Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 8)

COMING UP TODAY FA R N B O R O U G H 2 0 0 8 SUAVE Team to Unveil the Mantis Northwest Airlines CEO Complains as Oil Tab Rises $5 a Barrel in 20 Minutes Joining in a chorus of criticism of financial speculation in the global market for oil, Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland said July 10 that the final hour of trading shows how the market is being dominated by speculators. “With no single event occurring that would cause supply to decrease or demand for oil to increase, the price in the last 20 minutes of trading went up about $5 a barrel as a result of financial players, near the close of trading, coming into the market and driving up Doug Steenland. price,” says Steenland. Steenland is Chairman of the board of the Air Transport Assn. which is orchestrating a nationwide grass-roots protest involving passengers and lobbying in Washington to attack oil speculators. The moves have raised concerns in the financial services sector which is countering with lobbying of its own. BAE Systems and the UK Ministry of Defence Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles (Experimental) project team—SUAVE—will unveil a new high-altitude, long-endurance UAV system known as Mantis. It is a potential future solution for a persistent UK intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) requirement. The big T-tailed, twin-engine, pusher-prop design has been kept under wraps, but will be exhibited with potential sensor and weapons loads, including Paveway IVs and Brimstones. Saab’s Erieye for Pakistan Saab will give a briefing on the Erieye/Saab 2000 airborne surveillance aircraft making its public debut here. The first of five aircraft developed for Pakistan’s closely-guarded Project Horizon is on display. Irkut Enters Medium-Haul Sweepstakes Russia’s Irkut Corporation will release additional details of its MS-21 jet airliner program. The aircraft, which will be built in three successively larger configurations, is designed to replace the Tupolev Tu-154M and other medium-haul commercial aircraft. Irkut is expected to look for Western suppliers for engines and avionics, as well as technical assistance to expand the use of composite materials in the aircraft’s design. “No engine has been specifically developed for this aircraft,” said Irkut general director Oleg Demchenko, “but there are some foreign engines that fit our requirement.” Embraer Sales, and Perhaps a Big Name Brazil’s Embraer is expected to announce major sales here today, including one involving a very high profile individual. A Legacy 600 landing at Farnborough is shown here. Mitsubishi: Blanks Still to Be Filled In Having launched full-scale development of its MRJ 70/90-seat regional airliner in March and established a new, but still provisionally named, subsidiary to manage the program, Mitsubishi may not seem to have much to announce at the Show today. However, expect news of more partners, and even risk-sharers and subcontractors, and wait for assurances to customers that a worldwide support organization—using established MRO players—will be in place by the time of first deliveries at dates yet to be specified. Record Oil Prices This Is a Problem? Middle Eastern airlines are once again poised to make a big splash at the Airshow with major aircraft orders. Etihad has scheduled two news conferences today, raising the possibility of orders for both Boeing and Airbus. The carrier has long been rumored to be considering an order of up to 100 aircraft, both narrowbodies and widebodies. Qatar, meanwhile, is also expected to announce a significant deal. Qatar ordered 80 A350 XWB aircraft last year. First Flight of the 777F Boeing’s chief 777 pilot Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann is expected to complete the first flight of the new 777F freighter today from Everett, Wash. The freighter is a derivative of the 777-200LR, and is the sixth variant of the 777 family. The 777F was rolled out in May. Flight testing is expected to take about 2.5 months, and launch customer Air France is targeting late October for entry into revenue service. 8 July 14, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008 Contents Thirty More Years CFM Reveals New Engine Boeing Reduces Forecast UAVs’ Quiet Revolution Finmeccanica: U.S. Success A Plethora of AESAs BAE North America Plus L-3 Becomes a Prime Better Late Than Never A Peek Behind the Curtain China’s J-10 Revealed Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Breaking LM’s Hegemony

Farnborough Show News - July 14, 2008

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