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+++ Boeing launches new 747-8 family +++ Ariane 5 ECA lifts heaviest payload +++ South African Gripen makes its maiden flight +++ A380 completes Asian tour +++ DBA to buy 40 Boeing 737s +++ Ryanair expands at Hahn airport +++ Typhoon achieves the first 5,000 hours in operational flying +++ EASA gets new mission +++ News in brief +++
Boeing launches new 747-8 family
Erste Kunden für neue Jumbo-Versionen
On 14 November, Boeing officially launched the new Boeing 747-8 program, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter airplane. Cargolux, based in Luxembourg, has ordered 10 747-8 Freighters and will take delivery of the first 747-8F in third-quarter 2009. It also holds purchase rights for 10 additional airplanes. Cargolux currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 13 747-400 freighters. Nippon Cargo Airlines, based in Japan, has ordered eight 747-8 Freighters and will receive its first airplane in fourth-quarter 2009. The airline also acquired options for six additional airplanes. Nippon Cargo currently operates 13 747 freighters and has six more 747-400Fs on order. Firm orders from the two launch customers are valued at approximately $5 billion at list prices.
Both versions of the new 747 will feature GE's 787-technology GEnx engines, meet Stage 4 and QC2 noise requirements, have reduced emissions, offer lower trip costs and have an upgraded flight deck and an improved wing. "The 747-8 Freighter will be very important in allowing Nippon Cargo to take advantage of the high expected cargo market growth in Asia," said Takuro Uchiyama, president and CEO, Nippon Cargo Airlines. "In addition, the 747-8 Freighter will be the world's most efficient cargo airplane, which is a key attribute with today's high cost of fuel."
Ulrich Ogiermann, president and CEO, Cargolux Airlines, said, "The Boeing 747-400 Freighter has been a cornerstone of our success, and I have high expectations that the 747-8 Freighter will build on that success and expand our capabilities worldwide. The increased payload capacity and much improved efficiency will allow us to continue our expansion and maximize our profitability. Equally important to us and the communities where we operate is the new standard the 747-8 Freighter will set in noise reduction."
The 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane will be stretched 3.6 m (11.7 ft) compared to the 747-400 to accommodate 34 additional seats in a typical three-class configuration. The only jetliner in the 400- to 500-seat category, it will have a range of 14,815 km (8,000 nmi) and will feature the new Boeing Signature Interior. The Intercontinental will be quieter, produce fewer emissions, and achieve better fuel economy than any competing jetliner. It will offer 21 percent more lower-hold revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 and cost about 8 percent less per seat mile to operate. Compared to the A380, it will offer 22 percent lower trip costs. The 747-8 Freighter will be 5.6 m (18.3 ft) longer than the 747-400 freighter. With a total payload capacity of 140 metric tonnes (154 tons), including tare weight, the 747-8F provides 16 percent more cargo revenue volume than the -400. The additional 117m³ (4,124 ft³) from the longer fuselage offers space for four additional main-deck pallets, two additional lower-hold pallets and two additional lower-hold containers. Cargo can be loaded and unloaded on the 747-8F using both the nose and side doors for maximum speed and efficiency. Compared to the A380, the 747-8F will offer 20 percent lower trip costs. In addition, the 747-8F will maintain the operational flexibility of today's 747 freighters, with good profit potential at less-than-full loads.
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Ariane 5 ECA lifts heaviest payload
Schwerste Satellitennutzlast gestartet
During the night of Wednesday, November 16 to Thursday, November 17, Arianespace placed two satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: the SPACEWAY 2 high-definition direct broadcast satellite for the American operator DIRECTV, and the TELKOM 2 communications satellite for the Indonesian operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk. 20th successful Ariane 5 launch, 10th in a row, record payload. The mission sets a new record for commercial launches: with over 8,000 kg. injected into orbit, the SPACEWAY 2 and TELKOM 2 satellites represent the heaviest dual payload ever launched. Today, Ariane 5 is the only commercial launcher in service capable of simultaneously launching two payloads. Ariane 5 ECA offers a payload capacity of nearly 10,000 kg. into geostationary transfer orbit, giving Arianespace's customers enhanced performance, flexibility and competitiveness through the best launch service in the world. Today's mission was the 20th successful launch of an Ariane 5, and the 10th successful launch in a row. One week after the successful launch of the Venus Express spacecraft by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, this confirms that Arianespace, with its complete family of launchers, offers the best launch solution for operators from around the world.
The mission was carried out by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff was on Wednesday, November 16 at 8:46 pm local time in Kourou (6:46 p.m. in Washington, D.C., 23:46 GMT and on Thursday, November 17 at 12:46 a.m. in Paris and 6:46 a.m. in Jakarta). Provisional parameters at injection of the cryogenic upper stage (ESC-A) were:Perigee: 249.7 km. for a target of 249.6 km. (±3), apogee: 35,912 km. for a target of 35,917 km. (±160), inclination: 6.98 degrees for a target of 7.00 degrees (±0.06º)
Spaceway 2, deployed by U.S. operator DIRECTV, the Boeing-built spacecraft is the second in a series of DIRECTV's next generation of direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast satellites. The spacecrafts' adaptable spot beam technology and reconfigurable routing will allow DIRECTV, Inc. to bring HDTV local service to most U.S. television households. Telkom 2 was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation of the United States using the Star-2 platform. Weighing about 2,300 kg at launch, it is fitted with 24 C-band transponders. Telkom-2 will provide telephony, image and data transmission services in Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent. This is the second satellite for which PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk has chosen Europe's launcher, following Telkom 1, launched successfully from Kourou on August 12, 1999. It is also the fourth Indonesian satellite to be launched by Ariane, including Palapa C-2 in 1996 and Cakrawarta-1 in 1997.
