In the wake of Lockheed Martin's protest, the U.S. Navy issued a stop-work order Oct. 23 on the contract it gave Raytheon earlier this month for its Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR). “We submitted a technically compliant solution at a very affordable price,” Lockheed spokesman Keith Little said last week. “We do not believe the merits of our offering were properly considered.” Lockheed was believed by many industry observers to be the incumbent as it is the Aegis combat system prime contractor.
Mark Hood (see photo) has become global market director for general aviation transparencies and succeeds Arthur C. Scott (see photo), who is now global market director for commercial transparencies, both at PPG Industries' Huntsville, Ala., facility. Scott follows James Romano, who is now business manager for the PPG Aerospace Los Angeles application support center.
The Indian air force (IAF) has completed the flight of its first upgraded Mirage 2000H at the Istres-Le Tube air base in France, according to manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Faced with a depleted tactical air capability and a delay in signing the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft deal, the IAF is pushing to expedite the upgrading of its Mirage 2000s. The first is likely to be delivered late next summer, says an IAF official.
In “Wide Opening” (AW&ST Oct. 14-21, p. 32), your secondary headline states: “JAL order for Airbus A350s breaks Boeing's hold on Japan.” While none of the Airbus countries—France, Germany, Britain and Spain—would lift a finger to defend Japan, that country has for seven decades been sheltered under the U.S. military umbrella, which costs us 4.9% of our GDP ($643 billion last year), allowing Japan to spend 1% of their GDP on their token military.
Skycatcher has caught a severe downburst with a dire outcome. Cessna's China-made light sport aircraft, which was launched by former CEO Jack Pelton to stimulate pilot starts, was never loved by Scott Ernest, his successor. And when asked about the future of the once-heralded two-seater, Ernest responded, “There is no future.” A follow-up question about the aircraft elicited the same response.
The U.S. NTSB says there were 59 aviation accidents, 10 of which were fatal, that it did not begin investigating during the 16-day partial government shutdown when 383 of its 405 employees were furloughed. At least two major investigations were impacted: A two-day hearing on the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash in San Francisco was postponed to December from November; and additional testing of a Boeing 787 lithium-ion battery that was scheduled during the shutdown.
I believe reader Robert J. Stewart is incorrect in his letter “Old Becomes New” (AW&ST Oct. 7, p. 10), in which he credits Alexander Kartveli as the designer of the Fairchild Republic A-10. Pierre Sprey—working with Hans Rudel in the 1960s—was one of the early minds consulting on the A-10. Kartveli may have been assigned to supervise production of the aircraft, but he was not the designer. Flemington, N.J.
The Textron AirLand Scorpion light attack aircraft, which is scheduled to make its first flight in the next few weeks, continues to capture—and hold—the attention of Europeans. Although its developers carefully avoid calling it a “low-cost” fighter proposal, it is obvious that their ultimate goal is to offer a two-seat twinjet costing a fraction of more conventional aircraft. This is an attractive proposition, of course, in an environment of increasingly restricted and uncertain defense budgets.
Martine Ohayon has become director communications and events for Montreal-based Airports Council International. She held a similar position at the International Air Transport Association and was director of communications at Canada Steamship Lines. Ohayon succeeds Cheryl Marcell, who is now deputy director for business development at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose (Calif.) International Airport.
This week, Aviation Week publishes two editions. On the cover at the far left, at GE's 7,000-acre Peebles, Ohio, test site, CFM's Leap-1A undergoes tests for the Airbus A320neo. Versions of the Leap family, CFM's first all-new design since the first CFM56 of the early 1970s, will also power Boeing's 737 MAX and the Comac C919 (page 42). CFM photo by Rob Butlet. Our MRO Edition contains additional coverage of maintenance, repair and overhaul. The cover shows CFM56-3 and CFM56-5B engines at AeroTurbine's Miami facility.
It's not just that the USAF wants to get rid of the A-10 Warthog, it seems as though it wants to get rid of the A-10 community. “Hog Drivers” just don't behave with Aim-High correctness. They seem to relish improvising Plans B and C when Plan A goes awry. This degree of shared independence flies in the face of “prudent” institutional constraint. USAF, and certainly the U.S., need the venerable Warthog's unmatched firepower and resilience, but administrative angst will see to it that this does not happen.
This week, Aviation Week publishes two editions, both double issues. The cover at the far left features the first business aircraft to be developed in China—Avic subsidiary Caiga's Primus 150, an all-composite six-seater based on a U.S. kitplane design and powered by single 850-shp General Electric H85 turboprop. The aircraft is set to fly soon, but its market is uncertain as Chinese tastes continue to favor large business jets (page 58). Photo by Bobby Yip for Reuters via Newscom.
Three recent space-related articles speak volumes. The first two are in the same issue (AW&ST Sept. 30): “Launcher Leap” (page 22) followed by “What's Next” (page 24). Hot on the heels of this printing, the AviationWeek.com Space Channel (Oct. 3) offered “NASA's J-2X Engine To Be Mothballed After Testing.” The first article outlined China's plans for a more capable Moon rocket than the Saturn V; the second depicted China's planned Mir-class space station. And the third covered the U.S.'s human space exploration program.
Samuel Adcock (see photo) has been appointed vice president/general manager of American Eurocopter's production plant in Columbus, Miss. Earl Walker, who has been senior director/general manager will become senior director for government relations. Adcock has been senior vice president-strategy and business development for parent EADS North America.
Scott Nordstrom (see photo) has been appointed director of business development for Zenith Aviation, Fredericksburg, Va. He was president of the International Trade Group and had been vice president-corporate sales and services for AvCraft Support Services.
John “Jay” Neely, 3rd (see photo), has been appointed vice president-law and public affairs. for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga. He was deputy general counsel. Kevin Valik has been named sales director for Delaware, New Jersey and New York City. He was sales manager at the Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. for eastern Canada and the mid-Atlantic and mid-Central regions of the U.S.
Puja Mahajan (see photo) has been named chief operating officer of business aircraft charter and management company Elit'Avia, Ljubljana, Slovenia. She has held management positions with Bombardier Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney Canada.
