Dassault Rafale First flight of the Rafale occurred in 1986; initial deliveries were made in 1999. The Rafale is available in single- or two-seat configurations, and serves as a land- or sea-based air superiority, air combat and ground attack aircraft. The prototype was powered by two GE F404-GE-400 augmented turbofans (16,860 lb. thrust each); production aircraft use two Snecma M88-2 augmented turbofans rated 16,400 lb. thrust each. A total of 51 Rafales were produced through 2006. Production of approximately 150 Rafale aircraft is forecast from 2007-16.
Air Force acquisition czar Sue Payton says she doesn’t plan to apply new guidance from the Pentagon leadership for extended prototyping to the Combat Search and Rescue-X helicopter and KC-X refueling tanker programs. That guidance, issued by acting Pentagon acquisition chief John Young, calls for funding competitive “technically mature” prototypes through the system development phase. Noting that in the cases of CSAR-X and KC-X the designs are family mature, Payton suggests prototyping would be useful for future programs such as the 2018 bomber now under consideration.
Alenia C-27J This short/medium-range STOL transport was developed as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Alenia. The prototype C-27J was a modified Alenia G.222 with an upgraded cockpit and two 4,637-lb.-thrust Rolls-Royce AE 2100D2 turboprop engines. The C-27J can carry 34-46 paratroopers or 46-68 infantry soldiers. The C-27J first flew in 1999. It recently was selected as winner of the U.S. Army/Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft program.
Erika Schledewitz has been promoted to general manager from customer service representative at the Wichita Falls, Tex., fixed-base operation of Landmark Aviation.
David Gitlin (see photo) has become vice president/general manager of Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems of San Diego. He was vice president-Pratt & Whitney programs for Hamilton Sundstrand Engine & Control Systems.
Schweizer 300C This piston-powered light utility and training helicopter is offered for a variety of dedicated military missions, including introductory pilot training and scout/observation. Some 1,062 helicopters were produced through 2006 and another 612 are expected from 2007-16.
Lockheed Martin has completed proof pressure testing of its supersonic Revolutionary Approach To Time-critical Long Range Strike (Rattlrs) vehicle. Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, Rattlrs is a science and technology missile demonstrator tentatively scheduled to make its first flight early in 2008, says Bruce Schielke, manufacturing director for the program. He says the pressure testing is a “significant milestone” leading to Rattlrs demonstrating an integrated turbine engine and airframe propulsion system capable of speeds above Mach 3.
Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules The C-130 is a four-engine, turboprop-powered military transport. A number of variants have been produced, including the AC-130 gunship and KC-130 tanker. First flight occurred in 1954. The current production model is the C-130J, which made its initial flight in 1996. The C-130J incorporates 4,591-shp. Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 engines, new avionics and other improvements. Approximately 2,300 C-130s were produced through 2006, with an additional 141 C-130Js expected in the 2007-16 period. Competition includes the Airbus A400M.
Europrop International, the consortium developing the TP400-D6 engine for the Airbus Military A400M, has appointed a new president. Nick Durham has been named to succeed Jose Massol, who has left the company. Durham was director of services at Rolls-Royce Defense Aerospace. Snecma Chief Executive Phillippe Petitcolin will become non-executive chairman.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has approved the next phase of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) system, which it is co-funding with the European Commission. Confirming the enthusiasm they showed when GMES was kicked off in late 2005, the ESA member states pledged €500 million ($710 million)—16% more than requested—for the so-called Phase 2, Segment 1 phase that covers development of the first three dedicated Sentinel GMES spacecraft and their related ground segment.
Saab JAS 39 Gripen The Gripen is a single-engine, single- and twin-seat, multirole combat aircraft. The first prototype made its initial flight in 1988, followed in 1992 by the first flight of the initial production aircraft. Deliveries began in mid-1993. The Gripen is powered by a single Volvo/GE RM12 turbofan engine rated at 18,000 lb. thrust with afterburning. In 1995, Saab and BAE joined forces to develop, produce and market export versions. In September 2001, the two companies established Gripen International to focus on export sales.
Hawker Beechcraft T-6 Texan In 1990, Beech teamed with Pilatus to propose the T-6A (based on the latter’s PC-9 Mk II trainer) for the U.S. Air Force/Navy Joint Primary Aircraft Trainer System (JPATS) program. The T-6A is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine rated at 1,100 shp. The T-6A was selected as the JPATS winner in 1995, with the two services ordering 418 T-6As; more than 300 have been delivered.