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South African Gripen makes its maiden flight
Erste JAS 39 für Südafrika fliegt
The first South African dual seat Gripen took to the skies on its maiden flight in Sweden on Friday 11 November 2005. Painted in South African Air Force grey livery, the aircraft took off at 13.40 from Saab's Flight Test Centre in Linköping, Sweden. The flight lasted 1 hr 10 min. South African test pilot Charl Coetzee and Saab test pilot Magnus Olsson were at the controls for the first flight of South Africa's future multi-/swing-role fighter. During the flight, the test team were able to validate the basic flight control systems, engine, hydraulics and electrics. “The flight went better than expected and we were able to demonstrate some additional functionalities,” explained Charl Coetzee. “The maiden flight of South Africa's first Gripen is an important milestone which has been achieved earlier than scheduled. This is indicative of the maturity of the Gripen design and the dedicated approach taken by joint Swedish-South African teams to keep the program on track for customer deliveries commencing in March 2008,” remarked Jerker Ahlqvist, Program Director, South Africa. This aircraft will now undergo a thorough inspection and systems computer interrogation before being prepared for subsequent flight tests commencing later this month. It will be transferred to South Africa in August 2006, where it will participate in a flight development program focused on the integration of South Africa's customized avionics and weapons systems.
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A380 completes Asian tour
Große Asientour abgeschlossen
The A380, decorated with a Singapore Airlines logo, left Toulouse on 10 November for a nine-day Asia-Pacific tour, marking the first time the aircraft will be seen outside Europe. The aircraft visited Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. It flew directly to Singapore where on 11 November the media and VIPs, including Singapore's Minister of Transport, Yeo Cheow Tong, visited the aircraft. From Singapore, it flew tto Brisbane, Australia where Qantas' logo was applied before the aircraft flew over the Gold Coast and Sydney Harbour and land at Sydney for more VIP and media visits. The nine-day trip gave customers Singapore Airlines, Qantas and Malaysian Airlines a chance to see the aircraft ahead of first deliveries while also allowing airports to test equipment and demonstrate their readiness for the A380's entry into commercial service. Various airport compatibility tests were carried out at Australia's Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne airports along with Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Airport. Tests were planned for Singapore but these have been postponed due to scheduling conflicts.
The A380's initial stopover on its Asia-Pacific tour was greeted by enthusiastic crowds when the aircraft touched down at Changi Airport in Singapore after a 13-hour flight from Airbus' Toulouse, France headquarters. The landing – the first for an A380 outside of Europe – is symbolic, as Changi is home base to Singapore Airlines, which will be the introductory carrier for commercial service with this 21st century flagship. Following its 10:00 a.m. arrival, the aircraft parked at one of 19 gates being prepared for A380 operations at Changi Airport. This gate includes a new third passenger loading bridge that gives direct access to the A380's upper deck. As soon as the aircraft rolled to a stop, Gate 31's new loading bridge moved smoothly into position – demonstrating that Changi's terminal infrastructure is indeed ready for the A380.
Qantas has welcomed the arrival of the Airbus A380 into Sydney on 13 November. The aircraft is visiting Australia to help Qantas celebrate its 85th birthday as part of its test flight program. The Executive General Manager of Qantas, Mr John Borghetti, said the aircraft's visit to Australia provided a glimpse into the future of long distance air travel. Qantas has 12 Airbus A380s on order, as well as options for a further 12. The first aircraft will be delivered in April 2007, with all 12 scheduled for delivery by June 2009. The A380 will be utilised on Qantas' trans-Pacific and kangaroo routes to Los Angeles and London. The first 12 aircraft will enable the airline to fly at least 17 weekly services between Australia and Los Angeles and 14 weekly services between Australia and London via Singapore and Hong Kong.
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DBA to buy 40 Boeing 737s
Großauftrag für neue Flugzeuge geplant
DBA has announced that they have signed on an agreement with Boeing to purchase as many as 40 Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. The plan is to renew its fleet and aim to become the leading point-to-point airline on routes within Germany. The cost of these aircrafts at market price comes to around $2.4 billion. These planes are expected to be delivered between 2008 and 2010 as per a statement released by the company. In fact, DBA is in so much hurry to get their new planes that they are going to talk with other Boeing customers about the possibility of taking on their orders. They want to get hold of some of the planes as early as next year. DBA supervisory board Chief Hans Rudolf Woehrl said in a statement: “We want to continue to grow and so have signed an agreement to buy 40 Boeing 737-700 and 737-800s.” DBA is also planning for a possible initial public offering, which could come as soon as 2007. This is to finance for the new orders. They have however secured the first five aircraft. DBA currently has a working fleet of 27 Boeing 737 and Fokker 100s.
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Ryanair expands at Hahn airport
Große Ausbaupläne für Hahn
Ryanair announced a $1 billion multi year expansion plan for its base at Frankfurt Hahn. By 2012 Ryanair will have 18 based aircraft, operate over 50 routes, carry 8 million passengers p.a. and have created over 8,000 jobs at Frankfurt Hahn airport. With this enormous investment Frankfurt Hahn will overtake Dublin to become Ryanair's second largest airport base and become Germany's fastest growing and 8th largest airport.
