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Week ending November 3, 2002
+++ Grob G 120A in Israeli service +++ Soyuz supplies ISS +++ IRIS-T tests completed +++ Eurocopter flies „All Weather Helicopter“ +++ LH/SAS/United approved by EU +++ Airlines against inefficient security measures +++ Ryanair expands in Italy +++ News in brief +++
Grob G 120A in Israeli service
Elbit nutzt Grob für Pilotentraining
On Octoner 28, Elbit Systems Ltd., the international defense company, announced that the first three GROB G-120-AI trainers ("Snunits") were received yesterday at the Hatzerim Israel Air Force base during a ceremony attended by the Commander of Israel Air Force, Elbit Systems management and other guests. The ten-year contract for operation of the aircraft was awarded to Elbit Systems by The Israeli Ministry of Defense in February 2002. Snunit Aviation Services, a company established by Elbit Systems and its subsidiary, Cyclone Aviation, will operate the new aircraft. The "Snunits" will be integrated into the flight-training curriculum of Israel Air Force Flight Academy, replacing the currently used "Pipers", and may also be used for training phases now performed by the "Tzukit" aircraft. The "Snunit" is a modern trainer, built of composite materials and has excellent aerobatics capabilities and high safety levels. Elbit Systems will operate the trainers through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) program, with the Israel Air Force purchasing flight hours. Snunit Aviation Services will employ a dedicated technical crew to perform all maintenance tasks and assume responsibility for the support of the aircraft according to a multi-year program based on advanced maintenance practices. The PFI concept has already been adopted in other countries worldwide with great success. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Soyuz supplies ISS
Versorgunsflug zur Raumstation
A Russian-Belgian cosmonaut crew arrived at the International Space Station in the wee hours of November 1 in a newly modified Soyuz capsule after a flawless two-day flight following launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Russian “taxi crew” Commander Sergei Zalyotin, European Space Agency Flight Engineer Frank DeWinne from Belgium and Russian Flight Engineer Yuri Lonchakov docked their new Soyuz TMA-1 capsule to the Russian Pirs Docking Compartment of the ISS at 11:01 p.m. Central time last night (501 GMT Nov. 1) as the two craft flew 230 statute miles over central Russia, linking up to the ISS along side an older Soyuz TM-34 return vehicle which has been at the station since April. Zalyotin, DeWinne and Lonchakov will depart the ISS in the older Soyuz on Nov. 9. A fresh Soyuz is delivered to the ISS every six months to provide an assured return capability for station residents in the unlikely event a problem would force them to come home prematurely. The new Soyuz is designed to accommodate larger or smaller crewmembers, and is equipped with upgraded computers, a new cockpit control panel and improved avionics. The Expedition 5 crewmembers – Commander Valery Korzun, NASA ISS Science Officer Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Sergei Treschev – monitored the arrival of their new visitors from the Zvezda Service Module to which the Pirs docking port is attached. After conducting leak checks between the Soyuz and the ISS, hatches swung open between the two spacecraft at 12:26 a.m. Central time (626 GMT), enabling the six crewmembers to greet one another and receive congratulatory calls from Russian and European dignitaries gathered at the Russian Mission Control Center in Korolev, outside Moscow. The visiting “taxi” crew will spend eight days on the ISS. During that time, DeWinne will conduct a host of scientific experiments, some of them in the Microgravity Glovebox housed in the station's Destiny Laboratory.
The fourth taxi flight to the International Space Station carrying a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and two Russian crew members made a perfect lift-off today (Wednesday, 30 October 2002) from the vast open plains of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, into the rising sun at 08:11 local time (04:11 Central European Time, 03:11 Universal Time). Soyuz Flight Engineer De Winne, the first Belgian astronaut to visit the Space Station and the first non-Russian ever to fly on the first flight of a new Russian vehicle, is the fourth European astronaut to visit the Station. During his eight-day stay, De Winne will carry out a programme of 23 experiments in the fields of life and physical sciences and education, including four physical science experiments using the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) - an important research facility designed and developed in Europe.
