on icing, called AEROMUCO (AEROdynamic surfaces by advanced MUltifunctional COatings). The scope of the programme will also cover the creation of ice-resistant coatings and pursue the investigations in larger tunnels – eventually leading to flight tests on an aircraft test bed from the Istres Flight Test Centre in France

Eurofighter ante la inminente decisión del gran programa de aviones de combate indio

La inminencia de la decisión del gobierno Indio sobre su programa de aviones de combate es tal que ésta puede hacerse pública en cualquier momento. El programa es de vital para Eurofighter, que ha volcado todos sus esfuerzos en esta campaña que confirmaría la compra de 126 aviones de combate, (más 74 opcionales) y cuyo desarrollo a futuro tendría todavía mayor repercusión para el vencedor.

Eurofighter ante la inminente decisión del gran programa de aviones de combate indio