+++ Ariane launches Skynet +++ 800 th A330/A340 delivered +++ MTU increases stake in F414 +++ Sikorsky closes buy of PZL Mielec +++ Saab's airliner protection system tested +++ News in brief +++
Ariane launches Skynet
Erster Ariane-Start des Jahres
On Sunday evening, March 11, Arianespace placed two satellites into geostationary transfer orbit: the military communications satellite Skynet 5A for the British Ministry of Defense (MoD), and the civil communications satellite Insat 4B for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The latest successful launch of an Ariane 5, the first in 2007, confirms that Arianespace's Services & Solutions best meet the needs of both private and governmental operators around the world.
The launch of Skynet 5A reflects the strategic role played by Arianespace, which guarantees independent access to space for European governments. Skynet 5A is the 26th military payload entrusted to the European launcher. Ariane had already orbited the Skynet 4B, 4C, 4E and 4F satellites for the British MoD and NATO. Arianespace has two more MoD satellites in its launch backlog, Skynet 5B and Skynet 5C.
Insat 4B is the 13th ISRO satellite to use the European launcher. Since the launch of the experimental satellite Apple on Flight L03 in 1981, Arianespace has orbited a dozen Indian satellites.
The mission was carried out by an Ariane 5 ECA launcher from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff was on Sunday, March 11, at 7:03 pm local time in Kourou (5:03 pm in Washington, DC, 22:03 UT, 11:03 pm in Paris, and on Monday, March 12 at 3:33 am in Bangalore).
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800 th A330/A340 delivered
Qatar Airways erhält 800. Airbus A330/A340
Wednesday March 14th, 2007 marked an important milestone for Airbus' A330/A340 family of aircraft when the 800th model of the Family was delivered to Qatar Airways.
The A330-200 long range jetliner was delivered to Qatar Airways in a brief ceremony at Airbus' Toulouse delivery centre. The delivery highlights Airbus' dominance in the A330/A340 family aircraft segment with more than 1,080 aircraft ordered and 280 still to be delivered. Production rates are currently seven aircraft per month and this is due to increase to eight per month by the beginning of 2008 and nine per month by the middle of 2009.
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MTU increases stake in F414
Beteiligung am amerikanischen Fighter-Triebwerk erhöht
MTU Aero Engines has increased its stake in General Electric Company's (GE) F414 military jet engine, and also secured a stake in the predecessor engine model, the F404. As a risk- and revenue-sharing participant Germany's leading engine manufacturer now holds a 3.5 percent share in the F414 – up from 2.5 percent previously. In addition, MTU has taken an approximate 1.5 percent share in the F404.
"With this increase of our stake in this program, we strengthen our position in the U.S military. market. This represents a major new milestone for MTU," stated MTU's Chief Executive Officer Udo Stark. "The U.S. market is the largest in the world. Gaining a strong foothold there is of vital importance to us."
MTU provides the F414 high-pressure compressor spool as well as two high- and low-pressure turbine shroud segments; new parts added under the extended agreement include a thermal shield for the high-pressure turbine and a rotating seal system. Deliveries of these additional parts are slated to begin in 2008. For the F404, MTU contributes the compressor spool.
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Sikorsky closes buy of PZL Mielec
PZL Mielec geht an US-Hubschrauberhersteller
On March 16, Sikorsky closed on its acquisition of aircraft maker PZL Mielec from the Polish government. Following the previously announced acquisition agreement signed in December 2006, Sikorsky acquired a 100 percent stake in the company, which is based in the city of Mielec. The company currently has approximately 1,500 highly skilled employees. PZL Mielec previously was wholly owned by the Industrial Development Agency (known by the Polish acronym ARP), a government holding company under the Ministry of Treasury. PZL Mielec has been Poland's largest fixed wing aircraft manufacturer.
With the closing of the acquisition, the 1.2 million square foot facility will undergo modernization to support International BLACK HAWK helicopter production while continuing the current capability for aircraft design, manufacture, flight test and delivery. Modifications are slated to begin in April 2007.
In 2006, Sikorsky announced plans to develop an International BLACK HAWK helicopter variant for global customers that would be manufactured using a global supply chain.
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Saab's airliner protection system tested
Schutzsystem für Verkehrsflugzeuge
Saab Avitronics, Chemring Countermeasures and Naturelink Aviation have joined forces on a roadmap to provide civilian aircraft with self-protection systems to enhance the safety of passengers, cargo and flying personnel. On March 14 the system was successfully demonstrated at Overberg Testing Range in South Africa.
The demonstration took place at Overberg Testing Range (OTB) in Bredasdorp near Cape Town in South Africa. Naturelink Aviation provided the aircraft (Embraer 120), Saab Avitronics the self protection system and Chemring Countermeasures the decoys. The installed system comprised CAMPS and, as a reference, also Saab Avitronics military dispensing equipment. Based on successful trials the system can potentially be operational on Naturelink platforms by the middle of 2008.
CAMPS is a new self-protection system developed by Saab Avitronics. The focus of CAMPS is to meet the requirements for civilian, VIP as well as Special Mission aircraft. This includes system safety, costs and operational aspects of this type of system which are more pronounced than for the military environment.
