UK Defence Forum

The problem a380 has is airlines can get the numbers of people,on it they want because the airport infrastructure will not support it. People like flying on it because you get more space on it that other airliners but the airlines can’t charge you for it,they would rather have you packed in.

The long leads have been closing down since last year it’s just taken a while to come out. One major airline put it like this they would like to get rid of there a380s now if they could because there’s only a couple of airports in there country that handles a380 flights and all the short haul flights that bring people to those airports to connect to a380 long haul flights loses money, so the price on the long haul flight has to cover the difference on there books. They would much prefer to go direct from smaller airfields with more efficient long range twins.

I read about some of the changes that airports were required to carry out, quite a bit and not cheap either. Changes to air traffic procedures as well meaning there was reduction in how many aircraft they can get up in per hour.

The unpopularity with airports was probably just as important a factor in this decision.

topman wrote: meaning there was reduction in how many aircraft they can get up in per hour

Sortie generation, a key statistic in anyone's books

Organisers of the UK’s Farnborough air show are axing the public weekend display, reducing the event from a seven-day to a five-day programme concentrating on the trade aspect....

Farnborough International says it will be “removing” the weekend public days from the 2020 show, in favour of allowing public access to the final trade day

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... 20-456368/

Well they had to do something different, last one was so bad I was close to demanding my money back.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... rd-456385/

Bombardier's Global 7500 has completed an 8,152nm (15,100km) non-stop flight, which the manufacturer bills as the world’s “longest mission ever flown by a purpose-built business jet”.

The aircraft (C-FXAI) - the initial production example - departed Singapore at 07:12 local on 4 March carrying three pilots, three passengers and luggage with a combined weight of 360kg (800lb). Taking a transpacific route, it arrived in Tucson, Arizona just over 16h later at 08:19 local, which also set a new speed record for this city-pair, says Bombardier.

SW1 wrote: three pilots, three passengers and luggage with a combined weight of 360kg

60 kg each, in shorts and carrying an iPhone?

ArmChairCivvy wrote:

SW1 wrote: three pilots, three passengers and luggage with a combined weight of 360kg

60 kg each, in shorts and carrying an iPhone?

Haha Weight was for just the luggage. Mind u they may of need PJ’s as there’s quite a large bed!
https://postmediamontrealgazette2.files ... &strip=all

If you have to be up there for 16hrs at least it was in luxury. When we see London to Sydney in one go we will have reach to limit.

Hawker Hunter Pilot, Andy Hill:
:Not guilty of manslaughter

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-47495885

I have absolutely no idea how he literally got away with murder.

Feel so sorry for the families.

Another brand new 737-max lost with all souls on board.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-47513508

The midnight oil will be burning late in Renton.

Airbus was very keen to celebrate the first flight of 001 last month, but for some unknown reason the France based firm has forgotten about the other half of the project.
On this day, 50 years ago, 002 took off from Filton on its maiden flight to RAF Fairford.

Aeroflot plane lands in flames at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport .

(AIRLIVE net) 5 May 2019

BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48171392

Perhaps it was a "Backfire" in camouflage. Hope there were no casualties if it wasn't.

British Airways 100th Anniversary

British Airways is celebrating its 100th Anniversary (including its BOAC and BEA ancestory) this year.
Four of BA's current plane fleet have been repainted in retro livery to mark this anniversary:


BA 747-400 G-BYGC in BOAC colours. (BOAC was the British Overseas Airways Corporation)


BA Airbus A319 G-EUPH in BEA colours (BEA was British European Airways). BOAC & BEA were nationalised and merged into BA in 1974.


BA 747-400 G-CIVB in British Airways first livery, known as "Negus" which was used from 1974 until 1984.


BA 747-400 G-BNLY in British Airways second livery, known as "Landor" which was used from 1984 until 1997.


After its 1987 privatisation, BA rebranded itself in 1997 with globally-themed "Ethnic" tailplane designs. Margaret Thatcher was not a fan.
(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_A ... c_liveries for all Ethnic tailplane designs)


The 1997 Ethnic tailplanes were unpopular with passengers and BA's own staff, so in 2001, all BA tailplanes were repainted with the Union Flag based "Chatham Dockyard" design, which was actually one of the 1997' "Ethnic" tail designs exclusively used only on Concorde.

