Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers
Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' new airplane is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is developing the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett facility near Seattle, Wash.
Unparalleled Performance
The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 kilometers).
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.
Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.
Advanced Technology
The key to this exceptional performance is a suite of new technologies being developed by Boeing and its international technology development team.
Boeing has announced that as much as 50 percent of the primary structure -- including the fuselage and wing -- on the 787 will be made of composite materials.
An open architecture will be at the heart of the 787's systems, which will be more simplified than today's airplanes and offer increased functionality. For example, the team is looking at incorporating health-monitoring systems that will allow the airplane to self-monitor and report maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems.
Boeing has selected General Electric and Rolls-Royce to develop engines for the new airplane. It is expected that advances in engine technology will contribute as much as 8 percent of the increased efficiency of the new airplane, representing a nearly two-generation jump in technology for the middle of the market.
Another improvement in efficiency will come in the way the airplane is designed and built. New technologies and processes are in development to help Boeing and its supplier partners achieve unprecedented levels of performance at every phase of the program. For example, by manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, we are eliminating 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners.
Continuing Progress
The Boeing board of directors granted authority to offer the airplane for sale in late 2003. Program launch occurred in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Since that time, 45 customers have placed orders for 584 airplanes from six continents of the world, making this the most successful launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history.
The program has signed on 43 of the world's most capable top-tier supplier partners and together finalized the airplane's configuration in September 2005. These partners have started detailed design and, with Boeing, are connected virtually at 135 sites around the world to work toward major assembly in 2006. Eleven partners from around the world started facility construction for a total of 3 million additional square feet to create their major structures and bring the next new airplane to market.
The 787 program will open its final assembly plant in Everett in 2007. First flight is expected in 2007 with certification, delivery and entry into service occurring in 2008.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
MiG-35
Is fitted with western standard Mil-1553 bus and advanced Russian made weaponry. Reliability and serviceability have been improved, reducing operating cost and improving serviceability by 2.5 times (compared to older MiG-29s). MiG-35 is equipped with an optronic target tracker, identical to the system used on the Su-30MKI. For precision air-to-ground attack missions, the aircraft can be equipped with a conformal electro-optical targeting module, installed under the right air intake. The aircraft is equipped with radar warning, electro-optical missile launch warning and laser warning sensors, and integral active self protection (jamming, chaff and flare) as part of the integral self-defense system. The aircraft has four additional hardpoints and can haul an external payload in excess of six tons.
Most of the systems introduced in the MiG-35 can be applied to older MiG-29s through upgrading programs.
The aircraft is powered by two RD-33 MK engines digitally controlled smokeless engines, producing 9000kgf of thrust each. This type is an improved and uprated version of the standard RD33 engine. The engine was developed to power the carrier based MiG-29K and modernized version MiG-29M/M2. The prototype demonstrated in Bangalore did not have thrust vector exhausts, but, according to the manufacturer, these can be installed in production aircraft.
Is fitted with western standard Mil-1553 bus and advanced Russian made weaponry. Reliability and serviceability have been improved, reducing operating cost and improving serviceability by 2.5 times (compared to older MiG-29s). MiG-35 is equipped with an optronic target tracker, identical to the system used on the Su-30MKI. For precision air-to-ground attack missions, the aircraft can be equipped with a conformal electro-optical targeting module, installed under the right air intake. The aircraft is equipped with radar warning, electro-optical missile launch warning and laser warning sensors, and integral active self protection (jamming, chaff and flare) as part of the integral self-defense system. The aircraft has four additional hardpoints and can haul an external payload in excess of six tons.
Most of the systems introduced in the MiG-35 can be applied to older MiG-29s through upgrading programs.
The aircraft is powered by two RD-33 MK engines digitally controlled smokeless engines, producing 9000kgf of thrust each. This type is an improved and uprated version of the standard RD33 engine. The engine was developed to power the carrier based MiG-29K and modernized version MiG-29M/M2. The prototype demonstrated in Bangalore did not have thrust vector exhausts, but, according to the manufacturer, these can be installed in production aircraft.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
CLASSIFICATION OF BOMBERS
Strategic bombers are primarily designed for long-range strike missions with bombs against strategic targets such as supply bases, bridges, factories, shipyards, and cities themselves, in order to damage an enemy's war effort. Examples:B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-52 Stratofortress, General Dynamics F-111 'Aardvark' , Tupolev Tu-16 'Badger', Tupolev Tu-160 'Blackjack', Gotha G.
Tactical bombers are smaller aircraft that operate at shorter range, typically along with troops on the ground. This role is filled by many designs, including those listed below. In modern terms, any combat aircraft that is not a purpose-designed strategic bomber falls into this category.
Ground attack aircraft or "close air support" aircraft are designed to loiter over a battlefield and attack tactical targets, such asTANKS, troop concentrations, etc. Examples: Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot'.
