The PC-9 tandem-seat military flight trainer is produced by Pilatus and has also been assembled under license by Hawker de Havilland Ltd. A PC-9 prototype first flew in May 1984, followed by initial deliveries in 1986. The current production model is the PC-9M, which was introduced in 1997. The PC-9M is powered by a single 1,150-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop. Approximately 280 aircraft were built through 2006, when the last PC-9 was produced. The U.S.
The PC-21 is a two-seat trainer powered by a 1,600-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68B turboprop. Pilatus achieved certification of the PC-21 in December 2004. Customers have included the Swiss air force, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. Pilatus produced 31 PC-21s through 2010 and is projected to deliver an additional 136 in 2011-20.
Looking to break into new markets, PZL Mielec of Poland redesigned the Ukrainian Antonov An-28 twin-turboprop, utility/transport aircraft to incorporate more extensive use of Western components, including two 1,100-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B engines. The new model, dubbed the M28, made its first flight in 1993. Sikorsky's purchase of PZL Mielec in 2007 brought ensured continued production of the M28. Through 2010, 40 aircraft were produced, with 34 additional examples forecast for production in 2011-20.
The SW-4 is a light, single-engine helicopter powered by the 458-shp Rolls-Royce 250-C20R/2 engine. First flight occurred in 1996, but deliveries to the Polish air force did not commence until 2004. AgustaWestland acquired PZL-Swidnik in January 2010. By the end of 2010, 32 SW-4s had been built. Production of 67 SW-4s is forecast over the next decade.
This medium, twin-engine multirole helicopter had its first flight in 1979. A wide variety of variants have been turned out, including the W-3RM search-and-rescue and W-3WA armed combat versions. The W-3 is powered by two PZL-Rzeszow PZL-10W turboshafts rated at 900 shp each for takeoff. Through 2010, 155 W-3s were produced. In 2011-20, 27 W-3s are forecast be built.
The B-1B is a four-engine strategic bomber produced by Rockwell International and operated by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft evolved from a series of studies begun in 1962. The program was launched in 1969; the initial prototype made its first flight in 1974. The B-1B is powered by four GE F101-GE-102 turbofan engines rated at more than 30,000 lb. thrust each. In addition to four B-1A prototypes, a total of 100 B-1Bs were built by the time production ended in 1988. Upgrades to the B-1B's systems and capabilities have been ongoing since the aircraft's introduction.
A prototype of the MiG-29 twin-engine air superiority fighter/interceptor first flew in October 1977. The MiG-29 uses two 18,300-lb.-thrust Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 augmented turbofan engines. The MiG-29 has gone through several revisions, with the modern variants being known as the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29UBT, which are single-seat and tandem-seat, respectively. The SMT has new avionics and greater range than its predecessor, while the UBT incorporates many of the same upgrades but in the tandem-seat configuration.
The MiG-AT is a twin-engine jet trainer design in development at RAC MiG. One prototype made its first flight in 1996, and a second in 2004. The aircraft uses two 3,150-lb.-thrust Turbomeca/Snecma Larzac 04-R20 turbofans, although it has also been tested with 3,750-lb.-thrust Soyuz RD-1700s for the Russian air force. There also is a single-seat light fighter/attack version designated the MiG-AS.
Oct. 23-25—Supply Chain World Europe. Dorint Hotel, Amsterdam. Call +1 (202) 962-0440 or see www.supplychainworld.org/europe Oct. 24-26—Cargo Facts' Aircraft Symposium. Encore Hotel, Las Vegas. Call +1 (800) 320-4418 or see cargofactssymposium.com Oct. 24-26—American Astronautical Society's Fourth Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium: “Launching the Future in Space Exploration.” University of Alabama, Huntsville. See www.astronautical.org
Despite a sour economy that has slowed business jet sales generally, the market for larger aircraft such as these Challenger 300s being completed at Bombardier's Montreal facility has proved firm, allowing airframers to invest in new products and services in anticipation of an eventual rebound. Bombardier photo.
As Michael Mecham's “First 787 Delivery in Tokyo This Week” makes clear (AW&ST Sept. 26., p. 53), the 787 program broke new ground in several technical areas, but perhaps especially in aerospace supplier management and relationships, by exposing the vulnerable ways complex manufacturing is still arranged in a “chain” of sub-manufacturers under contract.
In Pierre Sparaco's “Muddled Vision” (AW&ST Sept. 19, p. 21), he has evidenced the same sort of thinking process that prompted the building of the Maginot Line. Has he forgotten the Airbus A380 debacle? Sparaco begins by denigrating Boeing and its officers, and concludes that the U.S. should learn from Airbus. He should also conclude that were it not for the U.S. there would be no Airbus. This nationalistic rant highlights his journalistic bias—and that of AW&ST for printing it.
Kerry Lynch's Business Aviation post: Fight On Over Proposed $100 Obama ATC Fee elicited: RBinDC saying: As a private pilot I'm OK with user fees proposed for corporate jets or any other turbine aircraft, which almost by definition fly IFR and impose costs on the air traffic control system. The people flying/riding in these aircraft are among the most affluent [and should] pay their fair share of the ATC system.
Cedric Goubet (see photo) has been named executive VP of West Chester, Ohio-based CFM International, succeeding Olivier Savin. Goubet was deputy to the chief operating officer of Safran and before that worked for the French ministries of the interior and economy, industry and finance.
Steven Hargin has been appointed leisure sales manager-tour operations in New York for Dubai-based Emirates. He was product manager for special sales at Lufthansa in the U.S. Daniel Cadeaux has become district sales manager in Washington. He was VP in the Americas for British Midland International.
Chad N. Boudreaux (see photo) has joined Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, Va., as VP-litigation, investigations and compliance. He comes from law firm Baker Botts.
John Spanjers has been named VP and chief operating officer of Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines Corp., succeeding Douglas W. Shockey, who left the company. Spanjers was president of Pinnacle subsidiary Mesaba Aviation and will remain Mesaba's senior VP-operations.
Stuart McSorley (see photo) has become director of quality for Circor Aerospace, Corona, Calif. He was quality manager at Triumph Aerostructures' Vought Commercial Div.
Chuck Gray, deputy associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, has been named acting associate administrator. He succeeds Ed Weiler, who has retired from the agency after 33 years.
Patrice Charmey has been appointed sales director in Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States for Daher-Socata, Tarbes, France. He was sales director at RUAG Aviation.
Donna Hrinak has been named president of Boeing Brazil, based in Sao Paulo. She was VP-global public policy and government affairs for PepsiCo and had been corporate affairs director for Latin America and the EU at Kraft Foods.
Steve Fuhr has been promoted to president and CEO from VP and director of business development of SkyTrac, Kelowna, British Columbia. He succeeds Kathleen Wallace, who remains chairman.
Dennis Gillespie has been appointed planning leader for HOK Aviation + Transportation Group of Los Angeles. A 10-year company veteran, he has worked on projects at New Doha International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport and Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco. Keith Hui has become director of the Asia-Pacific region, based in Hong Kong. He has led modernization programs at Salt Lake City, Honolulu and Kona, Hawaii, international airports.
Dwayne Williams has joined Aero Dynamix, Euless, Texas, as a night-vision goggle specialist. He was director of flight operations at Bell Helicopter Textron.
