Evergreen International Airlines' Boeing 747 Supertanker uses a proprietary pressurized-delivery system to dispense 20,500 gal. of fire retardant or water in about 10 sec. The introduction of large-aircraft "supertankers" is changing decades-long tenets of aerial firefighting, creating the potential for direct attacks on wildland fires (see p. 64). Evergreen also plans to offer its 747 Supertanker for homeland security applications such as nuclear/biological/chemical-agent mitigation and to alter weather systems. Evergreen International Airlines photo.
Israel's Elbit Systems unveiled a new military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at June's Eurosatory land forces equipment exhibition in Paris. Called the Skylark II, the close-range tactical UAV looks like a scaled-up replica of Elbit's hand-launched Skylark I, the sole mini-UAV in use with Israeli ground forces that also is operated by unspecified coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In contrast to Skylark I's 2.4-meter (7.8-ft.) wingspan, 2-hr. flight endurance and 10-km. (6.2-mi.) range, its new big brother has a 4.2-meter wingspan, 6 hr.
EADS Socata will deliver 42 TBM 850 turboprop-powered business airplanes this year--up from 31 in 2006. Company officials say production in 2007 will be 50 aircraft. EADS Socata is marketing the TBM 850 as a competitor to very light jets.
For the third time in three decades, governments and industry are awakening to the possibilities of synthetic fuels and other alternatives as the price of petroleum-derived propellant has climbed to an unprecedented $77 a barrel.
An electromagnetic rail gun could be the easiest and least costly way of launching small communications satellites by theoretically eliminating the need for the huge quantities of fuel, multistage rockets and redundant systems necessary to lift a payload into space. The rail gun may prove so effective that networks of satellites could be launched at low cost--and if one fails, another would quickly be sent up in its place.
U.S. Navy has approved full-rate production for the Spiral One EP-3E that is to carry the Joint Airborne Signals Intelligence Architecture modernization common configuration. It was reported operationally effective and suitable and is to be fielded eight months ahead of the required operational date. The L-3 Communications-produced improvements add ForceNet, Hostile Forces Integrated Targeting System, Multi-Platform Emitter Geolocation, Enhanced Rosetta Stone, automated electronic surveillance and active Link-16 transmit.
Faced with a shortage of Arabic interpreters, the U.S. military has been looking for ways to breakdown the language barrier using technology. The latest innovation to make its way to the field is a system called IraqComm, a translation technology sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). Thirty-two IraqComm systems, bidirectional translation devices, have been shipped to the field, according to its developer, SRI International, a California-based R&D organization.
A major failure--the second in two years--at FAA's Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center caused significant delays and traffic disruptions in the southwest U.S. for more than hour on July 18, with downstream effects into the next day. Although the FAA minimized the risk, we were lucky the weather was generally good in LA Center's airspace at the time.
Temasek Holdings and Singapore Airlines Cargo, both Singapore government entities, have taken a 49% stake in a joint-venture freight carrier with China Great Wall Industry Corp. Based at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, the company is flying two 747-400 freighters, which it expects to increase to five by 2009.
The regional aircraft industry will deliver more than 9,100 jets and 1,900 turboprops over the next two decades, generating $370 billion in revenues, according to a new Bombardier forecast. But there's a caveat: The Canadian aircraft builder's estimate assumes long-term oil prices of $50-60 a barrel.
Finnair is adding winglets to its seven Boeing 757-200s to reduce fuel burn. The high cost of fuel means the cost of the installation will pay for itself after two years, according to Finnair. The airline's Technical Services arm will perform the upgrades using Aviation Partners Boeing devices. The modifications are slated to begin in the fall. Fuel burn will be reduced 4-5%, the carrier estimates, and 200 naut. mi. will be added to the range.
UNITED STATES Editor-In-Chief: Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. [email protected] Managing Editor: James R. Asker [email protected] Assistant Managing Editor: Michael Stearns [email protected] Senior Editors: Craig Covault [email protected], David Hughes [email protected] Editor-at-Large: William Readdy NEW YORK 2 Penn Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10121 Phone: +1 (212) 904-2000, Fax: +1 (212) 904-6068 Senior News Editor: Nora Titterington
As a planetary scientist involved in three major space science missions and a professor of planetary science and physics at the University of Arizona, I applaud your series of articles on International Traffic in Arms Regulations (AW&ST July 17, pp. 82-108).
