FLUG REVUE update: Week ending 9 January 2005

UPDATE - Week ending 9 January 2005

+++ Antonov An-148 flies +++ IRIS-T contract signed +++ Pilatus PC-21 certified +++ Huygens separated from Cassini +++ ATR records big order from Air Deccan +++ More commitments for Boeing 7E7 +++ News in brief +++

Antonov An-148 flies
Erstflug der An-148 in Kiev

On 17 December 2004 the new regional jet An-148-100 performed its first flight. The aircraft was operated by a crew consisting of: leading test-pilot Eugenii Galunenko, the crew captain; test-pilot Sergei Troshin, co-pilot; leading engineer on flight tests Aleksander Makiyan.
The take-off was carried out from the runway of "Sviatoshin" airdrome (Kiev). The take-off run was 1000 m. The programme of the first test flight included investigation of stability and controllability of the aircraft within the whole rate of speeds, at all positions of the elements of the wing high-lift devices, with extended and retracted landing gear and operational test of all the aircraft systems. It was almost fully performed except of climb to the altitude of 7000 m because of adverse weather conditions in Kiev. That is why the flight with duration of 1 hr 25 min was performed on altitude rate from 0 till 3000 m with the speeds from 200 km/hrs to 470 km/hrs. The AN-148-100 landed at airdrome of ANTONOV ASTC's flight test and operational developing base in Gostomel near Kiev. All systems worked in normal mode, no failure had been revealed. The real flight characteristics of the aircraft practically in full coincided with designed ones. At the press-conference held after the first flight of the AN-148 the captain said: "To fly on such an aircraft is the real pleasure both for the crew and for passengers."
ANTONOV ASTC completes assembly of the second AN-148-100 prototype. Its first flight is scheduled on January 2005. This aircraft will join the programme of certificate tests to be completed before the end of the year. In the first quarter of 2006 it is planned to receive the certificate of type.

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IRIS-T contract signed
Serienauftrag für IRIS-T

On December 20, 2004, the contract covering series production of the air-to air guided missile IRIS-T was signed by the Federal Office for Military Technology and Procurement (BWB) and Diehl BGT Defence & Co. KG, a company of the Nuremberg-based Diehl Group. The BWB acted on behalf of all six European nations participating in the IRIS-T program. The series production contract is worth 1 billion Euro and makes an essential contribution to safeguarding core capabilities at Diehl. In the IRIS-T program, Germany acts as lead nation and Diehl BGT Defence as prime contractor.
The IRIS-T guided missile was developed in a multi-national European program under the lead of the industrial prime contractor Diehl BGT Defence. IRIS-T is a successor of the Sidewinder missile produced in US license. The dog fight-optimised IRIS-T will be operational on modern combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter, Tornado, F-16 and F-18 in the air forces of Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Deliveries of the more than 4.000 IRIS-T guided missiles will last until 2011. The air-to-air missile IRIS-T is also being considered for a surface-launched role and other forms of air defence.

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Pilatus PC-21 certified
Zulassung für den PC-21-Trainer

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. received the type certification of its new military training aircraft, the PC-21, from the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Aviation shortly before the end of 2004. This certification opens the way for series production of the PC-21. Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. celebrated the rollout of the revolutionary PC-21 training aircraft on May 1, 2002 and witnessed the first flight two months later. It was stated at that point to have the aircraft certified by the end of 2004, which has been successfully completed. The two PC-21 prototypes have logged more than 750 flight test hours during the development and certification phase. Pilatus will continue to work on the testing and certification of several additional systems, such as autopilot and instrument flying (IFR), to further increase the aircraft's market potential and competitiveness. The PC-21 is an entirely new aircraft design, developed by Pilatus from the ground up to meet the enhanced training needs of modern air forces, who require the downloading of training to cheaper platforms and airborne embedded simulation. The aircraft has pushed the envelope of turboprop aircraft capabilities to meet and exceed the training capabilities of many jet trainers.

