MARSS: Quasi-Civilian Spy Plane Service Ordered by Pentagon, Canada
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Telfords-Dash-7s-to-Supplement-Military-Surveillance-04947/
Dec 8/09: A $12.3 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide MARSS –
Canada Systems integration and logistics support for 2 King Air 300
commercial aircraft provided by Canada. This effort is currently
funded at 49% of the not-to-exceed price, until the contract can be
finalized. Work is to be performed in Hagerstown, MD (75%), and
Afghanistan (25%), with an estimated completion date of June 15/11.
One sole source bid was solicited with one bid received by the CECOM
Acquisition Center in Fort Monmouth, NJ, acting on behalf of its
foreign customer (W12P7T-07-C-W009).
The US military has planes like F-22A stealth fighters that make a lot
of news. It also has planes that make very little news, even though
they play key roles in a number of conflicts around the world. One
example is the RC-7B/EO-5B "Crazy Hawk"/ Airborne Reconnaissance Low
aircraft, who use their short-field takeoff capabilities and array of
imaging, signals collection, and radar sensors to monitor developments
on the ground. The RC-7B made the news briefly in 1999 when one went
down in Colombia, and again when the US military had to cancel the $8
billion ACS (Aerial Common Sensor) replacement program in 2006 and
start over in 2008. Meanwhile, the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq
is well suited to planes like the Dash-7 derived RC-7Bs.
Premium AEROTEC delivers 300th centre fuselage section for the Eurofighter
http://www.eads.net/1024/es/pressdb/pressdb/20091208_premium_aerotec_eurofighter.html
Europe's leading aerostructure specialist focuses on highly complex aircraft structures and modules
Augsburg, 08 December 2009
Premium AEROTEC delivered the 300th centre fuselage section for the Eurofighter "Typhoon". Hans Lonsinger, Chief Executive Officer, took the opportunity to highlight the capabilities of the company when it comes to delivering integrated aerostructures for both civil and military aircraft: "Premium AEROTEC is a proven provider to the military and civil aircraft sectors, especially for highly complex components. Today's delivery of the 300th Eurofighter centre fuselage section is excellent evidence of our expertise as a partner in complex military projects." Joachim Nägele, Head of Programmes and Sales, added that "you could say that the centre fuselage section is the 'backbone' of the Eurofighter – it bears all the stresses exerted on the airframe during supersonic flight and difficult aerial manoeuvres. We are proud to deliver the 300th centre fuselage section to our customer on schedule, while maintaining our high quality standards."
Premium AEROTEC produces the centre fuselage section for all four of the air forces involved in the Eurofighter programme (Great Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany) as well as for the additional export customers of Austria and Saudi Arabia, which have now joined the programme.
This makes Premium AEROTEC the largest structure supplier to the Eurofighter Partner Companies belonging to Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.
The centre fuselage section is about 6 metres long and is the most technically demanding segment of the Eurofighter. It primarily consists of an integral construction made of aluminium with titanium reinforcements, which is clad with a monolithic outer shell of carbon fibre composite material.
This enables the high strength required to bear the loads to which the central fuselage section will be subjected to be combined with a lightweight construction. After all, this part of the fuselage contains the integral tanks, the air inlet ducts to the engines and space for electronic and hydraulic components and also represents the backbone of the Eurofighter. The cockpit, the rear fuselage section including both of the engines, the wings and the main landing gear are mounted directly onto the centre fuselage section. This means that the centre fuselage section has to bear all of the static and dynamic forces that the aircraft is subjected to.
The integration of the centre fuselage section takes place in Augsburg's plant III, where a workforce of 330 people is employed in the section's integration as well as in the manufacturing of the cable sets. The Eurofighter "Typhoon's" centre fuselage section consists of three sections mainly consisting of the materials titanium, aluminium and CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastics). The complete integration of the centre fuselage sections with the Augsburg made cable sets takes place at the EADS plant in Manching, from where they are shipped to the final assembly lines for Germany (also in Manching), Italy (Torino), Spain (Getafe in the vicinity of Madrid) and UK (Warton Aerodrome).
The customer for Eurofighter orders of Premium AEROTEC's Augsburg plant is EADS Military Air Systems' Manching site, an integrated Business Unit of EADS Defence and Security.
Premium Aerotec has more than 6,000 employees and expects to generate revenues of about one billion Euros for 2009. Premium AEROTEC's core business is the development and manufacturing of metal and carbon composite aerostructures and the corresponding production systems. It has plants in Augsburg, Nordenham and Varel.