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IRIS-T tests completed Neue Lenkwaffe schliet Testkampagne ab
The last firing campaign (VTR-2) of the 48-month IRIS-T development phase was successfully completed on October 25 with another direct hit against a Meteor Mirach 100/5 target drone. The drone. flying at high subsonic speed, was pulling maximum gs and applying infrared countermeasures. During the VTR-2 campaign, performed at the Salto die Quirra Test Range in Sardinia, the BGT developed IRIS-T next generation short-range air-to-air missile scored several hits against Meteor Mirach 100/5 target drones. All missiles were fired off a F-4F test aircraft of the German WTD 61 Test Center, from avariety of aspect angles and different target ranges. Launches were made at very high off-boresight angles and under different g-loads of the launch aicraft. IRIS-T demonstrated againits outstanding performance unter difficult engagement conditions. The industry part of the development phase of IRIS-T will be completed on schedule by the end of 2002. In early 2003 a final government test firing campaign, called PTR (Performance Test Round) will complete IRIS-T development. The contract for series production is expected in early 2003, leading to deliveries at the end of 2004.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Eurocopter flies „All Weather Helicopter“
„Allwetterhubschrauber“ im Test
On 15 October 2002, the All Weather Helicopter (AWH) Demonstrator made its maiden flight from Marignane, with Eurocopter Chief Test Pilot Didier Guerin at the controls, Patrick Bremond as backup pilot, and Frédéric Nourisson as Flight Test Engineer. The successful 50-minute flight confirmed the satisfactory operation of the helicopter's systems, and cleared the way for other flights in the following days. The demonstrator was an EC 155 B fitted out with: a position-finding system based on GPS and DGPS navigation. The system dialogues with an STNA ground station on the Eurocopter site that provides the differential corrections; a mission computer to manage the 3-dimensional flight plans, to guarantee the safe clearance of the flight plans over the database-stored terrain, and to insure accurate guidance over the flight path with the assistance of a ground collision avoidance function. - Two large screens on the instrument panel to display the AWH-specific piloting symbology, and to show the mission information on a 3D map background; a 4-axis autopilot to allow steep approaches in zero visibility with DGPS guidance. All these new functions have already been evaluated by simulation. They will now be tested, with the system/crew interfaces, in flight conditions. The goal is to demonstrate their effectiveness in helping the pilot perform zero-visibility, low-altitude flights with the same flexibility as VFR flights.
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LH/SAS/United approved by EU
Airline-Allianz von der EU genehmigt
The alliance between Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) and United Airlines is the first of the EU/US airline alliances examined by the EU competition authority to receive official approval. The official announcement made today by the European Commission thus gives a clear signal with regard to competition. "This decision has groundbreaking significance for the aviation sector," Lufthansa chairman and CEO Jürgen Weber said. "The EU Commission has acknowledged that alliances have clear benefits for the customer and are not an obstacle to competition. This decision will strengthen our international competitiveness. Above all, it provides legal stability and a secure planning framework and means that customers can continue to rely on a consumer-friendly alliance based on a large route network with well-coordinated connecting flights and short flight times," he added. The approval by the EU Commission carries certain caveats, which were also contained in earlier intra-European alliance procedures. For example, Lufthansa and United Airlines must each give up one pair of slots (i.e. take-off and landing rights) per day to new competitors on routes to Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and up to two pairs of slots for flights to Washington, provided that the slots cannot be allocated via regular procedures. "These conditions are acceptable because they will not create any disadvantages for our customers or jeopardise our financial success," Weber added. Lufthansa and United Airlines have collaborated since 1994 and operate code-share flights between Germany and the United States. Lufthansa and SAS Scandinavian Airlines began cooperating in 1996 as part of a strategic alliance and also offer code-share flights. The collaboration between Lufthansa and SAS was approved by the EU Commission in 1996. In the same year the US authorities approved the triple alliance between LH, SAS and United, while in 1998 the EU Commission threatened to impose draconian con-ditions, which would have required the airlines to relinquish 108 slots in Frankfurt.