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Huygens separated from Cassini
Titansonde auf dem Weg

ESA's Huygens probe was successfully released by NASA's Cassini orbiter on the morning of 25 December 2004 and is now on a controlled collision course toward Saturn's largest and most mysterious moon, Titan. On 14 January, Huygens will descend through one of the most intriguing atmospheres in the Solar System to an unknown surface. The separation occurred at 02:00 UTC (03:00 CET). A few minutes after separation, Cassini turned back to Earth and relayed information about the separation. This signal then took one hour and eight minutes to cross the 1200 thousand million kilometres separating the Cassini spacecraft and Earth.
"Today's release is another successful milestone in the Cassini-Huygens odyssey," said Dr David Southwood, ESA's Director of Science Programmes. "This was an amicable separation after seven years of living together. Our thanks to our partners at NASA for the lift. Each spacecraft will now continue on its own but we expect they'll keep in touch to complete this amazing mission. Now all our hopes and expectations are focused on getting the first in situ data from a new world we've been dreaming of exploring for decades."
Huygens is scheduled to enter Titan's atmosphere at about 09:06 UTC (10:06 CET) on 14 January, entering at a relatively steep angle of 65° and a velocity of about 6 kilomtres per second. The target is over the southern hemisphere, on the day side. Protected by an ablative thermal shield, the probe will decelerate to 400 metres per second within three minutes before it deploys a 2.6-metre pilot chute at about 160 kilometres. After 2.5 seconds this chute will pull away the probe's aft cover and the main parachute, 8.3 metres in diameter, will deploy to stabilise the probe. The front shield will then be released and the probe, whose main objective is to study Titan's atmosphere, will open inlet ports and deploy booms to collect the scientific data. All instruments will have direct access to the atmosphere to conduct detailed in-situ measurements of its structure, dynamics and chemistry. Imagery of the surface along the track will also be acquired. These data will be transmitted directly to the Cassini orbiter, which, at the same time, will be flying over Titan at 60 000 kilometres at closest approach. Earth-based radio telescopes will also try to detect the signal directly.

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ATR records big order from Air Deccan
Großauftrag für ATR 72

ATR has been selected by Air Deccan to provide 30 new ATR 72-500 aircraft and 6 second-hand aircraft (3 ATR 42-500 and 3 ATR 72-500). This was announced on the occasion of a joint press conference held in Bangalore (India) between ATR and the Indian low-cost airline Air Deccan. Deliveries of aircraft will begin in 2005 and will be spread over a 5 year-period at the rate of 6 to 8 aircraft a year. The ATR 72-500 aircraft will be delivered in a 72-seat configuration. With this order Air Deccan passes an important step by ordering for the first time brand new ATR aircraft. This order allows Air Deccan to achieve its plan to connect all main Indian cities to the major metropolitan centres at a very low fare.
ATR currently holds a market share in India of 60% in the 20 to 90-seat regional market and of the turboprop sector the market share is 73%. In the Asia Pacific area, 97 ATRs are currently operated by 22 airlines. Since the beginning of the programme, ATR has delivered 688 aircraft (381 ATR 42 and 307 ATR 72).

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More commitments for Boeing 7E7
Continental und Vietnam an 7E7 interessiert

Boeing and Continental Airlines announced major steps in support of the airline's growth, including its plans to purchase ten 7E7 Dreamliner airplanes. The companies signed an agreement calling for delivery of the 7E7-8s beginning in 2009. The 7E7 order is valued at approximately US$1.3 billion at list prices. Boeing and Continental expect to formally complete the agreement early in 2005. Continental is the first major U.S. carrier to announce plans to acquire the technologically advanced and highly efficient airplane slated to enter service in 2008. "The 7E7 is simply a game changer," said Gordon Bethune, Continental Airline's chairman and chief executive officer. "It will position Continental for significant international growth from our New York and Houston hubs over the next decade." "Continental is a bellwether addition to the 7E7 Launch Team," said Mike Bair, Boeing vice president and general manager of the 7E7 program. "Continental understands the superior operating economics, faster turnaround times and lower maintenance costs of Boeing airplanes."
Under the terms of the agreement Continental also will lease eight Boeing 757-300s starting in 2005, and will accelerate the delivery of six Boeing 737-800s into 2006. The 757s will be delivered beginning in July.
Boeing has also confirmed that Vietnam Airlines has formally selected the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner as its future mid-sized, twin aisle jetliner. The carrier plans to take four 7E7-8s during 2010. The value of the airplanes is estimated at $500 million at list prices. Vietnam Airlines, the national airline of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, becomes the eighth announced customer for the 7E7, which was launched in April 2004 with an order of 50 airplanes by ANA of Japan. Vietnam Airlines will participate on the 7E7 launch team. Vietnam Airlines plans to use the 7E7-8 to expand its route system and to replace some existing airplanes. The airline has not made an engine selection.
Customer announced orders and commitments for the 7E7 now total 126 airplanes, including 56 under firm contract. Negotiations remain underway with a number of key airlines worldwide. Boeing and Vietnam Airlines expect to finalize the 7E7 order in the first quarter of 2005.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

