FLUG REVUE update: Week ending 31 October 2004

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UPDATE
Week ending 31 October 2004

+++ First single seat Eurofighter for Germany flies +++ Sagem and Snecma discuss merger +++ Titan fly-by by Cassini-Huygens +++ IATA: Traffic improves but bottom line worsens +++ Last 757 unveiled at Renton +++ NTSB findings on Airbus A300-600 crash published +++ News in brief +++

First single seat Eurofighter for Germany flies
Erstflug des GS002 in Manching

Eurofighter announced the successful completion of the maiden flight of GS002 - the first Eurofighter Typhoon Single Seat Series Production Aircraft on 22 October. The flight took place at the EADS Flight Test Centre at Manching, Germany, and lasted 65 minutes. The German Single Seat (GS002) is the first Tranche 1/Batch 2 aircraft to be flown in a production standard. GS002 is scheduled to join existing twin-seat aircraft operating with the German Air Force fleet at Laage-Rostock in Northern Germany. Commenting on the flight EADS Test Pilot Heinz-Dieter Spölgen said "This was an extraordinary first flight! It was a text book 'Production Flight Acceptance Test' and the aircraft performed extremely well." Eight Twin Seat aircraft have been delivered so far to the German Air Force. They are being used for ground crew training and as part of the ongoing operational evaluation of the Weapon System by JG 73 "Steinhoff" in Laage. The production Eurofighter Typhoon fleet delivered to the four Partner Nations recently completed more than 1,700 flying hours.

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Sagem and Snecma discuss merger
Fusion von Snecma und Sagem geplant

The Sagem Supervisory Board, meeting on October 28, 2004 under the chairmanship of Mario Colaiacovo, and the Snecma Board of Directors, meeting the same day under the chairmanship of Jean-Paul Béchat, examined a proposed merger of the two groups. Sagem's Supervisory Board has approved the project, while Snecma's Board of Directors will issue an opinion at a meeting to be held early next week. As stipulated by law, this proposed merger will first be submitted for consultation by employee representative bodies.
The merger would take place in two linked stages. In the first stage, Sagem would submit a public offer for the totality of Snecma shares. This offer would mainly include an exchange offer of 13 Snecma shares for three Sagem shares, along with an ancillary public share offer at a price of 20 euros per Snecma share, this ancillary offering having a total ceiling of 1.25 billion euros. In addition, an interim dividend of 0.5 euro per share shall be paid by Sagem on the settlement-delivery day, both for the existing shares and for the shares tendered within the scope of the exchange offer. This offer will be subject to approval by the French stock exchange authorities (AMF) and the required regulatory authorizations. --In the second stage, the two groups would finalize their merger immediately upon approval of both companies' financial statements for 2004.
The merger is designed to create a major industrial and technology group that is competitive on the global stage and enjoys strong positions in growth sectors. The balance and diversity of the group's businesses, thanks to their complementary operating cycles, would give the new entity greater financial stability, significantly reduced exposure to the U.S. dollar, and expanded capability for growth

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Titan fly-by by Cassini-Huygens
Vorbeiflug am Titan

The NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini-Huygens spacecraft sent back pictures and information after making the closest-ever fly-by of Saturn's largest moon Titan. NASA's Deep Space Network tracking station in Madrid, Spain, acquired a signal at about 03:25 CEST on 26 October, after the spacecraft successfully skimmed the hazy atmosphere of the moon. As anticipated, the spacecraft came within 1200 kilometres of Titan's surface, travelling at a speed of six kilometres per second (21 800 kilometres per hour)! This fly-by not only allows important surface science to be performed, such as radar analysis at close quarters, but also it significantly changes the orbit of the spacecraft around Saturn. Currently Cassini-Huygens has an orbital period of four months, which changes to 48 days, setting the course for the next close Titan fly-by on 13 December 2004 and the Huygens probe release on 25 December

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IATA: Traffic improves but bottom line worsens
Weiter steigende Verlust für Fluggesellschaften