Announcing this major expansion in Mainz, the capital of Rhineland Palatinate, Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's CEO said: “Between 2006 and 2012, Ryanair is committed to an investment of $1 billion in new aircraft at Frankfurt Hahn. With over 50 routes, 8 million passengers and 8,000 jobs this is the single biggest investment in German aviation by a non German company and will make Frankfurt Hahn one of the largest airports in Germany and Germany's fastest growing airport. “Ryanair will also provide a loan of Euro12.5 million in respect of 50% of the total capital expenditure on the new passenger terminal at Frankfurt Hahn and will also locate a Ryanair maintenance facility at the airport.” “I wish to acknowledge the contribution of Fraport and the government of Rhineland Palatinate to this project. Ryanair's successful collaboration with these partners since 1999 has helped to transform the airport into a major stimulant for tourism and employment in the States economy. The announcement ensures that this growth will be taken a significant stage further. Over the next 7 years Ryanair looks forward to creating 8,000 jobs at Frankfurt Hahn, more than doubling passenger numbers and delivering the highest traffic growth and lowest fares in Germany”.
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Typhoon achieves the first 5,000 hours in operational flying
5000 Flugstunden für Eurofighter
The Eurofighter fleet in the four Partner Air Forces has surpassed the 5,000 flying hour mark early November 2005. The nations had started taking delivery of aircraft at the end of 2003. With production running up during 2004, the air forces introduced Eurofighter Typhoon into service in spring 2004. At the end of 2004 they operated 30 aircraft. At this very early operational flying phase the air forces focused on evaluation of procedures in ground and flying operation, logistic processes and most importantly training of air and ground crew. Some of the aircraft were and still are used for maintenance training. Today 59 production aircraft have been delivered to the four air forces directly. Five Instrumented Production Aircraft, owned by the nations, have been delivered but are operated by industry for the development Eurofighter Typhoon's future capabilities together with six Development Aircraft. This fleet of test aircraft has achieved a total of more than 4,000 flying hours also by the end of October 2005. Thus the international Eurofighter fleet is now approaching the first 10,000 flying hour mark.
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EASA gets new mission
Neue Aufgaben für EASA
The European Commission adopted a major proposal to extend the tasks of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to rulemaking and control in the field of air operations, qualifications and licences of pilots, and oversight of third country airlines operating in the European Union. "We had a tragic summer marked by a spate of air crashes that claimed more then 500 lives. European passengers need to be assured that all aircrafts abide by the highest safety standards. I want stringent safety rules to apply in all Member States and to all airlines whether based in the EU or not" said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President in charge of transport. The Agency, created in 2002, works currently on, amongst other things, the certification of the airworthiness and environmental performance of aeronautical products. The proposal adopted today extends the agency's tasks as follows. First, EASA will be competent over pilots' licences to guarantee that they comply with common European rules on knowledge, skills and language proficiency. EASA will also further develop the existing requirements for EU pilots which will be adopted by the European Commission. The agency will work with national authorities, which will continue to issue licenses and conduct inspections and audits of training organisations and medical centres. Beyond the safety aspects, this will ensure better mutual recognition of pilots' licenses between Member States.
Secondly, the legislation proposed today contains the essential requirements that aircraft must observe when operating in the EU, whether they are EU or third country planes. EASA will further develop more detailed rules that will be adopted as Commission regulations. These rules will be based on the existing intergovernmental rules of the Joint Aviation Authorities. By incorporating such rules into EU legislation they will be uniformly applied in the whole EU territory and have the force of law. National authorities will continue to issue certificates for EU carriers, whilst the Agency will be responsible for checking compliance to this regulation by the Civil aviation authorities and related organisations. Thirdly, the Agency will take responsibility for certifying compliance of third country operators with the essential requirements for operating aircrafts in the EU. This mirrors a practice already followed by for instance the US. No EU Member State currently issues certificates for third country operators.
The Commission also announced its plans to extend further the functions of EASA to safety and interoperability of Air Navigation Services, Air Traffic Management and airports. The objective is to have, by 2010, the whole field of aviation safety under the scope of a single organisation, the European Agency. These new competences for EASA will complement another proposed Regulation, scheduled for adoption in the coming weeks, which provides the legal tools for banning any unsafe company from operating in the EU. Such unsafe companies will appear on a European black list made available to all passengers. The Commission hopes for a final agreement on this at the Transport Council on 5 December.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Japan's space agency JAXA suffered another glitch in its mission to collect surface samples from an asteroid and return to Earth when a can-sized robot lander apparently became lost in space while attempting a practice touch down. The rehearsal landing followed an earlier attempt that was aborted due to mechanical trouble, but the space agency said it is still targeting actual landings on the potato-shaped asteroid Itokawa on Nov. 19 and Nov. 25. The Hayabusa probe successfully released the Minerva surface-exploring robot on Saturday, but Minerva appeared to start drifting away from the asteroid's surface, according to a release from JAXA. Minerva was expected to land and hop around on the asteroid's surface collecting data with three small color cameras. "Unfortunately, it appears Minerva did not recognize the surface,'' JAXA said.
