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UPDATE 
Week ending November 25, 2001
+++ Future European combat system studies +++ Ryanair boosts German presence +++ Gripen lease to Hungary is safe +++ Upgraded Ariane 5 solid propellant booster test fired +++ Boeing/Rolls test new nacelles +++ News in brief +++

Future European combat system studies
Studien über künftige fliegende Waffensysteme

On November 19, six European nations announced that they would be working together on advanced technologies that will develop Europe's capabilities for combat air systems. Defense Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom signed a declaration on European future combat air systems today. Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram signed on behalf of the United Kingdom. The declaration launches a soundly-based and focused joint technology program with European industry which will sustain and develop European capabilities for combat air systems over the next two decades. The program is known as the European Technology Acquisition Program, or ETAP. Work will begin straight away in high priority areas relating to future combat air systems.
A joint study between the six nations, reporting in Summer 2002, will give an initial assessment of the military capabilities that the nations' armed forces will need around 2020. It will also identify the systems and technologies that might deliver those capabilities and those which would benefit most from joint development. In their declaration, Ministers called on European industry to continue to invest in this work alongside government, and to come up with innovative and co-operative solutions, in order to make the best use of valuable tax-payers' money.
UK Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said: "For the UK, the ETAP program will strengthen the work we have done with France over the past few years. We have a particular interest in work on uninhabited air vehicles, command and control systems and targeting technology, and in ensuring that new systems are affordable throughout their in-service life. We look forward to playing a key role in ETAP, as does UK industry, for whom the ETAP program provides opportunities for work at the cutting edge of technology."
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company welcomed the news that the Ministers of Defence of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK today have declared their intent to carry out a joint study aimed at providing an initial assessment of their respective future combat air system capability requirements in a 2020 timeframe. EADS, together with the other major European Aerospace Companies (Alenia Aerospazio-Finmeccanica, BAE SYSTEMS, Dassault Aviation and Saab) all recognise the long term capability needs, identified by the Governments, which will require systems and technologies to be developed and demonstrated jointly to maximise the effect of research and technology across Europe. As a result, they have expressed an intention to work together.

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Ryanair boosts German presence
Hubfunktion für Hahn

Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today confirmed that it had chosen Frankfurt (Hahn) Airport to be its second Continental European base. Starting in ten weeks time (14th Feb next) Ryanair will allocate up to four aircraft to its new base in Frankfurt Hahn, operating over 30 flights each day from Frankfurt on ten international routes to Milan, Pisa and Pescara in Italy, London, Glasgow and Bournemouth in the UK, Perpignan and Montpellier in France, Shannon in the West of Ireland and Oslo in Norway. This new Continental base will result in the creation of over 200 new jobs in Frankfurt Hahn, and will result in over 1,500,000 new passengers being carried through the airport by Ryanair in the first 12 months of this new base operation. These passengers will save over DM200,000,000 compared to the high fares currently being charged by Lufthansa, the high fares airline from Frankfurt Main.
As well as announcing details of its routes, Ryanair also revealed launch air fares at prices that have never before been seen in the German market. Ryanair's lowest one way fare will be at least 80% cheaper than the lowest one way fare currently offered by Lufthansa, the high fare German airline.
Announcing details of its second Continental European base in Frankfurt, Ryanair's Chief Executive, Michael O'Leary said: "Thanks to Ryanair and Frankfurt Hahn Airport, the era of Lufthansa's high fares monopoly in the German market is over. For many years visitors to Germany have had no choice other than to pay Lufthansa's high air fares, but this monopoly comes to an end on the 14th February next. German consumers (and potential visitors) will now have a choice of daily scheduled flights and guaranteed lowest air fares from Frankfurt to London, Bournemouth, Pisa, Milan, Pescara, Oslo, Glasgow, the West of Ireland and the South of France.