Bomber, Space Surveillance Eye Boost
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/NGB120909.xml&headline=Bomber,%20Space%20Surveillance%20Eye%20Boost
The on-again-off-again Next-Generation Bomber (or NGB, also called Long-Range Strike), could re-emerge with the Pentagon’s fiscal 2011 spending request going to Capitol Hill in February, Schwartz said during a luncheon speech last week at the Credit Suisse/Aviation Week Aerospace & Defense Finance conference here. Read more...
Bomber, Space Surveillance Eye Boost
The on-again-off-again Next-Generation Bomber (or NGB, also called
Long-Range Strike), could re-emerge with the Pentagon's fiscal 2011
spending request going to Capitol Hill in February, Schwartz said
during a luncheon speech last week at the Credit Suisse/Aviation Week
Aerospace & Defense Finance conference here.
El avión de transporte militar A400M realizará su primer vuelo el 11 de diciembre
http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=0643C8E43CF82CD4C12576870047424B
La aeronave posee el doble de capacidad que un C-130 Hércules
El A400M es un avión de transporte táctico y logístico militar con el
doble de capacidad de un C-130 "Hércules", pudiendo volar más lejos y
más rápido. Ha sido concebido para misiones estratégicas y
humanitarias a gran distancia, operaciones tácticas en escenarios
potencialmente hostiles y repostaje en vuelo a otros aviones de
transporte, de combate y helicópteros, así como reabastecerse en vuelo
el mismo desde otros aviones cisternas/nodriza. Puede transportar
hasta 37 toneladas, llevar helicópteros o 116 paracaidistas con sus
equipos, que pueden ser lanzados desde 12.000 metros a poco más de
cuatro metros.
Su fuselaje le permite transportar todos los tipos de carga de gran
tamaño, tales como un helicóptero NH90 o un CH-470 Chinook, o dos
vehículos de transporte de infantería. También puede transportar un
camión grande semiarticulado con un contenedor de seis metros o una
lancha de rescate, o equipos de gran tamaño, como excavadoras o grúas
móviles necesarias tras un desastre natural.
Puede aterrizar y despegar en y desde cualquier tipo de pista. Está
diseñado para realizar cargas y descargas con gran rapidez sin
necesidad de apoyo especializado en tierra.
El A400M -que puede alcanzar una velocidad máxima de crucero de 780
Km/hora, muy próxima a la de un avión a reacción- tiene una autonomía
con máxima carga de 3.295 km, de 4.534 con 30 toneladas de carga útil
y de 6.390 km con 20 toneladas de carga útil. Tiene una longitud total
de 45,1 metros, una altura total de 14,7 y una envergadura de 42,4.
El A400M es un proyecto desarrollado por Airbus Military, cuyo
ensamblaje final tendrá lugar en la factoría de Airbus Military en el
aeropuerto de San Pablo (Sevilla). En su desarrollo han participado
España, Francia, Alemania, Reino Unido, Turquía y Bélgica y ya cuenta
con pedidos de 184 unidades, realizados por España (27), Francia (50),
Alemania (60), Reino Unido (25), Turquía (10), Bélgica (7), Malasia
(4) y Luxemburgo (1).
Revista de Aeronautica Y Astronautica, ya en el Quisco
Este mes, especialmente interesante...
«Este mes la Revista se centra en un problema muy relevante en nuestros días como es la Piratería en aguas de Somalia, que tiene protagonismo en la portada así como en el dossier donde se analiza este problema que se está dando en el cuerno de África, los efectos que tiene así cómo la respuesta internacional de la Unión Europea y las posibles soluciones.
Respecto a los artículos destacamos: el padre del combate aéreo, los halcones de Gando, diario de una eyección, el primer vuelo del A400M, Navidad en la escuadrilla y la historia secreta del primer C-101 que fue tal vez el menos conocido de los cazas proyectados por Heinkel, empezó en papel secreto, terminó en papel mojado; de su existencia apenas quedaron unos pocos datos, algunos dibujos que durmieron medio siglo en el Colegio de Ingenieros Aeronáuticos y no hace mucho, José López Ruiz los extrajo para nosotros del cajón de la Historia ya que fue quien mejor conoció el proyecto CASA-Heinkel C-101.
