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Wednesday January 9 3:39 PM ET
U.S. Plane Crashes in Pakistan
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. military plane carrying at least seven Marines crashed into a mountain in Pakistan Wednesday night.

A search-and-rescue mission was launched with no word on possible survivors.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he understood the plane was carrying passengers in addition to the crew of seven, but he had no further details.

Witnesses reported seeing flames shooting from the plane before it slammed into the mountain.

In a brief statement, U.S. Central Command said from its Tampa, Fla., headquarters that the names of the service members were being withheld until their relatives had been informed of the crash.

Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in Pakistan and the surrounding region, said the four-engine KC-130 Hercules crashed as it was making its landing approach at a base in Shamsi in southwestern Pakistan.

The plane's flight originated in Jacobabad, Pakistan, and was making multiple stops.

In a brief exchange with reporters at the Pentagon (news - web sites), Rumsfeld said he did not know the circumstances of the crash or whether the KC-130 was on a refueling mission.

``I'm going to wait for the investigation to be completed,'' he said. ``We've got some folks heading up there now.

``It is a tough, dangerous business over there,'' he added. ``They're doing difficult things and they're doing them darned well, and it just breaks your heart.''

A journalist, Saeed Malangzai, who lives about 40 miles from the crash site, told The Associated Press the plane went down in mountains in southern Balochistan province.

``Residents saw flames from the burning plane before it crashed into the Lundi mountains,'' Malangzai said.

Pak…

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Will Russia Have a People`s Helicopter?

In the last 20 years, light helicopters have been able in a literal sense to turn over our notions about the capabilities of rotary-winged aircraft... It has turned out that even an ultralight helicopter is a serious helper in many undertakings, to the point of the most exotic type of archaeology or fishing. In extreme situations, small nimble aircraft really exceed as the only possible means of rescue. They are multipurpose, maneuverable, mobile, smaller sized, and the air flow created by the main rotor is several times smaller than that had by modern rescue helicopters which fully can drown those it is supposed to save.

The only failure of ultralight helicopters is the low weight of its useful load. However, prospective technologies have allowed a significant lowering of the weight of the equipment and outfitting, therefore, the modern air rescuers are in no way /in equipage/ outclassed by medium and even heavy helicopters, while really exceeding them in acquisition costs and service expenditures. These conclusions earnestly confirm the news from the helicopter marketplace: nearly half the civil helicopters sold annually are light aircraft with piston engines!

Unfortunately, we have formed the persistent opinion that in Russia there is no niche in the marketplace of ultralight helicopters in the comprehension of the masses, and it isn`t expected for a long time yet. Our helicopters may be only state-owned or belong to huge airlines. The psychology of the ``new Russians`` is if they are to ride, then it is in a Mercedes, and to fly, then on a huge Mi-8, no matter how much the flight cost.

Individual examples of light helicopters which appear from time to time do not find enough use for themselves and don`t take root. Several aircraft already have endured accidents and catastrophes. Semi-legal usage has become the nature of the source of the accidents, death of people and…

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First An-225 Flight

The world`s largest aircraft, the An-225, made its first commercial flight Wednesday when it flew from Stuttgart, Germany to Oman carrying meals for U.S. military personnel, Ukraine`s Antonov Airlines said last week.

The 250-ton-capacity cargo plane was carrying 187.5 tons of prepared meals to Thumrait in southern Oman and was operated by Antonov Airlines in conjunction with its British-based worldwide general sales agent, AirFoyle Heavylift, a statement said Thursday.

The capacity of the giant six-engine aircraft is more than twice as much as a Boeing 747-400 freighter, and it was originally designed to carry the Soviet space shuttle.

/Reuters/

AVIA RU Network

Joint US - Russia Aircraft Projects Assured by Market Demand

As the General Director of ZAO Sukhoy Civil Airplanes, Andrey Ilyin, emphasized, as of today, preliminarily, in accordance with a confidently pessimistic variant of the forecast for the demand for a new family of regional passenger airplanes, being built by the Russian ZAO Sukhoi Civil Airplanes, OAO Ilyushin Aircraft Company and the Boeing firm /USA/, for the period to 2020 is estimated at 700 aircraft of all modifications taking into account the activity in the marketplace of basic competitors. At the same time, the marketplace for regional airplanes for that same period is estimated at not fewer than 5,000 aircraft.

Andrey Ilyin noted also that the approximate cost of the project of creating a new regional airplane, including the cost of the performance of a complex of certification tests and technological preparation for production is estimated at approximately a total of 500 million dollars. The airplane will be developed and produced in Russia, therefore, a Russian type certificate should be received first with a subsequent rapid /almost parallel to the Russian/ certification of the airplane to the airworthiness standards of the USA and Western Europe. The plan for the execution of the complex of certification tests will be prepared by the middle of 2002. The airplanes of the RRJ project are calculated for the haul of from 55 to 95 passengers. The weight of the airplanes will be up to 43 tonnes.