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Airlines against inefficient security measures
Sicherheitsmaßnahmen sind unbefriedigend
„Badly conceived security measures are badly hurting the airlines“ said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of IATA (International Air Transport Association), referring to costly stop gap security procedures that mainly succeed in hassling the passengers. Speaking at the AVSEC world meeting of aviation security experts in Rome, Mr. Bisignani called for a global approach to security, relying on intelligence coordination and techniques such as biometrics to contribute to positive profiling of passengers. He also stressed that governments are responsible for protecting their citizens: „Governments should implement and pay for aviation security not the airlines, not the airports and not their customers who are already taxpayers.“ The total cost for the airlines of added security in 2002 is about 3 billion dollars. In addition, the estimated lost business due to the „hassle factor“ in the U.S. alone is costing airlines close to 2.5 billion dollars.Aviation security has been greatly stepped up since 11 September. A year on, it is now time to review these measures to ensure that they remain meaningful and efficient. For example, rather than carrying out random checks of passengers or arming pilots - who should be flying not firing – governments must focus their efforts on gathering intelligence and stopping terrorists from entering airports, much less getting on aircraft. IATA's Simplifying Passenger Travel (SPT) programme is already working with governments, airports and technology suppliers supporting increased security through biometric identification and passenger profiling.
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Ryanair expands in Italy
Expansion des Billigfliegers geht weiter
Ryanair, Ireland's largest international airline unveiled details of its eighth new base at Milan Bergamo Airport. Speaking at a press conference in Milan, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary revealed that the airline would base three aircraft in Milan Bergamo Airport from the 6th of February next, and would operate over 30 daily flights to 6 international destinations (London, Paris, Brussels, Barcelona, Hamburg and Frankfurt) with fares that will start from as little as €9.99 one way. Ryanair expects to carry over 2 million passengers to/from Milan Bergamo Airport in the first 12 months of operation of this new base, passenger numbers which will replicate Ryanair's existing success in bases at Glasgow Prestwick, Brussels Charleroi and Frankfurt Hahn. These routes and these 2 million passengers are another direct loss to Ireland and Irish tourism as a result of the high costs and third world facilities provided by the Aer Rianta Dublin Airport monopoly.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
SWISS is conducting an unchanged strategy at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg: Basel, like Geneva, is to be directly connected to the most important European destinations. SWISS CEO André Dosé has decisively rejected contrary reports and speculations which have been appearing in the media and political circles. As has always been stated since the start-up of SWISS, only Zurich performs the hub function and this in direct competition with the major hubs such as London, Paris or Frankfurt. SWISS has a new strategy for EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, it is planning to reduce its presence there and wants to transfer all European connecting traffic to Zurich. This has been reported in the media in the last few days, followed by statements from the politicians. Cited as the source of these reports were statements made by SWISS Chief André Dosé to journalists in Hamburg on October 9. SWISS is firmly adhering to the strategy, as has always been clearly stated, whereby the national airports of Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Geneva are to have direct links to the most important European destinations. This was confirmed by André Dosé in Hamburg. Zurich remains the primary hub for Europe and intercontinental traffic. Lugano and Berne airports will be meaningfully incorporated in the SWISS route network.+++
The Ministries of Defence of France, Italy and the United Kingdom have jointly submitted an initial proposal to meet the NATO SATCOM Post-2000 capability requirement for SHF and UHF space segment. Alcatel Space, Alenia Spazio and Paradigm Secure Communications, as the national military satellite communication (Milsatcom) providers of these countries, have prepared major inputs to their governments in the submission of this innovative proposal. As the current NATO IV satellites approach the end of their lives, having already exceeded expectations, NATO is now calling for a next generation solution to fulfill its ever-increasing milsatcom requirements. To ensure coherence with the changing NATO crisis management role and to provide a fully deployable communications capability in support of such operations, the SATCOM Post-2000 requirement will update both the space and ground segments to form the future NATO system. NATO's current procurement process entails the issue of separate Invitations for Bid (IFB) for the UHF, SHF and EHF space segment requirements. Draft SHF and UHF IFBs were released to participating nations for 'bidders comment' in January 2002, followed by final IFBs in July of this year. The European governments' (with Alcatel Space, Alenia and Paradigm) IFB response has just been submitted. This will now be followed by reviews and discussions with the NATO C3 Agency and final bids are due in Spring 2003. In light of NATO requiring full on-orbit capacity by end 2004, a decision is expected in Summer 2003.