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released industry traffic data for the first three quarters of 2004 demonstrating sustained traffic increases across all regions. International scheduled passenger traffic for the nine months to September 2004 grew 17.7% over the same period in 2003 while cargo posted gains of 14.1%. Single month comparisons for September 2004 to September 2003 show 10.9% growth for passenger and 13.6% for cargo traffic. "People are travelling again. Every region is reporting double digit growth. Traffic clearly is rebounding from 2003, which was an exceptionally bad year," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. Effective capacity management continues to be evident in strong load factors of 75.5% for September and the nine-month average load factor of 74.6%.
"Airline efforts to meet demand and reduce costs are paying off. We are well placed to achieve 14% passenger growth in 2004 with a 3% reduction in non-fuel unit costs," said Bisignani. Airlines' cost-cutting has been particularly successful with respect to personnel and distribution costs. "Some airlines have achieved increases in productivity of as much as 13%. Similarly, reductions in distribution costs in the region of 14% have been realized," said Bisignani. "The sad story is that, despite these improvements, the bottom line is worsening with the extraordinary price of fuel. If current fuel price levels persist, losses may well exceed the US$3-4 billion previously forecasted for 2004," said Bisignani.

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Last 757 unveiled at Renton
Boeing präsentiert letzte 757

On October 28, Boeing marked the completion of its 757 commercial airplane program, as thousands of employees and special guests saluted one of history's most successful passenger airplanes. The 1,050 th and final 757, a Shanghai Airlines 757-200, was the centerpiece of a ceremony at the company's Renton, Wash., factory. The 757 is one of only seven large commercial jetliner models that sold more than 1,000 units. "The 757 changed the world of commercial aviation with its extended range capabilities, operational efficiency and the introduction of computer-aided design, composite manufacturing and integrated flight displays and controls ," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Alan Mulally. "We're proud of the 757's innovative contribution to our safe and efficient global air transportation system, and the fact that passengers will enjoy the 757 airplane in service for years to come." More than 1,030 757s are in service around the world. Known for its fuel efficiency and clean and quiet operation, the 757 entered production in 1981. Boeing delivered the first to launch customer Eastern Airlines on Dec. 22, 1982 . Three principal models were eventually produced - the 757-200, 757-300, and the 757-200 freighter. In addition, Boeing produced one 757-200 combi.

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NTSB findings on Airbus A300-600 crash published
A300-600-Absturz: Ergebnisse vorgelegt

American Airlines flight 587 crashed into a Queens neighborhood because the plane's vertical stabilizer separated in flight as a result of aerodynamic loads that were created by the first officer's unnecessary and excessive rudder pedal inputs after the aircraft encountered wake turbulence, according to a final report adopted by the National Transportation Safety Board today. The Board said that contributing to the crash were characteristics of the airplane's rudder system design and elements of the airline's pilot training program. At about 9:16 a.m. on November 12, 2001, flight 587, an Airbus A300-605R (N14053), crashed in Belle Harbor, New York shortly after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport on a flight to Santo Domingo. All 260 people aboard the plane died, as did five persons on the ground. This is the second deadliest aviation accident in American history.
The aircraft's vertical stabilizer and rudder were found in Jamaica Bay, about a mile from the main wreckage site. The engines, which also separated from the aircraft seconds before ground impact, were found several blocks from the wreckage site. The Safety Board found that the first officer, who was the flying pilot, inappropriately manipulated the rudder back and forth several times after the airplane encountered the wake vortex of a preceding Boeing 747 for the second time. The aerodynamic loads placed on the vertical stabilizer due to the sideslip that resulted from the rudder movements were beyond the ultimate design strength of the vertical stabilizer. (Simply stated, sideslip is a measure of the "sideways" motion of the airplane through the air.) The Board found that the composite material used in constructing the vertical stabilizer was not a factor in the accident because the tail failed well beyond its certificated and design limits.
The Safety Board said that, although other pilots provided generally positive comments about the first officer's abilities, two pilots noted incidents that showed that he had a tendency to overreact to wake turbulence encounters. His use of the rudder was not an appropriate response to the turbulence, which in itself provided no danger to the stability of the aircraft, the Board found. The Board said that American Airlines' Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Program contributed to the accident by providing an unrealistic and exaggerated view of the effects of wake turbulence on heavy transport-category aircraft. In addition, the Board found that because of its high sensitivity, the A300-600 rudder control system is susceptible to potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at higher speeds.
In particular, the Board concluded that, before the crash of flight 587, pilots were not being adequately trained on what effect rudder pedal inputs have on the A300- 600 at high airspeeds, and how the airplane's rudder travel limiter system operates. The Safety Board's airplane performance study showed that the high loads that eventually overstressed the vertical stabilizer were solely the result of the pilot's rudder pedal inputs and were not associated with the wake turbulence. In fact, had the first officer stopped making inputs at any time before the vertical stabilizer failed, the natural stability of the aircraft would have returned the sideslip angle to near 0 degrees, and the accident would not have happened. (The Board estimated that the sideslip angle at the time the vertical stabilizer separated was between 10 and 12.5 degrees.)
The NTSB issued eight recommendations in today's report. Among the seven sent to the Federal Aviation Administration were those calling for adopting certification standards for rudder pedal sensitivity, modifying the A300- 600 and A310 rudder control systems to increase protection from potentially hazardous rudder pedal inputs at high speeds (a similar recommendation was issued to the French equivalent of the FAA, the DGAC), and publishing guidance for airline pilot training programs to avoid the kind of negative training found in American Airlines' upset recovery training.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