ZAO Sukhoi Civil Airplanes is a wholly owned subsidiary of AO Sukhoi OKB.

Source: 08.01.02, Finmarket Agency

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

AVIA RU Network

An-38 with TVD-20 Engines Lifted into Air in December

On 11 December 2001, there was the first lift-off of the An-38 airplane with Russian TVD-20 engines. The prior modification of the aircraft with American engines was extremely expensive: its cost exceeded 4 million dollars. It is natural that internal regional trips on such a type cannot assure a return of funds attracted for the purchase of the aircraft. This also was the reason of the fact that the first two airplanes being used at the Vostok airline where rebased to Malaysia.

The TVD-20 proved itself well on An-3 airplanes. Outfitted with the Russian engines, the cost of the An-38 will decline by almost 1 million dollars.

Source: 08.01.02, Aviatsionnyy Rynok

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

AVIA RU Network

Export Su-24MK

Flight tests have been completed of the export variant of the Su-24MK tactical bomber. The old aircraft has obtained the qualities which respond to the requirements of the new century.

The Su-24 tactical bomber with variable geometric wing was considered one of the best in its class and was delivered by the Soviet Union to dozens of countries. In all 1,300 such aircraft were produced in various modifications. A not too small quantity of them are in the inventory of the air forces of many states of the Middle East.

Tests have confirmed the correct choice of the upgrade path for the airplane. The viability of the bomber and its combat capabilities have grown almost by a third while at the same time there has been a decrease in service costs. A satellite navigation system is being installed on the Su-24MK which is compatible with the Russian GLONASS and the American GPS.

As The General Director of AVPK Sukhoy, Mikhail Pogosyan, declared to Interfax-AVN, the upgraded airplane can use a significantly large range of missiles and bombs, it will be capable of carrying out bomb strikes in poor weather conditions, day and night, including at low altitudes, with aimed destruction of ground and surface targets at the whole depth of the operation formation of the enemy`s troops and his bases /greater than 300 kilometers from the front line/. The Su-24MK, having received as it were a second life, without a doubt, will have a good future in the market place of aviation combat equipment upgrades.

Source: 08.01.02, Rossiyskaya Gazeta

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

AVIA RU Network

Нужен форум для обсуждения участниками проекта "Симуляция Вселенной" текущих вопорсов. Форум должен быть закрытым.
Я понимаю, что база перегружена и без нас, но все-таки очень настоятельно прошу и даю официальное обещание на небольшой трафик со стороны "Симуляции Вселенной".
Обещаю так же угостить болгарским пивом, если тебя случаем занесет в Софию

НАТО уже строит в Латвии локатор, чтобы следить за Россией и Белоруссией

РИА "Новости" сообщило о том, что парламентская фракция оппозиционного объединения левых партий "За права человека в единой Латвии" (ЗаПЧЕЛ) потребовала от министра обороны Латвии Гиртса Кристовскиса добровольно уйти в отставку. В противном случае депутаты фракции поставят в сейме вопрос о недоверии министру.

Поводом послужили высказывания министра, назвавшего "организованной враждебными силами кампанией" массовую акцию протеста против установки на латвийско-российской границе радиолокатора для наблюдения за воздушным пространством России и Белоруссии. Свои подписи под призывом к правительству и руководству местного самоуправления не допустить размещения трехмерного натовского радара в Резекненском районе, в 50 км от российской границы, поставили 20 тыс. жителей восточных районов Латвии. Радар, по их мнению, нанесет ущерб здоровью проживающих в этом регионе людей и приведет к осложнению отношений с Россией.
Министр заявил, что действия резекненцев служат интересам России, "ведущей борьбу против вступления Латвии и в НАТО". В беседе с корреспондентом РИА "Новости" заместитель председателя фракции "За права человека в единой Латвии" Янис Урбанович назвал заявления министра обороны "недопустимыми, провокационными и безответственными". Левые парламентарии требуют, чтобы министр извинился за свои слова и ушел со своего поста.


Комментарий: Обратим внимание, что представитель фракции называет "недопустимыми, провокационными и безответственными" слова министра, а вовсе не идею установки радара. Но тут, конечно, интереснее не реакция парламентской фракции, а именно что факт его установки в Резекненском районе - кажется, это первое упоминание о столь славном плане НАТО.

При этом скандал раскручивается ровно в то время, когда в Латвии начала работу комиссия НАТО во главе с помощником генерального секретаря альянса по политическим вопросам…

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