USAF overly optimistic about aircraft development, test plans; Passenger praise for Gulf carriers; Cronyism among aerospace players needs to be curbed, for safety's sake
Ernest Edwards (see photo) has been named Aerion Corp. senior vice president and chief commercial officer, responsible for sales of the new AS2 supersonic business jet. Edwards was recently non-executive chairman of Veling Tayara Ltd., which leases business jets, and before that president of Embraer Business Jets, retiring from the company in late 2013.
The jetliner supply chain might find itself the victim of someone else’s idea of success. As both Airbus and Boeing consider a further ramp-up of their A320 and 737 single-aisle jetliner families, everyone involved should consider the likely ramifications.
The cut in build time is a key parameter in the drive to reduce costs toward the $80 million unit targeted for an aircraft in the 13th low rate initial production (LRIP) lot decade’s end.
DEFENSE Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is to compete against Boeing and Northrop Grumman to replace the U.S. Air Force’s E-8C JStars ground-surveillance fleet with 17 new aircraft. Raytheon will provide the sensor suite, with Bombardier’s Global 6000 business jet as its platform choice.