Après  l’A400M et le Boeing B 787 Dreamliner, c’était au tour de l’hélicoptère EC175, développé conjointement par Eurocopter et le chinois, d’effectuer son premier vol  d’essai. Les deux groupes escomptent vendre 800 exemplaires de cet appareil civil pour lequel ils ont investi 300 millions d’euros chacun dans le cadre  d’un partenariat 50-50. Eurocopter annonce avoir déjà engrangé 114 commandes fermes et promet une première livraison fin 2012.  Les deux alliés espèrent réaliser un chiffre d’affaires annuel de 600 millions d’euros en rythme de croisière sur ce programme.

Ce premier vol marque le coup d’envoi de la campagne de certification de cet hélicoptère  de 7 tonnes spécialisé dans le transport entre les continents et les plates-formes pétrolières et gazières offshore, les missions de sauvetage ou le transport VIP. L’EC 175, baptisé Z 15 en Chine, complète la gamme des appareils d’Eurocopter en s’intercalant entre la famille Dauphin (4 à 5 tonnes) et celle des Super Puma, (9 à 11 tonnes).

EC175, the latest member of the Eurocopter range, today performed its official maiden flight in the skies above Marignane. At the controls were Alain Di Bianca, Eurocopter Experimental Test Pilot, as well as Michel Oswald and Patrick Bremont, Flight Test Engineers. Officials, industrial partners, launch customers and Eurocopter employees were all on hand for the event. This newest addition to the Eurocopter family in the 7-metric-ton class has been developed and manufactured in cooperation with the China Aeronautics Industries Group Corp. (AVIC),a longstanding Eurocopter partner.

“It’s an immense pleasure to see the EC175 soaring through the skies,” declared Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling. “This helicopter was developed in close cooperation with our customers to ensure it would be perfectly suited to their needs—particularly in terms of safety and comfort. This is the product everyone’s been waiting for on the civil market. I would like to congratulate and thank our colleagues from China, all our personnel who invested so much time and effort in this project, and, of course, our industrial partners. Their combined efforts have made it possible for the EC175 to perform its maiden flight right on schedule, that’s to say exactly four years after the program was launched, which is a real technological wizardry. “

The new generation EC175 has a multirole design and can carry out a wide scope of civil missions. It slots perfectly into the Eurocopter range between the AS365 Dauphin (4/5 metric tons) and the AS332/EC225 Super Puma (9/11 metric tons) families. It benefits from a mix of proven and advanced technologies, making it a very performing and reliable helicopter. Depending on its configuration, it can hold up to 16 passengers. A total of 114 EC175s have already been ordered by 14 different customers. Certification of the EC175 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is slated for 2011, and the first deliveries are scheduled to follow in 2012. Eurocopter expects to sell 800 EC175s over the next twenty years, creating nearly 2000 new direct and indirect jobs.

Cooperation
The EC175 program was launched on December 5, 2005. The helicopter was developed in cooperation with Chinese industry in just four years thanks to innovative new computing tools that offer major time savings. The work teams, separated by some 10,000 km, have been working together under the aegis of the French and Chinese governments. Their cooperation has been exemplary, and has benefitted from 30 years of close ties between the partners, first through the Dauphin and then through the EC120. During the development phase, an average of 50 Chinese employees joined their Eurocopter colleagues in France to define the helicopter’s characteristics. Now it’s the turn of Eurocopter’s employees to reciprocate, and a staff of 30 is currently on permanent assignment in China to assist the teams with design, quality, production and procurement work.

The development and industrialization work has been equally split between Eurocopter and AVIC according to the specialties of each company. Two different helicopters will result from the common platform: The EC175 manufactured, sold and maintained by Eurocopter in Marignane and the Z15, manufactured, sold and maintained by the AVIC Group.

Missions
The EC175 is a medium-lift twin-engine helicopter that can perform many different civil missions. Initially designed for the oil & gas industry to carry work teams to the platforms, it meets the strictest safety and availability requirements that have become a must for operators in the industry.

The helicopter is also being developed for missions such as search and rescue and emergency medical transport, and can also meet the needs of the commercial aviation industry for VIP and corporate transport.

Technical characteristics
The EC175 benefits from the most cutting-edge technology available. It is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67E engines with dual-channel new generation Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC). With its completely new avionics, the EC175 has an effective and easy-to-use man machine interface, which considerably reduces the pilot workload. Both the pilot and co-pilot can therefore concentrate more fully on their missions. The EC175 is indeed equipped with a full screen cockpit and a digital four-axis Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) that outperforms any other automatic pilot system on the market. It also has a five-blade Spheriflex main rotor and an airframe that complies with the most stringent certification requirements.

