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Week ending December 16, 2001

Czech select Gripen
Saab Gripen für Tschechien

The Government of the Czech Republic has announced the selection of 24 Saab-BAE SYSTEMS Gripen supersonic, multi-role fighters to replace its fleet of MiG-21 fighters and provide the country's national defense and NATO needs for the next 30 - 40 years. Subject to the successful conclusion of contract negotiations, which begin immediately, the first Czech Air Force Gripen squadron will be operational by end 2005. Gripen for the Czech Republic will be fully NATO compatible and interoperable. It will support all NATO priorities for standardization of doctrines and procedures, including NATO standard datalink communications plus an air-to-air refueling system. Welcoming the Czech government's decision, Julian Scopes, regional managing director Europe with Gripen partner BAE SYSTEMS said: "We have worked hard to provide the Czech Republic with a highly capable and affordable solution to meet its 21st century defense needs and I am delighted by today's announcement. We recognize a period of negotiations on complex issues lies ahead, but believe that this will lead to a successful solution for all concerned.
Gripen partners Saab and BAE SYSTEMS, through their jointly owned company Gripen International, will support the procurement of Gripen with a program of industrial offset amounting to 150 % of the contract value, delivered over a 10 year period. Offset amounting to half of the contract value will be committed within two years of contract effectivity. The Czech government will be provided with financing for 100 % of the payments due under the aircraft supply contract, with repayments spread over at least 15 budget years from date of contract signature. Delivered through a consortium of Czech and international banking partners and underpinned by the government export credit agencies of both Sweden and the United Kingdom, the Gripen financing package provides the Czech government with 100 % protection against unplanned foreign exchange risks.

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Galileo GPS lacks support
Keine Unterstützung für Galileo

The EU Transport Council met in Brussels on 7th December 2001. The delegations' inability to agree on the discussion of several aspects of Galileo, which illustrated profound disagreements within the Council, made any progress on the issue impossible, despite looming deadlines on which the success of this project is predicated. This failure overshadowed the many agreements on the agenda, on which the Council reached significant agreements. Specifically on Galileo, no progress was recorded on this highly important project. Six governments requested additional time in which to study and evaluate the report by consultant Price Waterhouse, and proposed that the Council re-visit the issue at its meeting in March 2002. This disagreement extended to the discussion on the legal status of the joint venture company. The Commission profoundly regrets this situation, which endangers the Galileo project, whose success depends on respecting its ambitious schedule.
The Commission called on governments not to unduly postpone this project, and insisted that a decision on the financial and legal aspects be taken in December. Considering that technical questions have been amply discussed and resolved, the Commission stressed that the decision is above all a political one, and proposed that it be submitted to the European Council in Laeken. European Commissioner Loyola de Palacio profoundly regretted this delay: "Europe must decide whether it wants only to be a consumer of applications developed alsewhere, or whether it wants to be an actor in its development. This project will ensure an unmatched return on investment in terms of infrastructure, with total profits estimated at 17.8 billion euros for a total cost, including operation of the system, of only 3.9 billion euros," she said. "In the absence of a fast agreement on its development, the Galileo project will go up in smoke," whe added.

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"Project Phoenix" on track, says Crossair
Crossair zuversichtlich

Project Phoenix is well on course to reach its objectives: bookings on Crossair and (especially) Swissair for the winter timetable period are above budgeted expectations. The next step in this ambitious undertaking is Crossair's capital increase: the corresponding share issue prospectus was issued this week. All airlines around the world have seen a sharp decline in their seat load factors since the tragic events of September 11. Switzerland was hit particularly hard, as a result of the subsequent grounding of the Swissair fleet on October 2. But the situation has improved substantially since then. Swissair posted a load factor of 45.6 per cent for its European network last week, compared to a budgeted expectation of 40.0 per cent. The recovery has been even more marked for Swissair's intercontinental lights: these services reported a load factor of 62.6 per cent last week, far exceeding the budgeted 38.0 per cent. Advance bookings for December were even higher at 79 per cent.
Crossair's load factor amounted to 44.3 per cent last week for its European flights (a further improvement on the 43.6 per cent of the previous seven days). On a less favourable note, load factors on "wet lease" services - former Swissair flights now performed by Crossair under its own name - declined to 42.6 per cent from the 46.0 per cent of the previous week. This result can be attributed primarily to the accident of November 24, but also to the fact that Swissair was a more prominent and better-known brand in the markets concerned. Crossair has already initiated steps in the light of these developments to raise familiarity with and confidence in its own name and brand. The share issue prospectus for the planned increase in Crossair's share capital is a document which is required by law for any share issue or capital increase by a publicly-quoted company. The document is based on detailed assumptions which are themselves predicated on the "26/26" model, under which Crossair will assimilate 26 medium-haul and 26 long-haul aircraft from Swissair.

