It is possible to hide an aircraft in plain sight. Ask most people how many four engined aircraft Airbus has produced and the typical answer is two; the A340 and the A380. The correct answer is three, the differences between the A340-200/300 and A340-500/600 are such that they are by any standards different aircraft, despite similar appearances. Compared to the baseline A340-200/300, the A340-500/600 has: Newer, larger, heavier, more efficient and more powerful engines from a different supplier. A new wing of increased span, sweep and area. Enlarged vertical and horizontal tailplanes. Modified landing gear with extra wheels. Fuselage lengthened Continue Reading
politics
Russia Does Not Start Designing New Super Transport
Over the past few days Russian media sites such as Sputnik and Russia Today have been reporting on plans for a new super-heavy transport aircraft for the Russian Air Force, under the title “PAK-TA”. There were conflicting statements about the specifications, although the aircraft would undoubtedly be huge, carrying 200T+ of cargo over 7000km (4350 miles). However what stood out most was the unusual design presented in all the articles. It is unclear why the design is coming from the Volga-Dnepr (a specialist cargo-charter airline), when other sources claim that Ilyushin (an actual design bureau) will be designing the aircraft. What is however Continue Reading
Dassault Mercure: The Right Range in the Wrong Plane
In 1967 aircraft manufacturer Dassault, with support from the French government, embarked on the design and construction of a new narrow-body airliner to compete with the American Boeing 737 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliners. When the first prototype flew four years later, it could carry 20 passengers more than the Boeing 737 despite using the same engines. The aircraft seemed well-placed to become a serious European competitor in the short-haul market, fifteen years before the Airbus A320 first flew. Instead the Mercure was one of the greatest commercial failures in aviation history. Dassault managed to sell only eleven aircraft (including Continue Reading