SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP. HAS SIGNED a 20-year deal with Rockwell Collins, with a potential value of $100 million, for avionics, simulators, training and support of the S-92 for the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Program. The equipment includes an integrated cockpit, a Rockwell Collins EyeHUD helmet-mounted display and two level D-equivalent full-flight simulators.
SN Brussels Airlines has upgraded communications systems in its 38 aircraft so pilots can obtain data from the European Aeronautical Information Services Database. They will be able to access weather reports and other information including Notices to Airmen.
LOCKHEED MARTIN IS NOW THE OFFICIAL OPERATOR of the FAA's 58 automated flight service stations (AFSSs) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Since Feb. 1, when the company won the $1.7-billion public-private outsourcing contract, more than 1,700 employees transitioned from government service to Lockheed Martin. Some AFSS employees have taken early retirement and 300 have been hired by the FAA. In the initial phase, Lockheed Martin will operate existing FAA legacy equipment and facilities.
U.S. and European efforts to overhaul their respective air traffic management systems are about to receive a push with important funding commitments that will start the long process of turning the multi-billion euro/dollar plans into reality. Nevertheless, efforts on both sides of the Atlantic still face huge budget challenges and a fair share of skepticism.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: e-mail: [email protected] Oct. 31--PBS "American Experience" film "Race to the Moon." See www.pbs.org/americanexperience Oct. 31-Nov. 1--Technology Training Corp. Military Radios Conference. Holiday Inn on-the-Bay, San Diego. Also, Nov. 7-8--Military RFID Conference. Holiday Inn Rosslyn, Arlington, Va. Call +1 (310) 563-1223, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency may be flight-testing an air-launched propane-powered rocket in 2-3 years as part of its Falcon concept to quickly and cheaply put 1,000 lb. of payload into orbit. The novel Quick Reach I rocket was designed and may be built by the AirLaunch consortium of companies. AirLaunch and Darpa were in continuing negotiations last week and a company official expects a positive outcome soon.
Italy and France finally appear poised to sign off on a deal for an initial batch of cruise missile-carrying frigates. The Italian government agreed last week to provide close to 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) for the first phase of the 11-billion-euro, 27-ship Fremm/Renaissance frigate program. Funding will be provided through a series of 15-year loans to be floated in 2006-08. This will cover the purchase of two initial frigates, associated R&D activities and a basic logistics support package.
An item in News Breaks on a Japanese subscale test vehicle for a supersonic transport (AW&ST Oct. 17, p. 18) incorrectly stated the cruise Mach numbers typical of modern commercial transport aircraft. The correct numbers are Mach 0.82-0.85. Also, the wing design on the test article is different from what was used on the Anglo-French Concorde and Soviet Tu-144 supersonic transports.
Not only does the new chief intelligence officer at the Homeland Security Dept., Charles Allen, have to convince federal, state and local agencies to play nice; he also has to persuade units of his own department to share intelligence.
The V-22 is the most complex, least intrisically safe aircraft to be built by serious industry. It has been a disaster technically, financially and ethically. The V-22 is kept aloft by politics, and nothing else. It has killed more people in its engineering development phase than any other aircraft, a segment that has not been completed 40-plus years after it began.
BAE SYSTEMS WILL PROVIDE a continuous-wave Doppler radar to the U.K.'s Aberporth Test and Evaluation Range operated by QinetiQ for the Defense Ministry. The $2-million order is the first for the new radar that relies on commercial components to minimize life-cycle costs. The U.S. Defense Dept. is evaluating a pre-production unit.
Boeing and the Ford Motor Co. have allied with Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., to conduct nanotechnology research. Nano-composites, specialty metals, thermal materials, coatings and sensors will be explored. Financial support has been pledged for three years.
The first Japanese-built Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft engine has been delivered by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which is assembling and supporting the aircraft and engines under license for Japan's EH101 maritime helicopter fleet. The first EH101 and engine set earmarked for the Japanese fleet, built by AgustaWestland and RRTM, was delivered this year.
