Блоги

Интеллектуальный скафандр
26 декабря 2001 г.


Через некоторое время астронавты, выходящие в открытый космос, вместо нынешней системы радиосвязи будут оснащены небольшим компьютером и видеодисплеем, который будет крепиться прямо внутри шлема. Работа над таким носимым компьютером, который получил название WearSAT, сейчас ведется в Массачусетском технологическом институте. WearSAT будет для астронавтов и беспроводным терминалом видеосвязи и носимой компьютерной системой. Именно через него во время работ в космосе астронавты будут получать всю необходимую информацию, в том числе и визуальную, например, технические схемы.

Как сообщается, сами скафандры модифицировать не планируется, так как каждый из них стоит от 10 до 20 млн дол. Так что компьютерную систему будут встраивать в уже имеющиеся. Свободного места в этих скафандрах очень мало, поэтому разработчикам придется изрядно потрудиться. А дисплей укрепят прямо на "иллюминаторе" шлема, чтобы он всегда был перед глазами.

Предполагается, что работы по этому проекту займут около трех лет.

Е. Волынкина

(по материалам BBC)

Airman Bails Out

Yesterday, 23 December 2001, over the Moscow River flood plain during the test flight of a fighter - by all appearances it was an Su-30MKI, export variant, which the Sukhoy firm is developing for India - there was a bail out by the test pilot.

Being left without control, the airplane headed in the direction of Bronnitsy. Eyewitnesses to the event confirm that before the airman abandoned the airplane, there was an explosion, a flash and a great puff of smoke in the vicinity of the cockpit.

As they explained to ZhukInform at the Flight Test Institute, the ejection of the airman is not connected with an emergency situation. It was a planned test of the airman`s emergency rescue system. Before the ejection of the seat there is always an explosion of the charge located beneath the ejection seat and a puff of smoke.

Source: 24.12.01, ZhukCity.RU

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

AVIA RU Network

Russia sold MiG-29s to Sudan

The Sudan People`s Liberation Movement/Army expressed its ``deep concern`` over reports that a Russian firm was selling MiG-29 jet fighters to the government of Sudan, saying it was obvious that Khartoum was using oil revenues to purchase these advanced combat aircraft to escalate the war in Sudan.

Agreement on a deal between the government of Sudan and the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG /RSKMiG/ was sealed on 25 December, according to the Sudanese rebel movement, which cited the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in the Russian capital, Moscow, as its source.

``Reliable sources`` in Khartoum revealed that some of those aircraft had already been delivered, and were in El-Obeid (Al-Ubayyid), Northern Kordofan State /central Sudan/, close to the oilfields in southern Sudan, according to the SPLM/A spokesman, Samson Kwaje.

He claimed that the new MiGs would ``undoubtedly be used to attack with impunity civilian targets, including markets, hospitals, schools, churches, internally displaced camps, cattle camps, villages and humanitarian facilities on the pretext that these are military targets``.

The rebel spokesman strongly condemned Russia ``not only for selling these sophisticated fighter aircraft to a government that is committed to killing its people but also for participating in oil exploration and exploitation in Sudan``.

In the past two months, in particular, Russia and Sudan have been engaged in high-level bilateral talks intended to bolster economic, trade and other bilateral ties.

The Russian embassy in Khartoum said in late November that the two states were addressing oil exploration in Sudan, the participation of Russian companies in mapping out the proposed Merowe dam and hydropower plant on the River Nile /18.29N 31.49E/, and an ``agreement on aviation services``, among other issues, the official Sudan News Agency…

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Application for Certification of T-101 ``Grach`` Aircraft to Be Filed in March 2002


As the General Director of FGUP MiG - Light Civil Aircraft, Evgeniy Kozyukov, has reported, in March 2002, it is planned to apply to the Interstate Aviation Committee /MAK/ for the certification of the light T-101 ``Grach`` single-motor multirole airplane.

According to him, the certification of the T-101 airplane will take approximately up to 1 1/2 years. The completion of the certification is possible at the end of 2003 or in 2004. At the present time, the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation MiG /RSK MiG/ is continuing to look for investments for the completion of the design development /the airplane will receive a second designation/ and the certification of the T-101 airplane.

