Pratt & Whitney President David Hess's surprising disclosure that China's Comac is expressing interest in a version of the geared turbofan for its C919 regional jet adds new weight to the momentum behind Pratt's single-aisle engine strategy. A year ago, the PW1000G-series engine had established itself, thanks to its selection by Bombardier for the 110-130-seat CSeries, by Mitsubishi for the 70-90-seat MRJ and by Irkut for the 150-seat-plus MS-21. But none of those programs—at least, not yet—are the big prize.
Less than two weeks ago, the issue of aging aircraft and metal fatigue seemed to be settled, with a final rulemaking last November that culminated decades of research and regulation spurred by a stunning accident in Hawaii. Then a Boeing 737-300 fuselage ruptured, potentially exposing cracks in the accident prevention efforts.
Since Congress can always overrule itself, and presidents come and go, there is no such thing as the “last word” in Washington. But amid the cacophony, key voices can emerge to settle an issue, whether through a presidential proposal or congressional action. For long-term defense budget making, the decisive moment might have come last week in the guise of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan's proposal for fiscal 2012 and beyond, and another related offering by Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers.
Jeffrey D. Grant (see photo) has been named vice president and general manager and Robert V. Burke vice president and deputy general manager of Northrop Grumman's Space Systems Div. Grant succeeds David M. DiCarlo, who is retiring after 36 years with the company. Grant joined Northrop Grumman after a 21-year career with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Burke was the division's vice president of civil and military systems.
Lagging acquisition timelines in major Pentagon programs such as the Lockheed Martin F-35, Boeing KC-46A tanker and Marine fighting vehicles are pushing sustainment costs up as the armed services attempt to maintain older platforms. Although the services' 17 maintenance depots have been enjoying a healthy workload, it remains to be seen how they will manage the drop in activity when new programs finally come to fruition.
April 20—Global Aerospace's SM4 Human Factors Seminar. Blackwell Inn and Conference Center, Columbus, Ohio. Call +1 (973) 490-8500 or see www.global-aero.com April 24-26—BCI Aerospace's Meetings. Matrade Exhibition & Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Call +33 (14) 186-4150 or see www.bciaerospace.com April 27-29—Association of Aerospace Industries' Aerospace Supplier Exchange 2011. Sands Expo and Convention Center, Hall D, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Call +65 6517-6894 or see www.aerosupplierx.com/2011
Fred Cromer has been promoted to president and Philip Scruggs to executive vice president at the International Lease Finance Corp. of Los Angeles. Cromer will remain chief financial officer and Scruggs chief marketing officer.
Despite optimism from transportation committee leaders in the House and Senate, an Ohio Republican is declaring the FAA reauthorization bill dead before arrival. Both the House and Senate have passed versions of the bill, but President Barack Obama is threatening to veto it if a House provision to reverse National Mediation Board election rules remains (see p. 19). And while lead negotiators in the House and Senate are optimistic that differences between the bills can be worked out, Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), says another extension is in the cards.
The NASA-German space agency DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (Sofia), a Boeing 747SP that gains clearer viewing for a 100-in. infrared reflecting telescope by flying above Earth's water vapor at about 40,000 ft., has completed its first mission using a high-resolution far-IR spectrometer. Principal investigator Rolf Guesten of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn focused the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (Great) on far-IR radiation that cools the interior of the clouds as it leaves them.
As Boeing leads the close-out of NASA's space shuttle operations, it is bidding for work under the second phase of the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev 2) program as well as helping to craft the future of U.S. heavy-lift capability.
Benjamin Dow has joined FirstFlight, Elmira, N.Y., to support development of global aircraft sales and acquisitions. The son of FirstFlight founder and Chief Executive John Dow, he was vice president of Sand Springs Development in Florida.