Fighter-bombers (also called tactical fighters, strike fighters, and attack fighters) are multi-role combat aircraft which can (at least theoretically) be equipped for either air-to-air combat or air-to-ground combat. Many fighter bombers were also designed to engage in aerial combat immediately after attacking ground targets. Modern multi-role combat aircraft are designed to fulfill multiple roles due to budget restrictions as often as they are for versatility. Examples: Chengdu J-10, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, Sukhoi Su-32 'Fullback', Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000 and the Panavia Tornado.
HISTORY
Bombers evolved at the same time as the fighter aircraft at the start of World War I. The first use of an air-dropped bomb however, was carried out by the Italians in their 1911 war for Libya. In 1912 Bulgarian Air Force pilot Christo Toprakchiev suggested the use of airplanes to drop "bombs" (as grenades were called in the Bulgarian army at this time) on Turkish positions. Captain Simeon Petrov developed the idea and created several prototypes by adapting different types of grenades and increasing their payload.citation needs On October 16, 1912, observer Prodan Toprakchiev dropped two of those bombs on the Turkish railway station of Karaagac (near the besieged Edirne) from an Albatros F.II airplane piloted by Radul Milkov. This was the second use of an airplane as a bomber.Factdate=April 2007
After a number of tests Petrov created the final design, with improved aerodynamics, an X shaped tail and impact detonator. This version was widely used by the Bulgarian Air Force during the siege of Edrine. Later a copy of the plans was sold to Germany and the bomb, codenamed "Chathaldza" ("Чаталджа") remained in mass production until the end of World War I.
The weight of the bomb was 6 kilograms. On impact it created a crater 4-5 meters wide and about 1 meter deep.
The Germans used Zeppelins as bombers since they had the range and capacity to carry a useful bomb load from Germany to England. With advances in aircraft design and equipment, they were joined by larger multi-engined biplane aircraft on both sides for long range strategic bombing especially by night. The majority of bombing was still done by one-engined biplanes with one or two crew-members flying short distances to attack the enemy lines and immediate hinterland.
The world's 1st four-engined bomber was Russian Il'ya Muromets created in 1914 and successfully used in World War I.
In the past, bombers were a separate type of aircraft, and often looked dramatically different from other aircraft. This was due largely to the lack of power in aircraft engines, meaning that to carry any reasonable payload, the aircraft had to have multiple engines. The result was a much larger aircraft, one with a reasonable useful load fraction for the role.
With engine power as a major limitation combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors, bomber designs tended to be tailored to one particular role. By the start of World War II this included
dive bomber
light bomber, medium bomber and heavy bomber
torpedo bomber
specialized ground attack designs
Bombers have carried armament for defence against enemy aircraft only. They are not intended nor designed to actively engage in combat with other aircraft. The majority have been relatively large and unmaneuverable - although some smaller designs have been used as the basis for specialist fighters such as the night-fighter. Attack aircraft are smaller, faster, and more agile, but when armed for a ground attack mission, less so than a fighter aircraftfighter. Attack aircraft may carry air-to-air armament, but typically only IR guided weapons (such as the AIM-9 for self-defense.
COLDWAR
Image:F-14 with Bear.jpgthumbleft250pxNavy F-14 Tomcat escorts Tu-95 Bear D during 1985 NATO exercise Ocean Safari At the start of the Cold War, bombers were the only means to take the nuclear weapons to the enemy and had the role of deterrence theorydeterrence. With the advent of the guided missile, bombers had to turn to different ways to avoid interception. High speed and high altitude flying became a means of evading detection and attack. Some designs such as the English Electric Canberra could fly faster or higher than contemporary fighters. Surface to air missiles threatened high flying aircraft, and bombers moved to high speed low flying to get under air defences. Since the bombs were now "stand off" designs (effectively large guided missiles themselves) they did not have to climb over the targets to drop them but would have fired and turned away to escape the blast. Nuclear warfareNuclear strike aircraft were generally finished in bare metal or anti-flash white to avoid any residual effects.
At the same time the need to drop conventional bombs remained in conflicts with a non-nuclear power such as the Vietnam war or Malayan Emergency.
