EADS is lashing out over the leaking of large parts of a report by French securities regulator AMF before the company received a copy. The report details insider-trading charges concerning 17 current and former executives. It also lists financial gains, with EADS main shareholders, DaimlerChrysler and Lagardere, having benefited the most, with around €2 billion each.
FLIR Government Systems Has Delivered the first of three Mission Equipment Package (MEP) sensors to the U.S. Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate for integration into a UH-1 helicopter for flight-testing this spring. The system has been three years in development and is designed with Tier II unmanned aerial vehicles and other small UAVs in mind. Weighing just 16 lb. with a 7.25-in. diameter, the system includes two infrared cameras, a color TV camera, a laser range-finder and a laser designator.
USAF Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of the Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Tex. He has been commander of the command’s Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Maj. Gen. Allen G. Peck has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and to succeed Lorenz. Peck has been commander of the Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center/vice commander of the Air University. Maj. Gen. John T.
Michael Hardesty (see photo) has been named vice president/chief financial officer of the Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Enterprise Shared Services . He was director of finance for the company’s Irving, Tex.-based Financial Services Center.
A sudden suspension of flights by Hong Kong Oasis Airlines may point to an upper limit on service levels for long-haul non-network carriers. As such airlines proliferate, with service ranging from sardine-style economy to all-business class, the failure of the Hong Kong company after 17 months shows that mixing streamlined non-network operations with full-service cabins, especially business class, is a tough strategy. Oasis had a service standard like that of many regular network airlines—but no network.
Cessna Aircraft Co. will build its new production facility for the large-cabin Citation Columbus business jet in Kansas. President and CEO Jack J. Pelton says the company was considering other locations outside of the state, but the deal was clinched when the Kansas legislature this month voted to provide up to $33 million in bonds to secure the factory through a pool of money designated for aviation projects.
The U.K.’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) plans to implement precision area navigation procedures in the London terminal maneuvering area (designated Terminal Control North) in March 2009. The adoption of P-RNAV, which will affect operations at Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, London City and Northolt airports, is designed to improve traffic management through use of standard terminal arrival and departure procedures, and business aircraft operators will be required to obtain P-RNAV approval from their country of aircraft registration.
The Guardian 100 military-grade lightweight notebook can be used as a laptop or as a tablet PC slate. The computer’s 10.4- or 12.1-in. screen is sunlight readable. Its case is sealed to IP54 standards and comes with a 120 or 160GB hard drive. A low-voltage Intel Core Duo processor allows fanless operation. Other features include gigabit Ethernet, an integrated GPS, fast wireless PAN and WAN and a reversible waterproof camera. Industrial Computing Inc., 260 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, Mass. 02451 or www.industcomputing.com.
John J. Higgs (see photo) has been promoted to vice president from group director for fluid management solutions for Crane Aerospace and Electronics , Lynnwood, Wash.
The Canadian government has rejected Alliant Techsystems’ $1.3-billion bid to acquire the space business of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), a leader in small satellite design and the owner of the Radarsat-2 advanced synthetic aperture radar imagery spacecraft. The deal would have given the U.S. government access to classified technologies that MDA could not previously sell outside Canada.
When Skybus started service last May as an ultra-low-cost, low-fare U.S. carrier, oil went for about $64 a barrel. When it stopped flying and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Apr. 5, oil prices topped $100.
Wynne says it is unclear what direction the seemingly defunct Space Radar program (once a joint USAF and National Reconnaissance Office effort) will take in the Pentagon’s tight budget environment. The system’s expense grew out of control because of the number of radar panels required to achieve a high revisit rate on ground targets. Wynne says some innovative designs are emerging, including one that employs a power source into the satellite structure. The secretary says he doesn’t expect a system to take form until 2020.
United Technologies Corp. board of directors elected Louis R. Chenevert as CEO on Apr. 9 to succeed George David, 66, who will continue as chairman. Chenevert, 50, will remain UTC President and continue as a director.
AeroSpoilers can help protect aircraft parked outside in high wind conditions. Sheets in the shape of slats are held in place on the wings via commercial-grade suction cups. Each kit contains 10 suction cup/receiver assemblies and eight 30 X 3-in. blades, which provide 20 ft. of coverage and can reduce the lift-producing capability of a wing by as much as 96%, the company says. The injection-molded ABS and thick PVC sheet construct, with marine-grade stainless steel hardware, help the product withstand even harsh coastal environments.
Timothy S. Burris (see photo) has been named vice president-communications for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems , Tewksbury, Mass. He was senior director of enterprise communication at Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
KOR’s CRFM-9041 provides a wide bandwidth, ultra-fine resolution of Coherent Radio Frequency Memory (CRFM), according to the company. Sampling at 2,200 MHz., the CRFM captures, stores and replays RF signals, delaying the signal up to 7.5 ms. with 1-ns. resolution. The CRFM is a multi-functional test asset for development of EW, radar, seeker, and comm systems. Up to 1 GHz. of instantaneous bandwidth is available, and DSP technology performs amplitude/phase modulation.
An Israeli Boeing 747 undergoing heavy maintenance nearly fills an Ameco Beijing paint hangar, which was being used for such visits due to limitations on facility capacity. Ameco Beijing since has opened a new major hangar large enough to accommodate four Airbus A380s. Many MRO providers are expanding to their capacity to capture work increasingly outsourced by the world’s airlines (see p. 70). AW&ST photo by Ed Hazelwood.
Tim Quilter (see photo) has been named director of product management and Werner Langhans director for Europe, Middle East and Africa for the Reston, Va.-based Era Corp.’s Air Traffic Management Div. Quilter was head of air traffic management strategy for Roke Manor. Langhans was head of technology development and head of strategic business development for Austro Control.
Amy Butler (Peterson AFB, Colo., and Colorado Springs)
The U.S. Air Force is readying its first space-based sensor designed specifically for the mission of space situational awareness—monitoring other satellites in orbit—for a launch by next April.
Aero Vodochody has created a line to produce door hinges and inner structural elements for Latecoere under a 1-billion-Czech-crown ($63-million) subcontract signed in October 2007. The line, expected to be in full operation by February 2009, will supply six different doors and four types of hinge assemblies for the Embraer 170 and 190 regional jet program. Two door types have been delivered to date. The Czech manufacturer says it is also preparing to supply machined parts to Latecoere via Technometra Radotin, its wholly owned landing gear affiliate.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Bill Sweetman (Minneapolis)
The Pentagon says its estimate of acquisition costs for top programs has dropped to $1.66 trillion from $1.7 trillion. But warning lights are flashing as analysts and military officials contend that the 2007 report’s “up-front spending increases” are real, while estimates of decreasing inflation and production costs are little more than guesses—and not inspired ones at that.
NASA and Lockheed Martin have pushed back by three months the first test that will actually get the Orion crew exploration vehicle off the ground, citing “procurement problems.” Originally set for September at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., the 90-sec. Pad Abort Test-1 will begin to validate the solid-fueled rockets designed to pull Orion off a failing Ares I launch vehicle. The Launch Abort System will lift a boilerplate Orion off the ground and then separate from the capsule mockup, which will return to Earth using three 116-ft.-dia. parachutes.
The Pentagon expects to decide this month whether to terminate the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (Jassm) or continue with production. This comes after a year of work on developing and testing a fix to its GPS receiver and implementing a reliability improvement plan.