The SF-260, Aermacchi's (Finmeccanica Group Company) primary trainer, has performed its first flight, in the new "EA" version specifically designed for the Italian Air Force. The maiden flight has lasted over 70 minutes and has allowed functional checks of the engine, flight controls and airborne systems of the aircraft, which is the first of thirty units covered by the contract that Aermacchi and the Italian Air Force signed early this year. Deliveries will start in early 2005, after the "type certification", and will be completed in summer 2006. The new EA configuration features a new avionics suite, improved cockpit ergonomics and improved maintainability. The electro-avionics equipment includes new radio-navigation and communication systems.
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After traveling more than 78 million miles aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Mike Fincke returned to Earth on October 23. Returning with them was Russian Space Forces Test Cosmonaut Yuri Shargin, who had spent eight days aboard the orbiting complex conducting research. After a flawless descent by the ISS Soyuz 8 spacecraft, Padalka, Fincke and Shargin landed on target in north-central Kazakhstan, about 43 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of the town of Arkalyk, at 7:36 p.m. CDT. Recovery forces arrived at the site within minutes of the touchdown. Padalka and Fincke spent 187 days, 21 hours and 17 minutes in space. They launched on April 18, on the same Soyuz spacecraft that brought them home. For six months, the pair maintained systems and conducted scientific research onboard the Station. Among their accomplishments on the Station was an unprecedented spacewalking repair, using Russian spacesuits and gear to replace a U.S. circuit breaker, restoring power to a U.S. gyroscope. Fincke also performed some of the most complex U.S. spacesuit repairs ever accomplished in orbit, replacing water pumps in the suits' cooling systems, equipment not designed for in-flight repairs. They completed a total of four spacewalks, including sorties that prepared the Station for the arrival of a new European cargo ship next year. Aboard the Station, the Expedition 10 crew, Commander and NASA Station Science Officer Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov, are beginning a six-month mission that will include two spacewalks and preparations for the return of Space Shuttle flights. Expedition 10 is scheduled to return to Earth on April 25, 2005.
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Northrop Grumman has proposed using an upgraded version of the fourth-generation, in-production Heron medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Army's new Extended-Range/Multi-Purpose UAV System. Known as Hunter II, the new UAV will provide corps commanders with persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications relay and a weapons capability that is fully compliant with the Army's threshold requirements. The Hunter II system will couple the performance of the Heron MALE UAV with advanced technology subsystems and system architectures from other Northrop Grumman UAV programs and company investments. It builds on the successful legacy of the Northrop Grumman-developed RQ-5 Hunter UAV, the Army's interim extended-range/multi-purpose system. The RQ-5 Hunter has logged more than 32,000 flight hours, 13,000 of which have been in combat operations in the Balkans and Iraq.
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NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced that Chief Scientist and veteran astronaut John Grunsfeld will return to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Administrator O'Keefe appointed Dr. James B. Garvin, chief scientist for NASA's Mars and lunar exploration programs, as the new Chief Scientist, effective immediately. Grunsfeld is training for an astronaut assignment to a long duration mission, the specifics of which will be announced at a later date. He will also provide expert support and counsel to NASA's Astronaut Office. Grunsfeld was appointed NASA's Chief Scientist in Sept. 2003. He has been supporting Administrator O'Keefe in Washington directing NASA's space-based science objectives and ensuring the scientific merit of agency programs.
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On 22 October, ESA's first ever microsatellite complete three years of successful operations. The size of a large television set, Proba was launched to demonstrate new technologies for future European spacecraft, but continues to provide fantastic images of Earth. "It is amazing what we have got out of Proba, our first micro-satellite," says Frederic Teston, ESA's Proba Project Manager. "The mission has successfully demonstrated a number of sophisticated technologies in addition to new approaches in spacecraft construction and operations. "It has 100% lived-up to its full name of 'Project for On-Board Autonomy' - for every day of the last three years the spacecraft performed onboard such functions as steering, navigation, target fly-by estimation and image capture. These are all functions that have to be handled from the ground for larger spacecraft.
