Friday, August 10, 2012

German Ju-52 Visit's Billy Bishop Airport

Ju-52 infront of the Trans-Capital Hangar at Billy Bishop


   Touching down just a few days ago at the Billy Bishop Island Airport in Toronto Ontario, Canada for the first time since the start of its World tour, The AirplaneNut had a chance to see this rare Ju-52 inside and out.
  With a  wingspan of 29,25m, distinct (BMW 132-A3) radials and its shiny metal skin, this World War 2 work horse could be spotted from a distance. The aircraft is an original German built Ju -52, assembled at Flugzeug Zweiqwerk Bernburg (FZB) in the summer of 1939.
  The aircraft is fitted 3 BMW Radial engines, the first specialty of BMW before the company started making cars. The aircraft has a cruise speed of 91 knots and can travel 6 hours non-stop without its extended range (drum type) fuel tanks. Its main use in the second World War was to drop parachuters into remote locations.

BMW 132-A3 Radial


Fitted with extended range (drum tanks) inside the fuselage
 Rimowa-“The Luggage with the grooves”  recently purchased this aircraft to promote the company’s suitcase brand. Ironically, this aircrafts sheet metal/outer skin has the same signature look as Rimowa’s suitcases which is the main reason why they chose this plane.
   This Ju-52 has been flying transatlantic flights back and forth  from Europe to the U.S and Canada mainly to promote the Rimowa suitcase line. Rimowa, a Cologne based company, based in Germany.

The AirplaneNut

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Why Bombardier's First CSeries Aircraft is Built Entirely of Wood


A life-size wooden mockup of Bombardier’s new CSeries A life-size wooden mockup of Bombardier’s new CSeries aircraft has been built at the company’s plant in Mirabel, Que., to help address production issues prior to the first aircraft being built. has been built at the company’s plant in Mirabel, Que., to help address production issues prior to the first aircraft being built.


The assembly of the first CSeries aircraft is well underway at Bombardier Inc.’s facility in Mirabel, Que. The new aircraft’s state-of-the-art design is on full display, demonstrating the aerodynamics of the plane from nose to tail, including the shape of its composite fuselage. Even its landing gear is there dangling from the plane.
But the most remarkable part of the new transcontinental aircraft is that it has been built entirely of plywood and pine.
Bombardier has been harnessing some of the most advanced simulation technologies available to help develop the CSeries, including the layout of its assembly plants.
The wooden aircraft perhaps best demonstrates the lengths the Montreal manufacturer is willing to go to ensure the new plane is delivered on time and on budget.
Simulations have done wonders in the CSeries’ design, and will play a major role in its certification process. For example, the company’s much-touted complete integrated aircraft systems test area [CIASTA] will allow the company to do a substantial portion of the aircraft’s flight testing virtually before the plane even takes to the sky.
Yet there are some things that simulations just can’t tell you, like whether a maintenance worker can easily fit the wrench he needs to use to adjust a bolt into a gearbox.
So Bombardier decided to build the wooden mockup in the same hanger it will assemble the first test aircraft.
And the company tasked 45 of its top engineers to find 1,000 design improvements on the aircraft before it goes into production. To date, they have identified a little over 600, the company says. 
Delays and cost overruns at rivals Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS in recent years destroyed the credibility off all major aircraft manufacturers, including Bombardier. But Mike Arcamone, Bombardier’s recently appointed president of commercial aircraft, said the company is trying to make the CSeries program the benchmark for new aircraft programs industry-wide.
Part of that new sense of optimism stems from several milestones laid out by management, including having the final test rigs delivered by the end of month before the integrated testing of its various systems, including its fly-by wire, avionics, and hydraulics, begins July 10.
The remaining structural components are expected to be delivered by the end of August, and the first static structure is on track to be built for testing by the end of September.
Source: Financial Post
The AirplaneNut

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Dana Air Plane Crash In Nigeria Kills 193



