USAF Officials release A-10C accident report

9/2/2010 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. – Human error caused an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft to depart the runway during an aborted takeoff May 10 at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released Sept. 2.

The aircraft was assigned to the 75th Fighter Squadron from the 23rd Wing at Moody AFB. The pilot sustained minor injuries after ejecting when the aircraft left the runway. The aircraft continued traveling over uneven grassland until the nose gear collapsed. The right main landing gear and aircraft nose became lodged into the ground causing a catastrophic fuselage failure. The aircraft was engulfed in fire due to a ruptured forward main fuel tank and was subsequently destroyed.

According to the report, the cause of the mishap was specifically attributed to the pilot’s initial decision not to abort the takeoff. After deciding to abort, the pilot applied an inappropriate braking procedure based on his perception of being at a lower airspeed. Additionally, pitot-static system blockage, task misprioritization, distraction and procedural error were all substantially contributing factors to the mishap. The loss associated with the mishap is valued at $17,306,077, including $52,095 in environmental cleanup on Moody AFB.

(Courtesy of Air Combat Command Public Affairs)
Photo: Marcel van Leeuwen, ZAPP Group

First Air France A380 Flight to Japan

Yesterday Air France’s Airbus A380 served the Paris-Tokyo route for the very first time, making Tokyo the first destination in Asia to be served by the airline’s Super jumbo. The aircraft with registration number F-HPJD, Air France’s fourth A380, took off early in the afternoon from Paris-CDG north runway eastbound, and will land at Tokyo-Narita at 08:10 local time, tomorrow morning.

The A380 flight schedule on the Paris – Tokyo route:

- Paris-Tokyo:

AF 276, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays; flights will be daily starting 4 October 2010.
Flight departs from terminal 2E at 13:30, and arrives at 08:10 the following day

- Tokyo-Paris:

AF 275, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays; flights will be daily starting 5 October 2010
Flight departs at 11:50 and arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2E at 17:15

Paris-Tokyo is Air France’s 3rd route served by A380, following Paris-New York in 2009 and Paris-Johannesburg in February 2010. Thanks to the A380, Air France is rationalizing frequencies on these busy routes by combining two flights leaving at close departure times, while still offering the same number of seats and reducing costs by 20%. The A380’s main deck is the same size as a Boeing 777-200 and the upper deck is the same size as an Airbus A340-300.

Air France’s A380 is equipped with 538 seats in three cabin classes – La Première (First), with 9 seats on the main deck, Affaires (Business), with 80 seats on the upper deck, and Voyageur (Economy), with 449 seats divided between the two decks.

The A380 is the world’s most environmentally-friendly aircraft – with less than 75 grams of CO2 produced per passenger per kilometre – and the quietest in its category. Its spacious cabin offers passengers additional comfort. On board this aircraft, Air France has introduced changing lighting moods adapted to the various stages of the flight, meeting points and relaxation areas, as well as a completely new in-flight entertainment system with wider screens.

Air France has ordered twelve A380s, four of which have already been delivered.

In winter 2010, Air France and KLM will operate 52 weekly return flights between Paris, Amsterdam and Japan:

- to and from Tokyo-Narita : 31 flights, including 21 AF flights (of which 7 operated by JAL on a code-share basis) and 10 KLM flights;

- to and from Tokyo-Haneda: 7 AF flights operated by JAL on a code-share basis, starting 31 October 2010 ;

- to and from Osaka-Kansai : 14 flights, including 7 AF flights and 7 KLM flights.

With this large number of flights, Air France and KLM offer passengers a wide choice of departure times both ways with daily flights leaving both in the morning, afternoon and evening.

Gulfstream G250 Integration Test Facility Reaches Software Testing Milestone

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s G250 Integration Test Facility (ITF) has accumulated 1,000 hours of testing on the PlaneView250™ software load that will be the basis for securing the aircraft’s initial Type Certificate. Gulfstream reached the milestone just four months after evaluation of the Rockwell Collins-provided software began. Rockwell Collins is a strategic partner on the PlaneView250 flight deck, which features Pro Line Fusion™ avionics. 

“The cockpit of the G250 is going to lead the industry,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “This test facility is a critical step in bringing this aircraft to market, because it allows us to integrate, test and make adjustments on the ground.”

The G250 facility is the first mid-cabin ITF for Gulfstream. The company initiated the ITF concept with the large-cabin GV and developed similar facilities for the G450 and G550. Those facilities, located with the G250 ITF at the company’s headquarters in Savannah, are still in use today.

