Japan, it seems, is not betting on the Lockheed Martin F-35 as an air-superiority fighter. Denied permission to buy Lockheed's F-22, Tokyo is preparing to operate at least some of its Boeing F-15s for another 30 years, even though it will also have the F-35.
Kara Lentz (see photo) has been appointed senior project manager in the aviation group of Denver-based Parsons Brinckerhoff. She has held similar roles in project and construction management of both refinery and airport transportation and building projects. Chris Spann has been named senior supervising engineer in the company's Lenexa, Kan., office. As national aviation director at a major consulting firm, he was design manager for the new St. George, Utah, airport.
The KT-1 two-seat turboprop trainer first flew in 1991. The first two prototypes were powered by a 550-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25A turboprop; subsequent aircraft have been fitted with a 950-shp PT6A-62. KAI has developed a forward air control version called the KO-1, fitted with four hardpoints under the wing. Through 2011, approximately 147 units had been produced, while another 30 aircraft are forecast for production from 2012 through 2014.
The Jaguar light strike/reconnaissance aircraft was produced by the Sepecat consortium of British Aerospace and Dassault-Breguet. A prototype made its first flight in 1968, and deliveries began in 1972. Production by Sepecat ended in 1985, but Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. built a licensed version in India through 2008. Power for the Jaguar comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofans. Some 632 Jaguars had been produced through 2008, including aircraft built by HAL.
Rick Ducharme has been appointed executive vice president-industry relations of Dulles, Va.-based Metron Aviation. He was deputy chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization.
First flight of the Mirage 2000 occurred in 1978, with production running through 2007. Early aircraft of the type were powered by a Snecma M53-5 augmented turbofan (19,840-lb.-thrust), and later aircraft with an M53-P2 (21,385-lb.-thrust). Single-seat interceptor and two-seat nuclear strike variants also were produced. Approximately 607 Mirage 2000s were built.
Boeing, with Northrop Grumman as a major subcontractor, produces the F/A-18 single/two-seat, twin-engine fighter. The F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet models were powered by two GE F404-400/402 turbofans (16,000-17,600-lb.-thrust each), while the scaled-up F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has two GE F414-400 turbofans of about 22,000-lb.-thrust each. First flight of an F/A-18 prototype occurred in 1978. First flown in 2005, the current E/F model features a larger airframe, more powerful engines, greater stealth, new avionics and sensors, and additional hardpoints.
The Sikorsky CH-53E and MH-53E Super Stallion are three-engine, heavy-lift transport and special-purpose helicopters, developed out of the twin-turboshaft CH-53D. Power is provided by three GE T64-416 or -419 turboshaft engines rated at 4,380 and 4,750 shp, respectively. Sikorsky produced approximately 177 CH-53Es, 48 MH-53Es and 11 S-80 export versions through the end of production in 1999. In January 2006, the U.S. Navy awarded Sikorsky a contract to develop the CH-53K, an essentially all-new and more powerful model for the U.S.
Iceland is making progress on an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) network that will be a vital link in an ambitious plan to provide air traffic control coverage all the way across the Atlantic.
The stealthy B-2 is a long-range nuclear and conventional bomber aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force. It is powered by four 17,300-lb.-thrust GE F118-100 turbofans. The maiden flight occurred in 1989, with the 21st and final aircraft delivered in 1997. Only the final two B-2s were delivered in the full Block 30 configuration, though the remaining bombers achieved this standard via upgrades.
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 2011, some 36 Ansats were built, and another 128 are slated for production from 2012 through 2021.
Britain has for years kept mum on new developments in the digital electronic surveillance domain. So it is telling that the U.K. Ministry of Defense sanctioned the formal launch this month of an export variant of the new cutting-edge radar electronic support measures (ESM) system it has been developing with industrial partner Thales for the past six years.
The NH90 is a medium-lift, twin-turbine troop transport and maritime helicopter. The helicopter is available with either GE T700/CT7 or Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines. The NH90 comes in two standard models—the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) and the NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH), though extensive customization is available. The TTH functions as a tactical troop assault, transport and ground -support aircraft; it is capable of hauling 14-20 fully equipped troops, over 5,511 lb. of cargo, up to 12 stretchers, or one light transport vehicle with crew.
The C-130 is a four-turboprop military transport. A number of variants have been produced, including the AC-130 gunship and the KC-130 tanker. First flight of a C-130 occurred in 1954, and the current production model, the C-130J, made its initial flight in 1996. The C-130J incorporates four 4,591-shp Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines, new avionics and other improvements. Competitors include the Airbus A400M and Embraer KC-390. Approximately 2,398 C-130s were produced through 2011, with production of an additional 256 C-130Js forecast in the 2012-21 period.
