“Introducing ALIS” (AW&ST Sept. 16, p. 45) gave me pause. Here is a $448 million development program with a future value in the billions that will coordinate and manage the logistics and operation of the F-35, the world's most sophisticated and expensive fighter. And yet, those who created and are implementing it believe that the acronym for Autonomic Information Logistics System is ALIS. I hope this is not indicative of additional potential surprises coded into the network.
With advanced avionics and mission systems, the 1970s-era delta-winged fighter called Kfir could rank in the same class as contemporary “fourth-generation” fighter jets, say officials from manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The company can deliver up to 50 of the Mach 2+ Kfirs, configured to the newest Block 60 standard, using airframes retired from Israeli air force service in the 1990s, IAI officials report. These aircraft were mothballed in the southern Negev desert and are in good condition for refurbishment.
John Bendoraitis has been named senior vice president/chief operating officer of Spirit Airlines. He has been chief operating officer of Frontier Airlines and was president of Comair Airlines.
Despite a series of public setbacks in recent years, AgustaWestland is embarking on a new civil certification program for its AW101, a medium/heavy helicopter that has experienced more than its fair share of strife since its development in the 1980s.
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles turned the tables on Russia's helicopter gunships and helped end the occupation. In the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, missile jammers have largely neutralized the threat. But still only a fraction of the aircraft that could find themselves in combat zones is protected by directional infrared countermeasures (Dircm) systems.
The Scottish government has announced a plan to nationalize Prestwick International Airport near Glasgow. The airport, owned by Infratil, is losing around £2 million ($3.2 million) per year. Infratil has been trying to find a buyer for the facility since March 2012. The Scottish government plans to buy the airport and let a private company run it, in a bid to safeguard jobs in an area that has high unemployment levels.
Cessna and Embraer business jets should soon begin rolling out of Chinese factories, but how many of them will Chinese buyers want? (Sovereign photo: Cessna)
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced Oct. 10 the appointment of Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Ostapenko to replace Vladimir Popovkin as head of Russian space agency Roscosmos. The announcement comes as Moscow reviews proposals to centralize oversight of its space industry in an effort to curb government waste and restore confidence in the nation's space program following a spate of spacecraft and launch vehicle failures in recent years.
With the emergence of a new generation of large-cabin, long-range business aircraft, the industry could be witnessing a sea change in the traditional chicken-and-egg relationship between airframe and engine makers. Unlike previous generations, which use myriad bespoke engines derived from existing families, at least some of the new large business jets will be powered by purpose-designed powerplants, derived from the same all-new cores in development for the next generation of commercial airliners.
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).
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).
George Ullrich has become senior vice president-strategy development for Applied Research Associates Inc., Albuquerque, N.M. He has been chief technology officer of the Schafer Corp. and was senior vice president-advanced technology programs at the Science Applications International Corp.
The A340 is a four-engine, intercontinental, widebody commercial transport aircraft. A prototype flew in October 1991, and deliveries began in January 1993. The A340-200 and-300 were certificated by the JAA in December 1992 and FAA in February 1993. Both models are powered by four 31,200-34,000-lb.-thrust CFM56-5C4 turbofan engines. Two newer models, the longer-range A340-500 and stretched A340-600, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines. Typical seating patterns for the -200, -300, -500 and -600 are 262, 295, 313 and 380 passengers, respectively.
These models, along with the A318, make up the Airbus A320 family of twin-turbofan, narrowbody airliners. The initial model in the series was the A320, which made its first flight in February 1987. A320 deliveries began in 1988, followed by the stretched A321 in 1994 and the A319, a shortened variant of the A320, in 1996. All three original models are available with either CFM56 or International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants. The A319 typically seats 124 passengers, the A320 carries 150, and the A321 seats 185.
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.
