Model Airplanes

Dassault Aviation brought its flagship Falcon 8X to the ABACE 2017 static display (Chalet 9), and if the success of the 7X in China is any indication, the 8X should do quite well in this market. According to Jean-Michel Jacob, president of Falcon Asia-Pacific, Dassault already has one 8X under contract with a Chinese customer. “Prospects [for the 8X in China] look extremely good,” he said. “And there are many negotiations in progress already.”

In China, the market for business jets “is waking up,” said Jacob. “It was quiet for the last two years, but now there is some real movement. Not as good as five years ago, but certainly an active market. The driver is the economy of China. China is getting bigger and more global, and its investments are located far away.”

China is the second-largest market for the 7X, with 29 of the model currently in the country, although at one point there were nearly forty 7Xs in China. With a range of 11,950 m (6,450 nm), the 8X can fly from Shanghai to much of the U.S., including Chicago, all of Europe, most of Africa and all of Asia Pacific. “With one stop you can go to all of the places that you want,” said Carlos Brana, senior vice-president of civil aircraft for Dassault Aviation.

“When you think of a given market, you try to meet the needs of the customer. The 8X can link the city pairs that the customer needs. [Our designs] are also based

Article source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-04-11/dassault-chinese-bizjet-market-waking

Cirrus Aircraft has seen steady improvements in China’s general aviation infrastructure, and this has helped drive sales of its airplanes in the country. There are now 100 Cirrus SR-series piston singles operating in China.

More significant, however, is that Cirrus has recently added in-country capabilities that enhance support and operation of its aircraft, elements that are critical for growth of general aviation and the company’s market share in China.

Cirrus Aircraft is owned by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (Caiga), which is part of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic). Now China-based Cirrus operators can order parts directly from Caiga instead of having to source parts from the U.S. or Europe.

Caiga also recently signed a contract with Cirrus for maintenance training to be done at the company’s Zhuhai location, with the start of training expected to take place by year-end. This eliminates the need to send Chinese technicians to the U.S. or Europe for training, not only saving money but enhancing training that can be done in the technicians’ native language. Another local move is the opening of a Cirrus-authorized service center in Shanghai.

Earlier this year, Cirrus announced its latest models—the G6 versions of the SR20 and SR22 single-engine airplanes. New features include remote keyless entry doors, a Garmin-based Perspective+ avionics suite with a new Qwerty flight management system keyboard, automatic yaw damper and improved avionics performance, plus Whelen’s Spectra wingtip lighting and other convenience elements. The SR20 G6 is fitted with a new

Article source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2017-04-12/cirrus-building-china-ga-infrastructure

For the first time in 14 years, one of the most iconic planes in American history has earned its wings.

Restorers have reattached the wings to the B-17F Memphis Belle, under restoration at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Wednesday, the museum provided a behind-the-scenes look as aircraft workers reattached more pieces to the bomber’s wings in preparation for a public unveiling next year.

(Photo: NASA)

“It’s amazing,” said Casey Simmons, a restorer who has labored on the project since 2008 . “I don’t know if there’s words that really say it because you’re little and you build this kit as a little model (airplane) and now you’re actually doing the real thing.

“My favorite part about working on it is just the fact that I get to work on it,” added Casey, 36, of Dayton. “It’s the Memphis Belle. It’s one of the most famous planes. Everything about it, it doesn’t seem like a job. It’s what I’d be doing in my free time if I got to do whatever I wanted to do.”

The Army Air Forces plane is set to make its debut among fabled aircraft inside the World War II gallery at the museum on May 17, 2018, the date that marks the 75th anniversary of the 25th and final wartime mission of the storied bomber that battled Nazi Germany.

(Photo: Department of Defense)

The final crew and the bomber gained fame on a nationwide wartime bond tour, which stopped in Dayton, and for a 1944 movie “Memphis Belle” that documented

Article source: http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1765754-wwii-the-mission-of-the-memphis-belle

Dassault Aviation is showing its flagship Falcon 8X this week at ABACE 2017 in Shanghai, and if the success of the 7X in China is any indication, the 8X should do quite well in this market. According to Jean-Michel Jacob, president of Falcon Asia-Pacific, Dassault already has one 8X under contract with a Chinese customer. “Prospects [for the 8X in China] look extremely good,” he said. “And there are many negotiations in progress already.”

In China, the market for business jets “is waking up,” said Jacob. “It was quiet for the last two years, but now there is some real movement. Not as good as five years ago, but certainly an active market. The driver is the economy of China. China is getting bigger and more global, and its investments are located far away.”

China is the second-largest market for the 7X, with 29 of the model currently in the country, although at one point there were nearly forty 7Xs in China. With a range of 11,950 m (6,450 nm), the 8X can fly from Shanghai to much of the U.S., including Chicago, all of Europe, most of Africa and all of Asia Pacific. “With one stop you can go to all of the places that you want,” said Carlos Brana, senior vice president of civil aircraft for Dassault Aviation.

“When you think of a given market, you try to meet the needs of the customer. The 8X can link the city pairs that the customer needs. [Our designs] are also based

Article source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-04-11/dassault-chinese-business-jet-market-waking