Airbus delivers India's second luxury Airbus H145 helicopter to Lulu Group's Yusuffali M A

Radhika Bansal

27 Aug 2022

Yusuffali M A, chairman and managing director of Lulu Group, has become the latest Indian businessman to acquire the luxury helicopter Airbus H 145, pegged to be priced at INR 100 crore.

The billionaire, who runs the Lulu stores and shopping malls in the Gulf countries, Egypt, India and the Far East, touched down in Kochi on Wednesday, August 24 in the H145 helicopter, a best-selling product in this segment from Airbus.

The rotorcraft, which was flown into Kochi, displays the LuLu Group's red-and-green logo on its body and the letter 'Y', denoting Yusuff Ali, on its tail.

Airbus delivers India's second luxury Airbus H145 helicopter to Lulu Group's Yusuffali M A

H145 is the best-selling in its segment and there are around 1,500 helicopters in service around the world and have clocked more than six million flight hours.

ALSO READ - Airbus delivers India’s first INR 100 crore luxury helicopter to Kerala billionaire

Ravi Pillai, chairman of RP Group of companies, who bought an Airbus H 145 helicopter in March this year, was the first Indian to acquire this luxury helicopter.

Airbus’ H145 is the latest member of the German company's four-tonne-class twin-engine rotorcraft product range – with designed-in mission capability and flexibility, especially in high and hot operating conditions.

H145 is the best-selling in its segment and there are around 1,500 helicopters in service around the world and have clocked more than six million flight hours.

"Compact in size, this helicopter’s small footprint and large, flexible cabin make it the aircraft of choice for a variety of civil and military missions," according to its website.

Yusuffali's acquisition of Airbus H145 comes after the helicopter he and his wife were travelling crash-landed into a marshy plot of land in Panangad, Kochi on April 11, 2021. The helicopter by Italian manufacturer AgustaWestland's 109SP was in the news recently when it was put up for sale.

Powered by 2 x Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 can operate at heights of up to 20,000 feet above sea level. The helicopter flies at 246 kmph.

A wide range of rapidly and easily interchangeable optional equipment – such as emergency floats, rescue hoists, searchlights, and cargo hooks – is available for the H145.

H145 can accommodate one or two pilots and up to eight passengers in the standard configuration, and one or two pilots and up to 10 passengers in a higher-density configuration.

A wide range of rapidly and easily interchangeable optional equipment – such as emergency floats, rescue hoists, searchlights, and cargo hooks – is available for the H145.

Together with its inherently versatile cabin layout, this multi-purpose rotorcraft is tailored for emergency medical services and law enforcement duties, along with aerial work and passenger transport, including private and business aviation as well as offshore operations.

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How much do we know about MiG-21 - the AK-47 of combat jets?

Prashant-prabhakar

27 Aug 2022

The majority of combat aircraft created in the 1950s are now merely historical relics. One interceptor, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, better known in the west by its NATO reporting name "Fishbed," was first sighted in public in 1956 and is still in use today.

MiG-21 Fishbed | Representative | Military Aircraft

The MiG-21 wasn't ideal, but it was sturdy, dependable, and reasonably priced. Because of this, more than 10,000 of them were produced, earning it the moniker "AK-47 of combat aircraft." This is the tale of the MiG-21, one of the most widely produced and enduring combat aircraft ever.

Development

The MiG-21 jet fighter was a development of Soviet jet fighters, which had previously produced the supersonic MiG-19 and subsonic MiG-15 and MiG-17. The Sukhoi Su-7 and other experimental Mach 2 Soviet designs were based on nose intakes with swept-back wings, whereas the MiG-21 and other tailed delta designs were based on the latter.

MiG-15 | Wikipedia

Early specifications of the MiG-21 were frequently mistaken for those of comparable Soviet fighters of the era in the West due to the paucity of information at the time. On one occasion, the "Fishbed" was identified as a Sukhoi design in Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1960-1961 and featured an image of the Su-9 "Fishpot."

Su-7 | Wikimedia Commons

Despite not having a formal designation in Russian service, the MiG-21 is well-known as the "balalaika" because of the defining triangle shape of its wings. The MiG-21F performed admirably, reaching speeds of Mach 2 in level flight and Mach 1.1 at its highest altitude of 70,000 feet.

Design

The MiG-21 was the first successful Soviet aeroplane to have both fighter and interceptor capabilities. It was a lightweight fighter that could reach Mach 2 with a relatively low-powered after-burning turbojet, making it comparable to the French Dassault Mirage III, the American Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, and the American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter.