LatestA Dana Air plane from Nigeria's capital city Abuja crashed in a residential area in theLagos metropoliskilling the 153 people on board and 40 others living inside a two-storybuilding hit by the aircraftaccording to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
LAGOS - A passenger plane crashed into a densely populated part of LagosNigeria'scommercial hubon Sundaykilling all 147 people on boardthe airline said.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared three days of national mourning and ordered aninvestigation into the cause of the crash which jolted residents of LagosAgege suburb wheremost live in tin-roofed buildings along unpaved streets.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-83, operated by privately owned domestic carrier Dana Airwascoming into land on a flight from the capital Abuja when it hit the buildingnot far from Lagos'sMurtala Muhammed Airportat 2:44 pm (1344 GMTand burst into flamesaccording to theairline.
Among the dead was the spokesman for the Nigeria National Petroleum CorporationLeviAjuonumaaccording to a passenger list released by the airlineAjuonuma was also de factospokesman for the oil minister in OPEC member NigeriaAfrica's biggest crude producer.
Dana Air said it was still investigating what caused the crash.
"Plunged into sorrow"
"We heard a huge explosionand at first we thought it was a gas canister," said TimothyAkinyela, 50, a local newspaper reporter who was watching a soccer match on TV with friendsin a nearby bar.
"Then there were some more explosions afterwards and everyone ran outIt was terrifying.There was confusion and shouting," he saidshowing a video he had taken on his phone.
Smoke billowed from the windows and roof of the building that had somehow survived beingcompletely demolished by the crashLocals climbed on top of walls to try to look inBits of thetwisted metal were scattered on the muddy ground.    
"The President joins all Nigerians in mourning all those who lost their lives in the plane crashwhich has sadly plunged the nation into ... sorrow," a statement from Jonathan's office said.  
"President Jonathan assures air travellers in the country that every possible effort will be madeto ensure that the right lessons are learnt ... and that further measures will be put in place toboost aviation safety in the country."
Air crashes are not uncommon in NigeriaAfrica's second biggest economywhich has had apoor airliner safety recordalthough it has improved in the past few years.
Dana Air operates flights to cities around Nigeria out of Murtala Muhammed Airport.

Source: China Daily

The AirplaneNut

Monday, May 28, 2012

US Behind Russia Superjet 100 Plane Crash: Russian Military Intelligence

Unveiling the Superjet for the first time, September 26, 2007
Crash site of the Superjet 100 on a nearly vertical slope in Jakarta. Indonesia




The Superjet, which was crucial to Russia's hopes of becoming a major player in the modern aviation market, took off from an airport in the capital Jakarta on May 9 on a demonstration flight, but it lost radio contact and vanished from radar screens 50 minutes later.

The general further noted that the electronic jamming of the jet’s onboard equipment is the most plausible explanation for the plane’s slamming into the side of a dormant volcano in the Indonesian province of West Java.

Russian intelligence forces have long been watching the activities of US military electronic experts at the Jakarta airport, the senior GRU officer added.


The examination of the aircraft’s black box cockpit voice recorder has reportedly shown that there was no systemic problem or functional failure during the minutes before the crash.

The most curious question about the incident is why the plane’s pilot, Alexander Yablontsev, who is one of Russia's most experienced test pilots, asked for permission to reduce altitude amid a rainstorm in a dangerously mountainous area, and why a ground controller in Jakarta gave the go-ahead.

“On the other hand, we don't rule out the possibility that this was deliberate industrial sabotage to drive our aircraft from the market," said an unnamed official with the jet’s manufacturing company, Sukhoi.

The demonstration flight in Jakarta was part of an Asian tour to promote the aircraft. Sukhoi Superjet 100 had been to Myanmar, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan, and was due to visit Laos and Vietnam after Indonesia.

Such accusations have on certain occasions been borne out by facts. In 2004, a former member of the United States Air Force who was a special advisor to former US President Ronald Reagan disclosed in a book titled At the Abyss, An Insider’s History of the Cold War, that in the 1980s, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) engaged in cyber warfare to sabotage the project of a pipeline that transferred gas from the former Soviet Union to western Europe.

Source: MAB/AS/HJL



The AirplaneNut

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Ornge Air Ambulance Blamed For Highway Fatality


