Upcoming flight tests over the Mediterranean will begin seeking answers to a key ``free flight'' issue--how to transition aircraft between areas of low-density traffic and the highly concentrated airspace of Europe.
The potential market for a high-speed civil transport like Boeing Co.'s proposed Sonic Cruiser probably exceeds 500 aircraft in the next 10-15 years, according to a market assessment by Vought Aircraft Industries Inc.
Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center launch operations are reaching their peak for the year with six major missions set for launch over the next six weeks. Shuttle operations are being reinitiated after a decision by the International Space Station program that the new Canadian ISS arm is ready after questions arose earlier about its shoulder joint avionics. By this week, two shuttles are to be on their pads at KSC.
Nearly a dozen Lockheed Martin space launch vehicles are on pads around the world in an unusual coincidence where every facility capable of launching a Lockheed Martin rocket is in the process of doing so. At Vandenberg AFB, Calif., a Titan IVB is being readied for a secret National Reconnaissance Office imaging mission, while a Titan II is being processed for the launch of an Air Force DMSP weather satellite. An Atlas-Centaur IIAS is also being readied for another NRO flight.
Exostar--an independent, Internet-based marketplace for the aerospace/defense industry--expects to activate more than 10,000 supplier-participants by the end of this year, up from about 4,000 last week, according to Exostar officials. Those 4,000 were doing about 20,000 on-line transactions per week through Exostar, compared with about 3,000 in April. In the next two years, Exostar plans to connect more than 250 procurement systems currently used by the five founding partners in 20 countries, and more are expected to follow.
Writers for Aviation Week publication Business&Commercial Aviation garnered four awards last week at the Royal Aeronautical Society's 2001 Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards banquet in Paris. John Wiley won the World Leadership Forum Award for Best Air Transport submission; David Eisler, the Goodrich Award for Best Maintenance submission; David Carlisle, the Airbus Award for Best Safety submission; and Robert Rossier, the Smiths Award in the Best Systems or Technology category.
A NEW COST-EFFECTIVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL monopulse secondary surveillance radar (MSSR) is the goal of a teaming arrangement between EADS and Northrop Grumman's Baltimore-based Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector. The dual-channel monopulse SSR, called ATCMS 2000, is designed to provide both terminal and en route service, out to a maximum 250-naut.-mi. operational range. It will interrogate aircraft in Modes 1, 2, 3/A, C and Mode S, with upgrades possible for the military Mode 4, and the new military Mode 5, according to Northrop Grumman.
Eurofighter performed the first test launch of a powered Amraam separation/control test vehicle to validate the separation trajectory from the aircraft. The May 17 test was conducted from Alenia-built prototype DA7 at the Italian flight test range at Decimomannu, Sardinia. Eurofighter air forces will employ Amraams until the new beyond-visual-range Meteor missile is available in 2008-09. DA7's latest flight test cycle also included the first firing of a Matra BAE Dynamics Asraam. The short-range missile test occurred on June 1.
he fate of the universe may depend on NASA's next launch. It's not that worlds will live or die on the success or failure of this upcoming mission, of course. However, it is not an understatement to say the job of the spacecraft is no less than to help scientists determine what the fate of the universe will be.
Pratt&Whitney Canada Corp. has entered into a developmental agreement with Raytheon for a new light jet propulsion system--the PW625F. The proposed family of engines is designed for the general aviation and small business aircraft markets. A 2,000-2,500-lb.-thrust PW625F demonstrator will run in the fourth quarter of this year, with first flight on a flying testbed scheduled for 2002.
The withdrawal of Northwest Airlines' offer to acquire regional carrier Mesaba Airlines reflects a change in relationships between majors and their regional affiliates. Northwest, which owns 27.9% of Mesaba, plans to expand its relationship with the airline. Mickey Foret, Northwest's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said ``recent developments'' in the industry prompted the airline to reevaluate its ownership of regional carriers.
One by one, the biggest U.S. airlines are warning investors that they will come out of the second quarter worse than they expected going in. In a busy week of Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Delta Air Lines said it thinks it will lose $140-160 million during the quarter, and American Airlines put its loss at more than $100 million. United Airlines didn't estimate results, but said its unit revenue is turning out to be more than 10% lower in this year's second quarter than in last year's.
