South Africa last week pulled out of the Airbus Military A400M program, abandoning its plan to buy eight. A government statement said, “The termination of the contract is due to extensive cost escalation and the supplier’s failure to deliver the aircraft within the stipulated timeframes.”
The U.S. helicopter industry has told the Defense Dept. it is ready to form the Vertical Lift Consortium (VLC) to accelerate development of technology for future rotorcraft, submitting a letter of intent listing interested companies. The Pentagon proposed the consortium approach, already used with the robotics and munitions industries, in late October in a bid to simulate innovation in a rotorcraft sector it considers “stagnant.” The Defense Dept.
W7, the biggest and most powerful satellite ever built for Eutelsat, has arrived at the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is in the final stages of preparation for a Nov. 23 launch on an International Launch Services Proton M rocket. It will be the fifth mission of the year for ILS, following the launch of Telesat’s Nimiq 5 on Sept. 18. Built by Thales Alenia Space and equipped with 70 Ku-band transponders, W7 will more than double capacity at Eutelsat’s hot spot at 36 deg. E. Long., which serves Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The 36-deg.
Douglas Barrie (London), Andy Nativi (Genoa), Robert Wall (Paris)
While front and center at this year’s Dubai Airshow will be France’s ability to clinch a Dassault Rafale deal with the United Arab Emirates, considerable combat aircraft maneuvering also is unfolding elsewhere in the region. In an area where local rivalries still dominate, the decision by one country to modernize often spurs upgrade or fleet-renewal plans among its neighbors. What’s more, as military hardware demonstrates its ability to operate in the harsh conditions of the Middle East, success can breed success.
USAF Maj. Gen. William L. Holland has been appointed commander of the Ninth Air Force of Air Combat Command (ACC), Shaw AFB, S.C. He was vice commander/deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central. Brig. Gen. David L. Goldfein has been selected for promotion to major general and named director of air and space operations at ACC Headquarters, Langley AFB, Va. He has been deputy director programs/deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. Goldfein will be succeeded by Brig. Gen.
George Epstein hit the target with his answer to what is missing in math and science education, with the recommendation that we use an innovative and valuable resource: the old retired engineers who know algebra and can teach it or at least assist (AW&ST Sept. 21, p. 8).
Deep diving into their instruments has turned up the answer that the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (Lcross) science team expected after the mission’s Oct. 9 plunge into the 60-mi.-wide Cabeus crater on the Moon’s south pole. “There is a clear indication of a plume of vapor and fine debris,” says Lcross Principal Investigator Anthony Colaprete. “The team is working hard on the analysis, and the data appear to be of a very high quality.” Visible images from the Lcross Shepherding Spacecraft, which carried the mission’s science payload as it sped 4 min.
Nextant Aerospace of Richmond Heights, Ohio, is acquiring Beechjet 400A airframes while the small-jet market is soft. The company says the airplane is one of the most popular in its class because of its spacious cabin, but the light jet needs range beyond its current maximum of about 1,300 nm. Accordingly, Nextant is marketing pre-owned 400As upgraded with Williams FJ44-3AP engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, new paint and cabins with LED lighting, WiFi and broadband connectivity. CEO Ken Recci says the package provides a 32% fuel savings with a 2,000-nm.
Norwegian Air Shuttle is looking to phase out more leased 737-300s with the purchase of six additional 737-800s. The airline exercised existing purchase rights that should see two aircraft delivered next year and the remaining four in 2011. Norwegian this quarter took delivery of its first owned 737-800, with another due by year-end. By the end of 2011, the fleet should stand at 58 aircraft, compared with 45 at the end of this year.
Garmin officially announced its G3000, which it said is the first touch-screen-controlled, integrated flight deck for FAR Part 23 light turbine aircraft. The G3000 incorporates the all-new GTC 570 vehicle management system.
Seeking to recapture the innovative spirit that marked its first 50 years, the U.S. Air Force is looking back to its origins for inspiration as it tries to find a new direction and meet more demands with fewer resources. Leadership failures, procurement missteps and program terminations have made the once high-flying Air Force seem lead-footed in the face of fast-evolving threats. Now the service’s new leadership is looking to its science and technology (S&T) organization to help map a path to the future, but its ability to innovate is in question.
