Julie Robinson, who oversees U.S.-side science on the International Space Station (ISS), names a one-time dark horse as her No. 1 research result to date from the orbiting laboratory. Medical researchers started running experiments in space more than a decade ago to see if working in microgravity would make it possible to encapsulate cancer drugs in tiny bubbles that could be targeted on specific tumors in the body. It turns out that it was, as the crew of ISS Expedition 5 discovered in 2002.
Intertrade, which facilitated the establishment of the airliner surplus parts supplier business four decades ago, has added engine parts to its portfolio, completing its evolution from a one-product specialist to a full-service used-components supplier.
In “Wide Opening” (AW&ST Oct. 14-21, p. 32), your secondary headline states: “JAL order for Airbus A350s breaks Boeing's hold on Japan.” While none of the Airbus countries—France, Germany, Britain and Spain—would lift a finger to defend Japan, that country has for seven decades been sheltered under the U.S. military umbrella, which costs us 4.9% of our GDP ($643 billion last year), allowing Japan to spend 1% of their GDP on their token military.
The U.S. NTSB says there were 59 aviation accidents, 10 of which were fatal, that it did not begin investigating during the 16-day partial government shutdown when 383 of its 405 employees were furloughed. At least two major investigations were impacted: A two-day hearing on the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash in San Francisco was postponed to December from November; and additional testing of a Boeing 787 lithium-ion battery that was scheduled during the shutdown.
Raytheon has completed flight tests of a low-cost missile that was developed rapidly to shoot down mortars, rockets and unmanned aircraft, but has yet to find a home for the weapon.
The Juno spacecraft's recent Earth swing-by provided inspiration for a concept that transfers the speed accumulated over time by a gravity-assisted object to an awaiting manned vehicle, accelerating it to a similar velocity (AW&ST Oct. 14/21, p. 16). This would be achieved by employing the opposite of an electromagnetic rail gun: the electromagnetic rail target. As the high-velocity object approaches the target vehicle, it divides into electromagnetic “bullets” deployed as a linear chain.
While it may have been a quieter, business-as-usual NBAA show for the established players in the corporate jet engine market, it was the relative newcomers that made the headlines.
The Textron AirLand Scorpion light attack aircraft, which is scheduled to make its first flight in the next few weeks, continues to capture—and hold—the attention of Europeans. Although its developers carefully avoid calling it a “low-cost” fighter proposal, it is obvious that their ultimate goal is to offer a two-seat twinjet costing a fraction of more conventional aircraft. This is an attractive proposition, of course, in an environment of increasingly restricted and uncertain defense budgets.
On the eve of the NBAA convention, Bombardier marked Learjet's 50th anniversary by presenting the first two Model 75s off the line to their new owners: a real estate businessman and a Canadian charter company. Both aircraft are replacing Lear 45s. The updated aircraft features a Garmin G5000 flight deck and Honeywell TFE-731-40B engines, and carries a price tag of $13.7 million.
Nextant Aerospace plans to remanufacture Beechcraft King Air C90s, replacing the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 engines with GE H80 turboprops and the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 with Garmin's G1000 integrated avionics panel. The refurbished aircraft will carry a Nextant warranty. The Cleveland company said it chose to rework the C90 because of its large installed base of more than 1,500 aircraft, and so it would serve as a low-cost entry-level turbine aircraft. The projected price for what Nextant calls the G90XT is $2.2 million, or about half that of a new model.
Five years ago, the U.S. rotorcraft industry was stagnant, fat and happy. It was building the same old helicopters for customers who did not think they needed anything better. Today, the industry is vibrant and developing new designs, but running the same risk of focusing on a single, dominant customer with a shaky record of making and sticking to procurement decisions.
Currently in flight testing, the A350 is a twin-engine, widebody jetliner intended to compete with Boeing's 777 and 787. The A350 is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines rated in the 75,000-97,000-lb.-thrust range, and will have a cruise speed of around Mach 0.85. Three basic versions are being marketed: the -800, -900 and -1000. Depending on the version, the A350 will seat 270-350 passengers, and will have a range of 8,100-8,500 nm. An ultra-long-range version, the A350-900R, and a freighter, the A350-900F, are also planned.
The An-28 and An-38 are twin-turboprop utility/transport aircraft. First flight of the An-28 occurred in 1969, with temporary Soviet certification following in 1978 and full certification in 1986. A westernized version of the An-28, the PZL Mielec M28, made its first flight in 1993 and received FAA certification in 2004. A stretched An-28 version, the An-38, made its first flight in 1994 and received Russian certification in 1997. The An-28 is powered by two PZL Rzeszow TWD-10B/PZL-10S engines, with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B powering the M28.
The Pentagon is proceeding with upgrades to correct deficiencies in the original F-35 helmet made by Lockheed Martin subcontractor Vision Systems International (VSI). The F-35 Joint Program Office on Oct. 10 issued a stop-work order to BAE, the alternate helmet developer. Plans to conduct a flight demonstration of the two have been dashed, resulting in a cost avoidance of $45 million to continue maturing and testing the alternate design, according to a statement from the F-35 office.
In developing the 525-passenger A380, Airbus chose to leap past Boeing's 747 in capacity class. Boeing markets the 747-8 to indirectly compete with the A380, but no direct competition to the A380 exists in the 500-plus-seat market. The A380 is powered by four turbofan engines rated 70,000-76,500 lb. thrust each, and can be outfitted with either the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or GE/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200. Airbus currently produces only a passenger version of the A380. First flight occurred in 2005, with 101 A380s produced through 2012.
Jim Duffy, Director of Strategic Planning FAA Commercial Space Transportation Office (Washington, D.C. )
Regarding Orbital Sciences Corp.'s approach to Cygnus design as covered in “Skinning the Cat” (AW&ST Sept. 30, p. 20), Orbital did not “buy components wherever possible to avoid reinventing the wheel.” The late David Low, a former astronaut who was serving as senior vice president and program manager for Orbital's commercial orbital transportation services (COTS), and I (an Orbital executive at the time) established the approach for COTS in about half an hour in his office (at the start of our proposal effort).
The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine in 2007. Power for the aircraft comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Two test aircraft and 15 production aircraft were produced through 2012, and an additional 60 are forecast for production through 2022. The An-158, a 99-passenger version that is also powered by D436-148s, first flew in 2010.
The An-124 is a four-engine, intercontinental-range, heavy-lift cargo transport, and the An-225 is a six-engine, heavy-lift jet that was designed to carry the Soviet shuttle orbiter Buran. Initial flight of a production An-124 prototype took place in 1982, and commercial operation began in 1986. The An-124 is powered by four Ivchenko-Progress D-18T turbofan engines, while the An-225 uses six. Fifty-five An-124s and one An-225 have been produced.
The ATRs are turboprop-powered regional transport aircraft built by a joint venture of EADS and Alenia Aermacchi. The ATR 42's first delivery occurred in 1985, followed by the ATR 72 in 1989. The latest versions are the ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600. Both -600 variants are powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines, rated 2,400-2,750 shp each. Through 2012, 422 ATR 42s and 611 ATR 72s were delivered. Production of 668 ATRs is forecast for the 2013-22 period.
As of late last week, the U.S. government was in the second week of drastically curtailed operations and Washington was flirting with inaction on a technical fix needed to make good on its treasury's obligations. One major defense company chief we spoke with last week described the federal budget process as “chaos” and the impact on the industries we cover as “a destructive force” (see page 31).
