US sees first airliner flight with laser defences | The Register 

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trials of laser missile-dazzler defences on airliners have passed another milestone, with armaments maker BAE Systems announcing that its "JetEye" gear has made ... its first scheduled passenger flight. The JetEye-equipped plane, a Boeing 767 operated by American Airlines, made a routine trip from New York to Los Angeles. "BAE Systems worked closely with DHS and the airline industry to develop an effective response to potential terrorist threats," said Burt Keirstead, JetEye program director for BAE Systems in New Hampshire. "It took a combination of ingenuity and perseverance to get to this point, and everyone involved is proud of the results." Two further American 767s will also be equipped with JetEye for the trial, which is designed to find out the effects of the gear on airline operations and finances. The planes will fly with the new equipment until 2009, and BAE is keen to emphasise that "there will be no live-fire testing during these flight   [More...] [Less...]

Airports Council International 

National Museum of Flight 

Discover the extraordinary story of our human ambition to take to the skies. East Fortune played an important role as an airfield during two World Wars. Now the National Museum of Flight hangars are packed ... with aircraft that reveal how flight developed from the Wright brothers to Concorde. Join us today and let your imagination fly! Opening Times Open daily from 10:00 - 17:00. Admission (including Concorde boarding pass): Adult: £8.50; Concessions: £6.50; Child 12 and under: £2; National Museums Scotland Members: free! Full admission and opening times details on our page. East Fortune Airfield East Lothian, EH39 5LF Tel : 01620 897 240   [More...] [Less...]

Boeing robot whisper-copter team claims record | The Register 

Mammoth US arms'n'aerospace firm Boeing has announced test successes for its prototype robot whisper-copter, the A160T "Hummingbird". The company believes it has broken the world endurance record for unmanned ... aircraft in the A160T's weight class with a flight lasting longer than 18 hours. The possibly record-breaking test took place last week at the Yuma proving grounds in Arizona. Boeing say that the droid-copter landed with better than 90 minutes worth of fuel remaining, and carried a 300-pound payload during the flight. "The aircraft performed flawlessly, flying un-refueled longer than any other current unmanned rotorcraft. Our customers are excited about this." Those customers include the US forces, and DARPA - the Pentagon's famous deathboffinry bureau, whose brainboxes prefer to avoid the beaten track*. Various people from these communities would like to use Hummingbirds to carry new and amazing sensors and spyeyes, or perhaps even to pick up or drop off people deep behind enemy   [More...] [Less...]