Tag: deliver (Page 3 of 7)

Stadler to Deliver up to 504 Tram Trains to German Austrian Project Consortium

January 17, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Stadler has been awarded the largest contract in the company’s history with a total volume of up to four billion euros: it has won an international tender held jointly by six transport companies from Germany and Austria for up to 504 vehicles as part of the VDV Tram-Train project. In addition to vehicle production, the framework agreement also includes a maintenance contract lasting up to 32 years. Part of the framework agreement is a fixed order quantity of 246 CITYLINK vehicles representing a volume of around 1.7 billion euros. There is also an option to order up to 258 more vehicles.

The award of the contract marks the beginning of a long-standing partnership between Stadler and the project consortium, consisting of Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (VBK), Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (AVG), Saarbahn Netz, Schiene Oberösterreich, the State of Salzburg and Zweckverband Regional-Stadtbahn Neckar-Alb. Over the next ten years, Stadler will produce 246 CITYLINK vehicles for the six operators. The first four vehicles will be delivered to the Saarbahn in 2024.

All vehicles will be supplied in a three-part design. The length of the vehicles, the number of doors, the boarding and coupling height as well as the configuration of the CITYLINK versions will vary depending on the delivery location and the customer. All the vehicles will have certain features in common: they will be fitted with an HVAC system for the passenger compartments and driver’s cab, and have spacious multi-purpose areas with two wheelchair spaces that can be flexibly configured. The tram-trains will be individually equipped to suit the place of use. For example, the vehicles for the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft will have a toilet as well as facilities for cycle racks, while Schiene Oberösterreich has opted for luggage racks as an extra feature.

Providing one type of vehicle for six operators is unusual. “On the project team, we spent hours developing a common set of specifications. We defined a standard with up to five further versions to meet the operator- specific requirements such as boarding height, coating and place of use,” explains the overall project manager Thorsten Erlenkötter from Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe.

Boeing to Deliver Additional Chinook Helicopters to U.S. Army Special Operations

November 25, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing [NYSE: BA] will build six more MH-47G Block II Chinooks for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command as part of a $246.48 million contract.

Delivery of these aircraft are scheduled to start in 2023. With this additional order, Boeing is now under contract for 30 MH-47G Block II Chinooks, four of which have been delivered to date.

These aircraft will be the first to include the new Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem (APAS), a mission system that helps pilots execute more difficult maneuvers while improving safety and reliability of flight.

The MH-47G Block II Chinook also features improved structure and weight reduction initiatives like new lighter weight fuel pods that increase performance and efficiency.

Boeing has more than 4,600 Boeing employees in Pennsylvania supporting H-47 Chinook, V-22 Osprey, MH-139A Grey Wolf and a number of services and engineering efforts. Boeing’s presence, including suppliers and vendors, supports an estimated 16,000 total jobs in Pennsylvania.

Rolls-Royce Announces Funding Secured for Small Modular Reactors

November 8, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR.L) announced today that following a successful equity raise, the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business has today been established, to bring forward and deliver at scale the next generation of low cost, low carbon nuclear power technology.

Rolls-Royce Group, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited will invest £195m across a period of around three years. The funding will enable the business to secure grant funding of £210 million from UK Research and Innovation funding, first announced by the UK Prime Minister in ‘The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’. Today’s announcement is another step towards the delivery of the Government’s net zero strategy and its 10-point plan.

The business, which will continue to seek further investment, will now proceed rapidly with a range of parallel delivery activities, including entry to the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process and identifying sites for the factories which will manufacture the modules that enable on-site assembly of the power plants. Discussions will also continue with the UK Government on identifying the delivery models that will enable long-term investment in this vital, net-zero enabling technology. Rolls-Royce SMR is engaging with export customers across many continents who need this technology to meet their own net zero commitments.

Rolls-Royce SMR is using proven nuclear technology, coupled with a unique factory-made module manufacturing and on-site assembly system, to harness decades of British engineering, design and manufacturing knowhow. It brings together the best of UK industry to ensure a decarbonisation solution that will be available to the UK grid in the early 2030s. The potential for this to be a leading global export for the UK is unprecedented.

