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Magazine Issue

Aviation Week & Space Technology August 25, 2014

VOL. 176 NO. 29 August 25, 2014

Advanced Propulsion

Rolls-Royce Details Advance And UltraFan Test Plan

Aug 25, 2014

Rolls-Royce’s future turbofan strategy will leverage European, national and company research

U.S. And Australia Extend Hypersonic Pact To 2017

Aug 25, 2014

Tests to unravel final hidden hypersonic phenomena will unlock full scramjet potential

Reaction Ramps-Up For Full-Scale Sabre Demonstrator

Aug 25, 2014

An innovative engine cycle conceived for a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) launch concept is attracting interest for possible wider application in several air-breathing hypersonic roles.

Turboprops Lay Groundwork For Open Rotor Engines

Aug 25, 2014

Radical new future propeller concepts emerge from integrated concept design studies

Prop Blades Drive New Manufacturing Techniques

Aug 25, 2014

Dowty is engaged in an advanced composite design and manufacturing research effort to prepare for a coming wave of new-generation blades, whether they are longer, thinner propellers or large-scale, wide-chord blades for an open rotor.

Aviation Pursues Hybrid Electric Propulsion

Aug 25, 2014

Turbine-electric propulsion shows promise for keeping aviation’s efficiency improvements going beyond 2030

Feedback

Clean Our Own House First

Aug 25, 2014

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden’s statement: “If the species is to survive indefinitely, we need to become a multiplanet species” is typical of someone blinded by his own specialty. This and other gems were recounted in “Why Go?” (AW&ST June 23, p. 45).

The Need To View Vehicles

Aug 25, 2014

The fact that the British were even considering early retirement of the Royal Air Force’s airborne stand-off radar (Astor) system, “Staying Alive” (AW&ST Aug. 4, p. 53), reveals an appalling ignorance about which military capabilities are important. Anyone with an elementary understanding of modern warfare should realize that vehicles have transformed how armies fight by providing them with mobility, heavy firepower, armored protection and supplies.

Legacy Of Litigation

Aug 25, 2014

Anthony Velocci’s commentary “Innovation’s Quiet March” (AW&ST Aug. 11/18, p. 18) concludes, “. . . leadership teams at established companies would do well to remember that casebooks are filled with examples of what happens when organizations start worrying more about protecting what they have than discovering what they can be.” The team of Orville and Wilbur Wright did just that with their obsession with lawsuits. The casebook goes back to the beginning.

Tilt Toward Coaxial

Aug 25, 2014

When the U.S. Army and, at some point, the Marine Corps select a new rotorcraft, they would do well to keep in mind the hard lessons of past wars. In tactical situations, steep, fast approaches and close-in maneuvering to tight landing zones are sometimes necessary. In such circumstances, tiltrotor aircraft with their relatively wide wingspans and more restrictive maneuvering envelopes are at a disadvantage compared with more conventional designs like coaxial rotor helicopters.

Foggy Vision

Aug 25, 2014

Antoine Gelain’s commentary “Out of Steam” (AW&ST July 7, p. 12) covers BAE Systems’ recent lackluster performance post-divesting itself of assets that subsequently proved very profitable. This unfortunate process goes back 25 years or more.

Lauding Aeromedical Missions

Aug 25, 2014

Stick to the Facts

Aug 25, 2014

In the editorial “Still Some Explaining To Do” (AW&ST Aug. 8/11, p. 74), which covers the F-35 and the Pratt & Whitney engine, there appears this flawed statement: “This sort of engine failure is normally the kind of fundamental design issue engineers are expected to catch early in development.”

Parse The Problems

Aug 25, 2014

I agree with the premise of the subject editorial that Pratt & Whitney’s silence regarding the F-135 problems is “disappointing but perhaps understandable.”

Too Many Unanswered Questions

Aug 25, 2014

I agree with the premise of the subject editorial that Pratt & Whitney’s silence regarding the F-135 problems is “disappointing but perhaps understandable.”