The EC175 offers the widest cabin of any helicopter in its category, which provides an unmatched level of comfort. The aircraft can be boarded easily using the wide sliding doors on either side of the fuselage and the immense baggage compartment is also accessible from both sides of the helicopter. All very large windows offer a great visibility and can be jettisoned so that passengers and crew can quickly exit the helicopter in the event of an emergency.

The EC175 has also been designed to reduce vibration levels to a minimum; its blade design has taken forward the concepts that have proven so successful on the EC155 and EC225. Special care has been taken to reduce both internal and external noise levels to make the EC175 the quietest helicopter in its class, offering levels well below the limits recently established by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Eurocopter Cecile Vion-Lanctuit

Em questões de sorte (vulgo fadário), o português é exímio na sua utilização. Com pouca ou muita sorte, toda a gente tem a dita, nem que seja uma  única vez.

E por mais negra que seja a estrada da vida, a arte popular arranja sempre um bom uso para a sorte:

• O morto teve muita sorte! podia ficar aleijado ou paraplégico para toda a vida…
• Teve muita sorte o desgraçado… perdeu um braço mas podia ter perdido dois…
• Isso é que foi sorte …. o carro vai p’ra sucata mas ele teve cá uma sorte, não se aleijou…

Mas por norma a sorte dos infelizes não lhes atinge as alcunhas. Até porque na maioria, os tais sortudos despedem-se da vida.  No entanto, – o meu Pai - foi um excepção bafejada pela sorte na atribuição de alcunha.

Manuel  Nujo era muito conhecido cá na aldeia pelo “Pouca Sorte”. Estou convicto que a maioria dos que o chamava pela alcunha não lhe conheciam a história.

O Manuel Nujo, homem de um emprego só – os transportes públicos -, cobrador do José Maria dos Santos  e mais tarde da AVIC Mondego, não tinha paciência nem grande habilidade para jogos, quanto mais de cartas.

Manuel Nujo à esquerda acompanhado do Sr Artur, o motorista

Mas nestas coisas do jogo, há sempre uma primeira vez, e essa aconteceu em Vila Pouca de Cernache em casa do “Ti Adoro”. A habilidade ao jogo era proporcional à sorte e às derrotas que ia coleccionando em simultâneo  com  os lamentos de  pouca sorte. Os parceiros ao jogo, acharam  tanta graça às piadas do momento que o baptizaram de “O Pouca Sorte”, alcunha que se perpetuou até aos nossos dias.

(MENAFN – Khaleej Times) Emirates Airline, the Arab world’s largest carrier, will increase its purchase of Airbus A380 aircraft beyond the 58 super-jumbos it has booked so far, in spite of delayed deliveries of planes it has already ordered, the Dubai-based airline’s chairman said on Wednesday. Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the airline would not cancel any of the A380s it has ordered and hinted that the airline might even take over some A380 orders from other airlines that are seeking to postpone their own scheduled deliveries. “We are always one of the first-movers to take advantage of the market,” Shaikh Ahmed said. He said that some A380 deliveries had been delayed for “just a short period,” without being specific about the extent of the delays or the number of planes affected. Speaking to the media at a Press conference ahead of the Dubai Airshow, Shaikh Ahmed, who is also the President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Dubai Airports, declined to disclose the amount of compensation Emirates is seeking from Airbus for the delays.

However, he indicated that the airline would raise the issue of compensation in its discussions with Airbus at the Dubai Airshow, which starts on Sunday. Emirates so far has received five of the 58 super-jumbos it has ordered from the European plane-maker. The airline expects better revenues in the second half of the year, Shaikh Ahmed said, adding that “it should be a very good year for us.” Emirates posted a 165 per cent rise in first-half profits to nearly $205 million earlier this month, thanks to lower operating costs. Revenues, meanwhile, fell by 13.5 per cent during the period. Shaikh Ahmed’s comments follow remarks by Emirates’ President Tim Clark at the World Travel Market in London on Tuesday, in which Clark said that the airline’s route expansion plans would be affected next year due to delayed deliveries of its A380. Clark said the delivery setback would affect “one or two” of the 15 A380s the airline was originally scheduled to receive by June of next year. “We should have had 15 aircraft by June 2010. We are getting two in December and then the remaining eight between January and November next year, so one or two are being pushed back,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Dubai Airshow organisers, meanwhile, said that 890 companies from 47 countries would exhibit at the five-day event, an increase over the previous event in 2007, when it attracted 850 exhibitors. To date, 150 new-to-market exhibitors from 20 countries will make their debut at the biennial event, and up to 50,000 visitors are expected, said Alison Weller, director of F&E Aerospace, the air show organiser. The growth in exhibitor numbers attests to the confidence the aerospace industry continues to show in the Middle East, and in the UAE in particular, Weller said. About 130 aircraft will be displayed in a static park, including the 14 aircraft types participating in daily flying displays.

