AdaCore—a leading supplier of tools used by aerospace and defense contractors to develop programs in the Ada software language—says Ada is not going away even though Java and C++ are often used nowadays as the Pentagon embraces commercial software. Even so, the Defense Dept. has specified Ada on many weapon systems, and its aerospace and defense suppliers have written hundreds of millions of lines of code in that language during the past 25 years, says AdaCore President/CEO Robert Dewar. And this software has to be supported for decades to come, he notes.
Boeing is advising 747-8 customers that maximum take-off weight (MTOW) will rise to 975,000 lb. as a result of additional structural bolstering required for the redesigned wing, but says overall performance will not be affected because of the improved performance of the super-critical airfoil.
Cirrus Design’s four-seat, single-engine SR22 G3 overflies terrain south of Duluth, Minn. It is one of four versions of the SR22; the others are the SR22-G3 Turbo, SR22 GTS Turbo and the fully loaded SR22 GTS (Generation Three Super), which Aviation Week & Space Technology pilot Frances Fiorino flew for the pilot report that begins on p. 60. Cirrus Design photo by Justin Dillon.
While the U.K. is tantalizingly close to a mold-breaking defense technology agreement with Washington, the rest of Europe faces fundamental questions of industrial strategy if key defense-aerospace sectors are to continue to flourish.
Volga-Dnepr has received its first Boeing 747-400ERF freighter, to be operated on lease from GE Commercial Aviation Services. Plans call for AirBridgeCargo to operate two more 747-400ERFs. The second -400ERF is to arrive in February, the third a few months later.
Cirrus Design co-founder Alan Klapmeier (right) instructs Senior Safety & Training Editor Frances Fiorino as he hand-flies an SR22 through intricate maneuvers on the flight line at Cirrus headquarters at Duluth, Minn. Fiorino flew the four-seat SR22-GTS (Generation Three Super) technologically advanced aircraft to test how well an average general aviation pilot, accustomed to analog dials, could adapt to flying with an all-glass cockpit (see p. 60).
Business travelers want more self-service options, according to the results of International Air Transport Assn.’s 2007 Corporate Air Travel Survey, which was conducted online and completed by 10,281 passengers. Specifically, 54% of respondents indicated “yes” to additional features. The top five options they planned to use: online booking, online reservation changes, online check-in, e-mail notification service and at-home printout of boarding passes.
Chinese-operated air services to North Korea will resume early next year when Air China begins flying between Pyongyang and Beijing, joining Air Koryo on the route. China Southern flew the service until North Korea conducted a nuclear test last year.
NASA expects to sign a funded Space Act Agreement with the winner of the latest round of Commercial Orbital Services Transportation (COTS) bidding by February 2008. Proposals were due Nov. 21 from companies hoping to pick up the roughly $175 million that went unspent when Rocketplane Kistler failed to meet its fiscal milestones (AW&ST Oct. 22, p. 25).
Northrop Grumman Corp. has built a large-scale, indoor antenna testing facility at its Linthicum, Md., plant and plans to evaluate the performance of the S-band phased-array antenna it’s developing for the Cobra Judy Replacement (CJR) program. Many other large, phased-array radar antennas will also be tested at the new $13.7-million facility, according to Northrop Grumman. The original Cobra Judy is an integrated surveillance system mounted on a U.S. Navy ship for use in monitoring weapons-treaty compliance.
Ralph E. (Ed) Eberhart has been appointed to the board of directors of Rockwell Collins , Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is president of the Armed Forces Benefit Assn., and chairman of 5Star Bank, 5Star Life Insurance Co., AFBA 5Star Investment Management Co. and AFBA 5Star Fund Inc.
Talks between Alitalia and potential buyers are entering their closing stage, although they have once again slipped slightly. The airline will consider non-binding proposals soon, with the goal to name a preferred bidder by year-end.
The European Parliament is advocating that the European Union’s draft legislation on airport charges not apply to smaller airports. The House Transport Committee last week voted an amendment that says the new rules should only apply to airports with annual traffic of more than five million passengers, or with more than 15% of the passenger movements per year in their countries.
Four U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee members want the State Dept. to hire more staff to reduce the backlog of technology export license applications. Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Don Manzullo (R-Ill.), Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) have introduced legislation to increase the number of officials reviewing export and import licenses by 42% within two years.
Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, director of USAF Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, says he will begin pushing next year to develop a hybrid space launch system. After abandoning earlier ambitions of developing a single-stage-to-orbit launch capability, USAF is now focusing on creating a reusable first stage that could reach up to Mach 7 in flight. An expendable upper stage would carry the payload to orbit.
Mexican carrier Aeromar, which has 16 48-seat ATR 42-500s in its fleet, has signed a memorandum of understanding with regional aircraft manufacturer ATR for two 70-seat ATR 72-500s. The new aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M engines. ATR CEO Stephane Mayer says the aircraft’s improved performance allows for operations in the hot-and-high conditions of Mexico City. The carrier, which offers business and tourism packages, operates 25 routes from its base at Mexico City International Airport.
Officials of Grob Aerospace say the Spn. business and utility jet is progressing toward the goal of certification in the second half of 2008. Two of the twin-engine aircraft are being used for the flight test program. A third made its first flight in October and is scheduled to join the team next year. Plans call for the Swiss airframe manufacturer to build 25 jets in the first year followed by 35 one year later, stabilizing at 45 annually by mid-2010.
Pakistan’s Airblue signed for eight Airbus A320s, bringing the airline’s orders for the type to 14. The carrier now operates three A320s and three A321s on domestic and regional routes to Dubai and on long-haul services to Britain.
Delta Connection Atlantic Southeast Airlines pilots, after five years of negotiations with management, voted on Nov. 20 to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement. The Air Line Pilots Assn., which represents ASA flight crew, notes that 1,003 of 1,239 eligible pilots voted, with 837 in favor and 166 opposed.
Europrop International last week finally delivered the first TP-400 turboprop engine for flight trials. The engine will now be fitted to a modified Lockheed Martin C-130 by Marshall Aerospace and will power the Airbus Military A400M airlifter. First flight of the modified C-130 is planned for early 2008.
Israel’s attack on a Syrian reactor may have been a signal to stop developing weapons of mass destruction, but those signals can be sent both ways. Israeli officials have been quiet about the raid, but they are concerned that Syrian pride may demand a response of some sort. One of the first targets that came to mind was Israel’s own nuclear operation at Dimona in the Negev Desert. Workers at the facility are suffering through scores of red alerts triggered by fear of an air strike.
Savi Technologies, a Lockheed Martin company, is applying solar power to a radio frequency identification (RFID) system for the U.S. Army’s depots in Kuwait that could have commercial applications for tracking air freight containers. To save energy, Savi’s engineers have mounted panels and RFID signposts on poles, and the tags are attached to vehicles, containers, equipment or aircraft parts. The tags give essential and updatable information about container status, including when they were last inspected.
