Eurofighter Typhoon On Top of the World
HALLBERGMOOS, Germany, December 11 -- Eurofighter Typhoon today participated in a memorial event organised by the Italian Ministry of Defence to celebrate 100years of manned flight and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of the famous Italian racing driver, Nuvolari. The event took place at the Italian Aeronautica Militare air base at Grosseto, home of the 4th Stormo (Wing) comprising 9th and 20th Squadrons - the first Italian units to receive Typhoon in Italian service.
The event featured a unique presentation of Eurofighter Typhoon IPA 2, flown by Alenia Aeronautica Chief Defence Aircraft Test Pilot, Maurizio Cheli, and the Ferrari F1 F2003-GA car driven by F1 2003 World Champion, Michael Schumacher. The presentation included a series of race challenges over 600m, 900m and 1200m. The challenge is a modern day re-enactment of the historic challenge between an Alfa Romeo 8C2300, driven at that time by Nuvolari, and a Tiger Moth that first took place in 1931. To mark this unique occasion the Alfa Romeo and Tiger Moth also re-ran their historic challenge.
Results
Challenge 1 - 600m
Eurofighter Typhoon IPA2 - 9.6 secs
Ferrari F1 F2003-GA - 9.4 secs
Challenge 2 - 1200m
Eurofighter Typhoon IPA2 - 14.2 secs
Ferrari F1 F2003-GA - 16.7 secs
Challenge 3 - 900m
Eurofighter Typhoon IPA2 - 13.0 secs
Ferrari F1 F2003-GA - 13.2 secs
Following the challenge a presentation was made to the two competitors by Italian Undersecretary of State for Defence, Filippo Berselli.
Commenting on the event Chief Executive Officer Eurofighter GmbH stated 'This challenge represents a demonstration of excellence for both motor racing and aeronautical engineering in delivering world beating technology. The spirit of the occasion and the two competitors also highlights the long and historic connection between these two challenging and exciting industries.'
During the presentation spectators were also provided with an opportunity to witness a display by the Italian Aeronautica Militare, Frecce Tricolori display team and the C-27 Spartan transport aircraft.
Elsewhere in the Eurofighter fleet, flight testing and clearances for delivery of aircraft to the four partner nations have moved on a pace.
Eurofighter DA1 EADS CASA, Getafe, Spain - Eurofighter Typhoon DA1 has completed a first series of air-to-surface weapons flight test. The aircraft was armed with two 2000lb GBU-10 weapons, fitted under the wing in the central station. The flight lasted 55 minutes and during this time, EADS CASA Test Pilot Alfonso de Castro, performed different flight conditions at altitudes from 10,000 to 40,000 feet and at speeds of M 0.4 - M 0.9.
Eurofighter Typhoon will conduct nine more GBU-10 flight tests before the end of the year. The programme will then continue testing different air-to-surface weapons and stores. Testing will involve Development Aircraft and Series Production Aircraft including the first single-seat production aircraft IPA 4. IPA4 is expected to make its maiden flight by the end of the year. IPA 4 is currently in the final stages of testing at the EADS CASA Military Aircraft final assembly line in Spain.
Eurofighter Typhoon DA7 Air Weapons Range, Decimomannu, Sardinia - DA7 has completed a number of key milestones in firing trials conducted over the last ten days at the Air Weapons Range in Decimomannu. Tests included AIM-9L Sidewinder firing trials from the outboard wing station - conducted by Marco Venanzetti, Alenia Aeronautica, Eurofighter Typhoon Project Test Pilot. A second series of trials featured firing tests from the outboard wing station of the new generation short range air-to-air missile - ASRAAM. This trial was undertaken by Matteo Maurizio, Alenia Aeronautica, Eurofighter Typhoon Project Test Pilot.
Commenting on this recent activity Filippo Bagnato, Chief Operating Officer, Eurofighter GmbH stated 'The pace of flight testing and clearances for the Eurofighter fleet is now proceeding at a good pace. Over the next weeks I am confident in our ability to deliver aircraft to each of the four partner nations air forces and to start flight trials with the first production single seat aircraft.
