Aviation Week & Space Technology

Readers sympathetic to pilots' job plight, but…; More A-10 reactions from those with up-close experience

By Bradley Perrett
While KAI is confirmed as preferred bidder for KF-X development, the role of Lockheed Martin looks unclear. Airbus may yet be asked to join the program to protect it from a U.S. export veto.
Defense

From Freddie Laker to Michael O’Leary, many airline CEOs have pursued a sustainable long-haul, low-cost agenda. No one has succeeded yet, although that day will come.
Air Transport

By Jen DiMascio
A guide to this year’s defense budget season; U.S. resumes aid to Egypt; travelers return to Cuba; and the up-side of the Antares launch failure.

Robert Crandall
For years, we complained about lack of political leadership. Now we have it, but industry can’t seem to come together.
Air Transport

By Bradley Perrett
As the Australian government raises defense spending to 2% from 1.6% of GDP, room is opening up to extend a campaign of military aviation renewal that by now should be coming to an end. Candidates include armed UAVs and top-up orders for transports and tankers.
Defense

By Guy Norris
Test pilots say the F-35 can be cleared for greater agility as a growth option based on the results of basic fighter maneuvers against an F-16 and earlier flight-envelope evaluations.
Defense

With the Indian prime minister heading to Paris in April, all eyes are on the export of French combat jets to the Indian air force.
Defense

By Tony Osborne
As the Netherlands gets ready to fly its F-35s in 2019, senior commanders are thinking about how to fill a technological training gap between the Talon and the Lightning II.
Defense

Smallsats in low Earth orbit have captured the interest of deep-pocket investors who see new technologies and applications offering substantial returns.
Space

By Sean Broderick
A CRT Capital study warns that parts of Boeing and Airbus backlogs might be under threat if lobbying campaigns against Gulf carriers bear fruit.
Air Transport

John Logsdon’s Nixon-tape transcripts show how the decision to build the space shuttle was derailed by dishonesty.
Space

Russia may be open to Chinese participation in future space collaboration.
Space

With the capabilities of installed avionics but more flexibility, next-generation electronic flight bags—not tablets—will bring legacy cockpits into the secure NextGen era.

By Adrian Schofield
Australian and New Zealand carriers want to tap into the burgeoning services from China by forming alliances with their Chinese counterparts, although regulators are impeding some efforts.
Air Transport

The technology exists to physically take command away from a pilot and is in operation with the U.S. Air Force.

Aerospace

Competition is driving ADS-B prices down, but installation complexities continue to dominate costs.
Business Aviation

By Graham Warwick
Mid-size UAV with max-size endurance; Predator-class persistent ISR for small ships; U.S. polysonic tunnel gets a refresh; Israeli AESA guides Lockheed counter-rocket laser; Amazon’s FAA-certified UAS is “obsolete”
Aerospace

By Graham Warwick
Operator of the FAA’s ADS-B surveillance network sees opportunity to expand its capabilities to enable long-range operations in civil airspace by unmanned aircraft.
Aerospace

By Graham Warwick
A unique NASA truck-mounted wing testbed is laying the foundation for a distributed electric propulsion X-plane demonstrator.
Aerospace

Facebook’s solar-powered UAV will be able to stay aloft at 60,000-90,000 ft. altitude for months at a time.

Aerospace

By Jens Flottau, Graham Warwick
Aviation has become technically safer and safer. Is it now time to address the pilot as a safety concern?
Air Transport

NASA and industry are making progress on the human factors aspects of a long-distance relationship between two pilots flying an airliner – one in the air and one on the ground.

Air Transport

USAF leaders have launched their so-called Bending the Cost Curve program aimed at driving drive down the cost of weapons and other systems.
Defense

Suggestions for enhancing USAF stealth capability; questioning the divide between defense and commercial sectors; lauding an Aviation Week Laureate winner; noting a history of pilot retention woes