There is great interest in the airplane in China, Canada and Latin America. The T-101 exceeds its well-known analogue - the Cessna Caravan airplane - in basic indicators. Besides that, its use on sod runways, of which the Cessna Caravan airplane is deprived, is attractive to the buyers.

RSK MiG is ready to sell the T-101 airplane for a price of 650,000 - 700,000 dollars. In all, 50 T-101 airplanes have been started into production at the Voronin production center. Of them, approximately 25 airplanes are ready for assembly.

Source: 04.01.02, Finmarket Agency

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

AVIA RU Network

New Il-96-300 Aircraft Price Tag Will Exceed Price of Completed Aircraft by 200 Million Rubles

According to data of the Deputy General Director of GosNII GA, Boris Romashkin, the price of the long-range 300-seat Il-96-300 passenger airplane of new construction at the Voronezh Aircraft Building Stock Company /VASO/ will be approximately 200 million rubles higher than the completion of airframes of those airplanes in the production reserve of the enterprise. B. Romashkin reported that VASO`s selling price of one of the six Il-96-300 airplanes at the enterprise is 1.320 billion rubles at the present time.

According to the General Director of OAO Ilyushin Aircraft Company, Viktor Livanov, at the present time VASO has ``net`` debts totaling 900 million rubles /without penalties and interest/. Successful discussions regarding the restructuring of the debut for conditions acceptable to VASO are under way. As of today there still are six Il-96-300 airframes that have not been finished. The airplanes will be completed and transferred for the financed leasing of the Aeroflot airline. Another two incomplete Il-96T airframes /the Il-96T is an airplane with imported engines and avionics/ will be finished in the Il-96-400T cargo variant and transferred for financed leasing by the Atlant-Soyuz airline.

Source: 04.01.02, Finmarket Agency

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

AVIA RU Network

Sukhoi Totals up the Year

The General Director of the Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company - Sukhoy OKB, Mikhail Pogosyan, held a briefing for journalists, at which he summed up the association`s year in the year now ending and discussed the prospects for the firm`s development in 2002.

He noted that last year the Sukhoy aviation company developed dynamically in many directions. In turn, there was the technical reequipping of the enterprises, the introduction of new technologies, a deepening of cooperation with the leading branches of the scientific centers and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the formation of a powerful scientific and engineering reserve for the creation of future aviation equipment.

In 2001, the Sukhoy OKB flight test and development bases in Zhukovskiy and Akhtubinsk were reequipped technically, the OKB filial at the Novosibirsk Aviation Production Association /NAPO/ was reequipped fully, and at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Production Association an engineering center was opened for 400 positions.

In the year now ending, the Sukhoy AK performed intense work on all priority contract programs in the interests of the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense and foreign customers. Flight tests of the Su-30MK export fighter were completed. The fact that the average annual flight time of Sukhoy OKB test pilots exceeded the record number for the last 10 years - 200 hours - and Hero of Russia Vyacheslav Averyanov spend 290 hours in the air, speaks to the intensity of this work.

In October of last year, the Su-49 training airplane project won the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense tender, and in November its electronic mock-up already was developed. The Sukhoy AK plans in the coming months to build the first flying example of the Su-49 and begin its tests this very year. The Sukhoy firm jointly with the serial plants and Rosoboronehksport fully executed the deliveries o…

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MiG`s Orders Portfolio Rose Sevenfold in 2001

In 2001, the Russian Aircraft Building Corporation MiG`s orders portfolio on rose sevenfold and reached 977.3 million dollars, the General Director and General Designer of the FGUP RSK MiG, Nikolay Nikitin, reported.

As Nikitin noted, in the current year, two prototypes of aviation equipment were created based on the MiG-29M aircraft: The multirole MiG-29M2 twin-place fighter and the MiG-29OVT airplane equipped with a vectored thrust engine, which is in the factory test stage. Demonstration flights have been held successfully of the MiG-29M2 airplane in Malaysia and Venezuela.

