FLUG REVUE update: Week ending 5 November 2006

UPDATE - Week ending 5 November 2006

+++ Qantas orders more A380s +++ Singapore gets Pilatus PC-21 +++ NASA to repair Hubble telescope +++ Boeing 747-8 Freighter configuration frozen +++ Bregier moves to Airbus +++ Austrian capital increase +++ News in brief +++

Qantas orders more A380s
Neue A380-Bestellung

On 29 October, Qantas Airways announced that it had placed firm orders for eight more Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger aircraft. The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said the order increased the airline's commitment to the A380 to 20 aircraft, to be delivered between August 2008 and 2015. Mr Dixon said the A380 was clearly the most suitable aircraft for Qantas to deploy on dense longhaul routes from Australia to the United States, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and possibly the Middle East. "Our decision to increase our order has been made after an extensive review of the recent problems at Airbus and the delivery schedule delays of the A380. "We are convinced that these problems relate to industrialisation issues at Airbus and will be remedied, and in no way relate to the technical capacity of the A380. "The A380 has breakthrough technology and everything we have seen reinforces our view that it is the best available aircraft for Qantas. "It will provide unprecedented comfort and space, as well as meeting our payload and range requirements. We have negotiated an attractive 'package' to firm up an additional eight A380s. The package also includes an additional four A330-200 aircraft which will help Qantas mitigate capacity concerns associated with the delay of the airline's first A380s. The four A330-200s will be delivered between December 2007 and December 2008." Mr Dixon said the terms of the new contract provided, among other things, protection against any further delay in the A380 delivery schedule and slide rights in the event of changed circumstances. He said the Qantas Board believed the new aircraft order gave the Qantas Group long term certainty of supply of the world's most up to date aircraft.
"In parallel with the A380 order, we have a contract with Boeing for the supply from 2008 of up to 115 B787 new generation aircraft, which also have the very latest technology for aircraft in the 300 seater range. "The Boeing 787 and the Airbus A380 both have up to 20 per cent lower operating costs than existing aircraft and will form the nucleus of the fleets out to 2015 for Qantas and our low cost airline Jetstar." Mr Dixon said Qantas would use a combination of outright purchase and operating leases in acquiring the aircraft. "All the costs of these new aircraft will be met by operating cash flows," he said. Mr Dixon said Qantas had also decided to buy five more Boeing 737-800 aircraft for delivery from February 2008. The Qantas Airways Group has a fleet of 219 aircraft.

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Singapore selects Pilatus PC-21
Lockheed Martin gewinnt Trainings-Wettbewerb

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd will supply the PC-21 Advanced Turboprop Trainer Aircraft for the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) Basic Wings Course (BWC). Lockheed Martin was awarded a 20-year contract by the Singapore Ministry of Defence's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) to operate the RSAF BWC. This was the first open competition in which the PC-21 has participated. Nineteen PC-21 Advanced Turboprop Trainer Aircraft and a 20-year engineering and logistics support service will be provided by Pilatus as part of a turn-key training package awarded to Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support (LMSTS). The training will be conducted at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce, north of Perth in Western Australia.
The contract is for the provision of Pilot and Weapons System Operator groundschool, simulator hours and flying for a period of 20 years commencing June 2008. LMSTS is the Prime Contractor and has been working with Pilatus since 2004 to develop the winning solution. Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd. will provide aircraft maintenance services to Pilatus to enable Pilatus to generate the flying hour task. Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus stated ”This is one of the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) training systems in the world and is the result of pioneering innovation by the Singaporean Government, LMSTS, Pilatus and Hawker Pacific. We are delighted to have been selected after a rigorous analysis by the DSTA of 4 competing bids. We are also delighted to be one of the first in what will be, I am sure, a growing market for PPP training solutions. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to our customer, the RSAF, and my commitment to our partners, LMSTS and Hawker Pacific.”
Lockheed Martin's role as the BWC training systems integrator is to provide aircraft, maintenance, simulators, courseware and ground-based instructors to the RSAF's 130 Squadron at Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce, north of Perth in Western Australia. BWC allows the squadron to concentrate solely on high quality flight instruction. Switzerland-based Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. will deliver the advanced PC-21 turboprop trainer and logistics support, while Hawker Pacific Ltd. will provide maintenance support. The contract calls for a two-phased approach for BWC - a mobilization phase and a service provision phase. In the mobilization phase, Lockheed Martin will manage the aircraft production and training system components development, and establish a BWC maintenance organization. Aircraft will be delivered in early 2008 and Lockheed Martin will begin the service provision in the summer of 2008, providing BWC support for 20 years.

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NASA to repair Hubble telescope
Shuttle-Reparaturmission genehmigt

Shuttle astronauts will make one final house call to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope as part of a mission to extend and improve the observatory's capabilities through 2013. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin announced plans for a fifth servicing mission to Hubble Tuesday during a meeting with agency employees at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Goddard is the agency center responsible for managing Hubble. "We have conducted a detailed analysis of the performance and procedures necessary to carry out a successful Hubble repair mission over the course of the last three shuttle missions. What we have learned has convinced us that we are able to conduct a safe and effective servicing mission to Hubble," Griffin said. "While there is an inherent risk in all spaceflight activities, the desire to preserve a truly international asset like the Hubble Space Telescope makes doing this mission the right course of action."
The flight is tentatively targeted for launch during the spring to fall of 2008. Mission planners are working to determine the best location and vehicle in the manifest to support the needs of Hubble while minimizing impact to International Space Station assembly. The planners are investigating the best way to support a launch on need mission for the Hubble flight. The present option will keep Launch Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., available for such a rescue flight should it be necessary.
The two new instruments are the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). The COS is the most sensitive ultraviolet spectrograph ever flown on Hubble. The instrument will probe the cosmic web, the large-scale structure of the universe those form is determined by the gravity of dark matter and is traced by the spatial distribution of galaxies and intergalactic gas. WFC3 is a new camera sensitive across a wide range of wavelengths (colors), including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. It will have a broad inquiry from the planets in our solar system to the early and distant galaxies beyond Hubble's current reach, to nearby galaxies with stories to tell about their star formation histories. Other planned work includes installing a refurbished Fine Guidance Sensor that replaces one degrading unit of the three already onboard. The sensors control the telescope's pointing system. An attempt will also be made to repair the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. Installed in 1997, it stopped working in 2004. The instrument is used for high resolution studies in visible and ultraviolet light of both nearby star systems and distant galaxies, providing information about the motions and chemical makeup of stars, planetary atmospheres, and other galaxies.