CAMPS consists of the MAW 300 Ultra Violet based Missile Approach Warner, a central electronic unit and the BOA dispensers. BOA is an electromechanical dispenser designed to dispense a new, non pyrotechnical type of IR decoy developed by Chemring Countermeasures which overcomes all the safety issues associated with pyrotechnical decoys.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Boeing and Continental Airlines announced an order for five 787-9 Dreamliners. This order, combined with the Houston-based airline's earlier announced orders, brings Continental's total firm 787 order to 25 aircraft. The airline also has contracted to convert 12 previously ordered 787-8 jetliners to the larger 787-9s. Continental was the first airline in the Americas to order the 787 Dreamliner, placing its initial order for 10 airplanes in 2004. With today's announcement, Continental also becomes the first customer in the Americas to order the 787-9. The 787-9 (250-290 passengers) is a slightly larger version of the 787-8 (210 to 250 passengers) with increased seating and range capability (approximately 8,500 nmi versus 8,200 nmi).
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QinetiQ has integrated a civil satellite communications system into a number of MOD Joint Helicopter Force (JHC) assets, as part of an in-theatre Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) programme. The requirement was to deliver beyond line of sight (BLOS) voice communications capabilities that allow deployed JHC assets to simply and efficiently communicate with operational headquarters. In just 8-12 weeks (depending on the platform) QinetiQ, working closely with the Identification and Communication Equipment (ICE) Integrated Project Team (IPT), went from the initial meeting to delivering this operational solution. The various stages included the initial feasibility study, investigating technical options, then recommending and deploying the optimum BLOS technology to meet the capability enhancement requirements, across the identified aircraft variants.
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The European Commission has adopted the third update of the Community list of airlines banned in the European Union, which is now available on the Commission's website http://air-ban.europa.eu . The revised Community list is notable for (1) the withdrawal for the first time of two carriers who have introduced adequate safety measures, (2) the action by five countries to stop the operations of carriers included in the Community list, (3) the adoption at Community level of new safety measures imposed on two companies – Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Air West from Sudan and (4) the adoption by two states – Russia and Bulgaria – of autonomous measures on a number of their carriers.
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Insitu announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded its ScanEagle and Insight product certification under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 ("SAFETY Act"). This designation provides extra protection for developers and users of advanced technology for homeland security applications in the event of terrorism. This protection encourages the development and deployment of anti-terrorism technologies without excessive fear of lawsuits. In awarding SAFETY Act certification, DHS conducted a comprehensive review of the ScanEagle/Insight Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) design and determined that both platforms perform as intended, conform to Insitu's specifications, and are safe for use as intended.
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The UK Army's Apache Attack Helicopter units will co-locate at Wattisham Airfield in Suffolk later this year, Defence Minister Adam Ingram announced in Parliament. The co-location of all operational Apache Helicopters will increase operational effectiveness whilst also reducing costs by improving the more efficient use of aircraft. Co-location will also improve stability for Service Personnel, as fewer families will have to regularly relocate between the two bases. The new hub will be formed by exchanging 2 Lynx squadrons from Wattisham (659 Squadron Army Air Corps and 669 Squadron Army Air Corps) with 2 Apache squadrons from Dishforth in Yorkshire (656 Squadron Army Air Corps and 664 Squadron Army Air Corps). The moves are expected to take place between June and September 2007.
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A Boeing KC-767 Tanker aircrew transfers fuel to the first F-15E ever produced. The company uses F-15E1 under a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Air Force. During the March 6 flight test, the aircrew demonstrated the stability of the new tanker's advanced boom by making multiple contacts with the F-15E and passing 5,500 lbs. of fuel. The KC-767 also transferred 10,000 lbs. of fuel to a B-52 on March 5.
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Sikorsky has delivered the 100 th MH-60S SEAHAWK helicopter to the U.S. Navy. “This delivery marks another key milestone in the U.S. Navy's plan to procure more than 250 MH-60S aircraft,” said Sikorsky President Jeffrey Pino. “Sikorsky is proud to continue to deliver this proven aircraft – a true workhorse – to the U.S. Navy.” Since initial fleet deliveries in 2001, the MH-60S has accrued more than 150,000 flight hours with deployments around the world including service in Iraq. The MH-60S is a multi-mission platform used by the U.S. Navy for logistics, troop transport, organic airborne mine countermeasures, and Armed Helicopter missions, and it is one of the key elements in the U.S. Navy Helicopter Master Plan to go from seven different platforms to two, the Sikorsky MH-60S and MH-60R SEAHAWK helicopters.
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Building a satellite in just three years is without doubt an ambitious undertaking. Nevertheless, the decision to rebuild CryoSat and recover the mission includes just that goal. A year on and the mission is now well on the way to recovery, with a design that incorporates no less than 85 separate improvements. The CryoSat-2 satellite replaces CryoSat, which was lost as a result of launch failure in October 2005. With the threat of receding ice cover in the polar regions, thought to be due to climate change, the need to understand the extent to which this may be happening is even more relevant today than it was when the first CryoSat was selected for development in 1999. The International Polar Year 2007-2008 (IPY) will focus resources on making measurements of our polar environments. The loss of the original CryoSat prevented it contributing to this effort but the exploitation of CryoSat-2 will benefit from the IPY. Although the impact of climate change is expected to be amplified at the poles, it is extremely difficult to determine what effect this is having on the polar ice cover. Recent reports of receding sea ice in the Arctic and the break-up of the edges of the massive Antarctic ice sheet are much in the public eye. On the other hand, there have also been reports of the ice at the North Pole being thicker than usual. Scheduled for launch in 2009, CryoSat-2 will measure fluctuations in the thickness of ice on both land and sea to provide conclusive evidence as to whether there is indeed a trend towards diminishing ice cover. Moreover, since ice plays such an important role in the Earth system, predicting future climate and sea level depends on the data that CryoSat-2 will realise.
