The Ka-29 Helix-B is one type that will operate from Russian Navy Mistral-class ships.

The first Merlin HM2 trials aircraft (ZH826) inside the flight shed of the AgustaWestland factory at Yeovil, Somerset, on January 13, 2011. External differences include some additional sensors, external cabin lighting, fast roping equipment and the option of installing the 0.50-calibre M3M machine gun (seen here).

Dassault Mirage 2000EP 060 has been painted with a colourful tail to mark 25 years of service with the Fuerza Aerea del Peru (Peruvian Air Force). The aircraft was painted as such by November 2010 and is operated by Escuadron Aereo 412 'Hawk's, Grupo Aereo No 4, based at La Joya. Ten single-seaters and a pair of 2000DP two-seaters were originally delivered.

Australian built version of the French NH90 NFH.

Among Eurocopter's four first flights on December 17, 2010, from its facility at Marignane were two NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopters (TTH), the first examples destined for France (F-ZWRF, c/n 1239, seen here) and Spain (F-ZWRE, c/n 1215). F-ZWRF has since arrived at Istres where it will undergo flight trials with the Flight Test Centre. France has ordered 34 NH90 TTHs and the first will be delivered to its Army Aviation branch in late 2011.

Nimrod R1 XV249 has been marked to commemorate the looming retirement of the type. The fleet is due to be replaced by three RC-135s, the airframes of which will be around 50 years old by the time they are delivered to the RAF.

Harbin Y-12-II JW9029 (c/n 0079, ex B-580L) was seen at Dar es Salaam in late December 2010.

The prototype Tu-204SM is seen prior to undertaking its maiden flight on December 30, 2010. The new model is a significant upgrade of the baseline aircraft.

Peten 828 of the 'Magic Touch Squadron' shows the prominent satellite communication antennas above the stub wings and the additional avionics pannier below the front fuselage that were recently installed on the fleet.

Boeing 747-123 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA (c/n 20107) carrying the Phantom Ray UAV is seen departing St Louis-Lambert International Airport in Missouri on December 13, 2010, for the test sortie prior to delivery to Dryden.

Airbus A340-313X 98+47 (msn 274, ex 16+01, D-AIGR) was seen practising approaches at Koln-Bonn Airport on January 14, 2011. The aircraft previously served with Lufthansa before arriving at Lufthansa Technik's completion and overhaul facility at Hamburg Airport by mid-June 2009 for installation of a VIP suite. It is due to be delivered soon to the Flugbereitschaft (VIP Flight) along with a second example (16+02, msn 355, ex D-AIFB) to replace Airbus A310s used by the unit on long-range VIP and medical evacuation flights.

Boeing 777-319ER ZK-OKM (c/n 38405) is seen departing Paine Field, Everett, in Washington, on December 22, 2010, destined for Los Angeles, where it immediately entered service flying passengers to Auckland, New Zealand. The airliner is the first of five ordered from August 2007 by Air New Zealand. It was rolled out on October 13 and first flew on November 8, being delivered to the airline two days before leaving Paine Field. The first three will enter service by April, flying between Auckland, Los Angeles and London.

Bombardier (CL600-2E25) CRJ1000 NextGen EC-US (c/n 19003) seen at Valencia International Airport on January 7, 2011 is the first delivered to Air Nostrum, one of the two launch customers for the regional jet. It was delivered on December 17, 2010, and ferried via Montreal-Mirabel International Airport and Goose Bay Airport in Canada, and Keflavik in Iceland, before arriving at Valencia. The first example of the CRJ1000 handed over was F-HMLA (c/n 19004, ex C-GELU) for Brit Air, which was delivered three days earlier and ferried via the same route, though terminating at Morlaix Airport in France. The airline was planning to use the type on the Lyon to Rome sector during the recent festive season. Air Nostrum's second example (EC-UR, c/n 19002, ex C-GCBN) was delivered on December 20. Between them, the two carriers have ordered 49 CRJWOOs.

Arriving at Southend Airport, Essex, for maintenance with ATC Lasham on December 15, 2010, was Boeing 727-30 9Q-CDC (c/n 18934) of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The VIP airliner arrived from Tamanrassat in Algeria devoid of the titles identifying its operator that it usually carries. Built in 1966, the aircraft originally served with Lufthansa as D-ABIS and has flown in the Congo since 1986.

AirTran's Boeing 717-231 N925AT (c/n 55079) has been painted in special markings to promote the opening of 'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' at Universal Orlando, Florida. The airliner is seen landing at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on December 17, 2010.

Karnaf 420 seen on December 28, 2010, carries mission markings commemorating operations in Uganda in 1976 and (at an unknown date) Sudan. The transport is equipped with an electro-optical turret below the nose and has an extensive self-protection suite.

