Aviation Week & Space Technology

U.K.-based Hybrid Air Vehicles taps Internet crowdfunding to move forward with development of Airlander 10 airship.

Tailsitting vertical-takeoff flying wing; tethered UAV follows truck; morphing flaps on the move; Navy lab’s unusual designs; Roomba inventor’s drone for everyone.

Aviation Week defense editors on the recent success of Dassault’s Rafale and Saab’s Gripen fighters and what that means for the rest of the market. Will it spell doom for the Eurofighter Typhoon? Does Boeing’s F-18 have a shot at more orders in Kuwait. And a peek at the upcoming competition for a Turkish fighter.

R ichard Peretz has been appointed chief financial officer of Atlanta-based UPS, effective July 1. He succeeds Kurt Kuehn, who will be retiring. Peretz has been corporate controller/treasurer. Edward Rogers has become global director of sustainability. Steve Wadey (see photo) has been named CEO of U.K.-based Qinetiq. He was managing director of the U.K. business of MBDA and group technical director.

Sea trials for U.S. Marines' F-35B elicits some queries and observations; remembering when intense corporate-sponsored research was viable

After long delay in activity, Lockheed Martin resuming work on IRST development for U.S. military.

The first flight-test version of the XWB-97 for the A350-1000 is taking shape at Rolls-Royce

Trent 1000 production will complete transition to Singapore as XWB line revs up in the U.K.

Qatar’s buy of Rafale jets seems to be linked to Qatar Airways’ new traffic rights to some of France’s regional airports.

A small research effort reveals that Japanese defense ministry technologists believe a radical alternative to the fighter as an instrument of air control may soon be available.

Better pay for regional pilots would help, but it is unlikely to be a panacea.

Starting next year, airline and business jet pilots in the European Union will be required to complete a comprehensive upset prevention and recovery course every three years, but without full stall training.

First officer of Germanwings Flight 9525 acted suspiciously on earlier flight, BEA report finds.

Sen. Feinstein opposes Air Force’s long-range missile; lawmaker aims to take politics out of NASA policy; the end of the Jim Wright era.

U.S. newsgathering, precision agriculture and railroad companies take the lead in pushing small UAS use beyond the initial tight limits outlined by the FAA.

DEFENSE Dassault has secured its third Rafale export customer in as many months with Qatar placing a €6.3 billion ($7 billion) order for 24 fighters, plus 12 options, on May 4. Qatar Airways reportedly secured additional traffic rights to France as part of the deal. In February, Egypt signed for 24 Rafales, and India committed in April to purchase 36. The U.S. Air Force is shuttering a program designed to identify sources of interference to satellite communications due to cost and performance issues.

Think the KC-X tanker program was messy? The forthcoming EELV procurement could make it look like a walk in the park.

Emirates, undeterred from competitor claims, continues growth as new aircraft arrive and airport expands.

June 17—Commercial Aerospace Manufacturing Briefing, Paris. Oct. 13-15—MRO Europe, London. Nov. 3-5—MRO Asia, Singapore. Nov. 3-5—Aerospace Defense Chain, Scottsdale, Arizona.

June 7-9—ASA-Aviation Suppliers 2015. Scottsdale, Arizona. See aviationsuppliers.org/ASA-2015-Hotel June 7-9—71st IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit. Miami. See iata.org/pressroom/pr/Pages/2014-06-03-2.aspx June 15-21—Paris Air Show. Le Bourget, France. See siae.fr/EN

Within the last two months, three orders have been announced for close to a total of 100 Rafales, and suddenly the future looks bright.

Rolls’s results were worsening in a way not seen since the worldwide financial crisis of 2008.

Britain’s defense was not a talking point of the electoral campaign, despite unease over Russia and other countries.

If Qatar chooses to exercise an option for 12 additional Rafales, Dassault Aviation could be on the hook to deliver nearly 100 combat jets to foreign buyers by around the end of the decade.

USAF bails on the Raidrs satcom space protection project, though need for EMI detection grows.