Honeywell also said it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army to begin building its T55-GA-714A upgraded gas turbine engine for the Army's CH-47D Chinook. The contract's value is estimated at $1.1 billion over the next eight years if all engine options are exercised.
Wencor recently received several parts manufacturing approvals for additional component, engine and airframe parts, including ball bearings replacement for Honeywell transport-category bearings and a ball bearing, spring, terminal washer, insulator and pump liner to replace Hamilton Standard ones found on various commercial aircraft.
When you're caught in a storm, some people build shelters and defenses; others build windmills,'' declared Claus Mortensen, director Administration&Business Support at SAS Component. ``We're trying to build windmills.''
When most people envision the United States Coast Guard, they picture daring helicopter pilots and rescue swimmers saving struggling yachtsmen and merchant sailors from stormy seas. Or, they picture small cutters patrolling inland coastal waters. This is only a fraction of the service's mission, which also includes counter narcotics, migrant interdiction, fisheries enforcement, marine safety and port security. But for the past half year, the Coast Guard's focus has shifted to Homeland Security&Defense-type missions.
As the civil aerospace industry founders, many manufacturers, suppliers and repair facilities are re-focusing and re-thinking their futures. Companies with the bulk -- or in some cases, all -- of their business in aerospace are taking a hard look at how they can apply their aviation equipment and knowledge to other industries. And those that already are diversified are looking for ways to branch out even more, further reducing their reliance on the aviation industry's sharp peaks and valleys.
Boeing said it plans to pursue the replacement market for aging government transport and head-of-state aircraft. The airframe OEM said a recent study indicates that half of the world's fleet is more than 20 years old and those aging aircraft are candidates to be replaced in the next 10 years. The new focus is part of an overall strategy to consolidate the sale of Boeing jetliners, regardless of their final application, to government and military customers.
JetBlue Airways installed four cameras in the passenger cabin of an Airbus A320 in late February to enhance security. The carrier plans to retrofit the rest of its existing fleet and install cameras on new A320s as they arrive. By the end of 2002, 34 JetBlue A320s will feature these security devices. Other carriers are investigating the in-cabin cameras, but no other U.S. airline has so far committed to installing them.
EADS/CASA Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) mission equipment is to be installed in two of the eight CASA C-212-200 light turboprop twins operated by the Mexican navy, from a January contract signed with Mexico's Naval Secretary. This also includes maintenance, repair and modernization, and provides for the creation of a mission support center.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced total billings exceeded $14 billion in 2001, which represents a 4% increase from 2000. Turboprop and business jet sales rose 1.4% and 3.6%, respectively, but piston aircraft sales fell 8.9%.
Rockwell Collins named Ken Statler vice president of manufacturing operations. He has been with Rockwell Collins for 14 years, including most recently serving as vice president of Lean Electronics.
Honeywell has been selected by the U.K. Ministry of Defence to provide complete depot support for the Honeywell T55 engines that power the U.K. MoD's Chinook helicopters. The five-year, $80 million contract includes T55s on Chinook Model HC2, HC2a and HC3s and establishes a strategic partnering agreement with the U.K.'s Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA), which will perform the overhaul, repair and testing of the engines.
Korean Air's Maintenance&Engineering division employs 3,600 people at four main facilities in South Korea: Gimpo airport, Incheon airport and Bucheon in the northern part of the country, and Gimhae in the south. In addition to working to improve the safety of its operations, the airline's five-year maintenance plan includes JAA approval, improvement of computerized systems, installation of advanced avionics, and Boeing 737 Next Generation and Airbus A330 maintenance capability development.
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration (LMSI) has upgraded the avionics and weapons on the first of six Spanish Naval Aviation (AAAE) Sikorsky S-70B-1 Seahawks from a $77.4 million FMS contract finalized in mid-2001. Upgraded equipment includes new communications and navigation systems, a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, plus provision for Boeing/
Derco Repair Services signed a five-year agreement to coordinate the distribution of all airborne commercial products for Litton Systems' Life Support Division, a Northrop Grumman company.
Major upgrades of existing combat and support equipment are expected to predominate Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) modernization plans over the next decade. Experts predict some C$12 billion ($7.56 billion) should be allocated for required funding. Increases of about 23% in equipment procurement appropriations, which totaled 18.8% of the C$11.39 billion ($7.18 billion) FY2001-2002 Canadian defense budget, will be needed to meet this target. Whether this is achievable in the face of other budget priorities, remains to be seen.
Rolls-Royce has doubled its market share in the repair and overhaul of its civil engines over the past five years. The company says it now maintains 56% of its engines and that its aftermarket services account for 40% of the company's revenue.
Total Aircraft Services received upgraded authorization from FAA at its Van Nuys (Calif.) Airport facility. The company now possesses Class 3 and Class 4 unlimited airframe ratings for metallic aircraft and updated Limited powerplant ratings to include Pratt&Whitney JT15Ds, Rolls-Royce Speys and Tays, GE CJ610s and CF700s, Honeywell TFE-731s and TPE-331s.
FLS Aerospace expects to receive a contract worth $130 million from the Irish government to convert Sikorsky S-92 helicopters from passenger to freighter configurations. FLS expects to receive that contract either this year or early 2003. The work would be done at FLS's Dublin facility.
Delta Air Lines accelerated the planned retirement of its Boeing 727s from early 2005 to late 2003. To replace those aircraft, the airline received 11 new aircraft in late 2001 and plans to take delivery of 13 additional aircraft in 2002 and 2003.
What do Elvis Presley, country music and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore have in common? They all have roots in Tennessee, and the same increasingly is true of regional jet maintenance.
Boeing completed installation of a 737 Next Generation glass cockpit in the first of 16 U.S. Navy E-6B 707 communications aircraft. Under a $123 million contract, Boeing will replace the fleet's analog cockpit instruments with flat-panel digital displays and dual flight management systems. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in the second quarter, with delivery to the Navy scheduled for the third quarter. Retrofit of the fleet is expected to be completed in 2005.
Watch for a draft screw thread/ fastener specification that will supercede the inactive Mil-S-8879C. The Fastener Improvement Team, recently renamed the Aerospace Industry Screw Thread Conformity Task Force to promote broader industry participation, expects to release the draft this month (O&M, December 2001). The group already has resolved several key issues, including provision for clearance between mating threads to prevent assembly issues for non-standard lengths.