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X-38 completes challenging flight
Neuer Flugtest für die X-38

The X-38 prototype crew rescue vehicle successfully completed its highest, fastest and longest flight to date at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., a test flight that intersected some of the most critical conditions such a craft would experience when returning from space. "The X-38 tests involve innovative technologies that will be useful for many future human spacecraft as well as a crew rescue vehicle," said X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) Program Manager John Muratore. "Although the production of the crew rescue vehicle for the station is deferred, we are continuing to test and mature these technologies to reduce the technical and cost risk of a future CRV production
program."
The landing test, the eighth large-scale flight test for the program, began with the release of the X-38 from NASA's B-52 aircraft at an altitude of 45,000 feet, more than a mile higher any previous test. During the test, the X-38 reached transonic speeds, velocities at the fringes of the sound barrier, as it flew free of the aircraft for almost a minute, descending three miles before its drogue parachute was deployed. The drogue parachute slowed the vehicle from over 500 miles per hour, to about 60 miles an hour, setting the stage for deployment of the 7,500-square-foot-parafoil wing. The X-38's parafoil is the largest parafoil ever built with a surface area more than one and a half times that of the wings of a 747 jumbo jet.

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Business jet deliveries to decline
Leichter Rückgang bei den Geschäftsreisejets prognostiziert

Honeywell announced that it is forecasting a slight reduction in deliveries for business aircraft in 2002 but that backlogs for business aviation remain at pre September 11 levels with more than 2700 aircraft on order. Honeywell's revised forecast, reflecting modified economic data, post September 11, foresees slower growth in business aviation and slightly lower deliveries in the near term but delivery rates recovering to record levels in the years 2003/2004. Honeywell's forecast calls for deliveries of 8,400 business aircraft over the next ten years, valued at $130 Billion. "The demand for business aviation has held up remarkably well, given the rapidly deteriorating post September 11 economic climate as businesses worldwide recognize the need for improved levels of productivity offered by business aviation aircraft," said Bob Johnson, President, Honeywell Aerospace. "The continued strength of order backlogs, the introduction of new jet models, the exposure of new customers to either ch
arter or fractional aircraft benefits are key factors in the stability and continued strong future of this business," Johnson said. "Businesses worldwide continue to recognize the value of business aircraft in providing on demand point to point transportation as a productivity tool." Immediately after September 11, demand for air charters increased dramatically and are 30% to 200% above pre September levels, based on an independent survey. Fractional operators also experienced an immediate increase in business and are continuing to hire pilots at nearly double the rate experienced in 1999.

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The 100th Boeing Delta II launches with success
Delta II absolviert 100. Start

Boeing marked a page in history by successfully completing the 100th Delta II mission to deploy NASA's Jason-1 and TIMED satellites into polar orbits. The Boeing Delta II roared into the sky at 7:07 a.m. PST from Space Launch Complex 2W, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Less than an hour after launch, the Boeing Delta II deployed Jason-1 on a mission to monitor global ocean circulation, study the link between the oceans and atmosphere, improve global climate predictions and monitor events such as El Nino, Approximately two hours into flight, the Delta II placed TIMED, the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics spacecraft, into orbit and paved the way for a mission to explore the least understood region of the Earth's atmosphere, the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere/Ionosphere. This mission will help scientists better understand this atmospheric region's effects on a number of areas including communications, satellite tracking and spacecraft lifetimes.