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On October 30 Boeing celebrated the delivery of the first new 747-400ER passenger jetliner to Qantas Airways. Accepting the airplane on behalf of Qantas was the airline's goodwill ambassador and actor John Travolta. Travolta recently completed a 12-stop, 41,632-mile (67,000-kilometer) world tour using his own Boeing 707, painted in 1960's Qantas livery. The airline will officially take delivery of the airplane this week. The international airline, based in Sydney, Australia, is the launch customer for the model, having placed an order in December 2000 for six of the new jetliners. Qantas plans to use the airplanes, which can fly farther than earlier models of the Boeing 747, on ultra-long routes across the Pacific. "The 747 has been a key to our long-haul success for more than 30 years and this latest model with its enhanced performance capability will continue to give Qantas a competitive edge, especially on long-haul trans-pacific routes," said David Forsyth, executive general manager – Aircraft Operations, Qantas Airways, Ltd.
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On October 30, Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill signed a Ministerial Exchange of Letters with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, providing for Australia's entry into the US$200 billion Joint Strike Fighter program. Senator Hill and Secretary Rumsfeld signed the letters during the annual Australian-United States Ministerial Consultations in Washington DC. The Government last week agreed to enter a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Government, following the completion of negotiations to settle the terms of Australia's involvement in the JSF program. Today's exchange of letters means Australia will invest up to US$150 million to join eight other partner countries in the decade-long Systems Development and Demonstration phase of the JSF program. This will put Australia at the forefront of developing the world's biggest and most advanced combat aircraft program over the next 30 years.
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General S.A. Ferracuti, Chief of the Italian Air Force, flew with Alenia Aeronautica Chief Military Test Pilot Maurizio Cheli, in Eurofighter Typhoon IPA2 today. The flight lasted approximately 60 minutes and was based out of the Alenia Aeronautica facility at Caselle, Italy. Commenting on his flight Gen. Ferracuti said “I have been looking forward to this flight with great enthusiasm. I was particularly impressed by the ease of the flight controls and both the power and response of the engines. “Eurofighter is a vital asset for the Italian Air Force air defence capability. It is now crucial that we remain faithful to the delivery and budget schedules for the programme.”
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EADS will extend the military surveillance of German and neighboring airspace with new air surveillance systems. As the company reported, it has received contracts from the Federal Procurement Office (BWB) for the delivery of two stationary GIADS systems (German Improved Air Defence System) as well as for the development of a mobile air surveillance system. The delivery and development is being carried out by the EADS Business Unit Systems & Defence Electronics. The total volume of the contracts, which will be carried out in co-operation with Thales Raytheon Systems, amounts to approx. 30 million Euros. The GIADS surveillance system analyses the information obtained from military surveillance radars with regard to aircraft and other objects and displays it on monitors. The military airspace situation is supplemented by including the civil air traffic control and therefore contributes to increased air safety in the German airspace. This requirement is of growing importance, particularly after the events of 11th September 2001 in America. “The contract award by the Federal Procurement Office confirms the successful test phase of our system in the Control and Reporting Centre CRC Schönewalde near Berlin. GIADS has been operational there since July 2000. Our success in this promising High-Tech area forms an excellent basis for future intended procurements in Europe and Nato”, explained Dr. Stefan Zoller, President and CEO of EADS Systems & Defence Electronics.