Problems Beyond Tracking

Aug 25, 2014

Your August 4 issue provides an extensive overview of the state-of-the-art and future possibilities of aircraft tracking. What strikes me is that even though the disappearance of MH370 seems to have spurred the implementation of all these new technologies, none of them would have actually prevented the event from happening. It appears that MH370 was being tracked, but the transponder was deliberately turned off. Why can the transponder be turned off by the pilot?

UAV Fail-safes

Aug 25, 2014

Reader Dan Patterson demonstrates a lack of basic understanding of unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and mission software in his “Breached Branch” comment about the Taranis unmanned aerial vehicle (AW&ST Aug. 4, p. 8).

Rules to Land By

Aug 25, 2014

With regard to several letters in recent weeks referencing “False Promises” (AW&ST July 21, p. 38) about false glideslopes, please note that transport pilots should use (most do) a 3-for-1 ratio as a backup for accuracy on descent to landing. Specifically, at 3 mi. the aircraft should be at 1,000 ft.; at 6 mi., 2,000 ft., and so on. If you are not on this ratio you are not on the proper glideslope. The 3-for-1 method helps to ensure arriving at the correct airport. It is simple and it works.

Turnabout Concerns

Aug 25, 2014

“The ‘A’ Word” (AW&ST Aug. 11/18, p. 40) notes that the U.S. is spending billions of dollars to develop unmanned autonomous aircraft and other robotic machines. If I was a cash-strapped enemy of the state, I would be spending my limited funds on developing software that would allow me to take control of the aircraft in flight and send it back to destroy its base of operations.

Who's Where

Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Aug 25, 2014

John L. Plueger has been named to the board of directors of Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems Inc. He is president/chief operating officer of the Air Lease Corp. and was CEO of the International Lease Finance Corp.

Northrop Grumman Corp.

Aug 25, 2014

Diane Daegele (see photo) has been appointed vice president-business management for the Unmanned Systems Div. of the Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Redondo Beach, California-based Aerospace Systems sector. She was director of business management for the company’s Space Systems.

Insitu

Aug 25, 2014

Ryan Hartman has been named president/CEO of Boeing subsidiary Insitu, Bingen, Washington. He was senior vice president-programs and succeeds Steve Morrow, who is retiring.

USAF

Aug 25, 2014

USAF Maj. Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as deputy commander of United Nations Command Korea/deputy commander of U.S. Forces Korea/commander of Air Component Command South Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command/commander of the Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea. He has been director of operations at Headquarters U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Maj. Gen. Steven L.

Elbit Systems of America

Aug 25, 2014

David Rogers (see photo) has been appointed senior vice president-operations of Elbit Systems of America of Fort Worth.

Swiss Aviation Consulting

Aug 25, 2014

Rocco Sero (see photo) has become deputy manager within Hunenberg-based Swiss Aviation Consulting’s Continuing Airworthiness Management organization.

Airberlin Technik

Aug 25, 2014

Werner Rothenbacher has become managing director/senior vice president-technical of Airberlin Technik. He succeeds Marco Ciomperlik, who has become chief restructuring officer for the Airberlin Management Board. Rothenbacher was senior vice president-technical operations at Etihad Airways.

Commercial Spaceflight Federation

Aug 25, 2014

Eric Stallmer has been named president of the Washington-based Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Stallmer has been vice president-government relations at Analytical Graphics Inc. and was president of the Space Transportation Association.

Oman Air

Aug 25, 2014

Paul Gregorowitsch has been named CEO of Oman Air. He succeeds Wayne Pearce, who has left the company. Gregorowitsch was chief commercial officer of Air Berlin and had been CEO of Martinair and an executive at KLM.

Mercury Defense Systems

Aug 25, 2014

Brian Perry has been appointed president of Mercury Defense Systems, Cypress, California. He was vice president/general manager of Mercury’s Services and Systems Integration group.

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center

Aug 25, 2014

James Lackey (see photo) has been appointed executive director of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. He was director of engineering.

IBC Advanced Alloys Corp.

