World
Aviation in 1996
9 February
The German Second World War fighter ace General Adolf
Galland dies aged 83.
16 March
The Dutch aircraft company Fokker is declared bankrupt
and ceases aircraft manufacturing after 77 years.
19 March
The McDonnell Douglas X36 $14 million, unmanned, advanced
research vehicle is unveiled.
9 April
The EMD Lockheed Martin/Boeing F22 Raptor is rolled out.
2 June
The Raytheon Beech T6A Texan II is rolled out.
29 June
The original 'Air Force One', the Boeing VC137 used as
the official aircraft of United States Presidents since
1959, is taken out of service.
15 August
Rockwell International Space & Defence operations are
acquired by Boeing.
28 August
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
awards a $50 million contract to Orbital Sciences for the
X34 Reusable Launch Vehicle.
7 November
The Mars Global Surveyor is launched from Cape Canaveral
to look for evidence of water on Mars.
16 November
Contracts are awarded for Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
prototypes to Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Both companies
will produce two aircraft, one with conventional take-off
and landing characteristics and another capable of
vertical take-off and landing.
27 November
A hundred British Aerospace (BAe) Hawks are ordered by
the Australian Government as the next Lead-In Fighter
Trainer.
4 December
The Mars Pathfinder probe is launched from Cape
Canaveral.
15 December
A merger between the United States aerospace giants
Boeing and McDonnell Douglas is agreed and the new
company will be known as Boeing.
29 December
Two United States Air Force (USAF) Joint Surveillance and
Target Attack System (JSTARS) modified Boeing 707s are
deployed to assist NATO ground forces in Bosnia. |