Finmeccanica announced that a contract worth EUR 775 million was signed on 21 December between the Italian Space Agency and Alenia Spazio for the construction of the COSMO-SkyMed satellite system. The system consists of a constellation of four Earth observation satellites that can be used for civil or defence purposes. Alenia Spazio (100%-owned by Finmeccanica) acts as prime contractor for the industrial team appointed to develop the system, whose main suppliers include another Finmeccanica company, Telespazio, as well as several Italian SMEs. The contract relates to the first three satellites in the constellation; the contract for the fourth satellite is expected to be worth EUR 116 million. The COSMO-SkyMed system is financed by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (EUR 620 million) and the Ministry of Defence (EUR 155 million). The first COSMO-SkyMed satellite is to be launched during the last three months of 2006, and the system as a whole should be fully operational at the end of 2008.
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TUI AG, Europe's leading travel group, has signed a contract with Boeing for the delivery of ten new Boeing 737-800s. Delivery of the new aircraft is scheduled to take place from early 2006 to mid 2007. When they are put into service, Hapag-Lloyd Flug's fleet in Germany will be completely converted to Boeing aircraft. The five Airbus (A 310) still being operated by will be sold in due course. "We are making use of the current opportunity of buying cost-efficient aircraft at attractive prices to renew our fleet and retain the flexibility of our capacity planning. We also benefit from the current favourable exchange rate," says Sebastian Ebel, member of the board of directors of TUI, whose responsibilities include the Group's airlines. In addition the standardization of the fleet also opens up more potential for cutting operational, maintenance and servicing costs. TUI Group airlines include: TUI Airlines Belgium, Britannia U.K., Britannia Nordic, Corsair, Hapag-Lloyd Flug, Hapag-Lloyd Express and Thomsonfly.com with a current total of 104 aircraft. TUI Airline Management has coordinated all of the main central functions of the TUI airlines since the beginning of 2002.
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On Decemder 26, 2004 Irkut Corporation completed delivery of the third phase Su-30MKI multifunctional fighters to the Indian Air Force. Thus, Irkut has fulfilled its commitments on the delivery contract signed with Indian Ministry of Defence in November 1996. The Su-30MKI aircraft designed by Sukhoi Design Bureau possess unsurpassed performance and combat capabilities. Avionics suite of the aircraft includes the most advanced developments of avionics building companies from Russia, India, France, Israel and Great Britain. Integration of avionics was performed by Ramenskoe Design Bureau. The Su-30MKI, as the first among production aircraft, is equipped with the AL-31FP thrust vector controlled engine designed by "Saturn" Research and Production Corporation. Thrust vector control provides for the supermaneuverability mode significantly improving flight safety and ensuring a critical advantage for the Su-30MKI in a close-in air-to-air combat. Su-30MKI radar, the N-011 (BARS), with a phased antenna array, designed by NIIP named after Tikhomirov, ensures simultaneous tracking and attack of several aerial and surface targets. Delivery of the BARS radar to the Indian Air Force was provided by "Airspace Equipment" Corporation.
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Elbit Systems announced that it reached agreement with Koor Industries to purchase all of Koor's approximately 32% holdings in Tadiran Communications. This purchase will be made in parallel to Koor's purchase of approximately 9.8% of Elbit Systems' shares from Federmann Enterprises Ltd. ("Federmann") based on agreements reached early this morning between Federmann and Koor. The transactions will be executed in two stages as described below. In the first stage Elbit Systems will purchase from Koor approximately 13.8% of Tadiran's shares, and Koor will purchase from Federmann approximately 5.3% of Elbit Systems' shares. Elbit Systems already holds approximately 4.4% of Tadiran's shares acquired through prior purchases on the market, and therefore, following completion of the first stage will own approximately 18.2% of Tadiran's shares. Elbit Systems will be entitled to appoint the greater of 3 or 20% of Tadiran's board of directors, and Koor will be entitled to appoint one member of Elbit Systems' board of directors.
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The US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), a Cabinet-level Council that coordinates science and technology policies across the Federal Government, today released a report "Science for the 21st Century." Produced under the direction of the NSTC's Committee on Science, the report provides a Federal agency perspective on the science policies and accomplishments of the Bush Administration and illustrates how today's science sets the stage for benefits to the economy and national quality of life far into the future. "The Federal government plays a key role in supporting the country's science infrastructure, a national treasure, and scientific research, an investment in our future," said John H. Marburger III, science advisor to the President and director, Office of Science and Technology Policy. "This report presents the critical responsibilities of our Federal science enterprise and the actions taken by the Federal research agencies to align our programs with scientific opportunity and national needs," Marburger said.