Wasn’t actual on fire in flight, on about the 3rd big bump on the 2nd attempted land it caught fire. Lots of holes in the cheese appear to aligned. Lots to be learned I would think if they want to learn and if they share honestly with everyone else.

There's a video over on the BBC showing the landing. They came in fast and level, then went nose up as the wheels touched. They must have bounced about 30 feet in the air, then on the next impact, the undercarriage collapsed.

Caribbean wrote:There's a video over on the BBC showing the landing. They came in fast and level, then went nose up as the wheels touched. They must have bounced about 30 feet in the air, then on the next impact, the undercarriage collapsed.

Yeah looking all wrong I think the flight recorders will make very interesting reading. The landing gear did exactly as it should, the gear is designed to break away or it is on western designs as a safety measure to stop puncturing the fuel tanks to cause a fuel fire. A lot of time goes into those studies and the fuse pins that hold the gear on!

The vertical loading the passenger seats would of got will make interesting reading also, current ones are designed to around 14g in the vertical.

Aviation could Learn a lot from this accident or at least give some positive reinforcement of western design practises.

It will also highly one area of great concern lightening strike protection, and the lightening diverted network it’s a big big headache particularly with composite ones and one area of this accident that everyone in aviation will be keen to learn from.

London Heathrow 2050 Master Plan







Much more: https://aec.heathrowconsultation.com/plans/

Paris Airshow 2019: Airbus A321XLR



The A321XLR is Airbus's new solution to replacing their own A32X family range, and Boeing's ageing 757 and 767 aircraft. It could also compete with Boeing's new midsized aircraft (NMA) rumoured to be named 797. The A321XLR's range is confirmed as 4,700 nmi (8,700 km), with a maximum takeoff weight of 101 metric tons. Seating capacity in two classes ranges between 180 to 220 passengers. The AX321XLR has already recieved much attention and recieved 200 orders from interested customers.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/roto ... tests-chi/

The new H145 will be tested at altitudes up to 20,000 feet above sea level, having already performed altitude tests in the French Pyrenees during the summer of 2018. The objective of this campaign is to expand the flight envelope of the new helicopter and demonstrate its capabilities at high altitudes.

Due to its multi-mission capacity and performance in hot and high conditions and presence in a number of countries in Latin America, the H145 family is one of the region's favourite light twin engine helicopters, the company says. The flight campaign will provide some operators with the opportunity to fly the new version and experience first-hand the improvements brought by the new five-bladed rotor, which includes an increased useful load of 150kg and new levels of comfort.

The H145’s new five-bladed rotor brings an increase in overall performance, with a maximum take-off weight of 3,800kg and a useful load now equivalent to the aircraft’s empty weight. A new bearing-less main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. The reduced rotor diameter, meanwhile, will allow the H145 to operate in more confined areas.

The issues described here go far beyond Boeing and pressure to cut corners that have drove many experienced engineers out to leave accounts and youngsters who know no different are starting to be laid bare. You cannot treat bringing a new plane to market like that of a car...

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... ic-461449/

The panel notes some 737 Max design and certification elements are "rooted in the original 1967 certification". The Max has some modern updates, but lacks other design enhancements developed over 50 years, the report says.

"There are no criteria for determining when the core attributes of an existing design make it fundamentally incapable of supporting the safety advancements introduced by the latest amendments to airworthiness standards," the report says.

The panel also urges the FAA to review its staffing, noting the agency's Boeing Aviation Safety Oversight Office, which certificates Boeing aircraft, has only two technical staff assigned to each Boeing programme.

Michel Merluzeau, an aerospace analyst with consultancy AIR, says the FAA has long struggled to hire and retain the expert engineers needed to oversee a massive industry.

"How can you have long-term stability from staff, and competence... when you can't find the people?" he asks.

The crisis that has ended another icon of the sky. The end of 4 engined commercial air travel is nigh

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... f=CMQY7IGK

Boeing Co. hasn’t told employees, but the company is pulling the plug on its hulking 747 jumbo jet, ending a half-century run for the twin-aisle pioneer.

TBF, they did well dragging it out this long...

Airbus' A340 and A380 - both four engines - also ceased production.

Hmm. Having flown (as a child) in an airliner that lost two engines in flight and barely made it onto the runway (straight-in, downwind landing, literally with bits of tree in it's undercarriage), I'm not so happy to hear about the eventual demise of four engined airliners.