"We just provide the latitude, longitude and altitude of a target site, and Proba will handle the rest. The onboard computer steers the spacecraft to the correct position, tilts it correctly, shoots and delivers the image." The thinking underpinning Proba is that tightly focused missions can be delivered in a short time frame useful to scientists - if the time taken from the original concept to launch and operation can be greatly reduced.
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Raytheon celebrated the achievement of delivering the 250,000th Paveway Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) to the U.S. Navy, Air Force and international customers. The event highlighted successful efforts to streamline the factory and increase production five-fold due to increased demand following 9/11, with a total of 250,000 Paveway kits delivered since 1968. "Delivering the 250,000th Paveway is a huge accomplishment, but the successful effort to ramp up production five-fold to support warfighter needs after 9/11 is another reason to celebrate. This shows the value of Paveway to the warfighter," said Maj. Jose Delarosa, Air Force Paveway II program manager at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. "Laser guided bombs have been the 'weapon of choice' in every conflict since Operation Desert Storm. Approximately 10,000 LGBs were used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, accounting for approximately half of all the air launched precision guided munitions."
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Flight testing of a unique aircraft combining the advantages of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a combat-proven manned rotorcraft helicopter is under way at Boeing in Mesa, Ariz. News of the innovative flight test program, which builds on the company's strengths in network-centric operations (NCO), was announced today by Boeing officials at the 2004 Association of the United States Army, or AUSA, exposition in Washington, D.C. The proof-of-concept demonstrator, a modified MD 530F helicopter, has been flying since Sept. 8 and made its first autonomous take off and landing Oct. 16. The demonstrator is known as the "Unmanned Little Bird." The Unmanned Little Bird has flown more than 20 hours as a fully operational UAV. An on-board test pilot monitors the aircraft's performance but does not actively fly the aircraft.
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It's nothing short of an electronic miracle: a micro-aircraft - or micro aerial vehicle (MAV) - that flies autonomously, aided by satellite support. Developed in cooperation with the Technical University of Braunschweig and marketed by Bremen-based Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH via the spin-off company Mavionics GmbH of Braunschweig, the re-useable micro-drone Carolo P50 is so compact that fits into a special backpack. During flight trials at Meppen near the German-Dutch border, it has since been successfully demonstrated to representatives of Germany's Bundeswehr and Federal Agency for Defence Technology and Procurement. Looking like it could have come from a model airplane shop, it is actually designed to carry out unmanned reconnaissance and surveillance operations. The Carola P50 is an invaluable intelligence aide to soldiers in the field, providing them with a bird's eye view of what's happening "on the other side of the hill" - or even behind the next wall. It enables near-real-time reconnaissance and visual monitoring of the area under observation. This portable, unmanned reconnaissance system is based on off-the-shelf components, and can be procured and operated in small numbers. With a wingspan measuring barely 49 centimetres, this innovative new UAV system consists of three main components: the flight unit itself with exchangeable payload; the ground station; and the transport pack with built-in antenna. The micro-aircraft itself is a monoplane with high-set, kite-like wings and a T-shaped tail unit. Powered by an electrical motor in the nose with a folding propeller, its robust design means that it is ready for action again within minutes of landing, i.e. as soon as the batteries are exchanged.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems, announced today that they have been successfully flying a Predator unmanned aircraft powered by a heavy fuel engine (HFE). GA-ASI integrated the heavy fuel engine as a company funded development to fully meet the U.S. Army's "single fuel in the battlefield" objective. The HFE will be offered with the Warrior, GA-ASI's solution for the Army's Extended Range Multi-purpose (ERMP) program. Warrior will provide the US Army with an HFE version of the combat proven Predator aircraft for long endurance surveillance, communications relay, and weapons delivery missions. The Predator is powered by a general aviation certified Thielert Centurion engine. Use of this HFE powerplant enables the aircraft to fly above 25,000 feet on jet or diesel fuel with increased horsepower and significantly improved fuel efficiency. The HFE powerplant reduces maintenance costs, offers increased service life, and greatly simplifies field logistics by using a more readily available fuel source. Initiated in July of 2004, the Warrior quick reaction prototype effort went from kick-off to first flight in less than three months.