Nine-tenths of an individual Rolls-Royce SMR power plant will be built or assembled in factory conditions and around 80% could be delivered by a UK supply chain – a unique offering in energy infrastructure in the UK. Much of the venture’s investment is expected to be focused in the North of the UK, where there is significant existing nuclear expertise

A single Rolls-Royce SMR power station will occupy the footprint of two football pitches and power approximately one million homes. It can support both on-grid electricity and a range of off-grid clean energy solutions, enabling the decarbonisation of industrial processes and the production of clean fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and green hydrogen, to support the energy transition in the wider heat and transportation sectors.

Boeing Breaks Ground on New Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Facility in Jacksonville

October 28, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 28, 2021 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] today broke ground to begin construction of a new 370,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cecil Airport that, once complete, will support Boeing’s ability to deliver readiness outcomes for U.S. government customers.

The facility will include eight new hangars, additional work space and offices where Boeing maintainers, engineers and data analysts will support U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft. The facility’s close proximity to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Boeing’s Training Systems Center of Excellence in west Jacksonville, and local academic institutions make it a leading location for the development and delivery of innovative product support, underpinned by collaborative research and engineering.

The groundbreaking ceremony celebrates a 25-year lease agreement between Boeing and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). Under the agreement, the JAA will construct and lease to Boeing new facilities on approximately 30 acres located on the northeast side of Cecil Airport, near Boeing’s existing MRO site. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2023.

Since opening its existing MRO facilities at Cecil Airport in 1999, Boeing teammates have maintained, modified and upgraded 1,030 aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, including the F/A-18 A-D Hornet, F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The Boeing team at the site also converts F/A-18 Super Hornets into flight demonstration aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel squadron as well as modifies retired F-16s into the next generation of autonomous aerial targets for the U.S. Air Force. The facility is also home to a Flight Control Repair Center that provides structural repairs to F/A-18 A-F and EA-18G flight control surfaces.

Breeze Airways Unveils First of 80 Airbus A220’s on Order

October 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Mobile, Alabama, USA, October 26, 2021 – Breeze Airways (Breeze) unveiled its first of 80 A220-300 aircraft on order during a preview event at the Airbus A220 final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The aircraft is expected to be delivered to Breeze in the coming weeks.

Breeze’s A220-300 cabin is configured in a comfortable two-class 126 seat premium cabin layout comprising 36 business and 90 economy seats fitted with in-seat power and USB ports for all passengers.

Breeze will offer superior single-aisle comfort on board its brand new A220’s, such as the widest seats, the largest windows and more overhead stowage space per passenger.

The A220’s superior efficiency will support the new airline’s business objectives to deliver a great travel experience to its passengers, with low fares and high flexibility. Breeze is expected to provide non-stop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares – offering point-to-point flights from smaller secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.

Breeze started airline operations in May 2021. This first A220 is expected to enter service in Q2 2022.

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation geared turbofan engines. With a range of up to 3,450 nm (6,390 km), the A220 gives airlines added operational flexibility. The A220 delivers up to 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by 50% compared to previous generation aircraft – making the A220 a good neighbour around airports.

As of the end of September 2021, over 170 A220s have been delivered to 12 operators worldwide.

United Rotorcraft Awards Sikorsky Contract for Five S-70 Black Hawk Helicopters

August 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado – August 26, 2021 – United Rotorcraft, an Air Methods Corporation division, has awarded Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), a contract for five S-70 Black Hawk helicopters. The bulk order will enable United Rotorcraft, as the only company authorized by Sikorsky to modify Black Hawk aircraft to the FIREHAWK configuration, to quickly deliver these new production aircraft for aerial firefighting in support of public agencies battling increasingly destructive wildland fires.

Sikorsky will produce the five S-70 Black Hawk aircraft at Lockheed Martin’s PZL Mielec manufacturing line in Poland. Deliveries to United Rotorcraft’s 55,000+ square foot completions facility in Colorado are expected between early 2022 and mid-2023. The first aircraft received will be configured as a FIREHAWK helicopter for the State of Colorado, which announced its contract with United Rotorcraft on Aug. 16.