The U.S. and British civil aviation authorities have inked a bilateral deal for collaborative evaluation of flight simulators. The agreement will allow the FAA and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to assess in each other's stead. This could considerably reduce the extent of qualification work the CAA has to carry out in the U.S., and cut down on duplicated efforts. The European Aviation Safety Agency supports the effort and its eventual goal of becoming a European Union-U.S. accord.
Alitalia, in what is considered a last-ditch effort, unveiled yet another business plan in its bid for solvency. The new scheme is being submitted to the banks that have indicated they would back a 1.2-billion-euro ($1.43-billion) capitalization effort, now slated for early November. As part of its survival strategy, the Italian flag carrier has also secured a $485-million loan from a U.S. bank. This new money is likely to be used to pay back a previous state-guaranteed bridge loan of 400 million euros from a German bank, which is set to expire at year-end.
Stephen E. Frank has been named to the Northrop Grumman Corp. board of directors in Los Angeles. He is retired chairman/president/CEO of Southern California Edison and was executive vice president/chief financial officer of TRW.
A maritime receiver, normally used to identity commercial surface shipping, is being evaluated on board U.S. Navy early warning aircraft to see if the technology can help safeguard military vessels. An Automatic Identification System (AIS) which transmits data about a ship's name, type, location and destination, is being evaluated as a tool for combat identification and fleet situational awareness on board E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.
NavCanada's revenues for fiscal 2005 were $964 million (C$1.135 billion), up from $852 million the year before. Air traffic grew by 5% and customer service charges by 7.9%. Operating expenses for Canada's private air navigation service provider were $842 million or 5.9% higher due to rising salary and pension costs.
Southwest Airlines has shipped a five-crateload "Wright is Wrong" message to Texas's U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) and John Cornyn (R). Southwest organized the petition (shown in photo, stacked alongside airline President Colleen Barrett). It was signed by 214,570 constituents who want to repeal the Wright Amendment. Why a petition? Supporters of repeal, including Southwest, say the 1979 law stunts growth at Dallas Love Field and prevents healthy airline competition.
General aviation won a major battle when it resumed operations at Ronald Reagan National Airport. It's now focused on winning the war--by seeking full airport access, key to the sector's vitality.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are among U.S. companies that have approached the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) about using the proposed H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) as a commercial resupply craft for the International Space Station. NASA wants to shift ISS logistics to a private commercial venture if possible, and is trying to keep as much as $500 million set aside in its long-term budget plan to pay someone for the service. JAXA Vice President Kaoru Mamiya says his agency has heard from the two U.S. aerospace giants about using the 16,500-kg.
Bell Helicopter Textron and Cessna Aircraft Co., both Textron subsidiaries, reported revenues and profits of $104 million/$30 million and $191 million/ $35 million, respectively, during the third quarter. Bell's gains were driven chiefly by higher international military volume, while Cessna's order backlog increased $236 million during the quarter, bringing its value to $6 billion.
After reading about the Boeing 777-200 software-induced flight control anomalies in "A Wild Ride" (AW&ST Sept. 26, p. 46), and the near loss of control they caused, it seems to me that what these totally, software-layered, fly-by-wire aircraft need is a guarded switch--call it a "PC" switch, short for positive control.
Small mobile phones that insurgents and terrorists use to trigger explosives and organize ambushes are computers; and if there are multiple phones, they have created a computer network. While these wireless network communications--which can use cellular, satellite, PDA and BlackBerry hand-held devices--are low power and offer several layers of encryption, with the right cyber-tools they can be identified, tracked, infiltrated, mined for information and, if desired, attacked.
European Space Agency officials hope the concession bid for the Galileo satellite navigation contract will resolve intergovernmental workshare disagreements that have stalled talks to nail down a contract for the initial batch of spacecraft for the 30-satellite constellation.
