I don't think L-15 is dismissed completely, but it's definitely not in favour right now. It seems to have fallen off because it was slow in development, has a lot of foreign content and probably didn't fulfill PLAAF requirement as advertised. And I think part of it is because JL-9 has done a lot better than expected.
Can you specifiy what is 'a lot better'? Something new from the trials? Last thing I heard was continued small improvements like MLS and a stability control augmentation system.
I think the L-15 would be a better plane for the PLANAF but for the PLAAF it seems the JL-9 is doing very well for itself.
no, I don't. It seemed in the beginning that JL-9 had little chance with PLAAF given Hongdu's reputation from K-8. But it seems like working with Yakolev actually reinforced certain people's view inside PLAAF that Hongdu can develop its own planes. And I think if they put the latest Kunlun engines on JL-9 and improve its avionics, it can be quite useful.
Chinese aviation giant establishes defense branch in Beijing
China's largest aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), opened a defense branch Thursday in Beijing in an effort to make the company a first-class, worldwide manufacturer of aerial defense products. The branch will take over most of the military-related business done by AVIC such as building combat aircraft, including China's own third generation fighter J-10.
In addition, the defense branch will primarily develop and make training aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It will also conduct research and manufacture business jets as well as sell its products internationally, a statement released by AVIC on Thursday said. The defense branch, an integration of relevant departments within the corporation, will be an independent accounting unit of AVIC with total assets of nearly 50 billion yuan (7.35 billion U.S. dollars). It has been authorized to manage AVIC's 10 assembly plants and research institutes which are scattered in several cities across China such as Shenyang, Chengdu, Changsha and Shanghai.
The company has approximately 60,000 employees and a rough annual sales revenue of 30 billion yuan (4.4 billion U.S. dollars). It has also exported more than 1,000 aircraft overseas and cooperated with foreign aviation makers to develop civilian planes. "We are trying to become a world leading defense products supplier by expanding our overseas market for export," Wang Yawei, general manager of the defense branch, told Xinhua Thursday. According to Wang, the branch will promote AVIC's L-15 Falcon, a supersonic training aircraft, and FC-1 Fierce Dragon, a light-weight multipurpose fighter, for export.
As for civilian products, AVIC is determined to develop, build and, if possible, export corporate jets. China split the state-owned AVIC into AVIC I and AVIC II in 1999 in an effort make it more competitive in the global market. However, the two parts were merged together in November of last year by the Chinese government to build up the aviation giant. Currently, AVIC owns 22 listed companies in China.
Grob Aerospace Buyer Found
Jan 28, 2009
Robert Wall/Paris [email protected]
After months of negotiations, the insolvency administrator for Grob Aerospace has named H3 Aerospace as the buyer of the company.
Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany-based H-3 Aerospace, through Fortius Mittelstandskapital, is buying the training aircraft and support businesses. Around 100 employees are expected to resume work at Grob's Tussenhausen-Mattsies facility already in February.
The insolvency administrator says the 100 employees is just a starting point, with growth expected.
The SPn program also is expected to survive. The rights to the project have been given to one of the main creditors for Grob, which hasn't been further identified, yet.
Talks to preserve the company were complicated by the current global economic crisis, the insolvency administrator, Michael Jaffe concedes.
Grob declared insolvency in August after a large creditor refused to extend further capital to continue development of the SPn utility jet after repeated delays. Production was closed when bridge money ran out in November.
The L15-05 trainer plane, developed by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group takes off at Qingyunpu airport in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 8, 2009.
Pilots Yang Yao (R front) and Guo Yanbo (L front) of the L15-05 trainer plane, developed by the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, walks out of the plane after it flew back to Qingyunpu airport in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 8, 2009.