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Sir John Bourn, Head of the UK NAO, told Parliament that the Ministry of Defence (the MOD) is making progress towards delivering an Initial Operating Capability for the Apache helicopter in August 2004 but that risks remained. The MOD is buying 67 Apache helicopters through a £3 billion prime contract with Westland Helicopters Ltd. The Apache will provide the cornerstone of the MOD's Air Manoeuvre capability and will improve the ability of the Armed Forces to conduct offensive mobile operations by delivering more responsive, effective and survivable firepower. The aircraft are being delivered broadly to time and cost. Notably, the Attack Helicopter entered service in January 2001 just a few days later than scheduled. But risks remain in the timely development of enhancements to the aircraft, such as the Defensive Aids Suite, and with some aspects of the performance of key systems on the Apache, including the Hellfire missiles, CRV7 rockets, and Longbow radar. The MOD is confident it will be able to progress solutions to these problems to deliver the Initial Operating Capability in 2004. Some further risks remain which could also delay delivery of the Apache capability. Good progress has been made in developing the framework for how the Apache will support Land operations, but the full risks of operating Apache at sea will not be identified until March 2004 when sea trials are due to take place.
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Vietnam Airlines has signed a contract for five Airbus A320 Family aircraft as part of the carrier's fleet expansion program, formalizing a commitment announced by the airline in September 2001. The five A321s are scheduled for delivery between 2003 and 2005 and represent the Vietnamese national carrier's inaugural Airbus purchase. They will be deployed on select domestic and intra-Asian routes; and will join the airline's current fleet of 12 leased Airbus aircraft 10 A320s and two A321s.
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The RQ-1A Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program reached a major milestone -- 50,000 flight hours -- Oct. 26 during an operational sortie from a deployed location, Predator program officials here at Aeronautical Systems Center announced. “This is a significant program achievement,” said Bill Grimes, director, Big Safari Program. “Predator gives the combatant commander 'eyes on' targeting and dramatically shortens the kill chain.” The program also has received praise from the commander in chief. “Before the war (Operation Enduring Freedom), the Predator had skeptics because it did not fit the old ways,” President George W. Bush said Dec. 11. “Now it is clear that the military does not have enough unmanned vehicles.” Since its first test flight on July 3, 1994, Predator -- manufactured by prime contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif. -- has been involved in both non-operational and combat missions, Hoffmann said. “From 1995 to 1996, Predator supported joint-force military exercises involving counter-narcotics surveillance, theater missile defense, littoral warfare and offshore naval operations. “And Predator has more than proven its worth to the war-fighter during the following military deployments: Operation Provide Promise (1995); Operation Joint Endeavor (1996); Operation Joint Guard (1997); Operation Joint Forge (1998); Operation Southern Watch (1999); Operation Allied Force (1999); and Operation Enduring Freedom (2001).”
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Eurocopter and Turbomeca announced that the first flight of a prototype U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) HH 65 Dolphin helicopter, powered by 2 Turbomeca Arriel 2C1 engines, was successfully completed on October 8, 2002. This prototype flight took place at the USCG Aircraft Repair and Supply Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA. It was the first in a series of test flights scheduled to take place during the next several weeks. The USCG Dolphin prototype with 2 Arriel 2C1 engines was developed for the purpose of evaluating the modernization and updating of the HH65 in order to meet ever expanding mission requirements.
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Boeing and the U.S. Air Force celebrated the opening of a new F/A-22 maintenance training facility at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., with a ribbon cutting and site dedication ceremony.
Tyndall will be the first U.S. Air Force Base set up for both F/A-22 pilot and maintenance training. Tyndall's 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 4, will be responsible for the maintenance training effort, and the 43rd Fighter Squadron will conduct pilot training. In September, Boeing and its subcontractors Encompass Corp. and Affiliated Engineers Inc., completed installation of five fully automated electronic classrooms and two maintenance training labs that are housed in an 8,000-square foot building addition at the base.
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The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a 50-million-euro initiative to bring together Europe's leading aerospace companies in a four year deal. Companies who usually compete with each other for business will now pool their resources under a system that should lead to more efficient production. Instead of building spacecrafts to exact specifications - a traditional but expensive approach -aerospace companies will be encouraged to build spacecraft with systems that can be reused. This can be done, for example, through the development of 'intelligent' systems for satellites. An intelligent system is a multipurpose component that can perform the same tasks as several conventional units. This method should reduce the number of components and the size and mass of individual spacecraft, as well as bringing down the cost of missions. Though the companies will be encouraged change their methods, ESA will not tell them what to build: Anton Linssen of ESA said: “We have not given them any mission requirements. It's for industry to tell us what they want to do to make spacecraft lighter and perform better.” “Lighter intelligent systems reduce total mission costs so perhaps we can launch more missions”, he continued, “Alternatively, we can add more experiments to spaceprobes. Either way, we get more science.”