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EADS Astrium has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build three satellites for the Swarm mission. The satellites, worth approximately EUR 86 million, will be manufactured within 48 months. The Swarm mission will provide the most detailed data yet on the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, giving new insights into improving our knowledge of the Earth's interior and climate. The three Swarm spacecraft are scheduled for launch in 2010. The Swarm constellation will comprise three satellites in three different polar orbits - two flying side by side at an altitude of 450 km and a third at an altitude of 530 km. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variations of the Earth's magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide valuable data essential for modelling the geomagnetic field. The results will offer a unique view from space inside the Earth, and enable the composition and processes of the interior to be studied in detail. This mission will also enable analysis of the Sun's influence on the Earth. In addition, it is expected that Swarm will have practical benefits including better forecasting of radiation hazards in space, and improved navigation and exploration for new resources on Earth.
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Natural and manmade catastrophes in Europe, America, Asia and Africa, coupled with increased security needs, have further reinforced the case for improved monitoring systems. The European Commission is pressing ahead with plans to introduce the first three earth observation services concerning emergency management, land and marine monitoring. After GALILEO, the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) has become the second EU flagship in space policy. It will gather relevant data, for example concerning environmental pollution, floods, forest fires or earthquakes in support of public policy makers' needs. GMES will ensure that crisis situations can be better anticipated and managed. It can provide the foundation for evidence-based environmental policy making, as well as the information required to ameliorate its effects on citizens. Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen responsible for enterprise and industry policy said: “GMES will improve our capacity to respond to natural catastrophes. At the same time it will promote the competitiveness of the European space industry.” Extreme weather events and natural or manmade crises constantly occupy a major place in the news. It is clear that it becomes a priority for the EU to look for solutions that can provide a basis for a response in these situations and, in the longer-term, seek to prevent their recurrence. From 11 areas identified earlier as potential initial GMES services, the Commission has selected emergency management, land monitoring, and marine services. These will now enter into their pilot operational phase. In the short term and as a first step, the Commission will set up a GMES organisational structure, operating within the Commission, to strengthen the management of GMES, including the development of three pilot services to be ready in 2008:
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BAE Systems today achieved a major milestone in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Counter-MANPADS Program with the first flight of its laser-based infrared countermeasures system on a commercial airliner. The successful flight took place at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The commercial airliner missile protection system, called JETEYE™, is currently installed and being flight tested on a Boeing 767 aircraft. Initial testing will focus on achieving key system performance objectives. The tests are part of the DHS evaluation of the system's performance against multiple missile threats. Testing is scheduled to conclude by the end of this year with full U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification expected in January. During Phase I and Phase II of the DHS program, which began in January 2004, BAE Systems developed the JETEYE system designed to provide protection to commercial aircraft against the threat of infrared guided missiles. The JETEYE system's design is based on the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM) system, developed to protect military aircraft. A major focus of the 18-month program included working closely with experts from the commercial airline industry to ensure the system fits into the existing commercial airline infrastructure. BAE Systems is partnered with American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Services, which provided the Boeing 767 test aircraft as well as engineering services critical to the development and refinement of the JETEYE System's installation, operations and support concept.
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MTU Aero Engines is expanding its military engine maintenance activities. The company has signed a contract with the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung - BWB) on the expansion of the existing industry-military cooperative model of engine maintenance ("Cooperative Model"). The agreement widens the scope of maintenance, which had so far involved only the Eurofighter EJ200 engine, to include also the RB199 (Tornado), J79 (Phantom) and RR250-C20 (BO 105 helicopter) powerplants, all of which will be repaired under MTU's industrial leadership. The ten-year contract is worth totally 370 million euros, of which approximately 100 million euros are additional sales for MTU. The Bundeswehr (German armed forces) will save 37 million euros through the deal. The Cooperative Model pools previously separate maintenance resources of MTU's Munich facility and the German Air Force's Erding base. It reduces inventory requirements and shortens lead times. The RB199 and RR250-C20 engines will be supported solely at the Erding location. The J79 will be maintained at the company's Munich facility, where the EJ200 has already been repaired under the cooperative model since 2002. The engine activities of Luftwaffe Maintenance Section 15 at Erding will be continued as an MTU branch facility. 60 Bundeswehr civilian employees will be transitioned to the new entity, where a staff of 120 will be working, assembled from 30 airmen, 30 Bundeswehr civilian employees plus 60 personnel from MTU's regular Munich workforce. 30 of the Bundeswehr civilians will relocate from Erding to MTU's Munich site, where 18 airmen are working in military maintenance as well.
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The first Vega Customer Day, held in Rome to raise awareness of, and confidence in, Europe's new small launcher, is a sure sign that Vega is on track for a qualification launch at the end of 2007. In opening the conference, Arianespace General Secretary and Senior Vice-President - Finances, Françoise Bouzitat, said: “This event is important as we need to create a forum for a continuous and deep exchange between our teams to develop the most effective environment and solutions for the end-mission requirements”. Vega Customer Day was organised by Arianespace and Vega's three prime contractors: ELV, Avio and Vitrociset, with the support of the French and Italian space agencies and ESA. The timing was appropriate. Representatives of the aerospace industries involved in the Vega programme met just one week ago in Colleferro for the 2nd Vega Industry Day. The discussions held allowed the prime contractors to brief participants at the Vega Customer Day on Vega's development status. ESA Director of Launchers, Antonio Fabrizi, stressed the importance of using Vega Customer Days to bring together customers and suppliers. “Today is just the first of what I hope will become regular meetings to establish good cooperation and collaboration for Vega's future use,” he said.