 The airshow runs from November 15 to 19. The display will feature the Italian Airforce’s Frecce Tricolori and Patrouille de France aerobatic teams. They will be joined by a US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, a Eurofighter Typhoon of the UK’s Royal Air Force and ane L-15 Falcon jet trainer from China-based AVIC, the first time a Chinese-manufactured trainer is being sent to an international airshow. By Issac John

 

A China está a tentar vender os seus aviões Chengdu FC-1/JF-17 e J-10 no mercado internacional. Os clientes que estão a ser alvo de um marketing mais agressivo são os aliados internacionais da China e outros com menos ligações ao gigante asiático, mas interessados em aviões de combate modernos, mas a preços inferiores aos de um caça ocidental.

A primeira prioridade nas exportações está a ser dada ao JF-17, um avião extensamente usado na China e no Paquistão. O avião é produto de um desenvolvimento comum entre os dois países, e o Paquistão prometeu comprar 150 aparelhos, fabricados localmente, mas há planos para duplicar este número, substituindo a frota paquistanesa de Nanchang A-5s, Chengdu F-7s e até de Dassault Mirage III e Mirage Vs.

O JF-17 pode transportar bombas convencionais ou de precisão e mísseis ar-ar ou ar-mar.

Segundo responsáveis da AVC (Chengdu), o “J-10 ainda não está pronto para a exportação, porque a AVIC ainda está a atualizar o caça”, mas há vários países interessados, entre os quais a Nigéria e o Irão e quando a AVC terminar a versão J-10B. O J-10B vai incluir um novo estabilizador vertical, uma nova entrada de para o reator, um novo radar e um sensor de infravermelhos otimizado.

Embora os rumor sobre o interesse iraniano e nigeriano seja já antigo e remonte praticamente aos primeiros anos de uso do avião a verdade é que pela proximidade e alianças antigas, o Paquistão é que será o primeiro cliente, acreditando-se que está pronto para comprar 36 J-10B, que deverão começar a ser entregues a partir de 2014.

Entre a nova estratégia de marketing que Pequim está agora a seguir para vender estes aparelhos estão métodos usados pelo Ocidente estão empréstimos e construção ou montagem local, desde que exista o número suficiente de encomendas.

Fonte:http://movv.org/

AirInsight has released a report entitled “The Coming Aerospace Squeeze – a review of commercial aircraft programs in Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and Russia.”  This report summarizes current and planned aircraft programs in each of these countries and the potential impact of those programs on the commercial aerospace market.

This may be purchased at the IAG Bookstore.

Authored by noted analysts Ernest S. Arvai, Scott Hamilton and Addison Schonland, the report provides insight into emerging programs ranging from the five countries, including China’s COMAC C919, Japan’s Kawasaki YPX, Canada’s CSeries and Russia’s UAC MS-21, and their potential impact on Boeing and Airbus.  The 57-page study also examines the new regional jet programs: China’s ARJ21, Japan’s MRJ and Russia’s Superjet, and the impacts faced by the four current players, Airbus Boeing, Embraer, and Bombardier, to meet this new competition.

Among the conclusions in the study:

• Airbus and Boeing currently have about an 88% market share in the 100- to 200-seat single-aisle market segment. This market share could be cut in half to about 40% if market forecasts offered by the emerging competitors bear any relationship to reality.
• Technology transfers by the current Big 4—Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer—are enabling these new competitors.
• Airbus and Boeing will likely choose to re-engine their stalwart A320 and 737 families as an interim solution to meeting the new competition, while continuing to develop advanced-technology replacement for introduction in the 2020 decade.
• The sub-70 seat regional jet market is rapidly losing attractiveness.  Bombardier is considering larger turboprops and Mitsubishi is considering a larger version of its MRJ.
• Embraer faces a tough decision about what to do with its E-Jet series, which is still relatively new to market, to meet the competition from Bombardier’s CSeries.

