Although spiraling jet fuel costs, plummeting profits and high debt levels are threatening the survival of its domestic carriers, India's burgeoning demand is expected to pull the beleaguered aviation sector through the current turbulence.
The outlook for the commercial airliner supply chain should be rosy, but heightened demand and increased production rates have coincided with a near-global sustained economic turmoil—creating epic uncertainties for every link in the chain. GKN Aerospace and Land Systems CEO Marcus Bryson met in London with Aviation Week International Editor Robert Wall to discuss this matter, including concerns about suppliers' access to capital and their ability to sustain quality as production rates spike.
For a big-budget program that's behind schedule and over budget, two ingredients are helpful for keeping it on track—vision and image. The FAA's Next-Generation Air Transportation System recently got a boost from both, with the opening of a new test- bed managed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the Daytona Beach (Fla.) International Airport. VIPs at the recent rollout were swooning over everything from the room-sized video monitor showing each phase of a simulated flight departure to a room full of the coolest conference chairs on the planet.
Spring 2012 at NAS Patuxent River, Md., and an unusual shape joins the F-35 Joint Strike Fighters flying the pattern at the U.S. Navy's test center. The tailless flying wing is Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D), being prepared for autonomous landings on an aircraft carrier in 2013.
If aircraft carriers enable the U.S. to project force, keeping those forces over the battle falls to its aerial-refueling tanker fleet. Automated tanking will be critical to the persistent surveillance and deep-strike capabilities envisioned for unmanned combat aircraft. So it makes sense that, once it has shown it can operate from a carrier, the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator should be tasked with proving autonomous aircraft can refuel in flight from the same tankers, and using the same methods, as manned aircraft.
Feb. 1-2—MRO Middle East 2012. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Feb. 14-16 —Aerospace & Defense Technology and Affordability Requirements. Arlington, Va. March 7—54th Annual Laureate Awards. Washington. March 13-14—Innovation Supply Chain Showcase. Orlando, Fla. April 3-5—MRO Americas 2012. Dallas. April 3-5—MRO Military Conference & Exhibition. Dallas. April 23-25—NextGen Ahead: Air Transportation Modernization. Washington. May 8-9—Civil Aviation Manufacturing. Charlotte, N.C.
Dec. 14—Aerospace Industries Association's Year-End Review and Forecast. Mayflower Hotel, Washington. See www.aia-aerospace.org Jan. 11-13—Association of United States Army's ILW Aviation Symposium and Exposition. Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center. National Harbor, Md. See www.ausa.org/meetings/2012/symposia
The U.S. avoided one catastrophe this summer when Congress raised the debt ceiling and averted default. But another calamity is waiting in the wings. If Congress does not intercede following the failure of its “Super Committee,” nearly $1 trillion in cuts will fall on the military—most of them mindless across-the-board automatic reductions that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says will “devastate” national security.
A Royal Air Force Hawk Mk 128 (top) flies in formation with a restored T-38 painted in U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds colors and owned by the Gulf Alliance. BAE Systems photographer Jim Wilson was perched open air in the tail gunner position of a B-25 during the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show in October. BAE brought two Hawks for an air show stint in the U.S. as part of its campaign with teammate Northrop Grumman for selection of a Hawk variant in the USAF T-X program to succeed the T-38C fast-jet trainer.
Regarding the Up Front column “Hawker's Future in China” (AW&ST Nov. 7, p. 14), similar to what the Gulfstream V did for Gulfstream, Hawker Beechcraft needs a “Hail Mary” play.
In response to your interview with National Reconnaissance Office Director Bruce Carlson (AW&ST Nov. 14, p. 56), here is my perspective as a retired U.S. Air Force general/program director and a vice president/general manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems. What does an underrun mean to a contractor? Underruns translate to greater return on sales and profits, and higher earnings before interest and taxes. Underruns keep customers happy.
Reader Virgil Soule is correct that a low disc-loading tiltwing would be simpler and lighter than an equivalent tiltrotor (AW&ST Oct. 3, p. 8). The problem occurs in trying to transition from hover to forward flight. At low speeds when the wing is upright, it becomes a huge speed-brake making it nearly impossible to attain a high enough speed for the wing to translate down enough unstall.
I was a little surprised by your Top 10 A&D deals table (AW&ST Sept. 26, p. 28). It lists Snecma as being acquired by Safran in 2005 for $6.2 billion, but in fact Safran was created in 2005 by the merger of Snecma and Sagem. Snecma was the larger company, but the merger was structured as an acquisition by Sagem. The new group subsequently sold off Sagem's mobile phone and telecommunications businesses to focus on aerospace, defense and security. Paris, France
Wall also reported on the United Arab Emirates' invitation to Eurofighter to bid its Typhoon for its combat aircraft replacement and how this was another swipe by the UAE at Dassault and its Rafale offering. Taildragger responds: What Dassault needs is a well-trained and savvy sales staff and crew that also sells airliners. Wheel and deal! And SufaViper notes:
Kenneth L. Bedingfield (see photo) has been appointed Falls Church, Va.-based corporate VP, controller and chief accounting officer of Northrop Grumman Corp., succeeding Kenneth N. Heintz, who will retire next year.
Charles Schubert has been named VP-network planning and Andrew Backover VP-corporate communications at American Airlines. Pedro Fabregas was selected as senior VP-customer service for American Eagle. Schubert succeeds Walter Aue, who will retire after 37 years with the company, and Backover follows Roger Frizzel, who left the company. Fabregas replaces George Hazy, who will retire after 32 years.
Luis Gomes has joined Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., Guildford, England, as director of the Earth observation and science unit. He was head of business for the unit.
Benet Wilson (see photo) has been named director of media relations for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Frederick, Md. She joins AOPA from Aviation Week, where she was online managing editor for business aviation and a reporter for The Weekly of Business Aviation.
Arlene Wilson (see photo) has been appointed program assistant for the University of Central Florida Business Incubator at Daytona International Airport, Daytona Beach, Fla. Wilson held an administrative position for ITT Community Development Corp.
William Cikos has become director of finance and administration for Purolator International, Jericho, N.Y. He was director of finance responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa for the Estee Lauder Companies.
Mason Peck has been named NASA's chief technologist through an intergovernmental personnel agreement with Cornell University, where he is an associate professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He succeeds Robert Braun, who returned to his teaching and research positions at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
David Surley (see photo) has joined Cambridge Airport in England as senior business manager. He was head of customer services and route development at London Oxford Airport.
Bryan F. McCreary has become VP-fluid and business development for Integrated Deicing Services, Manchester, N.H. He was North American business manager for Clariant Corp.