The development of large strategic bombers stagnated in the later part of the Cold Warbecause of spiraling costs and the advent of the intercontinental ballistic missile which was felt to have equal deterrent value while being much more difficult to intercept. The United States Air Force XB-70 Valkyrie program was cancelled for that reason in the early 1960s, and the later B-1 LancerB-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit aircraft entered service only after protracted political and development problems. Their high cost meant that few were built and the 1950s-designed B-52s continued in use into the 21st century. Similarly, the Soviet Union used the intermediate-range Tupolev Tu-22MTu-22M 'Backfire'in the 1970s, but their Mach numberMach 3 bomber project came to naught. The Mach 2 Tu-160 'Blackjack' was built only in tiny numbers, leaving the earlier Tupolev Tu-16 and Tupolev Tu-95Tu-95 'Bear'heavy bombers of 1950s vintage to continue being used into the 21st century. Meanwhile, the United KingdomBritish strategic bombing force largely came to an end with the phase-out of the V Bomber force (the last of which left service in 1983. The only other nation that fields a strategic bombing force at present is the People's Republic of China]], which has a number of Chinese-built Tu-16 'Badgers'. The Indian navy uses the 142 F variant of Tu-95 for maritime patrolling, but their aircraft can easily be modified for strategic bombing.
MODERN ERA
JDAM B-1B Lancer.jpgrightthumb250pxCrew members transfer a 2,000 pound Joint Direct Attack MunitionGBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to a lift truck for loading onto a B-1B Lancer aircraft March 29, 2007, in Southwest Asia in support of combat operations. In modern air forces, the distinction between bombers, fighter-bombers, and attack aircraft has become blurred. Many attack aircraft, even ones that look like fighters, are optimized to drop bombs, with very little ability to engage in aerial combat. Indeed, the design qualities that make an effective low-level attack aircraft make for a distinctly inferior air superiority fighter, and vice versa. Conversely, many fighter aircraft, such as the F-16, are often used as 'bomb trucks,' despite being designed for aerial combat. Perhaps the one meaningful distinction at present is the question of range: a bomber is generally a long-range aircraft capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory, whereas fighter bombers and attack aircraft are limited to 'theater' missions in and around the immediate area of battlefield combat. Even that distinction is muddied by the availability of aerial refueling, which greatly increases the potential radius of combat operations.
Plans in the U.S. and Russia for successors to the current strategic bomber force remain only paper projects, and political and funding pressures suggest that they are likely to for the foreseeable future. In the U.S., current plans call for the existing USAF bomber fleet to remain in service until the mid-to-late 2020s, with no replacement in sight
Strategic bombers are primarily designed for long-range strike missions with bombs against strategic targets such as supply bases, bridges, factories, shipyards, and cities themselves, in order to damage an enemy's war effort. Examples:B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-52 Stratofortress, General Dynamics F-111 'Aardvark' , Tupolev Tu-16 'Badger', Tupolev Tu-160 'Blackjack', Gotha G.
Tactical bombers are smaller aircraft that operate at shorter range, typically along with troops on the ground. This role is filled by many designs, including those listed below. In modern terms, any combat aircraft that is not a purpose-designed strategic bomber falls into this category.
Ground attack aircraft or "close air support" aircraft are designed to loiter over a battlefield and attack tactical targets, such asTANKS, troop concentrations, etc. Examples: Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot'.
Fighter-bombers (also called tactical fighters, strike fighters, and attack fighters) are multi-role combat aircraft which can (at least theoretically) be equipped for either air-to-air combat or air-to-ground combat. Many fighter bombers were also designed to engage in aerial combat immediately after attacking ground targets. Modern multi-role combat aircraft are designed to fulfill multiple roles due to budget restrictions as often as they are for versatility. Examples: Chengdu J-10, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Hornet, Sukhoi Su-32 'Fullback', Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000 and the Panavia Tornado.
HISTORY
Bombers evolved at the same time as the fighter aircraft at the start of World War I. The first use of an air-dropped bomb however, was carried out by the Italians in their 1911 war for Libya. In 1912 Bulgarian Air Force pilot Christo Toprakchiev suggested the use of airplanes to drop "bombs" (as grenades were called in the Bulgarian army at this time) on Turkish positions. Captain Simeon Petrov developed the idea and created several prototypes by adapting different types of grenades and increasing their payload.citation needs On October 16, 1912, observer Prodan Toprakchiev dropped two of those bombs on the Turkish railway station of Karaagac (near the besieged Edirne) from an Albatros F.II airplane piloted by Radul Milkov. This was the second use of an airplane as a bomber.Factdate=April 2007
After a number of tests Petrov created the final design, with improved aerodynamics, an X shaped tail and impact detonator. This version was widely used by the Bulgarian Air Force during the siege of Edrine. Later a copy of the plans was sold to Germany and the bomb, codenamed "Chathaldza" ("Чаталджа") remained in mass production until the end of World War I.
The weight of the bomb was 6 kilograms. On impact it created a crater 4-5 meters wide and about 1 meter deep.
The Germans used Zeppelins as bombers since they had the range and capacity to carry a useful bomb load from Germany to England. With advances in aircraft design and equipment, they were joined by larger multi-engined biplane aircraft on both sides for long range strategic bombing especially by night. The majority of bombing was still done by one-engined biplanes with one or two crew-members flying short distances to attack the enemy lines and immediate hinterland.