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Boeing 747-8 Freighter configuration frozen
747-8-Frachter: Detailentwurf beginnt

Boeing has completed firm configuration of the 747-8 Freighter airplane's design. Boeing achieved this milestone after a year of collaboration with airline customers and suppliers to determine the optimal configuration. By completing firm configuration, Boeing has completed the major trade-studies needed to finalize the airplane's performance capability. This allows Boeing and its suppliers to begin detailed design of parts, assemblies and other systems for the 747-8 Freighter. Once completed, the detailed designs will then be released to Boeing suppliers and factories to begin production of the airplane. "We designed the 747-8 Freighter to improve upon the 747 family's strong leadership in the air cargo market," said Dan Mooney, 747/747-8 Program vice president. "The 747-8 is designed to deliver 14 percent lower ton-mile costs than the 747-400 Freighter. In fact, the 747-8 Freighter will enjoy the lowest ton-mile costs of any freighter, giving operators unmatched profit potential."
The 747-8 Freighter will be longer than the 747-400F by 5.6 meters (18.3 feet) and enjoy a maximum structural payload capability of 140 metric tonnes (154 tons) with a range of 8,288 kilometers (4,475 nmi). It also will feature 16 percent more revenue cargo volume than its predecessor. The additional 121 cubic meters (4,225 cubic feet) of volume means the airplane can accommodate four additional main-deck pallets and three additional lower-hold pallets. During the program's first year, Boeing completed the bridge from the 747-400 to the 747-8 by garnering 16 orders for 747-400 Freighters and 747-400 ER Freighters. Boeing also secured orders for 44 747-8 Freighters and three 747-8 Intercontinentals. In addition, the program completed preliminary design for the 747-8 Freighter and two rounds of wind-tunnel testing.

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Bregier moves to Airbus
Bertling übernimmt Eurocopter

The EADS Board of Directors has appointed Fabrice Brégier (45) as Airbus Chief Operating Officer (COO) with immediate effect. Fabrice Brégier remains a member of the EADS Executive Committee. To further improve transparency within the Group, the EADS Board has appointed EADS CFO Hans Peter Ring (55) as Airbus CFO effective 1 January 2007. Hans Peter Ring will remain CFO of EADS. Andreas Sperl (59), CFO of Airbus, will move to another operational function within the EADS Group.
The EADS Board has decided that the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois will regularly report on all major projects, programmes, and matters of importance – including Airbus – to the two EADS Chairmen Manfred Bischoff and Arnaud Lagardère to better prepare Board discussions and decisions. This does not change the joint responsibility of the two CEOs for all EADS businesses, or the powers of the Board. “These changes in the management structure are further steps to improve the corporate governance and increase efficiency within the Group”, said the EADS Chairmen Manfred Bischoff and Arnaud Lagardère. Airbus CEO Louis Gallois and Fabrice Brégier will form the “Airbus President's Office”.
Lutz Bertling (44) has been appointed to succeed Fabrice Brégier as President and CEO of Eurocopter and to join the EADS Executive Committee with immediate effect. He will report to EADS CEO Tom Enders. Bertling had served as Executive Vice President Governmental Helicopters from 2003 and was appointed CEO of Eurocopter Deutschland in April 2006. He had joined the Military Aircraft Business Unit of the EADS predecessor DaimlerChrysler Aerospace as Vice President Augsburg Plant and Aerostructure Programmes in 1999.

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Austrian capital increase
Umstrukturierung bei Austrian Airlines

The Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Austrian Airlines Österreichische Luftverkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft held on 2 November 2006 has passed a resolution to implement a simplified capital reduction under sections 182 et seq. of the Austrian Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz). As a result of the resolution, the calculated notional amount per share of EUR 7.27 will be reduced to EUR 3.00 and the nominal share capital will be reduced by EUR 145,180,000, from its previous figure of EUR 247,180,000 to EUR 102,000,000. In addition to this, a resolution was passed to revoke the authorisation of the Board of Management of 22 May 2006, in accordance with § 169 of the Stock Corporation Act, to increase the share capital by 12 August 2011 by up to EUR 123,590,000 through the issue up to 17 million individual share certificates against a cash deposit. A resolution was also reached to carry out an ordinary capital increase by issuing a maximum volume of up to 68 million bearer shares with no par value. The capital increase should be implemented this year by way of an “at market bookbuilt offering”. One shareholder abstained on all the points of order on which a vote was held. Afterwards he entered an objection which was documented in the minutes.
In an Extraordinary Meeting held on 1 November 2006, the Supervisory Board of Austrian Airlines AG has approved the proposal of the Board of Management to cut the Airbus A330 fleet, which consists of four long-haul aircraft, starting in 2007. In prior agreement with the Committee of the Supervisory Board, the Board of Management submitted the proposal to accelerate further the optimisation of the Austrian Group within the scope of current budget preparations and the amendment of the medium-term corporate plan in an effort to drive forward a consistent and positive results trend. The measures already introduced will provide for the concentration of the entire Fokker fleet within Austrian arrows (by transferring to Austrian arrows the three Fokker 70 currently operated by Austrian) and the sale of the two remaining four-engined Airbus A340-300 in 2007. In addition to this, the decision has now been reached to cut the Airbus A330 fleet out of the Group's long-haul capacities and to begin with the commercial realisation of the four aircraft as rapidly as possible, so completing an important step in the process of fleet harmonisation. As a result, the Austrian long-haul fleet in future will consist of a homogenous Boeing B777 and B767 fleet already equipped with the extended and redesigned Business Class, complete with the comfortable lie-flat sleeper seats.
During the preparation of the quarterly balance sheet, the results of the new traffic flow system clearly showed that the Austrian long-haul programme has come under increasing commercial pressure compared to the previous year, and that this trend has produced negative results, particularly on routes with a low proportion of direct traffic. The main reason for this is a low market and economic potential of individual routes from and to Austria, even when increased catchment areas are taken into consideration. For this reason, management now views a strategic and operational repositioning of the entire long-haul programme as an unavoidable focus for the restructuring of the Austrian Group. The cut of the A330 fleet will streamline the Austrian long-haul route network. In concrete terms, scheduled services to Shanghai will be terminated from 7 January 2007, flights to Phuket, Mauritius and Colombo/Male from the end of April, and those to Kathmandu in May 2007. Lauda Air will withdraw from the long-haul charter segment in 2007. The routes to the cities of Karachi in Pakistan and Chennai (Madras) in India that have been under evaluation in recent month will not now be opened up. The new US destination Chicago will be incorporated into the network from 29 May 2007.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