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The third fully modernized Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy test aircraft made its first flight March 9 from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga. This is the third of three test aircraft that are being used to test and demonstrate the improved reliability, maintainability and availability of this strategic airlift workhorse. "This new C-5M was previously an A-model," said George Shultz, Vice President, Lockheed Martin C-5 Modernization program. "C-5A-models have about 70% of their useful structural life remaining and have been validated as structurally sound for decades to come by the Air Force Fleet Viability Board. These aircraft are operated by the National Guard and Air Force Reserve, and through modernization we will improve their availability and overall reliability while reducing total ownership costs by about $38 billion dollars." The C-5 modernization program is being implemented in two phases -- the avionics modernization program (AMP) and the reliability enhancement and re- engining program (RERP). The AMP adds a new, modern cockpit that includes a digital all-weather flight control system and autopilot, a new communications suite, flat panel displays, and enhanced navigation safety equipment to ease crew workload and enhance situational awareness. C-5 aircraft which have completed the AMP update have logged more than 8,000 hours with the new system, many of which were flown in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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The German Bundestag agreed on 09 March 2007 with a large majority on the deployment of six Tornado reconnaissance (recce) aircraft to Afghanistan. The Tornados will be part of the German contingent of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The aircraft will be employed for imaging reconnaissance and aerial surveillance as well as for photographic interpretation. After their landing in Afghanistan, the Tornado aircraft from German Air Force Reconnaissance Wing 51 "Immelmann" in Jagel will be employed by the ISAF Headquarters within the framework of the decisions taken by the NATO Council and the mandate of the United Nations. The German Bundestag mandate permits Germany's participation in ISAF until 13 October 2007. Up to 500 soldiers can be deployed in addition to the previous mandate for air reconnaissance and aerial surveillance. The troops will be based in Mazar-e-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan.
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Saab Space in Gothenburg, Sweden, has received an order for hundreds of antenna elements to Boeing Space and Intelligence System's new, hi-profile Mobile Satellite Venture (MSV) system satellites. MSV is the first generation system of mobile satellites that uses a combination of satellite capacity and terrestrial cell-phone capacity. The user will all the time be connected through the most efficient channel available depending on local coverage, using the same handset. MSV is based on a patented technology called Ancilliary Terrestrial Component (ATC) that combines advantages of satellite and terrestrial technologies to a seamless mobile communication system. The voice and data services of the system will be available initially throughout North America including Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and the Carribean basin by using the two first satellites MSV-1 and-2. For the future, development of full South American coverage is an optional possibility by adding a third satellite to the system. Launches are planned for 2009 and 2010.
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Boeing and Moscow-based freight company Volga-Dnepr Group announced an order for five Boeing 747-8 Freighters with purchase rights for an additional five airplanes. Air Bridge Cargo, a subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group, will operate the airplanes valued at $ 1.4 billion at list prices. This order was previously accounted for and associated with an unidentified customer on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website in 2006. With this order, Volga-Dnepr becomes the seventh customer announced for the new 747-8 Freighter, joining Atlas Air, Cargolux, Emirates, Guggenheim Aviation Partners, Nippon Cargo Airlines and Korean Air. Air Bridge Cargo will use the freighters for its growing cargo business on routes to Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Europe.
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Boeing and ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company held a formal signing ceremony for the direct purchase of 12 787-8 airplanes and six Next-Generation 737-800s. The total value of the deal is $2.26 billion at list prices. Six of the 787s on order from ALAFCO were booked as unidentified on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries Web site in September 2006. The additional airplanes will be posted to the Web site in March. The Sharia-based leasing and finance company is the first Middle East customer to finalize its order for Boeing's much sought after 787 Dreamliner.
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Boeing has reached an agreement with Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation, for the price and terms under which it will supply engines for the KC-767 Advanced Tanker. As a result, Pratt & Whitney becomes eligible to supply its PW4062 engines if Boeing is awarded the U.S. Air Force KC-X contract later this year. Boeing's agreement with Pratt & Whitney followed a best-value competition that focused on engine technical requirements like enhanced thrust and fuel efficiency, as well as logistics support, acquisition and total ownership cost, management and past performance factors. Pratt & Whitney's engines can be found on many commercial airplanes including Boeing's 747-400 and 767, and various military aircraft like the C-17, F-15 and KC-135.
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After traveling thousands of miles, a major component of the International Space Station is set to begin preparations for launch. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Monday, March 12. The Japanese Experiment Module is composed of three segments and is known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. It will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section will serve as an on-orbit storage area for materials, tools and supplies. It can hold up to eight experiment racks and will attach to the top of another larger pressurized module.
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Since the First Royal Australian Air Force's A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport was put back on wheels after having finalized the structural modifications, a series of further accomplishments have been achieved in the program: First, EADS CASA has powered on the aircraft to enable the start of the ground vibration tests (GVT) as part of the structural test required for the flight test clearance. In order to conduct the GVT, the aircraft has been instrumented and is now on pneumatic platforms that will isolate the air-craft from the ground during the GVT. In addition, EADS CASA has installed successfully, for the first time in an A330 platform, the two underwing pods from Cobham. The Cobham 905 wing pods feature hoses with a length of 96,6 feet (30 meters) and per-form a fuel flow rate of up to 420 US gallons per minutes (1600 litres per minute). Furthermore, the new EADS CASA advanced boom refuelling mast was installed on the aircraft.
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Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.'s new PW307A engine has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to power the Dassault Falcon 7X business jet. This achievement marks the final step in the PW307A certification process.