The enhanced value delivered to customers through the testing conducted with the large-cabin ITFs as well as the introduction of Rockwell Collins’ Fusion platform for PlaneView250 drove Gulfstream’s decision to establish a G250 ITF.

“It’s been a great tool,” said Mark Kohler, G250 program director, Gulfstream. “It allows us to do the testing in a very safe environment and at a much quicker pace.  That’s the significance, to be able to accelerate the development effort and ensure the end product exceeds customers’ expectations.”

The G250 ITF was initially powered on Nov. 20, 2007, and had its first simulated flight on July 7, 2008. The facility allows engineers to perform a thorough analysis of the aircraft’s avionics and electronics to ensure they meet the certification requirements. The facility is also ideal for human-factors analysis, allowing certification authorities to make and test changes on the ground before applying them to the actual aircraft.

In addition to testing, Gulfstream utilizes the ITF to demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities to the Gulfstream Customer Advisory Board (CAB) and potential customers. CAB participants are Gulfstream operators who provide input on aircraft in development and feedback on services the company offers.

Source and photo: Gulfstream

SuperJet International signs agreement up to US $300 million

Boeing, US Navy Flight Testing Distributed Targeting System for Super Hornet

CHINA LAKE, Calif., Sept. 2, 2010 – The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-31 have begun flight testing a Distributed Targeting System for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Advanced Weapons Lab in China Lake. The current test phase is scheduled to conclude in November 2011.

The Distributed Targeting System uses onboard hardware and software processing to produce precise targeting solutions for Super Hornet aircrews. This enhanced targeting capability is part of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Network Centric Warfare Upgrades program as well as the F/A-18E/F Flight Plan, which ensures that the Super Hornet remains ahead of known and emerging threats throughout the coming decades.

“Distributed Targeting will continue to expand the Super Hornet’s already advanced multirole capability for the warfighter,” said Kory Mathews, F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs vice president for Boeing. “Distributed Targeting is a powerful tool that will provide Super Hornet aircrews with highly precise targeting capability when identifying and engaging ground target sets. This is another phase of our evolutionary approach to continuous capability enhancement for the Navy’s combat-proven Super Hornet.”

Successful completion of the flight tests will enable the targeting system to transition to operational testing in late 2011. The capability is expected to become operational in F/A-18E/F aircraft in 2012.

The Boeing Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 430 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every Super Hornet produced has been delivered on or ahead of schedule and on budget.

Source: Boeing
Photo: Marcel van Leeuwen, ZAPP Group

Boeing Projects $700 Billion Commercial Airplanes Market in North America

MONTREAL, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) forecasts that air carriers in North America will take delivery of about 7,200 new airplanes over the next 20 years at an investment of $700 billion.

New airplane deliveries in Canada and the United States will be driven largely by the need to retire older, less fuel-efficient single-aisle airplanes and regional jets, as airlines replace them with new-generation, more fuel-efficient models. (For the purposes of the Boeing forecast, the North America market consists of the U.S. and Canada. Mexico is included in Boeing’s forecast for Latin America.)

“North America is a large, mature market, and we expect passenger traffic for the region to grow at a modest rate of 3.4 percent,” said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, who released Boeing’s 2010 North America market outlook today in Montreal. “The fast-paced lifestyles in Canada and the U.S. require rapid, frequent and reliable coast-to-coast and interregional transportation. Driven by this demand, nearly three-quarters of the new deliveries over the next 20 years will be single-aisle airplanes.”

Taking retirements of airplanes into account, the North America fleet will grow from 6,590 airplanes today to about 9,000 airplanes by 2029.

Boeing forecasts that single-aisle airplanes will grow from 56 percent of the total North America fleet today to 71 percent of the fleet by 2029. Airlines are increasingly focusing on airplane age as fuel-thirsty, older airplanes weigh increasingly on earnings. Increased attention to aviation’s impact on global climate change also will be a factor in selecting airplanes that produce lower carbon emissions.

Newer airplane types such as the Next-Generation 737 offer significant advantages in environmental performance as well as improved capabilities, fuel efficiency and maintenance costs.

“After several years of losses among the region’s air carriers, we’re seeing signs of improvement and airlines are beginning to implement fleet renewal plans as they look to the future,” Tinseth said. “To help meet this demand, Boeing Commercial Airplanes will continue to work closely with our more than 500 suppliers and partners in Canada. Boeing imports parts and services from Canada amounting to more than a billion U.S. dollars a year, more than $625 million of which is associated with Boeing Commercial Airplanes.”

