Oct. 10-14—58th International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine. Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore. See www.icasm2010.com Oct. 13—Aerospace Components Manufacturers Trade Show. Hartford/Windsor (Conn.) Airport Marriott Hotel. See www.aerospacecomponents.org Oct. 14-15—Technology Training Institute’s Airborne Networks. Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Alexandria, Va. Also, Oct. 21-22—Unmanned Aircraft Systems Conference. Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Call +1 (310) 563-1223 or see www.ttcus.com.
The Hawk is a single-engine, two-seat trainer and light attack aircraft. A single-seat light fighter variant (the Hawk 200) also exists. All variants are powered by an unaugmented turbofan engine of Rolls-Royce Turbomeca’s Adour series: The Hawk T1/1A uses the Mk 151 (5,200 lb. thrust); Hawk 50, the Mk 851 (5,340 lb. thrust); Hawk 60, the Mk 861 (5,700 lb. thrust); Hawk 100/200, the Mk 871 (6,270 lb. thrust); and Hawk 128 LIFT, the Mk 951 (6,800 lb. thrust).
The PC-21 is a 1,600-shp. Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68B turboprop-powered tandem-seat trainer. Incorporated in the PC-21 design are five hardpoints, making armament training possible, as well as an electronic power management system for the engine, simulating a variety of power settings tailored to particular training needs. Development of the PC-21 began in 1998, an initial prototype made its first flight in July 2002 and certification was achieved in December 2004. The PC-21 faces competition from the Embraer Super Tucano and the Hawker Beechcraft T-6.
The piston-powered CL-215 amphibian aircraft first flew in 1967 primarily as a fire-fighting platform, though it was also used for transport, maritime surveillance, search and rescue and assorted spraying duties. Production of the dual Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CA3-powered aircraft ended in 1989, with 125 produced. Upgrades to the CL-215 are available; 17 aircraft have been converted to the CL-215T configuration, which incorporates 2,380-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123AF turboprop engines and other modifications.
Scaled Composites is poised to resume captive-carry flight tests of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo with the successful return-to-flight of the WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) launch aircraft following its Aug. 19 undercarriage collapse incident. The mothership resumed flight tests at Mojave, Calif., on Sept. 13 following repairs to the left vertical tail and modifications to the main landing gear.
The B-1B is a four-engine strategic bomber produced by Rockwell International and operated by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft evolved from a series of studies begun in 1962. Following the launch of the program with a request for proposals in 1969, the initial prototype made its first flight in 1974. The B-1B is powered by four General Electric F101-GE-102 turbofan engines rated at more than 30,000 lb. thrust each. In addition to four B-1A prototypes, 100 B-1Bs were built by the time production ended in 1988.
In 1990, Beech teamed with Pilatus to propose the T-6A (based on the latter’s PC-9 Mk II trainer) tandem-seat, high-performance aircraft for the U.S. Air Force/Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Trainer System (Jpats) program. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop-engine-powered T-6A was selected as the Jpats winner in 1995. The Air Force and Navy intend to eventually acquire 782 T-6As, of which more than 480 have been delivered. Though it was developed for a U.S. military program, the T-6 has been well received outside the U.S.
The K-8 is a tandem-seat intermediate/advanced trainer aircraft produced by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, with 18% of components produced by design partner Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). First flight occurred in 1990. The K-8 is powered by either a 3,600-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2A turbofan engine or a 3,792-lb.-thrust ZMKB Progress AI-25TL turbofan. Including prototypes, 223 K-8 aircraft were produced through 2009, with 94 forecast for production in 2010-19.
The MD Explorer series is a family of eight-place, light twin-turboshaft-driven helicopters with a single main rotor connected to a Kawasaki-designed main rotor gearbox. The aircraft incorporate the patented Notar (no tail rotor) system, including a circulation control tail boom and internal variable pitch fan. In early 2001, MD Helicopters launched the Combat Explorer armed variant, specifically targeting the air arms of Latin America. The Explorer is cleared to carry the GAU-19/A 0.50-cal. Gatling gun, the M2 0.50-cal. gun pod and 70-mm. Hydra rockets.
Frank Morring, Jr. (Prague), Michael A. Taverna (Prague)
New costs associated with the planned extension of the International Space Station could force European nations into stark choices in an era of generalized budget squeeze.