“Boeing and Airbus are feeding the hand that will come back to bite them” said co-author Ernest S. Arvai, of The Arvai Group, Inc., who indicated that “technology transfer to emerging aerospace countries is enabling new competitors who will each take a piece of the market.  Our projections indicate that the 100-200 seat market shared by Airbus and Boeing with an 88% market share today could see that share fall to nearly 40% if all of the new competitors are successful and achieve their market goals.  While that is unlikely, a significant market share shift will occur over the next two decades, and additional industry capacity will have an impact on the supply/demand balance, pricing and margins.”

“New entrants for the 150-seat market segment in China, Russia and potentially Japan will have an impact on Airbus and Boeing,” said co-author Scott Hamilton of Leeham Co. LLC. “While we don’t expect these programs to be particularly successful outside the home markets, these domestic sales will significantly eat into the market shares of Airbus and Boeing.  To compete effectively, Airbus and Boeing will need to re-engine their current models around 2015, and introduce break-through technology in the 2020-2024 time frame to leap-frog these emerging competitors.”

“For the first time, a new generation of engine technology will be introduced by firms other than Airbus or Boeing, as the geared turbo-fan from Pratt & Whitney will launch with the Bombardier CSeries.  While aerodynamics and materials have an impact on performance, engine technology is the primary driver for economic improvements, and the new international competitors will for the first time have the most efficient airplanes,” said co-author Addison Schonland of Innovation Analysis Group.

The report examines a number of new programs in detail, including the E-Jets and future developments from Embraer, the CRJ-1000 and CSeries from Bombardier, the ARJ-21 and C919 from China, Mitsubishi MRJ and Kawasaki YPX from Japan and the Sukhoi Superjet 100 and UAC MS-21 from Russia.

About AirInsight

AirInsight is a joint venture providing in-depth analysis and studies of emerging trends in commercial aviation and regular podcasts on key day-to-day-issues. AirInsight also provides a portal to acquire reports and studies by leading industry analysts and companies. See http://www.iag-inc.com/store1.html for a listing of available reports.

Contacts:

Ernest S. Arvai

+1.603.894.0000

Scott Hamilton

+1.425.392.1160

Addison Schonland

+1.858.536.9900

I am a “lucky” owner of the navigation system AVIC-HD3 produced by the vendor Pioneer.

First of all, when I bought the device it was in its original package. That means: brand new, no damages, nothing to criticize. At first sight the device suggests quality, stability and a good  developed software, but after using it for a while I felt myself in a trap.

The only thing the device is good at is “good looking”. This good looking and animated user interface is the trap for the customer. Today, when I would have the opportunity to buy a new navigation system my one and only answer would be “TomTom”. Nothing else! But this is another topic,….

Well, back to the nice device AVIC-HD3. What is the reason to not buy any navigation system of the vendor Pioneer?

This device:

• is not able to sync correctly
  • The minimum amount of time it needs for synchronizing is about  5-10 min. The worst case was: I reached my destination and it still tried to sync. And yes, the GPS signal quality was well!
  • The synchronizing algorithm the developers used makes me sometimes giggling, while driving to work. Instead of using the incoming GPS data for jumping to the correct location, the device “guesses” and “corrects” to the next possible street in the map. That’s a  kind of “trial and error” syncing

• cannot store radio stations permanently
  • Hell yeah, the device can show me the current title of a song, playing on the radio. I am able to store that title, pressing 5 sec a button, but why can I not store the frequency of the radio station instead? Any cheap 10 years old radio can do that. But not such an expensive device? Why?

• is not able to learn routes
  • In the configuration menu a setting called “learn route” exists. I wanted to be sure and read the manual. Yes, it was what I assumed. Before starting to drive I turned the feature on and before I drove back I turned it off. Normally it should prefer the new learned route for the way back home. I was not surprised, when I saw it preferring me the old, stupid way. I thought: “hmm, maybe it needs to learn every direction separately”. Stupid idea, but why not. I tried it with the same result. My conclusion is: It seems to be a dummy button, just for pressing and hoping.

• has a really bad menu structure
  • Even an IT guy like me has problems while browsing the settings. Many important settings are hidden under sub-sub-sub-sub menus and are located not logically. Normally a well developed interface must provide an intuitive and simple usage.

