France 'eyes EADS Airbus-Safran (Snecma) tie-up for launch rockets'

European aerospace group EADS Airbus and French rocket-maker (Snecma) Safran are looking at jointly making next-generation launch rockets to compete with US firm SpaceX, the French financial newspaper Les Echos said Sunday in a report on its website.

EADS Airbus chief Tom Enders and Safran (Snecma) boss Jean-Paul Herteman are to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris early Monday, after which a deal is expected to be announced for their companies to jointly manufacture Europe's Ariane 6 rockets, Les Echos said.

The deal was being made because, "despite proven reliability, Ariane suffers from an overly fragmented industrial organisation... that badly hurts its competitiveness" while SpaceX "works in a totally integrated fashion", Les Echos reported.

The Ariane 6 rockets are designed to put single payloads into orbit and are to be cheaper than the heavier and bigger Ariane 5 rockets currently used, which carry two satellites at once.

SpaceX, a private US company, already sends up smaller, cheaper launch rockets and is steadily taking over some launches that NASA used to handle.

EADS Airbus Spaceplane Test in South China Seas

Held on 1-4 May, the tests of Airbus Defence and Space's SpacePlane demonstrator validated the dynamic flight conditions encountered in the end-of-flight phase following a return from space.

The tests, supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, took place 100 kilometers off the coast of Singapore and involved a fleet of seven ships.

The quarter-scale demonstrator used in the tests was built in partnership with HOPE Technik and Airbus Group Innovations, the corporate network of research centres of Airbus Group.

After being winched from the barge by an AS350 B3e Ecureuil helicopter operated by Airbus Helicopters Southeast Asia, the SpacePlane demonstrator was released at a height of around 3,000 metres.

It was then piloted from the barge as it made its return to the ground, ending its flight at sea before being picked up as planned a few hours later.

ESA Metop Weather Satellite: EADS Airbus maintain their monopoly position

The Metop weather satellites fly pole to pole, sampling conditions in the atmosphere

The competition to build Europe's next generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites has been won by EADS Airbus.

The big aerospace concern was declared the winner at the latest meeting of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Industrial Policy Committee (IPC).

A contract valued in the hundreds of millions of euros will be signed by ESA and EADS Airbus in due course.

Two of the Metop first generation satellites have so far been launched

The existing Metop series, as it is known, has a profound impact on the quality of weather forecasting.

The satellites' sensors gather profiles of atmospheric conditions, layer by layer.

Studies comparing all the different types of meteorological observations (including surface weather stations, balloons and aeroplanes, etc) have found Metop data to have the biggest single contribution to the accuracy of the 24-hour look ahead, at around 25%.

The improved forecasts of storms and other extreme events are estimated to be worth billions of euros annually in terms of lives saved and property damage avoided.

The Metop weather satellites looks down through the different layers in the atmosphere

Thursday's IPC decision is therefore a critically important one for the continent, by ensuring there is continuity of data when the existing series of Metop weather satellites is retired.

"Metop first generation has established itself as an essential series of satellites for weather forecasting. It gives the most detailed measurements from space for such purposes," explained ESA programme manager Graeme Mason.

Paris Air Show peek: EADS Airbus and Boeing Wide-bodies battle it out

The EADS Airbus A350 makes a pass over the airport during its maiden flight from Blagnac airport near Toulouse, southwestern France, Friday, June 14, 2013. 

The EADS Airbus A350 has taken off on its maiden flight, setting the stage for intensifying competition with U.S. rival Boeing in the long-haul wide-body aircraft market. 

Credit: AP Photo /Bob Edme

The Paris Air Show, which opens for business on Monday Jun. 17, brings hundreds of aircraft to the skies around the French capital, the usual tense competition between aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, and a slew of innovations large and small.

BATTLE OF THE WIDE-BODIES
The much-anticipated Airbus A350 flew for the first time on Friday, launching a new air race between the European plane maker and Boeing for long-haul wide-body aircraft.

Boeing has dominated the market so far, but troubles with the lithium ion batteries in its 787 Dreamliner are giving customers a reason to give a close look at Airbus' first all-new plane in eight years.