On Tuesday 17th October 2006, MBDA successfully carried out the first firing of the complete MILAN ER land weapon system at the DGA test site in Bourges. The firing employed the new ADT (Advanced Technologies) firing post and the new ER (Extended Response) missile. The wire-guided missile struck the centre of the target at a distance of 3,000 meters, MILAN ER's maximum range. Following on from a number of preparatory test firings performed over the last six months for both the firing post and the missile, this full system firing marks a tremendous success in the initial validation of the combined firing post and missile unit. The test performance schedule notified to the government agencies concerned, has as a result been fully met by MBDA's Franco-German team. The next few months will be dedicated to carrying out any necessary fine tuning and to the validation of the system. This will allow MBDA to submit the MILAN ER system as early as 2007 for evaluation by the relevant authorities in France and Germany and by any other countries that express interest.
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On 30 October, Sea Launch Company successfully delivered the XM-4 broadcast satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Early data indicate the spacecraft is accurately positioned and in excellent condition. A Zenit-3SL vehicle lifted off at 3:49 pm Pacific Standard Time (23:49 GMT) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude in the equatorial Pacific. All systems performed nominally throughout the flight. The Block DM upper stage inserted the 5,193 kg (11,448 lbs.) spacecraft into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to final orbital position of 115 degrees West Longitude. A ground station at Hartebeesthoek, near Pretoria, South Africa, acquired the first signal from the satellite in orbit. Built by the Boeing Satellite Development Center, the Boeing 702 spacecraft carries a high-power S-band Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) payload provided by Alcatel Alenia Space. Like the three XM satellites currently in orbit, XM-4 will support XM Radio's direct broadcast of digital radio programming to cars, homes and portable radios throughout the continental United States and Canada. Following the completion of the XM-4 mission, Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch, congratulated XM Satellite Radio. "Successfully launching this fourth satellite for XM Radio is extremely satisfying for Sea Launch. The success of the XM-4 mission reconfirms a strong and valuable relationship between two goal-oriented companies. We are proud to be XM Satellite Radio's launch service provider of choice.
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Schweizer Aircraft has selected Jiangxi Changhe Aircraft Company to supply airframe components and assemblies for the Schweizer 300CBi helicopter. This contract is the first project completed under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced June 1 between Sikorsky and China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) for collaboration on the development and manufacture of civil helicopters. AVIC II is the parent company of Jiangxi Changhe. "Sikorsky is excited to see the execution of one of the key strategies outlined in the MOU," said Carey Bond, Sikorsky vice president for corporate strategy and advanced programs. "Sikorsky is committed to investing in China and developing additional strategic partnerships with AVIC II." "This agreement is part of Sikorsky's on-going effort to develop strategic global partnerships and business arrangements that create new opportunities for both parties," Bond said. "Demand for the 300CBi remains strong. Adding Changhe to the supply chain will enable Schweizer to increase its production rate, better meet customer requirements and provide additional customer value for a world-class product."
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Gate Gourmet and Swiss International Air Lines have signed a new multi-year catering contract for catering services in Switzerland and in selected stations outside of Switzerland. The agreement covers catering and provisioning services at the carrier's primary Zurich hub as well as at Geneva and Basel. The company caters more than 8 million meals annually for SWISS in these locations. Gate Gourmet also will provide catering services at SWISS' stations in Tokyo-Narita, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo. "We have worked hand-in-hand for many years with SWISS to provide quality products and excellent service for the airline's customers, and we are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with a mutually beneficial contract," said Philippe Op De Beeck, Gate Gourmet Area Vice President and Managing Director for Switzerland. "SWISS is one of the company's largest clients, and this new agreement is a key development that certainly will be welcomed by our 800 employees in Switzerland."
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Oakfield a.s., a member of PENTA group, which submitted the highest offer in the amount of CZK 2,91 billion, becomes the winner of the tender on assets of the State in AERO Vodochody a.s. (i.e. 99,98 % of its shares + debt to the State in the amount of CZK 10,3 billion). Martin Øíman, Minister of Industry and Trade confirmed that during the Government Meeting on October 25.
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Lockheed Martin announced that the performance of the fully integrated beam control/fire control system for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) has been confirmed in a series of ground tests. The tests, which verified the performance of the recently installed illuminator lasers with the rest of the beam control/fire control system, were conducted on the ground inside the ABL YAL-1A aircraft, a modified 747-400F, at Boeing facilities in Wichita, Kan. The Lockheed Martin-developed beam control/fire control system employs two illuminator lasers to accurately point and focus ABL's high-energy laser: the Raytheon-developed tracking illuminator, which determines the range to a target and where to point the high-energy laser; and, the Northrop Grumman-developed beacon illuminator, which is used to measure the atmosphere and compensate the beam of the high-energy laser. The tests demonstrated the ability to control the path of the illuminator lasers and to control the high-energy laser beam as it travels at the speed of light toward its target. The program achieved a large majority of the objectives of the ground tests and expects to satisfy the remaining ones in the coming months. Lockheed Martin conducted the tests with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, ABL prime contractor Boeing and industry partner Northrop Grumman.
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Turbomeca has inaugurated their newly expanded facilities at Turbomeca USA in Grand Prairie, Texas. This expansion helps to meet the growing demand for Turbomeca engines. The additional 67,000 square feet encompasses office space, a shipping and receiving area, warehouse, new production, and a Turbo Support Center. Thanks to this new site, Turbomeca USA will double its staff, as well as assembly and test capacity, achieving 500 engines a year by the end of 2007. In addition to Turbomeca USA's expansion, Turbomeca Canada expanded their facility in Mirabel, Quebec by 2,200 square feet to further respond to the growing demand and make way for additional offerings. By year end, Turbomeca Canada will have completed approximately 220 engines and by 2008/2009 they project to complete over 300 engines per year. Russ Spray, President and CEO for Turbomeca USA, said: “Our newly expanded facilities at TMUSA and Turbomeca Canada are just part of a global expansion of resources occurring within Turbomeca to meet customer demand. At Turbomeca USA in particular, the re-engining program of the US Coast Guard HH65 fleet and the recent award of the US Army's Light Utility Helicopter program have accelerated Turbomeca USA's growth in manpower and assets.” “And this in turn has contributed to TM Canada's expansion”, said Helene Seguinotte, CEO for Turbomeca Canada.
