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Magazine Issue

Aviation Week & Space Technology, September 14, 2015

VOL. 177 NO. 36 September 14, 2015

Airbus in America

article

Airbus Extends Commercial Production Reach With Alabama Plant

Sep 11, 2015
Perception matters. And the fact that Airbus is now building civil aircraft in the U.S.” puts it alongside Boeing or Lockheed Martin as a prime,” aerospace analysts say.
article

Bregier: Airbus Wants To Be A Global Manufacturer

Sep 11, 2015
With its foothold firmly in the U.S. as well as China, Airbus is on its way to achieving its expansion goals. President/CEO Fabrice Bregier discusses the ramifications of these moves.

First Take

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First Take (Sept. 14, 2015)

Sep 11, 2015
COMMERCIAL AVIATION An uncontained high-pressure compressor failure is suspected in the left General Electric GE90-85B engine of a British Airways Boeing 777-200ER that caught fire, prompting the crew to reject takeoff at Las Vegas McCarran Airport on Sept. 8. All 159 passengers and 13 crew on BA Flight 2276 to London Gatwick evacuated the aircraft.

U.S. Bomber Fleet

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USAF's Secret Bomber: What We Do And Don’t Know

Sep 10, 2015
The new shape of the Air Force’s bomber fleet relies on the outcome of a secretive project to lay the foundation for a new generation of U.S. stealth aircraft.
article

USAF To Keep Existing Bombers Beyond 2040

Sep 10, 2015
Though new bomber will replace the B-52 and B-1, today’s fleet needs incremental upgrades to stay in the fight.

Defense

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Aerojet Offer For Troubled ULA: A Savvy Play?

Sep 09, 2015
What is a company to do if it can’t get rights to a competitor’s coveted product? If you are Aerojet, just offer to buy that competitor.
article

USAF Set For Operational Tests Of F-35 Service Software

Sep 11, 2015
Nellis AFB first to flight-test for combat use; Australian and Italian air forces also testing refueling USAF aircraft.
article

Delayed KC-46A Flight Test Countdown Begins

Sep 11, 2015
The tanker’s development schedule has been marred by hardware, production and test issues, but is finally nearing completion.
article

Italians Readying For Live Virtual Constructive Training

Sep 10, 2015
New simulator system will allow for fewer live flights for fighter pilot training, saving costs and aircraft wear.
article

The Week in Defense, Sept. 10-17, 2015

Sep 10, 2015
Layoffs at Lockheed; Global Hawk deployment; Slovakia buys Black Hawks and new pilot training facility.

Technology

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NASA’s Road Map Toward Possible Nuclear Rocket Flight Demo

Sep 21, 2015
Deep-space flight time and expense could be greatly reduced through the use of nuclear rocket engines and make Mars exploration more feasible.
article

Ducted-Rocket Missile-Defense Interceptor Shows Promise

Sep 07, 2015
The company behind the Meteor air-to-air missile’s throttleable ducted ram-rocket propulsion, Germany’s Bayern-Chemie, says a feasibility study shows the technology could power a Mach 5-plus lower-tier ballistic-missile interceptor.
article

The Week In Technology, Sept. 7-11, 2015

Sep 07, 2015
Portable laser downs UAV; tethered drones tested; Russia’s advanced concepts; photonic fuel gauging; Sony’s first unmanned aircraft; ScanEagle fights wildfires; Italy demos UAV ATC.

Commercial Aviation

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Avicopter Designs AHL Helicopter For High Ceiling

Sep 11, 2015
Average altitude performance would greatly limit the Chinese market for the proposed Sino-Russian AHL helicopter. So Avicopter proposes a design that would fly far higher than most heavy rotorcraft.
article

Comac Slips ARJ21 Commercial Operations To February

Sep 11, 2015
The CAAC certified the ARJ21 in December, but 14 months will pass before Comac subsidiary Chengdu Airlines puts it into service.
article

Is The New CEO Just What United Airlines Needs?

Sep 11, 2015
In Oscar Munoz, United has a new CEO. But can he change the airline’s culture?
article

Losses Curtail AirAsia X Growth Plans

Sep 08, 2015
The Malaysian carrier cuts orders as it struggles to prove the long-haul, low-cost model can be profitable.
article

Indonesia Warns That Some Airlines May Lose Licenses

Sep 11, 2015
Minimum fleet size, including minimum aircraft ownership, is one of the regulations already on the books the Ministry of Transport will begin enforcing more strongly.
article

Superjet Hopes For Sales Boost From Huge State Leasing Deal

Sep 11, 2015
Russian government lends a hand with 30 billion rubles to push SSJ 100 sales.
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For Latin America, A New Airline—Every Year

Sep 08, 2015
VivaLatinamerica, with two regional carriers already launched, is aiming at Central America as its next Viva brand and looking forward to further expansion.