Technicians at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are ready to install a unique instrument on NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory that will allow the big rover to analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil as far as 7 meters (23 ft.) away. Dubbed ChemCam, the U.S./French device uses a Neodymium doped Potassium-Gadolinium Tungstate (Nd:KGW) laser to vaporize a spot on its target the size of a pinhead, releasing light that can be spectrally analyzed with a technique known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Boeing, with Northrop Grumman as a major subcontractor, produces the F/A-18. The F/A-18A/B/C/D models are powered by two General Electric F404-GE-400 or -402 turbofans rated at 16,000-17,600 lb. thrust each, while the new F/A-18E/F has two GE F414-GE-400 turbofans rated at 22,000 lb. thrust each. First flight of an F/A-18 prototype occurred in 1978. The current model, the E/F, features a larger fuselage, more powerful engines and additional hardpoints compared to the earlier models.
Samsung began development of the KTX-2 advanced trainer in 1992. The program was formally launched in 1997, with Lockheed Martin announced as a participant, responsible for avionics, flight control systems and wings. The first prototype flew in August 2002. Two versions were developed: the T-50 trainer and the weapons-capable A-50 lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT). T/A-50s are powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 turbofan engine (17,700 lb. thrust). A new light fighter variant, the FA-50, is being designed, with the South Korean air force planning to acquire about 150.
Your editorial “Obama’s Transport Plan Has Promise” (AW&ST Sept. 13, p. 62) was a nice shot in the arm to the airline industry, but like the Transportation Department’s Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC), it ignores business and general aviation (GA)—an entire segment of the industry.
The Su-25 is a twin-engine, single- and tandem-seat, ground attack and weapons training aircraft powered by two Tumansky/Soyuz R-195 turbojet engines rated at 9,921 lb. thrust each. First flight of an initial prototype occurred in 1975. A number of versions have been produced, the most recent of which, the Su-25TM, included new avionics and increased fuel capacity. More than 1,200 Su-25s were built before production ended in the 1990s.
Nov. 1-3—A&D Programs Conference. Phoenix. Nov. 2-3—A&D Supply Chain Conference. Phoenix. Nov. 2-4—MRO Asia Conference and Exhibition. Singapore. You can now register ONLINEfor Aviation Week Events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/events or call Lydia Janow at+1 (212) 904-3225/+1 (800) 240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada Only)
Airlines around the globe are roaring back to financial health faster than expected, but they are also facing the disturbing prospect that they may have already passed the high-water mark of the recovery.
It is difficult to think of any developmental effort or manufacturing program without online collaboration in its DNA. But the nature of research and development within the aerospace and defense industrial sector makes the implementation of three emerging and powerful tools—cloud computing, social networking and consumerization—a severe test case for their successful deployment, given the industry’s requirements to assure the sanctity of companies’ intellectual property rights (IPR) and meet national security and export control regulations.
Clifford Topham has been named vice president-sales and marketing and Dan Monahan vice president-finance of EMS Aviation of Atlanta. Topham was a sales and business development executive for Rolls-Royce, while Monahan was vice president-finance planning and analysis for the CDC Software Corp.
The F-22 is a single-seat air superiority and ground attack aircraft selected in 1991 as the U.S. Air Force’s next air superiority fighter; first flight followed in 1997. Propulsion is provided by two 35,000-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engines. Approximately 152 F-22s were produced through 2009, including test aircraft. Planned USAF procurement is for another 43 aircraft through 2012, when production will stop. The U.S. government currently prohibits export of the F-22.
Talk over the last several years concerning Iran, Israel, the U.S.—and whether Tehran’s nuclear program might be bombed—may have been a canard or a purposeful bit of misdirection.
The Pakistani government is in talks with the U.S. over the purchase of 30 Bell 412EP helicopters with a value of up to $397 million. The helos are to help Pakistan with its counter-insurgency operations, the Pentagon says.
The H-92 single-main-rotor, medium-lift helicopter is powered by two General Electric CT7-8C turboshaft engines rated at 2,550 shp. each. The H-92 militarized version of the S-92, when configured for the land assault mission, offers a 200-nm. radius while carrying 22 troops at 3,000 ft. on a 91.5F day. In the amphibious assault role, the aircraft has a dual sortie radius of 65 nm. with 22 troops under 103F conditions. Through 2009, three H-92s were produced, with 71 units forecast for production in 2010-19.
European Space Agency officials are reasonably sure they can meet a late February docking window for the second Automated Transfer Vehicle, which is needed for an International Space Station reboost mission by mid-2011 to prevent the ISS from using excessive propellant as it descends lower into the atmosphere. The space shuttle and Progress resupply ship, as well as the station itself, can perform reboost maneuvers. But the ATV can move it much higher, significantly reducing drag and improving operating efficiencies.
