Looking beyond the aerospace and defense industry for more than just inspiration, the Pentagon’s advanced research arm wants to tap a wider population for ideas ranging from spacecraft software to military vehicles. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) calls it “the democratization of innovation.” Others call it crowd-sourcing, the art of outsourcing tasks to a large community of people via the Internet. Examples include open-source software and Wikipedia.
Brian Roberson (see photo) has been named global platform director for aerospace coatings for PPG Industries , Sylmar, Calif. He was its director in Canada for the automotive refinish business.
Chris VanderWeide has been named chief inspector for foreign airworthiness for Duncan Aviation , Battle Creek, Mich. He was chief inspector for Great Lakes Aviation.
Troubled Sea Launch is moving closer to emerging from Chapter 11, where it has been stuck since filing for bankruptcy protection on June 22, 2009. Last week, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware confirmed a reorganization plan filed by Sea Launch on May 10. The plan will become effective upon completion of regulatory review. The court move followed conclusion of an agreement for three new satellite launches with EchoStar. Earlier Sea Launch inked a launch agreement with AsiaSat in settlement of claims.
Concepts are useful, but demonstrators get the work done. And when the task at hand is maturing technology for the next generation of commercial aircraft, demonstrators have a key role to play.
A lightweight carbon-fiber composite that can conduct electricity and heat is the holy grail of structural design, and may be within reach with plans to scale up production of a nano-engineered “fuzzy fiber” material developed by the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI).
The Indian military is buying 57 more BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainers, with 40 to go to the air force and 17 to the navy. The trainers will be built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. under a £500-million ($780-million) agreement with BAE for parts and support. Another £200 million will go to Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca for the Adour engines. The contract was signed during British Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent visit to India.
Todd D. Sigler has been appointed assistant vice president-civil aviation for the Arlington, Va.-based Aerospace Industries Association . He was vice president-manufacturing support and process engineering for Cirrus Aircraft.
Launch vehicle engineers here believe a shuttle-derived vehicle built around the space shuttle main engine (SSME) is probably the fastest route to a heavy-lift launch vehicle. Some kind of heavy lifter is emerging as a centerpiece of the compromise space policy being worked out between Congress and the White House.
Roy Kinnear has become senior vice president of United Arab Emirates-based Etihad Crystal Cargo . He succeeds Des Vertannes, who has been named global head of cargo for the International Air Transport Association. Kinnear was vice president-revenue management of Etihad Airways.
Commercial crew and cargo transportation to orbit is emerging as the big sticking point in the ongoing debate over U.S. space policy, both between the House and Senate, and between Congress and the White House. Senate authorizers cleared $612 million to support the new industry in Fiscal 2011, while their House counterparts would authorize only $164 million. NASA requested $812 million, according to an analysis prepared by the Space Foundation. But the agency is running into some reservations even among its own advisers.
Even though the technology is still in its infancy and its practical application is not at all assured, the electric aircraft is more than a concept being pursued by small group of green-thinking devotees. Well-established aviation manufacturers—notably Sikorsky Aircraft and Cessna Aircraft—have now come forward to further develop and exploit the alternate power source. Those companies and others outlined their plans for and challenges to electric flight during a July 30 symposium at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wis.
Richard Shaw (see photo) has become manager of the PlaneParts sector of the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. , Savannah, Ga., He was a product support executive for Bombardier Aerospace in Montreal.
As U.S. major airlines regain their financial footing, the biggest question facing the industry is whether it will revert to old habits and let an oversupply of capacity unravel all of its hard-won gains.
Israeli’s top young minds are being identified and put to work early with the goal of introducing radically new ideas and concepts of operations that can be applied to rapidly changing threats and technological innovation. The program, called Talpiot, finds these youngsters with the same screening process that the nation uses to identify its elite fighter pilots. In this case, it is designed by the government to institutionalize creativity across the spectrum of military, political, industrial and intelligence organizations.
The Auto-GCAS’s capabilities can best be appreciated firsthand. During a 1-hr. 20-min. flight on the Air Force Research Laboratory/NASA F-16 testbed, this Aviation Week editor observed a variety of scenarios, many flown at extremely low altitudes and high speed, designed to show how the automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto-GCAS) will prevent mishaps while allowing the full range of tactical flying without triggering nuisance fly-ups.
Peter Hruz has become subject matter expert in oceanic and domestic air traffic control for Metron Aviation , Dulles, Va. He was the FAA’s support manager of international operations, airspace and procedures, and military operations.
Susan Irwin has been named Washington-based president of Euroconsult USA Inc. She was head of Washington satellite industry consulting firm Irwin Communications. Partnering with Euroconsult will be the Jones Consulting Group, headed by Dennis Jones, a former senior executive with GeoEye, Space Imaging and The Aerospace Corp.
House defense appropriators are following their authorizing colleagues and earmarking funds toward the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136, the alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, despite the Obama administration’s continuing veto threats. Behind closed doors July 27, the spending panel overwhelmingly approved a Republican-pushed provision to direct $450 million toward the F136, even over the new subcommittee chairman’s reservations.
Retiring the space shuttle is the best thing that could happen to U.S. manned spaceflight. After 38 years in low Earth orbit, now maybe we can go somewhere. Why let robots have all the fun?
Boeing Co.’s second-quarter operating profit was down 15% from the same period a year earlier amid a 9% decline in sales. But dig deeper into the results and a more nuanced picture emerges. Call it a tale of two Boeings.
European network airlines are starting to see improving financial performance and are witnessing a return of business to pre-crisis levels in some key areas. Airlines in Europe have been trailing other markets in putting the recent two-year decline in passengers and revenue behind them, but stronger-than-expected cargo operations and structural changes implemented by network carriers are starting to show results. However, the weak economic situation in Europe keeps carriers from celebrating prematurely.
Gerald P. Leary has been appointed Brussels-based president of FedEx Express for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. He succeeds Robert W. Elliott, who is retiring. Leary was senior vice president-European operations.
The U.S. Air Force is starting operational development of an automatic ground collision avoidance system (Auto-GCAS) that potentially could save many front-line combat aircraft.
Six North American carriers launched a new group for developing a standardized code to govern the display of fee-based services such as checked bags or roomier seats by flight searchers and ticket sellers, even though another group is already undertaking a similar effort.