At least 288 satellites are expected to be launched for Earth observation (EO) and meteorology purposes in the next decade, compared to 149 orbited in the previous one, according to Euroconsult's latest research report. Analyst Adam Keith says government investment to support the majority of these satellites is greater than ever, despite a challenging economic environment, due to interest in climate change and environmental-monitoring, or to support local industry development and meet local demand for data.
Twin-engine, tandem-seat attack helicopter developed for the South African air force (SAAF). further developed by Denel with in-house funds. Two prototype/demonstrator aircraft, one pre-production and 12 production-standard aircraft (for the SAAF) were produced through 2004. Production Rooivalks are powered by two Turbomeca Makila 1K2 turboshafts rated at 1,843 shp each. Armament includes a Kentron GA-1 20-mm cannon in a steerable chin turret.
Twin-turboprop, utility/transport aircraft. Looking to break into new markets, PZL-Mielec redesigned the Antonov An-28 to incorporate Western components, including two 1,100-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B engines. The new model, dubbed the M28, made its first flight in 1993. Sikorsky's purchase of PZL-Mielec in 2007 brought a new lease on life to the M28, ensuring its continued production. Through 2011, 45 aircraft had been produced, with 40 additional examples—mostly for military applications—forecast for production from 2012 through 2021.
Orbital Sciences Corp. has once again postponed a flight demonstration of the Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo capsule it is developing under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The Dulles, Va.-based company will slip the mission three or four months to next spring, following a flight demonstration of the rocket from the Wallops Island, Va., launch facility in December. Under the terms of a 2008 COTS agreement, the first flight of the rocket and cargo vessel was slated for late 2010. In an Oct.
Henry Sienkiewicz has been named vice chief information assurance executive, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Md. He has been its chief information officer. Honors And Elections
The Tucano series is a family of trainer/light attack aircraft. First flown in 1980, the EMB-312 Tucano is powered by a single 750-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop, while the Shorts Tucano variant is powered by an 1,100-shp AlliedSignal TPE331-12B-701A. These original models are no longer in production. The current production model is the EMB-314 Super Tucano, which has an extended fuselage, pressurized cockpit, a strengthened airframe, and uses a 1,600-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68C turboprop.
The Czech manufacturer's L-39 family includes two-seat trainers and single-seat light attack aircraft; all are single-engined. The most recent version is the L-159 and, although still available for order, no new aircraft have been produced since 2003. Power for the L-159 is provided by a 6,300-lb.-thrust ITEC (Honeywell/AIDC) F124-100 turbofan. The L-39 first flew in 1968, with the L-159 following in 1997. Nearly 3,000 aircraft in the series have been produced.
The Xian JH-7 is a two-seat, twin-engine fighter/bomber in service with the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (Planaf) and the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The aircraft is powered by two Xian WS-9 afterburning turbofan engines. First JH-7 flight took place in December 1988. An improved version, the JH-7A entered service with the Planaf in 2004.
The initial F-16 prototype first flew in 1974 and Lockheed Martin continues to produce the aircraft, which has also been built under license by a number of companies. The F-16A, C, and E are single-seat fighters, while the F-16B, D, and F are tandem-seat, combat-capable trainer versions. Power for the F-16 comes from a single augmented turbofan. In the Block 50/52 F-16C/D, this is either a 29,100-lb.-thrust Pratt & Whitney F-100-229 or a 29,500-lb.-thrust GE F110-129 engine. The Block 60 F-16E/F is powered by a 32,500-lb.-thrust GE F110-GE-132.
Fabrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA), previously known as Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina, produces the AT-63, an updated version of the tandem-seat IA-63 Pampa trainer/light attack aircraft. First flight of the IA-63 occurred in 1984, and deliveries began in 1988. It was powered by a single 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2N turbofan. Twenty-two IA 63 aircraft were produced, including three prototypes. The current AT-63 has a 3,500-lb.-thrust TFE731-2C, five weapons stations, and an avionics suite from Elbit.
A prototype of the MiG-29 twin-engine air-superiority fighter first flew in October 1977. The MiG-29 uses two 18,300-lb.-thrust Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 augmented turbofans. Variants include the carrier-based MiG-29K for the Indian navy and modernized MiG-35 for the Russian air force and export. The MiG-29 has gone through several updates, with the latest being the single-seat MiG-29SMT and two-seat MiG-29UBT. The SMT has new avionics and greater range, while the UBT incorporates many of the same upgrades in the tandem-seat configuration.
