The British Defense Ministry has selected RAF Lossiemouth in northern Scotland as the base for its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35 is known as the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) in the U.K., tentatively scheduled to enter service in 2014 to provide the core of the air wing for two new aircraft carriers. To make space for the JCA, in 2013, some Tornado GR4 jets based at Lossiemouth will relocate to nearby RAF Kinloss. The GR4 will remain in service until about 2025. Kinloss will also be the long-term base for the BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is classifying the Oct. 20 near-collision of a Boeing 777-2B5ER and a 747-400F a "serious incident" in its preliminary report--but is continuing to investigate. The 777 (HL-7530) was cleared for takeoff on a scheduled passenger flight to South Korea and had rotated from Sydney airport's Runway 34L. Meanwhile, the driver of the tug towing the 747, believing a clearance was intended for him, crossed the active runway. The airborne 777 passed over the 747 at an estimated height of 400 ft., according to the report.
Michael Mecham and Frank Morring, Jr. (Tanegashima Space Center)
Japan has further refined its concept for a heavy lift version of the Mitsubishi H-IIA launcher, fitting it with twinned first-stage LE-7A engines. Called the H-IIB, the vehicle remains under study, but the Japanese space agency JAXA has signed a basic agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for its development.
The Aerospace Industries Assn. is crowing about research and development incentives included in the Senate-passed $60-billion tax bill. The tax cut reconciliation package includes an extension of basic R&D tax credits set to expire in 2006, plus an alternative simplified credit (ASC) permitting aerospace companies to claim a potential 12% benefit--much more generous than current law--on qualified research spending.
The Composites Laboratory of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University, Wichita, Kan., is assembling 10 prototype blades for an experimental wind turbine as part of a joint project with Wetzel Engineering--an aerospace and wind-power company based in Lawrence, Kan. The blades will be used to rotate a small, 6-kw. turbine currently under development by Wetzel using a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy.
With all due respect for Norman R. Augustine's corporate expertise, he and his 20-member committee on maintaining American prosperity don't seem to grasp what is needed.
James D. Walker, a staff scientist in the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Div. of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, has won the Holley Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The medal is awarded for "a great or unique act of an engineering nature, which accomplishes a great and timely public benefit." Walker was cited for his "impact analysis and testing of insulating foam striking tile and leading edge components of the thermal protection system in support of the space shuttle Columbia accident investigation."
I was surprised to read Pierre Sparaco's column entitled "Judging the Judiciary" (AW&ST Oct. 17, p. 49) that basically said we should forget about investigating and prosecuting potential criminal wrongdoing on the part of airlines, manufacturers or airports. The only countries that seem to be concerned are France and Italy.
The combined freight load factor of the 17 member airlines of the Assn. of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) fell by 1.4 percentage points to 66.2% in September compared to the same month in 2004. AAPA Director General Andrew Herdman said at the 49th Assembly of Presidents in Hong Kong that slowing cargo demand was a warning sign for the industry that fuel prices were impacting economies. AAPA members' operating costs for fuel have risen from 20% ($3 billion) to 28% ($12 billion).
Orbital Sciences Corp. will use a Russian Proton vehicle to launch the Thor II-R small geostationary satellite it is building for Telenor. Orbital signed a contract with International Launch Services for the flight, scheduled late in 2007. The 5,390-lb. spacecraft will carry 24 K u-band transponders at Telenor's 1 deg. W. Long. orbital slot, serving Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East. ILS will use the Proton Breeze M variant for the mission. The new satellite will replace Thor II, scheduled to be retired in 2008.
Chai Weixi (see photo) has been appointed general manager/CEO of Air China-Lufthansa joint venture Ameco Beijing. He succeeds He Li, who has been named general manager of Air China Technics. Weixi was deputy general manager of Air China Technics.
Although the cost advantages and greater positional accuracy for ADS-B are evident, the concept does not address one aspect of air traffic control: a noncooperative aircraft, one that fails to broadcast its position. This failure could be as benign as simple equipment failure or as malicious as hijackers who wish to conceal the aircraft's position. How will the air traffic system handle this? If an aircraft "drops off" the ADS-B system, will there be enough remaining radar coverage to find it? If not, how will we track such aircraft?