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Avolar in business jet buying spree
Großeinkauf von Avolar

Avolar, the business aviation subsidiary of UAL Corporation, has signed a Letter of Intent with Bombardier Aerospace to purchase up to fifty-seven Learjet 45 and Learjet 60 aircraft, both companies announced jointly at the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention in New Orleans. Total potential value of the transaction is approximately $632 million. Deliveries will begin in mid-2002 and continue through 2006. All Avolar aircraft will be JAROPS 1 and FAR Part 135 certified, and outfitted to the same high-quality Avolar interior and exterior specifications as the company's Falcon and Gulfstream fleets.
Avolar also signed a Letter of Intent with Raytheon Aircraft for 15 Beechjet 400A business jets plus an option for 10 more. Total value of the transaction will be approximately $150 million. Deliveries are expected to begin in mid-2002 and continue through 2006. Avolar is a subsidiary of UAL Corporation that operates the premier fractional business aircraft ownership program. The company has ordered 306 new aircraft to date, for delivery running through 2009, including the Gulfstream 200, IV-SP, V and V-SP; the Falcon 50EX, 2000, 2000EX and 900EX; the Beechjet 400A; and, the Bombardier Learjet 45 and Learjet 60 aircraft. The company also launched a marketing partnership with Airbus Industries to place up to 15 Airbus Corporate Jets in North America.

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Astrium delivers VEB For Ariane 5
Neues Bauteil für Ariane 5 geliefert

Astrium has delivered the first qualification model of the new vehicle equipment bay (VEB) for the Ariane 5 heavy launcher with the new ECA cryogenic upper stage, scheduled to make its first flight in mid-2002. The new VEB was developed for the Ariane 5 Plus launcher upgrade program, led by French space agency CNES on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). The VEB will be shipped to the launch site at Kourou, French Guiana, for integration on the fuelling model, which is designed to validate, right at the launch pad, the chilldown and liquid oxygen and hydrogen fuelling operations for the new ESC-A stage developed by Astrium at Bremen, Germany. Validation tests will provide a consolidated analysis of all thermal, mechanical and electrical characteristics of the new launcher stages. At the same time, the new VEB will be undergoing a series of qualification tests in Toulouse to test its reactions to the different conditions it will face during the mission: acoustic vibration, thermal a
nd radiation, separation shocks. Once qualified, the ECA equipment bay will be produced in volume as part of the P2 production batch for Ariane 5 launchers.
Meanwhile, Astrium has announced it places its faith in Ottobrunn as a site for space activities. Europe's largest space company is investing a total of EUR 20 million in a new production center for launcher engines. Astrium announced this at the ceremonious laying of the foundation stone for the "Ariane Center" on Thursday. The Bavarian Minister of Economics and Technology, Otto Wiesheu, laid the foundation stone for an ambitious construction project. From autumn 2002 onwards, in an area covering 10,000 square metros a total of 160 highly qualified engineers and skilled workers will build engines for Ariane, the most successful launcher in the world for the commercial transport of satellites. "With the Ariane Center we are actively shaping the future of the space activities site Ottobrunn," stated Axel Deich, Director Propulsion at Astrium's Space Infrastructure Division and 'builder-owner' of the Ariane Center. "Through the concentration of our production activities under one roof, we will optimize our production sequences. This gives us competitive advantages in production times and costs - an important prerequisite for defending Ariane's leading position in the market. An investment which will pay off very soon."
The thrust chamber systems for Ariane 5 will be manufactured at the Ariane Center in the future. The thrust chamber forms the core of every rocket engine. The most powerful Astrium product, the thrust chamber for the main engine of Ariane 5 - Vulcan 2 - can deliver a thrust of 135 tons, which corresponds to four million hp. For Vulcan 2 production alone, the processing times can be reduced by more than 30 percent thanks to the combining of the core production activities in the Ariane Center and the introduction of new manufacturing methods. To take the example of high-performance cutting: the technology program, under the support of the Bavarian Research Foundation and leadership of Astrium, allows high-tech components such as rocket combustion chambers or satellite antennas to be processed up to ten times more quickly. The project has a volume of EUR 4 million, of which Astrium receives roughly EUR 1.2 million in grants from the Bavarian Research Foundation, while the remaining Euro 2.8 million comes from the company's own funds.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