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On 25 October, Delta Air Lines announced that it has entered into a commitment letter with American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. ("Amex") to provide up to $600 million of financing to Delta, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions. Up to $100 million of the financing will be in the form of a loan from Amex as part of a new credit facility currently being negotiated with other lenders, for which a commitment has not yet been obtained from such other lenders, and $500 million of the amount will be in the form of a prepayment of SkyMiles. The prepayment by Amex to Delta will be made in two installments, each in an amount of $250 million, and each subject to significant conditions that are set forth in greater detail in the Form 8-K that Delta Air Lines filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The first installment would be paid upon timely satisfaction of the conditions and the second installment would be paid, subject to the conditions, on a business day specified by Delta that is at least 90 days after the initial prepayment installment. Both the credit facility and the prepayment facility would be fully collateralized by a pool of assets. The prepayment would be credited in equal monthly installments toward SkyMiles purchases to be made by Amex during the 24-month period beginning on the first anniversary of the initial prepayment installment and ending on the third anniversary of that installment. Delta Air Lines also announced that it reached a tentative agreement with its pilot union on contractual changes designed to deliver $1 billion in long-term, annual savings through a combination of changes to wages, pension and other benefits and work rules. Pilots have until Nov. 11, 2004, to vote on the agreement through an expedited electronic ratification process. "Reaching a tentative agreement is an important step in our march toward viability, and I appreciate the negotiators' good faith efforts and hard work," said CEO Gerald Grinstein. The company's chief executive also said that although bankruptcy remains a possibility due to Delta's precarious financial situation, "we are making significant progress and are on course with our customer-focused transformation plan." The pilot accord is a necessary element of the company's comprehensive out-of-court restructuring initiative that is intended to deliver approximately $5 billion in annual benefits by 2006 (as compared to 2002). It includes finalizing new financing arrangements, restructuring debt, securing concessions from vendors and lessors, retooling its operations and reducing non-pilot employee and operational costs, including management overhead.
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The Honourable David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry, the Honourable Jim Peterson, Minister of International Trade, and the Honourable Jean-C. Lapierre, Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for Quebec, today announced that the Government of Canada has agreed to provide financial guarantees to enable Bombardier to compete on a level playing field for the sale of up to 45 regional jets to Air Canada. Government-sponsored guarantees for aircraft sales are standard practice in the aerospace industry worldwide. The guarantees announced today will be provided on commercial terms, and are based on market benchmarks. These guarantees will be provided from existing resources and the Government of Canada will charge fees for putting the guarantees in place. The guarantees are in full conformity with Canada's World Trade Organization obligations and other international trade obligations. The Government of Canada would disburse funds only if the buyer defaults on the purchase, as with all such government guarantees. In the event of a default, the Government of Canada would have a secured claim against the aircraft. The maximum program limit is $1.5 billion.