• cannot transfer MP3 files directly
  • The device can play MP3 files from CD but when you think about transferring them to the internal HDD. Good idea but no way! You have to burn your MP3 files as an AUDIO-CD and let the device rip it again into the internal HDD.
• is too expensive for the less (not working) features it provides
• cannot calculate an alternative route without using motorways
• needs a Bug-fix, which is still not available

Finally, why should someone pay so much money for such a device? I made a mistake don’t do the same!

Maybe there are other AVIC-HD3 owners out there. You’re welcome to add your opinion regarding this device.

Technology is awesome.

What more needs to be added to that statement?  I recently upgraded my factory stereo in my ride to a more tricked out version with some features that would make the daily commute a lot more enjoyable.

Plus, there is an USB adapter to plug in music...

With the amount of traffic that I have to sit in, the ability to have my choice of music is critical.  Plus, I am up to date on sports and weather and other travel routes.  The GPS feature was one that made this a must-do.  If you are a procrastinator like me, you have to know exactly where you are going.  GPS makes that all worthwhile.  But now, according to the Guardian, we are about to be up shit creek without a paddle, due to all the people like me, who are rushing to buy this tech…

Source: Xinhua
Date: 30 March 2009

The United States must reassess its control over hi-tech exports, University of Oregon professor emeritus Richard P. Suttmeier told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission on Tuesday.
Whether the controls strike the right balance between promoting trade in industries in which it enjoys comparative advantages and protecting strategic technologies is questionable, the professor said at the commission’s hearing on China’s industrial policy and its impact on the US economy.
He called for special attention to “deemed exports”, or the movement of technology developed by foreign researchers working with US companies, universities or government laboratories.
“Chinese industrial policy need not lead us into a zero-sum game,” Suttmeier said, “especially if we recognize that the challenges from China have less to do with Chinese industrial policy than with our failures to solve chronic problems keeping our nation from reaching its potential.”
Because of US export controls, China either seeks technology from other suppliers or employs a policy of developing its own technology.
The businesspeople, scholars and journalists at the hearing found fault with China’s economic strategy of nurturing indigenous innovation and called for more government involvement to revive the US’ hi-tech economy.
In February, China unveiled plans to bolster 10 pillar industries most severely impacted by the economic crisis. They are the automobile, steel, shipbuilding, machinery-manufacturing, electronics, information, textile and petrochemical sectors.

China's J-10

Source: Xinhua
Date: 27 March 2009

China’s largest aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), opened a defense branch Thursday in Beijing in an effort to make the company a first-class, worldwide manufacturer of aerial defense products.
The branch will take over most of the military-related business done by AVIC such as building combat aircraft, including China’s own third generation fighter J-10.
In addition, the defense branch will primarily develop and make training aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
It will also conduct research and manufacture business jets as well as sell its products internationally, a statement released by AVIC on Thursday said.
The defense branch, an integration of relevant departments within the corporation, will be an independent accounting unit of AVIC with total assets of nearly 50 billion yuan (7.35 billion U.S. dollars).
It has been authorized to manage AVIC’s 10 assembly plants and research institutes which are scattered in several cities across China such as Shenyang, Chengdu, Changsha and Shanghai.
The company has approximately 60,000 employees and a rough annual sales revenue of 30 billion yuan (4.4 billion U.S. dollars).
It has also exported more than 1,000 aircraft overseas and cooperated with foreign aviation makers to develop civilian planes.
“We are trying to become a world leading defense products supplier by expanding our overseas market for export,” Wang Yawei, general manager of the defense branch, told Xinhua Thursday.
According to Wang, the branch will promote AVIC’s L-15 Falcon, a supersonic training aircraft, and FC-1 Fierce Dragon, a light-weight multipurpose fighter, for export.
As for civilian products, AVIC is determined to develop, build and, if possible, export corporate jets.
China split the state-owned AVIC into AVIC I and AVIC II in 1999 in an effort make it more competitive in the global market.
However, the two parts were merged together in November of last year by the Chinese government to build up the aviation giant.
Currently, AVIC owns 22 listed companies in China.