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Bell Aerospace Services (BellAero, a subsidiary of Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company) announced award of a contract extension for H-1 helicopter logistics support from the Naval Air Reserve. This is the second year of a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide complete field and depot-level support for their fleet of UH-1N and AH-1W helicopters. This contracting vehicle is also available for other government agencies requiring H-1 logistics support.
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oneworld is to strengthen its position as the leading airline alliance serving Latin America with the addition of two more carriers in the region - LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador. The two newest carriers in the LAN alliance, the region's leading airline, will become affiliate members of oneworld as soon as the necessary joining technicalities can be completed. All parties have committed to ensure that this takes place as early as possible in 2007. Both airlines will then offer oneworld's full range of services and benefits. This means their frequent flyers will be able to earn and redeem mileage awards on all other oneworld carriers with top-tier members able to gain access to the 400 airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance's airlines. Members of other oneworld airlines will be able to earn and redeem awards and receive all other oneworld benefits on both LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador. The two airlines' networks will also be covered by oneworld's extensive range of alliance fares. With Chile-based LAN Airlines a full member of the alliance since June 2000, along with its domestic subsidiary LAN Express and Peruvian sister LAN Peru as affiliate members, the latest additions will mean oneworld will have five Latin American airlines in its grouping.
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Acting in his role as director of the multinational Joint Air Power Competence Center, Air Force spoke at the annual JAPCC Air Power Conference. Hobbins, whose other hats include commander of the Allied Air Component Command at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and commander of the U.S. European Command air component, addressed an audience of more than 200 academic, industry and military professionals. Beginning with a discussion of the history of unmanned aircraft systems, or UASs, the general highlighted the circumstances that led to their further development. The decrease in electronics cost, along with increases in computing capability and miniaturization combined with improved communications and sensor capabilities, the general explained, leading to greater availability. "The global picture on unmanned systems changed dramatically," he said. "The information age had now found its way to military UASs. It was perfect timing, too. … We needed situational awareness at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war. We needed a powerful force multiplier. The unmanned aircraft provided the means to exploit the new, nonlinear battle space." The results, said the general, can be seen in the numbers. More than 40 countries are operating more than 80 types of unmanned aerial vehicles. The U.S. has at least 18 types and is operating 3,000 unmanned aircraft. "Growth is not limited to the United States," he said. "The growth of UAS is occurring around the world. From the year 2000 to 2010, unmanned aircraft are expected to grow from 4 percent of total funding for all aircraft to 31 percent." The reason for the extent of growth, said Hobbins, is that people are discovering that unmanned systems can accomplish a multitude of missions. The list of missions has expanded from the traditional reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition missions to 36 nontraditional applications, including digital mapping and day and night strike. "Certainly in the future of unmanned aircraft systems, there are more missions out there; we just haven't figured them out yet," he said. Current figures from the JAPCC indicate that 17 NATO nations have more than 25 operational models of aircraft, with more than 3,600 operational unmanned aircraft in NATO. "With all these aircraft flying around, … the issues are air space management, command and control, integration and interoperability and force development," the general said.
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NASA selected concept studies for missions that would return a sample of an enigmatic asteroid, probe the chemistry of Venus' atmosphere and reveal the interior structure and history of the Earth's moon. Also selected for further study are three missions of opportunity that would make new use of two NASA spacecraft that have completed their primary objectives. "The science community astounded us with the creativity of their proposals," said NASA's Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Mary Cleave. "We look forward to the new knowledge of our solar system that these concepts may provide." Three missions were selected for concept studies: The Origins Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security (OSIRIS) mission would survey an asteroid and provide the first return of asteroid surface material samples to Earth; the Vesper mission is a Venus chemistry and dynamics orbiter that would advance our knowledge of the planet's atmospheric composition and dynamics; the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission would use high-quality gravity field mapping of the moon to determine the moon's interior structure.
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Sikorsky Aircraft has submitted better than projected performance test results of its latest testing on the 4 th generation rotor blade to the US Marine Corps. The 4 th Generation blade follows in a long chain of innovations in the area of rotor systems. It builds on the work done for Sikorsky's state-of-the-art Growth Rotor Blade (GRB) currently used on the UH-60M and S/H-92 helicopter in a long chain of innovation in the area of rotor systems. The CH-53K model wind tunnel testing performed late this summer has shown a significant improvement in forward flight efficiency over the GRB. Earlier in the year, similar model rotor hover testing indicated large gains in hover efficiency. Together, the two tests further validate the large investments that Sikorsky has made in 4 th Generation blade aerodynamics.
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AgustaWestland has been awarded a contract by the Carabineros de Chile to supply four A109 Power helicopters to perform a wide range of applications including law enforcement, search and rescue and transport duties. The first helicopter will be delivered in the first quarter of 2007. The A109 Power was selected for its exceptional hot and high performance combined with its multi-role capabilities and attractive operating costs, after an evaluation of other helicopters in the light – twin category.