News Breaks 20 Saab begins flight testing of low- observable unmanned demonstrator 20 Bell and AgustaWestland part ways on AB139 21 Loral reorganizes, bids farewell to Chapter 11 21 Annual review sees some U.K. control over defense cost overruns 22 Machinists' strike against Boeing puts space missions in limbo 22 Obituary for Michael I. Mott, Boeing executive for NASA Systems World News & Analysis
Northrop Grumman has received a $532-million, five-year contract for various modifications including "advanced radar systems" for the U.S. Air Force's Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar system fleet. The funds do not cover a proposal to reengine the aircraft.
Expanding use of its new Embraer 190 100-seaters, JetBlue will establish two-thirds of a northeastern shuttle of sorts on Jan. 17, launching service between Boston Logan and Washington Dulles airports with six daily roundtrips during the week and five on weekends. The carrier began service recently between Logan and New York-JFK so its "shuttle" misses two closer-in airports--New York LaGuardia and Washington Reagan National. But with Dulles-Logan walkup fares between $55-$140 after an introductory period as low as $25, costs will be lower, too.
Business and general aviation cockpits remain on the leading edge of what's happening in civil avionics, and will probably be the first to use a combination of enhanced and synthetic vision in one product. Like many developments in civil aviation, these advances represent evolutionary rather than revolutionary change. But much of what is about to reach market has been in the research and development arena for decades.
Toronto Pearson International Airport blames high rents it must pay Transport Canada for a 6.9% increase in landing fees, but Transport Minister Jean Lapierre says the airport authority needs to review its own fiscal situation and reduce costs. Pearson officials say nearly 60% of the increase can be attributed to government rent hikes, to C$151.5 million ($128.1 million) in 2006 from C$133 million this year. The Air Transport Assn. threatens that U.S. airlines may avoid Pearson by redirecting flights to near-border U.S. airports.
Japan's asteroid hunter landed successfully on its quarry 200 million mi. from Earth, but it didn't manage to complete its sampling procedure, so backed off and is awaiting another try. In lifting off from asteroid Itokawa on Nov. 20, Hayabusa became the first spacecraft to do so. Its goal is to be the first to return samples blasted from the surface of an asteroid to Earth.
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. has received a $1-billion order commitment from Concord Aviation for 20 Russian Regional Jet RRJ95s. Deliveries to the Dubai-based carrier are slated to run from 2009-13, according to the terms of the letter of intent. Concord Aviation becomes the first customer for the RJ outside of Russia. First flight of the RRJ is planned for 2007, with an initial in-service date of 2008.
New detailed examination of Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiter imagery of the broad Meridiani area on Mars where the rover Opportunity discovered water-related layers, indicate there is a lot more layering than that in nearby terrain. The finding has been made by Kenneth S. Edgett of Malin Space Science Systems. Edgett's analysis shows that the 6 or 7 meters (20-23 ft.) of exposed sedimentary rock explored by Opportunity represent less than 1% of the approximately 800 meters (2,640 ft.) of sedimentary rock that can be seen in orbiter images of this region.
The U.S. Navy's outgoing procurement czar says he is "anxious" about the upcoming Pentagon funding proposal and suggests the Defense Dept. should more clearly establish priorities to bolster the most critical programs while allowing some to die.
JAXA has replaced faulty transistors and completed simulated tracking exercises in preparation for the H-IIA launch of its Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) by early next spring. Before Japan's fiscal year 2005 ends on Mar. 31, 2006, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) also hopes to launch its multipurpose MTSat-II, its second combination meteorological and Wide Area Augmentation System satellite. The agency also has the Astro-F infrared astronomy spacecraft on its manifest, which is to be put into orbit by a solid-fuel M-5 rocket.
Kevin Hiatt has been appointed director of corporate safety for World Airways Inc. headquarters, Peachtree City, Ga. He is a retired captain and chief pilot for Delta Air Lines.
It's not easy selling weapons to the Pentagon when your company is based in two countries whose leaders vocally opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But that doesn't seem to daunt Ralph Crosby, the chairman and CEO of North American operations for EADS. Crosby says the company's "measured" push into the lucrative U.S. defense market has reached the point where it is a player in an array of major competitions for defense and homeland security contracts.
