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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has made a $1.32-billion purchase of Boeing 737s, having found them as a leading low-cost platform for Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system requirements. Boeing was leading a team consisting of Northrop Gruman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector, among others, against a team lead by Raytheon. Having won the Australian 'Wedgetail' competition, Boeing and Northrop Gruman may take a lead when competing again against the Raytheon in the next major AEW&C competition in Turkey. Australia's defense forces have been seeking an AEW&C platform for some time, but were unable to due to its high cost. However, the RAAF's interest in purchasing was renewed by the role that airborne command and control held during the gulf war.

Rocket Systems Corp. (RSC) has been forced to wait as it readies to place the first components of its redesigned vehicle, the H-2A, into flight due to payload delays. The new launcher is not expected to receive its first full flight test until February 2000, at which time it will carry the Advanced Relay and Technology Mission Satellite (Artemis) in orbit for the European Space Agency (ESA). The booster is not expected to get its first commercial payload until at least 2001. RSC had intended a debut of half the H-2A on August 5, 1999, when Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) expected to use it to place MTSAT into orbit. MTSAT is the nation's first dedicated spacecraft for a global positioning satellite system.

Japan's airline market has two newcomers seeking to take advantage of airline deregulation and attempt to compete against those established already in the market. Skymark Airlines, a subsidiary of Japan's leading travel agency, and Hokkaido International Airlines (Air Do). They offered 50% discounts on some of the most profitable routes in Japan and sapped revenues of Japan AIr System (JAS), Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways.Despite initially grabbing passenger interest, both upstarts are finding it hard to set up a dependable customer base and their problem reflects the nature of Japan and its 120 million, with extensive and rather inexpensive air routes along with a well-developed road network and a very fast and competitive rail system.

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space's (LMMS) new Landsat Earth-imaging spacecraft will be launched on April 15, 1999. The Landsat 7 will have an improved field of view and better data storage and is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program. This spacecraft is the last of its kind and marks the end of an era for the very large, powerful and expensive Landsat Earth-imagers. The next step planned by NASA is to create something smaller and cheaper and also faster to build. The Earth Observation -1 (EO-1) will be about one-seventh the size and will only need a quarter of the power of the Landsat 7 as well has have an imaging swath just a fifth as wide as its predecessor. Launch of this smaller spacecraft is slated for December 1999 and it will be launched into a duplicate orbit so it will work from the same imaging baseline as Landsat 7.

Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd. (Gameco) is expanding its operating capability by seeking more third-party work; capitalizing on the construction of a new airport in Guangzhou; and setting up a new base of operations in Wuhan, where an airport has been built. Gameco's goal is to make third-party accounts about a third of its business. China Southern Airways owns 50% of Gameco and accounts for 80% of its business. Gameco and its partners have invested $25 million in the Wuhan facility to build two hangars. Gameco has invested $120 million in the Guangzhou airport for hangar facilities.

China Southern Airways (CSA), in its effort to fight against a slow domestic and company economy, is looking to increase its presence in the United States market. CSA has begun a code-share agreement with Delta Air Lines, connecting CSA's Los Angeles gateway with 15 U.S. cities. CSA is also considering purchasing an added gross weight certification to open a potential of up to 22.5 tons of cargo. In the first half of 1998, CSA lost a net $8.7 million, down 7.8% from the same period in 1997.

Wind tunnel tests have been completed at NASA Ames Research Center's Moffett Field in California in March 1999 of a full-scale replica of the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer and are part of activities to mark the 2003 centennial of their first powered, heavier-than-air controlled flight. The Los Angeles section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) built the model which was tested at Moffett. There are several efforts being made to construct and fly replicas of the 1903 Flyer during the centennial. It is expected that the tests made at Moffett will provide engineers, as well as historians, the best hard data. The plans by several other groups and individuals as to testing of this and other Wright brother planes is discussed in further detail.

The article focuses on the aerospace industry company United Launch Alliance. The company's activities in the modification of the guided missile and spacecraft launching facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is discussed. The renovation was to enable the facility to be able to launch the Delta IV Heavy rocket for the launching of artificial satellites and other space vehicles.

The article reports on the manufacturing plan of Boeing for the 747-8. According to the author, the production is centered in Building 40:22 at the wide-body airplane headquarters of the firm in Seattle, Washington and reflects the manufacturing legacy of the airplane. Vice president Paul Nuyen will oversee the manufacturing of 747-8. The company predicts that 60% of the 830 freighters due to enter the market in the next 20 years, from the period of 2011 to 2030, will be new.