Twin-aisle fleets will evolve in the region as airlines continue to expand international point-to-point services to a wider range of airport pairs and frequencies. Small- and mid-sized twin-aisle airplanes will grow to represent 19 percent of the North America fleet by 2029.

Within the North America market, Boeing sees a demand for 1,180 new, efficient twin-aisle airplanes such as the 787 Dreamliner. Twin-aisles will account for only 16 percent of total airplane demand in the region over 20 years but will have a proportionally higher share of delivery cost, at 37 percent of the overall investment.

Large airplanes (747-size and larger) will not see significant demand in North America, with only about 40 units (all freighters), or one percent of the total investment.

Boeing also forecasts declining demand for regional jets in North America as airlines shift to more fuel-efficient turboprops or larger jetliner models. High fuel prices, intensified competition and the superior efficiencies of larger single-aisles will take a toll on the economics of small regional jets. This category will account for just 4 percent of the total investment for new airplanes, with only 800 new regional jet deliveries over the next 20 years, nearly all for replacement.

Source: Boeing

Lockheed C-5M Galaxy Becomes A Superstar

MARIETTA, Ga., September 2nd, 2010 — Another Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] C-5 is being transformed into the world’s most capable strategic airlifter, the C-5M Super Galaxy. With more than 70 improvements, the Super Galaxy is rapidly becoming the linchpin of success in achieving global reach. The next C-5M Super Galaxy will be delivered on Sept. 30, 2010 and will be stationed at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The C-5M Super Galaxy recently achieved a 96 percent departure reliability rate while delivering critical cargo to troops in Afghanistan and was called upon to carry the 7.5-ton Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to be launched on the last space shuttle flight next year.

Source and photo: Lockheed Martin

German Airbus A350 XWB Production commences

Airbus CEO Tom Enders and Parliamentary State Secretary Peter Hintze give go-ahead for largest integrated carbon fibre component ever made by Airbus.Blagnac,  31 August 2010

Boeing to Provide Landing Gear Exchange Service to Qantas Airways

SEATTLE, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) will perform landing gear exchange, repair and overhaul services on Qantas Airways’ 747-400ER (extended range) jetliners. Qantas, the program launch customer for the 747-400ER and operator of six of the airplanes, becomes the launch customer for the 747-400ER Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program.

Qantas will use the Boeing Service Center Repair Network for quick, reliable access to landing gear exchanges, repair and replacement around the world, greatly reducing maintenance time. The agreement takes effect in 2011.

The launch of the Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program by Qantas for the 747-400ER family provides a similar opportunity for operators of the 40 747-400ER Freighters currently in service.

“We appreciate that a customer such as Qantas is demonstrating their confidence in Boeing to provide them with this important service,” said Dale Wilkinson, vice president, Material Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “By choosing Boeing’s landing gear exchange program, Qantas will have immediate access to a replacement gear without having to invest in a landing gear asset themselves.”

Qantas Airways is the latest of more than 70 customers to take advantage of the Boeing’s Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program. Boeing coordinates with airlines and global component repair and overhaul suppliers to promptly return airplanes to service.

More than 500 airplanes have benefitted from the Boeing Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Programs for 717, Next-Generation 737, Boeing Business Jet, 757-300, 767-300, 777-200ER/-300/300ER, MD-11 and, now 747-400ER/ERF models. The program adheres to Boeing-approved quality processes and procedures and provides full technical and emergency support.

Source: Boeing

Lockheed Martin Advancing On Next-Generation Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite System For GeoEye

August 31st, 2010 — The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team developing GeoEye’s next-generation, high-resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite system known as GeoEye-2, has successfully completed on-schedule a System Requirements Review (SRR), an important program milestone that precedes the Preliminary Design Review.

With launch scheduled to support start of operations in 2013, Lockheed Martin is developing GeoEye-2 under a fixed price contract to support the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) EnhancedView commercial imagery program. GeoEye was awarded an EnhancedView contract worth up to $3.8 billion on Aug. 6, 2010. EnhancedView is designed to provide critical geospatial situational awareness and global security information to intelligence analysts, war fighters and decision makers. GeoEye’s commercial users will also benefit from access to imagery from GeoEye-2.

The successful SRR verified the maturity of Lockheed Martin’s system design for meeting the key user requirements and the team’s readiness to proceed with the Preliminary Design Review phase scheduled for completion later this year.

