Bill Sweetman's suggestion of transferring the A-10 Warthog to the U.S. Marine Corps (AW&ST Dec. 9, 2013, p. 15) is interesting, but flawed. He points out that the number of F-35Bs that will actually use the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing capability operationally will be significantly fewer than those actually purchased. Keep in mind that most—if not all—Marine Corps combat aircraft are carrier-capable in one form or another.
Marc Allen has been appointed president of the Seattle-based Boeing Capital Corp., effective March 14. He has been president of Boeing China and succeeds Mike Cave, who plans to retire May 1. Boeing Corporate Treasurer Dave Dohnalek will now also be chairman of Boeing Capital. Allen will be followed in China by Ian Thomas, who has been president of Boeing Australia and South Pacific.
The space agencies that operate the International Space Station—and their other spaceflight partners—likely will be using its facilities to prepare for a push to the Moon and beyond, as well as trying to promote its commercial use. Top managers from more than 30 space agencies who met in Washington Jan. 9-10 were unanimous in their consensus joint statement that deep-space exploration should be based on the ISS model.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
India's Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) may finally have been cleared for entry into squadron service, but the coming year brings a critical round of testing for the Mk. 1 fighter. It must meet a final deadline of December 2014 to be fully operational. The tests are crucial to how the Indian air force (IAF) will deploy the jet, built chiefly to replace large numbers of MiG-21 interceptors still in service with frontline squadrons.
With fewer Rafale combat jets on order and no firm export contracts in hand, France is facing difficult choices. The French defense ministry announced contracts on Jan. 10 for €1 billion ($1.4 billion) in planned upgrades to the Dassault Aviation combat jet. Yet budget pressures have forced drastic reductions in the total number of Rafale aircraft and next-generation weapon systems the ministry plans to buy over the next six years, prompting new spending for renovation of Mirage 2000D fighters and further extending the service life of aging Mirage 2000-5s.
Mark Keilholz (see photos) has been promoted to vice president-information technology from senior director and Annika Wicklund to director of design from design manager at Greenpoint Technologies, Kirkland, Wash.
International Launch Services (ILS) plans to launch Eutelsat 9B for the Paris-based satcom operator in 2015 on a Khrunichev-built Proton rocket under a agreement announced Jan. 15. Space Systems (formerly Astrium) of Airbus Defense and Space will build the 5,300-kg (11,700-lb.) Ku-band satellite, which will be positioned at 9 deg. E. Long. to deliver service via 66 transponders. The spacecraft, which is based on the Eurostar E3000 bus, also will host the first payload for the European Data Relay Satellite System.
Bill Sweetman's “Right the First Time” (AW&ST Dec. 23, 2013, p. 14) on what is needed for an effective Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike system and how the U.S. Marine Corps' close air support (CAS) mission could more logically be addressed by a mix of F-35Bs and A-10s was, as usual, well thought out and on target (as well as being witty). Bravo to him and to Aviation Week for airing this viewpoint. I hope the decision makers are reading him as well.
Arjan Meijer has been appointed managing director of KLM UK Engineering Ltd. He was vice president-technical services and fleet development for KLM Cityhopper.
Five NASA researchers have been named to receive the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers as nominated by the agency's Science Mission Directorate, Office of the Chief Engineer and Office of the Chief Technologist. The researchers and the subjects of their award-winning projects are: Joshua S. Alwood of NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., research into the temporal changes in skeletal tissue density, cancellous orientation and vasculature during recovery from musculoskeletal disuse; Douglas C.