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Embraer delivered the first two EMBRAER 175 jets to U.S.-based operator Republic Airlines. The E-Jets mark the beginning of this model's flight in the U.S. domestic market. The company has placed firm orders for 30 EMBRAER 175 jets, which will be operated by the carrier under the US Airways Express brand name. The new EMBRAER 175, configured with 86 single-class seats, is the second E-Jet model flying the colors of US Airways Express. In 2004, US Airways Express was the launch customer of the EMBRAER 170.
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The cheap flight boom shows no signs of losing momentum among customers in the five most important European markets. The greatest potential for low cost carriers is to be found in Great Britain, France and Italy where about 60 per cent of people are interested in travelling at low fare flight trips Corresponding figures for Spain and Germany are 56 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. These are the key results contained in the Low Cost Carrier Monitor (LCCM), a representative consumer survey carried out in Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Spain by TNS Infratest and now in its fifth edition. Travel researchers evaluated data from 12,000 interviews including those of more than 5,000 current users of low cost air travel; the aim was to learn more about the structure of low cost flights, customers' assessments of carriers in the low cost segment and the prospects for future travel with low cost carriers in the individual European countries. "The low cost air travel segment in the five major European markets has the best potential for further growth", says Michael Ehlting, Senior Consultant in Tourism Research at TNS Infratest in a summary of the core results of this year's Low Cost Carrier Monitor. With the exception of the UK, where almost half the population (48 per cent) has made use of low cost carriers at some time or other, the remaining European markets have yet to fully exploit existing potential. In Germany, France and Italy only one in five consumers has flown at least once with a low cost carrier, while in Spain the number is as low as one in nine. "Having said that, it would be wrong to believe that airline passengers use low cost offers because they are compelled to do so", continues Ehlting. "On low cost flights you are more likely to meet higher income, better educated consumers who are already using the plane as a means of travel." Low cost offers are attractive to those intending to fly anyway and who want to make even more frequent use of the flights offered by cheap airlines. Low cost operators also profit from the fact that people are increasingly booking cheap flights on the spur of the moment. In Germany this applies to 79 per cent of low cost travellers. Also in other European countries two thirds of the customers are motivated by low cost offers for spontaneous travelling. People using low cost operators may save on the flight ticket but are less price-conscious when it comes to other travel expenses. Such trips are seldom undertaken on a one day basis alone and travellers generally choose higher price category hotels. "Users of low cost offers exhibit a more hybrid consumer behaviour pattern when booking a trip", observes the tourism expert.
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K&F Industries Holdings announced that it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with Meggitt-USA, Inc. ("Meggitt"), the wholly- owned United States subsidiary of Meggitt PLC , a UK public company. Under the merger agreement, Meggitt has agreed to acquire K&F for $27.00 per share in cash. The $27.00 per share in cash purchase price represents a premium of approximately 10% over K&F's closing price on Monday, March 5, 2007, the last trading day prior to today's announcement, and a premium of approximately 54% over K&F's $17.50 per share initial public offering in August 2005.
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A series of test firings of the MILAN ER (Extended Response) missile were successfully carried out last month (1 – 16 February) at the DGA ETBS (Etablissement Technique de Bourges) test centre in Bourges in central France. Six firings were performed using the ADT (ADvanced Technologies) firing post, recently qualified by the DGA. The tests were conducted at firing ranges between 2,000m to 3000m against fixed and moving targets and under realistic land combat conditions.
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Cessna and Winglet Technology, LLC have agreed to collaborate on the latter's patented Elliptical Winglet design for retrofit on Cessna's Citation X business jet. Elliptical Winglets, which are designed to increase range and increase payload on high/hot departures, will be installed and flown on a Cessna Citation X test aircraft this summer. Cessna and Winglet Technology plan to announce details on the expected performance benefits and planned availability later this year. “We are looking forward to working with Cessna on what we believe will be a significant performance enhancement for the Citation X,” noted Bob Kiser, President of Winglet Technology.
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Mercury Computer Systems announced that it was awarded a contract by BAE Systems Australia to provide a Synthetic Vision display, for the development of a rotorcraft brownout landing system. "BAE Systems Australia has chosen Mercury Computer Systems to provide a Synthetic Vision display for a flight-ready prototype brownout landing system for rotorcraft," said Operations Director Jim Hanson. "Mercury and BAE Systems will be working closely to assemble and integrate the system." In 2002, the President of the American Helicopter Society identified brownout landings as the most critical safety issue facing rotorcraft. Brownouts can occur when a rotorcraft attempts to land on dusty terrain. When a helicopter descends through the last 50 feet -- the most critical stage of any landing -- the downwash created by the rotors pick up the dust on the ground. This can reduce the pilot's visibility to zero. Dozens of helicopter accidents and deaths, both civilian and military, have been attributed to brownout landing accidents. To address this problem, civil and government groups in the U.S. and abroad have begun to explore the issue by developing sensors that could detect terrain and obstacles. "See and Remember," a phrase coined by the Air Force Research Lab, refers to a brownout landing system that scans the landing area before the rotors kick up the dust. The scan is then fed to a computer that "remembers" where the terrain is, and then draws it on a cockpit-mounted computer monitor in 3D as the craft descends. In this way, the pilot has a 3D image of the terrain, even when visibility through the window is nil. The technology that generates this computer-drawn terrain from databases and sensor readings is called Synthetic Vision. Mercury has developed a patent-pending Morphing Terrain Engine that incorporates terrain sensor measurements that are captured and updated in real time via a standard interface, and displayed with Synthetic Vision. This state-of-the-art product allows pilots to visualize complicated sensor outputs in an immediately intuitive format.