Source: Xinhua
Date: 25 March 2009

China’s CITIC Bank has granted a 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) credit line to the national aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), state media reported on Monday.
The credit line is part of a partnership between the two that will also see CITIC provide investment bank and asset management services to AVIC, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
“Aviation is a strategic industry for our country’s development, and the restructuring of AVIC has given CITIC Bank a vast opportunity for business cooperation,” an unnamed bank official was quoted as saying.
AVIC was created last year out of a merger of two state aircraft makers with sights set on big projects, including a locally developed regional jet, to reduce China’s reliance on Boeing and Airbus.
Combined 2008 sales for the two companies that merged were 166 billion yuan ($24.3 billion) in 2008, compared with $60.1 billion for Boeing.

Nos mercados orientais, desde que a Russia abriu o mercado de aeronaves para os ocidentais, as fábricas orientais perderam força na área civil. Mas agora, os chineses e russos estão contra-atacando. Os chineses lançaram o ARJ-21, um concorrente para o mercado de aeronaves regionais, que agora tem exceso de concorrencia. O ARJ-21 é uma copia do MD-95, que os chineses fabricaram sob licença da Mcdonnell Douglas. Ele já teve o roll-out realizado e voará em breve. Com capacidade para 90 a 105 passageiros(depende do modelo), a aeronave é equipada com motores da GE e usa uma configuração um tanto o quanto bizarra: 3 + 2 cadeiras por fileira. A Russia também entrou no mercado de aeronaves regionais com o Sukhoi SuperJet. Ele se parece com um E-jet(da Embraer) e conta com a parceria de várais empresas ocidentais, para suprote pós-vendas e consultoria, como a Boeing e a Alenia. Os motores também vem de uma parceria entre os Russos com a Snecma(que é dona de 50% da CFM internacional). A aeronave transporta entre 78 a 98 passageiros, também na configuração 3 + 2. Os Russo também estão se mostrando mais ousados com um projeto para um jato que irá concorrer diretamente com o 737 e A320: o MS-21(ou MC-21). Ele terá alcance, tamanho e capacidade comparavéis ao 737, com glass cockpit.

Será que os Orientais vão entrar na guerra aeronautica?

Source: Pakistan State News
Date: 8 March 2009

With singing of an agreement between Pakistan Air Force and Chinese firm CATIC the serial production of JF‑17 (Thunder) aircraft would start soon. The agreement between PAF and CATIC on the basis of “seller’s credit” was reached at a ceremony held here Saturday, whereby 42 fighter jets would be joitly produced for the use of PAF.
The agreement was signed on behalf of PAF by Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Air Marshal Khalid Chaudary and President CATIC MA Zhiping which was witnessed by Chief of the Air Staff PAF Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed and Ambassador of China to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui besides other senior officials from both the parties.
Under the agreement the lot of 42 aircraft would be co‑manufactured by China and Pakistan and later these would be inducted in the PAF’s fleet.
Talking to media, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed congratulated the peoples and governments of Pakistan and China on conduction of successful tests and trails of the most modern aircraft of its class and signing of agreement for start of their serial production.
He said “despite all odds we have been successful to reach the stage of starting serial production of the aircraft. In the beginning we will produce 15 aircraft annually and their number will increase to 30 in a year ‑ this programme will be carried out in phases,” he said.
He said first squadron of these highest quality fighter jets would be inducted in the PAF’s fleet by mid of this year as PAF has already been using 8 jointly produced aircraft for the last couple of years.
This fleet would be raised in Peshawar, he added.
About the delivery of AWACS system to Pakistan, he said that agreement had already been reached with a Chinese firm which would start its delivery by 2010.
On the delivery of first AWACS system Pakistan would pay 10 % cost of the aircraft while the rest would be paid on easy installments basis, he said.
Answering a question, he said the agreement between Pakistan and China for the delivery of High‑Tech aircraft J‑10 was intact and these aircraft after improving them further would be delivered to PAF in 2014‑15. He said these aircraft are being modernized in accordance with the PAF’s requirements and delivered under the title of FC‑20.
President CATIC MA Zhiping told the media “first aircraft under this agreement would fly in the Pakistani air during this year.”
He said the joint venture between CATIC and PAF will go a long way forward in the aviation history.
Ambassador of China to Pakistan LUO Zhaohui said the JF‑17 fighter jet is another milestone achieved in furthering the bilateral relations between the nations of Pakistan and China. “It is a big day for both the countries,” he said.
He made special mention of Pakistan’s support to China on different issues of world repute and said the whole Chinese nation is thankful and mindful of Pakistan’s support.
“We are cooperating in every sector and this speaks our deepest rooted friendship and bonds,” he said.
The JF‑17 Project is a unique programme in the sense that it distinguishes the Pakistan Air Force from any other Air Forces of the world as a manufacturer of fighter aircraft.
The JF‑17 aircraft has been specifically designed to meet the operation requirements of Pakistan Air Force. Apart from becoming the mainstay of PAF’s air operations in the near future, the JF‑17 Thunder aircraft re‑assures abilities to gain self‑reliance and offers an excellent opportunity for laying the foundations of an advanced and offers an excellent opportunity for laying the foundations of an advanced aviation industry in Pakistan.
The JF‑17 Thunder co‑development and co‑production programme was formally launched in 1998. Major mile‑stones of the project for development and production of the aircraft were divided in three stages.
The detailed design of the aircraft was finalized in September, 2001 and the first prototype aircraft flew its maiden flight in a record short time of two years. the second prototype flew in April, 2004 and subsequently, two additional flying prototypes of the JF‑17 aircraft were also manufactured in the following years to conduct flight testing of JF‑17 aircraft.
Following the successful progress of flight trails on prototype JF‑17 aircraft, eight Small Batch Production aircraft were manufactured in year‑2007, which were subjected to extensive flight testing and evaluation in the last two years in Pakistan.
This activity helped PAF in maturing the design of JF‑17 Thunder aircraft.
The experience gained on these aircraft has been extremely encouraging and it is a matter of great satisfaction for us that we are now progressing to the serial production phase of JF‑17 aircraft with full confidence.
In serial Production Phase, qualified JF‑17 aircraft will be produced in PAC Kamra for induction in Pakistan Air Force where they will be fully utilized in various combat roles. This would not only help Pakistan Air Force in fulfilling its operational requirements at affordable costs but also ensure readily available and continued technical and logistic support for these aircraft through out their life cycle.
JF‑17 Thunder Project is an outcome of the vision, friendship and mutual cooperation between the friendly countries of Pakistan and China. The Project has now moved out of ‘development and testing’ phase to the full operationalisation phase.
The journey to this stage has been arduous and challenging: however, this has only been possible through the persistent hard work and dedication of designers, engineers, pilots and programme managers of Pakistan Air Force alongwith Chinese partners, and above all the blessings of Almighty Allah.
In the shape of JF‑17 Thunder aircraft, PAF is proceeding to have a modern fighter aircraft with state‑of‑the‑art avionics and weapons that offers multi‑ role day and night precision attack capability to defend our motherland againstany aggression.