The article focuses on the flight-test program being conducted by aircraft manufacturer Boeing for its 787 transport. The program requires the completion of three tests come December 31, 2009, one of which was completed by the prototype aircraft ZA001 while the second flight will involve the second prototype ZA002. A rainy weather almost prevented the ZA001 from taking off yet the skies cleared toward takeoff time. Vice president and general manager Scott Francher believes that the first flight stands as a good indicator for the rest of the program.

The article focuses on the efforts of Boeing to address the technical challenges it face covering its 787 jet program. The company has failed to accomplish its goal of flying the aircraft for the first time in the last week of June 2009 which it attributed to the airplane's composite wing induced delamination and deformation on body joint points during pre-flight stress test. Delays of the flight started in September 2007 with the break down of the supply chain. It was followed by problems in program development and the latest is wing bending problems.

The article reports that suppliers for the Boeing 787 are closer to making complete airframe shipments. Presently, all of the aircraft in Building 40-26 at Boeing's Everett, Washington wide-body headquarters are for the flight-test program. The static and fatigue airframes have been moved to their test stands. The first flight airplane, ZA001, has passed the power-on test of its electrical systems and is undergoing specific systems tests. For the 787, Boeing wants wings and fuselages shipped to Everett with hydraulic, mechanical and electrical systems.

The article reports on the concerns about the ability of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to fairly conduct competition, which are raised by the U.S. Air Force's $35-billion refueler deal. It is said that the deal is also thwarting Airbus's plans to secure a stateside manufacturing foothold. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends the Air Force to reopen discussions with the offerors, obtain revised proposals, re-evaluate the revised proposals, and make a new source selection decision.

The article focuses on the decision of Boeing to increase research and development funding in 2008 as it works its way out of production delays on the 787 aircraft and overcomes the drag that program put on other new products. The new 787 schedule and additional 747-8 development costs will require an increase of $400-600 million in total research & development (R&D) funding, raising the total this year to $3.6-$3.8 billion, according to chief financial officer (CFO) James Bell.

The article reports on the debut of Atlas V on the Pacific Coast. The first mission liftoff, scheduled on February 26, 2008 is for the National Reconnaissance Office using an Atlas V in a 411 configuration. Although classified, mission L-28 is believed to be a signals intelligence satellite bearing an attached Space-Based Infrared System Highly Elliptical Orbit payload for missile defense.

Lufthansa Technik, the aircraft maintenance provider and unit of the German airline Lufthansa, is planning to use SAP R/3 software program to better coordinate its activities and cut its operating cost. The company serves the Boeing and Airbus aircraft operated by Lufthansa Group.

The article presents information on Global Aeronautica LLC, a joint venture between Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. of Dallas and Italy's Alenia Aeronautica SpA. Vought built the 342,000-sq.-ft. factory in a swamp beside a civil-military airport in North Charleston, South Carolina, to support the Boeing's 787 program. The factory can make just-in-time deliveries of composite fuselages for Boeing 787.

This article reports that after waiting three decades for enabling technology to catch up with its design ideas, GE Aviation is deeply embedding itself in composite materials as a next-generation answer to making engines quieter and cheaper to own and operate. The payoff is coming in the GEnx engine, which made its first run on March 19, 2006 when Serial No. 001 was started on test stand 6A at the company's Test Operation Center in Peebles, Ohio. The first fruition of GE's composite technology appeared in fan blades for the GE90 series for Boeing's 777 family, an engine development investment that brought years of market struggle for GE but is now paying off.

This article reports that even as 2005 ended with Asian carriers splurging on orders, their acquisition plans for this year include more than 200 additional short and long-haul aircraft. It seems the region, led by China and India, has an insatiable appetite for new aircraft. Studies by the International Air Transport Association put their combined profit in 2005 at $1.5 billion, compared with $1.3 billion in Europe, and a net loss of $10 billion in the U.S. The International Civil Aviation Organization's forecast expects the Asia-Pacific countries to supplant Europe this year as the second largest aviation region after North America.

This article reports that India has become another major market in the Asia-Pacific mix thanks to the confluence of its economy and a workforce skilled in computing, science and manufacturing. At last year's Paris air show, its airlines signed up for 140 new aircraft. Morgan Stanley analysts Heidi Wood and Greg Alexopoulos are skeptical about the groundswell of these growth plans, but there's no denying India's promise. For the aerospace industry, an even more important India-specific shift is underway. After decades of a U.S. boycott over its nuclear development program, warmer trade and defense relations have been established, as witnessed by a scheduled visit from U.S. President George W. Bush this month, and India is opening its industry and military contracts to foreign participation as never before.