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Northwest Airlines announced that its entire trans-Atlantic flight schedule is now operated with the modern and comfortable Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft. "The deployment of the A330 across our entire trans-Atlantic schedule ushers in a new era of passenger comfort and in-flight service," said Phil Haan, executive vice president of international, alliances and information technology and chairman of NWA Cargo. "From seat comfort to in-flight entertainment, our A330s provide customers with a travel experience unmatched by any other U.S. airline and many of our international competitors." The arrival of flight 55 from Amsterdam, which landed at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport at 6:46 p.m. Central time, marked the retirement of the DC-10 from scheduled international service at Northwest Airlines. Most of Northwest's trans-Atlantic schedule was already operated with A330s, but in June of this year the airline announced it would accelerate the retirement of the remaining DC-10 aircraft in its fleet as it continued to take deliveries of new A330s.
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The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport fleet of 22 aircraft operated by the Italian Air Force 46th Air Brigade has reached 50,000 flight hours. The milestone was achieved Wednesday, October 4 with aircraft number 45 piloted by Col. Franco Giuri. The accumulated time is equivalent to 2,083 consecutive flight days, or 562 times around the world. Two million pounds of equipment and 100,000 passengers were moved during those 50,000 hours. The time also covers hundreds of humanitarian support missions.
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Boeing successfully transferred fuel for the first time Oct. 23 from its KC-767 Tanker advanced boom to a simulated receiver on the ground. Through a series of tests at the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems facility in Wichita, Kan., boom operators on-board the aircraft used the aerial refueling systems to offload fuel from the new tanker to an aircraft receptacle on the ground. Fuel flow, delivery and surge pressure all were measured while the fuel was pumped to nearby trucks.
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With the beginning of the summer timetable 2007, Lufthansa will become the first European airline to offer a new direct connection from Munich to Busan, South Korea's most important port. Starting 27 March 2007 an Airbus A340-300 will then link three times a week Munich with Seoul, South Korea's capital and biggest city, and on an ongoing flight with Busan.
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Shanghai Airlines has signed a contract with Airbus for the purchase of five A321s at the Zhuhai Airshow, making it a new Airbus customer and positioning the airline to become the 11th A320 family operator on the Chinese Mainland. The five A321s are part of the 150 A320 family aircraft ordered under the General Terms Agreement (GTA) signed between Airbus and China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation (CASGC) in December 2005, when the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited France.
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The world's largest commercial airliner, the 555 seat Airbus A380, will start its technical route proving exercise on 13th November 2006 to carry out function and reliability tests at key airports around the world. This exercise is the last of the trials required for Type Certification, which is expected in mid December. For the trial, the aircraft has to make over 150 flight hours on a continuous typical airline schedule, performing in its normal operational environment. The aircraft will be operated by Airbus flight crews with the participation of Airworthiness Authority pilots from both EASA and FAA. The aircraft used for the trial is A380 MSN002 and is powered by four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines. Starting from Toulouse, France, it will be visiting ten different airports in four trips. They include Singapore and Seoul during the first trip (14th and 15th November), then Hong Kong and Narita on 18th and 19th November. The third trip brings the aircraft to Guangzhou (22nd November), and Beijing and Shanghai (23rd November). The fourth and final trip will take the A380 around the globe, via both poles. It will depart Toulouse to reach Johannesburg on 26th November, and then fly over the South Pole en-route to Sydney where it will arrive on 28th November. From Sydney, it will fly across the Pacific to Vancouver (29th November) prior to returning to Toulouse via the North Pole.
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Jin Hui, Eurocopter and CATIC signed a contract to provide Shanghai Jin Hui General Aviation Co. with two EC135. Jin Hui, the new set up General Aviation company in Shanghai area, is already operating an MD600 and an S269C. It bought the two EC135 to meet the increasing demand for VIP transportation and harbour pilots. It's the first time that Eurocopter sells the EC135 in the booming economic area of Shanghai for general transportation. The EC135 has been sold in China mainly to ensure police missions and VIP transportation.
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On 29 October, China launched the Sinosat-2 communications satellite to provide wider and more advanced television services across the country. A Long March-3B lifted off from the Xichang launch site in western Sichuan province at 12:20 a.m. local time and 25 minutes later placed the 5.1-ton satellite into orbit, Xinhua said. The Sinosat-2 satellite was built by the China Academy of Space Technology. Sinosat-1, built by Aerospatiale, was launched in 1998. Sinosat plans to launch a third satellite next year.
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As from 1 November 2006, Philippe Couteaux has been appointed Vice-President of Aero Engines. He succeeds Yves Mazoyer, who has been appointed to a new role in the Safran Group. The Aero Engines Division has responsibility for the Company's Product strategy, marketing and sale of new engines, Program management activities, global commercial policy for OEM sales and aftermarket, as well as management of the worldwide network of representation. The Aero Engines Division activity addresses all aero engines (aircraft and helicopters) designed, manufactured, sold and supported by Turbomeca.
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NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery completed one milestone and is nearing another as workers prepare the orbiter for a December launch to the International Space Station. On Tuesday night (31 October), drivers moved Discovery from the shuttle processing facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery, perched on top of the giant, 76-wheel orbiter transporter system, began moving out of the facility at 9:23 p.m. EST. In the assembly building, technicians attached Discovery to its propulsion elements, an external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters. Following those operations, final integration, preparations and closeouts began in preparation for flight.
