Exercising five of its 20 options, Japan Airlines has propelled Boeing's 787 to more than 500 orders, just 36 months after the program's launch. The distinction makes the 200-300-seat twin-aisle jet the fastest-selling in Boeing's history. By late last week, the company had 514 total firm orders from 43 customers. The 787 was launched Apr. 26, 2004, by a 50-aircraft order from JAL's rival, All Nippon Airways.
Controllers trying to rescue Japan's Hayabusa space mission will count on solar radiation pressure to help control the attitude of the crippled craft, improving the chances of bringing it and an historic asteroid sample back to Earth. By taking into account the force of radiation on Hayabusa's solar panels, mission controllers will refine their attitude control maneuvers, conserving the small supply of xenon they've been ejecting from the spacecraft as a makeshift propellant.
Germany and Italy will bolster reconnaissance capabilities for NATO forces in Afghanistan, with the much anticipated go-ahead for the deployment of manned and unmanned aircraft. Before the end of the month, the German air force hopes to have six reconnaissance Tornados operational. They deployed last week to the Mazar-e-Sharif air base in northern Afghanistan. NATO first requested the reconnaissance improvement in December.
The U.S. Air Force says all of its U-2s have been cleared to fly since Mar. 20 after the small fleet was grounded briefly. Pinhole leaks were found in the sump tanks, which feed fuel directly to the engine, on multiple aircraft. The leaks resulted from electrical arcing caused by chafing in nearby wiring. The grounding briefly affected intelligence collection ops in Iraq, but USAF officials say the high-flying U-2s have been back in service.
Eurofighter has begun a series of Typhoon test flights with an MBDA Meteor environmental data gathering missile, covering both fuselage and wing-station carriage. Two further contracts have been placed with Saab, extending the use of the Gripen as a test platform for the rocket-ramjet radar-guided Meteor missile until 2010. The trials include firing and radar tests in the U.K. and Sweden.
Private bidders attempting to take over Qantas reportedly are seeking ways around potential blockages by investment funds. Instead of demanding 90% of the shares for the deal to go ahead, they could settle for 80%.
Kurt Black has been appointed business development manager of Aerodyne Controls, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., a Circor Aerospace company. He was Eastern U.S. sales manager for sister company Circle Seal Controls, Corona, Calif.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. REPORTS ORDERS for more than 110 Citation IV business jets. The airplane, now under development, is scheduled to fly in the first half of 2008, followed by FAA certification in the second half of 2009 and entry into service in 2010. Priced at $7.9 million, the Citation IV is projected to have a cruise speed of 435 KTAS at 35,000 ft. and an IFR range with fuel reserves of 1,825 naut. mi. Payload with full fuel would be 1,000 lb., with a maximum payload of 2,100 lb. The bizjet will feature Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.
American Airlines Maintenance Services plans to decide in the next few months whether to include the Bombardier CRJ series with General Electric CF34 engines in its business, says Carmine Romano, vice president of American's Tulsa, Okla., base. He also says the company is working with the Tulsa community and the State of Oklahoma to secure funding for a new wide-body maintenance hangar that could accommodate the Boeing 787, 777 or two 737s. He hopes to build and open that hangar by August 2008. American submitted a bid to Boeing for 787 GoldCare maintenance work.
Clifford C. Smith, Jr., has been named CEO of Air Chef Holdings, Columbus, Ohio. He succeeds founder Scott A. Liston, who will be chairman/chief strategic development and growth offficer.
To harness electronic combat to the digital revolution, the U.S. Marine Corps is rolling out a broad-based plan for electronic warfare--intensely networked to link air and ground forces--that offers access, even for the smallest infantry unit. The Marines will be able to choose from an arsenal of offensive, unconventional, nonexplosive weapons and effects that range from electronic and information sleight-of-hand to hammer blows with spikes of high-power microwaves powerful enough to confuse, perhaps destroy enemy electronics.
Skybus Airlines--which is seeking FAA certification as a startup Airbus A319 operator based at Columbus, Ohio--has completed another round of financing. CEO Bill Diffenderffer says institutional investors have added $72.7 million, bringing the total to $160 million. Investors include Skybus Chairman Bob Kidder, former CEO of Duracell, and David Meuse, who headed former Bank One Capital.
Telespazio is starting production of the ESA-backed Pan-European Satellite Telecom Adaptor, a ground-based switching unit that is intended to support European civil protection teams by allowing them to use a variety of satellites to communicate, even if deployed in remote locations after a major disaster. Telespazio is working under an ESA contract and leading an industrial team which includes Alcatel Alenia Space, Indra and Hispasat in the development of this tactically mobile and compact unit, which in prototype form weighs about 700 kg. (1,543 lb.).
French air force Rafale F2 strike fighters will be the backbone of France's air combat contribution in Afghanistan in coming months. They and their navy counterparts are fresh off their combat debut.
Rockwell Collins will provide integrated avionics to the Royal Singapore Air Force's 10 C-130s so they can comply with the latest air traffic management requirements.
A CH-47 helicopter of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force crashed in heavy fog on a 1,700-ft. mountain on Tokunoshima island, north of Okinawa, Mar. 30, killing all four servicemen on board.
Orbital Sciences Corp. will build a third small geostationary communications satellite for Australia's Optus Networks, which has selected Arianespace to launch the spacecraft in 2009 on an Ariane or Soyuz vehicle. The satellite, Optus D3, will be based on Orbital Star spacecraft bus, as were the other two Optus spacecraft, and provide direct broadcasting service across Australia and New Zealand.
Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency has approved Gol's acquisition of Varig, enabling the Sao Paulo-based airline to begin a transformation of Varig into a low-cost carrier.
The FAA reports the Lockheed Martin-supplied Advanced Techno-logies and Oceanic Procedures system is now in service at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center in Alaska. New York and Oakland centers already are using the system, which modernizes air traffic control in oceanic airspace.
Space Shuttle managers will decide as early as this week whether the STS-117 shuttle Atlantis mission will be rescheduled for launch by late May or be delayed into early June because of hail damage to its external tank. Depending on progress repairing the damaged tank--No. ET-124--by Kennedy Space Center and contractor technicians (see photo), managers could opt to use the repaired tank for a launch no later than about May 23.
Bernard P. McVey (see photo) has been named vice president-business management/chief financial officer of the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Information Technology Sector, McLean, Va. He was the sector's vice president/controller and had been vice president/business manager for C4ISR and Naval Systems for the company's Electronic Systems Sector.
Arinc Engineering Services is offering more than an acre of hangar space under one roof--81,000 sq. ft.--in its Aircraft Modification and Operations Center at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. Four Lockheed Martin C-130s can be accommodated inside and eight more on the ramp. Arinc Vice President Mike Young says three aircraft programs are already being overhauled--the Fairchild-Dornier C-26 surveillance aircraft for the State Dept., and the Cessna Encore and Citation X. Arinc transferred work force and operations from its former Sundance Airpark facility nearby.
Snecma says the first elements of its Silvercrest business and regional jet engine demonstrator are starting to roll off production. The first engine demonstrator run is planned for year's end. So far, the impeller prototype and one of the blisks have moved from manufacturing to the assembly site. Parts delivery should be completed in the summer, to provide enough time to build up the highly instrumented core demonstrator.
The first officer of a Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 that crashed on landing Mar. 7 urged the captain to go around, says Indonesia's top accident investigator, reporting the contents of the cockpit voice recorder. The first officer did not fully extend the flaps because the aircraft was flying too fast, the investigator says, and the pair argued. The investigation team has found that no malfunction prevented flap deployment, but has not yet issued a formal report on the crash, in which 21 people died.
