A Russian Zenit 2SB with a Fregat-SB upper stage is set to loft Russia’s first domestic geostationary weather satellite since the Geostationary Operational Meteorological Satellite (GOMS-1) debut on a Proton in 1994. The new spacecraft, designated Electro-L, will fly from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Jan. 20 and will be targeted initially on the orbital slot at 76 deg. E. Long, according to Russian press reports. Eventually it will move west to provide weather data for Europe as far east as the Ural Mountains.
Research under NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) program has established that conventional tube-and-wing configurations will not measure up when it comes to meeting the agency’s noise, emission and fuel-burn goals for the mid-2020s and beyond.
Boeing has fitted an F/A-18E with full-scale engineering mockups of the conformal fuel tanks, stealthy weapons pod, infrared search-and-track sensor, and missile/laser warning system proposed for a more capable and survivable growth version of the Super Hornet that will be offered to international customers as a competitor to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and European combat aircraft. The mock-up will be unveiled publicly at the Aero India show in Bengaluru Feb. 9-13. Boeing photo by Ron Bookout.
The global market for business aircraft has shrunk substantially in recent years, but the Asia-Pacific region has been a bright spot for original equipment manufacturers, thanks to the area’s relatively robust economic growth. And the Asian appetite for new business jets is expected to become even stronger. “Despite the global financial crisis, Asia’s stock markets, GDP, corporate profits and exchange rates have been resilient,” says Manfred Baudzus, Embraer sales director for executive jets in Asia-Pacific.
As air transport companies tabulate full 2010 earnings and operational performance metrics, market analysts started sending 2011 predictions for investors. The majority of the financial gurus express cautious optimism for airline profits this year.
A much anticipated shift in India’s offset policy will allow foreign manufacturers to apply work they do in internal security and civil aerospace to defense projects. Announced early this month as part of 2011’s defense procurement procedures policy, the new rules will be applied retroactively to Jan. 1 and widen the opportunities for foreign manufacturers to satisfy India’s strict requirements for 30% offsets in the value of any defense contract.
Epic Aircraft launched in 2003 to produce kits for pressurized, high-performance aircraft of carbon-fiber construction. The company’s primary product was a six-seat aircraft powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A rated at 1,200 shp. That aircraft, called the Epic LT, has a maximum cruise true airspeed of 325 kt. and range of 1,500 nm. at economy cruise. More than 20 of those kit planes are reportedly completed. The company had proposed producing a certificated version as well, but never did so.
George Allen has been named president of VT Group ’s Technical Services business unit. He joined VT Group last year as vice president of strategic development for technical services and before that spent four years with Agility Defense and Government Services. He also served more than 10 years as chief operating officer for the Defense Logistics Agency.
Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover that landed in the Meridiani Planum on Jan. 25, 2004, has chosen a spot with a view to celebrate its seventh anniversary on the red planet.
The X-51A Waverider scramjet experimental vehicle’s second attempt at broaching the Mach 5 hypersonic threshold will be pushed to late March, following delays caused by test range and aircraft availability. The X-51A was transported from Boeing’s Plant 42 production site at Palmdale, Calif., to nearby Edwards AFB on Jan. 12. Assembly of the stack, comprising the Waverider and modified Atacms booster will begin this week.
Rastislav “Rusty” Valko (see photo) has been promoted to chief operations officer from chief information manager for Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance .
The Indian government appears to have given up on near-term aspirations to field the indigenously developed Kaveri engine, but it is not ready to throw out years of development funding. Instead, the focus for the program is changing to get the turbofan ready in time for India’s future fighter.
W. Dennis Gallimore (see photo) has been named vice president of engineering, manufacturing and logistics for Northrop Grumman ’s Naval and Marine Systems Division at the company’s Electronic Systems Sector. He was vice president of engineering and integrated logistic support at the Shipbuilding Sector’s Gulf Coast facilities.
A forthcoming hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee on a competition-sensitive data-release mishap will not impact the schedule for announcing a winner in the $35-billion competition to build new aerial refuelers for the U.S. Air Force, if USAF Secretary Michael Donley has his way. But the mistake made late last year by officials in the program office has at the very least cast a shadow over a procurement process that senior Pentagon leadership had hoped would be flawless and help regain eroded confidence.
Boeing’s strategy to offer international customers a growth path for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter is taking concrete form with completion of a full-scale mock-up of a more capable and survivable variant to compete with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Conformal fuel tanks, stealthy weapons pod, an infrared search-and-track sensor, and missile and laser warning system are among the upgrade options on offer. Uprated engines and large-area cockpit displays are also part of the growth road map, but not on the mock-up.
A new F-16 life extension, bomber and space-procurement plan will be included in the U.S. Air Force’s forthcoming Fiscal 2012 budget proposal. These efforts are possible during a time of belt-tightening because the service found $34 billion worth of projects to cut in order to fund higher-priority initiatives, says Air Force Secretary Michael Donley.
Steven T. Baldwin, senior vice president of the Louis Berger Group, was elected chairman of the 2011 Airports Council International-North America World Business Partner/Associates board of directors and Kitty P. Freidheim, president of Freidheim Consulting, was elected vice chairman. Other new board members are: Kevin Dolliole, senior vice president, Unison Consulting; Lynn Leibowitz, president, Leibowitz & Horton Airport Management Consultants; Keith Thompson, principal, Gensler; and Loy Warren, National Aviation Leader, Kimley-Horn & Associates.
I strongly agree the overall thrust of your editorial “Remain Watchful of China’s Ascent” (AW&ST Jan. 10, p. 58). However, I was disturbed that you did not point out space as a huge emphasis and priority of the current Chinese regime. You did rightfully point out cyber as a Chinese priority and as an increasingly important domain of potential conflict. However, I believe global power is inextricably linked to the inherently global nature of space and the Chinese have recognized this.
EADS is entering the final phase of a transition period as the European aerospace and defense giant aims to position itself for a more profitable future and prepare for a potentially volatile shift in corporate governance. EADS CEO Louis Gallois has long expressed his unhappiness with the underlying profitability of the company, but he sees 2011 as that condition’s last year. “In 2011, we will prepare for our profitability, with recovery expected for 2012 and beyond,” Gallois says.
American Airlines’ distribution war could become very costly, the airline revealed in a lawsuit it filed against two global distribution system providers. But the airline is not yet showing any signs of backing down. American’s fight with online agencies and global distribution systems has grown to the point where it involves more than 40% of its annual passenger revenue, could add $156 million in annual distribution costs and is diverting executives from work on other key airline initiatives, the airline says.
An ambitious initiative for a large reusable hypersonic demonstrator will be considered by senior U.S. Force leaders amid wider industry concerns that, even if funded, the risky project may become a money pit, hampering rather than helping its longer-term progress.
The euphoria over the initial operating clearance for India’s Light Combat Aircraft, achieved Jan. 10, is dying down as concerns arise over whether the design has lost the edge it promised the Indian air force when it was launched 25 years ago. India’s cabinet has approved 20 purchases of the initial version, the Mk. 1 powered by a General Electric GE-F404-IN20 engine, but it is still considering purchase of 20 of the evolved type the Indian air force wants most, the Mk. 2 powered by GE F414s.
Kevin Dillon has been named vice president of operations for Constant Aviation , a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility based at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. He was managing director at Avantair and before that was sales and acquisitions maintenance manager at Flight Options.