No official image of the Ka-252SV (23D2) has been released, but this artist's impression shows the general arrangement and some significant points. These include the surveillance radar's 5.5m by 1m (18ft by 3.3ft) rotating aerial (1); the four antennas of the KSS-23 encoded data link (2); IR/UV missile approach warning system with four sensors at both sides of front and rear fuselage (3); electro-optical jammer (4), another of which is located beneath the rear fuselage; 50mm flare launcher (5); two 26mm flare launchers (6), with 3 to 6 being components of the L381 Vitebsk self defence system; main undercarriage legs (7) that rise above the antenna's sweep, the front units folding up.

Saab 340B 70202 will be used as a transport and trainer for the two Erieyes due to be delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force, one of which accompanied it on its delivery flight.

Shaanxi Y-8F200 JW-9034 (along with JW-9035) provides the Tanzanian People's Defence Force Air Wing with its heavy airlift capability.

A Ka-52 Alligator hovers over the deck of the French Navy's force projection and command ship Mistral (L9013).

Roll-out of the first T-346 for the Italian Air Force at Venegono, on December 21, 2010.

On December 17, 2010, the first pre-series Eurocopter Tigre HAD (Helicoptere d'Appui Destruction - 'fire support and destruction' helicopter) for the French Army completed its maiden flight from Marignane in southern France. F-ZWPB (c/n 6001) will be involved in the Block I initial qualifications for the variant, along with the first Spanish HAD-E. France has ordered 40 HADs and Spain 24 HAD-Es.

Airbus A310-304 JY-AGP (c/n 416), previously flown by Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJA) touched down at Kemble in Gloucestershire on January 3, 2011 at the conclusion of its final flight. It will be reduced to produce at the airfield. One of A310s with the most (if not the) highest hours, the aircraft first flew on March 21, 1986, and was delivered to Kenya Airways as 5Y-BEL before joining RJA that May. Three of the airliners have until recently been in service with the carrier, with JY-AGM and JY-AGN (c/ns 491 and 531) still operated, while two modified as freighters serve with the cargo division. The aircraft is due to be replaced by Boeing 787-8s.

Former Royal Jet British Aerospace RJ85 G-CFZM (c/n E2299, ex A6-RJE) was repainted in the livery of Jagson Airlines of Delhi, India, at Bournemouth Airport, Dorset. It arrived at Southend Airport, Essex, on December 17, 2010, for predelivery checks and is due to become VT-JJC upon entering service with the regional airline. Jagson started operations in November 1991 and is acquiring BAe 146/ RJ85s to augment its Dornier Do 228-200s and Mil Mi-172s.

Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor BuNo 161841 of Training Squadron 27 (VT-27) of Training Air Wing 4 (TAW-4) based at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, has been repainted in Word War Two era training colours. It is seen at its home base on December 28, 2010.

Hawker 850XP N982XP (c/n 258982, ex N3482Y), seen here at Glasgow-Prestwick Airport on its delivery flight to the Pakistan Navy on August 14, 2010, is the only one destined for the service, correcting the information published in the September 2010 issue. It was inducted into the Pakistan Navy at PNS Mehran in Karachi on November 4, 2010, along with four Harbin Z-9ECs destined to operate from Sword-class F-22P frigates. The Hawker 850XP is currently being configured for the electronic warfare/information warfare role at Dallas, Texas.

To mark the retirement of the Dominie T1 from disbandment ceremony on January 20, 2011. Here three of the aircraft are seen returning to their RAF Cranwell base two days before the event took place.

ВС Бразилии являются крупнейшим покупателем EC725. Сборка вертолетов налажена на "Helibras". Намечено собрать более 50 вертолетов для Армии Бразилии (на фото), ВМС и ВВС. Вертолет на снимке представлен в предпоставочной окраске.
Eurocopter EC725BR EB-5001 (seen with the test registration F-ZWBR) was one of three assembled by Eurocopter at Marignanne in southern France handed over to Helibras for delivery to Brazil on December 20, 2010. Helibras will outfit the helicopters with their mission equipment, and from 2012 assemble 44 of the 50 on order at Itajuba, Minas Gerais. The final example will be delivered in 2016, by when Brazilian content will have risen to 50%. A total of 16 will be delivered to the Forca Aerea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) as H-36s, while another two ordered for the Presidency will be operated by the FAB as VH-36s. Another 16 will serve as UH-15 and UH-15As with the Commando da Forca Aeronaval (Naval Aviation Command), the first being N-7101 (ex F-ZWBS), while 16 (including EB-5001) are destined for the Comando de Aviacao do Exercito's (Brazilian Army Aviation Command).

Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss Z3-BGU (c/n 802A-0313) of the Macedonian Protection and Rescue Directorate's Aviation Unit was seen overflying Albania on its way to Spain in late October 2010. It was accompanied by Z3-BGT (c/n 802A-0280) - both of the fire-fighters having flown from their home base at Skopje-Alexander the Great International Airport to Valencia in Spain for an annual inspection by Avialsa T-35 SL, one year after being delivered to Macedonia on November 8, 2009. Work was completed on November 24, 2010, and they returned to Ohrid-St Paul the Apostle International Airport on December 19. The third Macedonian Fire Boss (Z3-BGV, c/n 802A-0329) was delivered on March 1, 2010. The fleet's main base is at Skopje, and Ohrid is used as an alternative and forward-operating base in the summer.

