An article on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia) in the May 19 edition (p. 72) stated that the 747-based configuration includes a Raytheon-designed pressure bulkhead. The unit of Raytheon that designed the bulkhead was acquired by L-3 Integrated Systems in 2003.
Though the Missile Defense Agency has focused its Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) program around readily available technologies, one crucial element has yet to be proven—a large infrared focal plane array (FPA). This 512 X 512-pixel mercury cadmium telluride FPA is a linchpin for the success of Lockheed Martin’s MKV-L design, calling for a central carrier vehicle that will deploy many smaller kill vehicles to attack targets in space.
China’s two main aircraft-making groups will merge back together as a step toward simplifying and rationalizing the industry, especially in the military subsector. The re-merger of Avic 1 and Avic 2 is expected to happen this year, nine years after they were separated. It may be a prelude to pulling the industry apart again to create a range of national champions focused on different parts of the aircraft-making business.
Antonio Pensa, assistant director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT Lincoln Laboratory, has been named an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus by Pennsylvania State University’s College of Engineering .
The cost of active, electronically scanned array radars could be on the verge of plunging by a factor of 10. As a result, experts are exploring new applications that could draw on AESA technology. Since 2001, when the U.S. Defense secretary’s office declared the future development of radar technology to be dead, ranges have tripled and very small, perhaps stealthy targets can now be located, specialists point out. Many more frequencies are being exploited and imaging is close to photographs.
Multirole missile efforts are emerging as a potential future guarantor of the U.K.’s guided-weapons sector. The Defense Ministry is preparing to fund the next stage of the MBDA Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) concept, while Thales Air Systems Division has unveiled its Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) also aimed at a number of Defense Ministry requirements and the export arena.
General Electric and Rolls-Royce have completed design reviews for ultra-high-pressure ratio compressors to be tested for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s technology demonstration of its Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine (Heete). The goal of Heete is to reduce fuel consumption by 25% for embedded engines powering future tanker, transport, surveillance and unmanned combat aircraft. GE is aiming for a 70:1 overall pressure ratio, compared with 43:1 for its GE90 engine.
Italian engine-maker Avio is gradually paying down the mountain of debt it incurred from two leveraged buyouts. Debt has been reduced to about €1.6 billion ($2.5 billion) from €1.8 billion a year ago. Management wants to further streamline Avio’s industrial footprint, reduce operating costs and offset the effect of the weak dollar. During the past 12 months, Avio has seen revenues climb 11%, to €1.55 billion, with an operating result of €303 million. Net profit was €35 million, compared with a loss the previous year.
The U.S. Air Force plans to select a contractor to design a demonstration payload for the Self-Awareness Space Situational Awareness (Sassa) program late this year. Lockheed Martin, Orbital/Northrop Grumman and Boeing are all proposing options for the $30-million effort. The Sassa payload is intended to demonstrate the ability to build a standardized threat-warning system and communicate information about whether satellites are being “painted” with radio-frequency or laser energy to operators on the ground.
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways last week once again raised fuel surcharges. Long-haul charges for Virgin Upper Class passengers are rising to £107.50 ($212.22), an increase of £28.50. BA long-haul charges will increase by £30 to £109 per flight. Virgin has introduced variable charge increases depending on which class of travel a passenger uses.
Lockheed Martin’s first short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B could fly for the first time this week. Aircraft BF-1 completed hover pit tests of the propulsion system on May 25, and test pilot Graham Tomlinson subsequently flew the first F-35, aircraft AA-1, twice to familiarize himself with the aircraft. Taxi tests were planned for the weekend. The F-35B will initially fly in conventional takeoff and landing mode, with Stovl tests now expected to begin early in 2009.
DHL Express’s pending $1-billion-a-year contract with UPS to provide air lift, replacing ABX Air and AStar Air Cargo, corroborates the failure of parent Deutsche Post World Net’s past strategy in the Americas, and underscores the strengths of UPS and rival FedEx in this vital $30-billion-a-year express market.