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Boeing released its year-end commercial airplane orders numbers, capping a strong year in which it successfully launched the all-new 7E7 Dreamliner and 747 Special Freighter programs and enhanced its popular 777 family by delivering the first 777-300ERs and offering a freighter based on the 777-200LR. Net orders increased nearly 14 percent to 272 in 2004 from 239 in 2003, reflecting improving conditions in the commercial aviation market. Also, as announced yesterday, Boeing delivered as planned 285 commercial airplanes during 2004. On stronger demand, Boeing plans to increase production in 2005 to approximately 320 airplanes, with further increases expected in 2006.
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US Air Force officials cleared the F/A-22 Raptor to resume flight operations Jan. 6 following a comprehensive review of procedural and engineering data. One of the aircraft crashed Dec. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which caused a temporary halt to flying the most technologically advanced fighter in the world, officials said. The investigation of the accident continues. However, enough information is available for Air Force officials to be highly confident in the design, testing and development of the F/A-22s. With about 7,000 flight hours already logged in the Raptor and an overwhelmingly positive safety record when compared to previous aircraft development programs, officials said they determined that flight operations can be safely resumed.
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NASA marked a major milestone for the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight, as the redesigned External Tank rolled out from the barge that carried it to the agency's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. The tank was taken to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for a final checkout. It will eventually be attached to the twin Solid Rocket Boosters and the Space Shuttle Discovery for its Return to Flight mission, STS-114. "With the arrival of the External Tank, all of the elements of the Space Shuttle system are in place for Return to Flight," said Michael Kostelnik, deputy associate administrator for International Space Station and Space Shuttle programs. "This improved tank will be the safest we've ever flown. The modifications we have made will ensure the Shuttle completes its long-term mission of assembling the International Space Station," he said. NASA and Lockheed Martin Corp. spent nearly two years modifying the 15- story, rust-colored tank to make it safer. Among dozens of changes is a redesigned forward bipod fitting to reduce the risk to the Shuttle from falling debris during ascent. Reducing the debris risk was a key recommendation of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
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The US Department of the Navy awarded Raytheon Company, Waltham, Mass., a $55.7 million contract to initiate Full Rate Production of the JSOW Unitary (JSOW-C) weapon Dec. 23. The work will be completed by Raytheon Missile Systems located in Tucson, Ariz. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition John J. Young Jr. approved Full Rate Production after the weapon completed a highly successful series of tests by the Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force. The tests included a wide array of targets, ranging from radar sites to caves and hardened bunkers, and upon completion, the JSOW-C was graded as "Operationally Effective and Suitable" for military use. The Navy plans to buy 189 JSOW-C weapons, logistics support and ancillary hardware under this first production contract.
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The DGA, the French armament procurement agency and EADS SPACE Transportation have signed a contract for the production of the M51 missile. To be designed and manufactured for the first time under the prime contractorship of EADS SPACE Transportation, this fixed contract covers series production of the M51 weapon system for a period of 10 years. The contract value is in excess of 3 billion euros and includes a fixed tranche and several conditional options. The new industrial organisation, with EADS SPACE Transportation as sole contractor, and Snecma, SNPE, DCN as well as Thalès and Sagem as principal subcontractors, will provide French armed forces with a fully operational service at reduced cost. The M51 features a considerable number of improvements compared to the M45. The new missile which weighs more than 50 tonnes and represents a mass increase of 50%, offers ballistic performance levels that will ensure an operational range of more than 6000 kilometres, flying at altitudes of up to 1000 kilometres. It has an increased payload capacity and a higher accuracy than the present M45. The M51 will equip the new-generation submarines of the Strategic French Oceanic Force, from 2010. The M51 missile will enter service in 2010 on board Le Terrible, followed by Le Vigilant, Le Triomphant and Le Téméraire after retrofit. New nuclear warheads will be commissioned from 2015.
