The World of Aviation

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

Irish lessor Avolon has ordered eight Airbus A320s. The aircraft will feature Airbus’s new ‘sharklet’ winglets. No timeframe has been given on delivery.

Bell Helicopter has introduced an engine power and cockpit display upgrade package for its evergreen 412EP twin engined helicopter. The upgrade, comprising a 15 per cent power boost to its P&WC PT6T-3BE engines with electronic engine control, and glass cockpit displays common to the new 429 light twin, will be available from 2012 once a

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.

Qantas has taken delivery of its seventh A380 after VH-OQG Charles Ulm (MSN047) landed in Sydney on Saturday morning, after having been handed over to the airline at Airbus’s Toulouse delivery centre on December 16. VH-OYG’s delivery was delayed by several days after one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines had to be replaced after

A number of new air related project phases have been included in the latest update to the Defence Capability Plan (DCP), released by Defence Minister Stephen Smith on December 17, including acquisition of a fourth squadron of F-35 JSFs, a ‘multi-mission’ UAS, and upgrades to the Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft and Tiger ARH helicopter. Update 2