Russia looks to its own Manufacturers?

 Aeroflot and the Russian government is looking to Illyushin and Yakolev!

With so many sanctions now imposed on Russia by the United States over the Ukraine Boeing is refusing to supply parts for all the grounded 737 types that have been employed in recent years?

So Russia is looking to Yakolev to have its MC21 commercial jet ready and for Illyushin to upgrade its Il-118 turboprop for domestic flying, as it has with the IL-85/95 long range types.

Meanwhile the Tupolev has been successful with its range of jet types, TU-204, 214, that are now in service, but there is much hope in the MC-21 and the Chinese airline types replacing the unwanted American aircraft?

Aeroflot has sued Sukhoi for structural failures on its Sukhoi Super-Jet 100/200 not being resolved, with still crashes and incidents!

Off to the Moon! Part-Two.

Stepping Stones?

It is still not known if the U.S. government will keep the International Space station going in favour of commitments to a New Moon base, but what is clear this will be part of the next step to go on to establishing something more permanent  on Mars?

Claims of six to thirty years are still the various estimated times for such missions, commercially it might be six years to pull off a stunt, but to be serious thirty is more practicable since many things still require testing and approval?

With the recent discovery of water on the poles of the Moon, this will encourage the base plans to go ahead perhaps within the next six years, but keeping ISS has a half-way point would be wise in the initial stages of this vast project!

A changing aviation Market?

Airbus A380 and A350-100 at a loss!

The world wants smaller aircraft, rather than larger ones and in the civil commercial airline market one does not get any bigger than the Super-Jumbo and the Extra-wide bodied? 

New aircraft such as the Bombardier C-series are more desirable, Embraer has taken the market with its E-Jet series and new comers from Russia, China and Japan are quickly following suite with their own versions!

Boeing has kept to a tight ship in its developments, staying with the 747-8bio-fuelled and struggling with the Dreamliner? But it has given up on the DC-9/717, for the expansion in the 737-800/900 and MAX, all of which is in demand around the globe.

Airbus has taken on the C-Series with reluctance, because it clashes with the A321-neo and similar designs that will be forthcoming?

Corperate to Commercial Jets. Part-One.

Business to Small Airlines.

There is more of a demand today for the smaller commercial jet, than has ever been seen. 

The business jet offered from 8 to 20 seats, privacy and speed, but today with the success story of the Fairchild-Dornier 328J at 18-to 28 seats many manufacturers are now seeing a market for their aircraft?

Bombardier and Mitsubishi are taking the market off Boeing, Cessna, Gulfstram, Beech and Embraer, because they have designed the right size and seating capacity for the airlines. 

The Boeing 737-600 is still to big for many small airlines, while the Sukhoi S-100J Superjet still has to prove itself. Meanwhile the Airbus A319-100 and various versions have just not come up to the mark.

Vehicle Carriers.

Vehicle Movers.

These are but some of the strangest ships on the worlds seas today, moving mostly cars and jeep types from country to country. 

Between 5-7000 vehicles may be carried and stabilisation of their loads are crucial in case of slippage, Many also carry mechanical excavation equipment and farm machinery.

This allows for choice of different types to be available across the world. some may be also carrying military vehicles under the guise of civil and other tracked type heavy vehicles. 

Civilian shipping covers a host of military exports and imports and this is seen across the board in commercial merchant shipping. Those thousands of containers, may contain more than meets the expected eye?

Engines. Part-Two.

New propulsion, materials and Fuels.

Metal has been the main key component in engines for the past two hundred years, but now that most machines are becoming lighter in their construction and the demand for polymer plastics is on the rise. The aviation industry has developed stronger aluminium and other light metals to incorporate in overall design.

Lighter means more fuel efficiency, while engines no longer have to rely on the need for petroleum!

Hydrogen fusion, water and gasses work better with these newer materials. There is not worry about rust or engines dying so quickly. The newer materials and these new engines will last much longer and probably never really run out because of replacement parts.

