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Aviation Week & Space Technology on AviationWeek.com
Aviation Week & Space Technology is the world's leading weekly magazine for aviation and aerospace professionals. Every issue provides an authoritative, in-depth source of industry news and analysis in the three major sectors: military, commercial and space. Each issue contains the technology, business and operations information that industry leaders require to stay informed on the market trends, new products and applications. AW&ST also publishes an annual Aerospace Source Book that contains specifications on 3,100 aircraft and systems and outlook articles about major commercial and military programs.
Saab Challenge: Gaining Traction for Gripen NG
As fighter contests heat up, Saab sets its sights on securing Gripen's long-term future
Phoenix Leaves Martian Science Legacy
Lab tests begin to assess Martian habitability potential in Phoenix data
Without a Buyer in Sight, Eventual Bankruptcy Looms for SAS
Lufthansa abandons negotiations for SAS, leaving Scandinavian group in financial jeopardy
Crew to Prepare ISS for Rapid Expansion
Successful assembly mission leaves ISS configured to double its volume rapidly
Britain is pushing ahead with strategic unmanned aircraft work and examining the utility of the EJ200 turbofan as the basis for an unmanned combat air vehicle engine.
AS&E's New Body Scan Machine Aims To Fix Passenger-Privacy Concern
Backscatter X-ray machines are not being used at U.S. airports yet to screen passengers for explosives, weapons and drugs, but American Science and Engineering Inc. (AS&E) may change that with its upgraded system.
Warfighters in Iraq Use Hand-held Video Devices, Live Feeds from UAVs
Looking around the corner or on the other side of a wall is increasingly high priority as urban street fighting becomes the norm for much of the fighting in Iraq.
Striking the right level of technology sophistication to hold down costs will factor highly in the upcoming competition to replace NASA's space shuttle fleet. The agency has already described in some detail the "Apollo-on-steroids" approach it wants to take.
Technology Key to Airline Cost-Savings
How can airlines stay in-the-black while keeping customers steadfast, loyal and true? Trends show the answer lies in offering services that provide efficiencies for both provider and user.
AIA: Civil Aircraft Revenues To Overtake Military Aircraft Revenues In 2007
U.S. aerospace sales will keep rising in 2007 as record orders won by Boeing and business jet manufacturers begin to translate into revenues. The military aircraft, space and missile sectors will likely see flat or declining sales.
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SK Jets Announces Green Flights for Travelers Who Wish to Fly Carbon Neutral.
St. Augustine, Florida: SK Jets announced today that it is aiding in offsetting carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, one of the country’s leading carbon offset organizations.
Sikorsky Sales in China Continue to Grow.
STRATFORD, Conn. (PRNewswire via COMTEX): China Southern Airlines’ Zhuhai Helicopter Company this week accepted two Sikorsky S-76C++(TM) helicopters to support offshore oil projects in the South China Sea and Bohai Bay. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. Ful Story.
Bombardier Sells Eight Q400 NextGen Airliners to Ethiopian Airlines.
TORONTO, ONTARIO (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX): Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Ethiopian Airlines has signed a contract to purchase eight Q400 NextGen turboprop airliners, and has taken options on four additional Q400 NextGen aircraft. Including this transaction, the Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft program has recorded firm orders for a total of 1,001 aircraft...
Boeing 787 Fastener Problems Caused by Boeing Engineers.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s latest problem can’t be blamed on the Machinists strike. Nor is it the fault of inexperienced mechanics at Boeing’s far-flung suppliers. The big glitch that now has mechanics finding and replacing thousands of fasteners on every Dreamliner was caused by a Boeing engineering error made in Everett...
MIT and NASA Designing Silent Aircraft.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics recently won a contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to design quieter, more energy efficient, and more environmentally friendly commercial airplanes. The two million dollar contract from NASA is just an initial step in bringing green technologies to the sky, but it is an important step toward bringing current trends in engineering and product design to the airline industry...
GA International Travel Rule Debuts With Mixed Reviews.
Customs and Border Protection officials listened, in part, to general aviation pilots’ concerns regarding its proposal for advance information on private aircraft arriving and departing the United States. In its final rule, the agency mitigated some of the concerns that were raised, but it sill imposes new security requirements...
Executive Order Focuses on NextGen.
President Bush has issued an executive order in support of efforts to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system and reduce air traffic congestion through the Next Generation Air Transportation System, commonly called NextGen. It is unclear what the order, or the NextGen program, will really mean for aviation...
FAA: Boeing 737s Must be Tested.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered emergency inspections of newer-generation Boeing Co. 737s, saying a fuel pump may overheat and catch fire because of improper wiring to an automatic cutoff switch...
Oil Prices Slump Under $50 per Barrel.