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Gripen lease to Hungary is safe
Leasingvertrag für Gripen unterzeichnet

Gripen International welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Hungarian Government and the Swedish Government, for the lease of 14 NATO-interoperable Gripen multi-role fighters, to meet the national, NATO and European defense needs of the Hungarian Air Force. Dr János Szabó, Hungarian Defence Minister and Björn von Sydow, Swedish Defence Minister signed the MoU at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. Hungary is the first Central European nation and first NATO member to select Gripen to meet its 21st century defense needs. Gripen International is supporting the Swedish government's lease of Gripen fighters with a program of industrial offset, which will deliver jobs and long-term industrial benefits across a number of business sectors. "Our offset negotiations have been very successful and we will sign an agreement linked to the Gripen lease by Hungary during December. This program will enable further economic growth for Hungary and substantial employment opportunities through industrial partnerships and export promotion", comments Ian McNamee, managing director Gripen International.
Under the government-to-government lease agreement 14 Gripen fighters will be delivered to Hungary in batches, beginning towards the end of 2004. The Hungarian Air Force Gripen squadron will become fully operational during 2005. The training of pilots and technicians will initially be carried out in Sweden. Saab in Linköping, on behalf of Gripen International, will carry out the conversion of the aircraft to meet the specific Hungarian requirements.

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Upgraded Ariane 5 solid propellant booster test fired
Neuer Booster für Ariane 5 im Test

An Ariane 5 solid propellant booster was successfully test fired November 20 as part of a program to increase the heavy-lift launcher's payload capability and reduce its production costs. The static test firing was made with a full-sized booster on a fixed test stand at the Guiana Space Center. It lasted for 125 seconds - the normal burn time for an Ariane 5 booster during flight. For an Ariane 5 mission, two solid boosters and a Vulcain cryogenic engine the launcher's thrust during its liftoff and initial ascent. The boosters are jettisoned after completing their burn, and Ariane 5 continues on the power of the Vulcain engine. Today's static test was performed in the framework of the Ariane 5 Research and Technology Accompaniment (ARTA) program. ARTA was created to verify that Ariane 5's reliability and qualification levels are maintained, to validate performance improvements, and qualify modifications resulting from obsolescence or changes in technology.
ARTA is a project of the European Space Agency, which delegates the program's technical and financial management to the CNES French space agency. This effort was started in 1995, and it was extended beyond 2002 in the decisions taken at this month's European ministerial space conference in Edinburgh. One purpose of today's static firing was to test a redesigned nozzle that will reduce the solid rocket booster's production costs. The new nozzle has been streamlined: it is composed of 13 elements instead of the 20 in the existing booster, and the hydraulic system that orients it during flight is simplified. With its qualification after today's test, the new nozzle will be used on all Ariane 5 launchers beginning in 2004. Arianespace financed the new nozzle's development.

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Boeing/Rolls test new nacelles
Lärmminderung mit Sägezahnverkleidung

Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Rolls-Royce Aero Engines have completed a noise reduction flight test program that promises to make quiet jets even quieter. Known as the Quiet Technology Demonstrator (QTD), a Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine was modified with a package of noise reduction technologies developed collaboratively by the two aerospace companies. Using a 777-200ER, the three week flight-test demonstrated noise levels significantly below those of a standard 777, which is known as one of the quietest airplanes in service today. Takeoff jet exhaust noise was reduced by up to four decibels and inlet fan noise was reduced by up to 13 decibels. Engineers used saw-tooth-shaped aerodynamic devices at the rear of the nacelle and on the exhaust nozzle to control the mixing of the hot jet exhaust, the bypass stream and the ambient air. The shape of the devices was determined by computational fluid dynamics modeling and verified in wind tunnel tests using scale models. Fan noise also was reduced with extensive acoustic improvements to the redesigned engine nacelle inlet. A new technology called Amax (area maximization) increased by 30 percent the area of acoustic treatment in the inlet casing. A new lining design was used that reduces objectionable "buzz saw" noise passengers often hear during takeoff and climb. The flight tests, conducted at Boeing's Glasgow, Mont., airfield, verified the computer and laboratory results. Some 200 microphones were placed on the ground along the flight path, and 100 microphones were affixed to the 777. Teamed with computers, the microphones became an "acoustic camera" that accurately and dynamically pinpointed high-frequency noise sources on the airplane as it took off, flew the flight test pattern and landed again. This ground noise monitoring capability was made possible by NASA sponsorship.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