Comment: The JF-17 project has been a success story between China and Pakistan, and one that should demonstrate to India how it needs to go forward in developing large-scale military platforms. Although the brains have been China’s on the JF-17 ToT has been high and Pakistan industries have gained much.

A Chinese J-10. Its manufacturer - AVIC - goes from strength to strength

Source: China Daily
Date: 3 March 2009

Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s leading aviation manufacturer, signed a framework agreement with the Beijing municipal government on March 2 to establish three subsidiaries in Beijing with a total investment of 21 billion yuan ($3.07 billion).
The airplane engine company and composite materials research and development center will be located in Shunyi district, about 30 kilometers northeast of central Beijing. The Beijing government has been promoting the district, where the Beijing Capital International Airport is located, into an aeronautic industry zone.
The airborne systems company will be located in the Zhongguancun Aviation Science Park of Haidian district.
AVIC has been consolidating its diverse businesses after the merger of China’s State-owned aviation manufacturers, AVIC I and AVIC II, last year. AVIC now has six subsidiaries across the country specializing in different businesses. The six companies are respectively involved in transporters, airplane engines, helicopters, general aviation, airborne systems and aviation imports and exports.
AVIC said in January that the helicopter company will be located in Tianjin. The Tianjin municipal government will hold a 31 percent stake in the company.

Comment: Despite the global economic downturn which has forced aerospace and defence companies to slow expansion, AVIC is accelerating expansion driven by the Chinese government’s commitment to modernise its air force capabilities as well as its commercial jet airliners.

Source: Wires
Date: 2 March 2009

State-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), the country’s leading aviation manufacturer, launched a helicopter company in Tianjin Binhai New Area with the local government on Thursday, the China Securities News reported. With a registered capital of RMB 8 billion, the newly-established company is named AVIC Helicopter Co.