The proposed sale of much of EADS Sogerma's maintenance, repair and overhaul activity to France's TAT Industries would take a big thorn out of EADS's hide while propelling TAT to the front of aerospace MRO independents. On July 13, TAT offered to acquire Sogerma's civil and military airframe and onboard systems/avionics business, based near Bordeaux. TAT officials say the offer could include an airframe maintenance shop in Tunisia and Sogerma's Barfield electronics support affiliate in Florida.
Australia has announced plans to spend A$51 billion (U.S. $38 billion) on major weapons systems during the next 10 years, the country's ministry of defense announced in June. The public version of Australia's Defense Capability Plan outlines intentions to boost funding for a number of major purchases, such as: A$3.7 billion to reduce the number of different military helicopters and institute joint training and management; A$750 million for a new ground-based air defense capability, and A$1 billion for next-generation satellite capabilities and ground stations.
Thales has concluded a framework agreement with Antonov of Ukraine to integrate Thales Topdeck glass cockpits and Amascos maritime patrol systems on new and existing Antonov aircraft. Thales already supplies electrical generation system hardware for An-70s and An-140s. One focus could be a new An-148 twinjet airlifter, unveiled by Antonov at the Farnborough air show this month. Thales also is discussing hardware supply for export versions of Sukhoi's revamped Su-35 (AW&ST July 24, pp. 75-76).
ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain says a report to evaluate and deal with the potential repercussions of a further consolidation of Europe's space industry, originally set to be delivered in June, will now only be ready in the fall. The delay may be related to the management reshuffle at EADS, which has created a better environment for cooperation talks between EADS's Astrium unit and Thales. Thales is finalizing an agreement to take over Alcatel's holdings in Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio, both partly owned by Finmeccania.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is funding an effort to develop an electromagnetic mortar that uses no propellant. The smooth-bore weapon will launch 120mm. explosive rounds with electromagnetic (EM) energy at a higher velocity and to greater ranges than that of conventional mortars. The EM mortar is being designed for use in the Army's Future Combat System (FCS) vehicles.
A Pratt & Whitney closed-loop hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet propulsion system was successfully tested for the first time at hypersonic conditions at NASA's Langley Research Center. The GDE-2 engine produced data during several runs in Mach-5 conditions in Langley's High Temperature Tunnel.
Innovative Solutions & Support Inc. and Jet Partners will install the IS&S Cockpit/IP Flat Panel Display System in the Jet Partners' fleet of "classic" Boeing 737s. The initial order is for 30 aircraft with 30 options. IS&S's all-glass cockpit includes the primary, navigational and engine instrument displays. It eliminates 65 traditional components and replaces them with five display units, two control panels and three data concentrator units.
In a consolidation of its Southern California Integrated Defense Systems operations over the next four years, Boeing is closing its 103-acre former Rockwell Corp. facility in Anaheim and moving 3,700 employees to its Huntington Beach campus, which it acquired a decade ago in the McDonnell Douglas merger. The old Rockwell site will be put up for sale.
As the European Defense Agency (EDA) attempts to consolidate a fragmented armored fighting vehicle (AFV) market in Europe, industry is taking some initial steps to work together in an area where past cooperation has proved less than successful. The result, to date, has been a variety of efforts marked by industrial cooperation but no solid plans for a single, future AFV.
With acceptance of a 737-700, Southwest Airlines has taken delivery of the 2,000th 737NG. Boeing says that delivery pace is seven years ahead of any other jet model. Southwest launched the NG series in November 1993. Its 399 sales this year account for 78% of Boeing's total orders. As of June 30, Boeing had 97 NG customers and a backlog of 1,365 aircraft.
In the May/June issue of Defense Technology International, a photo in the article "Energized" was mislabeled. The photo, on p. 20, is of the conceptual Boeing UltraLEAP unmanned aerial vehicle.
William B. Scott (On Board 747 Supertanker En Route from Boise, Idaho to San Bernardino, Calif)
Turning from base to final approach, Boeing 747-200 captain/pilot Cliff Hale calls for full flaps and adjusts engine power to keep the aircraft on a controlled flight path, aimed at a San Bernardino, Calif., airport taxiway. First Officer Bob Roshak calls altitudes as the huge aircraft descends. Several hundred feet above the ground, Hale gently pulls the 747's nose up, leveling at about 180 ft., then holds a 3-4-deg. nose-up attitude and 150-kt. airspeed.
