Aviation Week & Space Technology

Shrinking defense budgets, fewer programs, and tech developments in other industries creating incentives for A&D rivals to cooperate to win awards.

A few European airlines are seeking to expand into the low-cost long-haul market, but they are finding that a viable formula to do so is not easy to identify.

Air Canada’s Westjet edges toward long-haul market, but most North American low-cost airlines are taking a wait-and-see attitude.

Early expansion limits returns, but airline executives stress that the LCC model is sound.

Beverly Wyse has been appointed vice president/general manager of Boeing’s South Carolina site in North Charleston. She succeeds Jack Jones, who plans to retire in May. Wyse has been vice president/general manager of the 737 program and the Renton, Washington, site. She will be followed by Scott Campbell, who has been head of the 767 program. And Campbell will be succeeded by Brad Zaback, who has been chief engineer of 787 integration.

U.S. Air Force makes an effort to regain its technical understanding of complex systems during acquisition as a way to reduce program costs and risks.

Although it was years in the making, Aeroscopia—a museum dedicated to France’s major role in aerospace history—proves to be well worth the time and effort.

Amid concerns about liquidity and CSeries progress, Bombardier announces delay in Learjet 85 program.

Based on a NASA study, the agency is suggesting enhancements to airline training curricula, including developing techniques that throw pilots more “surprise” curveballs.

Test-flight data for the Orion crew capsule heat shield will be important in the redesign process.

Canadian startup UrtheCast seeks to secure its future with revenues from imagery services and ISS commercial experiments.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is crafting a strategy to leverage the influx of imagery available from the many new information services providers working today.

Global demand for Earth-observation satellites booming, mainly from emerging countries lacking their own space programs.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, plans to evaluate the costs of modernizing U.S. nuclear weapons and delivery systems and take on the Pentagon’s sluggish procurement system.

Thanks to relatively abundant power, improved data links and a unique orbit, the ISS is an attractive vantage point for instruments designed to study Earth. Researchers are taking notice.

Human-missions-to-Mars advocates cite skewed statistics; kill the notion of Exoatmosphere Kill Vehicles; flight-tracking suggestion; the many merits of women engineers; digitial edition woes; uncomfortable with Aviation Week's new app; very comfortable with new app

France seeks European partners for Musis imaging satellite program.

An “A322” would have a minimum range of 5,000 nm, opening up many new, thin international routes to Europe from U.S. hubs currently unreachable with single-aisle aircraft.

NASA is taking no chances with flight tests of a full-scale flexible flap designed to demonstrate the potential noise and drag benefits of a seamless, morphing structure.

This week is all about unmanned aircraft: using quadcopters on construction sites; 3-D cameras help avoid collisions; UAS get MAD for ASW; “micro” unmanned aircraft certification category proposed; UAS air-dropping UAS.

The Gen-3 helmet display for the F-35 builds on data from flight testing and pilot training to fix shortcomings of the Gen-2 version.

Seeking permission to expand, Heathrow is pursuing multiple initiatives to reduce noise impacts on surrounding communities.

A preview of programs and issues to watch for during the first week of February, when the Pentagon makes its budget request to Congress.

Critical independent testing report looks at F-35 test priorities and notes that its focus on the Marine Corps’ first operational squadron has a price.

One of the key features of the A&D industry is its close link to international politics.