The FAA is going back to the drawing board after a judge opined against a sole-source contract it had planned to award to Lockheed Martin for the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) (AW&ST Mar. 12, p. 50). An administrative law judge at the General Services Administration upheld Raytheon's protest, but not the company's request that the FAA be ordered to recompete. Instead, he said future decisions to either compete or make a single-source award ``should not be prejudged,'' but that the burden of supporting a single-source award would be considerable.
Goodrich Corp. is developing a new main wheel to replace the company-built main wheels now in use on all four NASA space shuttle orbiters. Changes to the wheel are designed to permit a 20% increase in allowable landing loads to 171,000 lb. from 142,500 lb., and a 10% increase in allowable landing speed to 250 kt. from 225. Delivery is expected in early 2004.
Specifications for a Russian fifth-generation fighter are practically completed, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said at the Paris air show. The Sukhoi Design Bureau, which has the most experience in heavy fighter development, will lead the project, with the ``active involvement'' of the MiG Corp. Klebanov said he saw no need to arrange a tender between Russian design facilities on the next-generation fighter project.
Commercial aircraft manufacturer Embraer and turboprop maker ATR last week announced the formation of AeroChain, a joint e-marketplace venture--one they claim is the first dedicated to regional airlines support. Embraer and ATR together invested $21 million in the fully independent company that both aircraft manufacturers say is to link airlines, suppliers and OEMs via the Internet and widen the range of support services, including spare parts inventory and forecasting, technical publications and maintenance planning.
The European Commission has approved a joint venture between NEC and Toshiba to jointly market spacecraft systems and satellite components. The Japanese companies are not active in major European civil or government space programs but needed an EC clearance to sell products within the European Union.
PRECIENCE OF BURTONSVILLE, MD., has an obsolescence manager designed to alert original equipment manufacturers of upcoming electronic component obsolescence, from the start to the end of a product's life. Acting as a watchdog, the system advises users by e-mail of end-of-life announcements on components such as semiconductors, ASICs or hybrids in any of the bills of materials that have been uploaded to Precience. The service also searches for alternative parts using generic/die catalog part number, form-fit-function and attribute equivalents for active components.
Thales has launched a new inflight cabin system for commercial airliners that combines traditional backseat phone and entertainment features with a broadband connectivity network. The system, I-series, is to be tested next year on an Airbus 318 transport. Thales also set up a joint venture company in Abu Dhabi for aeronautical and defense electronics integration, support and training.
As part of its restructuring, HAL has created seven Centers for Core Competence with their respective production divisions. Unified work and research, and computer-integrated prototyping and manufacturing are being used to reduce design-to-delivery cycles. The centers are: -- The Aircraft research and development center in Bangalore concentrates on military aircraft--both fighters and jet trainers. -- The Rotary Wing R&D Center in Bangalore handles upgrades for helicopters.
The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca joint venture signed a contract worth $1 billion to supply RTM 322 engines for the 399 NH-90 helicopters ordered by France, Germany and the Netherlands.
CAE will provide Airbus with a series of special simulation devices aimed at helping the French airframe manufacturer develop the A380. Equipment is berthed on a portable visual system that can be rolled into cockpits. It features a 5-channel image generator, a collimated display to provide pilots with a perception of distance, a selection of databases with more than 250 airports, and an optional cabin motion system.
Goodrich Corp. last week signed a memorandum of agreement with Boeing Commercial Airplane Group under which the company will continue as the exclusive supplier of landing gear--including original equipment and spares--for all BCAG models through 2006.
American Airlines has renewed regional jet agreements with Chautauqua Airlines and Trans States Airlines, two of the three regional carriers that feed hub operations at St. Louis. Operating as Trans World Express, Chautauqua serves 13 points and Trans States 20 from St. Louis. Both airlines are affiliated with US Airways at other locations, and Chautauqua also has an agreement with America West. American Airlines officials said both carriers eventually would transition to 44-seat Embraer ERJ-140 jets.
