Fighting a losing battle with two low-cost carriers and encumbered by debt nearing $4 billion, Varig, Latin America's oldest airline, is seeking reorganization under a new Brazilian bankruptcy law.
Russian flag carrier Aeroflot is one step closer to building its own terminal at the overcrowded Sheremetyevo Airport by picking the Turkish Enka Insaat ve Sanayi A.S. company as a main contractor to develop the new Terminal 3. The facility is set to be inaugurated in the third quarter of 2007.
USAF Lt. Gen. Norton A. Schwartz has been nominated for promotion to general and assignment as commander of United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill. He is director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Schwartz will succeed Gen. John Handy, who is expected to retire.
Michael A. Taverna and Douglas Barrie (Le Bourget)
France and the U.K. appear to be moving toward a joint-build program for their new aircraft carrier requirements, suggesting that the two countries remain interested in working together on defense matters, despite sharp political disagreements at the European level.
The Russian/U.S. crew on the International Space Station is unloading some 3,100 lb. of dry cargo from the Progress 18 transport after ISS commander Sergei Krikalev smoothly took manual control of the approaching vehicle June 18 to dock it. The Kurs autodocking system on the Progress did not fail, but the Russian mission control center (see photo) was unable to load final parameters into the vehicle's computers due to a ground-system problem. The Progress was about 500 ft.
USAF and Boeing teamed to demonstrate a new avionics system for the B-52 that allowed it to drop six 2,000-lb. Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) from an internal weapons bay. The prototype integrated weapons interface unit (IWIU) is expected to expand the B-52's combat role, so it can carry 20 instead of 12 JDAMs. The mission was flown by a 53rd Wing aircraft from Barksdale AFB, La., over the Utah Test and Training Range.
William Sample (see photo), who is president of Space Gateway Support, a joint venture led by the Northrop Grumman Corp. to support the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Joint Base Operations and Support Contract, has received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal.
Arianespace will adopt a dual launch-campaign strategy this summer in an effort to get its 2005 manifest back on track, says CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. The approach had been contingent on the availability of a second launch table built for the heavy-lift ECA variant, which in turn depended on a review of final data from the ECA's return to flight on Feb. 12, Le Gall explained. That was the sole mission so far this year, and Arianespace still has five Ariane 5s--including two ECAs--and nine satellites to launch in 2005.
The Livingston Group is being reorganized to combine aircraft and services of the Livingston charter operation and Lauda Air Italia. Livingston operates mainly medium-range flights, and Lauda is responsible for long-range operations. The two entities are subsidiaries of Italian tour operator Ventaglio through the Livingston Aviation Group holding. The new arrangement is designed to simplify organization. Recent contract agreements with 85 pilots and 340 flight attendants cleared the way for the realignment.
David Adams (see photo) has been named president of Curtiss-Wright Controls, Roseland, N.J. He was senior vice president-electronic systems. Adams succeeds George J. Yohrling, who will be chairman until retiring next March.
Boeing's reliance on Catia computer-aided design software was a much heralded part of the 777's development in the early 1990s. Now the airframe maker is betting that upgrades to the Dassault Systemes toolset will ease development, fielding and support of the 787.
Air Canada canceled its order for Boeing 777s and 787s after rank-and-file pilots voted down an agreement negotiated by their leadership and the company. The pact covered costs of operating the airplanes, which would have been new to Air Canada's fleet and was a precondition for the order. There were no cancellation penalties. The two-month-old deal with Boeing comprised a firm order for a mix of 18 777-300ERs, -200LRs and freighters with purchase rights for another 18, and a firm order for 14 787s. Three 777-300ERs were scheduled for delivery next year.
Sagem Defense Security, part of the Snecma/Sagem Safran group, will team with Thales to provide complete fighter upgrade solutions for aircraft other than the Rafale and Mirage 2000. Thales will provide radar, electronic warfare and communications hardware and laser designation pods. Sagem will supply navigation, mission-planning systems and mission computer, software and integration, as well as weaponry.
Philip A. Teel (see photo) has been named corporate vice president and president of the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Ship Systems Sector, effective July 1. Teel succeeds Philip A. Dur, who plans to retire at year-end. Teel has been vice president for Airborne Early Warning & Electronic Warfare Systems for the company's Integrated Systems Sector, Bethpage, N.Y.
Finmeccanica officials say they have completed discussions with EADS on the creation of a new space launcher venture, and final agreement is awaiting only the completion of legal details. Dubbed New Generation Launchers (NGL), the venture will create a single entity to manage development and construction of future launch systems to succeed the current Ariane 5 and Vega light launcher lines. Ariane 5 prime contractor EADS will have a 70% share in NGL and Finmeccanica the remainder.
General Electric is pursuing an aggressive technology development path and is boosting its spending on aircraft engine research and development by $200 million this year to $1.2 billion, says Dave Calhoun, president and CEO of GE Transportation. The company has been investing about $1 billion a year in this area since 2001 to feed several new engine programs in development by GE and its partners.
The Israel Air Force next month will take delivery of its first Nachshon Gulfstream G550 fitted with the Elta-provided Airborne Integrated Signals Intelligence System. The IAF is buying three G550s for signals intelligence, and later another three for airborne early warning.
USN Rear Adm. (ret.) Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president and CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, made some quite disturbing admissions during his interview (AW&ST May 30, p. 50). Apparently, he thinks it is proper to "sidestep the regular procurement process" and "get things done" via "good relationships with the people in the Pentagon and the Congress." So-called "agile" procurement may be desirable, but not if this means favoring one competitor over another or eliminating oversight mechanisms that protect public money from abuse.
Your article on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) shows lessons from the space shuttle were not considered sufficiently (AW&ST May 9, p. 32). Reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) should never be used on another thermal protection system (TPS). RCC is cheap, but it is not used for anything outside of NASA. It depends too much on a thin carbide coat. RCC worked well in the Apollo engines as conditions were controlled exactly, but you can't do that with a TPS. RCC, especially when it is cold, is dangerous so only Apollo TPS materials should be used.
JSF production is expected to reach a rate of an aircraft a day by 2012, but program managers want to return to a schedule buffer. Janis Pamiljans, Northrop Grumman vice president and Joint Strike Fighter program manager, wants a four-aircraft cushion to avoid one problem disrupting manufacturing flow. "A poor decision takes 30 days to recover," Pamiljans points out.
Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
Incoming NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin wants to buy crew and cargo deliveries to and from the International Space Station as soon as he can from private commercial providers who have risked money to develop the capability. He has almost $100 million to spend right now, and more in the pipeline.
Craig Staresinich (see photo) has been named vice president/general manager for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Missile Systems Sector's Kinetic Energy Interceptors program, Fair Lakes, Va. He was vice president/deputy of programs for the company's Space Technology Sector, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Germanwings will expand its fleet of Airbus single-aisle aircraft with the purchase of another 18 A319s and an option for 12 more. Germanwings operates 15 A319s and five A320s, but had previously never bought aircraft directly from Airbus.
Inmarsat says the price for an initial public offering to raise new capital to pay down debt has been set at 2.45 pounds ($4.43)--the upper end of the indicative price range (AW&ST June 13, p. 29). The IPO values the company at about 1.1 billion pounds and is expected to raise 368 million pounds, not counting over-allotment arrangements. This would create a free float of 33%.
