The very first Airbus A350 XWB nose section has been transported to Airbus site St Nazaire (France). The A350 XWB nose section comprises three main sub-assemblies: the cockpit plus upper and lower forward fuselage parts, which incorporate door one and the nose landing gear bay. The nose section will be joined to the forward fuselage, which is made and equipped by Airbus aerostructures partner Premium Aerotec in Hamburg, Germany. The impressive all composite forward fuselage is 13 metres long and comprises four panels and the floor grid. Photos: (c) Airbus S.A.S 2011

Later today aviation history will be made, as the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner gets delivered to ANA. In this video you learn more about preparation of the first plane for this important event. Days before delivery the 787 got an extensive, 10-hour inspection as technicians opened up every door and panel to check for flaws or defects. “Our inspection is very important. We have to receive the high-quality airplane for our customers,” says Nobutaka Tazawa, chief airplane inspector for ANA (All Nippon Airways) of Japan. Tazawa led a team of inspectors to examine the airplane. Called a “customer walk-through”, it’s a standard procedure prior to any new Boeing airplane delivery. Video: You can watch the delivery celebration live stream at http://www.newairplane.com/787/firstDelivery/ Image: (c) Boeing

In addition to his role as “Ambassador-at-Large” for Australian flag carrier Qantas, John Travolta now owns another title. Today he joined Bombardier as brand ambassador for its Learjet, Challenger and Global jets. “Recognized worldwide as an accomplished actor and film producer, John Travolta is also a licensed jet pilot and an advocate for corporate aviation. With a busy schedule of filming, publicity and charity work, he embodies the persona of the true business traveler – making him an ideal representative for Bombardier Business Aircraft.” “John is both a film icon and knowledgeable aviator,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “He also recently added the Challenger aircraft to the impressive list of 11 different jets he is qualified to fly, an aircraft that offers him the ability to meet his passion for aviation and demanding business travel requirements all in one. We are thrilled to have him as our brand ...

Randy Tinseth, vice president, marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes just informed media that the Boeing 747-8F delivery won’t take place as scheduled on Monday! Due to “contractual issues” with lauch customer Cargolux the delivery will be delayed until further notice. Employee and media events for next week have also been postponed. According to Tinseth, Boeing is working with Cargolux to resolve the issues. The cargo airline has been a strong Boeing partner since decades. 20 years ago they also became the first carrier worldwide to operate the 747-400 Freighter. Update: According to a new Cargolux press release, its Board of Directors rejects the first two Boeing 747-8 Freighters that were scheduled for delivery to Cargolux on 19 and 21 September 2011 due to unresolved contractual issues between Boeing and Cargolux in respect of the aircraft. The financing of the aircraft that is secured through JP Morgan as an Ex-Im Bank ...

On Sept. 15 Boeing celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the C-17 Globemaster III. On Sept. 15, 1991, test aircraft T-1 took off from the McDonnell Douglas Long Beach site on a two-hour flight that marked the beginning of the program. T-1 (87-0025) flew by Long Beach again on Sept. 15, 2011, in a re-creation of its milestone flight. Photo – Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) C-17A Globemaster III T-1 first take-off 1991 “The first flight of T-1 ushered in a new era in military and humanitarian airlift,” said Bob Ciesla, C-17 program manager for Boeing. “Twenty years ago, when I was working in flight test for this new airlift program, I could not anticipate just how critical the C-17 would become for the U.S. Air Force and its allies. The success of the C-17 Globemaster III program extends beyond Boeing’s employees and supplier partners — who have proudly ...

During the past 50 years dynamic PORSCHE cars and fast aircrafts met over and over again in a fascinating way. In the form of advertising motifs, press pictures or in direct relationship with the legendary Porsche aero engines of the type 678 and PFM3200. In cooperation with the historic archive and the museum of the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG a calendar was created carrying on this tradition: PORSCHE AVIATION – THE CALENDAR. Its range of Porsche cars reaches from the 1957’s 356 A over several 911 models to the Panamera S Hybrid. At the same time, the pictures present aviation highlights of more than 50 years, for example the Boeing B-52 Superfortress, the Porsche PFM3200 powered types of Robin, Cessna and Mooney or the PORSCHE MUSEUM’s “flying ambassador”, the Pützer Elster B, which used the very first Porsche aero engine of the type 678 in its prototype from ...

