Elbit Systems and Northrop Grumman are developing a terrain-following/terrain-avoidance (TF/TA) system to improve tactical, low-level flight safety for military fixed- and rotary-wing transports. The TF/TA system has already been selected for integration into an ongoing C-130 upgrade program. It could help pilots carrying out combat search-and-rescue or special operations missions and although the companies did not say so, other applications could include guiding cruise missiles.
Given the international impasse over the conflict in Syria, “practical measures,” such as the interception of civilian aircraft, will become increasingly important for neighboring countries seeking to restrict Syrian forces' access to military goods from external sources, say analysts at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). The analysts offered the observation after Turkey's air force intercepted a Syrian Air Airbus A320-200, on a scheduled flight from Moscow to Damascus and forced it to land.
Although the two sides are in a second round of confidential contract talks, tensions between the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (Speea) and Boeing are still being played out in public. Speea has complained to the National Labor Relations Board that Boeing illegally videotaped union members as they engaged in “solidarity marches to support contract negotiations,” and seized employees' cameras to delete photos of the activities.
President, Boeing China, Age 39 Marc Allen has integrated Boeing's operations, partnerships and relationships in China since taking over as president. He has focused on creating a positive culture where employees are called to seize stretch opportunities, take risks, create and truly contribute.
Oct. 22-24—SAFE Association's 50th Annual Symposium. Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, Reno, Nev. Call +1 (541) 895-3012 or see www.safeassociation.org Oct. 22-24—Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. Washington Convention Center. See www.ausa.org/meetings/2012 Oct. 22-25—Practical Aeronautics Short Course: “Introduction to Aeronautics—A Practical Perspective.” Wright Brothers Institute, Dayton, Ohio. See www.practicalaero.com
An order for 50 737s, its largest ever from Alaska Airlines, moves Boeing closer to surpassing the 1,000 mark this year for the new-engine MAX series and underscores the emphasis major carriers are placing on larger, more fuel-efficient single-aisle transports.
Russia has further delayed the delivery of the refurbished aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to India. “We have detected a malfunction in the boiler and power plant of the ship,” says Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. “We have given the revised schedule of the delivery of the aircraft carrier to the Indian side.” Russian officials believe handover will happen in the fourth quarter of 2013.
This week, Aviation Week & Space Technology publishes two editions. On the cover far left, we feature some of the rising stars of aerospace and aviation who are profiled in “40 Under Forty” (see page 32). The cover of our Defense Technology Edition, near left, shows Aeros Corp's Pelican, an innovative rigid-aeroshell, variable-buoyancy demonstrator (see page 46). The defense edition also includes additional pages of features in a special section starting after page 30.
Although I have not received your magazine for 40 years, I recently had the opportunity to read your July 2 issue. It is still the outstanding informative publication that I remember from back when I was involved in aerospace and defense at General Electric in the 1950s and '60s. I found Aviation Week to be a bountiful source of accurate information back then. In fact, I used to worry that too much knowledge might be made available to the Russians.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration often finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons. Congressional Republicans in particular have routinely subjected the agency to hearing after hearing that have put TSA officials on the defensive. And airline passengers cannot help but object to screening measures often decried as invasive. What goes unreported is the significant progress the TSA is making in assessing risks to more efficiently distribute resources.
Managing Director of Propulsion Maintenance, FedEx Express, Age 34 Justin Brownlee joined FedEx directly out of college in 2000. Eight years later, at just 30 years old, he was selected as managing director-propulsion for FedEx Express, making him one of the youngest managing directors in the company.
Group Vice President, Aviation Supply Chain, AAR Corp., Age 35 John Holmes left investment banking and joined AAR Corp. in 2001 to focus on mergers and acquisitions, reporting directly to CEO David Storch at just 24 years old. Today, after a decade of successes and increasing responsibilities, he is a member of AAR's senior leadership team, charged with heading the company's aviation supply chain group.
Senior Editor Graham Warwick writes about China's first fully autonomous flights of a vertical-takeoff-and-landing tactical unmanned aircraft—the SVU-200—designed for Hunan Sunward Science and Technology of Changsha, China, by Dennis Fetters, a self-described “gypsy rotorcraft designer.” Several photos and a video are included. Illlini Rob notes:
Luke Chiang (see photo) has joined Dallas-based BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul as Singapore-based regional sales manager. He was regional director of sales at Jet Aviation Singapore. Grant Boast (see photo) has been named sales manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, and Wayne Thomson has become field service engineer for Australasia.
Reader Dale Jensen's statements about kerosene/oxygen engines are off the mark (AW&ST Oct. 1, p. 10). Almost all kerosene/oxygen engines operate at a mixture ratio of approximately 2:25 ratio of oxygen to kerosene, which produces the best overall vehicle performance. Running rocket engines at higher mixture ratios to “burn all the fuel” (stochiometric) actually results in lower performance and introduces higher temperatures and material problems. The high ISP figures he cites are for hydrogen/oxygen engines, not kerosene/oxygen powerplants.