Nov. 2-5—White Eagle Aerospace’s Short Course: “Aerospace Vehicle Performance.” Wingate by Wyndham Hotel, Oro Valley, Ariz. See www.whiteeagleaerospace.com Nov. 2-5—Practical Aeronautics Short Course: “Introduction to Aeronautics—A Practical Perspective.” Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. See www.PracticalAero.com Nov. 3–5—Shephard Group’s Heli-Power 2009. Top Hotel, Prague. Call +44 (175) 372-7001 or see www.shephard.co.uk/events/38/heli-power-2009
Let’s set the record straight—technology innovation in aerospace is very much alive. There have been countless advances in the development of platforms and major subsystems through the years, and the industry continues to be the source of many of the most influential innovations to find their way to market.
NASA was targeting an Oct. 27 launch date for the Ares I-X suborbital crew launch vehicle prototype, after rolling the vehicle to Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B on Oct. 20.
David C. Ison Assistant Professor of Aviation Rocky Mountain College (Billings, Mont.)
As is often the case with aviation accidents, a knee-jerk reaction is in the works. Fueled by a media that knows little about aviation, Congress is pursuing proposed legislation—the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009—that could impose major constraints on the supply of pilots in the U.S. (AW&ST Sept. 28, p. 46).
South Korean companies could bid for work on the Lockheed Martin F-35 if the country orders the stealth fighter, even though suppliers for the airframe were chosen years ago, the U.S. manufacturer says. As production builds up worldwide to turning out one fighter a day, second-source suppliers will be needed for parts that Lockheed Martin itself is responsible for supplying, says Steve O’Bryan, vice president for F-35 business development.
The Tom Bradley International Terminal will be revamped in a $1.6-billion project authorized last week by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners. The Bradley West Gate Project, described as the city’s largest-ever public works project, includes construction of nine boarding gates to accommodate Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s, passenger lounges and hold rooms, new tarmac and aircraft support areas, and is scheduled for 2012 completion. The projects are part of the board’s $5-billion modernization plan.
Airbus Military has delivered fuel from its A330 multi-role tanker transport to F-16s, using its in-house developed Air Refueling Boom. On Oct. 21, the first Royal Australian Air Force KC-30, which is due to be handed over to its customer next year, made several contacts with two Portuguese F-16s during a 90-min. flight. Two F-16s were involved, with a total of 13 contacts made and 1.5 metric tons of fuel offloaded, according to Airbus Military.
Founded by McDonnell Douglas in the 1990s, before its merger with Boeing, as an answer to Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, the Phantom Works has evolved to take on a broader role as the “innovation incubator” for the whole of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, says David Whelan, IDS chief scientist and Phantom Works vice president and deputy general manager.
The subject of innovation is a passion of Boeing Chairman, President and CEO James McNerney. In a interview with AW&ST Editor-in-Chief Anthony L. Velocci, Jr., and Senior Business Editor Joseph C. Anselmo, he outlines his definition of innovation and explains why it is about much more than technical capability. AW&ST: What have you found to be the most meaningful measure of innovation?
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) politely suggests the debate on Capitol Hill about unrequested Boeing C-17 airlifters is too narrow and should also examine the underlying airlift force structure and the U.S. industrial base. A total of 213 Globemaster C-17s have been procured through Fiscal 2009, including eight via the supplemental spending law. The Obama administration’s proposed Fiscal 2010 defense budget would end C-17 procurement, but lawmakers are debating how many more to buy (AW&ST Oct. 5, p. 24).
Momentum is building in Europe to define a common set of requirements and architectures that could serve as the basis for a joint network of civil defense and military satellite systems.
Finmeccanica’s Alenia North America has earned high marks from the U.S. Air Force on a small contract to refurbish tactical transports for Afghan forces, but it is unclear whether this performance will result in more U.S. defense business.
The engines of innovation in the U.S., the university campus and small business come together here, where unmanned-aircraft specialist Aurora Flight Sciences has located its research and development center just yards away from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Aeronautics and Astronautics Dept.
There is a poker game going on between Tokyo and Washington in the persons of the new Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Japan’s new government needs to show it is independent of the U.S., while Gates strives to show the alliance is rock solid. The Japanese government is indicating it does not want to expand a Marine Corps helicopter base in Okinawa nor help pay to move Marines to Guam. Gates grumbles that Japan spends only 1% of GDP for defense, because the U.S.