Avolar, a subsidiary of Chicago-based UAL Corporation, and Airbus have reached agreement to offer fractional ownership of the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) to potential customers in North America, in a deal involving up to 15 aircraft. The deal is the first to be announced for the ACJ in North America. Joint ownership will allow customers - such as large companies with executive shuttle requirements, sports teams and individuals - to purchase in whole, or in part, an ACJ. It marks the first time that customers have been offered the chance to buy part of an ACJ. Separately, Airbus will continue to market the ACJ directly to customers in North America, which will have the option of Avolar managing, operating and maintaining the aircraft for them.
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Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) has successfully completed the first flight test of a UH-1 Huey helicopter equipped with a PT6C-67D engine. The event took place at Global Helicopter Technology, Inc.'s facility at Arlington Airport, Arlington, Texas. The flight test is part of an engine upgrade development program, which will be certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), targeting operators of UH-1 Huey helicopters announced by P&WC at HAI earlier this year. The upgrade program provides operators of UH-1 Huey helicopters with a simple and cost effective upgrade of their current engine to a modern PT6C-67D engine equipped with an Electronic Engine Control. "We are very excited about this program and believe it will provide tremendous benefits to UH-1 operators by combining two great legends - the UH-1 and the PT6 engine family - at an affordable price," said Eric Gizard, Vice President - Turboshaft Engines, P&WC. P&WC expects to obtain an Engine Type Certificate from Transport Canada for the new PT6C-67D engine in February 2002, and will later complete FAA certification. The engine and aircraft installation kit will become available in the second quarter of 2002.
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TURBOMECA is pleased to announce that the Arrius 2K1, now FAA certified, is available on the twin-engine helicopter Agusta A109 Power. The first A109 Power will be delivered to CJ Systems Aviation Group and operated by Life Star, in Erie, Pennsylvania with a second scheduled delivery to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Both helicopters will be used for EMS missions. The choice of Turbomeca's Arrius engines has been commented on by Cyndi Carter, Life Star Program Director: "We made a thorough evaluation of the engine options and decided that the Arrius 2K1 met our high standards of reliability, operating economics and environmental advantages that are essential for the continued success of our program. We are delighted to be the first civil operator worldwide to operate the Arrius 2K1 in the A109 Power ".
+++
Bombardier Aerospace announced the sale of three 50-passenger Bombardier Q300 turboprop airliners to Australia's Qantas Airways. The announcement includes a previously unannounced order for one Bombardier Q300 placed by Qantas in July, and a further order for two aircraft placed in November. Value of the three aircraft order is $61.4 million Cdn ($43.9 million U.S.). "We are delighted that Qantas has demonstrated a further commitment to our products with this order for Bombardier Q300 aircraft," said Steven A. Ridolfi, president, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. "We look forward to being a part of Qantas' prosperous future. "
+++
This year's IATA Corporate Air Travel Survey 2001 spans a period of rapid change in international corporate travel, from the deepening economic concerns of mid 2001 to the effects of the terrorist events of September 11th. Survey 2001, released today, covers business traveller opinions on a wide range of key issues influencing corporate travel decisions, including travel budgets and patterns, airline choice, alliances, aircraft types, the influence of new technology, entertainment & communications and the importance of Frequent Flyer Programmes. Over 1,000 regular long haul corporate travellers from Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific were personally interviewed. For this edition, a special 'post September 11th' supplementary survey was carried out with a sample of the same respondents, using the Internet. The pre-and post September 11th responses to questions relating to company travel budgets showed a significant shift in respondent opinions. However - respondents to the supplementary survey were optimistic about the rebound of the corporate travel market: 57 percent said they expected normality to return within 6 months; 26 percent expected a return in 12 months; 14 percent expected it would take 2 years or more; only 3 percent said business travel would never be the same.
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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems and TRW Space & Electronics a contract for up to $2.698 billion to begin the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of Advanced Extremely High Frequency (Advanced EHF) Program. The Advanced EHF Program is the next generation of global, highly secure, survivable communications system for Warfighters within all services of the Department of Defense. The SDD phase will deploy two Advanced EHF satellites and the Advanced EHF Mission Control Segment. Lockheed Martin is the Advanced EHF system prime contractor and will be providing the spacecraft bus and Mission Control Segment. TRW will be the payload integrator and will develop the payload processors, nulling antennas, the crosslink, RF antenna equipment, and up-link phased array.
