To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Oct. 21--Wings Club Meetings: Charles Elachi, director of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Also Nov. 18--Robert A. Milton, president and CEO of Air Canada. And, Dec. 15--Gerald Grinstein, CEO of Delta Air Lines. Yale Club, New York. Call +1 (212) 867-1770, fax +1 (212) 480-3641 or see www.wingsclub.org/events.html
After years of limiting foreign sales of the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile to the U.K., the U.S. Navy is nearing agreement on T-LAM deals with other European allies. Although the Navy favors such sales, the agreements would require a State Dept. endorsement, says Keith Sanders, the service's deputy program executive officer for strike weapons. Three countries are believed to be at the top of the potential buyers' list, with Spain as the hottest prospect. The U.S.
THE PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-SPEED optical communications systems may be enhanced as a result of a new theory from scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The hypothesis describes light-pulse dynamics in optical fibers and explains how an interplay of noise, line imperfections and pulse collisions leads to deterioration of information in optical fiber lines. A better understanding of the physics will allow comparison of different techniques for suppressing information outages.
David W. Danjczek has been appointed corporate vice president-compliance and ethics for the Titan Corp. of San Diego. He has been vice president-administration/secretary of the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI and director of its Ethics and Compliance Council.
Apparently continuing its recovery--at least from the critical list--Swiss International Air Lines continues to see load factors edging up. Figures released last week showed the airlines' average load factor for the first nine months of 2004 up at 75.2%. Load factors from the first half of the year averaged 73.4%. European short-haul routes remain difficult, though the figures also show improvement. The nine-month average stands at 62.1%, up just over 3% for the same period for 2003. Load factors on its intercontinental routes also climbed by 3.6%, to 80.9%.
Regarding George Hamlin's question--"why make rule changes to rescue the legacy carriers, given their track record?"--certainly they were handmaidens to their own destruction, chiefly by managements' agreements to expensive labor contracts, which destabilized their economic equations and made profitability elusive if not impossible. However, it's not all the airlines' fault; the U.S. government also bears responsibility (AW&ST Oct. 4, p. 8).
Germany's Diehl BGT Defense and Rheinmetall Defense Electronics will team with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to offer that San Diego-based company's Predator B medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle in Europe. General Atomics will supply the air vehicle and the German firms, the payload and ground segment. Diehl will act as the lead.
Craig Welsh has been named vice president-customer business for China for International Aero Engines, East Hartford, Conn. He was Asia-Pacific general manager for Pratt &Whitney.
Swedish developers are devising a massive electronic warfare enhancement for the JAS 39 Gripen that would give the multi-role fighter a fully integrated defensive system usually associated with new-build aircraft. Flight testing of the basic equipment has already begun, and equipment developer Ericsson expects that, barring funding cuts, production-ready hardware should be available around 2009. But that doesn't mean the gear will find its way onto Gripen, particularly given Sweden's austere defense budget. Flight trials on Gripen haven't been scheduled.
Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the current formula, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) hasn't decided yet whether or how to change the way it sets the aviation security infrastructure fee, the amount it charges airlines as their share of security costs. By law, each carrier was liable during Fiscal 2002, 2003 and 2004 for the amount it spent on screening in calendar year 2000, before the government took over security operations.
Production and modification of military aircraft of every description sustain aerospace/defense companies worldwide, ranging from the single-engine Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer to the four-engine Boeing C-17 long-range transport. While the number of new programs has greatly diminished in the last decade, new designs are in various stages of development. They include the Airbus A400M transport and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Russia is continuing to restructure its defense sector, with aerospace manufacturer NPO Mashinostroenya to form the core of a consolidated guided weapons and space systems company. This pulls together 11 entities involved in the design and manufacture of cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as satellite platforms.
As French President Jacques Chirac returns from a state visit to Beijing, European aerospace managers find themselves holding little more than some new orders for existing models of Airbus aircraft and a joint effort to develop a medium-lift helicopter--a modest result, considering the pre-trip hype, particularly over the A380 mega-transport.
Romania is offering to lease a large underused military base for training and as a staging area for forward deployment. The U.S. has been seeking new bases in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia to improve access to crisis areas and compensate for the wind-down of troop strength in Western Europe and Asia. Romania has contributed forces to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was recently accepted into the European Union.
Recovery of the business aviation market from a wrenching downturn is rapidly gaining strength, with the stage set for strong deliveries of new jet aircraft at least through the next year or two. Beyond 2006, the outlook is much less clear.
Scaled Composites is shifting focus to designing and building suborbital rocket gliders for the new Virgin Galactic space tourism operator, based on its SpaceShipOne design that won the Ansari X Prize last week. Virgin Galactic, a Delaware-incorporated operation started by Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson, is eyeing an enlarged version of the three-place SpaceShipOne that could carry about five passengers plus crew. The company hopes its $100-million investment will fly the first paying passengers in 2007 (AW&ST Oct. 4, p. 30).
Scaled Composites pilot Brian Binnie took this photo from SpaceShipOne near the 367,000-ft. apogee of the Oct. 4 flight that won the Ansari X Prize (see p. 34). Virgin Galactic hopes to market a similar experience to space tourists. The window frame is at left, and the view is looking southeast of Mojave, Calif. A cloud layer is at top right, and the Salton Sea is near the horizon at center, more than 160 mi. away.
The unusual partnership of Boeing and Hurel-Hispano, a Snecma affiliate, will attempt to solicit more maintenance, repair and overhaul business in the commercial transport market. Last week, they signed an accord to maintain engine nacelles equipping Classic and next-generation 737s and Embraer 135/145 regional twinjets. The agreement involves Boeing Wichita (Kan.) Service Center and Hurel-Hispano European Services.
The Pentagon is evaluating a classified British program and a German high-power microwave payload potentially suited for guided weapons. A prototype HPM system is also being deployed in Iraq. John Wilcox, U.S. assistant deputy undersecretary of Defense for precision engagement, identified MBDA U.K. and Diehl with Rheinmetall as two providers of HPM packages.
EADS' $105-million purchase of Racal Instruments represents a first "baby step" in the company's acquisition strategy in the U.S., while also establishing the final element in its wide-ranging plan to capture U.S. defense market share.
The Model 680 Citation Sovereign's combination of performance, comfort and price sets a new mark for value and raises the stakes in the crowded, mid-size business jet market.
PHIL MICHEL, CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO.'S VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, says the upturn in the general aviation marketplace has given the company "optimism" for increased sales of new business jets. This year Cessna is introducing three jets, the CJ3, Sovereign and XLS, and customer interest is strengthening, according to Michel. He said although Cessna has no plans to reenter the twin-engine, piston-powered market, the company is studying the feasibility of producing a retractable gear version of the Model 182T.
The US101 team competing in the U.S. presidential helicopter replacement program (VXX) last week completed its first flight with General Electric CT7-8E engines and large-screen cockpit instrument displays. The flight lasted about 2 hr. The CT7-8Es boost power over the standard CT7 family by 12%, giving the three-engine helicopter the ability to carry an additional 2,000 lb. The new cockpit equipment--five 10 X 8-in. multi-function displays--provides 70% more display area than predecessors, says US101 prime contractor Lockheed Martin.
French space leaders have urged Europe to launch a slate of new imaging programs, including a satellite data relay system and submetric and geostationary Earth-orbit imaging spacecraft. Space leaders say the systems are needed to preserve Europe's autonomy in strategic technologies, help meet new asymmetric threats and ensure viability of the commercial imaging sector.