According to the General Director, the design documentation also has been produced and preparation for the manufacture of the single seat and twin seat MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB ship-based airplanes is being finalized for India.

Source: 04.01.02, Metalinfo Agency

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

Rosvooruzhenie to Deliver New Su-30MKI Aircraft to Indian Air Force


The state company Rosvooruzhenie will begin to deliver new Su-30MKI airplanes to the Indian air force within the framework of a contract signed in 1996 for the development and delivery of Su-30 fighters.

The state company Rosvooruzhenie will begin to deliver new Su-30MKI airplanes to the Indian air force. On 28 December 2001, the first serial Su-30MKI, intended for delivery to the India air force, completed a test flight at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Production Association, they reported at the OAO IAPO press service to SIA.

The contract for the development and delivery of Su-30 fighters was signed in Irkutsk on 30 November 1996 by the Indian Ministry of Defense and GK Rosvooruzhenie. Within the framework of this contract, IAPO already has delivered two groups of Su-30K fighters to India. The multirole Su-30MKI is distinguished from them by the installation of thrust-vector controlled engines, which provide the airplane with unique flying performance, and advanced avionics, which were created with the participation of Indian specialists.

Exactly a year ago, on 28 December 2000, a contract was signed in Irkutsk regarding the organization of licensed production of these airplanes in India, at the enterprises of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited /HAL/ corporation.

Source: 04.01.02, SIA

Translated by Roy Cochrun /http://www.toad.net/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/royfc/today/acft_news.html/

Организуется международная и внутрироссийская кооперация по созданию регионального самолета по проекту RRJ


Двигатели силовой установки регионального 55-95-местного пассажирского самолета международного проекта RRJ, который будет разрабатываться совместно российскими ЗАО "Гражданские самолеты Сухого", ОАО АК им. Ильюшина и американской фирмой Boeing, будут создаваться на конкурсной основе. Об этом сообщил Генеральный директор ЗАО "Гражданские самолеты Сухого" Андрей Ильин.

По его словам, намерение участия в планируемом конкурсе на двигатель для самолета проекта RRJ уже высказали такие компании как германское отделение фирмы Rolls-Royce, SNECMA, General Electric, российское НПО "Сатурн", а также канадское отделение фирмы Pratt & Whitney совместно с российскими партнерами.

Андрей Ильин подчеркнул, что проект создания самолета открыт для участия в нем и других фирм и компаний, как в России, так и на Западе. В России ЗАО "Гражданские самолеты Сухого" станет головным координирующим предприятием проекта RRJ, оно организует внутрироссийскую кооперацию по проекту - уже подписаны соглашения о совместной работе с ЦАГИ, НИАТ, ЦИАМ, ведущими НИИ отрасли. В настоящее время ведется предварительный подбор потенциальных российских участников проекта - исследуется ряд российских самолетостроительных заводов, их технический и технологический уровень, наличие квалифицированной рабочей силы и специалистов, производственные мощности, возможность сертификации производства. Под реализацию проекта выпуска самолетов семейства необходимо создать инженерно-производственный комплекс. В производственной составляющей этого комплекса выпуск самолетов нового поколения на внутренний и внешний авиарынки должен быть отделен от военного производства авиационной техники.

Предварительно согласовано, что Головной исполнитель проекта станет ответственным за решения всех вопросов от НИОКР до технической поддержки эксплуатации. ОАО АК им. Ильюшин…

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The burned wreckage of a UH-1N Huey helicopter sits among a group of AH-1W Cobra helicopters near the airstrip at Camp Rhino in southern Afghanistan, Friday, Dec. 7, 2001. The chopper crashed and burned last night and two servicemen suffered minor injuries, spokesman Capt. David Romley said. Romley also said the crash did not appear to be a result of enemy action. He said it could have been because of dust, a major problem for the Marines in the desert here. REUTERS/POOL/Dave Martin





A fire rages following a UH1-N Huey helicopter crash near the airstrip in Camp Rhino Marine base in southern Afghanistan early December 7, 2001. Shortly before the crash, Ame…

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