The CEO of Airbus parent EADS, Tom Enders, has said he expects a "few hundred" new orders.

Boeing executives, meanwhile, downplayed the air show's importance for orders, noting that the two companies have historically split the commercial aircraft market.

A year ago, at the Paris Air Show's sister event in Britain, Boeing beat Airbus for the number of orders announced.

The U.S. company took in $37 billion in orders and commitments, well above EADS Airbus' $16.9 billion.

But the announcements during the air shows are not always a reliable indicator of business since prices are often negotiated down heavily and big orders don't always coincide with the event.

The race for the title of biggest plane maker is as tight as ever. Over the whole of 2012, Airbus delivered 588 planes. That was a record, but one Boeing beat with 601 deliveries, the first time since 2003 it came out on top.

UAV - DRONES
They have swooped into wildfires to take temperatures and tracked animals across Africa. They have guided a fuel tanker to safety through icy waters.

Drones are increasingly being used for non-military purposes and are expected to feature prominently at the Paris Air Show.

There are still tough restrictions on their flight for safety reasons, but while the Federal Aviation Authority works on new rules, the makers of drones will aim to show off innovation and technical prowess at the show.

Eurocopter, a company based in France, will showcase new technology that can transform a manned helicopter into one that flies without a pilot.

US SEQUESTRATION TAKES TOLL
American fighter jets aren't taking to the skies above Paris, nor will they be seen on the ground, for the first time in more than two decades thanks to the U.S. government's spending cuts—the infamous 'sequestration'.

The U.S. pavilion remains the largest, but the event will be less of a sales showcase for latest military hardware and more a place for suppliers to meet up with potential customers.

Russia, on the other hand, is looking to make a splash by presenting fighter jets and military helicopters at the show for the first time since 2001.

The Sukhoi manufacturer will showcase its Su-35, a twin-engine multipurpose fighter, for the first time outside Russia. Britain and France also will have fighter jets on display.



EVERY LITTLE BCOUNTS
Less flashy but just as important for the industry will be the myriad technological innovations that parts suppliers will come to Paris to present. The biggest issue? The cost of fuel.

The price of jet fuel has more than tripled worldwide since 2003—a trend both jet manufacturers and airlines expect to continue. Electric- or solar-powered commercial flights are wildly improbable and biofuels aren't yet economically viable, so airlines are looking to improve mileage any way possible.

For long-haul flights, that means more carbon-fiber in airplane bodies and other design tweaks, such as electric motors for taxiing. For passengers, it means no end in sight on extra baggage fees.

British Airway (BA) Takes possession of new EADS Airbus A380 luxury jetliner

The EADS Airbus A380 is arguably the most innovative commercial airliner currently on the market.

It offers a spacious, quiet cabin, less noise on take off and landing and greater fuel efficiency, BA are proud to be welcoming them to their fleet in 2013.

Book your British Airways flights on the new A380 to Los Angeles & Hong Kong.

BA flights to Los Angeles by the A380 will be available to book now, for travel from 15 October 2013.

BA is offering five services a week from London Heathrow. Selected services to Hong Kong will also be operated by an A380 and are available to book now for travel from 15 November 2013.

Book your seats here British Airways

Airbus A380 Emerges Through Cloud

An Airbus A380 flies through cloud during a display flight at the Farnborough Airshow 2012

China Blocks More EADS Airbus Buys In EU Tax Row

China suspended approval for the purchase of 10 more Airbus jets as its fight with the European Union emissions charges escalates.

Chinese airlines sought approval to buy the A330 jetliners from the Toulouse, France-based plane manufacturer, but a continuing row over EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) put the $14 billion deal at risk as Beijing on Thursday suspended a purchase approval.

Under the ETS, airlines operating at an EU airport must hold carbon-offsetting credits as part of an effort to lower carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020.

The scheme has imposed on airlines billions of dollars in added costs.

Chinese authorities already withheld approvals for the purchase of 45 Airbus airliners.

