Textron finalises Beechcraft acquisition, creates new ‘Textron Aviation’ brand
Cessna parent company Textron has announced it has finalised its acquisition of Beechcraft, and in the process has announced it has created a new ‘Textron Aviation’ business unit under which will sit the Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker brands. Current Cessna president and CEO, Scott Ernest, will head up the new Textron Aviation business, but Textron
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X to star at Rotor Tech
A mockup of the newly-launched Bell 505 Jet Ranger X will be a star exhibit at the forthcoming Rotor Tech 2014 conference and trade show, organisers have announced. Bell launched the 505 at the Heli-Expo convention in Anaheim, California, in February, and a mockup of the new light single helicopter is due to go on
Final assembly of first A320neo under way
Final assembly of the first A320neo is underway at Airbus’s Toulouse facility with the joining of the forward and aft fuselage sections. The forward fuselage is built at Airbus’s Saint Nazaire, France plant, with the rear fuselage built in Hamburg, Germany. Final assembly will take approximately one month, Airbus says, with first flight planned for
CAE opens Perth sim centre
CAE has begun training at its new Perth training centre, the Canadian-based simulation and training company announced last week. The new Perth facility features Fokker 50, Fokker 100 and Embraer Phenom 100 full flight simulators plusbriefing rooms, a multi-use classroom, offices and workshops facilities, and can train “approximately 2,000 crew members and cadets per year at
AMSA leads MH370 Indian Ocean search
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority – AMSA – which is now coordinating search efforts for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, said on Tuesday it is now focused on an area 1,500nm southwest of Perth “based on information made available to AMSA on Monday”. “AMSA has defined a possible search area
Defence, Boeing sign new Wedgetail sustainment deal
The Defence Material Organisation has signed a contract extension with Boeing Defence Australia for the support of the RAAF’s E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) fleet. The $901 millionsustainment contract covers engineering and maintenance support, repairs, spare parts, and aircrew and maintenance training through until 2019, with the potential for annual contract extensions thereafter
