Analysis of temperature and other data from more than 1,000 meteorological stations worldwide has found 2013 was the seventh warmest year since 1880, adding more evidence to the long-term rise in global warming, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. Nine of the 10 warmest years in the 134 covered by the analysis have occurred since 2000, and the 10th was 1998. The latest GISS analysis finds 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 in global temperature averages.”
Sterile-cockpit rules demand that pilots pay attention to the business at hand at altitudes below 10,000 ft. to minimize distractions during the “critical phases” of a flight, namely takeoff and landing. While the workload during the portion of a flight above 10,000 ft. is typically much lower, particularly during cruise at altitude, does that mean pilots can let their guard down?
Space-science units of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences are planning two meetings this year designed to bring young scientists from the two countries together for discussions on space astronomy and solar and space physics. The U.S. Space Studies Board, and the Chinese academy's National Space Science Center set up meetings in Beijing and Los Angeles for space scientists under 40. The Beijing “forum” will be May 8-9, and the Los Angeles session is scheduled Nov. 3-4.
The U.S. Air Force is expected to decide as early as March whether to stick with Boeing's original next-generation, secure communications terminal or opt for a competing design from Raytheon, according to industry officials. Raytheon lost the Family of Beyond-Line-of-Sight terminals contract, designed for secure communications for USAF aircraft, nearly 11 years ago. But the company got its foot back in the door due to technical problems with Boeing's $4.7 billion development program.
Kevin Malutinok and Melissa Maddox, respectively, have been named vice president/general manager of StandardAero Business Aviation's Springfield, Ill., and Houston facilities. Malutinok held the same positions at Dassault Aircraft Services in Wilmington, Del. Maddox was StandardAero's corporate vice president-legal risk management.
Louis C. Seno, who has been a trustee of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, is now vice president-corporate relations and government affairs. He was president/CEO of Jet Support Services Inc. and remains chairman emeritus and special adviser to its board of directors.
Boeing and General Dynamics have finally reached an agreement in the long-standing dispute over the cancellation of the U.S. Navy's A-12 Avenger stealth aircraft program. The nearly $400 million agreement would bring the case to an end in exchange for in-kind payments from the companies. Under the agreement, General Dynamics will provide $198 million in credits to the Navy toward the design, construction and delivery portions of the DDG-1000 program, according to spokesman Rob Dolittle. The agreement was contingent upon Congress providing authorization for the deal.
Feb. 10—Singapore Aerospace Technology/Engineering Conference. siae.org.sg/satec/ Feb. 11-13—Afcea West 2014. San Diego Convention Center. www.afcea.org/events/register.cfm?ev=214 Feb. 11-16—2014 Singapore Airshow. Changi Exhibition Center. www.singaporeairshow.com Feb. 13—Royal Aeronautical Society Washington Chapter's 10th Anniversary; Transatlantic Award and AGM. British Embassy, Washington.raeswashingtondcbranch.cloverpad.org/Default.aspx?pageId=603363
As they reach cruise altitude, the crew of the high-wing Boeing airliner throttle back its twin turbofans to idle. Verifying that battery levels are adequate, they then do something that would be unthinkable in today's aircraft: They shut down the gas turbine core of each engine.
A new ruling by those on the Hill who referee federal contractor bid protests could serve as a warning to government contracting officers and A&D businesses alike as industry heads for a new wave of spinoffs, mergers and acquisitions. In a Dec. 27, 2013, decision published Jan. 13, the Government Accountability Office sided with Wyle Laboratories against Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) and its spinoff Leidos over a potential $1.76 billion deal NASA awarded the latter for medical, biomedical and health services supporting human spaceflight programs.
When I read “Sikorsky, Lockheed Design Tailsitter for VTOL X-Plane” (AW&ST Dec. 23, 2013, p. 11), I wondered whether Lockheed remembers its history. In the early 1950s, both Lockheed (XFV Salmon) and Convair (XFY Pogo) built vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) turboprop prototypes for the U.S. Navy. Only the Pogo had enough spare horsepower (and a very brave pilot) to attempt VTOL flight-testing. Taking off vertically was the easy part. Landing vertically (backward) with a foward-facing pilot was where things got tricky.
Over the last several years, the tri-service F-35 fighter program has gradually retired risks and reduced costs, in the process acquiring broader political support. More than 50% of the program's flight-testing schedule has been completed, and no major problems have been identified. The fighter's F135 engine has seen similar progress. With 11 allies committed to buying the airplane, the program looks unstoppable.
USAF Col. (ret.) Michael R. Gallagher (Hillsboro, Ore. )
The C-27J fiasco is a prime example of doctrine over common sense (AW&ST Dec. 2, 2013, p. 23). The U.S. Air Force fought a turf battle with the Army to protect its single manager for fixed-wing airlift mission role resulting in the Army losing a needed capability and taxpayers enduring more waste. Even worse, this was a case of deja vu all over again. During the Vietnam War, the Air Force wrestled the twin-engine light short-takeoff-and-landing C-7 Caribou away from the Army, believing centralized management would be more efficient.
Boris Johnson is not the “former mayor of London” as stated in “Crunch Time,” an article about runway expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick airports (AW&ST Dec. 23, 2013, p. 49). He was reelected to the four-year post of mayor on May 3, 2012, and his comments are extremely important to the ongoing debate about airport enhancements. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Alternative fuel research by the federal government will continue to have a bright future under the fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations deal that became law Jan. 17, despite Republican objections. Tucked inside the 1,582-page bill—passed within days of being unveiled on Capitol Hill to avoid another shutdown—is language supporting ongoing development of alternative fuels, according to aides for Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), a leading Democrat in the upper chamber.
The drag-reducing benefit of flying in formation has been known for decades—far longer if you are a bird—but making it practical is the challenge. Geese join up in V formations when they migrate, but all are headed in the same direction; finding opportunities for formation flying within military and commercial air-transport networks crisscrossing the globe is harder.
“How to Catch An Asteroid” (AW&ST Dec. 9, 2013, p. 48), concerning various NASA scenarios for capturing and controlling one, seems to involve nets, which would make it hard to control the motion of the asteroid.
ATK's Solar Electric Propulsion MegaFlex solar array design is in line for thermal vacuum deployment testing at NASA's Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station this month, following a full-deployment demonstration at the company's Goleta, Calif., facilities in December. ATK Space Systems and Deployable Space Systems, also of Goleta, are under contract to NASA's Space Technology Program to develop compact, low-mass, high-power solar arrays for robotic and human exploration initiatives of the type envisioned for the space agency's Asteroid Redirect Mission.
