Sagem says it has completed installing mechanical structures to support the large light amplifiers that will be employed in France’s giant Megajoule inertial confinement fusion facility. Similar to the U.S.’s National Ignition Facility in Livermore, Calif., and expected to enter operation in 2014, Megajoule will serve to validate models used to simulate the reliability and safety of the country’s nuclear arsenal without resorting to testing (AW&ST July 17, 2006, p. 122).
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus unveils sweeping changes to his department’s energy policy. And he says the way the Navy and Marine Corps award contracts will change as a result. The lifetime energy cost of building and powering a system will be mandatory elements of future competitions, as will a company’s own commitment to energy efficiency, Mabus says. He proposes a Great Green Fleet, an environmentally friendly strike group comprising nuclear vessels, surface combatants equipped with hybrid electric systems operating on biofuels and aircraft powered solely by biofuel.
Pierre Sparaco, in his European Perspective “Leveling the Field” (AW&ST Sept. 21, p. 49), contrasts the government support Boeing and Airbus receive in terms of the typical European orthodoxy: Airbus receives direct government assistance as launch aid while Boeing Commercial Airplanes enjoys indirect support in research grants from the U.S. Defense Dept. and NASA.
After the Pentagon’s double failure to conclude orders for next-generation refueling tankers, the U.S. Air Force hopes “three” will be its lucky number. This extraordinary competition illustrates the harsh aspects of the Boeing-Airbus duopoly—even though the European airframer is hardly mentioned, since it is hidden within the Northrop Grumman/EADS team. Impressive numbers draw attention to what’s at stake. The program’s first phase covers 179 KC-X aircraft; but in the longer term, more than 400 tankers could be acquired to replace 50-year-old KC-135s.
The engineering test unit of a key instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope is ready for integration, marking a key milestone in the NASA-led international observatory program (see related story, p. 70).
German aerospace center DLR and the European Space Agency have agreed on intellectual property rights for laser data relays that are to equip Sentinel satellites earmarked for ESA’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. ESA thinks a dispute over patent ownership has caused member states to hold up approval of the German-led European Data Relay System (ERDS), which is supposed to permit near-real-time download of data from GMES and other Earth-observation satellites.
Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium expect to submit the first commercial bids for their Alphabus 12-18-kw., 6-8-metric-ton large telecom satellite by the first or second quarter of next year, and to have an initial order by mid-to-late 2010, according to Thales Alenia officials. Backed by funding from the European Space Agency and French space agency CNES, Alphabus is aimed at helping the European satellite makers compete with top-of-the-line U.S. telecom satellites like Boeing’s 702 and the Space Systems/Loral FS1300, which can serve requirements up to 20 kw.
A partially built Citation Sovereign sits on a shutdown production line at Cessna Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Kan. A series of articles beginning on p. 54 examines the dramatic toll that the business jet industry’s severe downturn has taken on Wichita, how politicians in Washington have exacerbated the downturn, the industry’s prospects for recovery and developments that could make China the next big market for business aviation. Junebug Clark/Cessna Aircraft photo.
Russia’s state-supported Rosavia Airlines is completing negotiations with Boeing on delivery of narrow-body aircraft worth more than $2.5 billion, according to Igor Zavialov, deputy general director of part owner Rostechnology Corp. Rosavia earlier this year announced a tender for 65 narrow-body aircraft it plans to acquire. Zavialov, however, has not excluded the possibility that Airbus could also supply aircraft.
Boeing has not flight-tested two aircraft at once since the 757/767 combo in 1982. It has never tested two wide-bodies at the same time. The pending 787-8 first flight, which will probably begin in early December, and the 747-8 Freighter, now set for “early 2010,” will require crews and support for nine flight-test airplanes once both programs are fully underway. In his blog, Boeing Vice President Randy Tinseth says the 787 will be based initially out of Boeing Field in Seattle, the company’s traditional site.
The dam holding back Chinese business aviation is breaking, giving manufacturers the hope of selling large volumes of aircraft in a market that has always had great potential but frustratingly little immediate value. The authorities are now accepting flight plans just 3 hr. before takeoff as a standard policy, whereas previously they often needed to receive them the day before.
General Electric and Boeing are flight testing a new round of GE90 upgrades as the powerplant manufacturer celebrates the delivery of the 1,000th engine for the 777 program this week. The ramp-up in deliveries is directly linked to GE’s exclusive status as engine supplier for the 777-200LR/300ER and 777 freighter programs, which now make up the bulk of all 777 deliveries.
