The Lockheed P-3 Orion is an antisubmarine-warfare (ASW)/maritime-patrol aircraft produced through 1997 and operated by 17 nations. Lockheed won a U.S. Navy ASW competition in 1958 and began deliveries of the P-3A in 1962. The improved P-3C first flew in 1968. Power for the P-3C is provided by four 4,910-shp Rolls-Royce T56-A-14 turboprop engines. Lockheed manufactured 647 P-3s, while Kawasaki produced 101 under license. Although P-3C production has ended, the aircraft remains the subject of numerous upgrade programs.
The AS532 Cougar and the new EC725 are twin-engine, medium-lift military transport and special-purpose helicopters, and are the military versions of Eurocopter's AS332 Super Puma and EC225, respectively. Current engines include two Turbomeca Makila 1A1 turboshafts rated at 1,819 shp each (takeoff) for the AS532 Mk 1 and two Turbomeca Makila 2A turboshafts rated at 2,100 shp each (takeoff) for the EC725. Armament can include a 20-mm cannon, twin 7.62-mm machine guns or two rocket pods.
The Eurocopter EC635 is the military version of the EC135 multipurpose light twin-turbine helicopter. It can be used for troop transport, search-and-rescue, and training. The latest models are the EC135P2e powered by 667-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 engines, and the EC135T2e powered by 634-shp Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 engines. Through 2012, Eurocopter produced approximately 55 EC 635s, with an additional 17 units forecast for the 2013-22 period.
The M-346 is a two-seat, twin-engine advanced jet trainer/light-attack aircraft derived from the Yakovlev Yak-130. The aircraft is powered by two 6,280-lb.-thrust Honeywell F124-GA-200 twin-shaft turbofans with Fadec. First flight occurred in July 2004 and, through 2012, three prototypes and an estimated 10 production aircraft were built. To date, M-346 orders total 48: 30 for Israel, six for Italy and 12 for Singapore. The United Arab Emirates selected the aircraft for its trainer requirement in 2009 and is expected to order 48.
We are entering a second nuclear age, some analysts believe, and this is creating growing tension over the direction of U.S. and allied nuclear policy.
When Kenneth 'Kip' Hart sat down to take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test as a high school student, he was supposed to check off career fields of interest. “The first one was accounting. Nah, I didn't want to do that. The second was aerospace engineering. Now that sounded interesting,” he recalls. “I was good at math and science, so I checked that one.”
The MiG-29 is a single- and twin-seat, air-superiority fighter/interceptor aircraft. A MiG-29 prototype first flew in October 1977. The MiG-29 is powered by two 18,300-lb.-thrust Klimov RD-33 augmented turbofan engines. Over the years, the MiG-29 has gone through several revisions, including the single-seat MiG-29SMT and tandem-seat MiG-29UBT. The SMT has new avionics and greater range than its predecessor, while the MiG-29UBT incorporates many of the same upgrades but in the tandem-seat configuration.
The C212 is an unpressurized, twin-turboprop-powered military transport with room for up to 25 fully equipped troops or a payload of up to 6,504 lb. Along with transport duties, the aircraft has also seen popularity in a maritime patrol role. Developed by Spain's CASA, and once known as the Aviocar, the C212 made its first flight in March 1971; deliveries began in May 1974. Some 477 C212s (of all versions) were built through 2012, including about 110 assembled by Indonesian Aerospace (IAe).
The MD Explorer is an eight-place, twin-turboshaft-powered helicopter that features the Notar system. In early 2001, MD Helicopters launched the Combat Explorer-armed variant, specifically targeting the air forces of Latin America. The Combat Explorer is cleared to carry the GAU-19/A .50-caliber Gatling gun, the M2 .50-caliber gun pod and 70-mm Hydra rockets.
In a Reality Check commentary, “Reinventing the Lightweight Fighter” (AW&ST Oct. 28, p. 19), Pierre Sparaco attempts to draw a parallel between the F-16 and the Textron AirLand Scorpion. I find his analogy fundamentally flawed. The F-16 represented a significant improvement in performance and reliability over the aircraft it replaced. The Scorpion, on the other hand, is a less-capable aircraft whose only advantage is its price.
The C-17 Globemaster III is a long-range, heavy-lift transport aircraft powered by four 40,440-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines. First flight took place in 1991. One of the largest military-transport aircraft, the C-17 can carry vehicles such as the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and M1 Abrams main battle tank. In addition to the U.S., the aircraft is in service with the air forces of Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and the U.K.
