Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
The Joint Council on Aging Aircraft (JCAA) is in the final approval stage for its national strategy document and plans to publish and formally distribute it starting in late July, according to JCAA Chairman Bob Ernst. The national strategy identifies the council's top 12 concerns, ranging from technical issues such as corrosion to management issues such as changing the way maintainers are trained to deal with older aircraft (DAILY, Oct. 6, 2003).
Boeing plans to market the A160 Hummingbird as a ship-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, according to Kim Michel, director of the company's Advanced Unmanned Systems division. Boeing bought the rights to the A160 when it acquired its manufacturer, Frontier Systems of Irvine, Calif., earlier this month (DAILY, May 5). Frontier Systems had been developing the long-endurance vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAV in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
A team led by Boeing is seeking funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to flight test a new type of helicopter blade that could reduce vibration by up to 80 percent, according to the company. The Smart Material Actuated Rotor Technology (SMART) rotor system drives the on-blade trailing edge flaps to reduce vibration and noise and improve aerodynamic performance. Full-scale whirl tower testing was conducted by Boeing at its Mesa, Ariz., rotorcraft facility last October.
