USN Capt. (ret.) G. R. Allender (Severna Park, Md.)
Regarding the News Break item “Navy Eyes Sub-Tracking UAV” (AW&ST Aug. 10, p. 19), I wonder, does this unmanned aerial vehicle represent an attempt to help bring the range and endurance of the P-8 more inline with those of the P-3? As to the “Navy’s high-altitude antisubmarine warfare concept being developed,” P-3Cs were tracking submarines on a regular basis from 30,000+ ft. in the early 1970s. Additionally, what weapons/tactics are proposed to attack the target without descending to low altitude?
Hartmut Mehdorn has become a non-executive member of the board of directors of Air Berlin . He succeeds Claus Wulfers. Mehdorn was CEO of Deutsche Bahn and a member of the board of the then-Deutsche Aerospace.
The FAA introduced Wide-Area Multilateration (WAM) systems at four Colorado mountain airports to provide air traffic controllers with a means to track aircraft in areas where no radar coverage is possible. The FAA and Colorado Transportation Dept. are sharing the cost of the system deployed earlier this month at Yampa Valley-Hayden, Craig-Moffat, Steamboat Springs and Garfield County Regional-Rifle airports. With the WAM system, small sensors are deployed in remote areas. These sensors emit signals that are returned by aircraft transponders.
I agree with Manfred A. Runkel, in his letter “747 Was the Mold-Breaker” (AW&ST Aug. 10, p. 8), that the Boeing 747 took considerably less time to develop, compared to the 787. It’s easy to say the same common phrase of “look what was done with a slide rule . . . ,” etc., but the comparison may be a bit unfair.
Companies using business aviation outperform non-users “across every key financial and non-financial measure of business success,” according to findings of a NEXA Capital Partners Study. For example, users’ annual revenue growth (on a market-cap-weighted basis) was 116% higher, and average annual earnings growth was 434% higher compared to nonusers. The findings were based on how companies included in Standard & Poor’s 500 performed in revenue and profit growth and asset efficiency from 2003-08, and from researchers’ interviews with executives.
The A318 is a twin-engine, 107-129-passenger narrow-body jetliner. Initial flight occurred in January 2002. In May 2003, the A318 (with CFM56 engines) was certificated by the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and by the FAA in June. Deliveries began in July 2003. Through 2008, Airbus produced 66 A318s. The A318 is powered by two 21,600-23,800-lb.-thrust turbofan engines, either the Pratt & Whitney PW6000 or CFM International CFM56-5B. Primary competition includes the Embraer 190 and 195 and the Bombardier CSeries.
The global market for antiship missiles is worth $7 billion through 2018 and will involve the production of nearly 12,000 weapons, according to Forecast International. European missile manufacturer MBDA could make more money than Boeing, around $724 million. A tight budget and other problems have prompted the U.S. Navy to drop plans to purchase the Harpoon III antiship missile, Forecast analysts say, calling the blow significant to the marketplace, but not fatal. The antiship missile market is in transition, according to senior military analyst Larry Dickerson.
SES has become the latest satellite operator to enter the booming maritime mobile satellite service (MSS) market. SES said last week it has begun to offer MSS capacity to commercial ships and yachts in the North and Baltic Seas and the northern Mediteranean through its Astra2Connect interactive broadband service. The operator also struck deals with KNS Inc. to develop stabilized antennas for maritime use and with U.K.-based H2OSatellite to distribute the service in Europe.
Boeing says all six of its flight-test 787 aircraft are now off the final assembly line in Everett, Wash., and either in or preparing for wing modifications necessary for flight tests to begin in the fourth quarter. Furthest along in the retrofits are ZA001, the initial test aircraft, and ZY0997, the static test airframe. Workers have begun installing the wing reinforcements at the stringer attachments along the side-of-body join on both. As it has previously done, Boeing is using the Everett paint hangar for this post-assembly work for ZA001.
These models, along with the A318, make up Airbus’ A320 family of twin-turbofan, narrowbody airliners. The initial model in the series was the A320, which made its first flight in February 1987. A320 deliveries began in 1988. Initial deliveries of the stretched A321 occurred in 1994. Deliveries of the A319, a shortened variant of the A320, began in 1996. All models are available with a choice of either a CFM International CFM56 variant or International Aero Engines V2500 engines. The A319 typically seats 124 passengers, the A320 carries 150, and the A321 seats 185.
AsiaSat 5 has begun commercial service operations at 100.5 deg. E. Long. following its in-orbit checkout after an Aug. 12 flight on an International Launch Services Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Space Systems/Loral 1300 satellite, with 26 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders, is taking over pan-Asian services currently provided by the 13-year-old AsiaSat 2 from the same location. The traffic transfer is to be completed in a few weeks, says Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications.
