Equity firms bidding on Kansas division November 25, 2006 Raytheon Co. of Waltham is close to an agreement to sell its largest nondefense business, Raytheon Aircraft Co., to a private equity firm and is ...Comment

Iranian Tu-154M crashes Accident A Tupolev Tu-154M operated by Iran Air Tours caught fire on landing at Mashad on 1 September after a flight from Bandar Abbas. The 18-year-old trijet was one of a dozen operated by the holiday flights division of flag carrier Iran Air. As Flight International closed for press there were indications that up to 50 of the around 150 people on board may have survived. Iran Air Tours lost another Tu-154 four years ago after the aircraft came down in a mountainous area near Khorramabad, killing all on board. Wing cracks prompt Beech 1900 EAD Safety The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (EAD) affecting all Raytheon Beech 1900 series aircraft as a result of "significa nt" wing spar cracks being found in two 1900Ds. The EAD requires a detailed inspection at 17,000h time in service and again after every 3,000h.

Raytheon Company's (NYSE:RTN) Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is the third unmanned aircraft and the first of its size to receive an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Cobra is a low-cost, highly reliable UAS designed to support Raytheon's development, integration and test of unmanned systems technologies... .

A special 60th anniversary package was revealed yesterday by Raytheon Aircraft for 2007 model-year Beechcraft Bonanza G36s. The anniversary editions will come with several upgrades, including a redesigned sidewall that offers more space and comfort, leather seats tailored with a combination of embossed stingray and wheat leather, removable headrest covers embossed with the Bonanza shield, leather-wrapped control wheels, tweed carpet and a sculpted 60th anniversary entry mat. Raytheon said the exterior will preserve the Bonanza legacy, while advancing technology and design with specially formulated paints.

A new remote "cockpit&q uot; has been developed to give operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) a better view of what is going on around the aircraft.

SKYWATCH CHOSEN Western Michigan University's College of Aviation is to fit L-3 Avionics Systems' SkyWatch collision-avoid ance system on its fleet of more than 45 Cirrus SR2022s, Piper Arrows and Seneca IVVs. NORTHSTAR CONTRACT Northstar Aerospace has received contracts worth C$9.2 million ($8.1 million) to manufacture an initial 138 shipsets of rotor hub and tail rotor assemblies for the Bell 429 light twin. PAPILLON STRAKES BLR Aerospace has delivered its first newly certificated B206L dual helicopter tailboom strakes to US sightseeing company Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. BEECH SUPPORT Raytheon Aircraft Services has signed a three-year contract to continue supporting the 17 Beechcraft Bonanzas and eight Barons used by Bakersfield, California-base d International Flight Training Academy to train pilots for All Nippon Airways. INDIAN EC145 Eurocopter has delivered the first India-based EC145 medium twin

One of the bidders, Onex Corp., is no stranger to Wichita. The Canadian company bought Boeing s Wichita commercial operations last year and formed Spirit AeroSytems Holding. The new company is doing well building Boeing 737 fuselages and parts for the 787 Dreamliner, and analysts say the Raytheon acquisition would be a good fit. As a foreign-owned company, Onex would have to clear some security hurdles, however, because of Raytheon Aircraft s military connections (mainly the Texan II trainer). Onex is also involved in a controversial bid to buy Qantas Airlines. The Carlyle Group and Cerberus are also considered strong contenders for Raytheon Aircraft.