Tim Lammering, Team Leader (Lindenberg, Germany ), Flight Controls and Actuation Systems, Liebherr-Aerospace (Lindenberg, Germany )
In “Out West” (AW&ST Sept. 2, p. 31), I came across a statement that the “fly-by-wire avionics” of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 are provided by Thales. I am directly involved with this project and would like to correct the record. Yes, the SSJ100 avionic suite is provided by Thales. However, the entire fly-by-wire flight-control system (FCS) is provided by Liebherr-Aerospace.
The Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Center (HMC) has delivered the first elevator for the Airbus A350. HMC is a joint venture among Airbus and several Chinese partners, including the local Avic branch. Airbus holds a 20% stake. HMC started gaining composite and Airbus expertise by delivering A320 rudders, spars and elevators, initially not as a sole supplier. HMC is expected to become the sole supplier for A350 elevators and rudders by 2017.
Andrew D. Williamson (see photos) has been named CFO of the Merex Group, Camarillo, Calif. Steve Melvin has been appointed director of technical solutions and Eric Hillewaert director business development for OEM and Americas programs for Merex Inc. Williamson was managing director for the Angeles Capital Group and a partner at Allendale Partners. Melvin was operations manager for the Merex Camarillo facility, and Hillewaert customer support/product line manager of the Fluid Controls business for Circor Aerospace.
USAF Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Geary has been appointed director of intelligence at U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami. He has been deputy to the deputy chief of staff for intelligence at International Security Assistance Force Headquarters and deputy director of operations and support for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan in Kabul. Col. Russell L. Mack has been nominated for promotion to brigadier general and appointment as vice commander of the 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces/chief of staff of Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea.
It is no exaggeration when I say the eyes of the aviation world will be fixed on this month's Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. This meeting will set the stage for world aviation for years ahead and generate the economic conditions that are needed for this vital global industry to grow. It will tackle many challenges that should not be underestimated: in safety, security, air navigation, global competition, market access and of course, the environment.
On Oct. 29, 2001, Embraer rolled out the 170, the first in a new family of passenger aircraft that were later dubbed “E-Jets.” It was an inauspicious time to be investing. The 9/11 terrorist attacks the month before had sent the aviation industry reeling, and the cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology proclaimed “Airlines, Airports & MRO Under Siege.” But as much of the industry retrenched, officials at the Brazilian aircraft builder pressed ahead with an aggressive development schedule.
Dozens of large U.S.-India military deals worth billions of dollars are nearing completion and likely to be clinched in the next few weeks. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is preparing to arrive in Washington on an official visit starting Sept. 27, on the heels of a trip to India by U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.
A new FAA rule is easing restrictions on pilot flight review and recency requirements for both flight instructors and pilots of commuter and on-demand operators. The FAA issued the rule Sept. 16 at the behest of several parties seeking to overturn a legal interpretation limiting exemptions to the standing 24-month flight-review requirement. It also comes as the agency and industry reexamine flight instructor and pilot requirements in an effort to boost the pilot population and improve general aviation safety.
“Out of the Bottle” (AW&ST Sept. 16, p. 50) tries to paint U.S. export controls as a failure, but it attacks a straw man. You declare that “[i]f restrictions on supplying space technology to China were meant to arrest . . . [its] astronautical development, there is precious little sign of success.” But ITAR (U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations) was not meant to do that: It has different goals.
A Japanese program to develop a cheaper solid-propellant space launcher has achieved a successful first launch, with the Epsilon rocket placing a planetary-observation satellite, Sprint-A, into orbit. The first Epsion launch cost ¥5.3 billion ($53.6 million), compared with a ¥3.8 billion target quoted for the initial version by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2011. The cost is to be reduced to ¥3 billion, report Japanese media, but it is unclear whether that figure applies to the version successfully launched on Sept.
Think “ram-air turbine,” and the pop-out propeller providing emergency power on an airliner comes to mind, or the air-driven prop powering the ALQ-99 jamming pod on a Boeing EA-18G Growler. But what if huge amounts of power are needed, for electronic attack, long-range sensors or directed-energy weapons—and not just in emergencies, but across the flight envelope?
You've probably heard the news that Aviation Week has been purchased by Penton Media, becoming one of Penton's flagship industry brands with a high-quality comprehensive portfolio of B2B Media, Events and Data/Analytics serving the growing global aviation, aerospace and defense marketplace.
Bill Sweetman's “Save the JSF. Really?” (AW&ST Aug. 19, p. 19), advocates several actions that could result in significant cost reductions for the Defense Department. However, there are a few of points that deserve additional thought before program cancellation becomes reality.
