Boeing knows the 7E7 mid-range transport will evolve into a family of aircraft, as all the company's products have, but it hasn't made up its mind yet whether to introduce it first as a 200-250-seat, three-class aircraft with the 7,500-8,000-naut.-mi. range of a 777-200ER or start with 250-350 seats in a dual-class layout operating over 3,500-4,000-naut.-mi. ranges. "The longer range aircraft on shorter range missions looks very good," said Vice President Mike Bair. "The wing design is the issue."
A new USAF/Lockheed Martin GPS navigation spacecraft that was launched from Cape Canaveral Mar. 31 will undergo an accelerated orbital checkout so it can enter service within a month to support military operations in Iraq. The 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB, Colo., is controlling the GPS IIR9 spacecraft, which was launched by the 45th Space Wing on board a Boeing Delta II. The $90-million flight marks the second GPS replacement mission launched in two months; a third is scheduled for this summer.
Comments by French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie that Spain and an unnamed European nation are considering purchasing the Tiger helicopter, has sparked speculation that a Nordic state may be eying participation in the program.
The City of Chicago closed Meigs Field Mar. 31, citing security issues. In the early morning hours, heavy construction equipment with a police escort entered the airport and gouged large Xs into the runway, signifying that the facility was closed to traffic. The loss of Meigs, which was a major reliever airport in the Chicago area, will increase the IFR workload at O'Hare and Midway airports.
Louis Caldera and Nancy Ann Brown Loeffler (see photos) have been appointed to the board of directors of Southwest Airlines. Caldera, a former secretary of the Army, is vice chancellor-university advancement of the California State University System and president of the CSU Foundation. Loeffler is a member of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors and other boards.
William B. Scott (F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.), William B. Scott (Colorado Springs)
Losing several GPS satellites or a critical imaging spacecraft during the hard-fought war in Iraq could leave combatant commanders essentially lost and blind, screaming for "space" support. Today, they would be told: "Generals, we'll get that constellation replenished just as fast as we can--say, in a month or two."
Canada remains interested in Mars exploration and its space program will try again to gain government funding for a significant role in future missions to the Red Planet, either as a partner or on its own, following a failure to win funds this year.
Delegates from 145 national governments have approved a declaration of global principles that establishes a broad framework for liberalizing national laws applying to commercial aviation including easing limitations on the level of foreign ownership and control.
As a former employee, it is with sadness that I read of the problems at BAE Systems caused by the Nimrod MRA4 program (AW&ST Feb. 24, p. 34). However, the management back in 1996 had only themselves--and then-Defense Minister-Michael Partillo--to blame.
Markus Huber (see photos) has become vice president/general manager of Jet Aviation Geneva. He succeeds Gunter Huf, who is now vice president-maintenance sales for Switzerland. Huber was head of customer support and services.
In what may have been one of the most rapidly executed missions of the war so far, two F-117s of the 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron planned, loaded weapons, flew to Baghdad and bombed a residence where Saddam Hussein was spending the night--all in 4 hr. For the Mar. 19 mission that kicked off the conflict, members of the target cell in the combined air operations center (CAOC) at Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia, chose the EGBU-27 1-ton penetrating bomb.
CRANKIN' 'EM OUT Textron Lycoming reports the company has completed installation of crankshafts in 797 TIO-540 engines and shipped the powerplants to service centers. Of the 601 engines tested in accordance with service bulletins, 417 have passed inspections, and a majority of the remaining 184 have been repaired and returned to service. In addition, more than 1,000 crankshafts have been forged using a new manufacturing process.
NATS PLANS RADAR UPGRADE National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is beginning to push ahead with elements of its highly ambitious 10-year, 1-billion-pound ($1.6-billion) investment plan, with a radar refurbishment program. The 127-million-pound project will upgrade 20 primary and secondary radar sites over the next 10 years. Raytheon Systems Ltd. is NATS' main industrial partner in the program (AW&ST Mar. 31, p. 15).