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Club328, the expanding executive jet operator, has reached agreement with AvCraft Aerospace Administrator PLUTA for a new build Dornier 328 Jet (Serial No. 3220). The aircraft is being prepared for delivery in January 2006, configured with an all new 14-seat executive class interior. The latest aircraft will join Club328's existing 328Jet and new 12-seat 328 turboprop. It is fitted with long range fuel tanks that increase range to 2,200 nm, plus special modifications to enable operations from London City Airport.“We are very pleased to have ratified this contract as the 328 continues to be a very popular aircraft,” said Club328 CEO Mike Farge. “We are getting more and more interest for corporate charters and are unique in the UK market with this spacious cabin size. Our Dornier 328 aircraft are perfectly sized as corporate shuttles or affording senior executives plenty of space to work and hold meetings with the utmost privacy.” He also confirmed that Club328 is interested in taking one more 328Jet next year.
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The SESAR project on the implementation of the set of EU Single European Sky regulations was launched on Thursday in Brussels. DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH and 29 other parties from different areas of European aviation are involved in the project. Together with EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, they will define the shape of the air navigation services environment of the future. From 2008 on, the individual measures to create a common European ATM system will be put into practice. The aim is to be able to deal with the volume air traffic which is expected to double by 2025. SESAR is funded by the European Commission. According to Jacques Barrot, the EU Commissioner for Transport, the Commission has certain expectations of SESAR. The project is expected to promote growth in air transport in the long term by generating € 50 billion and creating 200,000 jobs for highly qualified staff. Furthermore, it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to six per cent per flight. Preparations for this project, which is the first of its kind in aviation, began in early 2004 under the working title SESAME. DFS has played a major part in this programme.
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A prototype service utilising satellites for mapping forests to aid compliance with the Kyoto Protocol has been endorsed by end users from European countries – one environmental ministry representative called the baseline carbon stock information provided a "goldmine". ESA's Kyoto-Inventory service has been designed to produce information products on changing land use associated with carbon 'sinks' or 'sources' that can support national governments' reporting requirements to the Kyoto Protocol. This three-year demonstration service has now formally ended, but activities are set to continue under the banner of a broader project called GSE-Forest Monitoring. It is generally accepted fact that the global climate is heating up, and increased human-induced emissions of 'greenhouse gases' – chief among them carbon dioxide – is the main reason why. The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which entered into force on 16 February 2005, commits its signatories to limit overall emissions of these gases. Developed countries in general are required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5% from those during reference year 1990, with the European Union committed to a reduction of 8%. However the Protocol also includes a mechanism for offsetting emissions against increases in the stock of carbon stored in vegetation, in particular forests. What the Protocol requires for such offsetting to take place is annual reporting of land use changes – especially afforestation, reforestation and deforestation (ARD) - associated with shifts in the terrestrial carbon stock, to be carried out at the national level.
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A three-week flight-test program recently completed by Boeing and its industry partners has confirmed the effectiveness of several significant airplane noise-reduction technologies that will enable airplanes to be even quieter than they are today. Known as the Quiet Technology Demonstrator 2 (QTD2), the research and development program is a cooperative commercial aircraft industry project among The Boeing Company, the General Electric Company, Goodrich Corporation and NASA. ANA (All Nippon Airways) of Japan provided one of its new 777 airplanes for the flight-test activities. The flight-test program provided the opportunity for each company to validate key technologies for incorporation into its own current and future products. NASA joined the effort to acquire data to support its advances in propulsion aeroacoustics, landing gear noise, and computational fluid dynamics research. The 777-300ER with GE90-115B engines, already the quietest airplane in its class, was fitted with eight different noise-reduction engine inlet and exhaust combinations on the right wing, and the baseline production engine on the left wing. Fan and engine-core chevron exhaust configurations achieved as much as a two-decibel improvement -- a significant community noise reduction. Because jet noise is generated by the jet wake -- extending nearly 50 feet behind the engine -- any reduction is considered a significant achievement. In addition, the low-frequency rumble heard in the aft cabin by passengers during cruise was reduced by up to four to six decibels.
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In a major program milestone, Hamilton Sundstrand, a unit of United Technologies, successfully completed its first engine test of the APS 5000 Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane. This first test was performed on Oct. 31 at the Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems facility in San Diego. Hamilton Sundstrand was chosen by Boeing to provide a wide array of systems for the 787 and expects the program will generate more than $8 billion in revenues over its life. The APU was started using the new Hamilton Sundstrand Auxiliary Starter Generator and operated at 100 percent speed under the control of the Auxiliary Power Unit Controller. Following an inspection, the APU will undergo a series of performance and load-transient testing. "We have power!" said Walt Gillette, Boeing vice president and program manager for the 787, as he noted the successful test marked a significant milestone for the Dreamliner program. "To go from contract award to testing a system in only 22 months demonstrates the agility and skill of Hamilton Sundstrand and the Dreamliner team. Working with our international team of partners, we are making terrific progress on the airplane."
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Boeing reached tentative agreement with the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) on a new three-year contract offer covering nearly 18,000 engineering and technical employees in Washington and Oregon. SPEEA is recommending employees ratify the contract. "We've extended a respectful and very competitive contract offer that recognizes the tremendous contributions of our engineering and technical employees and sets a course for creating our future together," said Alan Mulally, Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "We listened carefully to SPEEA negotiators and addressed our employees' top priorities around pay, incentives, health care and retirement, in a contract offer that enhances our competitiveness going forward." The offer includes an incentive pay plan that allows SPEEA-represented employees to share in the company's financial success and align with the incentives in place with professional employees throughout much of the company. The Employee Incentive Plan (EIP) provides a potential of 20 additional days' pay per year, depending on the company's performance against specific measurements. If the company meets its annual operating target, the plan generates a 10-day payout; exceeding the target produces a larger payout. “This contract feature aligns the majority of our salaried employees around our business plan and rewards them for their efforts to continuously improve our quality and productivity and meet our performance goals,” said Mulally.
