Singapore Airlines this month starts commercial service with the Airbus A380, an aircraft that has undergone a more thorough test regime prior to service entry than almost any other aircraft. The unusually large number of flight hours the mega-transport has under its belt should help avoid major glitches during the crucial first few months when all eyes will be on it. But just in case, a vast number of specialists are standing at the ready to ensure that the professional debut on the public stage is not marred by service delays or other hiccups.
Oct. 29-31—SAFE Assn.’s 45th Annual Symposium. Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Hotel, Reno, Nev. Call +1 (541) 895-3012, fax +1 (541) 895-3014 or see www.safeassociation.com Oct. 29-Nov. 2—University of Kansas Aerospace Short Course: “Rotorcraft Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity.” Call +1 (785) 864-5823 or see www.continuinged.ku.edu/aero
Boeing has captured a $70-million contract to begin upgrading U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard F-15Cs with Raytheon’s APG-63(v)3 active, electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar. The contract covers six systems and a spare to the ANG, plus one system to the USAF. Six more are to be delivered annually to the ANG for a total of 48. The company stresses reliability as the reason for the change. But the radar has almost three times the range of a conventional radar (more than 150 mi. vs.
The new, light sport aircraft are something to be welcomed. However, did anyone look at what they can carry at higher altitudes? I live in the Denver area at approximately 5,000 ft. On a summer day, temperatures of between 95-100F are not uncommon. I doubt if many of these aircraft can get off the ground with two adults on board. Many of the writers on these aircraft are ignoring an obvious danger by not mentioning these high-altitude problems. Perhaps the FAA should consider some light sport aircraft standards for higher altitudes.
Chuck Simmons has been named director of flight operations for Wing Aviation Charter Services of Houston. He was chief pilot for American Jet International.
Amabel Grant (see photo) has been named vice president-international business of Exostar , Herndon, Va. She led the team that developed the e-tendering system for the London 2012 Olympics for Hedra plc.
Raytheon’s directed-energy group has demonstrated a 20-kw. laser that can detonate mortar rounds at 500 meters. It comprises 40 low-power lasers bundled together and boresighted, but operating without the use of a beam-control device. Raytheon plans to upgrade the lasers for longer range anti-artillery and anti-unmanned aircraft missions. The company also fired a kilowatt-class, solid-state illuminator for the Airborne Laser program more than 50 times for up to 90 sec.
Richard B. Hirst has been named senior vice president-corporate affairs and administration and Tammy L. Lee vice president-corporate communications of Northwest Airlines. Hirst was in his post until 1999 and had been interim head of corporate communications since July 30. Lee was a vice president of Bernstein Global Management in Minneapolis.
NASA’s Landsat Data Continuity Mission and Juno, its Jupiter probe, both will use United Launch Alliance Atlas V boosters for their 2011 liftoffs under new contracts just announced. Landsat will use a 401 configuration—a 4-meter (13-ft.) fairing and no strap-on boosters—for a launch from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The larger Juno payload will require the Atlas V 551 configuration of a 5-meter payload fairing and five strap-on solid rocket motor boosters to propel it to Jupiter. It will be launched from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla.
For four years, Boeing has had the happy task of reporting record orders for the 787, the 21st century’s first commercial jet and one that sent rival Airbus scrambling to launch a worthy competitor. Now it’s the U.S. manufacturer that is scrambling, admitting that first flight and deliveries of the 200-300-seat long-haul Dreamliner will be six months late.
Aer Lingus is turning to the European Court of First Instance to try to force Ryanair to unload the shares the low-fare carrier holds in its Irish rival. As part of its attempt to take over Aer Lingus, Ryanair now holds more than 29% of the carrier. But the European Commission has so far nixed the deal—Ryanair is trying to get that decision overturned—as well as Aer Lingus’s request to force Ryanair to sell its stake. Brussels says it doesn’t have the legal authority to force the stock sale. Aer Lingus is now turning to the courts to have that decision overturned.