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British European, UK's largest independent scheduled airline, has taken delivery of its first 78-seat Bombardier Q400 high-speed airliner, one of four on order, from Bombardier Aerospace. The airline will be the first in the country to operate the Bombardier Q400 when it puts the aircraft into revenue service in December. The four Bombardier Q400 aircraft were among a firm order for 15 Bombardier Aerospace regional aircraft products placed by British European on March 17, 1999. The order also included three 37-seat Bombardier Q200, four 50-seat Q300 turboprops and four 50-seat CRJ200* Series regional jets, all of which have been delivered.
+++
"Our industry could do with some good news after the past two very difficult months," said IATA Director General & CEO Pierre J. Jeanniot, welcoming the UK government decision to go ahead with the new Terminal 5 facility at Heathrow. "Heathrow remains a major world airport for international air transfers - but it has suffered an acute terminal capacity shortage for many years. When it opens for business in 2007, Terminal 5 will give it some margin of capacity and the UK some chance of remaining among the lead nations in European civil aviation." The Director General concluded, "Facilities such as Terminal 5 are going to be needed at several locations, in Europe and elsewhere in the world. But for an industry with a historical growth rate of 5-7 percent a year, we must ensure that such facilities do not take 14 years from planning permission application to their first opening!" "Nevertheless, the Terminal 5 decision serves as a reminder that civil aviation is and will continue to be a success story - for the UK, for Europe, for the world."
+++
Thales is delighted to announce that the UK Ministry of Defense has awarded it for Assessment Phase studies for the future aircraft carrier (CVF). This contract worth #25 million (excl. VAT), will last for 12 months until the Ministry of Defense chooses its contractor, from the two competing consortia. The Thales team will provide substantial details of its design solution to meet the operational and through-life support requirements for this joint defense asset.
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BAE Systems welcomes the award of a #25 million contract for the next stage of the UK's Future Carrier Programme. This new stage will run for one year to November 2002 and should mark the end of the competitive phase. Subject to the necessary progress being made, the Ministry of Defence will then downselect to a preferred supplier. John Weston, BAE Systems Chief Executive said: "We are delighted that the Future Carrier team has been awarded this contract. The two new carriers will be the Royal Navy's flagships, a key component of the UK's future military capability. This is an important piece of business for us and we will strive to be the selected Prime Contractor for the supply of these highly capable and versatile ships. We believe that we bring great added value to this programme, through the expertise we have developed as Prime Contractor and Systems Integrator on other major programmes, both naval and air."
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Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aero), the aerospace arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engg); and Boeing delivered their first production Boeing 757 Special Freighter (SF) to DHL Worldwide Express, on 5 November 2001 from ST Aero's facility, ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering Inc (MAE) in Mobile, Alabama, USA. The aircraft is the first of 17 aircraft to be converted by ST Aero under the design, development and conversion programme that MAE undertook with Boeing. Currently, five aircraft are undergoing various phases of conversion at MAE. The conversion involves removal of the passenger furnishings, installation of a side cargo door, strengthening of the main deck floor structures, and installation of a new cargo handling system.
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Eurofighter DA4, one of the two development aircraft based at BAE Systems Warton, has recently re-entered the flight test programme following an extensive period on lay-up. During the lay-up the aircraft underwent significant upgrades to the Avionics and Power generation systems, as well as completing the first phase of the Defensive Aids Sub System (DASS) ground trials in the Electronic Warfare test facility at the Warton facility. The trial was a great success and was a major risk reduction activity for the standard of aircraft beyond Initial Operational Clearance. DA4's first flight back in the programme concentrated on 'shaking down' all the major systems of the aircraft, with particular emphasis on the engines, radar, Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) integration and Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS).
