Boeing and CargoLifter plan to jointly evaluate the merits of airship technology in an effort that could lead to joint development programs. The companies late last week announced that they signed a letter of intent ``to investigate business opportunities beyond CargoLifter's current focus.'' One of the future development angles could be a new stratospheric airship with civil and military applications. The agreement was signed by George Muellner, president of Boeing Phantom Works, and CargoLifter Chief Executive Officer Carl von Gablenz.
Fractional ownership operator Executive Jet Inc. has changed its name to NetJets Inc. Market research indicated that the two names were confusing to prospective customers, the media and NetJets fractional owners. Chairman/CEO Richard T. Santulli said the name change reflects fractional ownership as NetJets' primary business.
Cathay Pacific has placed firm orders for six aircraft--three Boeing 777-300s and three Airbus A330-300s--for delivery in 2003-04. The company anticipates returning furloughed aircraft to service. As expected of an airline with a maintenance affiliate that partners with Rolls-Royce, all of the new aircraft will be powered by Trent engines. The Hong Kong carrier currently operates five 777-200s and seven -300s, plus 20 A330s for short- and medium-range regional routes.
Britain is in talks with the U.S. and exploring the possibility of becoming a partner in the latter's X-45 uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle program, its involvement potentially modeled along the lines of its participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Substantive--though still described as informal--active discussions are taking place between British Defense Ministry officials and their Pentagon counterparts, according to British and American industrialists.
Russia's NPO Saturn and Snecma of France have submitted a joint proposal to equip the Sukhoi/Ilyushin/Boeing Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) with the SM146--a new turbofan engine being developed by the engine manufacturers. In addition, NPO Saturn and Snecma have agreed on a memorandum of understanding with the Central Institute of Aviation Motors, the All-Russia Institute of Aviation Materials, and the Gromov Flight Research Institute for engineering, materials and flight test support.
Reconnaissance aircraft will need a number of multiband, phased array antennas to provide the directional signals needed for the next generation of high-capacity data links for recce and intelligence networks. Scientists from the Air Force Research Laboratory, RST Scientific Research and Texas A&M University propose using a fiber-optic link to carry radio-frequency signals between the antenna and signal processor, avoiding the losses from coaxial cables and wave guides. Converting from RF to optical and back without distorting the RF signal is essential.
Rockwell Collins has demonstrated a high-speed satcom data link that will be available in September, giving passengers e-mail and Internet access on equipped aircraft. It will use the aircraft's existing satcom antenna and a Sat-906 high-power amplifier. The HST-900 high-speed transceiver provides 64 Kbps. and is designed for upgrade to new generations of high-speed links with minimal impact, according to Collins.
The U.S. Air Force has flight tested JDAM Mk. 82 guidance kits for 500-lb. warheads at Eglin AFB, Fla. An F-16 launched the weapon from 20,000 ft. on a flight path that scored a direct hit, according to Boeing. The Mk. 82 JDAM is scheduled to be available for the B-2 bomber in 2004.
David A. Kipp has become chief operating officer of the Transportation Div. of Ross & Baruzzini of St. Louis. He has been the project executive for several airports and airlines for aviation facility design projects.
USAF Lt. Gen. Robert C. Hinson, who has been deputy commander-in-chief of the U.S. Strategic Command at Offut AFB, Neb., has been confirmed as vice commander of the Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colo. He will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Thomas B. Goslin, Jr., who has been commander of the the command's Space Warfare Center. Goslin will, in turn, be succeeded by Brig. Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, who has been commander of the 3rd Wing of Pacific Air Forces at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Brig. Gen. John G.
SES Americom is seeking to offer satellite TV and high-speed Internet access services to U.S. residential users in a move that could affect plans to consolidate the American direct-to-home satellite broadcast market. Americom, which is owned by SES Global of Luxembourg, petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for a direct broadcast service (DBS) license at 105 deg. W. Long. and a Ku/Ka-band license at 105.5 deg. W.
American Airlines retired its last Boeing 727s last week after the final four flights departed from Miami on Apr. 30. At one time American operated 182 of the three-engine jets. The airline is replacing the 727s with Boeing 737-800s, which carry about the same number of people higher and farther while consuming 60% less fuel per passenger than its predecessor, according to American. In addition, the 727 is the last airplane in American's fleet to use a three-person cockpit crew.
