新機及特別機型介紹           

Airbus300-600ST[for cargo]

A300-600ST Beluqa "白鯨"

        相信不少人曾經看過一架長的很像鯨魚的大頭飛機,沒錯,那真的是飛機,其正確名稱為空中巴士A300-600ST,而她亦有一個很適合的外號"白鯨.

        空中巴士製造廠商分布於歐洲各地,而其各組件利用空運的方式送往法國的土魯斯進行最後的組裝和測試,由於隨著空中巴士集團的產量大幅增加,傳統的運輸機也漸漸不能符合需求,所以空中巴士的工程師便改裝A300-600R,白鯨就此而生.

         A300-600ST"白鯨"是由國際特殊空中運輸公司(Special Aircraft Transport International Company,簡稱SATIC)所投資,由於是由A300-600R改裝而來,所以其機身的下半部都和A300-600R一樣,亦使用同樣的引擎(GE CF-680 C2A8)主要的不同就只有誇張的上半機身和水平尾翼的改裝,其巨大的上半機身讓不少初次看到她的人都懷疑其到底可不可以飛,不過經1994年9月初次首飛和400小時的試飛後,證明了她的飛行性能,而試飛員亦對其讚譽有加,而水平尾翼的兩端多出了一垂直面板,用來增加飛行時的穩定性.

INTRODUCTION

THE A340-600 - THE BIGGEST AIRBUS JETLINER YET

380 passengers in a three-class cabin layout, 7500 nautical miles range. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines.

The A340-600 is the ideal economic replacement for first-generation 400-seat aircraft. This twenty-frame (over the A340-300) super-stretch A340 provides similar passenger capacity to a 747 but with twice the underfloor cargo pallet capability, and at incomparably lower trip and seat costs.

With the innovative Airbus approach to developing the vast lower deck, airlines are given new ways to increase seat count, improve in-flight service and offer innovative travel products.

Boeing717

The 100 seat 717 is the latest development of the popular DC-9/MD-80/MD-90 family and the only Douglas airliner which Boeing (which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997) plans to retain in its product line-up. It is designed for high cycle, short range regional airline operations.

McDonnell Douglas originally announced that it planned developing the MD95 at the Paris Airshow in June 1991 and the company anticipated a program launch by late 1991, a first flight in July 1994 and deliveries of production MD95s from October 1995. As it happened MDC did not offer the MD95 to potential customers until mid 1994 and official program launch was not until October 1995 when US discount airline ValuJet (now AirTran Airlines) ordered 50 and optioned 50.

In January 1998 Boeing relaunched the aircraft as the 717-200. First flight took place on September 2 1998 (a second development 717 flew on October 26 '98). Service entry is scheduled for late 1999.

BOEING737-900

INTRODUCTION

The 737-900 is the latest member of the 737 family, and was only launched on September 10, 1997 on the strength of an order for 10 from Alaska Airlines. A 1.57m (5ft 2in) plug forward of the wing and a 1.07m (3ft 6in) plug rear compared with the -800 increases seating to 177 in two classes. First flight was made August 3, 2000, and the first delivery May 15, 2001.

Airbus380

Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan

INTRODUCTION

For a time the massive An-124 held the mantle of the world's largest aircraft before the arrival of the An-225, a stretched six engine derivative. It is commonly used for oversize freight charters.

Developed primarily as a strategic military freighter (in which role it can carry missile units and main battle tanks), the first prototype An-124 flew on December 26 1982. A second prototype, named Ruslan (after a Russian folk hero), made the type's first western public appearance at the Paris Airshow in June 1985, preceding the type's first commercial operations in January 1986. Since that time the An-124 has set a wide range of payload records, a recent achievement being the heaviest single load ever transported by air - a 124 tonne (273,400lb) powerplant generator and its associated weight spreading cradle, a total payload weight of 132.4 tonnes (291,940lb), set in late 1993.

Notable features include nose and tail cargo doors, 24 wheel undercarriage allowing operations from semi prepared strips, the ability to kneel to allow easier front loading, and flybywire control system.

The two major An-124 variants are the basic An-124 and similar Russian civil certificated An-124100. Various upgrades have been proposed, including the western avionics equipped An-124100M built in prototype form but not flown, the three crew EFIS flighdeck equipped An-124102 and the An-124FFF firebomber.

Numerous reengine studies have also been conducted, including using RollsRoyce RB211524Gs, General Electric CF680s (as the An-124130) and even Aviadvigatel NK93 propfans.

The An-225 Myria is based on the An-124 but features six (instead of four) D18T turbofans, a stretched fuselage and a 600 tonne (1,322,750lb) max takeoff weight. One was built intended as a transport for the Russian Buran Space Shuttle equivalent. First flight was in 1988.

Antonov An-225 Mriya

INTRODUCTION

Antonov An-225 "Mriya" is the world's largest aircraft. When it was built, it surpassed any airliner built before by 50%. It was designed for the transportation of the Russian Space Shuttle "Buran" by the Antonov Design Bureau (HQ in Kiev, Ukraine), which already had built good and large cargo aircraft such as the Antonov An-124 "Ruslan". The basic configuration of the An-225 is the same as the An-124, except the An-225 is longer, has no rear ramp/door assembly, and incorporates a 32-wheel landing gear system (two nose and fourteen main wheel bogies, seven per side, each with two wheels).

An-225 "Mriya" ("Mriya" is Ukrainian word for "dream) is also capable to transport other oversized objects/cargo. It is not a military aircraft, but it could find many military uses, because of the ability to transport cargo that no other aircraft is capable to.

The plane had the first flight in early 1988 and entered service in 1989. It's first flight took 75 minutes. After the cancellation of the Buran space program, the only An-225 built was stored in spring 1994, and it's engines were used for An-124s. In 2001 the aircraft was made airworthy again, and made it's new first flight on May 7. There were rumors that the European Space Agency had plans to launch the unmanned British HoTOL (Horizontal Take-Off and Landing) from the An-225, though these rumors appear to be unfounded. Although, some possibilities for deployment have already been found. Plenty of customers are to be found in the USA. According to Bruce Bird, Director of the Charter Division of Air Foyle, parts of rocket launchers like the Delta and Atlas could be transported in the An-225. Lockheed's planned Venture Star could be transported on its back. Additionally the Mrija could serve as a launch platform for the X-34B. Furthermore big sections of aircraft could be transported in it. The complete assembled fuselage of a Boeing 737 can be fitted in the hold.

A second An-225 was partly built, but became stored before it was finished. Early 2002 Antonov was working again on this second aircraft to bring it to flying status. It is possible that more aircraft of the type will be built, depending on market.