Currently, the EIP is projected to payout 12 days for 2005, or 4.6 percent of annual salary. For the average engineer, the projected pay out would be approximately $3,775; for the average technical employee, the projected payout would be about $2,840.
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Boeing and Kenya Airways announced planned additions to the airline's fleet with an order for its fourth 777-200ER and an option for a fifth, as well as plans to lease its sixth 767-300ER in 2006. The 777 ordered is scheduled for delivery in 2007. Kenya Airways was the first carrier to purchase and operate the Boeing 777 in sub-Saharan Africa, which has contributed to the airline's record profitability and ongoing fleet and network expansion. The airline took delivery of its first 777-200ER in 2004 with the second and third of the model type entering service earlier this year.
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Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $2.9 billion fixed-price contract by the U.S. Air Force for continued production of F/A-22 aircraft through November 2007. "As the Air Force has announced, we have concluded negotiations to produce 24 F/A-22 5th Generation stealth fighter aircraft as previously authorized in the FY-05 Defense Budget. This is great news for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force and the nationwide F/A-22 Raptor team," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F/A-22 program manager. The new Lot 5 production contract will increase the total number of contracted aircraft to 107. To date, 53 aircraft have been delivered to the U.S. Air Force and 66 have completed final assembly. The Air Force is flying the F/A-22 Raptor at four bases across the United States and is preparing for Initial Operational Capability in December with the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
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Saab Aircraft has renewed its contract with Rockwell Collins to provide support and maintenance of avionics onboard Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft. The 5-year, price-per-flight-hour contract extends through 2010 and encompasses Saab Aircraft AB in Sweden, and Saab's-U.S. based customer support organization, Saab Aircraft of America LLC. “We have a long history of providing support services for Saab Aircraft and look forward to continuing this relationship," said Scott Gunnufson, vice president of business operations for Rockwell Collins' Services business. The agreement covers Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft enrolled in the Saab Aircraft´s Parts Exchange Program and includes maintenance, service and repair of Rockwell Collins avionics. Rockwell Collins' service centers in the United States and the United Kingdom will provide the support.
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Raytheon was recently awarded an $8.6 million contract to provide the APS- 134LW radar hardware to Toshiba for subsequent delivery to the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) will deliver seven receiver-exciter-synchronizer-processors and four antenna gimbals under a fixed price, follow-on production contract from Toshiba. The work will be managed and manufactured at the company's McKinney, Texas, location. The APS-134LW radar is part of Raytheon's SeaVue family of maritime and littoral surveillance mission systems. As such, the APS-134LW provides high performance capabilities in navigation, weather, long-range search, and small target detection to support JASDF's SAR (search and rescue) mission applications.
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The Royal Air Force has concluded a series of highly successful firing trials of MBDA's Brimstone air-launched anti-armour weapon at the China Lake test firing range in California. Between 12 and 28 October 2005, nine separate firing trials were carried out during which a total of 31 Brimstone missiles were fired. These firings, which included Service Evaluation Trials, allowed the RAF to develop operational tactics and explore the extremes of the engagement envelope of this unique weapon system. During the trials, Brimstone had its first test against a moving target, registering a direct hit. In fact the overall success rate of the test firings was an unprecedented 96%, with 30 out 31 missiles successfully impacting on a variety of military vehicles. Following the trials, Wing Commander Angela Hawley, Team Leader of the Brimstone Integrated Project Team said: "The firing trial was a great achievement; the release conditions and the target array were chosen to test the Brimstone weapon in operational scenarios. Brimstone showed consistent performance in a variety of different attack profiles, with some spectacular results, and is a major addition to the RAF's capability".
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The following is a statement by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on the passing of NASA's fiscal year 2006 funding bill. "I offer my sincere thanks to the House and Senate for endorsing and funding, for the second straight year, our activities to implement America's Vision for Space Exploration. NASA's FY 2006 funding bill of $16.5 billion-0.7 percent of the federal budget-will enable continued space shuttle operations and International Space Station assembly; initiate development of the next generation Crew Exploration Vehicle and Crew Launch Vehicle; and support key science and aeronautics programs vital to our nation. We will work to ensure the President's exploration priorities are maintained as we move forward in setting program and investment priorities."
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MD Helicopters (MDHI) announced that the Company has reached a multi-year agreement with Kaman Aerospace Corporation to provide critical components for its expanding helicopter production. “We are delighted to have completed this long-term agreement with Kaman Aerospace,” said Lynn Tilton, Chairman of the Board of MDHI. “Kaman is recognized for its indelible commitment to quality and to its customers and they epitomize the vendor-partner we seek to align with over the next decade.” The agreements involve production of rotor blades, pitch cases and flex beams, all of which are key components for the MD Explorer and other aircraft.
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Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the critical design review of the E-2D Advance Hawkeye aircraft. All the team's basic designs, including the new radar, mission computer and workstations had been improved and Northrop Grumman can now complete production of the two test aircraft. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector is performing the work as prime contractor under a $2 billion system development and demonstration contract from the Navy. "The E-2D is not an evolution of the Hawkeye family, even though it is the sixth generation of this system," said Tim Farrell, vice president of Airborne Early Warning Programs at Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems. "It is a revolutionary design. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye concentrates battle-management, theatre-air-missile-defense and multiple sensor-fusion capabilities in one platform, while enabling the use of the most advanced technologies from the commercial and military worlds as they are developed, when they are needed.