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On 24th February morning the USV, the first Unmanned Italian Space Vehicle, successfully completed its first mission. The USV (Unmanned Space Vehicle) was designed as a sophisticated research lab by CIRA (Italian Centre for Aerospace Research) and created in collaboration with important Italian industries in the sector. The launch took place at 8:30 a.m. from Tortolì airport in Sardinia, next to the Poligono Interforze di Salto di Quirra (PISQ). The mission ended at 10:30 a.m. with the splash-down of the space vehicle, in an isolated sea zone controlled by PISQ. The CIRA team, which took care of setting up the aircraft, the details of the mission and directing operations inside the airport, has been ready for the launch since 24th January; awaiting suitable weather conditions in order to give the green light to the operations. The right weather conditions came about last saturday in the early morning when it was decided to begin inflating the stratospheric balloon which was to transport the aircraft, without a propeller, to an altitude of 21 km. Set up in a vertical position, thanks to a verticalization system, the aircraft was hooked up to the balloon and started its ascent, which lasted 2 hours, and which took it first to a floating altitude of 31 km and subsequently, once the safety area had been reached, to the established releasing altitude. Here the aircraft was released and it was left to fall at a speed which reached Mach 1.05. During the descent, which lasted a total of 70 seconds, to an altitude between 16 and 10 km, the experimental phase was carried out, or rather a maneuver in transonic conditions carried out fully automatically by the on-board computer with the acquisition of great deal of aero-structural and aerodynamic scientific data. The more than 500 sensors (among pressure heads, structural sensors and accelerometers), with which the aircraft is equipped, enabled the registration and the transmission to earth of an enormous quantity of data, which will be extremely useful for further expected developments of the program. A three-stage parachute system permitted the aircraft to splash-down.
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SAS can now offer customers in the Group the possibility to offset carbon dioxide emissions arising from air travel by paying compensation. "We are delighted to be able to offer our customers this possibility. It is part of the SAS Group's environmental strategy and is a suitable complement to the primary mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol," says Mats Jansson, President and CEO of SAS. From today, customers wishing to offset their impact on climate change can log on to the SAS website and be able to click through to a professional supplier with whom the compensation transaction will take place. Initially, customers will be able to offset carbon dioxide emissions by choosing to support various sustainable development projects, for example, renewable energy. A common feature of all of these projects is that they have generated a documented reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that has also been verified by a third party. The second phase will allow customers to choose to purchase carbon offset suitable for compliance purposes (for example CDM/CERs or Kyoto Allowances). The price for compensating for flight emissions through projects varies according to point of origin/destination. A typical return flight between Scandinavia and Europe generates approximately 300 kilos of carbon dioxide and costs approximately EUR 4.50.
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Lockheed Martin delivered the first C-130J Super Hercules to an Air Mobility Command active duty combat delivery unit. After accepting the new C-130J, General Duncan McNabb, Commander of Air Mobility Command (AMC), personally flew the aircraft to Little Rock AFB, Ark., where it will operate as part of the 463rd Airlift Group. The 463rd currently operates a fleet of 13 C-130Es and 14 C-130Hs. The new C-130J is capable of generating much greater operational efficiencies than the older C-130s by flying farther, faster, with more payload and higher reliability. Additionally, the C-130J only requires three crew members for most missions so fewer flight crew members are exposed to potential threats in theater. C-130Js are currently deployed in two combat theaters; are being flown by both U.S. and allied operators; and are operating at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably. C-130Js are being used daily for troop and equipment re-supply via ground delivery and airdrop, for air-to-air refueling, ground refueling and humanitarian relief. The worldwide fleet of C-130Js has now exceeded 340,000 flight hours.
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CAE and Iberia Airlines inaugurated a new four-bay wing of the CAE Aviation Training Centre near Barajas Airport, Madrid. Representatives of the CAE-Iberia training joint venture were on hand to commemorate the event with customers and Spanish aerospace industry guests. In order to provide the best service possible to its customers and improve operational efficiency, CAE expanded the Barajas training centre to allow the consolidation of two local satellite facilities. The resulting expanded centre gives customers access to 11 full-flight simulators (FFS) and a full complement of services in one strategic location adjacent to the Madrid Barajas Airport.
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Northrop Grumman received notice February 23, 2007 from the U.S. Air Force of a decision to end the E-10A Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft Weapon System Integration (WSI) program. The E-10A WSI Technology Development Program has not been funded for fiscal 2008 and planning has begun for ending efforts following the initial design review being held this week. Subsequent closeout of any critical action items is scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2007. The E-10A program was designed to integrate Northrop Grumman's Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) Wide-Area Surveillance (WAS) sensor and Northrop Grumman's Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) mission suite into an airborne system that provides a combination of cruise missile defense, ground moving target tracking, and dissemination of time-critical data.
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EADS Defence & Security (DS) has now also equipped the new civil defence helicopters deployed by the German federal police of the type Eurocopter EC 135 with the obstacle warning system HELLAS (Helicopter Laser Radar). The first two rescue helicopters were handed over to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Civilian Population and Disaster Relief in the Donauwörth Eurocopter Works. A further 14 rescue helicopters will be delivered. The HELLAS obstacle warning system was developed at EADS Defence Electronics (DE), an integrated business unit of DS, for use in helicopters. HELLAS is a laser-based system, which detects obstacles reliably even if the pilot has difficulties making them out during the flight. With HELLAS, even obstacles that are so thin that they are almost invisible to the pilot, for example telephone lines, can be reliably detected and displayed, even when visibility is poor.
