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Magazine Issue

Aviation Week & Space Technology, April 17, 2017

VOL. 179 NO. 15 April 17, 2017

Hypersonics

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China Takes Wraps Off National Hypersonic Plan

Apr 10, 2017
China’s first international hypersonics conference, held in Xiamen, amounted to a coming-out party for the nation’s swift progress in high speed flight research.
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China Reveals Key Test Progress On Hypersonic Combined-Cycle Engine

Apr 10, 2017
Could China’s hypersonic combined-cycle engine be the first to fly?

First Take

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First Take (April 17, 2017)

Apr 14, 2017
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

U.S. Army Training Aircraft

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Leadership Says U.S. Army Aviation Restructuring Nearly Complete

Apr 13, 2017
Lakota is taking over the training role as the U.S. Army’s single-engine helicopters exit inventory.
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U.S. Army Transitioning Rotary-Wing Training To Lakota

Apr 13, 2017
The Army is crunching data to prove whether the Lakota is delivering a better aviator.
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U.S. Army Aviators Have New Route To Fixed-Wing Flying

Apr 12, 2017
CAE uses Grob G 120TPs and simulator motherships for an innovative Army training program.

Space

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Upheaval In Space Access Beginning Now

Apr 11, 2017
Industry is seeing a dramatic shift in launch hardware as the spacefaring nations of the world prepare new rockets for peaceful and not-so-peaceful access to orbit and beyond.
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Companies Jockey For A Piece Of Trump’s NASA Plan

Apr 10, 2017
With the Trump administration still finding its way in space, NASA, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are proposing concepts for Mars exploration.

Defense

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Tomahawk Strikes Again, This Time Eroding Syrian Airpower

Apr 14, 2017
The Raytheon-made Tomahawk is still the Pentagon’s weapon of choice, but the U.S. Navy has long wanted to stop building new ones in favor of developing a next-generation cruise missile.
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Tomahawk Milestones

Apr 14, 2017
Timeline shows key dates in Tomahawk cruise missile's history, including program milestones and uses in battle.
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Singapore To Buy Maritime Aircraft, UAVs

Apr 10, 2017
Wealthy and well-armed Singapore tends to not to shirk at paying for expensive military equipment. That factor could help the Poseidon as it assesses patroller options.
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South Korea To Consider New Maritime Patrollers

Apr 11, 2017
A requirement to double the South Korean maritime patroller force is regarded as urgent as North Korea works on a submarine-launched ballistic missile.
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Malaysia Finally Making Maritime Patrol A Priority

Apr 11, 2017
Malaysia’s military and government have been talking about obtaining new maritime patrol aircraft for a decade.
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Can Aurora Orion UAV Extend Trump Border Wall Over Water?

Apr 13, 2017
Aurora Flight Sciences’ long-endurance Orion UAV is hoping to transition from tech demonstration to deployed military system.
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The Week In Defense, April 13-20

Apr 13, 2017
Canada Halts CH-148 Flights, Leonardo beefs up the light-attack version of its M-346, Rostec plans to upgrade Russian Iskander missiles and India is developing lightweight torpedoes for export.

Technology

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Rolls Unveils Business Jet Engine Game Plan

Apr 11, 2017
Although Rolls-Royce continues to dominate the high-thrust engine market for large-cabin, long-range business jets, the company’s position is under attack.
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Can An Unmanned Aircraft Be An Effective Wingman?

Apr 13, 2017
Skunk Works conducts flight tests to show how autonomous technology can enable unmanned aircraft to make manned fighters more effective in hostile environments.
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Aurora LightningStrike VTOL Subscale Demonstrator Flight Test

Apr 13, 2017
DARPA video of vertical takeoff and landing flight tests of Aurora Flight Sciences' subscale demonstrator for it XV-24A LightningStrike VTOL X-Plane.
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The Week in Technology, April 10-14, 2017

Apr 10, 2017
Hauling helium by airship, making the Airlander safer, Swiss drone delivers samples, E-volo unveils air taxi, Airbus going Voom in Brazil, NASA flies Prandtl wing.

Commercial Aviation

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Airbus Hopes Seat-Boosting A380 Tweaks Will Help Sales

Apr 11, 2017
The package of cabin updates should free up enough cabin floor space to increase seating from the average of 497 on A380s now in operation to 575 in four classes, substantially growing airline revenues.
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British ATC Organization Will Apply Technology To Congestion, Drones

Apr 12, 2017
Britain’s NATS expects 2008’s air travel record highs to be exceeded as demand for airspace increases.
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Pilot Report: Variable Stability Navion

Apr 14, 2017
Flight-test engineers and test pilots must learn to evaluate the characteristics of a digital control system in an airborne environment complete with G forces.

Face to Face

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GE Chief On Big Data, Disruptive Technologies And Climate Change

Apr 10, 2017
General Electric CEO sees a future with an ascendant China, big data, additive manufacturing and electric propulsion.

Business Aviation

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Chinese Billionaires Again Warming Up To Business Jets

Apr 14, 2017
Consultancy Asian Sky Group expects Greater China business-jet fleet growth will bottom out this year, returning to modest growth in 2018.

Up Front

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Sustained Low Oil Prices Have Mixed Results For Aerospace

Apr 14, 2017
Saudi efforts to drive out shale producers by boosting production lead to new techniques that keep prices down. But cheap fuel may hurt fleet renewals.

Going Concerns

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Electric Propulsion Gathers Steam in Corporate Ventures

Apr 14, 2017
GE CEO Jeff Immelt's comments show leading aerospace companies are paying more than just lip service to the idea of electric propulsion.

Airline Intel

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Opinion: UA3411 Fiasco Weighs On United’s Recovery Efforts

Apr 12, 2017
United Airlines’ response to a social media backlash from forcefully removing a passenger from an overbooked flight was weak.

In Orbit

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What Flying New Shepard To Space Will Be Like

Apr 12, 2017
With the biggest windows ever flown into space, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin space tourism vehicle will provide an unprecedented view.

Leading Edge

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Airbus-Incubated Voom Hopes To Democratize Helicopter Air Service

Apr 14, 2017
Launched in Sao Paulo, the Voom on-demand helicopter booking service has emerged from A³, Airbus’s Silicon Valley outpost charged with incubating and demonstrating disruptive ideas

Washington Outlook

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Ex-Im Bank Wins Presidential Support

Apr 14, 2017
Trump pledges to appoint two reform-minded bank board members.

Editorial

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Opinion: Time To Turn Hypersonics Research Into Operational Weapons

Apr 14, 2017
Hypersonic developments in China and Russia suggest the U.S. could easily lose its lead.
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Opinion: United Must Rewrite Its Operational Rulebook

Apr 14, 2017
United Flight 3411 debacle causes lasting damage to the airline.

Feedback

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Letters From Our Readers (April 17, 2017)

Apr 13, 2017
Readers weigh in on U.S. Air Force Tanker choice, Airbus A320neo "report card," safety gaffes and dearth of experienced pilots, and women in high-tech fields.

Who's Where

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New Positions, Promotions, Honors And Elections (April 17, 2017)

Apr 14, 2017
​The Space Foundation has named U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (ret.) Thomas E. Zelibor as CEO. New executives at Safran Nacelle, BMI, Engility Holdings Inc., Club One Air, Passur Aerospace Inc., U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee., EnCore Group.

Aerospace Calendar

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Aerospace Calendar And Aviation Week Events (April 17, 2017)

Apr 14, 2017
Upcoming aviation and aerospace industry events and Aviation Week Network events