Scientists on France’s Corot planet-finding mission are checking data that may be the first evidence of a rocky Earthlike planet around another star. Corot has identified two more exoplanets and an unknown celestial object, mission managers tell the International Astronomical Union. It also detected extremely faint signals of another exo-planet that appears to be 1.7 times the radius of the Earth. If confirmed, it would be the first rocky exoplanet to be found. Discovery of Earthlike planets is the primary focus of the Corot mission, which was launched in December 2006.
June 9-10—Technology Training Corp.’s Cyber Security Conference. Hilton Arlington, Va. Also, June 25-26—Unmanned Aircraft System Payloads Conference. Westin Alexandria, Va. Call +1 (310) 563-1223, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com June 10-12—University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation/Air Line Pilots Assn. Aircraft Accident Investigation Course. Grand Forks. Call +1 (701) 777-4740 or see www.summer.und.edu
Getting to, from and across Africa could pose the most significant near-term logistics problem for U.S. Africa Command (Africom), says its deputy commander. “That’s probably the biggest need we anticipate in the years to come,” says Vice Adm. Robert Moeller. Created by President Bush in February 2007 to unify U.S. counterterrorism, military assistance and humanitarian aid functions in Africa, Africom is currently based at Kelly Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, and likely to remain there “for the foreseeable future,” says Moeller.
USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Thomas R. Case (see photo) has become president/chief operating officer of the Alaska Aerospace Development Corp. He succeeds Dale K. Nash, who was promoted to CEO. Case was commander of the Alaskan Command/11th Air Force and Alaskan North American Defense Region at Elmendorf AFB and later dean of the University of Alaska-Anchorage’s College of Business and Public Policy.
Boeing and Alenia Aermacchi are teaming to offer the M-346 advanced and M-311 basic jet trainers. Key international opportunities include Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, where the M-346 is competing with the T-50 proposed by Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace Industries. Other potential markets for the M-346 are Qatar, Greece and Portugal, while the M-311 has sales potential in Saudi Arabia and Australia. Boeing will provide logistics and training for both airplanes.
Air navigation service provider Nav Canada is working with Park Air Systems Ltd. and SolaCom Technologies Inc. on a $50-million VHF radio system upgrade that will include 115 pairs of new radios being installed at Calgary Airport, the Toronto Area Control Center and the Toronto Air Traffic Control Tower at Lester B. Pearson International Airport. In all, 2,000 aging Garrett VHF radios will be replaced by modern digital equipment at 320 sites through 2016.
Don Stoops has become vice president-global operations for Colibrys Ltd. , Neuchatel, Switzerland, and executive vice president/general manager of Colibrys Inc.
Siberia Airlines, under a contract with Thales, plans to install two Airbus A320 full-flight simulators at its training center near Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport. One of the Level D simulators will be ready for operation in December, and the other by the fourth quarter of 2009. Siberia Airlines is the second Russian carrier to pass the International Air Transport Assn.’s Operational Safety Audit.
The U.S. Air Force plans to wrap up flight testing of its first active electronically-scanned array radar designed for ground surveillance for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle in the fall. Testing of the UAV is slated to finish next year.
The Maryland Aviation Administration, which oversees Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), has signed an agreement with tenant airlines to recover $25 million in uncollected fees. The airport authority discovered it had understated terminal rates per square foot and excluded operating expenses, capital projects and amortization charges, leading to a $57.2-million deficit. Southwest will pay $12.2 million; the authority is negotiating payment from other carriers.
The U.S. helicopter industry is doing well—military deliveries are growing, and there are commercial backlogs, too. But the industry is increasingly worried about its future, and particularly the lack of Pentagon R&D funding and absence of new programs. Now, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has agreed to perform a “capabilities-based assessment” (CBA) that will outline a joint approach to development of vertical-lift aircraft for all military services. This is something the Congressional Rotorcraft Caucus, led by Reps.
