Feb. 13-16—Practical Aeronautics Short Courses: “Introduction to Aeronautics, A Practical Perspective.” The Aero Institute, Palmdale, Calif. Also, March 19-22—National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, Va. Call +1 (970) 887-3155 or see www.practicalaero.com Feb. 14-19—Singapore Airshow. Changi Exhibition Center. Call +65 6542-8660, fax +65 6546-6062 or see www.singaporeairshow.com Feb. 15-16—FAA's 15th Annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington. See http://faa.gov/go/ast
First flight of the European Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator is planned for mid-2012 at the Istres flight-test center in France, where the air vehicle was assembled and rolled out late last month. The milestone began what is shaping up to be a critical year for UCAVs in Europe. Prime contractor Dassault says software integration is in its final stages, and ground and engine tests will start soon.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to distribute some of the minute samples its Hayabusa probe returned from the asteroid Itakowa. The spacecraft, which imaged its shadow against the type-S asteroid as it approached in the fall of 2005 (see photo), returned more than 1,000 asteroid particles measuring about 10 micrometers (0.0004 in.) despite control problems at its target (AW&ST Nov. 22, 2010, p. 18). The tiny samples have been analyzed by Japanese scientists and now will be available in a peer-reviewed opportunity.
David Fulghum (Washington), Bill Sweetman (Washington), Amy Butler (Washington)
How much of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's spiraling cost in recent years can be traced to China's cybertheft of technology and the subsequent need to reduce the fifth-generation aircraft's vulnerability to detection and electronic attack?
Research suggests that the ambitious performance goals of future long-endurance reconnaissance aircraft and highly efficient commercial transports may only be achievable by using very light structures and long, slender wings.
Actions may speak louder than words. So even though the U.K.'s new defense industrial strategy (DIS) says a lot about more competition and off-the-shelf procurement and little about support for its guided weapons and military aircraft sector, recent sole-source awards signal that London still has an active hand in backing its industry.
Christophe Tourne has been appointed global marketing manager of aerospace for the Process Systems business unit at Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Aurora, Ohio. He was key account manager and sales engineer at Kappa Optronics GmbH.
Aviation may not be a zero-sum game, but in Europe it may seem that way. As several midsize national carriers struggle, low-fare airlines are ready to profit further. But exuberance about the short-term opportunities is dampened by new competitive pressures on the horizon. With Spanair having ceased flying because of financial problems and Hungarian flag carrier Malev on the brink of insolvency, low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and EasyJet see opportunities to improve their own business.
The Asia-Pacific market has been the backbone of commercial aircraft orders and—even more critically for manufacturers—deliveries. The region's sustained growth is more than offsetting weaker demand from Europe, where economic turmoil still prevails. ATR has seen flurry of Asia-Pacific orders and expects more this year, including from Lion Air's Wings Air. ATR photo.
The Vega launch vehicle is the first European rocket to be developed in nearly two decades. But in a departure from Europe's recent past, the small-class Vega was not designed with the commercial launch market in mind.
You accord jeers to the European Union for its emissions trading system (AW&ST Dec. 19/26, 2011, p. 74), but surely it's the International Civil Aviation Organization that deserves them. ICAO, which had more than a decade since the Kyoto Protocols were set to devise a plan to combat aviation emissions, failed so badly that the EU was forced to do something. You may not agree with the EU's approach, but offer an alternative before you jeer too loudly. Torrens, Australia
In Burt Rutan's Stratolaunch design detailed in “The Big Drop” (AW&ST Dec 19-26, 2011, p. 26), are there specific reasons he did not locate the cockpit in the center fuselage for more balanced control; link the two tails together following the P-38 design for rigidity; or use propjets instead of pure jet for this straight-wing design? After all, the lifter is intended only for low air speed. Saratoga, Calif.
With fortuitous timing, as the U.S. Defense Department unveils plans for budget cuts, a government/industry consortium has released an open systems standard that promises to save money by enabling reuse of avionics software across Pentagon platforms. The Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) technical standard was released on Jan. 30, after just 18 months of work by a 39-member consortium managed by open-systems standards organization The Open Group.
The Pilatus PC-12 aircraft mentioned in the Inside Business Aviation column in the Jan. 16 edition (p. 14) is outfitted with a door that can accommodate cargo up to 4 ft. square.
Johanna O'Toole has been promoted to comptroller from director of administration and financial services of the Alexandria, Va.-based National Air Transportation Association. She was an account manager at Degnon and Associates.
Jan. 31-Feb. 2—Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group's Winter Planning Meeting. Hilton Palacio del Rio, San Antonio. Call +1 (937) 431-8106 or see www.arsaginc.com Feb. 2—Business Aviation Regional Forum. Landmark Aviation, Lakefront Airport, New Orleans. See www.nbaa.org/events/forums/20120202 Feb. 7-9—Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Program Review 2012. Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington. Call +1 (703) 845-9671 or see www.auvsi.org
Douglas Royce/Forecast International/www.forecastinternational.com
The fighter market is forecast to see increased growth during the next decade, primarily because of the impact of the Lockheed Martin F-35/Joint Strike Fighter program. The U.S. military is by far the world's largest potential market for fighters, and the Pentagon has centered its future fighter requirements entirely on the F-35 JSF program.
Researchers are all too familiar with the huge costs, high risks and frustratingly slow pace of high-speed flight testing, not to mention the scarcity of opportunities. Now a Colorado-based team is developing a small supersonic UAV (below) for low-risk testing at a fraction of the cost of existing systems. Dubbed the Gojett (graduate organization jet engine technology team), the ambitious project is aimed at breaking the supersonic test paradigm and filling part of the void left by retirement of reusable flying testbeds like the legendary X-15.
President Barack Obama wants to make the U.S. “the top tourist destination in the world,” he announced in a speech last week at Disney World. His plan would reverse a decline in the travel industry that insiders say is fueled by global competition, increased post-9/11 security regulations and a cumbersome visa process. The U.S. Travel Association refers to the drop-off in travel as the “lost decade,” saying the nation missed out on 78 million additional foreign visitors to the U.S., $37 billion in new tax revenues and 467,000 additional U.S. jobs.
The final investigation report on the June 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 into the Atlantic, with the loss of all 228 on board, will have far-reaching effects. Without a monumental, 22-month effort to recover the Airbus A330's flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the ocean's depths, the cause might never have been known—prompting French investigators to recommend ways to improve the chances of locating wreckage and recovering data in future accidents. These include triggering transmission of flight data via satellite the instant an emergency is detected.
Even with the business aviation market mired in recession, development of new turbine engines continues. Rolls-Royce's new 16,100-lb.-thrust BR725 powers Gulfstream's G650, which received its provisional certification in November. Gulfstream plans to begin deliveries of the $64 million flagship in the second quarter of 2012.