In associated news, AVIC says it will recruit its first executives from abroad — an unprecedented step for the secretive world of Chinese military contractors — amid efforts to create a commercial aerospace supplier to compete with Boeing Co. and Europe’s Airbus. Aviation Industry Corp. of China, which makes Beijing’s fighter jets, is pushing ahead with aggressive business plans despite global financial turmoil. It got a 176 billion yuan ($26 billion) credit line from state banks in January to develop a 150-seat jetliner. It test-flew a smaller commercial jet in November and is building China’s first helicopter factory.

Comment: These two news stories are signs that AVIC will become a lead player in the global commercial sector. And those commercial technologies will work their way into the military sector, of that there can be no doubt.

Source: Xinhua
Date: 9 February 2009

The Bank of China (BOC) will extend a 60 billion yuan ($8.78 billion) credit line to Aviation Industry Corp of China (AICC), the country’s major State-owned aircraft builder, the lender said. This March, 2006 file photo shows Bank of China Tower (L) and Cheung Kong Center in Hong Kong. BOC will extend a 60 billion yuan (US$8.78 billion) credit line to Aviation Industry Corp. of China (AICC), the country’s major state-owned aircraft builder.
Under the agreement signed Friday, BOC pledged to build a “long-term, comprehensive” strategic partnership with AICC and help the group expand overseas. The move followed China’s latest stimulus measure, announced Thursday, to bolster the machinery manufacturing industry.
AICC sealed strategic cooperation agreements with 10 Chinese commercial banks Thursday, which gave it access to 176 billion yuan in credit lines.

Comment: China’s aviation and defence companies will get stronger despite the downturn due to the China government’s continued commitment to invest in state companies.

State-owned China Aviation Industry Corp. is preparing to acquire a foreign general aircraft manufacturer, with the deal expected by the end of the year, reports said Tuesday.

AVIC also is planning to list shares in the “near future,” the state-run newspaper China Daily and other reports cited the company’s president, Tan Weidong, as saying.

Tan, who spoke on the sidelines of China’s International Aviation & Aeospace Forum in the southern city of Zhuhai, did not identify the target of AVIC’s acquisition plan, but the company has been mulling an overseas acquisition for years.

 
Five Kiran MK 2 from Indian Air Force Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) aircrafts fly over two J-10 aircrafts from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army air force a day before the opening of the 7th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, southern China’s Guangdong province, Monday, Nov. 3, 2008.(AP Photo/EyePress)

Last year, the company reportedly approached Dutch industrial engineering company Stork NV, whose aerospace unit was acquired in 1996 from longtime aircraft manufacturer Fokker, about buying its aerospace division.

In the end, U.K.-based private equity group Candover Investments PLC acquired Stork.

Staff at AVIC’s headquarters in Beijing said officials authorized to speak to media about the report were not immediately available for comment.

AVIC plans to develop 10-, 20- and 30-seat business jets and hydroplanes, as well as large passenger jets, Tan told reporters in Zhuhai. Zhuhai, site of the country’s annual international air show, would become AVIC’s base for research and development, final assembly and test flights, according to the report.

China recently merged its two major aircraft makers, AVIC I and AVIC II, to help consolidate aviation manufacturing. China Aviation Industry Corp. is parent to six new companies set up to manage the various businesses run by AVIC I and AVIC II, which include airplane engines, helicopters, transporters, general aviation, airborne systems and aviation trade, the report said.

AVIC I and AVIC II, both originally units of China’s military aviation manufacturer, had been split into separate companies in 1999.

Meanwhile, reports cited Miao Wei, vice minister of industry and information technology, as saying that China’s first domestically produced large jet will hit the market between 2015 and 2020.

“We will finish the concept design and research on key technologies before 2010 and have the first plane roll off the production line before 2014,” state-run media quoted Miao as saying.

Miao said the aircraft would have at least 150 seats.

Read the rest:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081104/ap_
on_bi_ge/as_china_aviation_4

Aun me queda una semana entera hasta que pille vacaciones, pero tengo muchas ganas de irme ya.
Lo de ir a la ciudad a las 7am y ver a tanta gente ya de vacaciones, mosquea

Mañana al fin podré instalar el Bluetooth en mi coche, para poder usar el móvil sin peligro cuando sea necesario.
Al tener instalado un equipo un poco especial y anticuado (Pioneer AVIC X1R), el módulo Bluetooth ha sido complicado de conseguir. Los nuevos modelos de AVIC ya incorporan el Bluetooth en el propio equipo, y por lo tanto los adaptadores compatibles no son fáciles de encontrar. Veremos qué tal funciona.