David A. Fulghum (Washington), Douglas Barrie (London)
While Moscow’s T-50 stealth fighter prototype remains the center of attention, the Russian air force recorded a second milestone event. The first delivery has been completed of a sophisticated trainer that will form the core of a new program to prepare pilots for advanced combat aircraft designs.
French space agency CNES last month selected Thales Alenia Space to build and integrate the Jason-3 altimetry satellite. The go-ahead came when Eumetsat, which will operate the satellite with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, agreed to increase its financial contribution. CNES is acting as procurement agent and contributing a Proteus bus for the mission, along with engineering support. The spacecraft, to be launched in mid-2013, is designed to supply vital ocean altimetry data for operational weather and climate forecasting.
Hugh McElroy, who has been a member of the board of directors of the Frontiers of Flight Museum , has been elected chairman. Dan Hamilton, who has been executive director, also will be president. McElroy succeeds U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), while Hamilton follows Jan Collmer. They will be directors emeritus. McElroy is president of the BAA Aviation Engine Reapir and Overhaul Group.
The FAA rule-making process does not set Olympic speed records when it comes to implementing NTSB recommendations. And the two agencies, the Hatfields and McCoys of aviation, were sparring publicly over the process last week at back-to-back congressional hearings. At a House aviation subcommittee hearing on aircraft icing, NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman noted that two of the four “open” (meaning the FAA response was so far unacceptable) recommendations related to icing on its Most Wanted List were issued back in 1997.
European Space Agency Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain has asked for clarification on the bid selection for Europe’s Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) weather constellation. The agency’s tender-evaluation board recently issued a recommendation for prime contractor, and ESA is expected to announce the winning bidder after a special Mar. 15 council meeting at which MTG operator Eumetsat is to approve the program proposal. ESA did not name the contractor or elaborate on the reasons for the clarification.
The space shuttle Endeavour glides to a safe landing at Kennedy Space Center on its first opportunity on Feb. 21. STS-130 mission commander George Zamka and pilot Terry Virts guided Endeavour onto Runway 15 after a virtually flawless two-week mission to deliver the Tranquility node and its seven-window cupola to the International Space Station (AW&ST Feb. 22, p. 33). With the new node in place, managers consider the ISS 98% complete by volume, with 90% of its planned mass in orbit.
Aerojet has delivered a Pathfinder engine to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for testing as part of the development of the AJ26 for the first stage of Orbital Sciences’ Taurus II medium-class launcher. The Pathfinder will be used to verify test stand interfaces and engine handling processes, and to test configuration for the liquid-fueled AJ26 prior to hot-fire tests planned for April.
With no apparent vision for the U.S. manned space program, we are setting the stage for a costly funeral for the “International” Space Station (ISS). Without the U.S. leadership of the past, the station would not exist and now in the very near future, we won’t even be able to access it without paying monopoly pricing to Russia for ferry flights. Congress needs to step in to save elements of the Constellation Program that guarantee the U.S. independent access to manned spaceflight and the ISS, which the U.S. taxpayers primarily funded.
Israel’s latest addition to its intelligence-collecting arsenal, the Eitan unmanned aircraft, will not become formally operational until next year, but Israeli military officials suggest they are ready to press the long-range UAV into duty earl ier if needed.
German aerospace center DLR has issued awards for detailed Phase B definition of a demonstrator intended to validate the ability of robotic systems to perform in-orbit inspection, maintenance and reorbit or deorbit space payloads. The German Orbital Servicing Mission will comprise a target spacecraft and service satellite. OHB System will handle overall system management and affiliate Kayser-Threde the robotic system and berthing, docking and maintenance aspects of the mission.
Hawker Beechcraft has made its first delivery of a Hawker 4000 business jet to China, following certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
R ehearsing installations of its new-look Boeing 787-inspired “Sky” interior for the next phase of the 737 upgrade program, the Boeing Co. hopes to avoid disruption of the moving production line and potential chaos when the first units are introduced.
The Australian government has given a green light to the competition to buy either the Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R or the NH Industries NH90 as its new maritime combat helicopter, as it looks to replace aging Seahawks and meet a requirement left open with the cancellation of the Seasprite program two years ago.
Patrick Champagne (see photos) has been appointed vice president-cockpits and systems integration, James Palmer vice president-aviation products and Jean-Michel Comtois vice president-marketing and sales for Esterline CMC Electronics of Montreal. Champagne was vice president-engineering, while Comtois was vice president-military aviation. Palmer remains head of commercial services and customer support.
Diamond Aircraft has handed over its first DA42 multi-purpose platform to Aurora Flight Services to support the latter’s effort to build the Centaur optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) derivative of the aircraft. Aurora Flight Sciences believes that in an unmanned configuration, the DA42 can deliver 26-hr. endurance. The first OPV is expected to be ready for customer delivery before year-end .
Robert J. Lamond and Ronald D. Wolf have been named vice presidents of AerSale Inc. , Coral Gables, Fla. Lamond was senior sales director for commercial engines for Kellstrom Industries, while Wolf was vice president-quality at Volvo Aero Services. Honors and Elections
Sukhoi has progressed to cold-soak trials for the Superjet 100, with aircraft SN95004 having been dispatched to the Yakutsk airport last week to validate that the regional jet c an withstand the harsh operating environment. The trials are part of the Superjet certification process, which calls for completion of Russian type certification in July and that of the European Aviation Safety Agency in November.
Fred Towers, services review program manager for Universal Weather and Aviation Inc., has received the annual Outstanding Achievement and Leadership Award from the Washington-based National Business Aviation Assn. (NBAA) . The award recognizes individuals who have shared business aviation industry expertise, provided extraordinary service, exhibited leadership and made substantial contributions to the scheduling and dispatching function. Towers was cited for work on the NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers and International Operations committees.
In Orbit incorrectly stated the acronym for the External Payload Carrier being studied by NASA for heavy suborbital experiments (Feb. 22, p. 18). The correct acronym is XPC.
USN Vice Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., has been named commander of the Sixth Fleet/commander of Striking and Support Forces NATO/deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe/deputy commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa/Joint Force maritime component commander Europe in Naples, Italy. He was deputy chief of naval operations for communication networks at the Pentagon.
Honeywell is offering to upgrade Bell 407 light single-turbine helicopters with the HTS900 turboshaft, the engine originally planned for the canceled Bell 417. The company has teamed with Calgary, Alberta-based Eagle Copters to develop the aftermarket upgrade, called the Eagle 407 HP. The 1,000-shp.-class, digitally controlled HTS900 is expected to provide a 26% increase in power over the 407’s Rolls-Royce M250, increasing hot-and-high performance and reducing fuel consumption by 10%.