HistoryNet

The MiG-21 had a limited range, like many other aircraft built as interceptors. The MiG-21's wings are delta-shaped. The semi-monocoque fuselage has an elliptical form and can be as wide as 1.24 metres.

The cabin has air conditioning and is pressurised. The cabin canopy on earlier versions of the MiG-21PFM is hinged at the front. The SK-1 ejection seat joins the canopy during ejection to act as a windbreak from the high-speed airflow experienced during high-speed ejections. The canopy opens after ejection, allowing the pilot to use a parachute to land.

However, ejecting at low altitudes might make the canopy separate too slowly, which occasionally results in pilot fatalities. An ejection in level flight required a minimum height of 110 metres. A redesigned ejection seat, introduced with the MiG-21PFM, proved to be extremely dependable and did not require the canopy to shield the pilot, which had never been completely satisfying.

MiG-21 PFM | Wikipedia

Specifications (MiG-21bis)

CREW1LENGTH14.7 mMAX.TAKE-OFF WEIGHT 8,800 kg (19,401 lb) unprepared or metal planking runwayPOWERPLANT1 × Tumansky R-25-300 afterburning turbojet, 40.18 kN (9,030 lbf) thrust dry, 69.58 kN (15,640 lbf) with afterburnerMAXIMUM SPEED2,175 km/hRANGE793 km (493 mi; 428 NMI) at 10,000 m (32,808 ft) with two R-3S missiles and 800 l (210 US gal; 180 imp gal) drop-tankSERVICE CEILING17,500 mTHRUST/WEIGHT RATIO0.76GUNS1 × internal 23mm Gyrazev Shipunov GSh-23L autocannon with 200 roundsHARDPOINTS 5 (4 underwings + 1 ventral, reserved for fuel drop tanks), with provisions to carry combinations of rockets and missilesBOMBS2 × 500 kg (1,100 lb) and 2 × 250 kg bombsWikipedia

Variants

The MiG-21PF, an all-weather version of this interceptor that was equipped for the first time with fire-control radar, was the first substantial variation of the original design.

Representative | Military Wiki

Similar to the PF version, the MiG-21PFM had a redesigned KM-ejector seat and a two-piece canopy in addition to larger internal fuel tanks. All upcoming MiG-21 models would maintain this configuration.

While the MiG-21R was comparable to the PF model, it also had underwing drop tanks for a longer range and the capacity to transport a sizable under-fuselage pod filled with cameras and other reconnaissance-gathering gear.

The MiG-21S was equipped with significantly more potent engines and upgraded avionics built around the RP-22S Sapfir-21 air-intercept radar system. This version also added the ability to carry up to four air-to-air missiles and a single GSh-23L 23mm gun pack.

MiG 21 Bison armed with R77 and R73 Air to-Air missiles | Reddit

With the addition of a sizable dorsal fuel tank in a spine above the fuselage, the MiG-21M was an advancement of the S model. However, stability problems were discovered as a result of the interrupted airflow over the tail surfaces, which prompted the creation of the MiG-21bis, the last major variation (improved).

Wikipedia

The new Tumanskii R-25-300 engine, which was added to the bis version, was its most notable addition. It can generate over 15,000 lbs of thrust when reheating and up to 21,000 lbs when employing emergency reheat.

MiG-21F-13 rear view | Representative | Wikipedia

India’s run with the MiG-21

The majority of MiG-21s are operated in India. The Indian Air Force (IAF) chose to purchase the MiG-21 in 1961 over several other Western rivals. The Soviet Union agreed to give India complete technology transfer in exchange for rights to the local assembly.

The MiG-21 entered service with the IAF as the first supersonic fighter jet in 1964. The MiG-21 saw its first combat use in 1965 during the Indo-Pakistan war. Eight MiG-21F-13 models were part of the Indian Air Force's arsenal, and they were used for Battle Air Patrol (CAP) flights over the Pakistan/India border, though none of them actually engaged in combat.

The Print

The 1965 Indo-Pakistani War saw limited use of the IAF MiG-21 due to low induction rates and a lack of pilot training. However, while using the MiG-21 for defence missions during the conflict, the IAF gained invaluable expertise. [9] India increased its orders for the fighter jet and made significant investments in developing the MiG-21's maintenance infrastructure and pilot training programmes as a result of the IAF pilots' good feedback after the 1965 conflict.