The Ilyushin Il-112V has suffered from a low priority within the Russian military and construction of the prototypes has been delayed.

The IASF aerobatic team made its debut with the T-6A Efroni on December 30, 2010.

The reconstructed Iraqi Air Force participated in the annual Iraqi Army Day Parade on January 6, 2011 with 20 aircraft performing 12 flypast and other displays over the International Zone in Baghdad. Among the aircraft involved were these three Hawker Beechcraft T-6A Texan Ils based at Coalition Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit. US instructors of the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron expect to graduate 16 Iraqi-qualified T-6 instructor pilots by the end of 2011. Iraq ordered a total of 15 T-6As.

T-6C Texan II (CN-A)TD/04 (c/n PM-4) is seen on approach to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Ontario on January 14, 2011.

FlairJet based at London Oxford Airport in Oxfordshire became the first European customer to take delivery of an Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 on December 22, 2010. G-MGNE (c/n 50500017) touched down at 1555 hrs after a ferry flight from Sao Jose dos Campos, Sao Paulo in Brazil, flying via the Caribbean, eastern seaboard of the United States, Goose Bay in Canada and Keflavik in Iceland. The company's second Phenom 300 (G-GEIR, c/n 50500023) arrived on December 31. The Phenom 300s will be based at London Oxford Airport, although one will also use Cannes Mandelieu Airport in southern France during the summer months. In addition to the two light jets, FlairJet already operates three Phenom 100 very light jets, with which it commenced operations in December 2009.

Seen here taking off from Albacete for its delivery flight on December 15, 2010 is Policia Nacional EC135P2+ EC-094, which will enter service as EC-UZ.

To mark the Centennial of Naval Aviation Training Squadron 35 (VT-35) painted TC-12B BuNo 161197 in a commemorative paint scheme to reflect US Navy aircraft that participated in the Battle of Coral Sea, May 4 to 8, 1942. The last TC-12B mission was flown by VT-35 on May 16, 2017.

AgustaWestland AW139 CSX81750 (c/n 31301) is the second example of the helicopter delivered to the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs and Border Patrol Service). The aircraft was handed over at the manufacturer's facility at Vergiate in northeast Italy on January 13, 2011. The first example for the service (MM81714, c/n 31094) was delivered in mid-2009.

The second prototype EC 175 (F-WWOM, PT3) is representative of the offshore transport configuration to which the first two production examples will be completed.

Bombardier 415MP M71-01 (c/n 2068) operated by the Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, MMEA) arrived at Manchester Airport on December 17, 2010, for a night stop during its ferry flight back to Malaysia from St Johns in Newfoundland, Canada. It was modified at St Johns to bring it up to the same standard as the MMEA's second B415MP (M71-02, c/n 2071, ex C-FWLK). The work included the addition of a Honeywell Primus 660 nose radar, forward observation window, enlarged cargo door, Swedish Space Corporation MSS 6000 side-looking airborne radar, underwing FLIR System SeaFLIR forward looking infrared imaging system and repainting. It previously pasted through Manchester on its delivery flight in November 2008, registered C-FTBZ and was formally handed over to the MMEA on January 23, 2009.

The Jian-20 fighter seen for the first time at Chengdu Aerospace Corporation's Plant No 132 airfield from December 22, 2010.

American built MH-60R Seahawk.

On December 31, 2010, Sikorsky S-61N PH-NZD completed its last flight to an oil rig, bringing to a close the type's 43-year long commercial career in the Netherlands.

The Fire-X demonstrator is seen during its first autonomous flight on December 10, 2010, at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

Also noted at Dar es Salaam were Agusta-Bell AB412EPs JW9505 and JW9506, plus AB205A JW9502. The ground manoeuvring trolley attached to JW9502's skids indicates that it is still active.

Lt Col Fred Schenk at the controls of F-35B BF-02 during the final moments of a vertical landing. This shot clearly shows the number of doors that open when an F-35B undertakes a vertical landing. Three on top of the fuselage, one for the lift fan and two for the auxilliary inlet, two for the lift fan nozzles underneath, roll nozzles (one under each wing), and two at the rear of the aircraft for the thrust vectoring nozzle.

This shot shows the engine nozzle vectoring thrust generated by a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine to maintain the required lift for the aircraft as it transitions into a hover and vertical landing.

Computer-generated image of an Airbus 320NEO in the colours of Indian budget operator IndiGo.
The PW1000 PurePower series will be fitted on the Airbus A320neo

AeroVironment's hydrogen-powered GO-1 Global Observer on the flight line at Edwards AFB, California on January 6, 2011. The Edwards-based Global Vigilance Combined Test Force is expanding the altitude and duration of flight tests to validate the aircraft's high-altitude and long-endurance potential.