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As part of the gradual ramp up to seven MV-22 Ospreys that will comprise the developmental flight test program at Patuxent River over the next year, the V-22 Integrated Test Team has added two more MV-22s to its flight test program in October. The addition of two more aircraft--a low rate initial production (LRIP) MV-22 and a second Engineering and Manufacturing, Development (EMD) aircraft--will give added flexibility to the testing efforts which, until October, were carried out by EMD aircraft number 10, the first aircraft to fly with improvements in the hydraulic system and flight control software. The first LRIP aircraft (number 21) to be used for developmental flight testing, arrived here Oct. 12, a week ahead of schedule. Flown by Marine test pilots Majors Shawn Healy and Paul Hagar and flight test crew chief SSgt "Ollie" Oliverio, the flight originated from the Bell Boeing final assembly plant in Amarillo, Texas. During the five-hour cross-country flight, the aircraft reached altitudes of 15,000 feet and a true airspeed of 300 knots. The crew said the aircraft flew exceptionally well and arrived without any hitches in "full up" condition.
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A distinguished audience witnessed the delivery of the first Agusta A129 Combat helicopter at a special ceremony held at Agusta's Vergiate facility on October, 25, 2002. Italian Army Chief of Staff, Gen.Gianfranco Ottogalli, was accompanied at the ceremony by Ing. Amedeo Caporaletti, Agusta SpA President. In 1999 the Italian Army awarded a contract to Agusta, an AgustaWestland company, for the production of the last batch of 15 A129s in the new Combat (CBT) configuration, to meet the Italian Army's new requirements as dictated by the new international scenarios. The new A129 CBT includes a 20mm gun turret, Stinger air-to-air missiles, avionics and airframe upgrades including a five blade main rotor and increased mission weight. The A129 was originally designed to comply with the requirements set by the Italian MoD for day/night, all weather anti-tank and scout roles, with a built-in growth capability for further weapons and systems development. At the end of last year, the Italian Army awarded a contract to Agusta to also retrofit the other 45 A129s currently in service to the CBT configuration.
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Europe's aerospace industry is already preparing for the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), and has begun to evaluate potential project partners. At two recent events, the industry's big players presented project proposals that they envisage submitting under the first FP6 call for proposals. The events were aimed at informing and involving companies, in particular small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), from an early stage. The workshops were coordinated by the Industry management group for aircraft, engines and equipment (IMG) and the AeroSME project, which is partly funded by the European Commission. Previously, smaller companies have only become involved after the publication of the Commission's call for proposals. The workshops demonstrated the commitment by industry to enhance the efficiency of their projects by involving SMEs.
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Revolutionary new flight control laws for short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, pioneered by QinetiQ, have been accepted for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This new UK technology marks a significant change in the flying concept of STOVL aircraft. Reduced pilot workloads, increased safety, reduced training times and ease of operation will result, as well as contributing sizeable cost savings over the operating life of the aircraft. Andrew Sleigh, QinetiQ's Managing Director for Defence Solutions, said: "QinetiQ has been able to demonstrate, using a modified two-seat Harrier jet, reduced pilot workloads and simplicity of operation. This simplicity of operation was aptly demonstrated by a person who, with no previous fast jet experience, safely landed an STOVL aircraft unaided, a feat unimaginable before".
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The Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.-led F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter program team has established a brand-new, state-of-the-art avionics hardware and software installation and testing laboratory. The Raptor Avionics Integration Laboratory, or RAIL, will take F/A-22 hardware, surround it with sophisticated test-monitoring equipment, integrate it with the latest avionics software and then test it under simulated operational conditions. The laboratory was established to incorporate lessons learned from the program's ongoing developmental flight-test program at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., during which the team determined that more on-ground, laboratory-based integrated avionics testing is needed to ensure adequate avionics stability. The laboratory is located in an already existing building within the Marietta facility.