Aug 25, 2014

Chris Huskamp (see photo) has become executive vice president-business and technical development for the IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., Wilmingon, Massachusetts. He has been a consultant to the company, working on components for the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Global Eagle Entertainment

Aug 25, 2014

Kevin Trosian has become vice president-corporate development and investor relations for Los Angeles-based Global Eagle Entertainment. He held a similar position at Mindspeed and had been vice president-finance and investor relations at Power-One.

Livingston Group

Aug 25, 2014

Mike Coffield has been named a consultant with the Washington-based Livingston Group. He was head of government affairs for United Continental Holdings.

LMI Aerospace Inc.

Aug 25, 2014

Joseph DeMartino has been named chief operating officer of St. Louis-based LMI Aerospace Inc. He was a consultant to the aerospace industry and had held executive positions with GKN Aerospace, also in St. Louis.

International Launch Services

Aug 25, 2014

Jim Kramer (see photo) has been appointed vice president-sales, marketing and communications at International Launch Services, Reston, Virginia. He succeeds Dawn Harms, who has left the company.

GRA Inc.

Aug 25, 2014

David Weingart (see photo) has been appointed Washington-based executive vice president of GRA Inc. He was director of strategic initiatives at the FAA and had been chief of staff to its administrator.

Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd.

Aug 25, 2014

Ian Bartholomew has become interim managing director of U.K.-based Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd. He has been commercial director and succeeds Mick Adams, who has been named vice president-MRO for Etihad Airways.

Oxford Performance Materials Inc.

Aug 25, 2014

Paul Martin has become president of the Aerospace and Industrial Divs. of Oxford Performance Materials Inc., South Windsor, Conn. He was head of military and government activities for the Sikorsky Aircraft Co. and had been executive vice president of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.

Who's Where: Honors and Elections

London School of Hospitality and Tourism

Aug 25, 2014

Keith Williams, executive chairman of British Airways and an executive director of the International Consolidated Airlines Group, received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of West London’s London School of Hospitality and Tourism late last month.

NYC & Co.

Aug 25, 2014

Gail Grimmett, senior vice president-New York for Delta Air Lines, has been elected to a two-year term on the board of directors of NYC & Co., the marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York.

The World

Clipped Wings

Aug 25, 2014

More than half of the U.S. Air Force’s F-16D fighters have been grounded due to cracks found during inspections. Eighty-two of 157 F-16Ds, primarily used for training, were removed from flight status after cracks were found in canopy sill longerons between the front and rear pilot seats, the Air Force announced Aug. 19. Longerons run the length of the aircraft and transfer loads throughout the structure and skin of the platform.

Italian Tornado Collision

Aug 25, 2014

Four crewmembers onboard two Italian air force Panavia A-200 Tornado combat aircraft were killed when the aircraft collided during a training mission for an upcoming NATO exercise, over eastern Italy on Aug. 19. The aircraft came down in a forest near the town of Ascoli Piceno; the accident caused a forest fire. The aircraft were from the 6th Stormo (Wing) at Ghedi air base. An investigation into the accident has begun.

U.K. Deploys Rivet Joint

Aug 25, 2014

The U.K. Royal Air Force has put its new RC-135W Rivet Joint into action for the first time. The aircraft, which was quietly forward-deployed in July, is supporting Operation Shader, the U.K.’s humanitarian operation in northern Iraq, providing intelligence on Islamic State fighters who have taken over major parts of northeastern Iraq. The aircraft is likely to be operating alongside U.S. Air Force Rivet Joints from Al-Udeid AB in Qatar. The RAF has two more RC-135s on order, the type formally entered service in May.

Russian Spacewalk

Aug 25, 2014

Cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev deployed a Peruvian cubesat and worked with materials-space-exposure experiments during a 5-hr. extra-vehicular excursion at the International Space Station Aug. 18. Unlike cubesat deployments from the Japanese Kibo module’s robotic arm, which use a mechanical dispenser, Artemyev deployed the small satellite with a toss of the hand in the direction opposite the station’s travel to avoid a future collision.

