Boeing Chief Financial Officer Michael Sears, focusing as much on operational improvements as cash management, intends to pursue a ``major jump'' in quality across the corporation in the next 4-5 years. While declining to divulge just how big a gain is being targeted, Sears noted that in January 1999 when he still headed the company's St. Louis-based military aircraft business, he established as a goal a 90% improvement in manufacturing quality. After 18 months, that program is on track, he said.
Major business jet manufacturers expect demand for their products to remain robust for the foreseeable future, with sales and backlogs sustaining healthy levels of growth.
GE Aircraft Engines has won an order valued at more than $800 million from the International Lease Finance Corp. to supply GE-90 engines for 12 Boeing 777-200ERs, GE-90115B engines for eight 777-300s and CF6-80E1 powerplants for three Airbus A330-200s.
Southwest Airlines has terminated both pilots involved in the Mar. 5 crash of a Boeing 737 at Burbank, Calif. Although the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation, preliminary data indicates the airplane was flying too fast on final approach and landed too far down the runway to stop safely. The 737 smashed through a fence at the end of the runway and was damaged beyond repair. The pilots, whose names were not available, were released by the airline on July 17 after completion of an internal investigation into the accident by Southwest.
The British Aviation Insurance Group is acquiring Associated Aviation Underwriters Inc., a U.S-based aviation and satellite insurance syndicate manager, in a deal which is expected to take effect in September pending regulatory approval. Plans call for the two groups to be integrated into a single unit by Jan. 1. While both trading names will be retained, the umbrella holding company is to be named Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Ltd.
The U.K. is looking for an ``off-the-shelf'' solution to arm its light and rapid reaction forces with a new antitank missile after a decision to pull out of the pan-European, medium-range Trigat project. Britain agreed last year to begin production of the MR Trigat, which is already 10 years behind schedule, joining France and Germany. Belgium and the Netherlands have yet to sign and the lack of progress in moving the program into production meant further, ``unacceptable'' delays, British defense officials said.
President Vladimir Putin moved to assert his government's control over the military last week when he dismissed six senior military commanders. Among those dismissed was Col. Gen. Anatoly Sitnov, chief of weapons systems at the Ministry of Defense. Sitnov has clashed with Vice Premier Ilya Klebanov who has advocated more civilian government control over weapons system planning, development and procurement. The move also follows Putin's intervention in a dispute between senior military officials over funding priorities for conventional and strategic forces.
Reconnaissance satellite monitoring of China is a growing concern for U.S. intelligence operations, national security managers said. There are questions in the imaging community about whether enough resources will be available in the future for critical Chinese surveillance and analysis. Managers directly involved with U.S. recon satellite tasking and image analysis spoke to Aviation Week&Space Technology on background. The House Armed Services Committee has released a report detailing significant Chinese military modernization.
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge has been promoted to vice president from managing director of airport operations and Barbara King to vice president from managing director for reservations of Trans World Airlines.
China is beginning to open its skies to general aviation. The country has 447 genav aircraft and helicopters and 43 private pilot license holders. Last December, officials from the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced a policy change that directs China's air traffic control system to meet the needs of general aviation and sport flying as much as possible after scheduled airline flights are accommodated.
David Weil has been named chief financial officer, based in San Francisco, for TAG Aviation Holding. He was executive vice president/CFO of TAG Aviation USA. Mark Dennen has been promoted to vice president from director of finance for affiliate Wayfarer Aviation.
Northrop Grumman chief Kent Kresa, undeterred by the company's recent loss of Lockheed Martin/Sanders to BAE Systems, is convinced there's more consolidation to come in the defense electronics sector internationally and expects to acquire some of the choicer properties that come onto the market. Separately, Northrop Grumman has no intention of opposing BAE Systems' proposed acquisition, although the company is concerned about the high concentration of infrared countermeasures technology in the U.K. if the acquisition is approved by the government.
Boeing Airplane Services (BAS) has selected Alenia Aerospazio subsidiary Aeronavali to develop and install cargo conversion kits for the 767-200 freighter and has launched a blended winglet program for the 737-800.
Gulfstream is offering optional airborne countermeasures systems on its G-IVSP and G-V business jets for government and corporate customers. The Sanders AN/ALQ-204 Matador is designed to protect aircraft from ground- and air-launched infrared-guided missiles. The IR countermeasures system costs $3.5 million installed and mounts in the aircraft's tailcone. The FAA-certified installation has been accomplished on five customer aircraft to date with seven more scheduled, the Savannah, Ga.-based business jet manufacturer said.
Innovation was paramount at the Experimental Aircraft Assn.'s AirVenture 2000 airshow and aviation exhibition held here last week, from elementary, amateur-built designs to sophisticated, high-performance machines. Among these were: -- (1) A four-place Lancair modified with an Orenda V-8 engine and a four-blade propeller.
The European Commission's (EC) competition directorate has ratified the SAirGroup's plan to combine three French independent carriers--AOM, Air Liberte and Air Littoral--and form an as-yet-unnamed unified carrier. According to the EC, the route systems of the three carriers do not overlap and the proposed restructuring will not significantly reduce competition on France's domestic network.
The Global Aviation Information Network is fielding a series of key programs aimed at facilitating the collection, analysis and sharing of safety data among the world's airlines to help reduce accidents.
AEA Technology Engineering Software has reworked its CFX-5 computation fluid dynamics software with new structure and features. The conjugate heat transfer feature solves complex problems; at right, it shows that the tubes in the heat exchanger are not being heated evenly by the outer flow, indicating poor flow distribution. CFX-5 handles the mixing of different fluids, and a new command language makes it easier for users to add their own physical models, such as for combustion.
Taking advantage of weapons bay locations on its Joint Strike Fighter design, Boeing engineers have developed a new way to foil enemy antiaircraft. The JSF has two large, triangular weapons bays that open to the side rather than straight down, a design innovation that permits both tactical sleight-of-hand and growth room to carry larger weapons or specialized equipment for additional combat roles. (The Boeing X-32A demonstrator is scheduled to make its first flight on Aug. 15. It was delayed to fix software problems prior to high-speed taxi tests.)
The U.K. government has approved a trio of new space science missions to reinforce a growing space effort, but its ultimate commitment to key European programs remains uncertain.