The world's 1st four-engined bomber was Russian Il'ya Muromets created in 1914 and successfully used in World War I.
In the past, bombers were a separate type of aircraft, and often looked dramatically different from other aircraft. This was due largely to the lack of power in aircraft engines, meaning that to carry any reasonable payload, the aircraft had to have multiple engines. The result was a much larger aircraft, one with a reasonable useful load fraction for the role.
With engine power as a major limitation combined with the desire for accuracy and other operational factors, bomber designs tended to be tailored to one particular role. By the start of World War II this included
dive bomber
light bomber, medium bomber and heavy bomber
torpedo bomber
specialized ground attack designs
Bombers have carried armament for defence against enemy aircraft only. They are not intended nor designed to actively engage in combat with other aircraft. The majority have been relatively large and unmaneuverable - although some smaller designs have been used as the basis for specialist fighters such as the night-fighter. Attack aircraft are smaller, faster, and more agile, but when armed for a ground attack mission, less so than a fighter aircraftfighter. Attack aircraft may carry air-to-air armament, but typically only IR guided weapons (such as the AIM-9 for self-defense.
COLDWAR
Image:F-14 with Bear.jpgthumbleft250pxNavy F-14 Tomcat escorts Tu-95 Bear D during 1985 NATO exercise Ocean Safari At the start of the Cold War, bombers were the only means to take the nuclear weapons to the enemy and had the role of deterrence theorydeterrence. With the advent of the guided missile, bombers had to turn to different ways to avoid interception. High speed and high altitude flying became a means of evading detection and attack. Some designs such as the English Electric Canberra could fly faster or higher than contemporary fighters. Surface to air missiles threatened high flying aircraft, and bombers moved to high speed low flying to get under air defences. Since the bombs were now "stand off" designs (effectively large guided missiles themselves) they did not have to climb over the targets to drop them but would have fired and turned away to escape the blast. Nuclear warfareNuclear strike aircraft were generally finished in bare metal or anti-flash white to avoid any residual effects.
At the same time the need to drop conventional bombs remained in conflicts with a non-nuclear power such as the Vietnam war or Malayan Emergency.
The development of large strategic bombers stagnated in the later part of the Cold Warbecause of spiraling costs and the advent of the intercontinental ballistic missile which was felt to have equal deterrent value while being much more difficult to intercept. The United States Air Force XB-70 Valkyrie program was cancelled for that reason in the early 1960s, and the later B-1 LancerB-1B Lancer and B-2 Spirit aircraft entered service only after protracted political and development problems. Their high cost meant that few were built and the 1950s-designed B-52s continued in use into the 21st century. Similarly, the Soviet Union used the intermediate-range Tupolev Tu-22MTu-22M 'Backfire'in the 1970s, but their Mach numberMach 3 bomber project came to naught. The Mach 2 Tu-160 'Blackjack' was built only in tiny numbers, leaving the earlier Tupolev Tu-16 and Tupolev Tu-95Tu-95 'Bear'heavy bombers of 1950s vintage to continue being used into the 21st century. Meanwhile, the United KingdomBritish strategic bombing force largely came to an end with the phase-out of the V Bomber force (the last of which left service in 1983. The only other nation that fields a strategic bombing force at present is the People's Republic of China]], which has a number of Chinese-built Tu-16 'Badgers'. The Indian navy uses the 142 F variant of Tu-95 for maritime patrolling, but their aircraft can easily be modified for strategic bombing.
MODERN ERA
JDAM B-1B Lancer.jpgrightthumb250pxCrew members transfer a 2,000 pound Joint Direct Attack MunitionGBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to a lift truck for loading onto a B-1B Lancer aircraft March 29, 2007, in Southwest Asia in support of combat operations. In modern air forces, the distinction between bombers, fighter-bombers, and attack aircraft has become blurred. Many attack aircraft, even ones that look like fighters, are optimized to drop bombs, with very little ability to engage in aerial combat. Indeed, the design qualities that make an effective low-level attack aircraft make for a distinctly inferior air superiority fighter, and vice versa. Conversely, many fighter aircraft, such as the F-16, are often used as 'bomb trucks,' despite being designed for aerial combat. Perhaps the one meaningful distinction at present is the question of range: a bomber is generally a long-range aircraft capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory, whereas fighter bombers and attack aircraft are limited to 'theater' missions in and around the immediate area of battlefield combat. Even that distinction is muddied by the availability of aerial refueling, which greatly increases the potential radius of combat operations.
Plans in the U.S. and Russia for successors to the current strategic bomber force remain only paper projects, and political and funding pressures suggest that they are likely to for the foreseeable future. In the U.S., current plans call for the existing USAF bomber fleet to remain in service until the mid-to-late 2020s, with no replacement in sight
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