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Training for the Space Shuttle's return to flight entered a new phase today as the astronauts and Mission Control began full-scale rehearsals that will continue until days before launch. A web of computer and voice communication connections brings together dozens of flight controllers, the astronauts who will fly the Shuttle, support engineers and training instructors to simulate key portions of the next mission. The training is complex, with planners inserting multiple problems during each practice session and gauging the performance of the team as it addresses them. This first eight-hour "flight-specific integrated simulation" focuses on the Space Shuttle Discovery's rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. The simulation includes practicing a new flip, a rendezvous pitch maneuver, that the Space Shuttle performs as it approaches to allow Station crew members to photograph the Shuttle's heat shielding tiles to check their condition.
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The Turkish national carrier Turkish Airlines has signed a firm contract for the purchase of 36 Airbus single aisle and wide body aircraft, further strengthening Airbus' presence in this part of the world. This agreement renews the partnership between Turkish Airlines and Airbus that began in 1984, when the A310 became the first Airbus aircraft to be operated by the Istanbul-based airline. Now, 20 years on, following the introduction of the A340-300 in its fleet in 1993, Turkish Airlines opted to use the modern and efficient Airbus family products, by acquiring 19 A320s, 12 A321s and five A330-200s. With deliveries scheduled as from October 2005 up till 2008, the airline, which operates domestic and international flights via Istanbul, plans to use the aircraft on both domestic, medium and long haul routes internationally. Turkish Airlines has selected the IAE V2527-A5 engines for the A320s and A321s and the CF6-80E1 A3 from General Electric for the A330s. In terms of cabin configuration, the airline has chosen a 2-class configuration for all aircraft, offering not only a comfortable business class but also the advantages of a wider cabin and therefore more personal space in economy class.
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Saab TransponderTech announced the introduction of a new airborne AIS transponder system for search and rescue, maritime surveillance and other aerial applications. The new Saab R4A Airborne transponder system receives signals from all AIS-equipped ships and aircraft in its operating area. The R4A can either be in silent, listening mode or transmit the AIS data, either as standard AIS messages or encrypted via dedicated data links to ground stations, ships and other aircraft. "Our new airborne AIS system has a wide range of potential applications," said Gunnar Mangs, business director for mobile systems. "It has obvious advantages for airborne surveillance of shipping to enhance maritime security operations and environmental monitoring, permitting aircraft to monitor and track ships and identify their names, flags, cargoes and destinations. In search and rescue operations, the airborne AIS can help locate vessels in distress and other nearby ships. Other applications include tracking of helicopters flying to offshore oil platforms and fleet control in general. The system also provides dedicated data links with other aircraft and ground stations, permitting operations to be controlled from the operation center."
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Lockheed Martin rolled Raptor 4041 out of its final production assembly facility today, marking a milestone in the F/A-22 program. Aircraft 4041 is the initial F/A-22 for the Air Force's first operational, combat-ready squadron of Raptors. Once complete with post-production preparations and flights, aircraft 4041 will be accepted by the Air Force and delivered to the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., for use as a combat dedicated aircraft. Previously delivered F/A-22s are now being flown by Air Force pilots at Edwards, Nellis and Tyndall Air Force Bases for pilot training, tactics and testing to support the growing fleet. More than a year ago, parts from nearly 1,000 suppliers and sub-assembly facilities across 43 states began arriving at the Marietta plant as ship 4041 began its journey through the final assembly process. The production of an F/A-22 represents a tremendous effort, culminating in a transformational and revolutionary aircraft.
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Agusta Aerospace Corporation, an AgustaWestland company, is pleased to announce that Airlift Northwest, located in Seattle Washington, after an extensive evaluation of available helicopter models, will acquire four Agusta Grand and two A109 Power helicopters. Airlift will use the new helicopters to replace its existing A109MKII fleet that has served the program for almost 20 years. An extensive evaluation that involved mission demands for IFR environment, speed and range, as well as total ownership costs, customer support and most importantly a favorable working environment for the medical crews led to the selection of the AgustaWestland helicopters.
