Embraer to showcase its executive jet portfolio at MEBA 2010

The Lineage 1000, Legacy 650 and Phenom 300 executive jets will be on static display

São José dos Campos, November 30, 2010 – Embraer will participate in the forthcoming Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) exhibition (www.meba.aero), December 7-10, at Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Company will showcase its ultra-large Lineage 1000 executive jet at the static display area, together with the light Phenom 300 and the newly certificated large Legacy 650 executive jets.

Embraer will host a press conference on Tuesday, December 7, at 1:30 p.m., in Central Hall West Foyer, where it will review the achievements of the Embraer Executive Jets programs, from the entry level to the ultra-large jet categories.

The large Legacy 650 executive jet will be on static display for first time at the MEBA air show. Based on the successful Legacy 600 platform, the Legacy 650, with its 3,900 nautical mile range, recently demonstrated its long-range capabilities with a nonstop flight from Dubai (UAE) to London (U.K.) with ten occupants on board. This significant increase in range was accomplished through extensive airframe modifications, such as reinforced wings and landing gear, larger fuel capacity, and new highly efficient and more powerful Rolls-Royce AE 3007A2 engines.

Honeywell’s new Primus Elite™ avionics suite also equips the Legacy 650 and future Legacy 600s. Due to the excellent performance in hot and high conditions, allowing operations up to temperatures of 50°C, both aircraft have been very successful in the Middle East market, where over 20 are in operation, today.

Source: EMBRAER

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Posted in airports, executive, industry | Read More »

I/ITSEC - Christie Offers Cutting Edge Simulation Demos

I/ITSEC/Orlando, FL – (November 29, 2010) – Boundary-pushing technology for delivering the positive training of military personnel will be showcased by Christie® through interactive exhibits at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Booth 1825 at Orlando Florida’s Orange County Convention Center this week.

Christie will use a 6-channel immersive dome display to go beyond the typical points of view provided to helicopter pilots to simulate views of the critical ‘landing zone’ areas, which have been generally unavailable in traditional solutions. In an impressive NVG demonstration display, the award-winning Christie Matrix StIM™ with dual-input image processing will render both visible and infrared images independently but simultaneously, to create an optimum, realistic environment for night-vision training. As well, delivery of varied maintenance training applications will be the focus of an immersive 3D technology platform in the Christie HoloStage® Mini in the booth.

Dome Simulates Much-Needed Perspective for Pilots
The Dome display highlights the capabilities of Christie visual display solutions in delivering a complex simulation environment.

The display features both helicopter and ‘fast jet’ simulation content from FlightSafety International. The blended 6-channel Christie Matrix StIM array will showcase the real-time processing and calibration capabilities of Christie ArrayLOC™, providing continuous, automatic balancing of color and brightness across the array.

Christie ArrayLOC effectively enables individual projectors to become ‘intelligent display nodes’ in a larger system infrastructure where the output capabilities of each projection ‘node’ are measured, compared against the rest of the array, and optimized on a real-time basis.

Christie Personalizes the NVG Experience
The Christie Matrix StIM™ employs Christie InfraScene™ technology with a 4-band LED illumination source that enables new levels of NVG training fidelity. In addition to the usual red, green and blue color primaries, InfraScene utilizes a separate infrared LED to ‘stimulate’ operational Night Vision Goggles (NVGs).

“Previous approaches to NVG stimulation required compromises in the balance of near-IR energy to visible light,” said Dave Kanahele, Christie director of simulation solutions. “The Christie Matrix StIM features an independent infrared LED in addition to the conventional red, green and blue LEDs, and this lamp-less system allows our customers to adjust the balance of near-IR energy to visible light by independently processing and displaying image content across the red, green, blue and near-IR channels. This allows the IR scene to be optimized independent of the visible RGB imagery.”

To fully demonstrate this capability, Christie is featuring the Night Readiness Virtual Terrain Board™ image generator which utilizes Renaissance Science Corporation’s (RSC) programming libraries to deliver accurate NVG scenes by computing the optimal display drive parameters and injecting accurate sensor effects based on a physically accurate model of the NVG, the Christie Matrix StIM™ output, the underlying database, and environmental dynamics.

Christie HoloStage Mini Makes Maintenance Training Easy, Inexpensive
A two-surface, two-channel 3D immersive environment is an ideal solution for advanced service and maintenance training needs. With a compact footprint that fits in standard 10’ high spaces, the Christie HoloStage Mini delivers high-performance maintenance training in a cost-effective way.

A complete turnkey immersive visual display solution created by Christie that is easily deployable, the HoloStage Mini features the latest display technology and offers a 120Hz 3D immersive head-tracked experience with two projection planes displaying an impressive 4.6 MegaPixels of resolution.