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Responding to increased demand from commercial satellite operators and government organisations QinetiQ is launching a European satellite interference geolocation service. This service will assist in the fight against malicious or accidental disruption to satellite communications services. Hosted in the UK and operating on a 24/7 basis the service will allow customers to rapidly identify, and accurately locate, the source of interference to their satellites. The European service, launched today does not require the customer to install any equipment at their premises. Provided on a pay-as you-go annual service contract, a high level of service protection is available without complex technical integration allowing QinetiQ to meet the needs of new customers very quickly.
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On 31 October, TAM S.A., Brazil's largest airline company, announced the firm order of four new Boeing 777-300ERs plus four purchase rights, making it the first Latin American airline to incorporate these aircraft as part of their long-range fleet plan. Currently, the 777-300ER is world's largest long range twin-engines jetliner, carrying approximately 370 passengers in TAM's three class configuration. As part of the deal and in order to allow TAM to immediately increase the long-range fleet, TAM and Boeing signed an interim short term lease of three Boeing MD-11s prior to acquisition of the four 777-300ERs, all scheduled for delivery in middle of 2008. The MD-11s will be delivered to TAM over the next 6 months. Marco Antonio Bologna, TAM's CEO stated that this new order is an important step for TAM's future growth in the long haul international market, allowing more flexibility and higher capacity in these routes.
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Raytheon unveiled the Universal Control System (UCS) -- a first of its kind unmanned aerial system (UAS) "cockpit" that revolutionizes operator awareness and efficiency, while providing the ability to control multiple unmanned aircraft, reduce potential accidents, improve training, and decrease costs. "We took the best-of-breed technologies from the gaming industry and coupled them with 35-years Raytheon UAS command and control expertise and developed a state-of-the-art universal cockpit built around the operator," said Mark Bigham, business development director for Raytheon's Intelligence and Information Systems business. "We broke down the operator's tasks and objectives and constructed a system built entirely around them, rather than building the system around the air vehicle first, without input from the operators. Improvements included adding a wrap-around display to enhance operator effectiveness. We wanted to put the operator in the UAS 'cockpit' virtually and dramatically enhance his or her situational awareness. UCS operators will have better situational awareness than any manned platform, which dramatically improves safety."
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The U.S. Air Force Battle Control System (BCS) program was recently declared operational in Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Two other BCS sites, New York and Washington state, are partially operational and are expected to be totally operational early next year. BCS is a next-generation air sovereignty command and control system operated by NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), U.S. Northern Command and Pacific Command. The BCS mission "controls the skies" over the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii and Canada, serving as the early warning mechanism in the vital U.S. homeland defense mission. Alaska, Hawaii and Canada are the first of five BCS sites to declare an operational capability. As prime contractor, ThalesRaytheonSystems is providing advanced technology that features increased sensor capacity while improving interoperability among hundreds of legacy sensors, including more types of radars than any other Air Force system. The system correlates and fuses data from airborne, ground, naval and civil air traffic sensors into an integrated air picture that allows commanders to monitor the airspace above, beyond and within the U.S. and Canadian borders.
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Danish Aerotech A/S and Saab have just concluded a cooperation agreement that ensures orders for Danish Aerotech worth up to 200 million Danish kroner, provided Denmark decides to purchase the Gripen fighter as a replacement for its current F-16 fighters. Danish Aerotech is expecting to supply Saab with mechanical, electrical and electronic components as part of the new cooperation agreement.
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Saab and Danish defence and aerospace company Terma have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which should be seen as the initial step in a long-term cooperation between the two parties. The background for the agreement is considerations of Danish Ministry of Defence which is in the process of evaluating options for the replacement of the Danish fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft. Saab is promoting the acquisition by the Danish Government of the Gripen aircraft as its new modern fighter aircraft as one of the candidates for the replacement.As a first concrete result of the Agreement, Terma and Saab have also signed a Contract for production of parts for Gripen. The production will start immediately at Terma's facilities in Grenaa, Denmark. The contract value is approximately 10 MDKK. The negotiations were concluded in a very short span of time.
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The Team JCA partnership led by Raytheon and EADS CASA North America has completed the Early User Survey (EUS) demonstration of its C-295 military transport aircraft for the Joint Cargo Aircraft program managed by the U.S. Army and Air Force. During the demonstration, the JCA program office evaluated aircraft performance based on the proposal that Team JCA offered, judging flight performance and handling qualities, reconfiguration, short field performance, defense suite, and air drop and austere field operations. "Team JCA is confident that the EUS demonstrated the C-295's unrivaled performance for meeting the crucial mission of medium transport for the U.S. warfighter," said Jim Hvizd, vice president of Team JCA.
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Rockwell Collins reported net income for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006 of $477 million, an increase of $81 million, or 20% over fiscal year 2005 net income of $396 million. Earnings per share improved 24% to $2.73 compared to earnings per share of $2.20 a year ago. Earnings per share growth exceeded the growth rate in net income due to the favorable effect of the company's share repurchase program. Sales for fiscal year 2006 increased $418 million, or 12%, to $3.86 billion compared to sales of $3.45 billion last year. Organic revenue growth was 10%, as incremental sales from the TELDIX business acquired in March 2005 and the Evans & Sutherland simulation business (the E&S business) acquired in May 2006 contributed $64 million, or 2 percentage points of the total revenue growth. Cash provided by operating activities for fiscal year 2006 totaled $595 million, or 125% of net income, compared to the $574 million of cash provided by operating activities last year. "2006 was an excellent year for Rockwell Collins. Profitable growth in both our Government and Commercial Systems businesses made this the third consecutive year in which we've met or exceeded each of our long-term targets for growth and financial performance," said Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Clay Jones. "Of particular note is EPS growth of 24 percent, or double the rate of sales growth, resulting from a nearly 200 basis point expansion of total segment operating margins combined with the deployment of a significant portion of our operating cash flow for share repurchases."