To modify a Black Hawk helicopter to the Firehawk configuration, United Rotorcraft installs and integrates a 1,000-gallon (3,785-liter) external water tank system to the aircraft’s belly. Fingertip controls allow pilots to drop the precise amount of water with high accuracy and refill the tank via a retractable snorkel in 60 seconds or less while hovering 10 feet over a water source. United Rotorcraft works hand in hand with public agencies to further customize the aircraft, as needed, from communications and navigation systems, to cabin interiors, transforming the FIREHAWK into a true multi-mission aircraft, with the ability to transport up to 12 firefighters, provide medical care on board, or perform search and rescue operations.

Thirteen S-70 FIREHAWK helicopters currently fighting fires across California are operated by CALFIRE, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and San Diego Fire Rescue Department. Five more contracted aircraft are on the way.

Boeing Awarded Contract to Deliver 14 Chinook Helicopters to the Royal Air Force

June 22, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Boeing [NYSE: BA] a $578 million Foreign Military Sales contract approved by the U.S. Department of State to deliver 14 extended-range Chinook helicopters to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF).

The extended range Chinook gives the RAF fleet more versatility to execute the domestic and international heavy-lift missions that only the Chinook can facilitate.

Boeing and the RAF recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first Chinook delivery to the UK. Boeing will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Chinook’s first flight later this year.

The United Kingdom will be the first international operator of a Block II Chinook. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2026.

Boeing has more than 4,600 employees in Pennsylvania supporting the Chinook, the V-22 Osprey, the MH-139A Grey Wolf and a number of services and engineering efforts. Including suppliers and vendors, Boeing’s activities support an estimated 16,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.

The Chinook fleet for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) supports more than 450 highly skilled jobs across the UK. Boeing colleagues provide maintenance and services support at Gosport, MOD Boscombe Down, and are embedded alongside the military at RAF Odiham.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.

Airbus Delivers 100th A400M

May 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Seville, 25 May 2021 – Airbus has reached 100 deliveries of its A400M aircraft with MSN111, the tenth for the Spanish Air Force. The aircraft performed its ferry flight on 24^th May from Seville to Zaragoza, where the Spanish A400M fleet is based. In the same week, the A400M global fleet also achieved the 100,000 flight-hours landmark performing missions worldwide for all eight customer nations.

All A400M operators have been able to operate the aircraft intensively for Covid-19 emergency response missions, as well as conduct joint, collaborative operations. These milestones clearly demonstrate the maturity of the A400M programme on all fronts.

New capabilities

Recently the A400M successfully conducted a major helicopter air-to-air refuelling certification flight test campaign in coordination with the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments), completing the majority of its certification objectives, including the first simultaneous refueling of two helicopters.

The A400M is already able to drop up to 116 paratroopers, via simultaneous dispatch from the side doors with automatic parachute opening, or from the ramp with automatic parachute opening or in freefall, day and night. Recent tests were completed in Spain, in collaboration with the UK Royal Air Force parachute test team, to expand up to 25,000 feet (7,600 metres) for automatic parachute opening – and up to 38,000ft (11,582 metres) for free fall.

The A400M also completed additional tests to expand its air drop capability, including multiple platforms with parachute extraction (23 tonnes). France and Spain participated in these flights. Another way to deliver cargo on austere airstrips without handling equipment was also certified: Combat offload of up to 19 tonnes of pallets (one pass) or 25 tonnes (two passes) on paved or unpaved airstrips.

The A400M also achieved a new decisive milestone after the certification flights of its Automatic Low Level Flight capability for Instrumental Meteorological Conditions (IMC). Using navigation systems and terrain databases, without the need of a terrain-following radar, this is a first for a military transport aircraft. This makes the aircraft less detectable in hostile areas and less susceptible to threats while conducting operations in hostile environments.

In operation

In terms of collaborative missions, the Spanish Air Force supported the French Armée de l´Air in the transport of a Caracal helicopter from Cazaux (France) to Tucson (USA), using a Spanish A400M. The flight was used by CLAEX (Spanish Logistics Center for Armament and Experimentation) and CECTA (Air Transport Cargo Evaluation Cell) to validate the loading process on Spanish A400Ms.

