Boeing's wholly owned subsidiary Alteon Training soon plans to break ground on a facility at Singapore's Changi International airport. The three-story regional simulator training center will be constructed on a 2.5-acre site and be ready to open its doors to pilots and flight attendant trainees in first-quarter 2006. The Singapore Training Center is expected to house six full-flight simulators including a Boeing 777-200/300 and Airbus A320 and offer an array of other devices, such as flat-panel trainers.
A long-delayed decision by Germany to join the trinational Meads air and missile defense project is expected to trigger further consolidation among Europe's missile businesses, beginning with EADS' LFK unit and MBDA, the European leaders in the transatlantic program.
The Mars Exploration Rovers continue to surprise their masters, with Spirit making the first direct detection of water by the mission, albeit bound in a crystal, and Opportunity getting the ground truth on a new type of terrain hinted at by satellite images. As Spirit stumbled across a large collection of exposed bedrock, the rover missions have been extended 1.5 years, recognizing their continuing scientific productivity as well as the good prospects for a long life (AW&ST Jan. 31, p. 24).
Barco of Belgium has received a follow-on contract to provide onboard maintenance terminals and terminal processing units for the Airbus A380 under contract to Sagem SA of France.
World News Roundup 18 Flight-testing underway on variant of Russia's Raduga Kh-59M missile 18 Imaging mission goal: Expand Israeli microsatellite know-how 19 Large-scale common defense training program on way for Europe 19 China and Canada sign new bilateral to expand commercial air services 20 Engineers investigating partial failure of DART space mission Laureates 2004 31 Laureates ceremony honors achieve- ments in nine categories World News & Analysis
DGA says development of the AASM air-launched precision-guided weapon, intended for the Rafale and Mirage fighters, will be delayed about a year because of aerodynamic problems that hinder release of the weapon during firing. DGA insists the AASM will begin qualification trials this year and be ready by September 2006.
I have written several times to disparage inelegant travesties of engineering such as the V-22 and space shuttle. But I would like to compliment Boeing on the 787.
What has become a familiar airline story--cost reductions, streamlined operations, labor concessions but widespread industry losses nonetheless--is playing out again as U.S. carriers report financial results for the first quarter of 2005.
Flight-testing is underway on a variant of Russia's Raduga Kh-59M (AS-18 Kazoo) antiship missile (red in photo). The Kh-59MK replaces the TV-seeker with a radar-guidance package.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, who has been assistant commander of the 101st Airborne Div., Ft. Campbell, Ky., has been appointed commanding general of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team within the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq. He has been succeeded by Brig. Gen. Rickey L. Rife, who has been director of materiel in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff in Washington. Brig. Gen. James A. Cerrone, who has been assistant commander of the 82nd Airborne Div., has been named deputy commanding general of the Army Cadet Command, Ft.
Supersonic combustion ramjets have been studied for decades, but 2004 was the year these potential hypersonic powerplants received a thorough flight test in the NASA/industry X-43A Hyper-X program. The team released complete integrated engines and airframes into free flight at Mach 7 and Mach 10 in two successful experiments, the first time this has been done. The data from these tests is providing a needed reality check for ground-based research.
The proposed FAA-mandated upgrades to flight recorders ignores simple human-factor improvements that will aid accident investigations. Too often, cockpit voice recorders contain only terse comments by the flight crew as they respond to inflight emergencies. Pilots should be trained to specifically verbalize their perceptions of what is going wrong and how they are responding. This technique will improve flight deck communication and provide valuable clues to investigators trying to reconstruct the actions of the aircraft and crew.
Erturk Yildiz has become station manager for Geneva International Airport operations for PrivatPort. He was managing director of St. Tropez-La Mole Airport in France.
Spirit Airlines and IAE International Aero Engines have inked a 15-year aftermarket agreement under which the engine maker will support the V2500 powerplants used by the low-fare carrier on the Airbus A320 family. The airline has purchased 15 A320s, plans to lease 20 from ILFC and holds options for 50.
NASA's space shuttle fleet is nearing its return to flight with a complex mission on board Discovery that will combine tests of new hardware and procedures adopted in the wake of Columbia's loss with urgent repairs and resupply for the International Space Station.
Russia and China have reached an agreement covering the purchase of 100 Klimov RD-93 engines for the Chengdu FC-1, according to financial daily Kommersant. The deal reportedly bars re-export of the engines.
The continuing inability of underwriters to make money, despite sky-high rates and tough limitations on coverage, is setting the insurance industry, satellite operators and manufacturers increasingly at loggerheads.
China Southern Airlines has signed the announced agreement to buy five Airbus A380 transports as part of a larger set of orders by Chinese carriers. The deal comes as Airbus prepares for first flight of the mega-transport as early as Apr. 25. The 30 Airbus-aircraft deal with China also sees China Eastern Airlines purchase five A319s, 11 A321s and four A320s, while Shenzhen Airlines has signed with China Aviation Supplies Import & Export Group Corp. and Airbus to take three A320s and two A319s.
Industry proposals for the Crew Exploration Vehicle that NASA plans as a replacement for the space shuttle are due next week, but the agency's new chief says it might be necessary to slow the CEV procurement at first to speed it up later. After a quick trip to Kennedy Space Center for briefings on getting the space shuttle back in operation (see p. 49), Michael D. Griffin sat down with his growing staff last week to begin work on modifying the CEV procurement.
Lockheed Martin will produce 900 semi-active laser-guided Hellfire II metal augmented charge warhead missiles and another 180 high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) missiles under a new, $90-million order from the U.S. Army. The order also calls for conversion of 100 HEAT variants to the MAC warhead.
Troubled Italian flag carrier Alitalia is accelerating its cost-reduction efforts to meet its target of reaching break-even by the end of 2006. Even though Alitalia has managed to slow its financial burn rate, competition from low-fare carriers and high oil costs have forced the company to update its business plan only six months after launch.
A leading-edge flap between the No. 2 engine and fuselage of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747-300 broke away on an Apr. 14 flight from Honolulu to Tokyo, prompting a fleet-wide inspection scheduled to be completed by last week. The incident follows a recent reprimand by Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau to JAL regarding safety lapses (AW&ST Apr. 18, p. 43).
The 2004 Laureate Awards sponsored by Aviation Week & Space Technology honored more than 40 people from around the globe for their outstanding achievements in aviation and aerospace.
