George Paz has been named to the board of directors of Honeywell International Inc. , Morris Township, N.J. He is chairman/president/CEO of Express Scripts Inc. Honors and Elections
Eutelsat and Speedcast will team with Furuno of Japan to offer worldwide mobile broadband satellite services for the maritime industry. Eutelsat had agreed in March to develop the service with Hong Kong-based Speedcast, a satellite communications service provider owned by AsiaSat, using the two operators’ satellite fleets. Unlike a similar Ku-band mobile service announced by ViaSat and KHN (AW&ST Oct. 27, 2008, p. 43), the Eutelsat/Speedcast/Furuno service, known as SafeComNet, will focus on merchant shipping and fishing fleets.
An engineer and a computer specialist from Hitco Carbon Composites watched with interest as a mechanical roving head produced a wide shingle of dark material and deposited it on a slightly contoured table. In time, the table was covered with sticky plates, all bonded together into a simulated airplane part.
A Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 rocket engine modified with an improved injector and propellant feed system demonstrated combustion stability over an expanded thrust range of 8-104% in the latest phase of tests under NASA’s Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE) program. The recent trials, aimed at proving technology for the future Altair lunar lander, involved 11 hot-fire tests for an accumulated 2,935 sec., and included a simulation of an approach to a lunar landing.
San Diego Bay shimmers in the distance at Eaton Aerospace’s new manufacturing plant in Tijuana, Mexico. But pull back on the view, and a landscape of ramshackle houses clinging to hillsides gives the impression that Southern California is a world away, rather than just 10 mi.
Sagem has won an exclusive award to develop a data link for French UAVs. The Lido (French acronym for drone data link) project will require the Safran unit to devise economical bandwidth solutions as well as enhanced protection against electronic warfare. Sagem says the system will cover all future UAV systems—tactical, theater or combat—and will include both line-of-site and satellite links, whether for vehicle operation or payload control.
The Italian military is preparing for possible involvement in a peacekeeping operation in the Gaza Strip, which would come on top of already mounting overseas commitments. Defense Minister Ignazio la Russa says Italy would be ready to cope with any European Union request to participate in a mission in Gaza, presupposing the warring factions (Hamas and Israel) permit such a force.
The U.S. Navy has finally signed a record of decision that allows it to move forward on homeporting a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Port modifications will include dredging, additional infrastructure, wharf improvements and construction of nuclear-propulsion plant maintenance facilities.
Congressional auditors say NASA’s Office of Inspector General isn’t doing its job. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, says only one of the 71 reports issued by NASA’s OIG in Fiscal 2006 and 2007 had any recommendations for saving the taxpayers money. Given the OIG’s $34-million budget in Fiscal 2007, that translates to a return of 36 cents on each dollar the office spent. By contrast, the average return for other federal agencies’ inspectors general was $9.49 per dollar spent. At least three lawmakers, including Rep.
Aero Vodochody has spun off its airfield at Odolena Voda, Czech Republic, as a separate company, in a further attempt to streamline operations and improve profitability. The Czech aerospace contractor will remain sole owner of the facility, which could become an alternate airport for Prague.
With thermal management a growing problem for densely packaged platforms, a Thermacore-led team received a Darpa award to develop advanced air-cooled heat exchangers for military electronics. The two-phase, 48-month MACE program will demonstrate micro-technologies to improve thermal performance and reduce electrical consumption of heat exchangers.
Credit Suisse’s Robert Spingarn has been ranked as a top A&D analyst by The Wall Street Journal and Forbes because of prescient calls on commercial aerospace stocks in recent years. So when he “resets” his outlook, it’s worth taking notice.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace, apparently fearless of the worsening economic slowdown, is pushing ahead with expansion and hiring plans for its global maintenance, repair and overhaul operation. ST Aero is even open to further expansion through acquisitions, which it thinks should become cheaper as excess capacity piles up in North America and Europe. Development of unannounced new facilities, probably in Asia, is also in the cards.
The air force is being offered a variant of the Kamov Ka-252RLD Helix-B naval airborne early warning helicopter modified to provide surveillance support for land forces. Oboronprom, the holding company that is consolidating Russia’s helicopter manufacturers, is promoting a derivative known as the Ka-252SV.
Shenzhen Airlines is adding to China Eastern’s troubles (see Rebuilding in Progress, below) by setting up an affiliate in the southern province of Yunnan. The subsidiary, called Kunming Airlines after the provincial capital, will have three Boeing 737s, 30 pilots, 26 flight attendants and 80 million yuan ($12 million) in funding. China Eastern lost service rights in Yunnan last year when its local branch mishandled a dispute with pilots. Hainan Airlines is also moving into the territory by building up its local subsidiary, Lucky Air, under the name Yunnan Airlines.
The U.S. Air Force has issued a notice for bidders for development and manufacture of three Air Force One replacement aircraft. Today’s Boeing 747-200-based VC-25A system is growing expensive to maintain, and the first replacement is needed in Fiscal 2017.
GE Aviation has completed the critical design review on the 7,500-shp.-class GE38 turboshaft that will power the U.S. Marine Corps’ Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter, clearing the way for full engine testing in 2009. The GE38 is an updated version of the T407 turboprop developed, but never produced, for the U.S. Navy. Engine deliveries are to begin in 2010.
The Royal Navy is testing an improved version mission planning tool for its Sea King Mk 7 airborne surveillance and control helicopters. The navy’s Sea King Mk 7 trials squadron is now using the Thales WISP 2 planning tool development of the initial Whiskey Initialization Support Peripheral. The upgraded variant provides improved route planning, increased connectivity, and the capability to model the helicopter radar’s surveillance footprint over the operational terrain.
Lockheed Martin has won a $49.7-million USAF contract for the Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research and Evaluation program that is being overseen by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.
In his letter “Spaceflight Will Not Be Cheap” (AW&ST Nov. 17, 2008, p. 10), Markus Schiller disputes my call to use heavier but cheaper parts like those on aircraft, now that launches may be cheaper thanks to SpaceX. He writes: “Aviation-rated hardware will fail due to acoustics and vibration at launch, thermal stresses, radiation, etc.” Actually, aviation parts are robust and would need little if any modification for spacecraft use, though analysis and testing are required.
Airbus doesn’t expect to field an A320 family replacement until 2020, says John Leahy, the airframer’s chief operating officer for customers. The in-service date for the next-generation aircraft has steadily been moving to the right. In the meantime, Airbus is working on an update to the A320, which would include the addition of winglets that would be designed to improve fuel-burn by 5%. Leahy says it is still unclear whether the next-generation A320 would be powered by the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engine.
Gregory Kaldahl has become vice president-resource planning for United Airlines parent UAL Corp. He was managing director for international planning and scheduling.
