Have you ever wondered how composite materials, which unlike metal, don’t conduct electricity, can withstand lightning strikes? The answer is that they use a tailored solution of expanded metal, a very thin sheet of lightweight perforated metal that is embedded…
The CFM56 is possibly the most flexible mid-size turbofan engine commercial aviation currently available. The CFM56 can be found on both the A320 family and the 737 Classic and NG families. It has also been used on the DC-8, KC-135…
Last week, the Japanese government issued additional take-off and landing slots for international flights from Haneda, Tokyo’s downtown airport (picture). That airport, which is primarily used for domestic service, has recently added an additional runway, opening 20 new slots for…
Airbus, like all OEMs, has had its share of program delays. But its newest aircraft, the A350, seems to be doing well in its testing. While the program ran into some delay earlier, Airbus appears to have worked through the…
Janes reports that Brazil has retired its last KC-137 tanker. These aircraft are over twenty years old as tankers and even older as airframes. They date back to the 1960s. Interestingly the Brazilian Air Force has selected to replace these…
In terms of the global airline fleet, it helps to understand the players and their critical mass. The chart illustrates this and provides some surprises. We have 28,128 aircraft listed. Boeing’s sheer heft in the business is remarkable. It may…