LONDON (AFP): Oil prices tumbled under 50 dollars a barrel in London and New York on Thursday as the crude market was plagued by weak energy demand, traders said. In New York, light sweet crude for delivery in December dived to 49.91 dollars a barrel, the lowest level since January 18, 2007...
How To Help Your Wife Overcome Her Fear Of Flying.
Many people, from all walks of life, rich, famous, male, female and even an ex-president have all suffered from a fear of flying. If you too suffer from this, no amount of statistical waffle manages to calm you down when you begin thinking about taking a flight or booking a holiday. Even though it is recognised as one of the safest forms of transport today. That is still no help...
NASA Exploring 8 New Space Expeditions.
So many space mysteries to explore, so little time (and money). NASA is trying to decide between eight space exploration missions that include further exploring Venus and comet composition as well landing on an asteroid or examining the space around Jupiter...
U.S. Army Vows to do Better With Next Helicopter.
WASHINGTON (Reuters): Army Secretary Pete Geren said the service had learned important lessons from a canceled $6.2 billion armed reconnaissance helicopter led by Textron Inc Bell Helicopter unit. "It’s a case study in how things can go wrong," Geren said on Tuesday after a speech to the Center for National Policy, a Washington-based think tank...
Emivest Aerospace SJ30 Business Jet Sets New World Speed Record.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (BUSINESS WIRE): Emivest Aerospace Corporation, manufacturer of the world record-breaking SJ30 light business jet, which is displayed at the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) 2008, is being showcased at the Action Aviation pavilion, distributor of the SJ30. Action Aviation’s own SJ30 S/N ’007’ took a new world speed record by flying seven hours and seven minutes from London to Dubai on 10th November including a 41-minute refuelling stop in Istanbul...
Ultralight Aircraft Crash Kills Marijuana Smuggling Pilot.
San Luis, Arizona: An apparent smuggling attempt ended early this morning in the death of an unidentified man after his marijuana-laden aircraft crashed into a local field. About 7:15 a.m., field workers reported a small aircraft crashed in a lettuce field about 150 yards east of County 21 ½ Street and the Levee Road, north of San Luis, Arizona, and about one mile east of the Colorado River...
Eclipse Gets Financing to Meet Payroll.
Eclipse Aviation Corp., a maker of light jets that last week failed to make its payroll amid a tightening global credit market, said it secured financing that will allow it to pay its 1,100 employees no later than Tuesday. The company, which pioneered a wave of low-price jets, is struggling to avoid becoming a casualty of the softening market for smaller airplanes. In recent days, Textron Inc.’s Cessna Aircraft Co. and Hawker Beechcraft Corp. have announced hundreds of layoffs as they race to cope with the downturn.
France Moves to Raise Pilot Retirement Age Despite Strike.
PARIS: French lawmakers approved today raising the retirement age of pilots from 60 to 65 despite a four-day strike that caused havoc for Air France’s operations. The French Senate approved the measure by a vote of 200 to 139 in a late night session. The measure has already been approved by the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly...
Italy's New Combat Jet Trainer a Flying Pizza Pie?
An Internet contest to name the new M-346 combat jet trainer has elicited more than 2,000 ideas. First prize includes a free ride. Manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italy’s aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica, is not revealing any names, but aviation buffs at Internet forums have proposed choices like the Pizza Pie, Italian Stallion, Turbo Pigeon and Pompeii...
Why Shouldn't Detroit Bet a Bailout? For the Same Reason the Airlines Shoul
As Congress prepares to inject cash into GM, Ford, and Chrysler with the intention of saving jobs, by what logic shouldn’t it do the same for struggling airlines? With the Big Three or the big airlines, bankruptcy is the preferred way to reorganize, not government bailouts...
Airspace Restrictions for UAS a Concern.
Creating large restricted areas to segregate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from other air traffic will have negative operational and economic consequences, and it is not the best way to ensure safety, AOPA told the Air Force in formal comments. The comments, filed Nov. 11, were written in response to a plan to create a large complex of restricted areas in northern North Dakota. The plan marks the first time the FAA will consider creating a restricted area solely for the use of UAS...
Nations Around the World Mark 10th Anniversary of International Space Station.
HOUSTON: Nations around the world will join together to mark a milestone in space exploration this week, celebrating the 10th birthday of a unique research laboratory, the International Space Station. Now the largest spacecraft ever built, the orbital assembly of the space station began with the launch from Kazakhstan of its first bus-sized component, Zarya, on Nov. 20, 1998. The launch began an international construction project of unprecedented complexity and sophistication.
Eclipse Promises to Pay Employees.