Space

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Aerojet Eyes ULA Buy As ULA Courts Blue Origin

Sep 11, 2015
ULA, Blue Origin announce production deal in wake of Aerojet’s offer to buy rocket manufacturer.
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SpaceX To Introduce Falcon Heavy in Early 2016

Sep 09, 2015
The new rocket, based largely on an upgrade of the Falcon 9 v1.1, will launch four missions next year, including two for commercial customers.
article

Earthly Implications Of ISS Demonstrations

Sep 09, 2015
Science experiments may help extend the life of satellites, evaluate environmental damage and monitor fallout from nuclear disasters.

100 Years of Aviation Week

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The Development Of Stealth And Counterstealth

Sep 11, 2015
Much of the history of stealth has taken place under a shroud of secrecy that often hid important events from insiders as well as the public. It’s been a vast and often chaotic development, driven by technology, economics and geopolitics—and even the goals set 30 years ago have yet to be met.
article

The Secret Pioneers Of Stealth

Sep 11, 2015
A small number of people made outsize contributions to the early development of stealth, working under intense secrecy.

Up Front

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Opinion: Is Berkshire Hathaway’s Acquisition Of PCC A Good Move?

Sep 09, 2015
Fantastic earnings, a large backlog, high entry barriers and fortuitous timing. What isn’t to like about this deal? I have several important concerns.

Going Concerns

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Opinion: Unspoken Benefit Of Airbus’s Alabama Site

Sep 08, 2015
People laughed when forecaster Adam Pilarski said that oil prices would collapse. Now he’s warning about an aircraft order bubble.

Airline Intel

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Court Rules Lufthansa Pilots Cannot Strike Because Of Eurowings Plans

Sep 11, 2015
German pilots union loses its biggest weapon in what has become a power struggle over control of the country’s most dominant airline.

Commander's Intent

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Opinion: Russian Innovations Point To New Electronic Warfare Doctrine

Sep 11, 2015
You can assume that the T-50 is a Russian F-22, or that jammers on trucks can’t affect an air campaign. But if you’re wrong, you’re in trouble.

In Orbit

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Science Learning To Use Global Precipitation Data

Sep 09, 2015
An international fleet of spacecraft is providing scientists and weather forecasters with new insight into precipitation, its effects, and its causes.

Washington Outlook

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Missile Defense Money, UAV Rules, Amateur Rockets And GPS Cost Overruns

Sep 11, 2015
Directed energy an MDA priority; states filling void on UAV rules; FAA modernizes rules for amateur rockets and increased costs for a GPS system.

Editorial

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Editorial: Get Data On Risk UAS Pose To Air Traffic

Sep 11, 2015
If the consequences of a collision with a UAS could be detailed, that could be a powerful disincentive to irresponsible behavior.
article

Editorial: Pentagon Must Better Explain Plans For Next Bomber

Sep 16, 2015
Defense officials need to do more than sound like an abusive partner returning to his lover (“Baby, it will be different this time”).

Feedback

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Letters From Our Readers (Sept. 14, 2015)

Sep 11, 2015
Several comments about recent Commentary pages; Air Intel and Viewpoint elicit range of responses.

Who's Where

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New Positions, Promotions, Honors And Elections (Sept. 14, 2015)

Sep 11, 2015
David P. Storch has been named president and Timothy J. Romenesko vice chairman of AAR, a global aerospace and defense company based in Wood Dale, Illinois. Storch remains company chairman and CEO, and Romenesko COO of Expeditionary Services. Steven B. Harrison becomes president of the airlift division and Randy Martinez AAR vice president-strategy and business development.

Aerospace Calendar

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Conferences & Exhibitions (Sept. 14, 2015)

Sep 11, 2015
Oct. 6-7—SpeedNews 20th Annual Business & General Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference, Los Angeles. Oct. 13-15—MRO Europe. London. Nov. 3-5—MRO Asia-Pacific. Singapore. Nov. 3-5—AerospaceDefenseChain. Scottsdale, Arizona. Jan. 21-22, 2016—MRO Latin America. Lima, Peru. Feb. 3-4, 2016—MRO Middle East. Dubai. Feb 15, 2016—ATW’s Airline Industry Achievement Awards, Singapore.March 3, 2016—Aviation Week Laureate Awards. Washington.
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Aerospace Calendar (Sept. 14, 2015)

Sep 11, 2015
Sept. 19-22—World Routes 2015. Durban International Convention Center. Durban, South Africa. See routesonline.com/events/175/world-routes Sept. 22-23—JEC Forums 2015. Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Boston. See jeccomposites.com/events/jec-forums-boston-2015 Sept. 22-24—AHS International Conference on Environmental Sustainability in Air Vehicle Design and Operations of Helicopters and Airplanes. Hotel Bonaventure. Montreal. See vtol.org/events/sustainability-2015