The H-92 is the military variant of Sikorsky's S-92 civil model. It is powered by two GE CT7-8C turboshaft engines rated at approximately 2,550 shp each. When configured for the land-assault mission, the H-92 provides a 200-nm radius of action and the ability to carry 22 troops at 3,000 ft., on a 91.5F day. In July 2004, the H-92 won the $2.4 billion competition to provide 28 maritime helicopters for the Canadian armed forces. The first H-92 built for the program (designated the CH-148 Cyclone in Canadian service) made its maiden flight in November 2008.
The HJT-36 Sitara is a subsonic, single-engine, two-seat intermediate jet trainer that will replace about 170 Rolls-Royce Viper-powered HJT-16 Kiran jet trainers of the Indian air force. Production aircraft will be powered by one NPO Saturn AL-55I 4,850-lb.-thrust turbofan engine. A prototype first flew in 2003, but development has been protracted, with the latest delay caused by the crash of a prototype in April 2011. Two prototypes and one limited production aircraft were built through 2012.
Bell Helicopter has produced this family of single-main-rotor, single- and twin-engine utility helicopters in a wide variety of models since its launch in 1958. The T700-GE-401C-powered UH-1Y variant is the only dedicated military model currently in production. Approximately 90 UH-1Y helicopters are forecast for production from 2013 through 2022.
The Kazan Ansat is a twin-turboshaft, multipurpose light helicopter. The Ansat-U training variant is in Russian military service. The Ansat is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207K engines rated at 630 shp each. An armed reconnaissance variant of the Ansat, the Ansat-2RT, was also developed, making its first flight in 2005. Through 2012, Kazan built 43 Ansats; another 51 are slated for production through 2022.
Boeing's 737 series is a family of twin-engine, narrowbody commercial transports. There are several existing programs for converting green 737s for specialized military use. Australia's 737 Wedgetail AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft is integrated by Boeing with a Northrop Grumman radar system; six aircraft, designated E-7A, have been delivered. Turkey launched the 737 Peace Eagle AEW&C aircraft program, with modification work being performed by Boeing and Turkish Aerospace Industries; first flight occurred in 2007.
Boeing's second 787-9 test aircraft joined the development and certification effort for the stretched derivative program on Nov. 7. The aircraft will be used principally for systems and interior evaluation, and joins the first 787-9, which has accumulated 41 flights and more than 130 flight hours. Boeing, meanwhile, completed assembly of the first GE-powered 787-9, ZB021, on Oct. 31. This will be the third test aircraft and is undergoing engine runs and other ground evaluations at Everett, Wash., prior to joining the flight-test program.
I found Jens Flottau's “Growth Mode” (AW&ST Oct. 28, p. 39) on the Airbus A350-900's entry into service to be extraordinarily useful. I was seeking details on the production of specific test models and on the planned production rate and there it was. The discussion of the -800 and its customers, the plans for the -1000 and the growth of the projected market will also prove helpful.
The ATR series of turboprop-powered military transport aircraft are built by the ATR joint venture of EADS and Alenia Aermacchi and based on the popular commercial regional aircraft series. The latest civil versions are the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600. Both are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines, rated 2,400-2,750 shp each. The ATR 42-500MP Surveyor is a maritime-patrol aircraft, certificated in 1995, that features improved hot/high performance, higher cruise speeds and an updated cabin interior. At max payload, it can fly up to 1,010 nm.
The Y-20 is a large, high-wing, four-engine transport that from a distance looks to be larger than an Airbus Military A400M but smaller than a Boeing C-17. Chinese media reported on the aircraft's first flight in January 2013. Photos of one of two prototypes indicate it is powered by Russian-made Soloviev D-30 turbofan engines, but it is likely that any production version will be powered by a more fuel-efficient, high-bypass turbofan, possibly the WS-20. Service entry is expected in 2017.
The AW149 is a slightly larger military transport variant of the AW139, powered by two 2,000-shp-class GE CT7-2E1 engines. An AW149 prototype, a converted risk-reduction aircraft that used AW139 dynamic components, conducted its maiden flight in November 2009; a second prototype followed in 2010. Armament options for the AW149 include 70- and 81-mm rocket launchers; 7.62-, 12.7- and 20-mm machine guns; and provision for air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. No launch customer has been secured.
For any engineer or scientist, being part of a 'first' bolsters a career and for many, a lifelong pursuit. Such was the case for Brad Cheetham while an undergraduate student at The University at Buffalo/the State University of New York. Under the auspices of the school, he was an intern at Goddard Space Flight Center for a mission called Artemis.
As with many an engineering student, Linda Kuenzi is good at math and science. Both her parents are engineers. So engineering seemed the obvious path after high school. In fact, Aviation Week's 2013 Workforce Study found that 65% of engineering students choose their major based on their “respect for the profession”—most often because of a personal relationship with someone in the field.