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Pratt & Whitney will provide part repair services to Rolls-Royce aftermarket facilities and joint ventures around the world under terms of a wide-ranging repair services agreement between the two companies. The general agreement covers Pratt & Whitney support for work done in all 11 Rolls-Royce shops on various engine models including the V2500, JT8D and industrial gas turbines. Pratt & Whitney's worldwide network of overhaul and repair centers will perform the work for Rolls-Royce. At the same time, the companies signed a five-year agreement under which Pratt & Whitney's Connecticut Airfoil Repair Operations (CARO) in East Hartford will repair V2500 high-pressure turbine airfoils in support of the Rolls-Royce maintenance facility in East Kilbride, Scotland.
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Within the frames of the contract for delivery of the Su-30MKI aircraft to the Indian Air Force, bench tests of the AL-31FP engine with thrust vector control (TVC) have been successfully completed. The tests of the engine had been carried out in parallel, at the bench of its designer - "NPO "Saturn" in Moscow, and the series production plant - JSC "UMPO" in the city of Ufa. The results of the tests confirmed 1000 hours mean time to overhaul and 2000 hours assigned life that were declared in the contract. Besides, the tests confirmed the mean time to overhaul making out 500 hours of the controlled jet nozzle.
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SpaceDev has been awarded the second task order on its existing $43 million contract with the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), to design and develop up to six responsive, affordable high-performance networked micro-satellites to support national missile defense. The second task order of the contract is valued at approximately $8.3 million, became effective on October 1st and is expected to be completed by January 2006. "The successful completion of the first phase of our contract positioned us for a smooth transition into the next, exciting stage of our responsive microsatellite design for the MDA," commented Jim Benson, SpaceDev's founding chairman and chief executive officer. "Building on our proprietary CHIPSat technology, the work associated with the second phase of this contract will further enhance and define the capabilities of SpaceDev's networked cluster of formation-flying, high performance satellites, and the ability to control the mission via a laptop with Internet access."
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The official opening of the new £85 million state-of-the-art Rolls-Royce production facility in Inchinnan, Glasgow, took place on October 26, by Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell.
Inchinnan's advanced facilities, machine tools and processes, coupled with the introduction of modern working practices, are expected to significantly reduce manufacturing costs while further enhancing the working environment for employees. The flagship plant is a direct replacement for Rolls-Royce's 65-year-old site at nearby Hillington and safeguards the jobs of almost 1,000 highly-skilled Scottish workers. The final transfer of production will be completed early next year.
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CAE and Iberia Airlines officially inaugurated their aviation training joint venture today in Madrid, Spain. Fernando Conte and Robert E. Brown, the presidents and chief executive officers of Iberia Airlines and CAE respectively, unveiled a plaque to commemorate the event, attended by guests representing the joint venture's customers, the Spanish government and aerospace industry and the Canadian government. Formed in February 2004, the Iberia-CAE training joint venture consolidates the two companies' pre-existing training centres: CAE's centre in Alcalá de Henares, and Iberia's centre near Madrid's Barajas airport. The Alcalá centre was opened in 2002 and houses simulators for the Airbus A320, CRJ200, MD-82 and Dash 8 aircraft. The Barajas centre offers training on two Airbus A320-200, two A340-300, one B747-200 and one MD-87/88 full-flight simulator. The joint venture trains approximately 4,000 pilots of 35 airlines annually, including those of Iberia, Spanair, Air Nostrum, and other airlines operating both in and outside Spain.
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Raytheon reported third quarter 2004 income from continuing operations of $186 million or $0.41 per diluted share compared to $21 million or $0.05 per diluted share in the third quarter 2003. The third quarter 2003 included charges of $226 million or $0.38 per diluted share at Network Centric Systems (NCS) and Technical Services (TS). Non-cash pension expense (FAS/CAS Pension Adjustment) negatively affected the third quarter 2004 by $0.13 per diluted share on a year-over-year basis. Third quarter 2004 net income was $152 million or $0.34 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $35 million or $0.08 per diluted share in 2003. Net income for the third quarter of 2004 also included a $34 million after-tax loss in discontinued operations or $0.07 per diluted share, primarily attributable to a foreign tax related matter, versus $56 million or $0.13 per diluted share in 2003.
