1998

December 1998

The fleet achieves the 900 th sortie

Major Evensen, Royal Norwegian Air Force, takes DA5 to the air in Manching on three evaluation flights

Work starts on the first sub-assemblies for the first series production aircraft in Samlesbury (BAE SYSTEMS) with front fuselage halves and at EADS in Bremen on aft sections of the centre fuselage

November 1998

The fleet achieves more than 700 flying hours

October 1998

Norwegian Liaison Officer joins NETMA

The Spanish Chief of Air Staff flies in DA6

Supplement 2 to the umbrella contract is signed in Munich for production of the first tranche of 148 aircraft as well as long lead items for tranche 2

At Farnborough International DA2 forms up with the Red Arrows for the Opening Ceremony. DA5 performs daily with a stunning flight display

The fleet achieves the 800 th flight

The industrial consortium responsible for the Eurofighter programme announces that the aircraft has been named Typhoon for the export market

July 1998

DA6 goes to Moron Air Force Base near Seville for trials at extreme temperatures

June 1998

The Eurofighter Development Aircraft fleet achieves the 750 th flight and over 630 flying hours

DA3 successfully jettisons an external fuel tank (1000 lt.)

DA4 undergoes lightning strike trials at BAE SYSTEMS in Warton

The Royal Norwegian Air Force evaluates DA5 at Rygge Air Force Base south of Oslo . This is the first time a Eurofighter aircraft is taken to a potential customer nation outside the four partner countries

May 1998

DA5 stars at the Berlin Airshow with a spectacular flying display including the first High Alpha Velocity Vector roll

First public display of a Eurofighter aircraft at a public airshow in Italy at Pratica di Mare, celebrating the 75 th anniversary of the Italian Air Force

First metal is cut for production at EADS' Augsburg facility in Germany.

January 1998

Eurofighter GmbH and NETMA sign the Production Investment, Production and Support contracts for 620 Eurofighter aircraft for the air forces of the UK , Germany , Italy and Spain

The aircraft's first in-flight refuelling with an RAF VC10 K3 tanker