Vital electronic warfare capabilities are at risk of being eroded by “this war-itis,” the preoccupation of military planners on acquiring equipment related to counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least that is the fear of several senior officers, who assert that a critical niche of high-end warfighting capabilities is being neglected.
The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Assn. has issued a second edition of its best management practice guide for disassembly of aircraft engines and frames. Upgrades include defining an airworthiness event and establishing when it is appropriate to disclose information on them to succeeding holders of aircraft parts. The relationship between airworthiness events and hidden damage inspections is discussed. The 2.0 guide also examines how best to evaluate recycling partners. For more information see: AFRA’s web site http://www.afraassociation.org
Bolstering its tactical unmanned aerial vehicle portfolio, Saab is entering what it calls a strategic agreement with rotary specialist Swiss UAV. Saab will add Swiss UAV’s Neo and Koax rotary UAV projects to its larger Skeldar rotary development program as the Swedish company looks to build its product offerings. The Skeldar weighs 200 kg. (91 lb.), while Neo is 75 kg. and Koax 45 kg.
The British Defense Ministry is looking for ways to help pilots evade the perilous threat of small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, which have been one of the primary threats to coalition helicopters operating in Afghanistan and Iraq.
NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which produced thousands of images of the infrared universe, like this one of the Helix nebula, in the past 5.5 years, has used up all of the liquid helium that keeps its detectors cold and will move into its warm observation phase. That means a rise to about -404F from -456F that will knock out of commission two Spitzer instruments, the longer-wave multiband imaging photometer and the infrared spectrograph. But the two shortest-wavelength detectors in the infrared array camera still will work.
A nascent South Korean ballistic-missile defense program is gathering strength, with the defense ministry assessing bids from Thales, Raytheon and Elta to supply radars for the system. The defenses will at first rely on secondhand Lockheed Martin PAC-2 missiles as interceptors, but the ministry says it is looking at trading up to more effective weapons.
Boeing remains on track for the final body join of the first stretched 747 next month by completing the wing stub join as well as assembly of the forward fuselage of the initial 747-8 Freighter, RC501. When the raked wingtips are added, the wingspan will be 224 ft. 7 in., compared to the 747-400’s 211 ft. 5 in.
Capt. Brian T. Wilson, in “A Shout-Out for Corporate Jets,” is so out of touch he thinks they let us eat airline cake in coach (AW&ST Mar. 30, p. 8). The economy has shown his darling executives are not worth $500 an hour, so there is no harm in their wasting time like the rest of us in delays and security lines.
The TSA is ending its five-year, $30-million experiment with puffers. The explosives trace detection portals manufactured by Smiths Detection and General Electric are known as “puffers” because they shoot air blasts over passengers sequestered in a chamber. The puff of air is designed to detect explosives particles on the person or clothing. TSA has spent $6.2 million since 2005 on maintenance because the portals were surprisingly sensitive to dirt and humidity in the airport environment. Problems surfaced in 2004 when the portals first were deployed.
The U.S. Air Force TacSat-3 research satellite and a pair of piggyback NASA payloads are operating in orbit following launch on an Orbital Sciences Corp. Minotaur 1 vehicle. Liftoff came on May 19, after weather and technical delays kept the mission stuck on the ground at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for two weeks. The four-stage launch vehicle performed as expected.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley says the service is providing funding for a technology demonstration program associated with working on some of the capabilities lost when the Pentagon decided to terminate the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program, which was to be competed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman. The Pentagon has already spent nearly $3.5 billion on TSAT to date, and it was to be the largest milsatcom satellite ever launched. With the demise of the ambitious effort, both contractors are grappling with what to do with their design teams.
Final elements of the International Space Station (ISS) are moving toward completion in NASA’s Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, where near-term work is focused on completing the payload for STS-127, scheduled for a June 13 launch. Due to be carried on the space shuttle Endeavour’s 23rd flight, the payload will include the Japanese-supplied exposed facility that represents the final elements of the Kibo experiment module.
Defense acquisition reform legislation endorsed by President Barack Obama is headed for swift enactment after Senate and House leaders reached a compromise on competing versions of the bill. Negotiators for both legislative bodies worked out the language for the combined legislation in conference. Last week, it quickly passed both houses by overwhelming majorities.
Lawmakers are still sore about the non-disclosure agreement—they call it a “gag order”—that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had his top military officers sign before they worked on President Barack Obama’s first defense budget. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), ranking member of the House airland forces subcommittee, describes the relationship between Capitol Hill and the Defense Dept. now as a strained marriage. And, as with many such unions, the two are fighting for control of the checkbook. The marriage is not happy, he said during a hearing on the Air Force budget request.