The first commercial electric cars are now entering the European market en-mass and they will be followed by many other new innovations. Airbus has broken the market in alternative fuels, while new Russian commercial jets such as the Sukhoi super Jet will take the market. 

The one time business jets are now replacing the low capacity market with Mitsubishi, Bombardier, Embraer and Fairchild-Dornier offering layouts for between 20-30 seating.

This will undermine the Boeing 737-600/700 and the Airbus A319-100, who have tried to compete with Embraer E-Jet success.
 
Many machines such as locomotives are cutting down on the need for large body shells, some are aero-dynamic for extra speed.

Rockets such as SpaceX if combined with the Progress modules could lead to some interesting space developments along with improved nuclear engines for faster space flight?

Antonov Family. Part-Two.

Into the Jet age with the An-72/74.

The need for speed was perhaps one of the driving forces in the demand for this type of aircraft transport, which may also be seen as their copy of the BAE 146-100. 

The same principles for the An-24/32 was still demanded in this jet age version, but it was not initially as successful as the turbo props? Perhaps because it was not offered for export for some time and the turbo-props were good enough for foreign export.

India received the type and like the Antonov-28/32 was permitted a license to build their own. This policy continues to this day. One cannot be sure if the Ukraine is still capable of building and exporting or if the aero facilities have been moved to the Russian federation.

Apart from the giants like the An-124/224, a smaller aircraft to replace the An-22 was long overdue with the development of the An-70 transport. it has very good weight lift capability and uses the twisted propellers of the Tupolev Tu-95 bears.

Antonov followed with its own version of the BAE/RJ-100/300, but only with to engines rather than four. This aircraft has seen better success in the civilian commercial market one believes instead of the military.

The Airbus Story. Part-One.

From A300 to A350.

The beginning of the Airbus story started in 1965, when British European Airlines proposed a 200 seat aircraft to compensate on the United States Boeing model 747. But it was not until the 28th October 1972 that the A300B2 took to the skies on its first test flight.

In 1970 eight European airlines and their national aviation companies from Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France and Spain met to start the development of a total European joint built commercial airliner. 

The 28th June 1973 saw the A300B2 enter production, with the first delivery to Air France on 30th may 1974. This gamble paid off very quickly with orders from forty airlines in twenty-nine countries.
The A300 was reliable and cheap to operate, it could accommodate three crew and 336 passengers, was powered by two General-Electric CF6-50C1 engines.

Cruising speed 911km/hr at 9450 metres and a range of 5375Km. Other airlines to operate the aircraft were Air India, Saudi and Thai Airways.

Sukhoi 100 v Boeing 737 family.

Small to medium Commercial jet airliners.

Without a fact no one can say 'that Boeing has not had commercial success with its 737-100/900 family over the last forty years. Airbus has over the last 25 years, starting with the A330 done and equality good job in competition and taking the market from the Americans with its ever expanding new smaller jets.

But here we want to look at what Russia, post Soviet Union  is doing to take their own place in the groving competative stance of world aviation industry. The Sukhoi 100/200 is the equivalent to the Boeing 737, which the new Russia has employed in great number to replace its own ageing fleet's. 

This aircraft if successful will fill a needed gap, replacing the out dated and long lived Tupolev TU-134/154. There are many other Russian design bureaus such as Antonov with their designs, but Sukhoi has the appeal to western airlines who may want something to replace their favourite DC-9's and the ill fated Boeing 717-1/200's.

The biggest market for such an aircraft is that of package holiday tourism, which will now expand in Europe, as the EU expands into Eastern-Europe and the Caucasus?

Blimps and Airships.

Blimps and Airships.

Will the days of the airships such as the British R101 and the German Zeppelins return again? 

Airships are still used today, predominantly by the U.S. navy, but other civilian craft are used for advertising. 

It is still probable, despite being slow that they could be used commercially for long distance travel. But I suppose they probably would be easy to attack with portable surface to air-missiles. What a view they could provide for the paying public, as well as being covered with solar panels?