On our main cover, the University of Iowa's two Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfins fly in formation (photo by Tom Schnell and Brian Ray). Rockwell Collins is working with the university to experiment with “pseudo-simulators” to reduce the number of aircraft needed for military exercises (see page 48). A second “cover” follows in our digital edition and highlights a digital-only special report on classified programs from our defense technology team (see page 29).
George Birsic (see photo) has joined Boulder, Colo.-based Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. as Washington-based director of defense and intelligence. A retired USAF colonel, Birsic was director of the Systems Technology Group at the National Reconnaissance Office.
Embraer began flight tests of its Legacy 500 mid-size business jet on Nov. 27 at San Jose dos Campos, Brazil, after delays caused by the clean-sheet aircraft's fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2014, more than a year behind schedule. Problems with certification of software for the Parker Aerospace-supplied fly-by-wire system caused the delay, and forced Embraer to transfer responsibility for the software to BAE Systems—an experienced FBW developer and supplier of the main flight-control computers to Parker.
I disagree with reader Kevin A. Capps's “Location as a Deterrent” (AW&ST Nov. 19, p. 10). It would be nice to believe Muslims living in and around Israel might insulate the country from a nuclear attack, but since when has any place been holy enough to prevent Muslim-on-Muslim violence? Muslims have attacked pilgrims in Mecca, and holy shrines and mosques have been bombed in Iraq by opposing Sunni and Shiite factions. Sacrificing fellow Muslims to advance an agenda against Jews has never been a deterrent to jihadists' goals.
AgustaWestland-built AH-64 Apache attack helicopters have performed exceedingly well for the U.K. in Afghanistan and elsewhere, but they need upgrading to maintain that record. Options for the Attack Helicopter Capability Sustainment Program (AH CSP)—understood to be worth around £1 billion ($1.59 billion) for the winning bidder—are currently being assessed by the U.K. Defense Ministry, which is expected to reach a final decision in the spring.
The global aviation community appears to agree in principle to broad new equipage architectures for a next-generation air traffic management (ATM) system under an International Civil Aviation Organization plan that defines airborne and ground navigation infrastructure upgrades through 2028. Details of the Block 0-3 aviation system block upgrades (ASBU), and the specific modules within the blocks, were debated by delegates from 191 member countries as part of the 12th Air Navigation Conference (ANC) in Montreal Nov. 19-30.
Following a successful test-firing of its Advanced Air Defense (AAD) system, India says it is likely to deploy its first ballistic missile defense shield in 2014. The indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile hit an incoming ballistic missile target at around 12:52 a.m. local time Nov. 23, according to an official at the Defense Research and Development Organization.
Software to keep engineers apprised of the latest iteration of an aircraft's design has long been in use. At its most basic, parametric software gives a 3-D view that allows everyone, for instance, to see where a wire bundle may be positioned.
Almost three months after India relaxed its foreign investment rules in the aviation sector, international airlines are eying, albeit cautiously, minority stakes in the country's local carriers. Cash-strapped private airlines Jet Airways and SpiceJet are considering selling stakes to foreign companies, says a civil aviation ministry official. While Jet Airways is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways, low-cost local airline SpiceJet is said to be trying to interest Qatar Airways and Malaysia's AirAsia into taking part ownership.
Another mega-order for Bombardier's large-cabin business jets will add billions of dollars to the Montreal manufacturer's backlog—highlighting the growing bifurcation of the broader market.
Fiscal 2014—not 2013—will be the worst year for federal contractors, including defense companies, if the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration take effect in January 2013, says Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council. That is because sequestration will not cause a sharp drop-off in contracting opportunities until then. Federal contract spending will return to growth thereafter, but under lower top-line budgets outlined by the 2011 law known as the Budget Control Act.
The Russian air force has taken delivery of its first two Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters, domestic variants of the export best-seller Su-30MKI. Thirty aircraft were ordered in March 2012. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2015.
Airbus has moved the A350-900 static test airframe from its final assembly hall at Toulouse across the airport to the L34 static test building. The airframe will be put into a rig in advance of about one year of static testing, which will include ultimate-load evaluations and margin research. The static test airframe is for the first A350 to have undergone final assembly. One other airframe, MSN001, is in the final assembly jigs in the Roger Beteille hall. MSN001 will be the first A350 to fly. Airbus says first flight will take place next summer.
Taiwan carrier China Airlines (CAL) is hoping for another round of liberalization between China and Taiwan so it can further expand its services to mainland China as well as cater to transit traffic.
Royal Brunei Airlines is hoping the opening of a new airport terminal at its home base of Bandar Seri Begawan, and the introduction of Boeing 787-8s, will transform its business. The Sultanate of Brunei's flag carrier will be the first in Southeast Asia to operate the 787, says Deputy Chairman Dermot Mannion, who joined Royal Brunei in 2010. He has served as CEO of Aer Lingus and president of group services for Emirates.
Limiting congressional terms brings in fresh blood, but that also means a change in direction. House Republicans are capping leadership terms at six years, which means that Rep. John Mica (Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will hand over his gavel next year. Mica may have rubbed colleagues the wrong way with his continued war against the Transportation Security Administration. But he was a strong advocate for the FAA's NextGen air traffic modernization system who came up through the aviation subcommittee.
Aviation is crucial to the U.K. Not only is it responsible for about 1 million jobs, £50 billion GDP ($80 billion) and £8 billion tax revenues, it provides the infrastructure vital to the country's ability to function as an internationally connected trading nation. With three quarters of inbound tourists flying to the U.K. and 40% of the nation's exports (by value) transported by air—not to mention the obvious importance of maintaining links with existing markets and developing new ones to emerging markets—you would have thought the U.K.
Technology may take a backseat to customer and training value in the flight simulator of the near future. Though work on potentially breakthrough technologies continues in academia and in the laboratories of simulator manufacturers like CAE, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins and Thales, there is a growing call from the safety and user communities to figure out the optimum use of investments already made and technology already available.
Bob Smith Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Aerospace Age: 48 Education: Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, University of Texas; advanced degrees in engineering and applied mathematics from Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management.
The jigsaw pieces are coming together for a future “all-electric” commercial airliner by the second half of the 2020s. Seeking higher efficiencies, lower costs and easier maintenance, airframers and equipment manufacturers alike are pushing ahead with development of electrically powered replacements for today's pneumatic, mechanical and hydraulic systems.
NASA and Roscosmos have selected two veteran International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers for a year-long assignment to the 14-year-old orbiting science laboratory. The mission is intended to shed new light on human adaptation to long-duration spaceflight and other challenges facing explorers on deep-space missions. Scott Kelly, a 48-year-old U.S. Navy captain, and Mikhail Kornienko, a 52-year-old RSC Energia test engineer, will begin a two-year training program for the mission early next year.