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The Air National Guard (ANG) recently began modifying its combat-coded Block 42 F-16C/Ds with the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 Increased Performance Engine. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., is the manufacturer of the F-16 and is providing expedited aircraft modification kits and logistics support for the re-engining program. The F100-PW-229 engine is in the 29,000-pound thrust class and provides approximately 20 percent more thrust than the original F100-PW-220 engine in these aircraft.
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NASA awarded a contract today, with a potential value of $28.4 million, to Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp. (BATC), Boulder, Colo. for development of the optics and detectors for a high-tech camera for the Kepler planet-finding spacecraft, scheduled for launch in 2007. Eastman Kodak will provide the entire optical subsystem for the spacecraft, a contract valued at $4.5 million for a two-year period. Kodak is providing a unique optical subsystem for Kepler. Nothing similar has ever been flown in space. The two-piece system enables an extremely wide field of view, allowing Kepler to continuously gaze at more than 100,000 stars at the same time. Other major subcontractors are Semiconductor Technology Associates in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and EV2 of Elmsford, N.Y., who are providing detectors for Kepler. The Kepler Mission differs from previous ways of looking for planets, which have led to the discovery of about 100 giant Jupiter-sized planets. Kepler will look for the "transit" signature that occurs each time a planet crosses the line-of-sight between a planet's parent star, the one it orbits, and the observer. During the orbital "transit," the planet blocks some of the light from its parent star resulting in periodic dimming. This periodic signature is used to detect the planet and to determine its size and orbit. Kepler will be able to determine if any Earth-sized planets make a transit across any of the stars.
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Air New Zealand and Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) today announce the acquisition of one additional new generation 66 seat ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With this new order, Air New Zealand will operate a total ATR fleet of ten 72-500s.The aircraft is due for delivery in January 2003 and will be operated by Mount Cook Airlines, based in Christchurch, which is fully owned by Air New Zealand. The ATR 72-500s are mainly used for tourist transport towards the natural sites of Milford Sound et Rotorua. The ATR 72-500 was selected by the airline for its very competitive seat mile costs as well as for its environmental qualities. The low fuel consumption of ATR aircraft meet both external noise and gazeous emission level regulatory requirements with ample margins.
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The Australian Minister for Defence, members of the Royal Australian Air Force, The Boeing Company and its industry partners celebrated as the first Project Wedgetail aircraft, a Next Generation 737–700, rolled off the factory line during a ceremony in Renton, Wash. The plane is one of four that will be transformed into an Airborne Early Warning & Control, or AEW&C, system for the Commonwealth of Australia under a program called Wedgetail in honor of Australia's native eagle. Both Australia and Turkey have signed billion-dollar contracts with Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to develop AEW&C systems. AEW&C is part of Boeing's vision for an integrated battlespace where real-time information is quickly and simultaneously accessible to aircraft and forces and commanders on the ground, at sea and in the air.
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Ryanair expressed serious concern over the European Parliament's adoption of the Commission's proposal to impose huge compensation on airlines in cases of denied boarding, cancellation and flight delays. Ryanair supports the principal of compensation in cases of denied boarding, although Ryanair is one of the few airlines with a policy of not over booking its flights. Ryanair called the Commission's proposals unfair and anti-competitive and confirmed that they will result in dramatic price increases for consumers of air travel all over Europe, with a particularly harsh impact on the most price-sensitive consumers. They also deprive consumers the right to avail of low fares and to protect themselves in cases of delays and cancellations by purchasing travel insurance. Commenting on the Parliament's vote yesterday, Ryanair's Head of Regulatory Affairs, Jim Callaghan, said: “Whilst we welcome the European Parliament's recognition that European consumers' best interests are not served by excessive compensation for cancellations and delays beyond an airline's control, the proposal, even in its amended form, remains a disaster for the airline industry and particularly the low fare sector.“
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Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have successfully completed flight-testing of the MK-82 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, from an F-16 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. A U.S. Air Force F-16 yesterday launched the final JDAM MK-82 weapon to complete a successful weapon development flight test series on the F-16 aircraft. The weapon, launched from stressing flight test conditions, flew as planned and impacted the target. The U.S. Air Force awarded $45 million to Boeing for engineering, manufacturing and development, or EMD, of the 500-pound MK-82 and BLU-111 warhead JDAM in September 2000.