Imagery
A high-resolution picture of the Eurofighter Typhoon/Ferrari Challenge can be downloaded from our web site. Hard Copy images are available on request.
www.eurofighter.com/photolibrary
Maurizio Cheli
Maurizio Cheli was born in Modena, Italy on 4 May, 1959. He joined the Italian Air Force in 1978. After graduation from the Italian Air Force Academy in 1982 and pilot training in the USA he served as an operational recce pilot on F-104G.
In 1988 he graduated top of his class from the Empire Test Pilot School, Boscombe Down, UK.
He received a Master of Science degree in Aerospace engineering from the University of Houston in 1994.
While assigned to the Italian OTC he served as project pilot on a variety of test programmes including Tornado and B-707 tanker conversion.
In 1992 he was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and assigned to NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston where he became an astronaut in 1993 and in 1996 he participated as Mission Specialist to the STS-75 Tethered Satellite mission.
He joined Alenia Aerospazio in 1996 and in 1998 he became chief test pilot for combat aircraft.
Maurizio Cheli has logged approximately 4000 flight hours in more than 50 different types of aircraft and helicopters and 320 hours in space.
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher was born in Huerth-Hermuehlheim in Germany on January 3, 1969. He for the first time sat in a Go-Kart when he was just four years old and took part in his first race at the age of 14. His first success was in 1984 when he won the German Junior Go-Kart Championship. In 1989 he came third in the German F3 behind Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Harald Frentzen and went on to win the title a year later. He debuted in 1991 in the Belgian GP at the wheel of a Jordan and was immediately snapped up by Bennetton for whom he drove of the rest of season and finished with four points. A year later, that same Grand Prix was to give him his first victory, from where he went on to finish the season in fourth place in the Drivers' rankings. In 1994 he won his first of two consecutive World Championship titles before joining Ferrari in 1996.
Notes to editors:
The Eurofighter Typhoon is the world's most advanced swing-role combat aircraft, developed by the leading aerospace companies, Alenia Aeronautica, BAE SYSTEMS and EADS, of the four partner countries, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Eurofighter Typhoon features unrivalled technology, designed for the defence needs of the 21st Century.
Agile and highly manoeuvrable, the twin-engine Eurofighter Typhoon is designed to operate from hastily prepared bases and small runways for worldwide operations. It is equipped with an advanced multi-mode radar and an extensive range of sensors and electronic countermeasures.
The aircraft's ability to gain air superiority beyond visual range (BVR) and in close combat, and at the same time deliver high sortie rates against air, naval and ground targets in all weathers with a variety of weapons, demands close attention to pilot workload.
A strong emphasis has been placed on reducing cost of ownership in addition to outstanding performance and flight safety. Eurofighter Typhoon is less expensive to run than the generation of aircraft it is designed to replace.
The Eurofighter partner nations plan to take delivery of 620 aircraft: 180 for Germany, 121 for Italy, 87 for Spain and 232 for the United Kingdom. An additional export order of 18 Eurofighter Typhoon has been agreed with the Government of Austria. Eurofighter Typhoon has recently been downselected in Singapore for a competition for a future fighter for this country.
The first four Series Production Aircraft recently joined the flight clearance programme following maiden flights in February 2003. This follows first flights of three Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA) in April 2002. Following Type Acceptance on 30 June, 2003, deliveries to the four partner nations will commence.
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence has agreed an industrial participation programme with Eurofighter GmbH for the future enhancement of the weapon system. Eurofighter Typhoon has also been selected by Greece to meet their requirement for a future fighter.
Ian Bustin, Vice-President Communications, Telephone: +49 (0) 811 80-1555/1734, Mobile: +49 (0) 172 8443023, Fax: +49 (0) 811 80-1557, E-mail: info@eurofighter.com