Eclipse Aviation has acknowledged that it failed to meet its payroll obligations on Nov. 13. The company said it will pay employees by Nov. 18. A short release from Eclipse said that employees were “given the choice to continue working or go home” while the issue was being addressed, but no one was laid off...
Lone Survivor Staggers Away from Deadly B.C. Crash.
B.C.: Seven people died and one man was in hospital with severe burns after their plane slammed into a steep hillside on the northwest of Vancouver Sunday, marking the second deadly crash for a small B.C. airline in just four months...
Tiny Satellite to Study Big Lightning.
Researchers are using a satellite the size of a loaf of bread to study a high-altitude lightning-like phenomena that may go a long way toward improving scientific understanding of radiation belts, solar flares, cosmic shocks, and other planets, as well as dust devils and dust storms on Mars. The National Science Foundation has so far granted almost $75,000 to the Firefly CubeSat program. CubeSats are tiny satellites with dimensions of 10×10×10 centimeters, weighing a little less than 3lbs, and typically using commercial off-the-shelf electronics components, the NSF said. Firefly consists of two instruments: a gamma-ray detector (GRD) and a very low frequency receiver/ photometer experiment (VP)...
Boeing Completes Destructive Testing on 787 Dreamliner Wing Box.
SEATTLE: Boeing [NYSE: BA] completed destructive testing today on a full-scale composite wing box of the 787 Dreamliner, the first all-composite wing box ever built for a Boeing commercial airplane. This test is part of the certification process for the all-new jetliner.
Piper Aircraft officials have told local news outlets in Vero Beach, Fla., that they plan to introduce a reduced workweek for some of their departments. The company hopes normal attrition and a reduced work schedule will soften the impact on the workforce caused by the current economic uncertainty...
ISS Crew to Grow to Six Members Next Year.
MISSION CONTROL (Moscow Region)(RIA Novosti): The crew of the International Space Station will be expanded in 2009 from three to six, a Russian space agency official said on Friday. "Next year, for the first time, we will start using a crew of six members," said Alexei Krasnov, director of manned flight programs at Roscosmos...
U.S. to Impose Tougher Rules for Pilot Rest on Long Routes.
Bucking opposition from U.S. airlines, federal regulators have issued rules aimed at reducing the hazards of pilot fatigue during the longest international flights...
At Least Three Killed in Helicopter Crash in Brazil.
BRASILIA (Xinhua): At least three people were killed on Friday as the helicopter carrying them crashed in Brazil’s northeastern state of Ceara. Three other people aboard the copter were also injured, with two in serious condition, police said. The helicopter took off from Natal, the capital of state of RioGrande del Norte, was flying to Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara state. The cause of the accident is under investigation, police added.
NASA's Shuttle Endeavour Launches On Home Improvement Mission.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 7:55 p.m. EST Friday to repair and remodel the International Space Station.
Sudan Confirms Purchase of Russian MiG-29 Jet Fighters.
MOSCOW (RIA Novosti): Sudan has bought an undisclosed number of MiG-29 fighters from Russia, the northeast African state’s defense minister said on Friday. "The deal is done. The aircraft have been bought," Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein told a RIA Novosti news conference...
Pratt & Whitney's Airplane Engines Get $185M Air Force Deal.
Pratt & Whitney has landed a contract worth a potential $185 million from the U.S. Air Force, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Under the deal, the East Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) subsidiary will develop engines intended to operate at 10 times the turbo-propulsion affordable capability of current aircraft engines. The contract calls for the technology to be developed by 2017...
Virgin Atlantic in Talks With EasyJet to Buy Gatwick Airport.
LONDON (AFP): Virgin Atlantic, the British airline owned by tycoon Richard Branson, said on Friday that it was in talks about forming a consortium that would bid for London’s second biggest airport, Gatwick. "We confirm that we are in talks with (British low-cost airline) easyJet who are potentially interested in joining the consortium," Virgin spokesman Paul Charles told AFP...
Air France Pilot Strike Causes Major Disruption.
PARIS (AFP): Air France passengers around the world suffered cancellations and long delays Friday as pilots began a costly four-day strike to protest new rules that will make them work until the age of 65...
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Flies Supersonic.
Fort Worth TX: The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Joint Strike Fighter flew supersonic for the first time yesterday, achieving another milestone. The aircraft accelerated to Mach 1.05, or about 680 miles per hour. The test validated the F-35 Lightning II’s capability to operate beyond the speed of sound and was accomplished with a full internal load of inert or "dummy" weapons on the one-hour flight.
Space Researchers Developing Tool To Help Disoriented Pilots.
ScienceDaily: Not knowing which way is up can have deadly consequences for pilots. This confusion of the senses, called spatial disorientation, is responsible for up to 10 percent of general aviation accidents in the United States, with 90 percent of these being fatal, according to the Federal Aviation Administration...