Tensions over the ETS have sparked fears of an aviation trade war, as U.S., Indian and Russian airlines have all expressed dismay over the cap and trade rules.

Airlines are particularly exercised by the fact that the ETS scheme charges them for the entirety of a flight instead of just the fraction that occurs within EU airspace.

"There is a hellish battle going on behind the scenes," a senior French government official told the Journal. "We knew [the emissions levies] would provoke strident protests," the official said. "Now we're facing a real threat."

Chinese officials denied the reported block, saying the government hopes to reach a resolution via negotiations.

Some industry monitors fear Russia and India may react by imposing additional charges on airlines that fly through their airspace, even if they do not land within its territory.

"The threat of retaliation creates uncertainty in the business environment," said Victoria Moores, spokeswoman for the Association of European Airlines in Brussels. "We want to see concrete steps toward de-escalating this."

Airbus and DLR testing fuel cell technology to cut aircraft pollution and noise emissions

The goals of the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent, NOx emissions by 80 percent and noise cut by 50 percent by 2020 has seen aircraft manufacturers and airlines looking at alternative fuels such as biofuel.

While not feasible for powering the flight of the aircraft itself, Airbus has also been looking at the potential for fuel cell technology to power a number of aircraft functions, such as autonomous taxiing.

In 2008, Airbus, together with its research partner the German Aerospace Center (DLR), performed the first successful flight test of fuel cell technology where a fuel cell system provided power for the aircraft's back-up systems.

Airbus and DLR are now looking at the potential of fuel cell technology for powering other aircraft functions including autonomous taxiing.

A DLR designed technology demonstrator has been installed in a DLR owned A320 ATRA (Advanced Technology Research Aircraft) consisting of a fuel cell system powering two electric motors built into the rims of the aircraft nose wheel.

The 47-ton aircraft taxied around Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport propelled by an electric nose wheel on July 1st, 2011.

DLR says that an airliner fitted with a fuel cell-powered nose wheel would be able to move from its stand to the end of the runway without using its engines, thus allowing emissions produced in airports to be cut by up to roughly 18 percent and the noise during taxiing to be almost eliminated completely.

Although DLR is still working on detailed models of the potential savings at airports, Thorsten Mulhouse from the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance (Institut für Flugführung) says, "the potential saving at Frankfurt Airport from the use of electrically-driven nose wheels for Airbus A320 class aircraft is about 44 tons of kerosene per day."

Airbus and DLR testing fuel cell technology to cut aircraft pollution and noise emissions

ESA: CNES Airbus Zero-G Parabolic Flights

Airbus A400M Military transport plane test flight imminent

Airbus' long-delayed A400M military transport will make its first test flight during the week beginning December 7, "weather permitting", the European planemaker said Friday.

The A400M was to replace ageing military cargo carriers in several European air forces but its development has been dogged by a series of serious technical problems and its in service date has been pushed from 2009 to 2013.

Some governments have begun to tire of waiting for Airbus to resolve the issues, and French and German officials have given the firm until the end of the year to prove that the project remains viable.

"Ground tests of the first A400M are progressing satisfactorily at our facility. This allows us to anticipate a first flight in the week 50, weather permitting," said Airbus military chairman and managing director Domingo Urena.

When the 20-billion-euro (28-billion-dollar) A400M project began it was hoped that a first test flight would be held in 2008 and that air forces would have had the airframe in service by the end of this year.

There is now little hope that the first production models will be delivered by 2012 and none is expected on the world's battlefield airstrips until 2013.

The delays have cost millions and forced Airbus to renegotiate its contracts with several customers. South Africa has dropped its order entirely and Britain has mulled switching is business to US manufacturers.

Seven European countries -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey -- have ordered 180 planes between them, in most cases to replace ageing Transall and C130 Hercules transports.

Airbus 320 jet catches fire in Orly France

pa.press.net

Eight passengers have been injured evacuating an airliner which caught fire at Orly airport in Paris.

One engine on the Airbus 320 run by low-cost carrier Vueling burst into flames, as it taxied to take-off for Alicante in Spain.

