Pontifications: Boeing MAX 10, “797” NMA dominated ISTAT headlines

March 13, 2017, © Leeham Co.: The soft launch of the Boeing 737-10 and the prospective Boeing "797" Middle of the Market aircraft easily were the headline news items to come out of the annual ISTAT conference in San Diego last week.

The "797," as the MOM-sector aircraft was unofficially dubbed, brought enthusiastic reaction.

The MAX 10, not so much.

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https://leehamnews.com/2017/03/13/pontifications-boeing-max-10-797-nma-dominated-istat-headlines/

Boeing’s talking with airlines about a ‘797,’ and they like what they hear

Major players in the world of airplane finance said this week that Boeing seems keen to go ahead with a new jet sized between the largest single-aisle 737 and the smallest twin-aisle 787, and capable of carrying more than 200 passengers.
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeings-talking-with-airlines-about-a-797-and-they-like-what-they-hear/





Boeing 797 will be a mid-sized mass-market jetliner
Boeing could greenlight its next-gen jetliner as early as next year, with first commercial flights in 2025.

The seat count of the twin-aisle Boeing 797 is expected to be around 225 passengers assuming a two-class layout of business and economy, or as many as 260 in the all-economy floorpan favoured by low-cost airlines, with airlines offered two variants of the 797.

https://www.ausbt.com.au/boeing-797-will-be-a-mid-sized-mass-market-jetliner


United Looks at Boeing's ‘Paper Plane’ and Likes What It Sees
United had been among the skeptics of the jets that Boeing has spent years developing to fill the gap in its product line-up between the largest of the narrow-body 737 models and the smallest 787 Dreamliners. As Boeing is designing a twin-aisle aircraft with the range to fly from London to New York, budget carriers are shifting more mid-range flying to relatively inexpensive narrow-body jets such as Airbus Group SE’s A321neo.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-07/united-looks-at-boeing-s-paper-plane-and-likes-what-it-sees

Airbus Helicopters wraps up a successful Heli-Expo 2017 in Dallas

Orders for about 60 H125, H135, H145 and H175 announced at the show




Airbus Helicopters showcased its best-selling light singles and light twins during Heli-Expo 2017 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The H125, H130, H135, and the H145, on display at the show, represented 351 bookings for Airbus Helicopters in 2016, and accounted for a vast majority of the deliveries of the civil helicopter market last year.

“This year’s Heli-Expo has shown that 2017 is already off to a good start for our best-selling products, with orders for about 60 helicopters including the H125, H135, H145, and H175 announced at the show”, said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters CEO.
Milestone Aviation Group Limited announced a €200 million firm order for H135, H145 and H175 helicopters, while Waypoint Leasing (Ireland) Limited committed to ordering an additional 16 Airbus helicopters including the H135, H145 and adding the H175 to its order book for the first time.

Absent from the show floor as it’s working hard on the field, the H175 has recently seen its maximum take-off weight being extended to 7.8 tonnes, allowing customers to benefit from an additional payload of 300 kg or an extra 40NM radius of action. Launch customer NHV also celebrated its 10,000 flight hours with the H175 on the Airbus Helicopters’ booth during the show.

At Heli-Expo this year, Airbus Helicopters introduced the H135 equipped with the Helionix digital avionics suite. STAT MedEvac will soon be the first air medical transport service in North America to operate this type, following an order for three new H135s announced at the show. The Helionix-equipped H135 will soon be leaving Dallas for a demo tour of the US and Mexico.

The H125 also saw continued success with REACH Air Medical Services, a subsidiary of Air Medical Group Holdings, placing an order for five new Airbus H125s. Ruo’er General Aviation Development Group (Ruo’er Group), one of the biggest general aviation companies operating flight support base and airport with comprehensive services in China, signed a letter of intent for a total of 12 H125s with a first confirmed order of four aircraft.

Another highlight of the show was Airbus Helicopters’ Voice of the Customer where the U.S. Coast Guard celebrated 30-plus years of collaboration with Airbus, as well as the milestone of 1.5 million flight hours on the MH-65 Dolphin. Also, two new VIP customers related their experiences operating Airbus helicopters and working with the Airbus Helicopters Inc. team.

