Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff missile (Jassm) passed a milestone last week with the successful launch of an all-up round from a U.S. Air Force Boeing F-15E. The test, in which the armed missile navigated to its target and destroyed it, marked the completion of integration tests on the F-15E, the sixth platform cleared to carry the stealthy cruise missile.
Small satellites have grown more capable, sparking an expanding new industry as customers—still principally governments, and the U.S. in particular—find them increasingly attractive in a time of tight budgets, as discussed in a special report beginning on page 36. Orbcomm is paying just $6.5 million a copy for its 18 next-generation low-Earth-orbit spacecraft, and tiny cubesats can now be built from kits available on the Internet. Dynetics Inc.
The Pentagon Inspector General's Office (IG) says it started an audit in June of the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (see photo), which is set to replace the service's P-3Cs. “Our objective is to determine whether the Navy is effectively preparing the P-8A Poseidon program for the full-rate production decision,” the IG says.
Colin Black has joined Kratos Defense & Security Solutions of San Diego as chief information officer. He has been chief information officer at Cymer, and VP and CIO of Mindspeed Technologies.
I feel I must comment on Pierre Sparaco's column about “Henri Pitot's Legacy” (AW&ST July 23, p. 19). I regret that the French aircraft accident bureau BEA's recommendations do not included implementation of the “synthetic airspeed” feature that is already in the cockpits of Boeing 787s. An enhanced stall protection algorithm was also developed for the 787. Automation needs to be pursued further to enhance safety. The system must assist the pilot in all situations, including the case of an unreliable airspeed indication.
Boeing has selected two more Canadian-based contractors to support Royal Canadian Air Force CH-147F Chinook helicopters. Mirabel, Quebec-based L-3 Communications MAS was among three support contractors announced in January; it has not been tapped to provide technical publications. General Dynamics Canada of Ottawa will provide a maintenance training suite and contractor maintenance training support. Boeing's support contract is valued at $2 billion over a 20-year period.
Jeff Baum, president and CEO of Wisconsin Aviation, has been named vice chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, Alexandria, Va. He succeeded Bill Haberstock, president of Keystone Aviation, whose term expired June 30.
A story in the July 23 issue (p. 34) incorrectly characterized the landing minimums at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru. The airport's Category-2 instrument landing system allows a decision height of 100 ft., and Cat.-3 operations would allow a decision height of 50 ft.
With commercial aerospace booming and defense markets cooling, business leaders in the sector are searching for a recipe to guide their actions in these uncertain times.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has tapped ATK to modify an “existing U.S.-built, U.S. government-owned geostationary satellite bus” for the agency's Phoenix program, which is set for a 2015-16 launch. Phoenix is a technology demonstrator of the feasibility of harvesting still-usable components from non-functioning satellites in geostationary orbits. The idea is that the usable components can be attached in orbit to mini-satellites, or “satlets,” saving the costs of building those components on the new spacecraft.
Air Madagascar has chosen Ameco Beijing to provide line maintenance for its Airbus A340 aircraft at the MRO's Guangzhou station in China. Air Madagascar operates two flights to Guangzhou each week and is Ameco Beijing's eighth international customer at Guangzhou.
Regarding the tragedy of Air France Flight 447: I say, blame the pitot, not the pilot. Even we low-time pilots of Cessnas had it drummed into us to “trust your instruments; not your senses.”
It's harder than it looks to build a small perch-and-stare UAV, even with the help of a crowd. That's the conclusion of Darpa's UAVForge competition, which failed to produce a winner for the $100,000 prize. Graham Warwick covers the contest on Ares. Naysay notes: Interesting, but not surprising that no winner emerged. It's a good start.
Qatar-based Rizon Jet has received new maintenance approvals from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Department for its Doha facility, allowing the company to maintain and repair Bermuda-registered aircraft at its Middle East facility as well as at its London base at Biggin Hill Airport. The private aviation company recently also expanded its line and base maintenance capabilities to include the Learjet 45 and Bombardier Challenger 300.
Chromalloy has found a launch customer for its General Electric CF6-50 engine teardown business in San Diego and is dismantling two Boeing 747 powerplants. This means the facility has the capability to tear down a CF6 and then manage, inspect and repair the parts. Chromalloy plans to add other engines to its portfolio later in 2012 and in 2013.
Some 13% of the $6.7 billion the Pentagon is slated to spend between fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2017 for combating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is still up for grabs, with no contractor chosen, according to an Aviation Week Intelligence Network analysis of data provided by Avascent. Countering IEDs became a major thrust for the U.S.
On July 23, NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) celebrated the 40th birthday of Landsat, the Earth-observing satellite series most closely identified with building a continuing data stream about how population growth, climate change, natural events and man's activities are influencing the planet.
The problem with five-year plans is that they come around only once every five years. That can be a long time in commercial aviation. As available production slots for reengined Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies move rapidly to the right, China is under pressure to set aside its usual stately planning process and hurriedly sign a round of big airliner orders.
Nina Ward has joined the finance and acquisitions department of Denver-based law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs as an associate representing aircraft owners, lessors, lessees and lenders. Derek Vanstone has been named VP-corporate strategy, industry and government affairs for Air Canada, effective Sept. 10. He is deputy chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Ignacio Mataix (see photo), who has been CEO of the ITP Group, has been appointed president of the the Hegan Aeronautics and Space Cluster Association, Bilbao, Spain, succeeding Jorge Unda, who has been CEO of Sener, and now will be Hegan's VP. Pedro Fuente of Aernnova is the new secretary. New members of the board of directors are Armando Jimenez of Alfa Precision Casting and Angel Alonso of Novaltis.
Gregory Taylor (see photo) has become VP-corporate strategy and business development at Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fla. He was VP-sales, marketing and business development for UTC Automation and Controls Solutions.
Prabu Natarajan (see photo) will become corporate VP and treasurer of the Northrop Grumman Corp., effective Jan. 1. He will succeed Mark Caylor, who has been named corporate VP and president of the company's Enterprise Shared Services. Natarajan will continue as VP-tax, a position he held at the AES Corp. Thomas E. Vice will become corporate VP and president of the Aerospace Systems Sector and Gloria A. Flach corporate VP and president of the Electronic Systems Sector. Vice and Flach will succeed Gary W. Ervin and James F. Pitts, who plan to retire. Linda A.