India has added more than 1,200 MiG aircraft to its air force since 1963. 113 MiG-21s are known to be in use by the IAF as of 2019.

Safety record

Representative | Source

There have been numerous safety issues with the aircraft. MiG-21 mishaps have claimed the lives of more than 170 Indian pilots and 40 civilians since 1970; therefore, the unofficial moniker "flying coffin." 840 aeroplanes were produced between 1966 and 1984, and more than half of them crashed.  Between 2010 and 2013, at least 14 MiG-21 aircraft crashed. This problem has been linked to subpar maintenance and replacement part quality. Even a little bird can cause an engine surge or seizure and flame out when it is ingested while the engine is in the afterburner because it works so closely to its surge line.

Over 400 MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force have crashed in the last 60 years, claiming the lives of over 200 pilots and 60 civilians.

MiG-21: Outdated Doesn't Equal Unusable

Additionally, the IAF had already intended to phase down some 70 MiG-21 Bisons before the most recent disaster, thus the serviceable aircraft were not spared. This featured the 51 Sword Arms Squadron, stationed in Srinagar, and three other Squadrons in Rajasthan, located in Uttarlai, Suratgarh, and Nal.

For one, the MiG-21 has a rare nose intake design, while the Hunter had intakes on the wings. The delta-wing configuration lent the aircraft different flight characteristics, the initial batch of pilots were not used to. It generates induced drags at lower speeds. Also, the engine response at lower speeds is also slowerAir Chief Marshal PV Naik (Retd) cited inexperience with the new delta-wing design that IAF pilots weren’t used to in the 1970s, after having flown jets like the Toofani, Mysteres, and the Hawker Hunter

Dassault MD-450 Toofani | Airliners.net

The MiG-21 has a greater accident rate than older aircraft like the Gnat or Hunter planes. But the reason for this is that the radically novel jet is "unforgiving" and "demands a lot of expertise."

Military mishaps during times of peace are a professional risk and a harsh reality as a threat to life and limb in times of conflict. The operation of aircraft, which are sophisticated flying devices, involves a complicated interplay with numerous other governmental departments.

India's second-generation supersonic jet fighter, the MiG-21FL, was decommissioned on December 11th, 2013, after 50 years of service.

MiG-21 FL | Deccan Chronicle

The Indian Air Force plans to decommission all MiG-21 by 2025.

Why was it created in such large quantities, and why do certain air forces still utilise a design from the 1950s?

Its good characteristics, such as its agility, simplicity, dependability, and ability to take off and land on unpaved runways, are a part of the solution.

Price is, however, likely to be the most important aspect. A well-used F16 can set you back more than $15 million. The MiG-21bis is substantially less expensive and easier to fly than the F16 and can be purchased for less than $500,000.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Ryan Hothersall | ARC Forums

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IndiGo plans to induct 4 dedicated cargo aircraft

Jinen Gada

26 Aug 2022

IndiGo is set to introduce four dedicated cargo aircraft. The first of the four will be launched in October and will be connected to Andhra Pradesh airports also.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, IndiGo had a dedicated cargo facility at Rajahmundry airport which was operational. Now, the airline is planning to resume its cargo operations again and make it available for exporters.

In a bid to ace its air cargo game, IndiGo Airlines – the InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. operated carrier – said last year that it planned to source four converted A321 airplanes, which can each carry 27 tonnes, for full-time cargo operations on both domestic and international routes. 

In a bid to ace, its air cargo game, IndiGo planned to source four converted A321 airplanes

ALSO READ - First CarGo freighter of IndiGo to be delivered soon; spotted at Seletar Airport

An IndiGo CarGo-branded aircraft was spotted in June 2022 at Seletar Airport in Singapore’s northeast. The dedicated cargo jet, registered as 9H-AMQ, is an Airbus SE A321P2F (Passenger To Freighter) that’s previously been used by carriers including Aeroflot PJSC, Lithuanian group Avion Express UAB and Thomas Cook Airlines.

The CarGo freighters are IndiGo’s step towards entering and making a mark in the air cargo industry’s post-pandemic boom.

Cargo opened up several possibilities for Indian carriers during COVID to generate revenue, with IndiGo, too, flying hundreds of cargo-only flights before deciding to go for cargo-dedicated planes. 

An IndiGo CarGo-branded first aircraft was spotted in June 2022 at Seletar Airport in Singapore’s northeast.

IndiGo witnessed huge success for its cargo wing during the pandemic. The airline operated nearly 8000 cargo-in-cabin charter flights carrying PPE kits and testing kits, among other things, during peak pandemic times. The carrier delivers services to 71 cities across India, which also have cargo capability.