Cygnus Reenters

Aug 25, 2014

The third Orbital Sciences Corp. Cygnus commercial cargo carrier to reach the International Space Station reentered the atmosphere Aug. 17 for a splashdown in the Pacific east of New Zealand, wrapping up the second of eight resupply missions for the company under its $1.9 billion commercial resupply services contract with NASA. Carried to orbit July 13 on an Orbital Sciences Antares launch vehicle from Wallops Island, Virginia, the pressurized capsule carried 3,550 lb. of garbage for its destructive return to Earth. It took 3,669 lb.

Large-Scale 3-D Printing

Aug 25, 2014

Aerojet Rocketdyne plans to demonstrate fabrication of large-scale metal rocket-engine parts using laser-melting additive manufacturing (AM) under a cost-shared Technology Investment Agreement with Wright-Patterson AFB under Title III of the Defense Production Act, worth $11,750,886.

Medevac Surion on the Way

Aug 25, 2014

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has further widened the market for its Surion utility helicopter, gaining a defense ministry contact to develop a medical evacuation version of the aircraft. Development is due to be completed by 2016, with the aircraft going into service in 2018, says KAI. Parliament last year authorized the acquisition of eight medical evacuation helicopters; the army reportedly has a requirement for about 20. KAI does not yet have a production contract, however.

Avic Capital May Buy Avolon

Aug 25, 2014

Avic subsidiary Avic Capital says it is in talks to buy Irish aircraft lessor Avolon but stresses that no deal is certain. In a stock exchange statement, Avic Capital denies a newspaper report that the deal will be valued at 12 billion euros ($16 billion). Reuters reports that Avic Capital and China Investment Corp., also a state firm, were negotiating to buy Avolon for $4-5 billion, including the value of debt that they would assume in the acquisition. Avolon, which owns more than 190 aircraft, has reportedly raised $7.2 billion in capital since it was launched four years ago.

Shakeup Continues at Bombardier

Aug 25, 2014

Bombardier has replaced its vice president of marketing for commercial aircraft, including the slow-selling and still-grounded CSeries airliner. Ross Mitchell, previously in both business and commercial aircraft sales, last week succeeded Philippe Poutissou. Bombardier also has named company veteran Jean Seguin as president of the Aerostructures & Engineering Services business, which was formed in July when the company split the unit off from its Business and Commercial Aircraft segments.

Europe ‘Prepared’ for Icelandic Eruption

Aug 25, 2014

Europe’s air traffic control agencies claim they are better prepared than in 2010 for the potential impact on aviation from volcanic ash, as eyes turn to another impending eruption in Iceland. Civil protection authorities sealed off parts of the region surrounding the Bardarbunga volcano in southeast Iceland after earthquake swarms, some registering as high as four on the Richter scale, were measured, indicating a possible impending eruption.

Avicopter AC311 Upgrade Makes First Flight

Aug 25, 2014

Less than four years after the AC311, one of Avicopter’s key new helicopters, made its first flight, an upgraded version with a different engine has taken to the air. The AC311A also features improvements to flight controls and the rotor, says Avic, the parent of the state helicopter maker. The flight of the aircraft, introducing the Turbomeca Arriel 2B1A engine to the AC311 series, lasted 10 min. and took place at Jingdezhen, the home of Changhe Aircraft, a long-established Chinese helicopter maker that now is part of Avicopter.

Up Front

Opinion: Why the A&D Industry Is Living Dangerously

Aug 28, 2014

Has the A&D industry’s conservatism become a liability?

Leading Edge

Intermodal-container Air Cargo Concepts Attract Interest

Aug 25, 2014

Can an unproven market bring success to unproven aviation concepts?