The article focuses on the 787 aircraft program by Boeing Co. The company is now investigating how shape-memory alloys, which make engine chevrons more efficient, and noise-absorbing nacelle lip liners might reduce the need to carry as much noise-absorbing insulation in the fuselage. The chevron and nacelle tests are part of a broader effort to reduce cabin and airport noise that Boeing, General Electric, Goodrich Aerostructures Group and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Langley Research Center undertook in August 2005 at Boeing's Glasgow Flight Test Facility. INSET: Anticipating Certification.

This article reports that Boeing Co. chief's ouster creates shock waves on both sides of the Atlantic, and ignites debate about whether an outsider will be tapped to run the company. Just one month ago, Harry C. Stonecipher waved off a question about who might succeed him as president and CEO of Boeing Co. Boeing's board abruptly sent him packing over an extramarital affair with a female company executive, complete with e-mails. The race is on to lead the world's largest aerospace company, and much sooner than Stonecipher had anticipated. Whoever it is will face the challenge of bruising competition from Europe's Airbus in the commercial airliner business and looming pressure on Boeing's defense business from an expected decline in Pentagon procurement. The new chief also will inherit a company whose reputation is just beginning to recover from high-profile defense procurement scandals that led to the ousters in late 2003 of Phil Condit as chairman/CEO and Michael Sears as chief financial officer.

The article focuses on possible changes in the inflight entertainment industry. The inflight entertainment establishment is regrouping, pumping up the "wow" factor in seatback imagery and pushing hard to let Internet savvy passengers do at 30,000 feet what they're accustomed to doing on the street. However, an insurgency has been building over the past year, bent on convincing airlines that their IFE choices can be more portable, less costly and possibly a great new source of revenue. Last year, airline expenditures on inflight entertainment, cabin communications products and services were up 17 percent, reaching $1.6 billion.

Japan, which is about the size of California, has not developed a two-city equivalent of Los Angeles and San Francisco as international gateways. Instead, the air services of this country of 128 million — 3.5 times the size of California — are dominated by just one city — Tokyo, Japan. But with the backing of some of Japan's best known companies, the central Japanese city of Nagoya has plans to change that profile by opening a new airport with an emphasis on regional passenger and cargo traffic, and expanding operations for executive jets. As Nagoya acts, the Japanese transport ministry is updating Tokyo's big domestic and international airports.

Whether in new airliners, fighter competitions, air traffic management requirements or finding new ways to calm jittery passengers, the Asia-Pacific region has regained its place as the world's most dynamic market. The aerospace industry gathers this week in Singapore for Asian Aerospace 2004. Airbus and Boeing are both putting new versions of long-haul medium and large transports into the market this year. Singapore Airlines Ltd. debuted the Airbus star earlier this month on a flight the carrier has long wanted to make — nonstop from Los Angeles to Singapore.

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s plan for building the James Webb Space Telescope emphasizes using established technology, continuity with earlier programs and lots of testing. The art and reality of building a major orbiting observatory has been compared to the creation of one of Europe's great cathedrals. Both require a grand plan, an ability to keep working under stress and similar amounts of toil. Eight years from now, an Ariane 5 is expected to boost the 5,400-kg. (11,880-lb.) observatory toward the second Lagrangian point (L2), 1.5 million km. (930,000 mi.) beyond Earth's orbit. L2 offers the closest practical orbit for the deep space cold soak that the telescope needs.

Reports on the challenge of assembling aircraft for different types of customer. Views from Martin McLaughlin, a senior Northrop Grumman manager, on the issue; Types of materials used in producing wings for the conventual takeoff and landing aircraft; Techniques in making different aircrafts without incurring high costs.

Reports on the results of 'Aviation Week & Space Technology's survey about the aerospace industries' information technology (IT) and e-business strategies. Primary objectives in pursuing e-business; Return received on IT investment; e-capabilities in place or planned; e-business solution implementation; Use or intention to use exchanges.

Reports on the search for ways to make information technology and electronic business applications successful ingredients for airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations as the electronic revolution expands. Web support from original equipment makers; Considerations of airlines when attempting to transition from its mainframe to either a client/server or browser-based system.