ALSO READ - Indigo Cargo awarded ‘Indian Air cargo Transport Leader of Covid Vaccine’

IndiGo has also won the "Indian Air cargo Covid Transport Leader of Covid Vaccine" award at the Cargo India Conference in Mumbai. The airline won the award for swiftly transporting Covid vaccines across India during the pandemic.

IndiGo Airlines Regional Director (South) Giridharan Srinivasan said the airline was considering setting up an air cargo facility at Vijayawada and other important airports in the State.

IndiGo would be introducing Four dedicated cargo aircraft shortly, the first one from October which will be connected to Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) airports.

Officials of IndiGo Airlines, during an interaction with a delegation of AP Chambers, explained their views to improve air cargo facilities at major airports such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. On this occasion, the IndiGo officials mentioned that the cargo facility at Visakhapatnam airport is customs notified.

Cargo can be exported directly by IndiGo to 27 overseas destinations after customs clearance at Vizag airport.

The Air Cargo market in India has experienced huge development over the past few years and the changes are evident in terms of technology and awareness of the industry. The shipments, varying in sizes and volumes, are transported to different parts of the world from India.

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Jet Airways to only operate domestic flights as it resumes operations

Jinen Gada

26 Aug 2022

Jet Airways is set to resume operations in September after receiving the airline operating permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It will restart operations with domestic routes initially.

The company said that the first flight of Jet Airways will operate on the Delhi-Mumbai route. The airline will now have its headquarters in Delhi instead of Mumbai.

After the announcement, Jet Airway's share price rose 4.97% to Rs 83.50 on the Bombay Stock Exchange in Monday’s afternoon trading.

The new Jet Airways is likely to start its operation by the end of the year as it began training for its first batch of cabin crew at the Gurugram centre.

ALSO READ - Jet Airways to lease 6-8 aircraft by December; in talks with aircraft manufacturers and lessors

Jalan said that the airline would have more than 50 aircraft fleets in 3 years and over 100 in 5 years. The aircraft are being selected based on competitive long-term leasing solutions.

Once India's biggest private carrier, Jet Airways stopped operating in April 2019, burdened under piling losses, debt and dues. It was admitted for insolvency proceedings by the National Company Law Tribunal in June 2019.

After two years of a rambling insolvency process, the bankruptcy court approved the Jalan-Kalrock consortium’s resolution plan in June last year. Jet Airways’ flying licence or AOP was made dormant, months after it stopped flying.

Jet Airways to fly only Domestic Initially as it resumes operations.

The airline company also said that more than half of the crew are Jet Airways’ former Jet Crew. All the new aircraft will be narrow-bodied planes. A decision on whether these will be Airbus 320 Neos or Boeing’s 737 MAX will be made public over the next few days.

ALSO READ - Jet Airways nearing a deal to buy 50 A220 jets from Airbus

The decision to restart operations only domestically on a limited scale is a significant departure from Jet’s past when it commanded the highest international passenger market share in India.

It was the only airline other than Air India flying to the US with a fleet of wide-bodied Boeings. It had the highest international seat capacity among all airlines in India.

With inputs from business standard.

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Intelsat & Nelco collaborate to provide inflight connectivity in Indian skies

Radhika Bansal

26 Aug 2022

Satellite company and broadband services firm Intelsat on Thursday, August 25 announced the beginning of Intelsat's inflight connectivity services in Indian skies through an agreement with Tata Group satellite services firm Nelco.

As part of the collaboration, Intelsat's airline partners and flyers will enjoy end-to-end broadband coverage on domestic and international aircraft flying to and from an Indian airport as well as the aircraft flying over the country.

"In addition to expanding our service coverage area for current customer airlines, our agreement with Nelco opens the possibility for Intelsat to serve India's domestic airlines. This is a fast-growing airline market, and there is considerable untapped potential for IFC growth."Jeff Sare, President of Commercial Aviation, Intelsat

Nelco has a permit to provide in-flight telecom services in India. Nelco, a part of the USD 128 billion Tata Group, is a leading satellite communication service provider in India, providing highly reliable data connectivity solutions across the country for the Enterprise, Aero IFC and Maritime sectors.