Greece signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the U.S. for sale of multiple warhead variants of Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire II missiles for the Hellenic Army’s AH-64 Apaches and Navy’s SH-60B Seahawks. Variants include the high-explosive anti-tank round, blast fragmentation missile and metal-augmented charge weapon for enclosures and personnel.
The Transportation Security Clearinghouse (TSC) reduced the fee it charges for electronic processing of fingerprint records and name-based background checks for aviation workers to $27 from $29 on Oct. 1, saying it will save the aviation industry more than $1 million per year. The TSC, a subsidiary of the American Assn. of Airport Executives, processes the data in the U.S. only.
Northrop Grumman says its directed infrared technology countermeasures (Dircm) technology is ready for testing if the Defense Dept. begins studying missile defense systems for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). The CRAF comprises about 800 airliners contracted to ferry troops and supplies around the world. Legislation introduced by Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) would direct the Pentagon to study the feasibility of equipping the CRAF with technology to thwart attacks by man-portable air defense systems.
EADS Mako Currently in the definition stage, the Mako is envisioned as a family of single- and two-seat, supersonic advanced trainer and light combat aircraft. The planned engine is a 16,860-lb.-thrust GE F414MT turbofan. The program began in 1989 (as the AT-2000) as a collaboration between Dornier (since merged into EADS) and Aermacchi. Aermacchi left the program in 1994.
Greg Collett has become director of new product development and manufacturing operations for Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, Ga. He was director of final-phase manufacturing.
AgustaWestland Lynx This twin-engine, multirole military and commercial helicopter has been produced in a variety of models for anti-submarine warfare, training, utility and transport roles. The Super Lynx 300 series aircraft, currently in production, is powered by a pair of LHTEC CTS800 turboshaft engines rated at 1,362 shp. each.
Michael A. Taverna and Neelam Mathews (Hyderabad, India)
U.S. small satellite manufacturers fear that a plan to shift NASA launches from the Delta II to the Delta IV could force them to move offshore for their spacecraft launches.
HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft The HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is a single-seat light combat aircraft. A two-seat trainer version also is being developed. Initial aircraft are powered by GE F404-GE-F2J3 augmented turbofans rated 18,100 lb. thrust each, although later aircraft will feature the Gas Turbine Research Establishment GTX-35VS Kaveri augmented turbofan now under development. LCA first flight occurred in 2001. Nine prototypes were built through 2006. A total of 117 aircraft may be produced from 2007-16.
Bell 206 The single-engine Bell 206 can be used in such military roles as flight training, forward observation/scout, light attack, liaison, and search and rescue. More than 360 Bell 206 series helicopters are operated by military and paramilitary organizations worldwide. However, no additional production specifically for military applications is anticipated. Through 2006, Bell produced 6,931 helicopters, with another 103 forecast to be built in the next several years.
Russia dusted off and declassified an almost 30-year-old missile design for display—the 3M-25 Meteorit supersonic strategic cruise missile—at the recent Moscow air show (MAKS). But why present a program canceled in the early 1990s? NPO Mashinostroenia’s Meteorit (Meteorite) program had been intended to develop a “universal” cruise missile for air, surface and submarine launch. The turbojet-powered weapon would cruise at 75,000 ft. beyond Mach 3.
LMAASA AT-63 Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA (LMAASA) produces the AT-63, a new version of the IA 63 trainer. First flight of the IA 63 occurred in 1984, followed by initial production deliveries in 1988. The IA 63 Pampa is powered by a single 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2-2N turbofan engine. A total of 22 IA 63 aircraft were produced, including three flying prototypes. The last IA 63 was built in 1999. The new AT-63 has a 3,500-lb.-thrust Honeywell TFE731-2C turbofan engine, five weapons stations and an avionics suite from Elbit.
Supersonic flight has come a long way since the first manned flight to exceed Mach 1 in 1947, and to mark the 60th anniversary of that milestone, Aviation Week & Space Technology looks at what comes next.
Chengdu Aircraft J-10 The first flight of the J-10 combat aircraft occurred in March 1998. The program remains in the early production phase. The single-engine, single-seat interceptor/ground attack aircraft is powered by a Lyulka Saturn AL-31FN turbofan rated at 27,560 lb. thrust with reheat, though the Chinese have been working on the development of the WS-10 engine as well. Deliveries of the first batch of aircraft began in 2005, with 16 produced so far. Current production estimates stand at 240 J-10s for 2007-16.