The Canadian Space Agency's Radarsat system uses synthetic aperture technology to provide superior imaging useful in many applications. Radarsat proved useful in imaging the floods of China's Yangtze River and the Arctic glaciers.

The Lunar Prospector vehicle found strong indications that large amounts of ice may lay beneath the polar surfaces of the Moon. The vehicle used neutron spectometry to discover the possibility that an estimated 3 billion metric tons of water are present in the Moon.

The Asian economic crisis has had an adverse impact on the region's commercial communications satellites industry and government sponsored space programs. Global analysts believe that both sectors should recover by the years 2000 to 2001.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will award a contract in September 1998 to build a spacecraft which will be sent out to discover new planets. Lockheed Martin, TRW, and Ball Aerospace are all candidates for the Space Interferometry Mission contract.

Unigraphics Solutions is the new name of the producer of software for computer-aided design, manufacturing, engineering and product data management. Use of Unigraphics' products and other CAD/CAM/CAE/PDM software by aircraft designers is described.

China's economic development program might further impact the Civil Aviation Administration of China's approvals of airlines' orders for Boeing aircraft. Pres Clinton's visit to China is expected to boost Chinese aircraft orders. Asia's economic crisis has not significantly affected the performance of the Chinese civil aviation sector.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has developed an air traffic training simulator known as the Surface Development and Test Facility. The 360-degree facility can produce 3-dimensional images very closely resembling reality.

The satellite and space vehicle industry is responding positively to the rapid deployment of spacecraft for science, Earth observation and interplanetary missions. This development has particularly benefitted NASA.

The planned reform of China's unwieldy aerospace industry and the possibility that the equally unwieldy Aviation Industries of China will be broken up is being welcomed by international aerospace companies with cautious optimism.

Boeing Co and Airbus Industrie say that they are very optimistic about doing lucrative business in Asia despite the economic turmoil that has embroiled Asia. The problems are expected to lead to the loss of $2 billion in 1998 operating profits for the world's airlines.

Questions are being raised in the West about the effects the economic turmoil in Asia will have on the region's emerging aerospace industry. The West believes that to build a strong industry, Asia's aerospace industry must consolidate its activities.

Reports on the finding that aerospace manufacturers are motivated to develop Internet sites for fear of being left behind in the competition according to a survey by Deloitte Consulting and `Aviation Week & Space Technology.' Experimentation and willingness of companies to enter the electronic business relationships.

Reports on worldwide airplane manufacturers' focus on Asian airlines in the wake of the region's economic recovery in 2000. Other factors that contributed to the delay of the introduction of aircraft; Efforts of the region's largest carriers to join global alliances to increase their marketing strengths; Implications of having a worldwide fleet of code-sharing partners; Passengers' use of alliance members' hubs.

Malaysia will buy up to 50% of Avro, maker of the RJ aircraft, leaving British Aerospace with a controlling interest. The net impact may be the transfer of technology to Malaysia, and aircraft production is expected to benefit the Asian economy.

AlliedSignal Aerospace is using a demand forecasting software package from LPA Software to control its inventory and ensure that below-average fill orders are promptly filled. The new software replaces a batch processing system developed in the 1950s.

Design analysis has become efficient and less costly through the implementation of computer simulation and computer software at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space. Computer scientists are a major part of the company's workforce and team ventures have become an essential part of the company's business practices.

Boeing has digitized the next generation of the 737 and created a new aircraft. Faster flight times and lower operating costs were requested by Boeing customers, not advanced technology. The computer-aided design and manufacturing software suite has been improved.

A Congressional report says that the Navy will be more adversely affected than other branches of the armed services by the advent of the Year 2000 and the reduced accuracy and reliability it will bring to the Defense Dept.'s software inventory systems.

Aerojet has received 34 Kuznetsov Model NK-33 and NK-44 engines that will be used Kitsler Aerospace's K-1 reusable launch vehicle. The engines, which will be modified by Aerojet at its Sacramento, CA plant, will be ready for a test flight in 1998. Aeroject has contracted for 76 Kuznetsov engines in all.

The US is negotiating with Japan over opening up its air transportation market to US airlines in exchange for opening up the US to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Japan is warm to the US' 'open skies' proposal as the Japanese airlines need greater access to the US to compete with US carriers.

EDS forecasts major growth in the airline management services as airlines increasingly outsource information systems-intensive functions such as ticketing and maintenance. EDS committed to the airline business in a big way in 1991 with its 10-year, $2.1 billion deal to manage Continental's computer operations.