Dick Morris apparently mentioned “anti-gravity” in jest (AW&ST Sept. 28, p. 8) but as traditional propulsion systems reach the limits of development, radical alternatives should not be overlooked, including those analyzed by the late Paul R. Hill of the NASA Langley Research Center. Hill concluded that artificial gravity fields are already used in “unconventional flying objects.” The field used for propulsion is repelling, of variable strength and frequency (around 150-1,500 Hz.) and can be tightly focused.
The aviation industry finds itself in a rare position of strength as it prepares for a new round of global climate change debate, with governments supporting the industry’s approach and the top U.N. official praising aviation as a role model for other sectors. This is a welcome change for an industry more accustomed to being an environmental whipping-boy. Commercial aviation should escape close scrutiny during the U.N.’s climate change summit in Copenhagen in December, thanks to new-found unity among aviation groups and governments.
As expected, Eurocopter has unveiled a streamlining plan, including a 15% cut in support costs but no layoffs, to compensate for an anticipated decline in helicopter deliveries starting next year. The company expects to finish 2009 with a sharp drop in new business--only 114 orders had been received by Aug. 31, compared to 715 in 2008--but revenues are likely to remain stable, thanks to strong demand for large helicopters and military models.
They are energy efficient and can scale to provide extreme persistenc e or carry heavy loads. They have also been around since the dawn of aviation, but airships are attracting renewed attention for missions ranging from surveillance to logistics.
London and Riyadh have agreed on an initial three-year support package for the Royal Saudi Air Force Typhoons, as part of the government-to-government Salam military program. The RSAF has—with the delivery of four of its 72 Tranche 2 aircraft—begun Typhoon operations. Support will be provided by BAE Systems under a full-availability service contract. The arrangement includes training for RSAF Typhoon crews in the U.K.
The VW-6000 Series motion analysis microscope offers high-speed magnified video capture capabilities, the company says. Recording of up to 24,000 fps. enables accurate filming of failures in moving targets that cannot be captured by conventional microscopes. The portable design allows for recording on the factory floor or on a production line. The built-in light source and LCD monitor means setup is quick, and the macro zoom unit with built-in lighting allows flexibility of observation at any angle.
As of 2010, airlines flying in or out of European Union airports must report emissions and ton-kilometer data on aviation activities. Airlines will be mandated to submit a monitoring plan prior to the start of the trading period beginning in 2013. AMT is the first electronic flight bag software supplier to enable airlines to conform to the EU requirements and to provide a complete reporting and compliance solution, according to the company. The carbon emission monitoring application, part of the Flightman offerings, will collect, record and analyze in near real time.
Swedish Space Corp. (SSC) and French space agency CNES have agreed to jointly acquire and own two new 13-meter (43-ft.) full-motion antennas to track satellite operations. The antennas, part of the PrioraNet worldwide network of ground stations operated by SSC, will be placed at two sites fully or partly owned or operated by SSC—Esrange in northern Sweden and Inuvik in Canada. The agreement will give CNES access to parts of PriorNet and provide SSC with extra capacity to sell to other users.
Two CAE 5000 series full-flight simulators have received FAA/EASA certification for the Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft. The first Phenom 100 will be installed in Dallas and the second in the UK.
Boeing will shift Senior Vice President Mike Cave from his role as head of business development and strategy to president of Boeing Capital Corp. as of Jan. 1. He will succeed Walt Skowronski, who is retiring. BCC arranges, structures and provides financing for Boeing commercial airplane, defense and satellite products. Cave, long seen as a possible future CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, will immediately become Skowronski’s deputy for the transition period. Cave will be succeeded by Shep Hill, who will also continue as president of Boeing International.
USAF Col. (ret.) Rick Searfoss Former Astronaut/Shuttle Commander (Tehachapi, Calif.)
In response to Jeremiah Farmer’s letter (AW&ST Sept. 28, p. 8), having been both a pilot astronaut and fighter pilot, I take issue with the tone, content and premise of his apples-to-oranges comparison between NASA and military funding.
Air Vanuatu, the national flag carrier of the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, plans to put its new ATR 72-500 into service on regional routes that are seeing increased traffic growth. The -500, delivered this month, is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127Ms, has 120-min. ETOPS (extended operations) capability and is configured to seat 68. The airline, founded in December 1987, now operates an ATR 42-300 on short-haul routes and a Boeing 737-800 to cities in Australia and New Zealand.
