Hispasat will buy and operate the first of a new family of spacecraft intended to give the European satellite industry a foothold in the growing market for advanced small telecom satellites.
Airbus may be embracing an aggressive outsourcing strategy to reduce its exposure to a weak U.S. dollar, but now governments supporting the aircraft maker are signaling their concern that things may be going too far. The unusual public split between the company and the so-called Airbus ministers—the representatives of Germany, France, the U.K. and Spain—comes as discussions are starting to accelerate about the size and form of government aid that will be provided for the development of the A350XWB twin widebody.
A new study by Northrop Grumman Corp. concludes that “airborne electronic jammer aircraft are more effective and efficient when networked and enhanced by decision aids” than standalone jammers such as electronic attack aircraft. The study, conducted for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, focused on determining the effectiveness of networked jammers supported by specialized computer programs that recognize enemy radars, communications and other electronic activity.
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh says an anti-trust immunity application with Oneworld partner American Airlines could be forthcoming “in light of the current regulatory environment.” Although Walsh has yet to guarantee the airlines will proceed with an immunity request, he notes that one of the major issues in two previously rejected anti-trust immunity applications—greater access to Heathrow for U.S. carriers—has been resolved with the opening of its home airport under the transatlantic open skies accord. The Justice Dept.
USAF Brig. Gen. C.D. Alston is one of 12 of his rank who have been nominated for promotion to major general. He is director of nuclear operations, plans and requirements/deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements at the Pentagon. The others are: Brooks L. Bash, commander of the Coalition Air Force Transition Team of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq; Michael J. Basla, vice director for command, control, communications and computer (C4) systems for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon; Paul F. Capasso, director of C4 for U.S.
Japan will add its voice to the growing chorus of controllers who oversee the International Space Station in orbit during the upcoming mission of the space shuttle Discovery. Delivery of the main element of Japan’s Kibo laboratory module—the largest pressurized module planned for the station—will bring the new Japanese control center at Tsukuba City into the communications loop in earnest, as controllers there work with ISS crewmembers to outfit the lab and begin running experiments.
Randy Fank has been appointed manager of FBO operations for the J.A. Air Center , West Chicago, Ill. He was a director of the DuPage Flight Center, also in West Chicago.
The Royal Australian Air Force is in talks with the Pentagon about installing Northrop Grumman’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures electronic warfare system on its C-130Js. The foreign military sales package would cover 12 aircraft. The RAAF already operates the system on its C-17s.
Airbus engineers have some work ahead of them as they upgrade the A350XWB design in the coming months. The aircraft design at this point is still above its target maximum zero fuel weight of 417,780 lb.
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) believe they have detected about half of the stray protons, neutrons and other subatomic particles known as baryons that were formed during and shortly after the Big Bang but didn’t coalesce into galaxies. Not to be confused with so-called “Dark Matter,” which can only be surmised by its gravitational effects, baryons are previously unobserved “normal matter” that forms the intergalactic medium.
A temporary slowdown in production of space shuttle external tanks is likely to have a domino effect on the first flight test under NASA’s Ares I crew launch vehicle development program. The agency had hoped that a longer-than-expected learning curve in building tanks with safety mods developed after the Columbia accident wouldn’t delay the Ares I-X’s Apr. 15, 2009, flight test, even though it will tie up the mobile launcher that will be used for the test (AW&ST May 5, p. 27).
The 777 Freighter will begin flight testing within weeks, and already Boeing is drawing provisional plans for a freighter version of the 787. The sixth member of the 777 family, the freighter has a takeoff gross weight of 766,000 lb. and a range of 4,885 naut. mi. that allows it to slip in just below the payload capacity of the 747 series, Boeing’s best-known freighter family.
Sikorsky has begun “blades-on” ground testing of the X2 Technology coaxial-rotor high-speed helicopter demonstrator at its Schweizer Aircraft rapid-prototyping center in Horseheads, N.Y. First flight is expected within two months. Sikorsky is aiming for a cruise speed of 250 kt. with the company-funded demonstrator, which features a fly-by-wire system that controls the speed of the rigid rotors throughout the flight envelope and integrates rotor, propulsor and engine control. The X2 will fly initially with the tail-mounted propeller disengaged, says Sikorsky.
The Civil Air Navigation Service Organization has opened an Asia-Pacific office at Singapore’s Aviation Academy to assist air navigation service providers with air traffic management issues.
Important supplier and production decisions loom this year for Gulfstream, Cessna and Embraer as they begin turning newly launched business jet concepts into real hardware. Gulfstream is considering accelerating production ramp-up for the G650 ultralong-range jet to meet higher than expanded demand. The company is building a 300,000-sq.-ft. assembly hall to manufacture the G650 under a seven-year, $400-million corporate expansion plan. The building, nearly finished, will accommodate two assembly lines.
Israel has submitted a request for 25 Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, with an option for 50 more. If approved by the U.S. government, Israel would become the first foreign military sales customer for the JSF. Deliveries would begin in 2014.
Romania is getting closer to selecting a new fighter to replace its Israeli-upgraded MiG-21 Lancers. The U.S. Defense Dept. has notified Congress of a possible sale to Bucharest of 48 new and used Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds, valuing the deal at $4.5 billion. The F-16 is competing against the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen, with a decision expected this year. Romania wants its new fighter to enter service in 2010.
Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly is assuming two additional titles. On May 21, Kelly was elected chairman of the board of directors. And on July 15, when Colleen Barrett’s contract expires, he will become president.
The U.K. took a measured step closer to formally contracting for two 65,000-ton-class next-generation aircraft carriers (CVF) last week, with the government announcing that the funding had been secured as part of Planning Round 08 (PR08).
An ultra-hard titanium nitride coating on the leading edges is among approaches Sikorsky will investigate under a U.S. Army program to develop more durable helicopter rotor blades able to withstand sand and rain erosion. The goal is a blade life of 1,000 hr. in erosive environments, compared with the 200-300 hr. being achieved in Iraq.
Rick Bedard (see photo) has been promoted to director of training operations from director of the Operations Support Group for New York-based FlightSafety International . He succeeds Robert Stephenson, who is retiring. Daniel Greenhill (see photo) has been promoted to manager of the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., from director of training at the company’s Lakeland (Fla.) Learning Center. He succeeds Stanley Jhagroo, who will be returning to his post as quality management systems specialist.
Jet Aviation has selected Airbus-led OnAir to provide mobile phone connectivity for business jets. Jet Aviation will be able to install the service on Boeing, Bombardier, Gulfstream and Embraer high-end jets, and the Cessna Citation X and Excel.
Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee has granted final certification approval for the Embraer 145 regional jet family. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer forecasts Russia/CIS will require 510 30-120-seat jet aircraft in the next two decades; 77% are earmarked to replace the aging fleet of Eastern-built aircraft, which has average age of 23 years. The remaining 23% are to support aviation growth. The manufacturer says the market has an “urgent need” to replace smaller-capacity aircraft. The Embraer 145 family comprises the 37-seat 135, 44-seat 140 and 50-seat 145.
