Aviation Week & Space Technology

THE FAA HAS APPROVED production of new crankshafts for certain Textron Lycoming IO/TIO-540-series piston engines installed in a number of high-performance general aviation airplanes.

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The U.S. Air Force is moving ahead with plans to quickly equip a small number of C-17s with laser-based infrared countermeasures. Northrop Grumman, contractor for the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (Laircm), will be in charge of the quick reaction program, nicknamed "Laircm light" because it features one rather than the two jamming turrets that will be used in a fully configured system. USAF opted for the simplified system to accelerate delivery. The $7.2-million contract could lead to the upgrade of 12 C-17s.

Iran's strategically important oil facilities on Kharg Island in the northeast Persian Gulf are clearly visible in this image of the Iranian island taken in August by the Expedition 5 crew on board the International Space Station. NASA normally does not allow crews to photograph politically sensitive sites. According to the U.S. State Dept., Iran's oil wealth has helped to sponsor terrorism.

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In "Delta IV Thrusts Boeing Against Atlas V, Ariane" by Craig Covault (AW&ST Nov. 25, 2002, p. 23), the Delta IV first stage is stated as containing 365,000 lb. of liquid hydrogen and 85,000 lb. of liquid oxygen and the second stage 38,000 lb. of liquid hydrogen and 7,000 lb. of liquid oxygen. The first-stage propellant loading weights were repeated in a caption for "Delta IV Priced for Satcom Market Battle" (AW&ST Dec. 9, 2002, p. 56).

This year Airbus is scheduled to deliver 300 commercial transports, an estimated 15-25 more than arch rival Boeing, an industrial milestone the Europeans are celebrating quietly and humbly, in this hostile economic environment that has been good for none.

While grappling with some thorny program challenges in the U.K., BAE Systems received a welcome boost from the Pentagon last week with two contracts worth nearly $800 million. BAE Systems Mission Solutions won a 20-year F-16 avionics support contract worth $485 million, while its Applied Technologies unit received a $298-million contract for support of the Aegis combat system.

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AirTran Airways plans to launch twice-daily round-trip service May21 between its base in Atlanta and Denver, a United hub. Denver will be AirTran's 41st and westernmost destination, and the carrier's connections in the eastern U.S. beyond Atlanta will counter some of United's developing code-shares with US Airways.

In an effort to resolve lingering flight control concerns and move ahead with the critical test program that could decide the fate of the MV-22 Osprey, the tiltrotor last week returned to sea for the first time since the resumption of flight testing.

Bob Ward (see photo), engineering director of Marshall of Cambridge (England) Aerospace Ltd., has been awarded an Order of the British Empire. He was cited for management and coordination of major modification and installation programs on Royal Air Force aircraft for operations in Afghanistan.

The answer to what will happen to China's regionals as they are integrated into its major carriers has begun to emerge: They are going to disappear. The country's biggest carrier, China Southern Airlines, said last week that the two carriers it is taking over, China Northern Airlines of Shenyang and Xinjiang Airlines of Urumqi, will now use its CZ airline booking code for domestic flights. China Northern's CJ and Xinjiang's XO codes are to fade away. By March the switchover will be complete for international bookings.

WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP Cargo and passenger volumes set records at Asian airports Hong Kong and Narita figures show turnaround from recession 16 LockMart adds Boeing unit to MUOS satellite team Picked for hardware after being eliminated in downselect 16 India test-fires Agni-I surface-to-surface missile After Pakistan said army unit received nuclear ballistic missile 17 WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS Airbus takes the lead in troubled market

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Canada's government will announce next month whether the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) can play a significant role in U.S. plans to send a "smart" lander to Mars in 2009. CSA President Marc Garneau said his agency has asked Ottawa for enough funding "to make a healthy contribution to the Mars Science Laboratory," and expects to hear back from the Cabinet in February. As in the U.S., potential funding levels are a "Cabinet secret" in Canada until they are released in the overall budget.

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Raytheon Co. has appointed New York lawyer and former U.S. Sen. Warren B. Rudman (R-N.H.) lead director of the corporation's 10-member board. USAF Maj. Gen. (ret.) Gerald Perryman has been named head of Raytheon's McKinney, Tex.-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance business. He was assistant deputy chief of staff for warfighting integration at Air Force headquarters.

Hannah Broke-Smith has become events manager for London-based NetJets Europe. She was a public relations official for Cartier UK.

NASA's planned use of an Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) pallet to increase ISS science operations (AW&ST Nov. 11, 2002, p. 17) is almost a great idea. It highlights the shuttle's multiple capabilities but raises old safety issues about cryogenic hydrogen in the payload bay. EDO fuel should be carried in a Centaur-derived vehicle placed in a parking orbit by an expendable launcher. The shuttle would retrieve this payload before docking with the ISS.

Daniel Elwell, a Boeing 767 pilot for American Airlines, has been appointed the carrier's managing director of international and government affairs. He also is a lieutenant colonel in the USAF Reserve and a former legislative fellow for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

The Common Engine Program that would deliver a new powerplant for the AH-64D Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk appears to be on the upswing, U.S. Army officials indicate. The program has been starved of funding, limiting development activities to a few components. But program advocates recently made the case for the engine to senior service leaders, pointing out that without the engine the helos won't be able to traverse the larger battlespace the Army says it wants to be able to control.

DEVELOPMENT OF a supersonic business jet (SSBJ) may become a reality by 2020. According to Richard Aboulafia, director of aviation for The Teal Group, in the long term, the thirst for faster travel between key international city pairs as well as continents will drive corporate demand for an SSBJ despite the projected cost of up to $70-80 million for each airplane. The demise of Boeing's Sonic Cruiser may breathe new life into prospects for a supersonic business aircraft.

Michael Eggenschwiler has become managing director of the Hamburg (Germany) Airport. He was vice president-sales and marketing for Swissair.

A spacecraft-handling accident that delayed launch of the next Global Positioning System satellite has given the crew set to operate NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) more time to prepare their spacecraft for launch. GPS IIR-8 is scheduled for launch by mid-February, following an Oct. 25, 2002, mishap in which a crane operator lifted the satellite and its upper stage after they had been partially bolted to the Delta II launch vehicle (AW&ST Nov. 4, 2002, p. 31). That pushed SIRTF back from this month to an Apr.