F-35 exceeds 2011 flight test goals
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 System Development and Demonstration program accrued more than the required test flights and test points in 2011, the company has announced. The 2011 flight testing plan called for the accumulation of 872 flights and 6622 test points. The SSD program flew 972 flights and tallied 7823 test points across all three variants
Seasons Greetings from Phantom Media
The small team at Australian Aviation (and sister mag Australian Defence Business Review) wishes all our readers, whether of the magazine, website and Express, and followers of our Facebook page, a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2012. We have enjoyed bringing you coverage of the many high profile aviation and defence events of
Melbourne next Aus port of call for Emirates A380s
Emirates will begin daily Auckland-Melbourne-Dubai flights from October 2012. The airline says A380s will operate the daily EK406/407 flights currently operated by Boeing 777-300ERs, and will “facilitate a seamless A380 experience from Auckland/Melbourne to Dubai, and onwards to London Heathrow”. It will also be the first A380 Auckland-Melbourne service. Emirates has operated the A380 on the
Choules arrives home in Sydney
The RAN’s new amphibious ship, the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) HMAS Choules, sailed into its new homeport of Sydney on December 21. “It was terrific to see her sail through Sydney Harbour flying the White Ensign for the first time,” Commander of Australian Fleet, RADM Steve Gilmore said. Originally commissioned into service with the UK’s Royal Fleet
Japanese F-35 buy to benefit Australia?
Lockheed Martin says Japan’s selection of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter will benefit Australia’s New Air Combat Capability (NACC) aspirations by providing greater weight to production numbers at the same time as Australia’s aircraft are being built, as well as providing lower logistics costs in our region. Speaking from Fort Worth by phone to Australian
Fifth A400M flies
The fifth Airbus Military A400M, ‘Grizzly 5’, has made its first flight, taking off from Seville, Spain, on a 2hr 10min flight on December 20. Grizzly 5 is the fifth and final member of the A400M flight test fleet, which to date Airbus Military says has now completed more than 2500 hours of the planned 3700 hour