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Boeing celebrated roll out of the first vertical fin for the company's all-new commercial airplane, the 787 Dreamliner. Manufactured and assembled at the Composite Manufacturing Center in Frederickson, Wash., the vertical fin is the largest primary structure of the 787 airframe built by an internal Boeing supplier. The delivery meets a key program milestone as the airplane begins final assembly in Everett, Wash., in preparation for its initial roll out in July. CMC's milestone achievement for the 787 Dreamliner continues its proven 15-year track record in the application of structural composite materials and manufacturing process technologies used to produce the empennage for the Boeing 777. The 777's vertical fin and horizontal stabilizers together boast an unblemished record of in-service quality performance over nearly 13 years of airline flight operations.
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As announced during the previous meeting on February 28th, the Airbus Management team, led by Louis Gallois, President and CEO, and Fabrice Brégier, Chief Operating Officer, met again with the European Committee of Airbus (ECA) on Wednesday March 14th. In order to further strengthen the dialogue with Airbus' social partners, Louis Gallois explained and re-emphasized the importance of the Power 8 plan. Power 8 lays the foundation to create a new Airbus, more efficient, fully integrated and supported by a network of partners. It will allow Airbus to develop faster, produce at lower cost, share expenses and risks, and thus to better serve its customers. During the session, the financial situation of Airbus, as well as the status and the next steps of Power8 were discussed, and the management responded to questions submitted by the trade union representatives. “The discussions with our social partners are on-going and will continue in the coming weeks”, Louis Gallois said. “They are a prerequisite to the way forward. It is our company culture to maintain a transparent and open approach. In parallels to the information and discussion at the European level, we are now preparing for the relevant national consultation and negotiation processes”.
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Cebu Pacific, the Philippines' low fare leader, has signed a contract for the purchase of ten more A320 aircraft, with options on five aircraft and purchase rights on a further five aircraft. The airline placed an initial order for 12 A320 Family aircraft in September 2004, with the last one of these aircraft delivered earlier this month. Since the delivery of the first A320 in May 2005, Cebu Pacific has totally replaced its fleet of DC-9 and Boeing 757 aircraft. The new A320 aircraft will be used to further expand Cebu Pacific's network that currently extends to 26 domestic and 10 international destinations.
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Raytheon received Experimental Airworthiness Certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration for three of its Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems, bringing the certified Cobra fleet total to five. The Experimental Airworthiness Certificates allow Raytheon's flight operations to continue in compliance with recently published FAA policy on unmanned aircraft operations in the National Airspace System. Cobra is a low-cost, highly reliable unmanned system designed to support Raytheon's development, integration and test of unmanned systems technologies. The aircraft has a wingspan of 10 feet and is 9-feet long. The certification permits Cobra flight operations in a specified section of the National Airspace in Southeastern Arizona. It also authorizes Raytheon to conduct research and development, crew training and market surveys using the Cobra system.
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Ever since it was designed for the International Space Station, it has been known as the Node 2 module. Now thanks to students from across the United States, Node 2 also will be known as "Harmony." At an event Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., NASA
announced the new name. Harmony is being prepared at Kennedy for its space shuttle Atlantis flight, designated STS-120, targeted for launch in 2007. Members of the STS-120 crew and managers who are preparing Harmony for launch took part in the naming event. The name was chosen from an academic competition involving more than 2,200 kindergarten through high school students from 32 states. The Node 2 Challenge required students to learn about the space station, build a scale model and write an essay explaining their proposed name for the module that will serve as a central hub for science labs.
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The MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle's younger, yet larger and stronger, brother, the MQ-9 Reaper, arrived March 13 at its new home at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. The remotely piloted aircraft completed initial testing in California, then flew more than 250 miles in two hours to land here. The aircraft was piloted by Lt. Col. Jon Greene, 42nd Attack Squadron commander. Along side him, was his sensor operator Senior Airman Aaron Aguilar, also of the 42nd ATKS. "I am truly honored to be the commander of the Air Force's first MQ-9 attack squadron," said Colonel Greene. Our mission is to train MQ-9 crews and fly combat by this summer. Bringing the MQ-9 on line is going to take a fresh view on how we, as Airmen, train and employ." The Reaper's turboprop engine is able to run at 250 knots, can fly up to 40,000 feet and is able to stay in the air for more than 20 hours. The newly arrived Reaper will begin flying training missions here by March 19 and the first formal training unit class will begin shortly after, Colonel Green said.
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Austria's Saab 35 Draken aircraft have been phased out and Saab will dismantle it environmentally in Sweden. Saab is thereby the only aerospace industry in the world taking responsibility for the product during the entire lifecycle. Austria was the last country to operate Draken and as they phase out their aircraft, an epoch comes to its end. “We will ensure that the aircraft and its materials are dismantled environmentally”, says Christer Dahlberg, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Saab Aerosystems. The last two aircraft of eight in total have now reached Sweden. The aircraft have been transported by truck from Zeltweg Air Base in Austria, through Germany to Ljungbyhed in Sweden. In Ljungbyhed, Saab Aerotech will remove the electronic instrumentation and make sure that the precious metals will be reclaimed. After that, the aircraft fuselages will be scrapped by Stena Metall in Halmstad. ”We will dismantle it in Sweden since we have the experience and knowledge of how the materials should be handled and phased out”, says Christer Dahlberg. Austria ordered 24 modified Draken aircraft 18 years ago and now eight are being transported back to Sweden for dismantling and scrapping in accordance to environmental requirements. The remaining aircraft will be found at schools and museums around Europe.