Reality Check

Opinion: Air Safety Challenges Require Constant Vigilance

Aug 27, 2014

Recent accidents highlight gaps in air safety procedures, need for urgent improvements

Airline Intel

Etihad-Alitalia Deal Will Affect Airline Dynamics

Aug 25, 2014

Etihad’s investment in Alitalia gives European airlines a glimpse into future trends for their home markets

In Orbit

Commercial Crew Vehicle Choice Will Lead To Flight-Testing

Aug 27, 2014

How to flight-test a crew space capsule

Washington Outlook

Opinion: Police Receive Excess Military Helos With DLA Program

Aug 25, 2014

Pentagon transfer program faces scrutiny after Missouri protests

Air Transport

Opportunity Knocking For Aircraft Lessors

Aug 25, 2014

Iberia's Brighter Future

Aug 27, 2014

Iberia’s turnaround and progress in lowering costs trigger widebody fleet renewal

Big Changes On Tap For Australian Market

Aug 25, 2014

Asian LCCs target Australia despite overcapacity concerns

AirAsia X Adjusts Its Business Plan

Aug 25, 2014

AirAsia X is confident it has found the right model, but its results have yet to show improvement

Defense

Affordability Challenge In Pursuit Of Army JMR/FVL

Aug 25, 2014

Higher speed will not be enough to persuade the U.S. Army to pursue an advanced rotorcraft

Northrop Bets On Open System To Stay Competitive On Black Hawk

Aug 25, 2014

Under current plans, the U.S. Army’s oldest Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks will not be replaced before 2035 at the earliest, six decades after the medium-utility helicopter first flew.

NASA Tests Distributed Electric Propulsion

Aug 25, 2014

NASA Langley Research Center has begun tethered tests of the GL-10 Greased Lighting, a 10-ft. wingspan prototype of a hybrid-electric distributed propulsion vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft.

Navy Weighs UCAS Needs As X-47B Testing Advances

Aug 25, 2014

X-47B finally tested in cooperative carrier operations with Hornet

Business

Budget Cuts Hitting Some U.S. Defense Providers

Aug 25, 2014

It is the summer of setbacks for many U.S. defense-services providers

Space

SpaceX Alum Goes After Falcon 1 Market With Firefly

Aug 25, 2014

Aerospike revival, advances in composite structures are shaping design of low-cost smallsat launch vehicle

Northrop Unveils Design For Darpa Spaceplane

Aug 25, 2014

Northrop Grumman has unveiled a vertical-launch, horizontal-landing reusable booster design for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s XS-1 experimental spaceplane.

ESA Investigating Power Anomalies On Testbed Spacecraft

Aug 25, 2014

The European Union is preparing to launch its first fully operational Galileo navigation, positioning and timing satellites Aug. 22, putting the 28-nation body in line to compete with the U.S. GPS, Russian Glonass and Chinese Beidou systems, even as it finalizes details of Galileo’s use.

Utility Aircraft

Avic To Begin TA600 Assembly Around Year-End

Aug 25, 2014

Avic aims to fly its big new amphibian next year

Aerospace Calendar

Conferences & Exhibitions

Aug 25, 2014

Sept. 23-24—Brazing Symposium, Arizona. Oct. 7-9—MRO Europe, Madrid. Nov. 4-6—MRO Asia, Singapore. Nov. 19-20—A&D Programs, Litchfield Park, Arizona. Jan. 13-14—MRO Latin America, Argentina. Feb. 2-3—MRO Middle East, Dubai. April 14-16—MRO Americas, Miami.

Upcoming Events

Aug 25, 2014

Aug. 25—Ninth Asia-Pacific Congress of Aerospace Medicine. Beijing. www.apfama.org/2014 Aug. 27-28—Fourth International Technical Specialists’ Meeting on Vertical Lift Aircraft RDT&E. Patuxent River, Maryland. vtol.org/pax Sept. 3-5—ALTA Aviation Law Americas. Miami. Call +1 (786) 388-0222 or see [email protected]

Viewpoint

Opinion: No Air Force? No Way!

Aug 25, 2014

Why airpower is still relevant

Market Sector

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Aviation Week & Space Technology August 25, 2014

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Advanced Propulsion

Feedback

Who's Where

Who's Where: Honors and Elections

The World

Up Front

Leading Edge

Reality Check

Airline Intel

In Orbit

Washington Outlook

Air Transport

Defense

Business

Space

Utility Aircraft

Aerospace Calendar

Viewpoint