Reports and photographs from China indicate that country will soon test fly a large stealthy combat aircraft prototype from the Chengdu facility in the country’s north. Grainy images of the aircraft, variously dubbed J-XX or J-20, show a long and wide fuselage with low observable engine intakes and a forward chine, a high set delta
Airbus Military has failed to deliver a KC-30A MRTT to the RAAF by the end of 2010, despite the company saying as late as last month that it still planned to meet that schedule. The latest schedule slip, now taking total KC-30 program delays to over two years beyond the original late 2008 first delivery
The fourth Airbus Military A400M development aircraft made its first flight on December 20, taking off from Seville, Spain, for a five hour 10 minute mission. The aircraft, dubbed Grizzly 4, the fourth of a planned five strong A400M test fleet, took off at a weight of 130 tonnes at 10.18am local time. It will
The C-17 Globemaster airlifter worldwide fleet has passed the two million flight hour milestone, manufacturer Boeing announced on December 20. Boeing says the two million hour mark – reached on a USAF C-17 airdrop mission in Afghanistan on December 10 – equates to 1.13bn nautical miles. Some 226 C-17s are in service, 206 with the
The first Eurocopter Tiger HAD for the French army made its first flight at Eurocopter’s Marignane facility near Marseille on December 17. The aircraft, the first of 40 of the advanced HAD models France has on order, will add more powerful MTR390 engines and the ability to employ Hellfire anti-armour missiles. France is currently taking
The final UK Harrier sortie was flown on December 15, ending 41 years of Harrier operations with the RAF and Royal Navy. The final flight was conducted by 16 GR.9 and T.12 Harriers of the RAF’s 1 Squadron and the RN’s 800NAS, with flypasts of several bases before returning to Cottesmore for the last time.