Boeing made these nice videos from aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The aircraft carrier conducting important missions in the Arabian Gulf, supports troops in Afghanistan with its fleet consisting of Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler (soon to be replaced by Boeing EA-18G Growler), Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk and the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet jet fighter. Videos:

The FAA is proposing a $590,000 civil penalty against Alaska Airlines for allegedly operating a Boeing 737-400 on 2107 flights when it was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations. On Jan. 18, 2010, a flight deck ceiling fire occurred in a Boeing 737-400 while it was parked at the gate at Anchorage International Airport. Investigators determined the fire was caused by chafed wiring that had resulted from improper installation of a hose clamp. The Boeing 737-400 maintenance manual includes an explicit warning about proper installation of the hose clamp. Alaska subsequently discovered the same problem existed on nine other 737-400s in its fleet and made corrections. There were no other fires. “Maintenance work has to be performed precisely and correctly every time,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Improper maintenance can have serious consequences.” Source: FAA

Today, a Yakovlev 42D (RA-42433) crashed shortly after take-off into the Volga River near Yaroslavl, Russia. The flight was bound from Yaroslavl (IAR/UUDL), Russia to Minsk (MHP/UMMM), Belarus. According to various sources 43 people on board have been killed, 2 survived badly injured. The airplane carried the Russian Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team including members of the German, Czech Republic, Swedish, Slovakian, Latvian, Russian and Ukrainian national ice hockey teams and several ex-NHL players. Russian media is reporting that the plane struck a tower mast at Yaroslavl Airport. The plane then rolled to the right, crashed and burst into flames. Video (Russia Today) Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey players on board: Vitaly Anikeyenko – formely played for Ottawa Senators Mikhail Balandin Gennady Churilov Pavol Demitra – Slovakian national team, formerly played for Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks Robert Dietrich – ...

I received following question from a fellow aviation enthusiast, today. If you can help, please leave a comment. Thanks! Paul asks: I suppose I shall go to my grave before I ever get the answer to this question, but does anyone here know the reason or the purpose for the little kink at the base of the leading edge of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief’s rudder?

The Lockheed Martin/Kaman unmanned K-MAX successfully completed a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment (QRA) for the U.S. Navy’s Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program. The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin in December 2010 for unmanned K-MAX helicopters to perform in a U.S. Marine Corps evaluation of unmanned cargo resupply. The Navy intends to field a Cargo UAS this fall for a six-month deployment to augment Marine Corps ground and air logistics operations in Afghanistan. The autonomous flying K-MAX is designed to resupply Marines on the battlefield and in remote locations. Kaman designed the K-MAX platform, and Lockheed Martin has designed the helicopter’s mission management and control systems to provide the K-MAX with exceptional flight autonomy in remote environments and over long distances. “Since partnering in 2007, Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace have successfully transformed Kaman’s proven K-MAX power-lift manned helicopter into a UAS capable of autonomous or remote controlled cargo ...

The biggest single civil aviation parts made from carbon fibre ever was loaded on to the Beluga Super Transporter at Airbus’ Hamburg site, today. The part is the first flyable Airbus A350 XWB upper wing cover manufactured at Stade (Germany). It measures 32 metres by six metres. This huge part for the all-new A350 XWB is being transported to the Airbus Wing Assembly site in Broughton (UK). Photos: Airbus

Boeing today announced that they will deliver the first 747-8 Freighter on Sept. 19, just one week before the 787 gets delivered. Launch customer Cargolux will fly the airplane away that morning and put the airplane into revenue service. Boeing will celebrate the first delivery with Cargolux, employees and other stakeholders the following day at the Everett factory. Cargolux will take delivery of the second 747-8 Freighter Sept. 21. Source: Boeing Photo: Boeing