NEW FREIGHT CENTER Tradeport Hong Kong has opened as Hong Kong International Airport's newest air freight logistics center. The $54-million center is a three-level, 323,000-sq.-ft. complex with room for up to 20,000 pallets. Tradeport is a joint venture with European and Chinese partners. Fraport AG and Schiphol Group hold a combined 37.5% interest. China National Aviation Co. Ltd., majority owner of Hong Kong's regional airline; Dragonair; and a subsidiary of Jardine Matheson, one of Hong Kong's oldest trading houses, hold the rest.
The Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine has been run at a thrust level of up to 81,000 lb. during initial trials at one of the company's British test facilities. The engine will be rated at 70,000-lb. thrust for its entry into service.
USAF Col. Charles H. Locklin has been appointed staff chaplain for the U.S. Air Intelligence Agency, Lackland AFB, Tex., effective in May. He was chaplain at U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command Headquarters, Scott AFB, Ill. Locklin will be succeeded by Col. A. Robert Bruno, who has been chaplain at Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Bombardier Inc. plans to implement a major recapitalization program, as well as various accounting and governance reforms, to restore financial stability to the corporation and credibility within the investment community.
. . . BUT THERE'S A CATCH Senate Appropriations Committee support for airline relief comes with executive-compensation conditions that trouble carriers. To be eligible for federal funds, an airline's top officials would have to limit their total compensation in 2003 and 2004 to their base salary in 2002. Newman says this might trigger golden-parachute clauses in some executives' contracts, and it would make it hard to recruit and retain top-notch people.
It was with amazement and dismay that I read in your article "Waging War Precisely" (AW&ST Mar. 17, p. 44) that during Desert Storm the U.S. Navy had neither laser- nor GPS- guided munitions. Every air wing had at least one A-6 squadron and from the early 1980s on, every A-6 deployed had a TRAM turret with forward-looking infrared, a laser designator and laser spot tracker. All crews were trained in the deployment of laser- guided Mk. 82, 83 and 84 laser-guided bombs as well as modified ones boosted by shrike rocket motors.
MORE BUSINESS FOR AIRBUS Airbus' order book increased last week when EgyptAir contracted to buy seven A330-200s, which it plans to operate on Middle East and European routes. Deliveries of the A330s, which will be configured with 275 seats, are to begin in June 2004. In addition, Iberia agreed to purchase five A340-600s with seven options. The aircraft, which are planned for delivery in 2004-06, will replace Iberia's aging Boeing 747 fleet on long-haul routes.
SAFETY CHECK NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) plans to investigate whether the International Space Station can be operated safely with a crew of only two, as the ISS partnership has agreed must be done until the space shuttle fleet starts flying again (AW&ST Mar. 3, p.24). Before the Columbia accident, the partnership planned ISS science on the assumption that it took 2.5 crewmembers just to operate the station.
Gulfstream Aerospace has acquired BBA Aviation's aircraft maintenance service operation at London Luton Airport, about 35 mi. north of central London. This will be Gulfstream's first company-owned service center to be operated outside the U.S. BBA will retain and continue to operate its signature Flight Support fixed-base operation at the same location.
Steve Clampett, president of Airline Products and Services for Sabre Airline Solutions, Southlake, Tex., has been named to the board of directors of the Metroplex Technology Business Council of North Texas.
ALTERNATE ACCESS The House Science Committee postpones its hearing set for this week on NASA's plans for an Orbital Space Plane (OSP) to supplement the space shuttle. But Administrator Sean O'Keefe will need his flak jacket when the hearing is rescheduled. Space subcommittee chairman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) is hopping mad that O'Keefe killed an effort to foster commercial cargo delivery to the International Space Station at the same time he advanced the OSP idea.
Despite fears of what the Iraq war and a mystery Asian virus might do to air travel this summer, each of the biggest U.S. network airlines was able to mix a little good news with the bad last week. American Airlines completed agreements with its three big unions providing the $1.8 billion per year in pay cuts and productivity improvements its management says it needs to restructure the carrier outside Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
