29 Oktober 2011

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II (photo : Defense Update)

FORT WORTH, Texas -Australian government officials have begun auditing the F-35 program because of concerns that the first tranche of aircraft would not be delivered on schedule, Lockheed Martin officials confirmed.

The review, rare in Australian defense programs, could lead officials to defer the planned order for the first aircraft.

"A Scheduled Compliance Risk Assessment Methodology (SCRAM) team is here in response to the defense minister's undertaking last July to conduct a review of the Australian F-35 program," Keith Knotts, the company's F-35 business development manager for Australia and Canada, told Australian reporters at the jet's assembly plant here. "They will be here this week to assess the program's health."

It was the first public acknowledgment that the review is underway.

The SCRAM team, from the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), will report its findings to the government via the New Air Combat Capability (NACC) project office by the end of the year. It will look at the F-35 program using root-cause analysis to measure the achievements of the technical baseline review ordered by the U.S. Joint Project Office.

Australia has a requirement for up to 100 conventional takeoff and landing F-35As, and plans to sign a deal for the first tranche of 14 in 2012. Under the current plan, it wants to take delivery of the first two aircraft in 2014 for training in the United States and delivery of all 14 to Australia in 2017.

The aircraft are scheduled to come from Low-Rate Initial Production lots Six (two aircraft), Eight (four) and Nine (eight). They will allow the F/A-18A/B Hornets to retire around 2018.

The review follows Defence Minister Stephen Smith's promise to launch an "exhaustive risk assessment of the schedule" by year's end.

In July, Smith told the Australian Broadcast Corp.'s "Meet The Press" program that he has concerns about Lockheed's ability to deliver to its planned schedule and has flagged the possibility of a further purchase of Super Hornets in the interim.

"I have made it clear, both in Australia and in the United States, that the last thing I will allow to occur will be a gap in capability," he said.

Australia has 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets and must decide whether to convert a number of them to an EA-18G Growler configuration early next year.

(Defense Update)

Sir Minty has flicked me this photograph of the Mooney M20C Ranger ZK-MWP (c/n 680095) taken at North Shore on 24-10-2011.
The "68" in the c/n tells us the US year of manufacture = 1968; and it is the 95th of the 98 M20C's built that year. The M20C was a Mk21 with squared off windows and a new front windscreen.
This one popped onto the US register as N6790N and had some eleven owners before being cancelled on 18-05-2011 for its move to NZ where it was registered on 20-06-2011 to the Woodpecker Trust and almost immediately to Hans Holtz of Auckland.
Here is a video clip of it departing Cape May in New Jersey :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRP8lXETnN4

Original clue above.
It is taken from the pic below as seen at Fernside (near Rangiora) on 30-04-2011. The day of the memorial service for the designer, builder and owner of this aircraft.

It is of course the Maurice Paton (Special) Monoswift ZK-MPS (c/n MPS001).
The engione is a 4l Rover Discovery V8.

Well done [again] QW.
I am afraid you will have to flick me your fish mail address again - tks

27 Oktober 2011

Dornier S-Ray 007 two seater pilot training amphibian aircraft, was produced in Philippines (photo : Dornier)

MANILA, Asia Pulse - Dornier Technology, a German-based aircraft manufacturer, would soon be producing a 25-seater amphibious seaplane following the expansion of their manufacturing facilities in Clark.

The US$350-million state-of-the-art seaplane composite manufacturing facilities to rise in Clark would be generating hundreds of manpower requirements such as engineers, avionic technicians, airframe and mechanical staff, according to Dornier Technology Philippines owner Iren Dornier.

Dornier, also the chairman of Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair), said his business partners are very interested in the production of a 25-seater pressurized long range commercial airplane and may also be used as a cargo transport aircraft to remote areas such as isolated islands.

The plane could also be used for coast border patrol, anti-drug smuggling, special missions/operations or strictly for pipelines or areas submerged with water where helicopters are limited in range. It can also be utilized as firefighter plane where it could scoop thousands of gallons of water within seconds.

Dornier Seastar has 12 seats, meaning the new model will have double capacity compared to Seastar (photo : flightglobal)

He added that the airplane is capable of travelling a distance of approximately 2,000 nautical miles long-range endurance and be equipped with two Pratt &Whitney powered turbo propeller engines.

Their facilities in Clark is manufacturing a two-seater multi-purpose aircraft primarily designed to provide a training flat form to seaplane pilots who need trainings.

The S-Ray 007 single engine seaplane could be operated on both lands and sea with short takeoffs and capable of landing on runways or 2 feet seas.

The plane it said is ideal for surveillance missions, UAV missions (uninhabited air vehicles) that can be launched into a boat or carriers and can be transported into a container which flips it wings 90 degrees.

(PNA)

Wayne G has recently spent time at Queenstown and provides the following:

Southern Lakes AS350B2 ZK-HMD

Helicopters Queenstown AS350B2 ZK-HQG with steadycam

Heli-Works Queenstown AS350B2 ZK-HYS

Explorair's AS350BA ZK-IBL sporting Glacier Southern Lakes titles

Southern Lakes Helicopters AS350B3 ZK-IDE

Heli-Works Queenstown Robinson R44 II ZK-ITT

Captured pulling into its parking sport at Taupo today was the Gulfstream GV-SP ZK-KFB2 (c/n 5260) as registered to ExecuJet New Zealand of Wellington.
It is Peter Jacksons 50th birthday with celebrations taking place at the Huka Lodge over the weekend, with a large number of friends and family due to attend.
Thanks to Henry M for the photgraph and details.

28 Oktober 2011

A RAF Eurofighter/Typhoon takes off in the early morning heat at RMAF Base Butterworth. (all photos : Aus DoD)

Eurofighter Typhoons from the Royal Air Force's 6 Sqn have joined aircraft from four other nations in Malaysia for exercise "Bersama Lima 2011".

A RAAF A30 Boeing 737 AEW&C returns to RMAF Base Butterworth after completing its tasking for the day.

The Royal Australian Air Force sent Boeing F/A-18A fighters and a 737-based Wedgetail airborne early warning and control system aircraft to participate in the manoeuvres that are being conducted from Butterworth air base in Penang.

Royal Malaysian Air Force involvement includes use of its F/A-18Ds and RSK-MiG-29s, while New Zealand and Singapore are also taking part.

A formation containing a Malaysian F/A-18D Hornet, a MIG 29 and an Australian F/A 18 Hornet fly over the Penang region of Malaysia, the flight was organized as a prelude flight to Bersama Lima 2011.

The UK is leading efforts to promote the Typhoon to Kuala Lumpur, which has identified a need to replace its MiG-29s that have become increasingly expensive to support.

The topic is likely to be high on the agenda at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition, which will take place in early December. Other candidates could include the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

(FlightGlobal)