French military Eurocopter EC725 Caracals are slated to receive a range of upgrades as military officials digest four years of operational experiences, including more than 18 months of service in Afghanistan. Enhancements being considered include increasing firepower, improving communications and upgrading targeting capabilities. The French military is largely satisfied with the EC725’s performance, says the air force’s Lt. Col. Olivier Cero, deputy commander for 1/67 Sqdn. The rotorcraft have also been deployed to Lebanon and Chad.
Ralph A’Harrah, NASA retired (Alexandria, Va.), George Kaseote, FAA retired (Virginia Beach, Va.)
As a result of the investigation of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300-600, shortly after takeoff from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2001, then-NTSB Chair Ellen G. Engleman sent a Safety Recommendation (SR) to then-FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey.
One of American Airlines’ 79 Boeing 737-800s takes off from Miami International Airport. American is expanding its 737-800 fleet with another 76 aircraft, with the first two having arrived in March (see p. 54). The carrier plans to use these to replace its MD-80s. American also has agreed to buy 42 787s from Boeing. Joseph Pries photo.
May 31-June 3Airports Council International-North America Marketing and Communications Conference and Jump-Start Air Service Development Program. Le Center Sheraton, Montreal. Call +1 (202) 293-8500 or see www.aci-na.org/conferences June 1-2Pennwell’s Military and Aerospace Electronics Forum. San Diego Convention Center. Call +1 (864) 288-2290 or see www.mtc09.events.pennnet.com/fl/index.cfm
Although narrow- and wide-body VIP aircraft shops continue to hum, the global economic downturn is having a dramatic impact on new sales. Francois Chazelle, who heads Airbus’s executive and private aviation division, says the company expects to deliver 12 aircraft this year, compared with 10 in 2008, and considering his backlog of 40 aircraft, he anticipates similar delivery levels for a while to come. Airbus recently completed the second conversion at its new in-house Corporate Jet shop in Toulouse; three other aircraft are currently on the shop floor.
June 4—Business Aviation Security. Rosslyn, Va. June 10—Webinar: Capitalizing on Raw Material Aggregation. July 16—Demonstrating the Value of Corporate Aircraft Management Forum. New York. Aug. 5-6—Required Navigation Performance Management Forum. Dallas. Aug. 12-13—Program Risk Management Forum. Washington. Sept. 22—Green Europe. Hamburg, Germany. Sept. 22-24—MRO Europe Conference & Exhibition. Hamburg. Oct. 6-7—Human Capital and Talent Acquisition/Labor Management Forum. Chicago.
The first Airbus A320 assembled in China completed its first flight, of 4 hr. 14 min., on May 18 from Tianjin International Airport. The aircraft, powered by International Aero Engines V2500s, is to be delivered next month to Dragon Aviation Leasing for operation by Sichuan Airlines. Assembly work was started in August by Tianjin-based Airbus Final Assembly Line China (FALC), a joint venture between the aircraft manufacturer, which holds a 51% stake, and a Chinese consortium (Tianjin Free Trade Zone and China Aviation Industry Corp.) with a 49% share.
As the U.S. Marine Corps moves ahead to field a gunship kit for its KC-130J refuelers, the Air Force’s strategy for its own gunship appears to have stumbled.
American Airlines is hoping tighter links with its Oneworld alliance partners will yield significant international market opportunities, as tough economic conditions and capacity cuts limit the carrier’s ability to expand its network. American intends to cut its international capacity by 2.5% this year and has not ruled out further reductions if bookings for the summer are worse than expected. However, it is still introducing a few new routes—including Madrid-Dallas on May 1—and may add more next year.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has appointed a new executive director to help revive waning traffic—John C. Mok, a 25-year airports veteran who spent six years as head of strategic planning for the Hong Kong Airport Authority. Mok acknowledges there are challenges ahead for the airport, which is down to 300 flights daily from peaks in the 600-plus range. The airport is also eager to institute flight service to Asia. Mok, formerly a planner for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, will be making $235,000 a year plus benefits.
A USAF T-38 Talon crashed 9 mi. north of Edwards AFB, Calif., at about 1:15 p.m. PDT on May 21, according to news reports. No casualty information was available late that day EDT. The advanced jet trainer is a backbone aircraft for government pilots and astronauts and is a testbed for experimental equipment. Test pilots and flight test engineers are trained in T-38s at the Air Force’s Test Pilot School at Edwards.