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Airlines seeking an economical way to deploy data-intensive applications such as color weather graphics for the cockpit can soon find a solution with ARINC Incorporated. In a recent flight test, ARINC sent full color NEXRAD weather images rapidly from the ground to the cockpit, using standard ACARSdata link messages transmitted over high speed VDL Mode 2 (VDLM2). During the flight, the speed of VDLM2 data link allowed the flight crew to view a NEXRAD color image of Florida thunderstorms within 20 seconds after sending a request. The operational test was conducted outside Washington, D.C. for the Air Force Flight Standards Agency. The equipment included Class 2 electronic flight bag (EFB) operating ARINC-developed software applications integrated with the aircraft's VDLM2 ACARS data link avionics. The ARINC-developed weather display application interfaced directly with ARINC's graphical weather service on the ground.
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The European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF) EADS Co-ordination Group met under EMF auspices to discuss the current situation and a European strategy to secure the future of EADS. The EMF convened its EADS Co-ordination Group following the recent warning by Airbus of possible “painful job losses”. Severe industrial and financial problems will be faced by the manufacturer and its parent company EADS as a result of repeated delays to the new A380 'superjumbo'. The meeting was attended by approximately 40 representatives from 16 EMF member organisations involved in EADS in Germany, Spain, France, the UK and the Netherlands and Belgium. The uncertainty about the possible content of the announced restructuring programme “Power 8” was the subject of serious concern to all the trade union representatives. It was clear that workers' representatives wanted to know exactly what management was planning to overcome the current crisis. “The fact that management has said that the work on the content of Power 8 will take several months leads to much uncertainty and worry among employees about their future, and this is irresponsible” stated Peter Scherrer, the EMF General Secretary. There was a clear commitment to a European approach and solidarity among the workers from all the trade unionists present. They will not allow one plant to be played off against another. The European trade unions will not accept any closures of sites and subsequent massive job losses. The trade unions will fight for the existence of quality employment. There was particular concern about the fact that the European company was starting to lay off thousands of temporary workers. The company management was also putting massive pressure on supplier companies, where employees are equally affected by the crisis since these companies are often completely dependent upon Airbus. Describing the future work of the EADS Co-ordination Group, Peter Scherrer stated that “The next step for the EMF, together with its member organisations, will be to develop a trade union platform for the future debate with management. We will confront the management of a European company with European ideas and demands for solving a European problem” said Peter Scherrer.
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Korea is considering buying F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from an international consortium to boost its air defense capabilities, a top Air Force official said Tuesday (Oct. 31). "Right now, orders for F-35s are enormous, so it will be possible for us to buy and deploy them only after 2010," Lt. Gen. Kim Eun-ki, deputy chief of the Air Force, said in a parliamentary hearing. His answer came after a ruling party lawmaker pressed for the purchase of the new fighter jet, pointing out that the fighter jet has a stealth function and its price is only 60 percent of the Boeing-built F-15K. In 2007, the ministry plans to start a project to secure an additional 20 "F-15 fighter-level" jets at a cost of 2.3 trillion won ($2.3 billion) to strengthen its air defense capabilities. But a winning model has not been decided yet. The project is the second phase in the country's ongoing fighter jet procurement project, dubbed F-X. U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. is to deliver 40 F-15K fighter jets to South Korea by the end of 2008.
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In cooperation with NASA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Phantom Works soon will begin ground testing of its X-48B Blended Wing Body (BWB) concept in preparation for flight testing early next year. The X-48B ground and flight testing will take place at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where two high-fidelity 21-foot wingspan prototypes have been delivered. The prototypes were produced to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of the BWB concept. They were designated the "X-48B" by the U.S. Air Force based on its interest in the design's potential as a future military aircraft. "Earlier wind-tunnel testing and the upcoming flight testing are focused on learning more about the BWB's low-speed flight-control characteristics, especially during takeoffs and landings," said Norm Princen, Boeing Phantom Works chief engineer for the X-48B program. "Knowing how accurately our models predict these characteristics is an important step in the further development of this concept." X-48B Ship 1 completed extensive wind tunnel testing at the Old Dominion University NASA Langley Full-Scale Tunnel this summer before being shipped to NASA Dryden as a backup to Ship 2, which will be used for flight testing early next year.
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General Dynamics Aviation Services and Sagem Avionics, Inc. have teamed to provide low cost Integrated Cockpit Display Systems to Part 25 Gulfstream II/III, Falcon 20/50, Hawker 700/800, and Challenger 600/601-1A business jets. The modification removes existing older primary flight instruments, engine instruments, radar display, TCAS Traffic and Resolution display, navigational switching, and EICAS annunciators and replaces them with a state of the art SAGEM AMLCD Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS). The modification includes options for Fiber Optic Gyro based AHRS and Digital Radar. The highly reliable AMLCD system provides full reversion capabilities to ensure flight information is available to pilots even in the case of failure. The major benefits of the system are better dispatch-ability, increased situational awareness, increased safety, and modernization of these still excellent performing mid-life aircrafts. The team plans to have the first Gulfstream II flying by second quarter 2007. Orders are being taken now.
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Raytheon´s Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is the third unmanned aircraft and the first of its size to receive an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Cobra is a low-cost, highly reliable UAS designed to support Raytheon's development, integration and test of unmanned systems technologies. The aircraft has a wingspan of 10 feet and is 9-feet long. The certification is the first given to a small UAS and permits Cobra flight operations in a specified section of the National Airspace in Southeastern Arizona. It also authorizes Raytheon to conduct research and development, crew training and market surveys using the Cobra UAS. The Cobra UAS integrates advanced systems and capabilities from several Raytheon businesses, including Tucson-based Missile Systems; Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS), based in Garland, Texas; Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, Calif.; and McKinney, Texas-based Network Centric Systems. The Cobra test bed will be used to support the development, test and demonstration of sensor systems; networked command, control and communications systems; and UAS architectural concepts.