An airport spokesman said the passengers were injured as they left the plane down emergency slides.

The aircraft went into reverse to disengage from the boarding ramp when one of the engines caught fire for unknown reasons, Helene Courcoul, chief of staff at the Val de Marne prefecture.

Eight people were slightly injured as they tried to slide down the emergency toboggans, she said.

They were treated by Orly airport medical personnel.

The 169 passengers and six crew were all evacuated. There was no damage to airport facilities or to other nearby aircraft. Airbus said it would have no comment for the time being.

Airbus plunged vertically into ocean at high speed

pa.press.net

The Air France Airbus which crashed into the Atlantic killing 228 people plunged vertically into the ocean intact and at high speed, investigators have said.

Alain Bouillard, leading the investigation into the crash on June 1 said the plane's speed sensors, called pitot tubes, were not the direct cause of the crash but a factor in it.

Announcing initial findings of the crash inquiry in Paris, he admitted: "Today we are very far from establishing the causes of the accident."

The Airbus A330-200 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris went down in a remote area of the Atlantic, 930 miles off Brazil's mainland and far from radar coverage.

The French investigation agency BEA called it one of history's most challenging plane crash investigations.

One of the automatic messages sent by the plane indicates it was receiving incorrect speed information from the external monitoring instruments, which could destabilise the its control systems. Experts have suggested those external instruments might have iced over.

Mr Bouillard said the plane "was not destroyed in flight".

"The plane seems to have hit the surface of the water on its flight trajectory with a strong vertical acceleration," he said, adding that investigators had found "neither traces of fire nor traces of explosives".

Mr Bouillard said life vests found among the wreckage were not inflated, suggesting the passengers were not prepared for a crash landing in the water. The pilots apparently also did not send any mayday calls.

A burst of automated messages emitted by the plane before it fell gave rescuers only a vague location to begin their search, which has failed to locate the plane's black boxes in the vast ocean.

The chances of finding the flight recorders are falling daily as the signals they emit fade. Without them, the full causes of the accident may never be known.

Airbus A340-600 Crash Site - Concealed?

A brand new Airbus A340-600 sits sparkling on the runway in Toulouse, France, awaiting inspection and approval by its new owners.



The Airbus A340-600 is the very pinnacle of luxury at a very high price. Around $200 million dollars before tax!



.....but who would not pay that kind of money for this level of luxury. It is head and shoulders above cut price pirates and Virgin Atlantic!



......but wait something seems to have happened to the aircraft. It seems suddenly bent out of shape? How can that be? Maybe its a camera trick or something.



No! This is one broken aircraft. Looking like Humpty Dumpty broken on the wall. How could that happen. Did someone leave the hand-brake off?



What's that you say? The new owner sent over an untrained crew and they put the engines in full throttle to test them and then disengaged the safety alarms.

This, effectively let off the brakes and the aircraft accelerated forward and crashed into the wall. Sssh! you cannot tell anyone because its a secret!

Apparently the owner, the crew (if they survived?) and EADS Airbus are very embarassed by the whole incident. Maybe that's why it didn't appear in the news. Are they still looking for the cause of the crash off Brazil? Did someone say they were flying too slow in the rain?

EADS Airbus (ESA) and Japan's JAXA unite

Europe's leading aerospace research developer and manufacturer for ESA has joined with the Japanese aerospace contractor JAXA in a joint programme of research and development.

Vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding evaluation and non-destructive inspection are two technologies to be evaluated under the first research agreement between EADS Airbus, the main aerospace contractor for the European Aerospace (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

An agreement for composites research, it is the first such co-operation between EADS Airbus and a Japanese aerospace agency. If successful it could lead to further agreements covering other technology areas.

"We are very proud to develop this partnership with Airbus and hope it is the starting point for a bright future. JAXA already has a long successful history with European research institutes, such as Onera and DLR. This agreement opens a new chapter in the relationship with Europe," says JAXA's aviation programme group executive director, Takashi Ishikawa.

It will also assist EADS in expanding its domination of the aerospace business but may cause a political rift with the emerging Chinese aerospace programme, allegedly.