Key military missions last year included the delivery of almost 40 tonnes of food, water, fuel and ammunition by a single French A400M to troops based in the Sahel region of Africa, the first A400M to airdrop supplies in a country outside of Europe.

In addition, Germany became the first A400M customer to use the A400M as a tanker in real missions providing support in the “Counter Daesh” operation in Jordan.

Life-saving medevac missions during COVID-19

2020 and 2021 also saw the use of the A400M in civil emergency response roles during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, not least for civil medical evacuation (medevac) duties – with Airbus providing critical support for air force operators – as well as for transporting key medical relief supplies. The versatility of the aircraft also allowed a rapid conversion to medevac configuration, where installed critical care modules provided airborne intensive care units.

With the maturity, versatility and unique capabilities proven in operations all around the world, A400M is proving to be a game changer for military airlift and humanitarian missions in the 21^st century.

Lockheed Martin to Deliver Sweden World’s Most Advanced Air Defense Missile

May 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Lockheed Martin successfully delivered Sweden’s first Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors in April, providing the country with the world’s most advanced air defense missile that uses Hit-to-Kill technology to defend against incoming threats.

U.S. and Swedish officials formalized an agreement for Sweden to purchase PAC-3 MSE interceptors and related support equipment in August 2018.

The PAC-3 MSE’s revolutionary two-pulse solid rocket motor provides increased performance in both altitude and range while employing the same proven Hit-to-Kill technology that the PAC-3 CRI missile uniquely brings to the Patriot system.

Dassault Aviation Launches The Falcon 10X

May 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Saint-Cloud, France, May 06, 2021 – Dassault Aviation today announced an all-new Falcon jet that will deliver a level of comfort, versatility and technology unmatched by any purpose-built business jet. Featuring a range of 7,500 nautical miles, the Falcon 10X will fly nonstop from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney, Hong Kong to New York or Paris to Santiago. Top speed will be Mach 0.925.

The Falcon 10X is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2025.

The 10X will have the biggest and most comfortable cabin on the market and offer greater modularity than any other aircraft in its class, with a selection of multiple interior configurations. The 10X is large enough to accommodate four cabin zones of equal length but owners can configure their cabin to create a truly customized interior, including for example, an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.

The 10X will have a cabin cross section larger than some regional jets. Its cabin will be 6-feet, 8-inches (2.03 m) tall and 9 feet, 1 inch wide (2.77 m). That will make it almost 8 inches (20 cm) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the widest and tallest purpose-built business jet flying today.

Pressurization will also be the best on the market, with passengers experiencing a 3,000-foot cabin pressure altitude while flying at 41,000 feet. A next-generation filtration system will provide 100-percent pure air. The aircraft will be at least as quiet as the Falcon 8X, currently the quietest business jet in service.

The 10X will feature an entirely new fuselage with extra-large windows—nearly 50 percent larger than those on the Falcon 8X. Thirty-eight windows will line the fuselage making for the brightest cabin in business aviation.

The high-speed wing will be made of carbon fiber composites for maximum strength, reduced weight and minimum drag. Tailored for speed and efficiency, the very-high aspect ratio wing will be equipped with advanced, retractable high-lift devices offering superior maneuverability at low approach speeds.

The twin-engine aircraft will be powered by business aviation’s most advanced and efficient engine, the in-development Rolls Royce Pearl® 10X. The 10X is the latest, largest and most powerful version of the Pearl series, delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust.

The Falcon 10X’s flight deck will set a new standard in intuitive design, with touch screens throughout the cockpit. A next-generation Digital Flight Control System, derived directly from Dassault’s latest military technology, will provide an unprecedented level of flying precision and protection, including a revolutionary, new single-button recovery mode.

A single smart throttle will serve as the primary power control, connecting both engines to the Digital Flight Control System which will automatically manage the power of each engine as needed in different flight scenarios.

Thanks to Dassault’s breakthrough FalconEye® combined vision system—the first to offer both enhanced and synthetic vision capabilities—combined with dual HUDs able to serve as primary flight displays, the 10X will be capable of operating in essentially zero ceiling/visibility conditions.

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