Aviation Week & Space Technology

Appeals from top-level BAE management to the British government over difficulties on the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft appear to have fallen on deaf ears, with the company warning the stock market last week of further cost concerns with the struggling program. The company on Dec. 11 issued a terse statement warning of "substantial schedule and cost implications" with regard to the Nimrod MRA4 and the Astute submarine program. Its share price fell 20% immediately following the release of the statement.

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Aquino was handed a setback last week when the country's supreme court told her government to return to the negotiating table to sort out the controversy surrounding Terminal 3 at Manila's Nonoy Aquino International Airport. Aquino's government had abrogated a contract favorable to Philippine Air Terminal Co. (AW&ST Nov. 18, p. 48).

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Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50 advanced trainer/light attack fighter flies at its operational altitude of 40,000 ft. on a recent test flight. Called the Golden Eagle, the T-50's maximum service ceiling is estimated at 48,500 ft., meaning climb is then limited to 100 ft./min. at full afterburner. The 40,000-ft. test included flutter, control and stability tests at Mach 0.6. The aircraft is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-102 engine derived from the F/A-18 (AW&ST Dec. 3, 2001, p. 58).

BAE Systems and Finmeccanica are attempting to hammer out a deal to set up a joint defense electronics company, dubbed--at least for the moment--EuroSystems, with the two companies also rekindling discussions over the future of Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica. Finmeccanica Chairman Pier Francesco Guarguaglini and his BAE counterpart, Dick Evans, inked a letter of intent at the end of last month paving the way for the creation of a defense electronics joint venture.

Please refer to the Correspondence page.

Eurofighter has announced it was to restart flight testing of the Typhoon combat aircraft. Flight testing had been suspended in the wake of the loss of Development Aircraft 6 on Nov. 21.

Conflict in Iraq would likely highlight the National Imagery and Mapping Agency's shortage of imagery analysts. The intelligence agency's director, USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) James Clapper, Jr., notes that if the balloon goes up in Iraq, NIMA will have to shift additional analysts to monitor that region, leaving other areas somewhat exposed. NIMA also is preparing for a possible war in other ways. The agency is setting up three Airborne Analysis Centers where it will combine signals and imagery intelligence collected from various sources to support military commanders.

Also, Engineering Sciences Book Awards, James R. Wertz of Microcosm Inc. and Wiley J. Larson of the U.S. Air Force Academy for "Space Mission Analysis and Design"; and Luigi Napolitano Book Award, Dr. Ramiro Iglesias, a Mexican cardiologist and author of "The Route Toward Cosmic Man."

Satellite and orbital analysis software maker Analytical Graphics Inc. and Overlook Systems Technologies Inc., a specialist in GPS performance issues, are partnering on software to increase the accuracy of GPS data. But the accuracy of its positioning data changes over time, depending on satellite location and signal quality. The two companies will use AGI's Satellite Tool Kit visualization and analytical software to evaluate the past, present and future accuracy and availability of GPS and other satellite navigation systems.

It is apparent from the coverage of the investigation into the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 (AW&ST Nov. 4, p. 47) that the corporate spin doctors are crafting a scapegoat.

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The Boeing Co. selected Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Navigation Systems Div. to provide refreshed technology and upgraded software for the warning and caution, and mission computer subsystems on its C-17A aircraft. In the development phase, the company will create new software test equipment and qualification units to be flight-tested by Boeing in the second quarter of 2004. The production phase will result in the creation of 43 shipsets of line replaceable equipment with deliveries to begin in early 2005. The potential value for both contract phases is $45 million.

Zhao Zhongying has become president of Hainan Airlines following the resignation of Li Weijian. Zhao has been president of China Xinhua Airlines, which was acquired by Hainan Airlines.

Next summer when Japan's MT-SAT satellite begins air traffic control and weather observations, the transport ministry plans to use its capabilities to tighten vertical and horizontal separation minima for aircraft flying in domestic airspace. Early in 2004 horizontal separation would be cut to 50 naut. mi. from 120. Vertical separation would decrease to 1,000 ft. from 2,000 ft. at altitudes below 29,000 ft., and 3,000 ft. from 4,000 ft. above 29,000 ft.

Manuel Guedes, who has been director of investor relations of Varig Brazilian Airlines, has become acting president. He succeeds Arnim Lore, who resigned.

The ultralong-range Airbus A340-500 obtained European JAA certification after completing a 500-hr. flight test program. The Dash 500, a 313-seat aircraft, has a 8,650-naut.-mi. maximum range.

To offset an F/A-22 cost increase that tops $700 million, the Air Force will trim the number of stealth fighters it buys but leave largely untouched its plan to bolster the system's air-to-ground capability. But that's not all. Senior service officials warn that unless the performance of the Lockheed Martin-led team improves, the program and potential profits for industry are in jeopardy.

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In a move met with protests by consumer groups, Australia's Tourism Task Force said airports and airlines will pass the costs of baggage screening equipment and other security measures on to passengers rather than see the government pick them up as an antiterrorism expense. Higher ticket prices are expected.

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With the Pentagton's press plans for a conflict with Iraq beginning to take shape, there needs to be a hard look at who covers the nation's wars. Limiting the press pool to a handful of national networks, magazines and newspapers is wrong. Greater opportunity will better serve journalism, the readers and the military.

Scientists hope to use laser altimetry techniques pioneered at Mars to learn whether Earth's polar ice caps are shrinking as the atmosphere warms, a NASA mission that has already piqued Pentagon interest because of the mapping accuracy it promises.

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American Airlines has asked the FAA to extend to July 9, 2003, the deadline for reinforcing cockpit doors on its fleet of 34 Airbus A300s, citing "less than adequate support" from the European airframe manufacturer. American has told the agency that Airbus has provided only two of four required service bulletins. Two other bulletins will be delayed until Jan. 20, and Airbus will not ship a portion of the necessary parts until early in February. Installation will take 15 days per aircraft, not eight days as originally planned.