LR-TRIGAT (Long Range), the first "Fire-and-Forget" type anti-tank missile system developed in Europe to equip the Tiger helicopter, performed successfully, on December 5, 2001, the last of the ten guided firings required for its helicopter qualification trial campaign. Nine successes were recorded out of these ten firings, which were carried out in increasingly difficult scenarios. These helicopter firings were carried out at the Captieux (South-Western France) firing range, one of the test centres operated by the DGA. Several other of the DGA's test centres have been used for these trials, which were carried out by an integrated team, comprising both industry representatives and DGA staff. Every LR-TRIGAT subassembly has now been qualified. Qualification of the LR-TRIGAT missile and the helicopter-borne firing post is due to take place during the course of 2002.
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On December 7 2001, Major General Lars Fynbo, Head of the Royal Danish Air Force's Materiel Command signed a formal contract with Giacomo Saponaro, Managing Director of EH Industries Ltd, an AgustaWestland company, for the purchase of 14 multi-role EH101 helicopters which had been previously selected in September 2001. The contract signature was witnessed by Bjarke Heiberg-Iurgensen, Assistant Chief of Staff (Purchasing) together with Alan Johnston, Managing Director of Westland Helicopters Ltd. The ceremony was a successful conclusion to contract negotiations, which defined the specifications for the aircraft's configuration and associated support package. In September 2001, Denmark announced the selection of the multi-role EH101 to meet its search and rescue and troop transport requirements following a straight competition with the Sikorsky S-92 and NH Industries NH90 to replace its long-serving fleet of Sikorsky S-61s. An important ingredient in the contract obligation is the level of benefits to Danish industry through industrial co-operation. In October 2000, EH Industries signed Teaming Agreements with TERMA A/S and Danish Aerotech A/S to collaborate and further develop their existing business relationships. As part of its commitment to Danish industry, AgustaWestland has already placed a number of contracts with Danish industry for the supply of a range of EH101 components including avionic floors and a recently placed contract for EH101 roof structure manufacture.
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The terrorist attacks of 11th September 2001 triggered a chain of circumstances that are, and will have, a great effect on aerospace. At a joint Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) conference today on the effects of 11th September, job losses of 40,000 were predicted. Keith Hayward, Head of Economic & Political Affairs at SBAC, said: "To date, 11,000 job losses have been announced in the UK's prime manufacturers and first tier of suppliers with up to 40,000 in the extended supply chain. This is equivalent to approximately 10& of the total UK workforce. "There are more job losses to come, estimated to total in the region of 100,000. SBAC research indicates that, generally, for every one job lost in a prime manufacturer another three are lost in the supply chain." On the future of the UK Aerospace Industry, David Marshall, Director General of SBAC, said: "A partnership between the manufacturers, operators, unions and UK Government is essential to help the UK Aerospace Industry get through the current crisis.
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Kaman Corp.announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Plastic Fabricating Company, Inc. ("PlasticFab"), a Wichita, Kansas manufacturer of composite parts and assemblies for aerospace applications. PlasticFab, a privately held company with estimated sales this year in excess of $14 million, is currently owned by HIG Capital LLC, a private equity investment firm based in Miami, Florida.
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EADS Launch Vehicles has carried out two successful validation tests of critical components of the planned full-scale M51 model, which will be used to validate the launch phase for this ballistic missile. M51 missiles will be deployed on submarines operated by France's nuclear deterrent force. Marking a major milestone in the M51 program, the tests were performed on November 15 and 28 in the Port of Marseille. The planned instrumented full-scale model, dubbed "Jonas", will be dedicated to M51 cold launch studies. It will test the underwater launch of the missile (ejection, hydrodynamic effects) and the resistance of the afterbody to the ejection, and also check interfaces with the submarine. At the end of 2002, EADS Launch Vehicles will carry out a new series of tests, based on this model, to validate all missile launch operations.