RUAG Aerospace launched this updated variant of the Dornier 228 turboprop regional transport in 2007, with 776-shp. TPE331-10 engines. Other improvements include a new glass cockpit, avionics by Rockwell Collins and five-blade MT props. The new version also includes aerodynamic improvements to the wing to boost short-field performance. First deliveries are expected in 2010, with 54 aircraft forecast for production during the next 10 years.
Comac will announce its first customers for the C919 narrowbody next year and says it is talking to both foreign and Chinese airlines. Work has been allocated among the Chinese factories that competed to build the structure of the aircraft, which will seat 156 in two classes in its standard version. First flight is planned for 2014 and first delivery for 2016.
Sukhoi has begun work on airframes for the additional 12 Su-27SM Flanker aircraft ordered by the air force in August. These aircraft are being re-manufactured from unfinished Su-27SK aircraft that were intended for export. They will be delivered in 2010-11. A total of 60 aircraft have been ordered. The Su-27SM is an improved version of the Flanker with upgraded avionics and the ability to use air-to-ground weapons.
The A350XWB is a newly designed twin-engine, extra-wide-body jetliner intended to compete with Boeing’s 787 and 777. The XWB will be powered by new Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines rated in the 74,000-92,000-lb.-thrust range. The aircraft has a cruise speed of Mach 0.85. Three basic versions are being marketed: the -800, -900, and -1000. Depending on version, the XWB seats 270-350 passengers, and has a range of 8,000-8,300 naut. mi. An ultra-long-range version, the A350-900R, will also be available, as will an A350-900F freighter.
USAF Col. Michael Panarisi (see photo) has assumed command of the Arnold Engineering Development Center at Arnold AFB, Tenn. He was commander of the 412th Operations Group at Edwards AFB, Calif. Honors and Elections
EchoStar, Intelsat, SES and Telesat have banded together for a U.S. commercial satellite services lobbying group—Coalition for Competitive Launches—led by former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), once chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We call on the Defense Department, the State Department and other national security arms of our executive branch to take a new look at our country’s launch vehicle capabilities and relevant export control policies,” said Warner. “Current U.S.
Transatlantic liberalization took a giant step forward when the U.S. and European Union negotiated a new aviation accord last year, but since then progress toward a crucial second-stage agreement has slowed to a crawl. While the first-phase deal allowed a range of new opportunities for transatlantic flights, the second stage could potentially sweep away the remaining obstacles to a true open aviation market. And if no such agreement is reached, the gains from the first phase could be unwound.
Through 2008, Boeing produced 969 of these twin-engine, wide-body commercial transport aircraft. A 767 prototype was rolled out in August 1981, with first flight occurring the following month. Current models include the 767-200ER, -300ER, -400ER and -300F freighter. Typical two-class seating layouts are 224 seats for the -200ER, 269 for the -300ER and 304 for the -400ER. All three models are sold with a choice of GE CF6-80C2 or Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines. The future of the 767 depends on the outcome of the U.S.
Canada’s Viking Air Ltd. owns the production rights to a number of out-of-production de Havilland aircraft, including the DHC-6 Twin Otter. It launched a program to restart production of the 19-passenger Twin Otter “Series 400” in April 2007 and by March 2008, the company lists more than 40 orders. First customer delivery is scheduled for late 2009.
Alison J. Hartley (see photo) has been promoted to president of the ComCept Div. of New York-based L-3 Communications from senior vice president-business development for L-3’s Integrated Systems Group. Nick Farah (see photo) has been appointed that group’s senior vice president-strategic development/chief operating officer. He was senior vice president/chief operating officer. David M. Reilly has been promoted to vice president/deputy general counsel from vice president/assistant general counsel/assistant secretary of L-3 Communications.
R. Bradley Lawrence, who has been president/chief operating officer of the Esterline Corp. , Bellevue, Wash., also will be CEO, effective Nov. 1. He will succeed Robert W. Cremin, who will be non-executive chairman.
A seasoned crew of spaceflight veterans will take the space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station (ISS) on the final scheduled shuttle mission on the NASA flight manifest. Steve Lindsay, the head of the astronaut office at Johnson Space Center, will command Discovery on the STS-133 mission, an eight-day logistics and resupply flight now scheduled to lift off on Sept. 16, 2010. Joining him will be pilot Eric Boe and mission specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott.
Bristow is expanding its helicopter fleet with the first purchase of AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters. The helicopter operator has placed three firm orders and three options. The first of the AW139s is to be delivered this year, with the rest early next year.