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During a visit to the Manching facility of EADS Military Aircraft on 7th and 8th November, Major General Klaus L. Axelsen, Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force Air Materiel Command (AMC), and National Armament Director, flew the Eurofighter in a scheduled flight test sortie in which he experienced the overall capabilities of the aircraft. In particular, he participated in very demanding flight control system tests of the automatic recovery system and the Infra Red Search and Track system (IRST). IRST forms an important part of the overall integrated system suite of sensors within the Eurofighter Weapon System. In addition, as a demonstration of the Eurofighter's superb handling capabilities and a significant achievement on his first flight, the General flew the aircraft throughout the entire mission, including the landing. After his flight, General Axelsen stated: “The Danish Air Force is looking for a replacement aircraft for the F-16, so we are now investigating the possibilities on the market. I would like to thank the management of EADS for giving us such a warm welcome and giving me the opportunity to get a really good oversight of the aircraft. I gained a lot from this one hour and 15 minutes flight.” Axelsen added, “Flying the Eurofighter has given us a lot of food for thought – so that was really great! And this demonstration flight, or test flight rather - because it was a test flight -, gave me a very good oversight of the cockpit and the possibilities of the aircraft.” Concluding he underlined: “Your dedicated effort is impressive and you should be proud of this very capable fighter!”
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Stork Aerospace and the aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney have signed a Heads of Agreement for the production development of components for the new P&W F135 jet engine that will power the F 35 Joint Strike Fighter. The agreement involves new High Performance Machining technology for titanium components, and represents a breakthrough in titanium machining as an advanced and efficient production technology for aircraft jet engines. The value of the agreement is US$ 1.25 million in the System Development Demonstration phase, with a potential (but not yet contracted) turnover value of some US$ 200 million through the life of the program.
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Sea Launch has signed a firm launch contract with DIRECTV, for a mission scheduled in early 2007. The contract includes an option for an additional launch. The new contract calls for a Zenit-3SL vehicle to launch a DIRECTV spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Sea Launch's Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned on the Equator. Sea Launch's reliable direct insertion into equatorial orbit is expected to yield additional years of life for this spacecraft. The DIRECTV spacecraft, with a mass of about 6080 kg, is one of three Boeing 702 model spacecraft DIRECTV has ordered from The Boeing Company and is among the largest and most powerful Ka-band satellites ever built. The new satellite will optimize DIRECTV's advanced transmission techniques and state-of-the-art video compression technology. It will deliver national high-definition (HD) programming and will be capable of supporting spot beams carrying local HD broadcast channels in all 50 states. DIRECTV is in the process of launching several spacecraft to expand its capacity to serve the growing market for satellite-delivered, HD television in the United States. This is the seventh new contract Sea Launch has signed in 2005 and the fourth launch contract award for a mission with DIRECTV. Most recently, Sea Launch successfully delivered the Spaceway 1 satellite to orbit, on April 26, 2005. Earlier launches include the DIRECTV 7S satellite on May 4, 2004, and the DIRECTV 1R satellite on October 9, 1999.
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Global Military Aircraft Systems (GMAS), a joint venture of L-3 Communications subsidiary, Integrated Systems and Alenia North America, Inc. (a Finmeccanica Company), announced today that it will propose the C-27J Spartan medium tactical airlifter to the U.S. Air Force as a possibility for the Combat Rescue Tanker. "The C-27J represents the all-around best platform in the Medium Transport Category to support the Combat SAR Tanker requirement" said Giuseppe Giordo, President & CEO, Alenia North America. "The C-27J performance and robust design provides the greatest survivability and ability to perform both Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) operations as well as independent cargo handling operations from unprepared surfaces."
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Australian Aerospace, a Eurocopter subsidiary, has selected Innovative Concepts' IDM V304 as the tactical data link solution for the MRH90 helicopters to be delivered to the Australian Defense Forces (ADF) as part of the Australian AIR9000 Program. In August 2004, the Australian defense ministry announced its decision to acquire 12 NH90, Tactical Transport Helicopters, from Australian Aerospace. This particular version of the helicopter, re-designated the MRH90, varies from previous NH90 models in its advanced communications suite and tactical data link capabilities. The integration of the IDM V304(TM) into the MRH90 will pave the way for the deployment of interoperable data communications for the ADF providing them with the capacity to survive, adapt, fight and win against a diverse range of threats. This implementation will also serve other current and future NH90 users desiring to enhance their aircraft with NATO interoperable data links.
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Northrop Grumman has begun initial flight testing of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EO DAS) sensors, which will surround the aircraft with a unique protective sphere of situational awareness. On Nov. 11, Northrop Grumman's BAC 1-11 avionics testbed aircraft flew with three EO DAS sensors installed. During the flight, all three sensors functioned simultaneously to provide a seamless, combined wide field of view. Northrop Grumman conducted the flight tests in the local airspace around the company's Electronic Systems sector headquarters, located near Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport. Designated the AN/AAQ-37, and comprising six electro-optical sensors, the full EO DAS will enhance the F-35's survivability and operational effectiveness by warning the pilot of incoming aircraft and missile threats, providing day/night vision and supporting the navigation function of the F-35's forward-looking infrared sensor.