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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), has selected BAE Systems as one of three companies to develop a ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as part of a first phase of its Organic Air Vehicle Class II (OAV II) program. The award of the design and development contract follows a competitive selection process. The multimillion-dollar contract calls for the development and demonstration of a ducted-fan UAV for operation in diverse missions such as environment reconnaissance and surveillance, path finding for friendly ground vehicles (both robotics and manned), maneuver force protection, and targeting for non-line-of-sight fire operations. At the end of the three-phase program, the OAV-II vehicle should be of sufficient maturity to transition into an Army System Development and Demonstration program to fulfill the Army's requirement for a Class II UAV.
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On 20 December the Bell/Agusta Aerospace AB 139 was awarded its FAA Certification. Ground and flight testing was completed at the Agusta facility in Cascina Costa, Italy and at the Honeywell facility in Phoenix, Arizona. High altitude trials were conducted in Colorado, while hot weather tests were conducted in Palm Springs, California and cold weather tests in Corunna, Sweden. In June 2003 the AB139 achieved initial ENAC (Italian Airworthiness) IFR certification with a three screen digital cockpit. To enhance overall cockpit management, a four-screen cockpit has been introduced and the AB139 has now been awarded full IFR certification by ENAC/EASA and the FAA to cover day and night IFR. The four-screen Honeywell Primus Epic Electronic Flight Instrumentation System provides decreased pilot workload and enhances the overall capabilities of the AB139. Currently, Bell/Agusta has an order book of over 80 aircraft slated for more than 40 customers world-wide. To date, AB139s have been delivered to Elilario, an Italian helicopter public transport company; the government of Namibia; and the Aga Khan Development Network for ferrying personnel and material for construction of university campuses in Central Asia. +++
To satisfy its in-orbit delivery contract with Paradigm Secure Communications, EADS Astrium has selected Arianespace's Ariane 5 for the launch of both of the UK MOD's next generation secure military telecommunications satellites, Skynet 5A and 5B. The contract, signed at the end of December 2004, also includes an option for an additional launch. Selection of Arianespace followed an extensive and rigorous evaluation of proposals from all the major launch service providers. Strenuous efforts were made to ensure that the process was comprehensive and fair. In his announcement, Colin Paynter, Managing Director of EADS Astrium Limited, said "Arianespace has provided a solution with the lowest risk, the greatest flexibility and the best value for money. This will allow us to launch Skynet 5A in the summer of 2006 and Skynet 5B in mid 2007. We look forward to working closely with Arianespace to meet these strategic milestones.
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The Russian space agency Roskosmos has announced plans to charge for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), and to encourage private companies to plan sub-orbital flights to the lower limit of outer space. Head of Roskosmos Anatoly Perminov has said that Russia will ferry US astronauts to the ISS on a 'commercial basis' from 2006. Russia alone has serviced the ISS since US shuttles were grounded in 2003. In 2004 the country provided two manned and five cargo spaceships. Mr Perminov will discuss the agency's plans with counterparts in the US early in 2005. His visit will also be aimed at assessing whether the US will be ready to resume shuttle flights in May, as originally foreseen. Roskosmos is also planning to encourage private space flights for the purpose of research. 'Several Russian companies that are ready to organise this kind of flight have approached Roskosmos with a series of relevant proposals, and we are going to support them in every possible way,' Mr Perminov told a press briefing.
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In a ceremony today at AgustaWestland's Vergiate facility, the first of twelve AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin helicopters was handed over to Mr. Paulo Portas, Defence Minister of Portugal, by Giuseppe Orsi, CEO of AgustaWestland. The Portuguese Government decided to procure 12 EH101's for Search and Rescue, Combat SAR role and fishery protection in December. The selection followed the announcement by Denmark of its decision to purchase 14 EH101's for SAR and Utility roles. The selection of the EH101 comes in both cases at the end of a thorough and extensive evaluation and as a result of flight evaluation of the EH101 against the Sikorsky S-92. The comprehensive range of tests carried out by the Evaluation Committees demonstrated the unrivalled capability of the EH101, and its ability to carry out the most demanding of SAR requirements. This achievement underlines the superior ability of the EH101 to satisfy the extremely demanding requirements of Combat SAR missions as well as its already well-proven performance in the maritime, transport/utility and SAR roles.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft surveillance systems, along with its "Team Warrior" partners AAI Corporation and SPARTA, Inc., today announced that it has been selected as one of two finalists for the U.S. Army's Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) UAV Program. Team Warrior will now proceed to the next phase of the Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract award process. A Systems Capabilities Demonstration (SCD) will be conducted the first quarter of 2005 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