Ken Douglas, Jane Freeman, Warren Larsen and John McDonald have been appointed to the board of directors of Air New Zealand. They succeed C.K. Cheong, Bill Wilson, Jim Farmer and Elizabeth Coutts. Douglas is a former president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions and national secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labor. Freeman is director of Publicis NZ Ltd. Larsen is former chief executive of the New Zealand Dairy Board, and McDonald is a former group commercial director and treasurer of Fletcher Challenge Ltd.
The FAA plans to fine American Airlines $247,500 for shipping an unmarked oxygen generator on a Federal Express aircraft in August 2001. The container was shipped from New York JFK Airport to American's maintenance base in Tulsa, Okla.
Why is there so much resistance from air traffic controllers to new technology? The controllers' quick response is ``safety,'' but the underlying issues are more complex. Controllers reflected on these and other issues at a recent forum here, sponsored by the European Guild of Air Traffic Services, and their insights are revealing. Persuading controllers to accept advanced technology in hopes of increasing efficiency is a tough sell.
Robert A.K. Mitchell, vice president-advanced systems development and leader of unmanned combat air vehicle initiatives for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems Sector, El Segundo, Calif., has received the Reed Aeronautics Award from the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Mitchell was cited ``for the development and international deployment of the Global Hawk system.''
Elbit Systems is considering taking a 24-30% stake in Israel's other main public defense company, Elisra. The Koor group, which owns Elisra, has been looking for an outside investor for several months. The arrangement could lead to Elbit taking an even larger share later as part of an Israeli government desire to see defense industry consolidation.
With the White House due to finish a homeland defense strategy by July 1, outside experts are urging the President to at least consider a cruise missile defense and a runway-alert perimeter defense to quell airborne terrorist threats. The costs are estimated at $20 billion for cruise missile protection (excluding up to $1 billion in annual operational costs) and $10 billion for air defense over a period of 10 years.
Cathay Pacific Airways says it will restructure its Air Hong Kong cargo subsidiary to focus on Asian markets. As of July 1, Air Hong Kong will halt services to Brussels, Manchester and Dubai. Two of the carrier's three 747-200 freighters will be returned to Cathay, which will use them in its long-haul freight operations. Cathay carried 73,018 metric tons of freight in March, up 11.4% over the previous year, reflecting a modest recovery in freight markets, particularly for long-haul operations.
A decade ago, 75% of the aircraft serving Tokyo's Narita airport were 747s. Times change. Recently J-AIR, a Japan Airlines subsidiary, became the first airline to use a regional jet at Narita, a Bombardier CRJ200, flying a route from Nagoya. The CRJ200's entry into service marks another trend--expansion of Narita now that it has a second runway (AW&ST Apr. 29, p. 22).
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is ready for several more years of ground-breaking science after checkout of upgrades installed in March. All of the new hardware meets expectations, and spectacular first images collected with the telescope's new camera surpass them with their breathtaking clarity. The new Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) survived its rough ride to space intact to produce a set of demonstration images that portend another wave of discoveries from the 12-year-old observatory.
With Northrop Grumman in dogged pursuit, TRW Inc. was poised last week to begin sharing nonpublic information with parties who had expressed interest in one segment of the company and with whom TRW had signed confidentiality agreements. Meanwhile, Northrop was appealing directly to shareholders, urging them to keep the company's offer for TRW alive by voting for a proposal on May 3 that would authorize Northrop's acquisition of all outstanding TRW shares. Not to be outdone, TRW management was urging shareholders to reject the proposal.
A flight attendant sustained a broken arm and leg last week when United Airlines Flight 862 encountered clear-air turbulence about 3 hr. out of Sidney, Australia. The Boeing 747-400, en route to San Francisco with 269 passengers and 21 crew on board, was at 30,000 ft. when the event occurred. Six others suffered minor injuries. The aircraft diverted and landed without incident in Auckland, New Zealand.
A new U.S. congressional analysis suggests that the American and Russian military aviation industries share similar pressures; among them the need for continuing consolidation and the drive to sell more aircraft overseas. Russian aviation services in the forefront of international marketing efforts comprise airframe and wind tunnel tests, wind tunnel construction, aircraft control systems design, software development and flight simulator experiments.
Hubert G. Smith and Douglas P. Wolfe have been named senior vice presidents of the Metropolitan Nashville (Tenn.) Airport Authority. Smith was vice president-air cargo and Wolfe vice president-finance.