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A Raytheon Company-produced Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) destroyed a ballistic missile target outside the earth's atmosphere during a Missile Defense Agency / Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program flight test over the Pacific Ocean. It was the sixth successful intercept for the Aegis BMD program using the SM-3. The Nov. 17 mission was the first test against a separating ballistic missile target. The SM-3 Block I initial deployment round used in the test was an operational missile delivered by Raytheon last year for testing and availability for emergency deployment. In the operationally realistic scenario, the SM-3 was launched from USS Lake Erie, an Aegis BMD cruiser, and hit the target missile that had been launched from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. The ship's crew was not informed of the target launch time and operational testers observed the exercise to ensure a realistic wartime environment. "SM-3 continues to perform flawlessly in increasingly challenging scenarios. This test, using a missile right from the Navy's inventory, was conducted in operational conditions," said Edward Miyashiro, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president, Naval Weapon Systems. "Continued success provides confidence that the nation can increase the number of systems deployed and make missile capability improvements. We are even seeing our international allies taking a closer look at SM-3 for their homeland defense. Sea-based ballistic missile defense provides a global capability."
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Boeing and representatives from 140 airlines, financial institutions and supplier partners spent two days in Seattle this week discussing progress on the all-new 787 Dreamliner airplane. Called the Progress Summit III, the meeting featured open discussion about development progress, customer requirements, airplane financing, production plans, and concepts for standardizing and simplifying the 787. "The key to making a session like this successful," said Marty Bentrott, Boeing 787 vice president of Sales, Marketing and In-Service Support, "is finding the right balance of giving everyone relevant information while at the same time hearing their perspectives and insights. Customer feedback has been the key to making the 787 the great value proposition it is." Various 787 achievements were highlighted during the summit: modification of the Large Cargo Freighter in Taiwan began in June; progress with supplier partners continued throughout the year on testing of key components, technology developments, and construction of facilities at particular sites; and the program achieved two key milestones in September when it reached firm configuration and unveiled the airplane's innovative flight deck. The positive market response has been another achievement of the year. Since launching the program in April 2004, 25 customers have ordered 309 airplanes. "We are extremely pleased with the breadth and depth of the customers who have joined our launch team," said Bentrott. During the meeting Boeing also discussed updated ranges and seat counts for each 787 family member. "Since we talked to our customers about the optimum range and efficiency of the 787, and learned more about the airplane through firm configuration, we have determined ranges for the 787-8, -9 and -3," said Bentrott. The range for the 787-9 is 8,600 - 8,800 nmi; the 787-8 is 8,000 - 8,500 nmi; and the 787-3 is 3,000 - 3,500 nmi.
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Aermacchi, an Alenia Aeronautica (Finmeccanica) company, announced today that it entered into two agreements with Goodrich Corporation's Aerostructures to supply fan cowls for the engine nacelles for both the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The awards are expected to generate total revenues in excess of $500 million (U.S.) over the next 20 years for Aermacchi, based on the market forecast of the two aircraft manufacturers. Initial deliveries of fan cowls for the B787 and the A350 are scheduled for May 2006 and November 2007 respectively.
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Airbus has been named as a "Business Leader" in this year's Scientific American 50 Annual Listing for its accomplishments in the development of the world's largest and most modern aircraft, the A380. The leading U.S. magazine's prestigious annual list recognises outstanding acts of leadership in science and technology from the past year and has selected Airbus as a leader from a wide variety of industries including biotechnology, micro-electrics, communications, aviation and nanotechnology.
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Assembly of the first production standard Tranche 2 Typhoon has started at BAE Systems Samlesbury in the North-West of England. The Tranche 2 aircraft will provide the UK's Royal Air Force and other customer Air Forces with an improved operational performance, including a full air to surface capability. The build of the first Tranche 2 Typhoon commenced with the spigot frames, part of the aircraft's front fuselage, being loaded into assembly jigs in the Typhoon Major Units Assembly Facility at Samlesbury.Gary Hodkinson, Product Manager for Typhoon at BAE Systems, said: “The start of Tranche 2 Typhoon assembly marks a significant milestone in the programme. These aircraft will ensure that our customer Air Forces have even more capability to meet their operational requirements for decades to come.” “Following the signing of the Tranche 2 contract in December 2004, the design and engineering teams, our suppliers and the Customers have all worked together to ensure we successfully achieved this key milestone. We now expect to have eight Tranche 2 aircraft in assembly by the end of the year.” The front fuselage of the first aircraft, BS037, is scheduled to be delivered to the UK's final assembly line at BAE Systems Warton in October 2006.
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Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev took a short ride around the International Space Station today, flying their Soyuz spacecraft from one docking port to another. The crew left the station unoccupied for approximately 30 minutes, as they relocated the Soyuz. Tokarev undocked the spacecraft at 3:46 a.m. EST, while the station orbited 225 miles above the Atlantic, and docked to the nearby Zarya module at 4:05 a.m. EST. The Soyuz move freed the Pirs Docking Compartment airlock for an upcoming spacewalk. The Soyuz is the crew's ride home at the end of their six-month stay on the station. It also serves as a lifeboat. The crew must finish unpacking the Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the complex, prepare it for undocking and get ready for the Dec. 23 arrival of the next supply ship. McArthur spent several hours photographing samples of colloids that had been undisturbed in the station's microgravity environment for more than a year. The work is part of an experiment called the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test. The behavior of these supercritical fluids is important because they combine the properties of liquids and gases. A better understanding of their reaction in the weightless environment of space could help in the development of new drugs, cleaner power and interplanetary transportation.
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