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Northrop Grumman Corporation's first Increased Capability III EA-6B Prowler aircraft logged a successful 1-hour, 45-minute first flight on Nov. 16. The aircraft is one of two prototypes being modified here by Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector under an approximately $200 million development program for the U.S. Navy's ICAP III evaluation. Engineering was done in Bethpage, N.Y. "Prowlers will be serving the nation through 2015 and the aircraft to follow it will fly for decades. They all will have ICAP III as their electronic attack weapon," said Philip A. Teel, sector vice president, Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare (AEW&EW) Systems. "The U.S. Navy has worked long and hard with us to bring this complex system to this point. We are proud of what we have accomplished."
+++
During its initial ground tests, a GE90 engine achieved unprecedented power for a jet engine, reaching 120,316 pounds of thrust. The record-setting thrust level was established on November 19 during tests of a GE90-115B development engine at GE Aircraft Engines' outdoor test complex near Peebles, Ohio. The engine reached 120,316 pounds of thrust and then ran at a steady state of 117,446 pounds of thrust. During the first phase of ground tests this fall, the engine is targeted to complete 150 hours of testing to measure thrust, performance, cross-wind capability, and fan blade stress levels. "We first put the engine to test on Friday (16th), set a new thrust record on Sunday, and broke it again on Monday," said Chaker Chahrour, general manager, GE90 Project Department. "This achievement is a testimony to the effectiveness of GE Aircraft Engines' new engine development team and its methodology." The GE90-115B, the world's most powerful turbofan engine, is the exclusive powerplant for Boeing's longer-range 777-300ER and -200LR twinjets.
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In January 2003 the Astrium-built European spacecraft Rosetta is to set off in search of pristine matter. It will be launched on its long flight to the comet "Wirtanen" by the European launch vehicle Ariane 5. For approximately one year, it will orbit this comet at a distance of one kilometre and study it in detail. At the same time, a probe will land on the comet's surface, in order to perform surface investigations and analysis. The lander has now been completed by the German Aerospace Center, (DLR) and delivered to the European Space Agency, ESA. As the prime industrial contractor, Astrium is currently putting this challenging project for ESA into action. N ot only the lander, but also the satellite is already completed. As the probe begins its journey from Turin to ESA's Technical Centre ESTEC in Noordwijk, Holland, the lander is setting off on its journey from Ottobrunn, where it has completed a first series of tests at IABG. The probe and lander will be coupled at ESTEC and will be submitted to an extensive testing programme, during which the launch conditions and those in space will be simulated. This phase of inspection will last until the middle of the following year. Astrium is also involved with Roland: the company is providing support for the systems engineering, quality control and testing and for the sophisticated landing arms.
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For the first time, a data link between satellites was established using a laser beam as signal carrier. On board ESA's Artemis satellite - launched last July by an Ariane 5 - is the SILEX system. This system provides an optical data transmission link with the CNES Earth observation satellite SPOT 4, which is orbiting the earth at an altitude of 832 km while Artemis is temporarily in a parking orbit at 31 000 km. Through the laser data link, images taken by SPOT 4 can be transmitted in real time to the image processing centre at Spot Image in Toulouse, France, via Artemis, thus drastically reducing the time between taking the picture and its delivery to the centre. This is possible whenever the two satellites are in line of sight. Without the Artemis relay the images are stored on board in SPOT 4's memory and dumped to the ground stations. The experiment consisted in establishing the link four times: in the course of four successive SPOT 4 orbits, the SILEX terminal on board Artemis activated its optical beacon to scan the area where SPOT was expected to be. When contact was made, SPOT 4 responded by sending its own laser beam to Artemis. On receiving the SPOT 4 beam, Artemis stopped scanning and the optical link was maintained for a pre-programmed period lasting from 4 to 20 minutes. During the period when the two satellites were "communicating", test data were transmitted from SPOT 4 to the ground via Artemis at a rate of 50 000 000 bits per second (50 Mbps). The extremely high accuracy of the data stream was confirmed at ESA's test station in Redu (Belgium) and the SPOT 4 receive station in Toulouse.
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Previous updates are still available:
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*November 18, 2001 *November 11, 2001 *November 4, 2001

*October 28, 2001 *October 21, 2001 *October 14, 2001 *October 7, 2001

*January - September 2001

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