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Snecma Moteurs and the Ecole Centrale de Lyon engineering school today signed a partnership agreement to train Chinese engineers. The signing ceremony was attended by Jean-Paul Herteman, Chairman and CEO of Snecma Moteurs, and Jean Dorey, Director of the Ecole Centrale de Lyon. This new agreement will bolster the current links between the two partners and China, concerning both training and R&D. On November 7, Jean Dorey will be in Beijing along with Yves Bonnet, Vice Chairman of the Snecma Group, to sign an agreement with five leading Chinese universities: Beijing University of Aeronautics (BUAA), Tsing Hua University of Beijing, Jiao Tong University of Xi An, Jiao Tong University of Shanghai, and Jiao Tong University of the Southwest (Chengdu).
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Orbital Sciences announced today that it has signed a major new contract in its geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite manufacturing business. Indonesia's state-owned telecommunications company, PT Telkomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (TELKOM) has signed a contract with Orbital to manufacture one GEO communications satellite. The satellite, based on the company's state-of-the-art STAR-2 platform, will carry 24 C-band transponders and will be designed for a 15-year in-orbit life. The contract calls for a satellite delivery schedule that supports a planned launch in late 2004. This satellite contract from TELKOM is further evidence that our small satellite solution is an ideal fit for many customers around the world," said Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital's GEO communications satellite unit. "For customers such as TELKOM, whose frequency availability does not call for one of the industry's larger, more expensive spacecraft, our STAR-2 design provides the most modern, easy to manage small satellite available today. With an advanced satellite design based on three-axis stabilization and a significant power margin over our nearest competitor, we have become the preferred supplier of satellites in this class," Dr. Atia concluded.
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Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. has completed a major milestone in the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) by installing the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) in all of the C-5 Galaxies in the U.S. Air Force's operational fleet. "TCAS has been a very successful operation with every installation completed either early or on time," said Blair Marks, Lockheed Martin's strategic airlift deputy for AMP. "This is an important first step toward full modernization of the C-5 fleet, and we look forward to demonstrating the capabilities of the new avionics systems beginning with the AMP Block 1.1 flight-testing early next year."
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Boeing Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), business units of The Boeing Company, announced today that they reached an agreement with LVNL, the air traffic control organization of the Netherlands. They will jointly develop and validate solutions to enhance the safety, efficiency and environmental performance of operations at Schiphol Airport. The project team will be jointly managed by Boeing and LVNL and will work according to LVNL development procedures. This guarantees that any changes to the Dutch system meet the needs of both customers and air traffic management professionals. LVNL already does a great job running the air traffic system in and around one of the world's most challenging airport environments," said John Hayhurst, president of Boeing ATM. "We at ATM are proud that they have selected us to help them make their current operations even better, as well as enable efficient, environmentally-sensitive growth. Our joint efforts will provide real, practical ways to improve air traffic management capabilities at Schiphol," he said.
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During a ceremony at the International Arrivals Hall at Terminal B, officials from the Port Authority and the City of Newark unveiled the first sign featuring the new Newark Liberty International Airport name, and formalized the agreement that extends the Port Authority's lease on the city's airport and seaport to 2065. The long-term lease will enable the Port Authority to continue to plan future investments that will strengthen New York Newark's role as a leading international transportation centre. Port Authority Chairman Jack G. Sinagra said, “The extended lease is fair and equitable and will ensure the long-term success of the airport and seaport. The Port Authority is proud that a new name for the airport – Newark Liberty International Airport – was established as part of this agreement to honor the heroes who have fought to protect our freedom and the heroes of September 11, and to underscore Newark's strength and leadership in this region.”
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