> A second batch of four is expected in early August.
> According to Boeing, the deliveries are being made ahead of schedule. .
According to Aviation International News 30 July 2019 , "The Indian Air Force’s first AH-64E(I) flew at Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona plant in July 2018 and Indian pilots and technicians began training in the U.S. that year. The first helicopter was formally handed over to the IAF in a ceremony at Mesa on May 10, 2019.
In March 2018 Tata Boeing Aerospace—a joint venture between the two industrial giants—opened a new facility in Hyderabad to build Apache fuselages, which are shipped to the final assembly line at Mesa. The first fuselage was delivered in June the same year. TBA is now the sole source for AH-64 fuselages, and also supplies other components for the program."
"Following reassembly and air test, the eight AH-64s are due to move to Pathankot AFS in Punjab, where the Indian Air Force expects to formally induct the type into service in September. The operating unit is expected to be No. 125 “Gladiators” Squadron, which previously operated Mil Mi-35 “Hind” gunships. The remaining 14 AH-64s from the initial Indian order will be delivered in 2020. A second squadron is expected to form at Jorhat AFS in Assam, which currently hosts An-32 transports and Mi-17 helicopters.
India became the 14th customer for the Apache when it signed for 22 AH-64E(I)s in September 2015, also buying 15 CH-47F(I) Chinooks at the same time. The first of the CH-47s arrived in India by sea in February. The Defence Ministry approved the procurement of six more Apaches in 2017, with these aircraft intended for service with the Indian Army."
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First Four AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters Arrive in India |
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Touring the Antonov AN-124-100M: Climb Onboard one of the Largest Cargo Planes in the World
"It was a beautiful winter day on the ramp of the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM) in Portsmouth, NH. A handful of us were watching FlightAware and listening to air traffic control on the radio. Just over the buildings to our left, descending on short final, we caught our first glimpse… the 120-foot-long by 21-foot-wide by 14-foot-high cargo area. In case you’re wondering how big this is, imagine 42 Ford Explorer SUVs parked inside, three-abreast, 21-deep, and stacked two-high. You would still have room to walk around.
. . . This is not a Boeing, and it is far from an Airbus. There are six stations, not counting relief pilots. This is old school stuff. Navigator, radio operator, weight and balance, load, pilot, copilot etc… Taking a closer look at the flight deck, I felt lost. . .
The airplane can hold 26,486 cubic feet in volume of cargo. It can fly 2,889 miles and requires 9,843 feet of runway holding nearly 132 tons of cargo. It was an amazing opportunity to see this aircraft up close and I want to thank my friend Kate who made this happen. I also want to thank the cargo team who gave us the tour and were so friendly and accommodating. I was able to take my son along (he is the one climbing the latter in the photo above). They gave him a model of the AN-124, and yes I was jealous.
This airplane is as impressive up close as it is from the spotter’s field of any local airport you may see it at. Keep an eye out for it. Who knows when it may be summoned to your local field to transport a new engine for some airline!
LINK > https://www.airlinereporter.com/2019/04
