Sierra Nevada Corp. is studying the use of the former NASA X-34 reusable launch vehicle demonstrator as a flying testbed for its Dream Chaser orbital space vehicle. The two Orbital Sciences-built X-34s were moved to Mojave, Calif., on Nov. 16 from Edwards AFB, where they had been in storage since the program was canceled in 2001. Sierra Nevada Executive Vice President Mark Sirangelo confirms the company is studying the X-34 for a supporting role in the Dream Chaser development effort.
Lawmakers opposed to Pentagon budget cuts in their states are increasingly labeling their campaign as one of bringing transparency and rigor to Defense Department decisions on spending and operations. In turn, expect a slew of hearings and more announcements on bringing “a clear, analytical approach” to defense budget proposals, as well as efforts to peel back the “lack of transparency” from the Pentagon. The Virginia delegation, busy defending the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command from Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s latest efficiency drive, has enlisted Rep.
The Indian government is finally pressing ahead with work on an indigenous stealth fighter after a funding crunch stalled the project for several years. The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program is due to receive $2 billion in various increments over the next three years, with expectations the figure will grow. The money is being allocated to complete the design concept study and build a pair of technology demonstrators as well as seven prototypes. An official timeline suggests that the first AMCA prototype will fly in 2017.
Most defense contractors shudder at the prospect of more Pentagon program cuts. Eric DeMarco is not one of them. Where others see pain, he sees opportunity.
Numbers may not lie, but they can easily be manipulated to support an argument. As lawmakers in Washington try to figure out how to rein in an unsustainably large federal budget deficit, the outlines of a guns-versus-butter debate are taking shape. Sorting through the clutter of that debate will not be easy.
Detlef Muller-Wiesner (see photo), chief operating officer-innovation at EADS, has been elected president of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences for a two-year term. Frank Miller, director of aviation for the city of San Antonio Aviation Department, has been elected chairman of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA).
France may be about to make an official request for General Atomics Predator unmanned aerial vehicles to complement its small fleet of EADS Harfang MALE UAVs. French press reports say outgoing Defense Minister Herve Morin approved the start of negotiations toward a Predator acquisition. However, the move remains subject to confirmation by the new defense minister, Alain Juppe.
Michael Frazier (see photo) has joined BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul company Dallas Airmotive as regional manager for Pratt & Whitney engines. James Huntoon has been named regional manager for Rolls-Royce Spey and Tay products.
There are those who bash politicians for passing laws, recommending and/or arm-twisting manufacturers to send jobs offshore. It’s the new global economy, and Americans have to play ball to compete. And what better example of this global cooperation than the Boeing 787. Detractors of this view believe our production capabilities, mechanics and engineers are still the best. So it’s nice to see a data point that makes us smile.
Johna Johnson has been promoted to director-sales for New York at American Airlines . In her previous role, she managed the airline’s portfolio of global corporate accounts.
The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines reports October traffic showed 11.8% passenger growth year on year, and air cargo demand was 16.6% higher than last year.
Peter van Niekerk has been named group senior VP and president of Gategroup ’s Europe and Africa regions. He was director of restructuring company AlixPartners.
As U.S. forces are withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan and the operational tempo returns to more normal levels, a question being asked with increasing urgency is how they will train to maintain readiness as military budgets tighten.
Adrian Schofield’s article, “Funding Fix” (AW&ST Nov. 1, p. 32), on financing the massive NextGen avionics bill, rightly identified problem as the lack of benefits within a reasonable timespan. European regulators believe they can mandate equipage to overcome the operators’ reluctance to re-equip. So, the suggested fix—sharing the risk between the aerospace companies and the operators—sounds equitable, though presumably it doesn’t address foreign operators.
NATO officials will spend the next several months devising the implementation strategy for the group’s expanded missile defense ambitions while also determining how to coordinate activities in this area with Russia. For proponents of a larger missile defense mandate, the Nov. 19-20 summit in Lisbon provided the anticipated split result: a commitment to moving to territorial defense from merely protecting deployed forces; however, no additional money was allocated to implement that vision.
Anticipating an upturn in demand for its business jets, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. says it will invest $500 million during the next seven years to further expand its home base in Savannah, Ga., and add 1,000 production specialists, engineers and support technicians to its current workforce there of 5,500.
John Brown (see photo) has been named U.S. director of sales for Coyne Airways . He was regional director of Heavyweight Air Express and has a 23-year career in the air cargo industry, including 17 years with Continental Airlines.
Northrop Grumman is studying a significant expansion of its facilities at the secretive U.S. Air Force Plant 42 here to accommodate a growing portfolio of unmanned air system (UAS) and classified program work. The growth plan is driven by “a number of what-if” scenarios, as well as the rising tempo of black world projects, says Andrew Reynolds, Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale deputy site manager and production operations director. “Some of our classified programs have requests for expansion,” he tells Aviation Week.
Australia and the U.S. have agreed to work together to enhance protection of the space environment and provide more accurate warning and tracking of potential collisions in space. The two countries will study the feasibility of establishing and operating sensors in Australia to support the U.S. SSA network, by contributing data on orbital objects passing over the Asia-Pacific region and helping track objects falling to Earth over the region.
Airbus plans to boost production of its A330/A340 widebodies to nine aircraft per month starting in the first quarter of 2012. The move matches a production rate increase already decided earlier for single-aisles, which should see rates increase to 40 units per month.
China is showing increased interest in fielding small, precision weapons to satisfy growing domestic and international demand for armed unmanned aircraft. A side benefit of this activity is to generate more options for bomb-bay carriage. Although China remains mum about its fighter development program beyond the J-10, industry officials here confirm the effort is moving ahead; aircraft designers are expected to aim for lower radar cross section with internal weapons carriage.
After more than four years of sweating out the details with American Airlines, Boeing, the Air Transport Association, Lynden Air Cargo and others, the FAA is issuing its final rule to address widespread aircraft fatigue damage concerns, via regular inspections. The final rule—tied up since April 2006 in defining terminology and other finer points—requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and certification applicants to set the number of flight cycles or hours after which an aircraft must have additional inspections for widespread fatigue damage.
Guy Cannady (see photo) has been promoted to chief operating officer of Dynamic Aviation . Over the past 20 years, he developed and operated several commercial aviation service organizations from the ground up, including International Cargo Xpress in Arkansas, Prescott Support Co. in South Carolina and Atlanta Air Services in Georgia.
Richard L. Haver has been appointed to the Passur Aerospace board. He will soon retire as vice presdent-intelligence programs of the Northrop Grumman Corp. Before joining Northrop Grumman, he was assistant U.S. secretary of defense for intelligence.
Norm Fujisaki, Metron Aviation’s vice president/chief strategy officer, has won the 2010 David J. Hurley Memorial Award for Aviation Traffic Management, given by the Air Traffic Control Association . The award is presented for achievement or contribution in collaborative decision-making, balancing air traffic demand and capacity, or maximizing airspace and airport use. c