Civilian space scientists who use spectral signatures to study the planets have the same problems as military users of the technique—multiplied by astronomical distances. While military officers apply hyperspectral imaging to learn about enemy territory in the next valley or on the next continent, scientists are separated from their targets by millions of miles of vacuum, space debris and deadly radiation.
Flight tests of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A Poseidon multimission patrol aircraft are one-fifth through completion and, unlike a host of recent high-profile defense acquisitions, on schedule for targeted service entry in 2013. The initial three P-8As—T-1, -2 and -3—have amassed “close to 500 hours” of flight-test time at NAS Patuxent River, Md., says U.S. Navy P-8A Program Manager Capt. Mike Moran. Phase 1 flight tests to verify performance using T-1 were completed in December with “no anomalies,” he adds.
Bombardier Aerospace President Guy Hachey is just doing his job in trying to put a positive spin on his company’s new CSeries jet, which has not attracted a new order in 13 months. The aircraft builder is seeing an “enormous amount” of interest in the 110-145-seat aircraft “in every region of the world,” he tells financial analysts. “We feel very good about where we are.” But in private, Hachey must be more than a little bit worried that the CSeries has attracted just 90 firm orders since the program’s launch in 2008.
As president of a 20-year-old A&D small business, I know well what Joseph C. Anselmo is talking about in his commentary about protecting innovation (AW&ST Feb. 14, p. 12). However, there is one approach available to help innovative small companies traverse the labyrinthine procurement programs—the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. We have received multiple SBIR awards from numerous government agencies. These awards led to technology insertion and transition from R&D to operational systems.
Outgoing International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Director General/CEO Giovanni Bisignani does not mince words. In Washington and New York last week, he expressed incredulity at how little attention the Obama administration has paid to aviation. “Aviation does not even rank among the top 20 White House strategic priorities. To be very blunt, there is no long-term vision. Instead, the U.S.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, now building the first Mitsubishi Regional Jet, intends to apply continuous and rapid process improvement under the Japanese kaizen philosophy. Managers aim to begin assembling the first aircraft this year for an initial flight in 2012 and deliver it in early 2014, with no hint of a serious slip in the schedule so far.
Name: Adm. Gary Roughead Age: 59 Education: United States Naval Academy, 1973 Career: First officer to command both classes of Aegis ships One of only two officers to have commanded the fleets in the Pacific and Atlantic Commandant, U.S. Naval Academy
The Dutch defense ministry has until April 30 to decide whether to continue with its planned purchase of a second F-35 to support the program’s initial operational test and evaluation phase.
Bisignani looks positively diplomatic compared to John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Annoyed that a new FAA reauthorization bill hasn’t passed since 2003 (and it expired in 2007) Mica went ballistic last week, blaming freshmen Republicans standing firm on cuts for holding up the latest iteration of the bill.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (London), Andy Nativi (Genoa)
With a conflict under way in Libya that may last for months, two tactical trends are emerging. The action is being conducted primarily by U.S., French and British forces with specialties in ground interdiction, strategic strike, information warfare and electronic attack.
USAF Brig. Gen. Otis G. Mannon has been nominated for promotion to major general. He is special assistant to the commander of USAF Special Operations Command.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne says the first chance to rerun the second X-51 hypersonic demonstrator attempt could come this week, and adds the third flight test attempt is targeted for June. PWR also confirms the last-minute mechanical issue which prevented the March 24 attempt was not related to the scramjet engine.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Austin S. Miller, commander of Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan Operation Enduring Freedom, has been named director of operations for U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
Aviation Week awarded IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani with the L. Welch Pogue Award in a ceremony in Washington on March 29. Named in honor of L. Welch Pogue, who was instrumental in hammering out the Chicago Convention of 1944, the Pogue Award is given to a person Aviation Week senior editorial leadership considers a visionary in the field of aviation. Past winners include former American Airlines Chairman Robert Crandall; Alfred Kahn, the architect of U.S. airline deregulation; Lufthansa CEO Jurgen Weber; and Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher.