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Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (SAC) and AERO Vodochody (AV) concluded a contract of production of Sikorsky helicopters S-76C+, which significantly change the existing trade terms and other conditions of mutual cooperation. "It is an important contribution to the future of AERO Vodochody, which will positively influence its enterprise and will consolidate our position on the world market of cooperation in the sphere of production of aircraft technology. We managed to fulfill our strategic plan - to penetrate this market. Now, the door of negotiations with other partners about new contracts is opening," Ing. Antonín Jakubše , president of AERO Vodochody, said. He added that the Sikorsky project has a very interesting business potential into the future. The new conditions of the contract will enable AV to reach interesting profit in the Sikorsky Programme. In particular, the unit price of Sikorsky helicopters is being increased by the so-called motivational bonuses, which are related to reaching particular performance index in fixed terms. In December 2004, the first helicopter S-76C+ will be produced in AV without losses. From the year 2005, the Sikorsky Programme will reach profits.
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Empordef (The Portuguese Defense Company) has selected the Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S/A and European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) consortium's proposal to acquire 65% of OGMA (Industria Aeronautica de Portugal S.A.) for a total amount of 11.4 million euros. For this purpose, Embraer and EADS created the AIRHOLDING, SGPS, S.A., controlled by Embraer with a total stake of 99% and EADS' participation at 1%. The participation of EADS in this company can reach in the future a maximum of 30%. OGMA is dedicated to aircraft and aircraft component maintenance, repair and manufacturing. The services offered cover the maintenance and repair of civil and defense aircraft and engines, structural components manufacture, maintenance, engineering support, and the development of simulators and computer-based training. In 2003, OGMA's net sales totaled 107 million euros.
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The Expedition 10 crew wrapped up its last week of 2004 unloading contents from the newly arrived Russian Progress cargo vehicle and making plans to ring in the new year Space Station style. Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan Sharipov will count down to 2005 on their own as they watch the onboard clock reach midnight Greenwich Mean Time -- the official time of the International Space Station. As they start their day, they'll watch for fireworks from orbit and try to capture images with onboard cameras. After watching the world celebrate, they'll have New Year's Day off-duty, with only light routine housekeeping tasks planned. The crew spent the last five days hard at work unloading the more than two and a half tons of supplies that arrived on the unmanned Progress 16 cargo ship Christmas Day. Working with the ground team and the Inventory Management System, the crew systematically transferred items into long-term stowage locations. On the Progress manifest were 560 kilograms (1,235 pounds) of propellant, 420 kilograms (926 pounds) of water and 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of air, plus other hardware and science equipment. The vehicle also brought 69 food containers, enough to feed two people for about 112 days. An unpiloted Russian cargo ship linked up the International Space Station on 25 December, completing a two-day Christmas journey to deliver 2.5 tons of food, fuel, oxygen, water, supplies and holiday gifts to the crew. The ISS Progress 16 craft automatically docked to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module at 5:58 p.m. CST (2358 GMT) as the spaceship and the Station flew 225 statute miles over Central Asia. Within minutes, hooks and latches between the two ships engaged, forming a tight seal between the two vehicles. The docking occurred about 30 minutes later than planned so that the linkup could occur over Russian ground stations with the benefit of television from the cargo ship and real-time data.