A “resurgent Russia” worries the commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, Gen. David McKiernan, and his concerns are heightened by the resumption of long-range reconnaissance missions and the sale of arms to politically worrisome nations. If Russia becomes a military threat, however, the signs will come from other indicators, such as reorganization and expansion of heavy armored units and actions outside Russia’s borders against neighbors like Georgia or Azerbaijan.
The Italian defense ministry and national space agency ASI, which are co-funding the CosmoSkyMed radar imaging system, have declared it operational and released its first images.
Boeing has delivered the first factory-installed, dual-cockpit F/A-18F joint helmet-mounted cueing system to the U.S. Navy. The aircraft, whose crew can now designate targets simply by looking at them, goes to VX-9 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif. The company also won a $600,000 Air Force Research Laboratory contract to develop the Seeker Integrated Target Endgame Sensor advanced guidance system for the next-generation Joint Dual Role Air Dominance Missile.
Germany and France are in talks to cooperate on logistics support for the A400M airlifter, although Paris has not yet firmly agreed. Nevertheless, Germany is going ahead by asking industry to prepare bids for A400M technical and logistic support services focused initially on the country’s 60 airlifters, with the ability to expand the deal to other partners. Support of France’s 50 A400Ms is a potential option. The German contract is to be fully in place by August 2010 to support what will be two wings of A400Ms to be based at Wunstorf and Alt Duvenstedt.
Volvo Aero received a contract from Pratt & Whitney, the main partner with General Electric on the Engine Alliance GP7200 for the Airbus A380, to reduce the weight of the turbine exhaust case. The engine maker determined it needed to change the design of the load-carrying component and Volvo has promised a 10% weight reduction in the process. Production of the component is set to begin in 2010 after a series of tests to validate the new turbine exhaust case design.
In “Lightning Strikes Out” (AW&ST Oct. 1, p. 36), Douglas Barrie and Amy Butler report that Lockheed Martin is having trouble obtaining early F-35 purchase commitments from other program partners. The U.K., for example, has said it probably will buy up to 150 F-35s to fill its Joint Combat Aircraft requirement—important when economies of scale are needed to keep unit costs down. Unit F-35 costs originally projected at $35 million have escalated to $122 million.
The Italian government is trying to resolve a legal challenge with the European Union regarding state aid Rome granted through the Ministry of Economic Development to Finmeccanica units Alenia Aeronautics, AgustaWestland and AleniaAermacchi. Rome rejects Brussels’s ruling that the loans represented a subsidy. However, Finmeccanica now proposes to repay the loans in a lump sum. The schedule had called for the company to repay €320 million ($452 million) this year and €120 million in 2008-18. But there’s little financial risk to the state-owned company.
The U.S. Army Aviation Center Logistics Command at Ft. Rucker (Ala.) won a 2007 Shingo bronze medallion for significant improvements in its maintenance and supply operations, which are conducted by contractor L-3 Communications. This is the first government-owned, contractor-operated team to receive the Shingo Prize, which recognizes business excellence and creates an increased awareness of lean manufacturing principles and techniques. Training for the Ft.
Luc Missorten has been named to the board of directors of Leuven, Belgium-based LMS . He has been executive vice president/chief financial officer at UCB and INBEV.
Southwest Airlines, in partnership with Bags to Go Enterprises, is offering off-site check-in service to help cruise passengers smoothly transfer from ship to air. On disembarking the ship, passengers present baggage to the Bags to Go agent who checks the bags and issues a Southwest boarding pass. The luggage is shipped to the airport in a secure vehicle, screened by the TSA and loaded on the flight. Passengers may bypass the main ticket counter and proceed to the departure gate.
Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington), Michael A. Taverna (Turin, Italy)
Orbitor : Discovery (OV-103) will be making its 34th flight. The OV-103 orbiter last flew on STS-121 in July 2006. Launch Date: Oct. 23 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A, for a 14-day flight.
Your editorial “ . . . Ban Passenger Bumping” describes the problem but not much of a solution. Airlines will keep overbooking. Checking who purchased what ticket and when, while trying to board last-minute standbys on nearly full airplanes may cause more departure confusion and delays.
