Aviation Week & Space Technology

Health and usage monitoring systems—a necessity for offshore operations—could soon appear on light helicopters, thanks to technology envisaged for wind turbines

U.S. airlines are prepared to spend many millions in their effort to find a regulatory way to stop Gulf carriers.

This table shows runway incursions involving transport category aircraft from February 2009 until early this year at U.S. airports.

Aviation Week editors discuss Airbus and Boeing production: Is there an order bubble that may burst one day? They also talk about the 777 upgrade, the possibility of an A380neo and Bombardier’s CSeries.

Sandy Samuel has been appointed vice president/general manager of Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training, Orlando, Florida. She was vice president-operations for Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems & Global Solutions and succeeds Jeffrey Wood, who will be moving to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Pilot shortage articles elicit comment about Norwegian Air; A-10 advocate reminisces; direction of U.S. space policy is questioned; stalls and airmanship are emphasized; frustrated passenger calls for airlines to pay more attention to passenger needs

Take China’s 10.1% rise in defense spending and make two adjustments: reduce for the effect of inflation, then increase for the effect of officers now being less able to embezzle the people’s money

The two dominant aircraft manufacturers are sanguine their robust orderbooks are sound; other industry analysts caution that they are being overly ambitious.

C-130 modernization receives congressional scrutiny, Bolden laments lack of cooperation with China on civil space and senator blasts FAA’s cyber security lapses.

ROTORCRAFT Airbus unveiled its H160 rotorcraft, a €1 billion ($1.06 billion) challenger to AgustaWestland’s AW139, which has dominated the medium helicopter market for a decade. Formerly the X4, the H160 incorporates advanced technologies such as a carbon-fiber airframe and distinct composite blades with hockey-shaped tips to lower weight and improve fuel efficiency. Service entry is targeted for 2018 (page 44).

Lockheed Martin wants to use ISS as a commercial springboard to the Moon and beyond.

Short-term thinking seems to have become the strategy of choice for many publicly traded companies.

“The deal highlights another exit by private equity of a multiyear defense services investment,” says analyst Byron Callan of Capital Alpha Partners.

Common modules with digital beam-forming will reduce development expense and timescale, increase capability and flexibility for AESA radars and jammers.

Marine leaders believe that their JSF will be a war-winner. They should be given a chance to show how their plans will work.

Under pressure from slower-than-expected F-35 fielding, USAF is embarking on a pricey upgrade to keep the F-15 relevant into the 2040s.

April 7—Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Briefing. Palos Verdes, California. See www.infocastinc.com/events/add-aero April 8—Aircraft Electronics

The tremendous margin of technological superiority that the U.S. has typically enjoyed since end of World War II is eroding.

April 14-16—MRO Americas, Miami. June 17—Commercial Aerospace Manufacturing Briefing, France. Oct. 13-15—MRO Europe, London. Nov. 3-5—MRO Asia

NanoRacks is planning a commercial airlock on ISS to ease traffic crunch in Japanese module.

Established satellite service players have largely welcomed Silicon Valley’s sudden interest in the space sector—including some fleet operators who see the potential to collaborate with new LEO networks.

Silicon Valley’s renewed interest in space-based global connectivity offers opportunities.

Led by Airbus Defense and Space and Surrey Satellite Technology, the Ku-band Eutelsat Quantum satellite will allow coverage areas to be redefined via software uploads in response to shifting service demand.

Solar-powered round-the-world attempt seeks to inspire enthusiasm for renewable energy and innovation in sustainable technology, but can it have any impact on aviation?

Virgin has broadened its competitive scope by acquiring low-cost and regional carriers.