NASA and Boeing have tested to destruction the first full-scale, stitched carbon-fiber wing structure, a process that has the potential to transform the manufacture of advanced commercial transports.
Galaxy Aerospace's new corporate jet offers operators a large-cabin aircraft with good range and payload flexibility at relatively low acquisition and direct-operating costs. The twin-engine aircraft, now flying with four operators, joins Galaxy Aerospace President/CEO Brian Barents' marketing expertise with Israel Aircraft Industries' technical know-how. The Pritzer Corp. provided financial backing.
Despite a robust traffic growth, Crossair's net profits are declining and financial predictions for 2000 are surrounded by serious concerns. Last year, the Swiss regional carrier's net profit decreased to $30.9 million, down from $38.7 million in 1998, although revenues increased by 14.6% to $709 million. ``A worse [financial] result is expected for the current year,'' company executives said, citing soaring fuel prices, the Swiss franc's unfavorable exchange rates against the U.S. dollar and lower yields as major causes for such a negative trend.
FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP OPERATOR Raytheon Travel Air is expanding its customer base. The program has enrolled nearly 500 shareowners and flown 77,000 hr. on 53,000 flights since operations began in June 1997. The company is averaging about 113 trips per day and has achieved an on-time average of 98.5%. More than 30% of shareowner sales in the first quarter of this year have come through referrals. The operation uses 74 airplanes, including 20 Hawker 800XPs, 37 Beechjet 400As and 17 turboprop-powered Beechcraft Super King Air B200s.
Boeing's Long Beach Div. is conducting phased development of a continuously moving production line for 717 final assembly aimed ultimately at cutting span-time for the twinjet by more than 50% compared with previous MD-80 production. The changes are borrowed to a large extent from Japanese automotive production techniques used by manufacturers such as Toyota. Reducing 717 costs is key to being competitive in the extremely price-sensitive 100-seat civil transport market, according to program officials.
United Technologies and Honeywell International Inc. are on track to begin rolling out MyAircraft.com services at the end of this month, but it appears UTC and Honeywell initially will be the only users of the Web-based exchange (AW&ST Feb. 21, p. 126). They have yet to sign up any subscribers other than their own aerospace businesses, although the joint venture partners are in ``advanced discussions'' with would-be participants, including airlines.
United Airlines is offering $100,000 in travel vouchers to 200 Boeing 777 passengers who spent more than 8 hr. on a Chicago runway earlier this month as a wall of stormy weather virtually shut down the air traffic control system. Flight 1806 bound for Washington pushed back at 1:23 p.m. (CDT) on June 3 at O'Hare International Airport. The wheels-up liftoff was at 9:36 p.m.
The Teal Group is forecasting more than 6,400 jets worth $78.3 billion will be sold in the next 10 years as advanced aircraft and the need for flexible travel continue to fuel demand.
There's been some hand-wringing in space circles recently, what with the very visible financial belly flop of the Iridium satellite mobile phone system and what some see as a looming glut of launch vehicles. Look at the big picture, though, and it's hard to see what all the fretting is about. The Washington-based Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) forecasts 20% revenue growth to $83 billion in the satellite industry worldwide this year. After dipping a bit last year, employment in the industry should jump in 2000 to 253,000 from 199,000.
FRENCH ENGINE MANUFACTURER SNECMA is acquiring the Labinal Group, the parent company of Turbomeca, a major producer of helicopter engines. Turbomeca supplies a wide range of turboshaft engines for Eurocopter, as well as Sikorsky Aircraft's S-76C+. Snecma, in partnership with General Electric, produces the CFM-56 series of turbofan engines for airline and military jet transports.
The National Transportation Safety Board on June 13 outlined further steps to stem the unabated increase of runway incursions--a risk high on the ``Most Wanted'' list of FAA safety priorities.