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Meeting in Vancouver, Canada during the 55th International Astronautical Congress, the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) has elected a new eleven-person team to lead the activities of the 160-member organization for the coming two years. The new President of the IAF is James V. Zimmerman who also serves as President of International Space Services, Inc. of McLean, Virginia, USA. Zimmerman replaces Marcio Barbosa, Deputy General Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), who served as IAF President from 2000 to 2004.
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This winter, Lufthansa will operate a non-stop service from Munich to Bangkok for the first time. The daily flight to the Thai capital will continue to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and to the Vietnamese metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In addition, Lufthansa is adding four new weekly flights to its three existing flights to Dubai, so that it will now provide a daily service to the Arab Emirate. Miami, another attractive spot for sun holidays, will once more be a Lufthansa destination this winter, with a long-haul A340 aircraft departing three times a week. Again in this year's winter season, Lufthansa will maintain a scaled-back schedule of flights to the Californian cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, with three flights each a week. It will temporarily suspend flights on the less busy routes to Boston, Vancouver and Montreal, however. LTU will be departing from Munich every Wednesday to Fort Myers, Florida, adding a brand-new intercontinental destination to the Munich Airport timetable. For the first time, the African airline Air Zimbabwe will be flying to Munich.
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Spirit Airlines, the largest privately held airline in the United States, and Lufthansa Technik AG, the leading provider for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul services (MRO), announced today an agreement for a Total Component Support TCS(r) contract. Over the next fifteen years the South Florida-based low-cost carrier and the German MRO specialist will cooperate on the component management of Spirit Airlines´ growing fleet of Airbus A320 family airplanes. Spirit will operate four Airbus A321 by the end of the year and plans to add 35 Airbus A320 family airplanes over the next five years, with options to acquire 50 more. Under the new far-reaching Total Component Support TCS(r) contract Lufthansa Technik will operate a central component and material pool at Spirit Airlines´ home bases of Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Int´l Airport and Detroit Metro Airport. Out of these locations, dedicated material management personnel will provide Spirit's line maintenance stations with all necessary Line Replaceable Units (LRU) and expend-ables/consumables - all together more than 1,700 part numbers. It's the first time that Lufthansa Technik will offer total component support and management to an airline in the United States.
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As of the coming weekend, Lufthansa Cargo will for the first time be flying to the multi-million metropolitan city of Guangzhou. A MD-11F cargo aircraft will be flying from Frankfurt to Guangzhou (outbound via Delhi) and back to Frankfurt three times weekly. In this way Lufthansa Cargo can offer its customers a direct connection to one of the most significant economic centers; the powerful export Pearl River Delta region. Guangzhou has been a twin city of Frankfurt am Main since 1988. The mayor of the city of Frankfurt, Petra Roth, has just returned yesterday from a visit to Guangzhou. With regard to the implementation of the freight flight services she quoted: "The cargo connection from Frankfurt to Guangzhou is an important step forward in German-Chinese cooperation. Guangzhou is an extremely effective business location, where future regular connection with the Rhein-Main region is of major significance."
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Qatar Airways has taken delivery of the first of 14 Airbus A330-300s, becoming the first operator of the type in the Middle East. The Airbus A330-300 is a larger version of the A330-200s that Qatar Airways already flies, and will add capacity from its hub in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, to destinations primarily in Europe.With seating in first, business and economy for 259 passengers, Qatar Airways' A330-300 features the latest in premium class seats and video on-demand entertainment. The aircraft are powered by General Electric CF6-80E1s.
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