Orders for the Chinese-developed ARJ21 regional aircraft have reached 71 units. All the orders are from local airlines, but that isn't surprising. The aircraft, sporting unusually big engines--General Electric CF34 turbofans--for a capacity that begins at 70 seats, has been tailored for hot-and-high operations from the country's western plateau. Airlines that don't face such operating challenges would naturally avoid the weight and expense of the ARJ21's engines.
Kuwait Airways remained in the red last year, but cut losses 30% despite increasing fuel prices. Year-end losses stood at $54 million. For 2007-08, the company is planning near-term fleet renewals.
Steve Anderson took first prize in the Military category of the American Society of Aviation Artists' (ASAA) Annual International Aerospace Art Exhibition with his painting "Highest Tradition" (top), which depicts a Korean War mission. Jim Koepnick won first prize in the General Aviation category of Aviation Week & Space Technology's annual photo contest for his image of an Extra 300LP flying over Lakeland, Fla. ASAA joins AW&ST, for the seventh year, in presenting the best entries in their aerospace art and photography contests, starting on p. 40.
The German army has taken delivery of the first NH90 helicopter, which will be followed soon with handovers to Greece and Finland and other customers. Delivery is more than two years behind schedule, in part because of requirements changes and development and certification problems.
The increasingly likely series of merger agreements among the biggest U.S. airlines would challenge Washington's legislative and regulatory institutions as much as the managers of the carriers. An aide to James Oberstar (D-Minn.) says the incoming chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee fears that mergers such as ones proposed or being talked about--US Airways-Delta, United-Continental, American-Northwest--would lead to less competition, higher fares and reduced service, especially to small communities.
Former Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief David M. North last week received the 2006 Lauren D. Lyman Award for excellence in aviation journalism, from the Washington-based Aerospace Industries Assn.
Lockheed Martin has completed taxi trials of the F-35A Lightning II and plans to fly the supersonic fighter before the end of this month. Company officials say all preflight requirements have been met and the single-engine, single-seat jet has been cleared to fly by the U.S. Defense Dept. As of late last week, however, no date had been set for the inaugural flight, which will launch a six-year, 12,000-hr. flight test program involving 15 airplanes.
BAE Systems has performed first flight of India's Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers at the company's Warton, England, facility. India is buying 66 of the aircraft, of which 24 will be built in the U.K. and the rest in India.
The fifth production Dassault Falcon 7X business jet arrived in Little Rock, Ark., on Dec. 12. It is the first 7X that will be completed for a customer and is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2007. In France, four Falcon 7Xs are participating in the certification program. The fleet has logged more than 1,200 hr. and 400 flights. European and FAA certification is slated for early 2007.
TOM KALINA, ASAA "Flagship Arizona" Oil on canvas 24 X 36 inches An American Airlines Douglas DC-7, "Flagship Arizona," banks over the Grand Canyon at sunset. American was the first airline to offer DC-7 service, and on Nov. 29, 1953, inaugurated non-stop transcontinental service between New York and Los Angeles.
Prepare for another acquisition battle involving radars and high-power microwave weapons that will pit entrenched, big-money but older-technology programs against smaller, cheaper, more powerful designs. Both radars and HPM weapons--which are now being designed as a single system--are switching to fiber optics from the traditional electricity moving through copper wires. Computational, processing and data throughput speeds are expected to jump as much as a thousandfold to make power generation and modulation/production of microwaves possible in very small packages.
An agreed private-equity takeover of Qantas Airways announced Dec. 14 will saddle the Australian carrier with three times as much debt, but let it carry on with its current business plan without the radical new cost cuts and asset sales typical of such leveraged buyouts.
The commercial sector will keep U.S. aerospace sales rising in 2007, but the military aircraft, space and missile sectors will likely see flat or declining sales. Boeing and Airbus have recorded more orders than even their own analysts expected. After years trailing Airbus, Boeing is basking in the year's best results to date; industry analysts expect more sales for both in the last two weeks of the year, however. Still, it's unlikely Boeing will cap its 2005 record of 1,002 net orders or that Airbus will exceed its record of 1,111.
GIL COHEN, ASAA "We Guide To Strike" Oil 26 X 38 inches Flying ahead of the main bomber stream, a Lancaster of 156 Squadron pathfinder force makes a run over its target in the heavily defended industrial Ruhr Valley. Extreme concentration can be observed in the crew's eyes as they focus on their critical task of marking the target. Precise identification of the target location will ensure accurate bomber strikes, further crippling the German war effort.
U.S. and European deep space exploration missions are scoring major new discoveries at year's end, directly influencing their operations in 2007 and affecting international planetary strategy in the years ahead. The major new findings will be revealed in this week's editions of the journals Science and Nature. Some were also previewed late last week before the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. A sample of the new findings include:
As Boeing's chief airplane salesman, Scott Carson helped make the new 787 a huge market hit. Now, as the new CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, he's responsible for making sure technical development of the aircraft stays on track as its critical first flight grows closer. In a wide-ranging interview in New York with AW&ST Editor-in-Chief Anthony L. Velocci, Jr., and Business Editor Joseph C. Anselmo, Carson talked about the 787 and the state of the industry. Excerpts follow:
EADS Astrium has been selected to lead development of a satellite telecommunications service package to disseminate GMES data, beginning with early crisis management land/ marine monitoring services. Most of the €8.9-million undertaking will be funded by the EC's R&D program.
Dragonair is joining the Oneworld airline alliance, of which its new parent, Cathay Pacific, is a key member. The move will expand the alliance's access to mainland China, the main market of the Hong Kong carrier.
The first of Boeing's longest-range 737s, the -700ER, has entered final assembly at the company's Renton, Wash., plant. After the wing-join (see photo), the fuselage will be positioned onto the factory's moving line. Delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways, which has ordered the only two bought so far, is set for January. With blended winglets and up to nine auxiliary fuel tanks, the specialty aircraft has a range of up to 5,510 naut., 2,145 naut. mi. farther than the standard 737-700.
The world's first dedicated K a-band broadband spacecraft will commence operation in March, further boosting prospects for the burgeoning broadband satellite industry. The 4.7-metric- ton, 9.6-kw. spacecraft, WildBlue-1, was orbited on the night of Dec. 8 from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, atop an Ariane 5 ECA.