"As India's leading Satcom service provider offering best-in-class services, we are now creating a great opportunity through this relationship with Intelsat for further growth of our Aero IFC services in the country in the coming years and we intend to be a leader in this market in India."P J Nath, Managing Director and CEO, Nelco

Nelco has been offering the Aero IFC services for more than two years with plans to introduce these services to more airlines in collaboration with its global partners. Nelco will provide inflight services using Intelsat's IS-33e high throughput satellite.

IS-33e was launched in 2016 that provides C and Ku-band connectivity to parts of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Indian government regulators approve Intelsat's IS-33e satellite, the statement said.

Nelco has a permit to provide in-flight telecom services in India.

ALSO READ - IndJets receives permit to provide in-flight internet connectivity

Intelsat joins companies such as IndJets, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and  Vodafone Idea that have received approvals from the Indian government to offer internet services on-board flights. IndJets is a strategic partner of British satellite operators Inmarsat and BSNL.

Nelco shares up 10% on pact with Intelsat

Shares of Nelco were locked at the 10% upper circuit, at INR 856.65 on the BSE on Friday, August 26 after the company partnered with Intelsat to offer inflight connectivity in India.

Intelsat & Nelco collaborate to provide inflight connectivity in Indian skies

Till 09:18 AM, a combined 136,000 shares had changed hands and there are pending buy orders for around 150,000 shares on the NSE and BSE. The stock hit a 52-week high of INR 968.55 on October 19, 2021.

In the current week, the market price of Nelco has appreciated by 28%, as compared to a 1.6% decline in the S&P BSE Sensex. In the past three months, it has rallied 52%, against a 10% rise in the benchmark index.

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Formula 1 of the skies-The Airspeeder completes 250 test fights - gets ready to race

Prashant-prabhakar

26 Aug 2022

Alauda Aeronautics, the creator and technical team behind Airspeeder, has announced the successful completion of its 250th test flight.

Representative | airspeeder.com

Reportedly, this milestone achieved by the company brings the concept of "electric flying car racing", which is much closer to a global audience through the world's first Grand Prix series. These events will apparently be hosted on every continent and will, in turn, provide place and space for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry to rapidly accelerate technology and garner global mass enthusiasm for the same.

The Alauda Mk3 pure electric racing machine

New Atlas

Greater thrust-to-weight ratio than a fighter jetCarbon-fibre chassis for lightweight strengthAll-electric racing powertrainMaximum manoeuvrability at high speedAlauda.aero

The racer-craft can go from 0-100 kph in just 2.8 seconds with a total output of 320 kW. Weighing in at 130 kg (287 lbs), it can interestingly lift more than half of its overall weight, thereby making it easier for people who are moderately fit to easily fly this post-training.

Touted to be the next generation motorsport, Airspeeder, pilots commanding this aircraft will race through electronically governed tracks in the sky across the sea, desert and canyon landscapes.

Representative | airspeeder.com

The cockpit will feature the latest augmented reality (AR) technology which will help the pilot navigate through the digitally mapped courses.

The safety system reportedly features collision-avoidance software, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, autonomous pilot failure safety systems, a carbon-fibre monocoque, extra batteries, a safety parachute and redundant motors.

Airspeeder has gathered some of the world’s leading backers of transitional motorsport-including Acronis and its delivery partner Teknov8, one of the world’s leading cyber security companies, DHL, the German logistics giant and Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications company in partnership with Amazon Web Services(AWS).

Representative | CleanTechnica

AWS is collaborating with Telstra and Alauda to promote 5g connectivity solutions which will allow these flying cars to race safely through the skies while broadcasting the event live at the same time as well.

From various reports, the ‘virtual force field’ utilises the latest LiDAR and RADAR technologies, which will ensure Speeders can race blade-to-blade without making contact and in turn allow safe autonomous eVTOL passenger flying in urban settings.

The Formula 1 of the skies

Airspeeder is founded by Matt Pearson with a vision to accelerate a mobility revolution through competition. Alauda Aeronautics and Airspeeder were launched in 2019 and a full-sized racing car was unveiled in early 2021, followed by flight tests and remotely piloted races over an aerial drag strip

Medium

Interestingly, Alauda also has attracted some of the world’s leading technical talent, including senior engineers from Airbus, Boeing, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Mclaren and Jaguar Land Rover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCa2GrxrdOw&t=1s

Also, Bruno Senn, who is a former F1 driver, Formula E, FIA World Endurance Championship driver and World eX race winner, is leading a highly talented pilots roster and personally works on modifications for the drones.

ALSO READ - After having made its maiden flight, the world’s first flying race car to be launched in manned flying car racing series across the globe

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Top Car News Network

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