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Fairchild Dornier has produced and delivered its 10,000th component for the Airbus family of aircraft. Since 1980, Fairchild Dornier has been under contract with Airbus for the production of pressure bulkheads, flaps and fuselage structures. These subassemblies are on more than 2,500 Airbus aircraft. The most recent contract, signed in May 2001, continues component production until the end of 2006 and includes another 1,693 subassemblies. This latest contract has a potential value of $230 million. All work is done at Fairchild Dornier's Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany production facility. "Production of Airbus components is an important business for Fairchild Dornier," says Thomas Brandt, executive vice president and member of the board of management. "We've proven our technological competence and our capability as a competitive, quality-conscious manufacturer." Joachim Tannenberger, responsible for Airbus component production, adds, "With production of these Airbus subassemblies, we've built an advanced manufacturing capability in terms of both methods and techniques. This broad experience has also benefited other programs such as fuselage production of the new 728JET."
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The EU Commission has decided to give the go-ahead to the French scheme consisting in the granting of a repayable advance of EUR 120 million to SNECMA for its participation in the development of two new civil aircraft engines: the GE90-115 and the GP7000. Both programs are particularly ambitious as they will have to meet a whole raft of new regulatory and technical requirements relating, among other things, to pollution control, fuel consumption and noise limitation, while maintaining a reasonable overall size and guaranteeing a high degree of safety. The Commission has vetted the scheme in the light of the Community framework for state aid for research and development. SNECMA will repay the advance to the French Government if the programs are successful, in the form of a tax on the delivery of engines and a tax on maintenance activities.
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Vietnam Airlines signed an agreement with Boeing for its first-ever purchase of Boeing airplanes four 777-200ER (extended range) jetliners. This signing is the first business transaction to be finalized between companies in Vietnam and the United States under the historical Bilateral Trade Agreement ratified by the two countries. The purchase by Vietnam Airlines was concluded at the Department of Commerce in the presence of Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans. Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung led the Vietnamese delegation. Alan Mulally, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, headed a delegation from Boeing. The order is worth approximately $680 million at list prices. The first 777-200ER will be delivered and introduced to Vietnam Airlines' passengers in 2003. When delivered, the new 777 jetliner will join one of the youngest airplane fleets in the world.
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On November 27, 2001, Snecma Services signed a contract with Germany's second largest scheduled airline Deutsche BA for the maintenance of its CFM56-3 turbofan engines. Taking a partnership approach, this contract covers maintenance and support services for the airline's fleet of engines. It includes technical monitoring, as well as joint development of a servicing schedule. The contract is worth more than $20 million over the next 18 to 24 months. Since 1996, Deutsche BA has regularly called on Snecma Services for engine repair, and occasional on-wing maintenance. Snecma Services' proactive commitment to developing a maintenance schedule for these engines generated cost reductions. Both companies are very pleased with this fruitful partnership.
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FiatAvio awarded a contract to Unison Industries to develop and manufacture wiring harnesses for the Italian military's NH90 helicopters. Total revenue for the Unison contract is expected to exceed $3 million. Unison officials were in meetings today and unavailable for comment. The contract includes four Unison harnesses per engine set. The harnesses connect the electronic engine control with various sensors, switches, and the ignition system. The wiring harnesses will be designed at Unison's Fort Worth facility and manufactured at its facility in Saltillo, Mexico. The NH90 helicopter is a twin-engine, multi-role tactical transport and naval helicopter. The Italian military will take delivery of the helicopters in 2004.
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Rolls-Royce has completed certification testing of the latest variant of the class-leading Model 250 turboshaft engine family, the Model 250-C30R/3M, which has been developed to meet the specific requirements of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The engine will be retrofitted to SOCOM's fleet of MD Helicopter Inc. (MDHI) AH-6 and MH-6 multirole light helicopters. The new model is a commercially certified derivative of the 650shp Model 250-C30R/3 engine series and uses the durable C30R/3 common core and a FADEC control system tailored to the airframe. More than 2,500 Model 250-C30 series turboshafts have been produced to date, accumulating over 11 million hours in service. A member of the Model 250 Series IV family of engines, the -C30 range shares a number of common features with the Model 250-C40 and -C47 turboshafts, which equip the best- selling Bell 407, Bell 430 and MDHI MD 600N. The ubiquitous Model 250 family of engines serves with 125 armed forces in 90 countries