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported 4.7% year-on-year growth in international passenger traffic for September 2006. This is well below the 5.9% average for the year to date, continuing the downward trend in growth that began in May. The passenger load factor for September was 76.9%. Although lower than the mid-year seasonal peak, this is 0.2% higher than in September 2005. Year to date load factors are 1.0% higher than in 2005 at 76.5% for the period. International freight traffic rose 4.9%, up from 4.7% in August but below the historic long-term average growth of 6.0%. For the year to date, freight demand has grown 5.2% over the same period in 2005. "Slowing traffic growth is starting to weaken the strong revenue environment, but efficiency gains and careful capacity management continue. The recent fall in spot prices for oil has provided a boost, though prices for forward purchase remain close to US$70 per barrel. The net result for the industry is more profitable growth and we are confident that the industry will improve the bottom line to a loss of US$1.7 billion for this year," said IATA Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani. Middle East carriers showed the strongest growth with September passenger demand increasing by 13.1% and cargo demand by 13.9% over the same month in 2005. Both are below the year-to-date growth figures for the region's carriers: 15.4% for passenger and 16.8% for cargo. Continuing restructuring in Latin America resulted in an 8.6% contraction in September passenger traffic for the region's carriers compared to 2005.
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Dart Helicopter Services has acquired 42 STC's from Era Helicopters LLC with plans to expand ERAs proven product line of auxiliary tanks, interior products, float systems, flight steps and avionics. Jeff Shapiro, CEO of Dart Helicopter Services, stated, “Our affiliation with Era Helicopters began in 2005 and was initiated based on the innovative Era product line which blended perfectly into our well established group of Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter products. The Era products are uniquely designed to offer improvements over the OEM designs and cost reductions to the operator making them a perfect fit with the DHS product line.” The STC's acquired include Auxiliary Fuel Tanks for the entire series of Medium Bell products and the BK-117, Float systems for the Bell 212 and UH-1H, Interior Products for the B0-105, Flight Steps for Medium Bells and Avionic components covering several Bell and Eurocopter products.
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Honeywell announced that it has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type and production certification for the T5317BCV helicopter engine. This is the latest version of T53 engines that have accumulated more than 50 million flight hours since its introduction as the powerplant for the Bell Helicopter UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. The T5317BCV engine, as part of the FAA certified manufacturing process, incorporates only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts and is backed by a full Honeywell 4-year/2,000 hour factory warranty. The engine provides 1,800 takeoff shaft horsepower (thermodynamic) at sea level, standard day, uninstalled conditions and includes features such as a PM Astroloy turbine disk, air cooled turbine nozzles and blades, a new TGT harness and incorporation of numerous reliability and durability upgrades which result in the engine's initial Time Between Overhaul (TBO) interval being established at 5,000 hours.
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Sikorsky Aircraft announced it has signed an agreement which makes effective a contract with the Ministry of National Defense, Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) of the Government of Turkey for 17 new S-70B SEAHAWK helicopters. First deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2009. The contract is a Lot 2 agreement, which adds to seven S-70B SEAHAWK helicopters currently in the inventory of the Turkish Navy. The S-70B helicopter is an international derivative of the U.S. Navy SH-60B SEAHAWK. The S-70B has a fully integrated glass cockpit with smart multifunction liquid crystal displays and a mission management system. Its flexible mission package includes dipping sonar, electronic surveillance measures, FLIR, multi-mode radar, aircraft survivability equipment, and Penguin and Hellfire missiles. Multi-mission capable, the S-70B can perform search and rescue, medical evacuation, surveillance, vertical replenishment and utility missions.
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Embraer announces that the Australian-based Virgin Blue Airlines has ordered 14 E-Jets to support its expansion in the domestic and regional markets throughout the South Pacific islands. The deal includes three EMBRAER 170 and 11 EMBRAER 190 jets, plus options for six aircraft. This is the first order for Embraer EJets by a scheduled commercial airline in Australia and reinforces the increasing worldwide confidence and acceptance of the EMBRAER 170/190 family. The aircraft will complement the company's existing fleet by better matching seat capacity on routes and stimulating demand with greater frequency. Many new services will benefit from the enhanced passenger comfort levels of the E-Jets all new generation design.
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Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that its aerospace arm, Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aerospace), has been awarded a US$635m (approximately $1b) contract by Airbus to provide Total Aviation Support for a US airline. The agreement, which spans 12 years from 2007, covers aircraft line and light maintenance, components management and support, engineering and technical services for the fleet of up to 66 Airbus A320 family of aircraft. This contract is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated net tangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the current financial year.
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The first major Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force exercise for over forty years has been taking place at bases in northern India, with Tornado F3s, E3-D AWACS and a VC10 making up the bulk of the RAF air presence. As part of the RAF Squadron Exchange programme, the bi-lateral exercise, named Exercise INDRA DHANUSH (which means rainbow in Hindi), was held at IAF Gwalior and IAF Agra. The exercise aimed to further develop UK/Indian relationships and exchange interoperability of RAF and IAF assets. The exercise demonstrated the RAF's desire to engage over a spectrum of military capabilities with an important strategic partner. The Indian Air Force has historically chosen many UK aircraft for its fleet so there is a shared understanding based on the use of similar airframes. The recent decision by India to acquire the Hawk fast jet trainer for the IAF has significantly enhanced the level of engagement between the two Services and IAF pilots will continue to receive training at RAF Valley as part of the Hawk deal.
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