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MTU Aero Engines Holding AG expects sustained growth in 2007. Revenues are targeted to rise by 8% to Euro2,600 million and adjusted EBITDA by 15% to Euro365 million. This forecast was announced by MTU on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at the annual press conference. MTU boosted its revenues by 11% in the financial year 2006; they increased from Euro2,182.7 million to Euro2,416.2 million. This increase was accompanied by a pronounced rise in adjusted EBITDA to Euro318.2 million. This is 33% higher than the 2005 figure of €238.7 million. MTU's adjusted net income also increased significantly, more than doubling from Euro53.1 million in 2005 to Euro121.8 million in 2006 and thus exceeding the forecast of Euro115 million by 6%. “2006 has been a very successful business year for MTU. We have consistently beaten our targets throughout the year,” says Udo Stark, Chief Executive Officer of MTU Aero Engines Holding AG. “The aviation industry expects continued growth in 2007. MTU is well placed to benefit from this situation and will once again achieve growth rates well above the general market level: We expect to see a significant improvement in our revenues and operating results. MTU continues to forge ahead.” The greatest contributions to this growth will be provided by the commercial engine business and commercial Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). These two segments were the greatest contributors to growth in 2006, as in the year before. MTU expects to improve net income in 2007 by 15% to Euro140 million. Free cash flow is expected to amount to Euro70 million in 2007, a reduction with comparison to 2006 (€115.7 million) largely attributable to strategic investments such as the participation in new programs and the establishment of a new site in central Europe.
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Bombardier Aerospace announced that Pinnacle Airlines of Memphis, Tenn. has signed a contract to acquire 15 Bombardier Q400 74-seat turboprop airliners. The transaction also includes conditional orders for another 10 Q400 aircraft and options on an additional 20. The value of the 15 firm ordered aircraft, based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, is approximately $381 million US. The value could rise to $1.2 billion US if all conditional orders and options are exercised. Pinnacle Airlines Corp. will assign the 15 aircraft to its wholly owned subsidiary Colgan Air, Inc. which will operate the aircraft under the Continental Connection banner primarily from the Continental Airlines hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey.
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On the airline's 66th anniversary, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and The Boeing Company announced the order of two Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) commercial airplanes, with purchase rights for two additional 777-300ERs. PAL is a long-time Boeing customer and currently operates five Boeing 747-400s and three Boeing 737-300/-400s. PAL, the national flag carrier of the Philippines, mounted its first flight March 15, 1941 and has been operating longer than any other airline in Asia. It has a modern fleet and a route network that spans 24 foreign cities and 18 domestic destinations.
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Honda Aircraft Company announced agreements with GKN Aerospace -- Alabama, Avcorp Industries, Inc., and Garmin International Inc., as major component suppliers for the HondaJet advanced light jet, to be produced at a state-of-the-art plant in Greensboro, North Carolina. GKN, of Tallassee, Alabama, will supply the fuselage structural sub-assembly; Garmin, of Olathe, Kansas, will supply a state-of-the-art avionics system specifically tailored for HondaJet; and Avcorp, of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, will supply HondaJet's wing structural sub-assembly.
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The amount of water trapped in frozen layers over Mars' south polar region is equivalent to a liquid layer about 11 metres deep covering the planet. This new estimate comes from mapping the thickness of the dusty ice by the Mars Express radar instrument that has made more than 300 virtual slices through layered deposits covering the pole. The radar sees through icy layers to the lower boundary, which in places is as deep as 3.7 kilometres below the surface. "The south polar layered deposits of Mars cover an area as wide as a big portion of Europe. The amount of water they contain has been estimated before, but never with the level of confidence this radar makes possible," said Dr Jeffrey Plaut of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena (California), co-Principal Investigator for the radar and lead author of the study. The instrument, named the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), is also mapping the thickness of similar layered deposits at the north pole of Mars.
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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $287 million contract for the next production lot (Lot 5) of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial systems. The Global Hawk system can survey vast regions to bring real-time imagery intelligence to the warfighter in any weather, day or night. "This contract award represents the continuation of a highly capable system, which has demonstrated unprecedented success in its first production deployment," said Randy Brown, Global Hawk Systems Group director with the Air Force's 303rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "In 2006, it flew more than 3,300 combat hours, taking over 50,000 images directly supporting our deployed forces in support of the global war on terrorism." The contract includes five air vehicles, one mission control element, one launch and recovery element, four enhanced integrated sensor suites (EISS) and sustaining support. Four of the five air vehicles will be in the Block 30 configuration with one in the Block 40 configuration. Block 30 air vehicles will be equipped with the EISS and will be airborne signals intelligence payload capable. The Block 40 air vehicle will be Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program payload capable.