around the world.
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Four U.S. Navy TRIDENT I C4 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Missiles & Space Operations, Sunnyvale, Calif., were successfully test fired from the USS OHIO (SSBN 726) in a launch operation conducted on the Atlantic test range east of Cape Canaveral off the Florida coast. The missile flight tests were the latest in an ongoing series of operational evaluation tests (OT-III) conducted by the U.S. Navy over the past four decades to monitor the safety, reliability, readiness and performance of the TRIDENT I C4 Strategic Weapon System (SWS). The TRIDENT I C4 Strategic Weapon System will be retired from strategic service in 2005 in favor of the more modern, accurate and supportable TRIDENT II D5 missile system, which is currently deployed in the Atlantic fleet. The four missiles represented the 218th through 221st test firings of the TRIDENT I C4 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM).
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NASA Associate Administrator Frederick D. Gregory, an astronaut and the senior executive currently responsible for the safety and reliability of all agency programs, has been named Acting Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight. Gregory, 60, is Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He will replace Joseph H. Rothenberg, who retires Dec. 15.
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Goodrich Corporation announced that it is working with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. to add a Goodrich steel brake to the PC-12 aircraft's type certificate. This newly designed steel brake, combined with Goodrich's existing carbon brake product line, will expand the company's product portfolio for the PC-12 program. The new steel brake design incorporates recent developments in brake technology and will be available in early 2002 for aircraft retrofits. Furthermore, the steel brake will be fitted as basic equipment on new production aircraft deliveries starting in 2002 with the existing carbon brake also offered as an option.
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The third aircraft in Bombardier Aerospace's Continental program successfully completed its first flight, on schedule, continuing the program's impressive pace for flight testing in the super midsize business jet category. Aircraft s/n 20003 - took off from Bombardier Learjet facilities at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport at 2:08 PM CDT and returned at 4:01 PM. During the course of its 1-hour and 53-minute flight, it reached an altitude of 16,500 feet (5,029 m) and a speed of 280 knots (322 mph; 519 km/h). The weather was clear with unlimited visibility and light winds from the northwest at 8-10 knots (9-12 mph; 15-19 km/h). Bombardier test pilot Frank Magnusson and co-pilot Doug May reported that the aircraft performed as expected.
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Boeing has received a $37.6 million contract to enhance the flight deck of NATO's fleet of 17 E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. Under the contract, the fleet's flight deck systems will be upgraded to meet near-term European civil air requirements for reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM). RVSM will allow the E-3s to operate in areas where the air traffic control vertical separation requirements have been reduced to handle increased air traffic. Additionally, the AWACS aircraft will be outfitted with an Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS). ACAS works with the aircraft's Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder to detect other aircraft within ACAS protected airspace. If an aircraft comes too close, the system sounds an alert and provides a message (climb or descend) to the AWACS flight crew to avoid a collision. The upgrades are expected to be completed in 2003-2005. As prime contractor, Boeing will be responsible for the engineering design, hardware kit build, system integration, analysis, and certification support. Rockwell Collins will provide the ACAS computer, antenna system, and integrated vertical speed/ACAS cockpit display. European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) will provide an upgraded IFF transponder, Honeywell Corp. will upgrade the air data computers, and Innovative Solutions and Support will provide the RVSM altitude alerter. Installation, checkout, and flight-testing will be done by EADS at its facility in Manching, Germany.
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Boeing and the U.S. Air Force celebrated the opening of the first F-22 maintenance training facility Nov. 29 with a ribbon-cutting and site dedication ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.Boeing, teamed with Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney to design and build the F-22 Raptor for the Air Force, has lead responsibility for the aft fuselage, avionics integration and the overall F-22 training system for pilots and maintenance personnel.Nellis Air Force Base's Detachment 13, of the Air Education and Training Command's 372nd Training Squadron, is the first F-22 training facility.