“The goal of simulation and stimulation training environments is to recreate, as closely as possible, real-life situations and environments, and with the suite of solutions and products that we’re showcasing over the course of the show, customers can be confident in Christie’s ability to provide the world’s leading simulation and visualization display systems for their training needs,” said Zoran Veselic, vice president, Christie Visual Environments.

About Christie
Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan (JP:6925), designs, builds and installs customized projection display solutions. Christie® delivers turn-key solutions for sophisticated virtual reality, simulation systems and control room environments including high-resolution power walls, multi-sided immersive environments, curved screen displays, domed simulation and multi-projector arrays. Industries and organizations that rely on Christie range from government agencies to oil and gas, aerospace to entertainment, and manufacturing and design to pharmaceuticals. Christie is listed among Military Training Technology magazine’s Top 100 simulation companies and has been awarded the Blue Ribbon for Innovation as well as the Red Ribbon for Best Program for the Christie Matrix StIM™. The awards recognize companies around the world that have made a significant impact on the military training industry across the spectrum of technologies – serious gaming, live training, constructive simulation, modeling, virtual simulation and others. For more information, visit www.christiedigital.com.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Posted in | Read More »

Fokker Aircraft Services Celebrates 1111th F-16

Woensdrecht, 30 November 2010.

Fokker Aircraft Services Celebrates 1111th F-16 To Be Maintained at Its Facility.

Fokker Aircraft Services (FAS) is celebrating the 1111th F-16 multirole fighter jet to undergo maintenance at its facility. The aircraft belongs to the Royal Norwegian Air Force and arrived at Fokker Aircraft Services’ hangars this November where it will undergo a 300 FH Phase Inspection.

The first Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon arrived at Fokker nearly 30 years ago from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Its multifaceted modification work encompassed both modernization and structural improvements. Since then, Fokker’s servicing of F-16s has steadily progressed with work conducted on behalf of the Royal Danish Air Force, United States Air Forces in Europe, Portuguese Air Force and Chilean Air Force, in addition to the air forces of Norway and the Netherlands.

“We have an extensive history of supporting and converting both commercial and military aircraft, and in particular the F-16. We received our first F-16 fighter jet in September of 1981, and by the end of 1985, Lockheed Martin had publicly recognized our company as the best F-16 modifier in the world,” explains Stephan Hands, Vice President Marketing and Sales, Fokker Aircraft Services. “The many engineers/aircraft enthusiasts within Fokker Aircraft Services are incredibly proud of being able to service this powerful bird and of being a part of F-16 history.”

Fokker Aircraft Services has been involved in F-16 modification programs since 1981, delivering in-house program management from within its MRO facilities. Its extensive menu of modification programs include – but are not limited to – Falcon UP, Midlife Update and Falcon Star, as well as Wing Crack Repair and Damage Repair.

In addition to the 1111^th F-16, FAS is expecting to soon begin work on numbers 1112 and 1113. The first, which also belongs to the Royal Norwegian Air Force, will likewise undergo a 300 FH Phase Inspection, while the other for the Royal Netherlands Air Force is scheduled for Paint and Anti Corrosion.

Alongside the services outlined above, FAS also provides Field Support Teams, standalone Phase Inspections and the integration of Phase Inspections in modification programs to condense aircraft downtime.

About Fokker Aircraft Services

Fokker Aircraft Services (FAS) specializes in the maintenance, modification and conversion of commercial, private and military aircraft on behalf of operators the world over. With a staff of 400+ based at its Woensdrecht, Netherlands headquarters, FAS serves the operators and owners of Fokker, Boeing and Airbus aircraft. It also maintains the aircraft of national and international armed forces.

Fokker Technologies is the parent company of Fokker Aircraft Services. The Fokker Technologies Group develops and produces advanced components and systems for the aerospace and defense industry, and supplies integrated maintenance services and products to aircraft owners and operators worldwide. In 2009 the Group achieved a turnover of € 602 million and employed 3,500 people.

Source: Fokker Aircraft Services

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Posted in defense, industry | Read More »

NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery; Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EST On Dec. 2

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters auditorium at 300 E St. SW, in Washington. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency's website at http://www.nasa.gov.

Participants are:
- Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters,
Washington
- Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S.
Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
- Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied
Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.
- James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe

Media representatives may attend the conference or ask questions by
phone or from participating NASA locations. To obtain dial-in
information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and
telephone number to Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov or call
202-358-0918 by noon Dec. 2.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about NASA astrobiology activities, visit:

http://astrobiology.nasa.gov

Source: NASA

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 | Posted in science, space | Read More »

India Set To Launch Agni-II Plus Missile

By Anantha Krishnan M.

BENGALURU, India — India is preparing for the first launch of an upgraded version of the Agni-II missile.

Known as the Agni-II Plus, Agni-II Prime or A2, this nuclear-capable missile was developed by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The surface-to-surface missile can hit targets at ranges ...