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L-3 Communications announced that it completed the acquisition of BAI Aerosystems, Inc. on December 21, 2004. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in Easton, Maryland, BAI designs, manufactures and integrates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). BAI targets the small (generally classified as less than 300 pounds) UAV segment and presently offers six primary platforms. The principal tactical uses of BAI's aircraft are by the military for remote imaging applications in surveillance missions. BAI also offers a complete set of UAV subsystems, such as avionics and auto pilots, imaging and sensor payloads, ground control stations and support equipment, which are incorporated into its proprietary designs as well as sold to other UAV manufacturers. Founded in 1985, BAI has sold over 1,000 UAVs and currently has aircraft deployed in support of U.S. operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. "L-3 Communications has an established presence in the UAV marketplace through our participation on the Predator and Global Hawk platforms," said Frank C. Lanza, chairman and chief executive officer of L-3 Communications. "BAI has developed a family of highly reliable and flexible tactical UAVs and established a terrific working relationship with the special operations groups in the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines. As part of our ISR and Secure Communications segment, BAI will provide L-3 with a new capability to test, demonstrate and market its broad array of imaging, sensor and detection systems in the fast growing UAV sector of the defense market, as well as provide additional sales opportunities for our products already serving this market." Mr. Lanza added that BAI will report into L-3's Integrated Systems subsidiary, which is led by Bob Drewes.
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American, Continental and United airlines joined Delta in matching its SimpliFares program in select markets. US Airways and Northwest matched in select markets Wednesday. "As we forecasted yesterday, it took less than 24 hours for the five remaining legacy carriers to match Delta's moves," says Tom Parsons, CEO of Bestfares.com, an internet travel site. "It's a match that has a twist." Delta has placed a maximum cap of $499 one-way on any seat, including last available. American has placed a maximum cap of $699 one-way. United, Continental, Northwest and US Airways have not placed any caps on their one- way or roundtrip airfares. The carriers matched Delta on about 90 percent of the routes with which they compete. Most major airlines have matched only the routes served by Delta, and most major airlines have also elected as of this time not to match Delta's SimpliFares where they include a hub of one of the other 5 major airlines, including their own hubs. The lone exception is American Airlines, which has matched Delta on about 80 percent of their competing routes, including three of its major hubs in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago and St. Louis. American elected not to match in Miami, where it is currently testing its own pricing program.
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Song, Delta Air Lines' high-style, low-fare air service, is celebrating service to its 10 millionth passenger today, a Boston resident, less than two years after officially launching in April 2003. Song will honor the lucky customer and her family of four with a reception in the Song ticketing area at Logan International Airport today before they board the 3:10 p.m. Song Flight 2015 to Orlando International Airport. Song, the official air service of Boston Red Sox Spring Training, will present the 10 millionth passenger and her family with a trip to a Red Sox 2005 Spring Training game in Ft. Myers in March, including 5 round-trip tickets on Song, tickets to the game and accommodations in a local hotel. Song will also present her with a new handbag from Kate Spade, who designed Song's flight attendant uniforms. "We are thrilled to celebrate Song's 10 millionth passenger today, less than two years after we officially launched our service," said Joanne Smith, acting president of Song. "We couldn't be happier that 10 million passengers have experienced Song's innovative entertainment features, organic food offerings, in-flight fitness program, and of course, our everyday low fares and stylish service. We look forward to our next such major milestone."
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Diamond Aircraft Industries announced the EASA IFR certification (Instrument Flight Rules)of the DA42 Twin Star. Subsequent to the base certification of the DA42 Twin Star which was granted on May 13th, 2004, the IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certification of the first twin-engined aircraft with state of the art technology could be concluded successfully after only 7 months of engineering and certification work. The aircraft is equipped with turbo diesel engines (Thielert Centurion 1.7) and a fully integrated cockpit (Garmin G1000). Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft: "Thanks to the committed cooperation between the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency), the Austrian airworthiness authority Austro Control and the Diamond Aircraft employees, a trend-setting project could be realized in a record time of 2 years, measured from the maiden flight of the proof-of- concept on December 9th, 2002 until the IFR certification on December 17th, 2004. The most up-to-date fiber composite materials, turbo diesel technology and a fully integrated glass cockpit are 3 criteria which have found their way into a novel aircraft concept." The certification is the starting signal for production of the IFR-equipped aircraft. The first deliveries will take place in January 2005. More than 470 DA42 Twin Stars have already been ordered worldwide.
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