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The fleet of 12 new generation C-130J Hercules aircraft were formally accepted into operational service by the Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Angus Houston, at a ceremony today at RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales. Prior to the Air Force's acceptance of the fleet into service, the Defence Materiel Organisation's Head of Aerospace Systems Division, Air Vice-Marshal Ray Conroy, formally accepted the C-130J in its final contracted configuration from the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
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Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has started operation of its first A321. It is the first of twelve ordered Airbus A321 single-aisle aircraft. With the start of this operation, SAS becomes a new operator of the market leading Airbus A320-Family. As SAS' A321s are named after Scandinavian Vikings, the first aircraft in service was christened "Arne Viking". The Scandinavian carrier, which jointly serves the markets of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, will use its A321s for Scandinavian trunk routes, such as between Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo and for destination to major European capitals. The A321s for SAS are equipped with V2500 engines from International Aero Engines.
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Boeing announced that it intends to keep its rotorcraft facility in Philadelphia open but will reduce the size of the facility and its workforce. "As previously announced in January 2001, our workforce will be about 5,000 at the end of this year," said Roger Krone, vice president and general manager of U.S. Army programs, which is based in Ridley Township. "Additional reductions of between 1,000 and 1,500 jobs are necessary because our business has continued to decline. We will have a workforce of 3,500 to 4,000 by mid-2004."
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Honeywell announced that it has delivered the first Falcon 50 equipped with its TFE731-40 engine retrofit to Anheuser-Busch. "The TFE731-40 engine retrofit will give Anheuser-Busch's Falcon 50 faster time-to-climb and cruise speeds, improved engine reliability, durability and reduced cost of ownership," said Jim Bonadio, Program Director, Honeywell Engines, Systems & Services. "With our TFE731-40 engines on the Falcon 50, operators who fly the North Atlantic track will be able to reach their cruising altitudes in under 23 minutes, eliminating step-climb requirements and maximizing fuel endurance for enhanced aircraft mission performance." Operators of TFE731-40 retrofitted Falcon 50 aircraft can climb to 41,000 feet in approximately 16 minutes less than the present F50 climb performance of 39 minutes to 39,000 feet. At altitude, TFE731-40 engines may deliver as much as a 24 per cent increase in cruise thrust over TFE731-3 engines and nearly a 10% reduction in TSFC.
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The crews of Endeavour and the International Space Station continued packing the Italian-built Raffaello cargo module and the shuttle for the trip home as the new station crew began to settle in aboard the complex for a five and a half-month stay. The crew has already unloaded almost three tons of station food, clothes, experiments and other gear that was launched aboard Endeavour and Raffaello. Early today, the crews had also completed more than 70 percent of the repacking of Raffaello for the trip home, loading the cargo module with trash and gear from the offgoing station crew's mission such as individualized Soyuz space suits and seat liners. The 10 astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the shuttle-station complex gathered this afternoon in the station's Destiny Laboratory for a formal change of command ceremony as Expedition Three ends and Expedition Four begins. The new crew officially took over duties aboard the station on Saturday. Expedition Three -- Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin -- spent 117 days as the station crew. Expedition Four -- Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineers Dan Bursch and Carl Walz -- will remain aboard the complex until May 2002.
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In the meeting of the Supervisory Board of Austrian Airlines AG held today, Wednesday 12 December 2001, the budget for 2002 was approved. The company is striving to achieve a marginal positive result on an operating level (EBIT) for 2002. Furthermore, the business plan, which reflects the expected development of the Austrian Airlines Group over the coming years up to and including 2005, was presented to the Supervisory Board. It was confirmed that the events of September 11 are continuing to have extremely negative repercussions on international air traffic as a whole. The Association of European Airlines or AEA, which represents the most important airlines in Europe, reported falls in demand ranging from 34% on North Atlantic routes, to 18% in Asia and 11% within