“We’re very proud to have customers like Dallas Cowboys Owner and CEO Jerry Jones as well as oil business executive Mike Wallace testify to their satisfaction with our products and customer service, and share their Airbus experience with everyone,” said Chris Emerson, President of Airbus Helicopters Inc.

Ever committed to improving customer satisfaction, Airbus Helicopters announced at the show that its efforts in this domain are paying off with a recent independent survey confirming a significant reduction in direct maintenance and direct operating costs (DMC and DOC) for the H125, H130 and H135 helicopters, further strengthening the competitiveness of these types.



About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

VIDEO: H135 Helionix from a pilot's perspective

Watch Airbus pilot Glenn Christiansen talk about how Helionix helps pilots perform their jobs safely by lowering workloads and increasing situational awareness. The H135 is the newest member of Airbus' Helionix family of rotorcraft, joining the H175, the H145, and the H160.

http://www.airbushelicopters.com/website/en/press/VIDEO:-H135-Helionix-from-a-pilot's-perspective_2101.html

After Sukhoi 'mistake', India to go for Russian 5th-generation fighter only on full-tech transfer pact

• India will ink final R&D contract for the FGFA with Russia only if there is full-scale transfer of technology.
• Decision has been taken in order to "not repeat the mistakes" of the entire Sukhoi-30MKI jet acquisition programme.
• IAF has been unhappy with Sukhoi because the jet lacks proper stealth.

Full text: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/after-sukhoi-mistake-india-to-go-for-russian-5th-gen-fighter-only-with-full-tech-transfer/articleshow/57546519.cms

Bell Helicopter Continues to Shape the Future of Vertical Lift

The company unveiled its vision for the future of rotorcraft at Heli-Expo 2017

PR

HELI-EXPO 2017 – Dallas, TX (March 7, 2017) Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, unveiled today its vision for the future of rotorcraft – the FCX-001. This is Bell Helicopter’s first concept aircraft and presents a 3-D roadmap for delivering safer, smarter and more efficient rotorcraft solutions.

To download images of the FCX-001, please follow this link.

“For the past 80 years, Bell Helicopter has imagined the art of the possible and brought those dreams to life,” Bell Helicopter’s President and CEO Mitch Snyder said during the opening ceremony at the HAI Heli-Expo. “Six months ago we created a dedicated team to focus on emerging technologies and how we could incorporate them into our products. Among that team’s first tasks was to display visually the technologies and innovations that present a roadmap that we envision bringing to market.”

Bell Helicopter formed a core group of engineers and a team of graphic designers that proved to be a highly collaborative team of problem solvers. It was through this process that the FCX-001, a concept aircraft, came to light to physically demonstrate a new way of thinking.

The concept aircraft was built to address the evolving demands of our customers and demonstrate key technologies that revolutionize the pilot and passenger experience, including:
A new anti-torque system in the tail boom designed to change the safety, noise and performance parameters of vertical lift aircraft forever.
Hybridized propulsion combines advanced thermal engine cores for the main propulsion with, for example, electric distribution and motors to drive the anti-torque system for more control and simpler vehicle operations and maintenance.
An airframe that is made from advanced sustainable materials to provide structural performance and offer configurations that our customers desire. In order to provide enhanced situational awareness, visibility and room, we are exploring the right combination of material and geometry. The airframe is also our front line for energy management where we harvest, store, attenuate and distribute external energy or system energy not already employed for useful work on the air vehicle.
A landing gear with non-traditional geometries that facilitate function when combined with advanced materials and actuation.
Morphing rotor blades that allow aircraft to optimize performance in different flight regimes.
A single pilot seat and an entirely new flight deck experience with the pilot controlling the aircraft through augmented reality and an artificial intelligence computer assistance system.
A highly modular passenger cabin enhanced with the same augmented reality technology for individualized infotainment to catch up on world news, hold a video conference call, share documents with other passengers or simply watch a movie or play music to relax.

“Being a pioneer in the aircraft industry is in our DNA and we want to share this renewed passion with the world. The FCX-001 points the way for our future – a renewed focus on innovative solutions and technologies. When the time is right we look forward to sharing more of what we’re doing behind closed doors,” added Snyder.