“This important review effectively demonstrated the advanced state of our GeoEye-2 design and how we can significantly improve the quality and quantity of commercial space-based imagery for our customer,” said Allen Anderson, Lockheed Martin’s GeoEye-2 program director. “We look forward to rapidly fielding this critical capability and achieving mission success on this important program.”

Bill Schuster, GeoEye’s chief operating officer, commented, “We are pleased to again be partnering with Lockheed Martin to leverage their 50-year heritage of building advanced satellite imaging systems. Lockheed Martin and their subcontractors are assembling a best-in-class team to build and launch GeoEye-2 so we can meet all of our requirements under the EnhancedView program.”

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, a world leader in the most advanced space-based systems for government and commercial customers, is under contract to deliver GeoEye-2 and the associated command and control system. The spacecraft will feature a new high-resolution ITT camera that has been in development for more than two years.

Lockheed Martin designed and built the world’s first commercial, high-resolution, Earth-imaging satellite, IKONOS, which has been providing 0.82-meter ground resolution imagery to GeoEye’s customers around the globe for more than a decade.

About GeoEye
GeoEye, Inc. is a leading international information services company serving government and commercial markets. The Company is recognized as one of the geospatial industry’s imagery experts, delivering exceptional quality imagery products, services and solutions to customers around the world. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, the Company has over 500 employees dedicated to developing best-in-class geospatial information products and services. GeoEye is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol GEOY. The Company provides support to academic institutions and non-governmental organizations through the GeoEye Foundation (www.geoeyefoundation.org). Additional information about GeoEye is available at www.geoeye.com

Source and pictur: Lockheed Martin

PHI, Inc. Signs Contract For Ten AW139s

PHI, Inc. has signed a contract for ten AW139 medium twin helicopters. These aircraft will be used to perform offshore transport missions. Emilio Dalmasso, Senior Vice President Commercial Business Unit, AgustaWestland said, “We are proud to add PHI to our growing customer base. PHI’s order further confirms the already impressive success of the AW139 as the best selling medium twin helicopter among major players in the offshore world marketplace. As the Oil & Gas industry evolves further and its requirements become more and more demanding, we are sure the AW139 will prove a tremendous addition to the customer’s fleet to maximize operational effectiveness enabling PHI to be primed for any challenge.”

The AW139 has quickly become the aircraft of choice for offshore oil and gas support operations offering unparalleled features in its class in terms of performance, capacity and safety. The AW139 is ideally suited for the offshore role, with its large cabin and baggage compartments allowing it to transport 12 to 15 passengers, offering ease of access and egress by its large sliding doors. Remarkable space on board and modular solutions allows an easy and quick conversion to/from various configurations. The superior power of the two installed P&W PT6C-67C engines ensures the AW139 has the best performance in its weight class in all operating conditions. With its power reserve, the AW139 assures Category A (Class 1) superior performance from a helipad (elevated or at ground level) at maximum take-off weight with a superior one engine inoperative capability. Excellent payload and performance ensure unmatched productivity for offshore operations. Energy-absorbing landing gear, fuselage and seats as well as high main and tail rotor ground clearance provide added safety for the passengers and maintenance teams whilst on the ground. In addition to offshore transport, the AW139 can be used for a number of applications including executive/VIP transport, EMS/SAR, law enforcement and government duties. Almost 480 AW139 helicopters have been ordered so far by over 130 customers in almost 50 countries worldwide.

NASA, Internet Archive And Flickr Launch Historic Image Collection

WASHINGTON — Three compilations of images from more than half a century of NASA history are available for comment on a section of the photo-sharing site Flickr known as The Commons.

Visitors to NASA on The Commons can help tell the photos’ story by adding tags, or keywords, to the images to identify objects and people. In addition, viewers can communicate with other visitors by sharing comments. These contributions will help make the images easier to find online and add insight about NASA’s history.

The capability to interact with these already-public photos is the result of a partnership between NASA, Flickr from Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Internet Archive, a non-profit digital library based in San Francisco.

Three sets of photos share a common theme of NASA beginnings. The “Launch and Takeoff” set captures iconic spacecraft and aircraft taking flight. “Building NASA” spotlights ground-breaking events and the construction of some of NASA’s one-of-a-kind facilities. The “Center Namesakes” set features photos of the founders and figureheads of NASA’s 10 field centers. To view NASA on The Commons images, visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons

Source: NASA

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