Ornge Helicopter on the ramp at Toronto Island Airport

TORONTO - It's clear air ambulance services in Ontario haven't improved since the government cleaned house at Ornge and installed new leadership, opposition critics charged Thursday.
Both the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats say Ornge's failure to respond to a fatal collision north of Toronto is yet another sign that the publicly funded organization isn't able to do its job.
The emergency call came in at 6:44 a.m. Wednesday, but Ornge said it couldn't send a helicopter because the incoming crew — who had worked overtime the day before — wasn't available until 7:15 a.m., due to federal rules requiring time off between flights.
The injured man was transported by land ambulance from the crash scene in Whitchurch-Stouffville and later died in hospital.
Interim Ornge CEO Rod McKerlie and Health Minister Deb Matthews have "embarrassed themselves with defensive excuses" for Ornge's inability to respond to the emergency, Tory Frank Klees told the legislature.
He was referring to McKerlie's comments that Ornge is required to provide minimum rest periods and that it would take another six pilots at Ornge's bases across Ontario to cover the gaps — which is expensive.
McKerlie also said that Ornge is scheduling flights as best as possible given its tight budget.
That's no excuse, Klees said.
"Apparently, the minister and Mr. McKerlie didn't think to ask why the night shift crew that was scheduled to be on duty until 7 o'clock didn't respond to the call," he said.
The government has been warned many times that Ornge is facing a staff shortage, Klees said. Its previous contractors, Canadian Helicopters Ltd., would have paid a penalty if they failed to respond to an emergency.
Matthews, who accused Klees of "politicizing" the tragedy, pleaded for patience as the ministry reviews what happened.
That work must be completed before any action is taken, she said. The coroner may decide to conduct an inquest as well.
"We want people to get air ambulance service if they need it," Matthews said outside the legislative chamber.
"There are, of course, limitations to that — a finite number of helicopters and planes, a finite number of resources. But we want to make sure that we do the very best we can do to get people the care they need in their time of need."
But Matthews couldn't say why the overnight crew at Ornge didn't work overtime to cover the gap in service.
"Those are the operational issues," she said. "Those are questions that I think we deserve answers to and I'm not going to speculate on what those answers are."
McKerlie's job is to ensure that air ambulances are available and accessible when people need them, said NDP health critic France Gelinas.
"I wanted to believe that things were changing for the better at Ornge," she said. "Unfortunately ... it has not changed."
Ornge has lost qualified pilots and paramedics in the transition from old management to the new government-appointed managers. But if Ornge can't do its job, then something is seriously wrong and Matthews needs to do something immediately, she said.
"I know they're going through a tough time, but to simply say, 'Oh, there will be times when we will fail' — I will never accept this," she said.
"(McKerlie) owes it to us to do better than this. He owes it to us to say, 'We will go back, we will do whatever we can, but I will promise you that we will be there when you need us.'"
The incident is the latest blow to Ornge, which is already under a criminal investigation for "financial irregularities." It receives about $150 million from the government to provide a non-profit air medical rescue and transport service.
Ontario's auditor general, who released his report on Ornge in March, said there was a "real culture of fear and intimidation" among paramedics and other lower-level staff not to step out of line before the government took control of the organization.
Critics say that's driven out many qualified personnel who are desperately needed to maintain services.
Barry McLellan, who sits on Ornge's new board of directors, testified before a legislative committee that the service is still suffering from a lack of qualified pilots and acute-care paramedics.
He said he's also heard that some northern hospitals are reluctant to call Ornge because it didn't respond to their calls in the past.
Source: The Canadian Press
The AirplaneNut

Monday, March 19, 2012

Why social media could help bring back the romance of air travel


Air New Zeland's Rico

Imagine posting a message on your Facebook page saying ‘bored – want a holiday’ and next thing you know an airline has tweeted you with a great special deal to your favourite city and also told you that your long-lost friend will be in town at the same time. Checking in – you are allocated seats next to someone who has same interests and likes and the IFE system even suggests movies and TV shows you had forgotten you loved.
Far fetched – not really. This concept, enabled by social media, aims to bring Amazon-like personalisation to the air travel experience – bringing back the romance of flying. The concept from Sergio Mello, ceo of Satisfly, allows airlines and passengers to tap into rich publicly available social media networks. For the passenger, this, in the initial stages, would allow them to be allocated a seat next to someone with similar views or tastes (or even to someone who wanted no talk at all!). Meanwhile, for the airlines, this would allow them to build up highly personalised passenger profiles – allowing social media to evolve from communication tools, to actually help drive business profits.
Like ‘Amazon’ which learns over time which books, films and games you like, so would airlines be able to better serve their passengers by drawing on the vast online networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn that people now connect to. Sergio reports that after being almost ‘laughed out’ of conferences only three years ago – airlines are now sitting up taking close interest. He is already in negotiations with several airlines to implement this and become a launch customer.
Source:  Royal Aeronautical Society
The AirplaneNut

Sunday, March 4, 2012

AH1 Cobra Helicopter Falls Two Hundred Feet To The Ground: (VIDEO)



A historic helicopter (AH1 Cobra) crashes to the ground in what looks like it could be a tragic disaster.
Astonishingly both people on board were able to walk away from Thursday's crash with hardly any injuries.
The footage was captured by a cameraman who happened to be shooting near the scene of the accident in Coolidge, Arizona. Steve Esparza managed to film the exact moment the AH1 Cobra started to fall to the ground.





The former military helicopter was being flown by a pilot and mechanic from the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation.
t was apparently filming a car on the ground as part of a stunt for the Korean version of television show Top Gear.
The aircraft had been hovering at no more than 200ft when a mechanical failure forced it to the ground.
Mr Esparza told My Fox Phoenix he knew he was going to capture something extraordinary when he caught sight of the helicopter.
'My heart was pounding, and I knew I was going to witness something, and I just followed it with the camera,' he said.
'I think the thing that shook me up the most was, I thought the pilots were dead. I turned the camera off - I didn't want to roll on what I thought I was about to see.'
But the helicopter's occupants simply shut off the engine and exited the wreckage.
The local police chief said the pilots had been saved thanks to the helicopter's safety features and their own precautions.


Mechanic and Pilot on board were able to walk away from the wreckage with no serious injuries





Source: Daily Mail Reporter

The AirplaneNut