Europe. This slump in demand has forced all airlines, including those outside Europe, to make swingeing cutbacks in capacity. While it is probably too early as yet to describe this as a full-blown change in trend, the passenger trend for the Austrian Airlines Group in November was in fact relatively encouraging, having only fallen by around 1 % against the previous year. The decline in passenger volume is the result of the cutback in production due to the active capacity management employed by management in the effort to keep the load factor stable. Despite the chaotic situation, air travel continues to be a growth industry in the medium- to long-term, although experts believe it has lost some two years of that growth due to recent events. It is expected that the industry will experience a return to its growth trend from mid-2002 at the earliest. It should also be noted that growth in the air traffic industry is generally well above that of the economy as a whole, and that stronger growth is expected in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Imagine ejecting from an out- of-control aircraft in the middle of the night over the Indian Ocean. The four-man crew of a 20th Bomb Wing B-1B Lancer did just that and were rescued through the efforts of service members in the air and on the water. Air Force Capt. William Steele, mission commander, said his aircraft had multiple malfunctions. "We found the aircraft was out of control and we had to eject," Steele said in a 4:15 p.m. (EST) phone interview from aboard the destroyer USS Russell. The crew suffered minor injuries in the incident. "Going through an ejection like that was about the most violent thing I've ever felt," he said. "We're all pretty bruised up, and we have some cuts, but overall we're doing very well." The aircraft went down at night. The crew spent about two hours in the water before being rescued. "In the water, we didn't see any hazards -- no sharks or anything like that," Steele said. "It was actually kind of comfortable. Nice warm water." After the bomber crashed, a KC-10 refueler of the 79th Air Refueling Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., began a search. "We were taking off on a totally different mission when we heard the aircraft in distress," KC-10 pilot Maj. Brandon Nugent said by phone from the British naval base at Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean. "When we heard it had crashed, we went toward the last known location and began to search."  His co-pilot, Capt. Mike Dali, had spent time in the search and rescue field. They located at least some of the crew via their strobe lights and flares.
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Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines have been selected to power new medium-lift helicopters required by the armed forces of five more European nations -- Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. The Anglo-French joint venture estimates the value of this engine business throughout the operational lives of the aircraft to be around 250 million Euro (150 million pounds sterling).
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Loral Space & Communications today announced that Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has finalized firm contracts for the construction of two new X-band satellites. XTAR EUR and SpainSat, to be operated by XTAR(TM) and Hisdesat respectively, will provide leased satellite communication services to the U.S. Department of Defense and affiliated agencies, the Spanish Ministry of Defense and other allied governments. "The U.S. Government's need for defense satellite communications, growing dramatically in the past decade, has far exceeded its current capabilities," said Bill Wright, president of XTAR. "We expect XTAR EUR and SpainSat to be the first satellites to answer the call of the U.S. and other governments for additional secure bandwidth and we intend to grow this service into a very successful X-band business." The XTAR EUR satellite, to begin service in 2003, will carry twelve wideband high-power X-band transponders and operate from an Indian Ocean region orbital slot to be determined by XTAR. XTAR EUR is designed to operate with existing and planned defense communications terminals around the world. SS/L will build a second satellite, SpainSat, for Hisdesat. SpainSat will operate thirteen specially configured high-power transponders, twelve at X-band and one at Ka-band, from its 30 degrees West longitude orbital position. SpainSat is expected to begin operations in 2004.
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As announced earlier on October 24, Volvo Aero will be forced to reduce the number of employees as a result of the sharp downturn in the aviation industry. The preliminary notice of pending lay-offs, which was sent today to the County Labor Board, means that 310 employees in Trollhattan will leave the company after the summer of 2002. (The Swedish labour legislation stipulates that notice must be given to employees six months in advance.) Some 100 employees are also to be released by Volvo Aero Services in the US, compared with the 70 announced earlier.
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