Boeing plans to continue reducing its worldwide workforce, which stands at about 189,000 employees, to as low as 180,000 by year-end. It also is seeking a buyer for its St. Louis parts fabrication business and may consolidate other manufacturing operations, according to Chief Financial Officer Michael Sears. The move is part of a Boeing strategy to focus on design, integration, final assembly and services such as maintenance (AW&ST Apr. 10, p. 13). The plant occupies about 1.7 million sq. ft. and operates at 40% of capacity.
For at least the third time in the Joint Strike Fighter's history, there is interest in restructuring the program by adding additional time for maturation of the advanced short takeoff and vertical landing (ASTOVL) technology.
Boeing has held a low-key test of the online auction concept it expects to introduce this year as part of a global business-to-business (B2B) marketplace exchange in partnership with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and BAE Systems.
Air India is seeking to lease six Airbus A310s and two Boeing 747-300s, and has short-listed tenders from five companies including Airbus and leasing/finance firms. The only carrier involved is Singapore Airlines, which has the required aircraft for sale or lease. The evaluation is due to be completed by early July. Last month, the Indian cabinet approved a decision to sell a 40% stake in the state-run airline to an investor. A foreign buyer is allowed to hold 26% of the carrier when teamed with an Indian firm that takes 14%.
Russian Ministry of Defense and space agency managers were late last week moving to resolve Proton launch scheduling issues at the Baikonur Cosmodrome that carry the potential for further delay of the planned July 12 launch of the critical Zvezda Service Module for the International Space Station.
TRW has begun full-scale production of radiation-hardened RH32S computer chips for Astrolink satellite digital payloads. The company has completed the development program for the RH32S, which is central in controlling the satellites' advanced digital processors for Astrolink's global broadband telecommunications system. Astrolink is scheduled to begin providing interactive broadband access internationally in 2003. The first five chips are installed in development stations where they are being used to build applications software.
Thomson-CSF has signed an agreement with the U.K. Ministry of Defense ensuring the protection of British national security interests arising from the French company's acquisition of Racal Electronics. The U.K. Office of Fair Trading has been asked to review the security agreement. Thomson-CSF said this would not delay completion of the merger,, which is scheduled in the next few weeks. European Commission approval for the deal was expected late last week.
Crossair's flight operations need to be restructured and strengthened to keep pace with the carrier's impressive traffic growth, according to independent flight safety experts. The SAirGroup affiliate, which carried nearly 6 million passengers last year, has evolved quickly into a major regional airline operating more than 80 aircraft. This rapid expansion placed considerable strain on the company's staff, particularly the flight operations department, according to an in-depth review completed earlier this month.
John R. Casani, retired chief engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., has received an honorary doctorate in astronautical engineering from the University of Rome La Sapienza for his work as project manager for NASA's Voyager, Galileo and Cassini space missions.
The U.S. Navy has a history of involving itself in unmanned aerial vehicle programs, demanding extensive changes to meet sea-going requirements and then dropping out, leaving former partners with hybrid aircraft that no longer match anyone's requirements.
F-22 testing and cost control efforts are producing decidedly mixed results. Officials of the General Accounting Office tell the House Government Reform Committee's national security panel that testing of the stealth fighter is 21% behind schedule in completed test hours, 16% behind in completed test points. The first flight with the F-22's Block 3 software is not expected as early as the Air Force had hoped. The service tried to pull up that flight several months to October in order to get Pentagon approval in December to start F-22 production.
Keith Hall, director of the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), has received the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy from the National Space Club. Hall was cited for playing ``a pivotal role in the evolution and maturity of national security space applications.'' The club also gave its Dr. Joseph Charyk Award to USAF Col. John Cunningham for ideas that led to systems that have benefitted a wide range of NRO customers.
The Italian government will take delivery soon of its second Airbus Industrie Corporate Jet. Its first ACJ was delivered in March. Italy's ACJs, which are powered by CFM International CFM56-5B7 turbofans, have a 40-seat cabin configuration provided by Aero Interiors. The European corporate twinjet can operate nonstop long-haul routes such as Rome-Washington and Rome-Ottawa, officials pointed out. The aircraft's catalog price is $36 million in ``green'' configuration.