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The JSF program has delivered and flown the first development aircraft. However, cost and schedule goals established in the fiscal year 2004 rebaselined program have not been met. Total JSF program acquisition costs (through 2027) have increased by $31.6 billion and now DOD will pay 12 percent more per aircraft than expected in 2004. The program has also experienced delays in several key events, including the start of the flight test program, delivery of the first production representative development aircraft, and testing of critical missions systems. Delays in the delivery of initial development aircraft were driven by incomplete engineering drawings, changes in design, manufacturing inefficiencies, and parts shortages. Despite these delays, the program still plans to complete development in 2013, compressing the amount of time available for flight testing and development activities. Also, the program projects it will meet all but one key performance requirement—line of sight communications---that is currently dependent on other capabilities being developed outside the JSF program. Accurately predicting JSF costs and schedule and ensuring sufficient funding will likely be key challenges facing the program in the future. JSF continues to pursue a risky acquisition strategy that concurrently develops and produces aircraft. While some concurrency may be beneficial to efficiently transition from development to production, the degree of overlap is significant on this program. Any changes in design and manufacturing that require modifications to delivered aircraft or to tooling and manufacturing processes would result in increased costs and delays in getting capabilities to the warfighter. Low-rate initial production will begin this year with almost the entire 7-year flight test program remaining to confirm the aircraft design. Confidence that investment decisions will deliver expected capability within cost and schedule goals increases as testing proves the JSF will work as expected. The JSF program also faces funding uncertainties as it will demand unprecedented funding over the next 2 decades—more than $12.6 billion a year on average through 2027. Since establishing a new program baseline in fiscal year 2004, JSF program costs have risen and key events have been delayed. JSF program costs have increased by $31.6 billion since the program's decision to rebaseline in fiscal year 2004. This includes a $19.8 billion increase in costs since our report last year in March 2006. The program has experienced delays in several key events including delays in the start of the flight test program, manufacturing and delivery of the first development aircraft, and delays in the testing of critical missions systems. These delays reduce the amount of time available for completing flight testing and development activities. The program projects that it will meet its key performance requirements except for one dealing with the warfighter's ability to fully interoperate with other platforms. Projections are based largely on engineering analysis, modeling, and laboratory testing, and a 7-year test program to demonstrate performance just started in December 2006. JSF program cost estimates have increased by $31.6 billion since the program's decision to rebaseline in fiscal year 2004. During this period, estimates in some cost areas grew by $48 billion but were offset by $16.4 billion due to quantity changes and the proposed termination of an alternate engine program. According to the program, the cost estimate is still mostly based on cost estimating relationships—like cost per pound—not actual costs and, therefore, is subject to change as the program captures the actual costs to manufacture the aircraft. Also, the official program estimate is based on the program's December 31, 2005, Selected Acquisition Report delivered to Congress in April 2006. GAO is recommending that DOD limit annual production quantities to no more than 24 aircraft per year until each variant's basic flying qualities have been demonstrated in flight testing now scheduled in the 2010 time frame. DOD non-concurred, believing its current strategy provides a balance of technical risk, financial constraints, and operational needs. (ends)
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The Expedition 14 crew was busy this week moving trash into the ISS Progress 23 cargo ship, installing a new window on the space station and preparing for upcoming missions to the station. The new window was installed on Wednesday on the port side hatch of the Unity node. It is fitted with a berthing camera system that includes target markings on the outside of the hatch. This will help robotic operators align and dock the station's new elements. The window's installation was part of the crew's work to ready the station's Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) for its relocation later this year to Unity's Earth-facing port. This was the second hatch window installed by an Expedition crew. A similar window was installed by Expedition 6 crew members on Unity's starboard hatch. Space Station Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and Flight Engineer Suni Williams also temporarily relocated a "wall" of collapsible water bags to allow them access to PMA-3 and provide access to some of the station's computer cables, allowing the two to install new, upgraded cabling.
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Boeing, along with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency successfully fired the Airborne Laser (ABL) weapon system's tracking laser in-flight at an airborne target for the first time. During Thursday's test, the modified Boeing 747-400F took offfrom Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and used its infrared sensors, part of ABL's Boeing-developed battle management system, to find the simulated missile exhaust generated by an instrumented target board located on the U.S. Air Force's NC-135E Big Crow test aircraft. The ABL aircraft then pointed and fired its track illuminator laser (TILL) at the target to gather target-tracking data, a key step in a missile engagement. The TILL, a solid-state laser, is part of ABL's beam control/fire control system, developed by Lockheed Martin. "The Airborne Laser team has successfully transitioned to the next major test phase, completing the first in a series of in-flight laser firings at an airborne target," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "This first firing confirms that ABL can find an airborne target, precisely fix the track illuminator laser onto that target and use the laser firing results to track the target. This is an important step toward demonstrating the aircraft's ability to engage a flying target."
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Lufthansa Technik has launched a new product of its famous T-product family: Total Landing Gear Support TLS. The new product follows an in-depth market analysis and growing demand of existing and new customers. Under TLS Lufthansa Technik accompanies its customers´ landing gears over its entire life and assumes total responsibility the moment the aircraft is purchased, from the monitoring of time in operation to AOG support, overhaul, exchange gear, leasing and loans right through to resale. Already during 2006 and in recognition of the peculiarities of landing gear overhauls, Lufthansa Technik has set up a dedicated Landing Gear Services product division with four locations around the world. With its facilities in Hamburg, Hawker Pacific Aerospace in Los Angeles or London or Ameco Beijing, Lufthansa Technik Group is now ideally placed to provide the global market with services pertaining to any conceivable aspect of landing gear MRO.
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SWISS is offering attractive product innovations in its 2007 summer schedules, with more intercontinental services and a wide range of European connections. With Valencia added to the network, SWISS will serve 70 destinations in 42 countries in its summer timetable. Non-stop service will also be provided between Switzerland and 13 further destinations under codeshare agreements with partner airlines. The SWISS summer timetable will operate from March 25 to October 28, 2007. SWISS is in the climb, and is expanding its product for the benefit of its customers. The company effected the first-ever expansion of its long-haul fleet last November, adding two further Airbus A330s. These will be followed by the arrival of three more Airbus A340s over the next 12 months. On the short-haul front, in addition to the expansion of the European fleet by three Airbus A320-family aircraft that was announced last year, SWISS will be putting two more Airbus A320s into service sooner than their original introduction date of 2008. The planned expansion is being brought forward to take earlier advantage of existing market opportunities. The two new A320s will now join the SWISS fleet in the first half of 2007. Their arrival will also create a further 50 new jobs among the company's flying personnel. The expansions of its European and intercontinental fleets will primarily enable SWISS to increase frequencies to existing destinations in its new summer schedules and thus further align its service patterns to customer needs.
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