La editorial de este número de diciembre recoge unas palabras del Jefe de Estado Mayor General del Aire José Jiménez Ruiz de entre las que destacamos: "... el liderazgo, la responsabilidad, el honor, el espíritu de sacrificio y la abnegación, el valor y la entrega, la disciplina en definitiva, son los parámetros que definirán nuestra capacidad para superar con éxito los retos presentes y para salir reforzados de las dificultades ...".»
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Boeing Successfully Completes 747-8 Freighter Engine Runs
EVERETT, Wash., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) successfully completed the first engine runs for the 747-8 Freighter. The milestone marks another step in the 747 program's steady progress in preparing for flight test.
"We are very pleased with the engines' performance during this test," said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. "The engines and all the systems performed as expected."
Engine runs began slightly before 10 a.m. (PST) Tuesday. During initial engine runs, the engines are started and operated at various power settings to ensure all systems perform as expected. The engine run test began with the auxiliary power system providing power to start the first of four General Electric GEnx-2B engines. The remaining three engines were started using the cross-bleed function.
Basic systems checks continued throughout the test. The engines were powered down and inspected and will be restarted following a technical review. The team completed a vibration check and monitored the shutdown logic to ensure it functioned as expected.
"This milestone is an exciting one for the GEnx-2B team and we anticipate the engines will continue the same high performance that we have experienced in our ground and flight tests," said Tom Brisken, general manager of the GEnx Program at GE Aviation.
The GEnx-2B engine is optimized for the 747-8. It helps provide customers with improved fuel efficiency, reductions in emissions and noise and a lower cost of ownership.
The 70mm Curse
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/20091209.aspx
December 9, 2009: For a decade now, there have been numerous efforts
(at least ten) to turn 70mm (2.75 inch) rockets into laser guided
missiles. Recently, one of the newer efforts (GATR, by ATK/Elbit)
successfully fired their missiles from a standard 70mm unguided rocket
launcher. Two years ago, one of the American missiles, DAGR was
declared ready for service, but the U.S. Department of Defense didn't
respond with any orders.
DAGR (and its competitors) would appear to be an ideal weapon, as most
also use the Hellfire fire control system.
El Cluster Aeroespacial de Madrid pone en marcha un grupo de trabajo sobre formación.
El Cluster Aeroespacial de Madrid ha constituido, ante las demandas de
la industria, un grupo de trabajo sobre formación en el sector
aeronáutico y espacial. El objetivo es responder a las necesidades de
las empresas y realizar acciones encaminadas a cubrirlas para hacerlas
más competitivas. En la primera reunión, celebrada en su sede, se
presentó un análisis elaborado por Foindesa (uno de sus socios), donde
se detalla la situación existente en. esta materia en el sector
aeronáutico y espacial de la Comunidad de Madrid. Se identifican las
exigencias que habría que cubrir para formar a los más de 2.700
profesionales al año que demanda el sector en la región. Una de las
primeras propuestas ha sido la de crear un observatorio de las
profesiones, que permitiría definir las profesiones del futuro y las
necesidades de formación, en colaboración con las autoridades
académicas.
United Places Major Order For B787, A350 XWB Aircraft
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?contentBlockId=9a570c9e-d9fc-47a0-b233-125ccdae913d
Company Awards 25 Firm Orders Each To Airbus and Boeing
United Airlines appears to be pulling out the stops with the
announcement Tuesday of a significant investment in the company's
future. The company placed widebody aircraft orders for 50 aircraft of
designs that have not yet flown. United has ordered 25 Airbus A350 XWB
aircraft and 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has future purchase
rights for 50 of each aircraft
Gryphon winged suit drops in for some serious air time
El Proyecto ALAS, llevado un paso más allá...
The Gryphon winged suit has a 5:1 glide ratio, electronic guidance system and heads-up display
Are you were waiting for a good reason to join the armed forces? Perhaps you are just a kid who always dreamed of flying and never grew up, or maybe you are thinking of challenging Yves (Jetman) Rossy in the human winged flight game? This could be the opportunity you've been waiting for. Get ready to duck … the Gryphon Next Generation Parachute System could be headed your way. Although engine-less, the Gryphon still has an electronic guidance system and heads-up display navigation and all equipment is cleverly tucked away making for better "stealth" flights.
Read more...
Space technology optimises windmill efficiency
Space technology optimises windmill efficiency
A French start-up company from ESA's Business Incubation Centre in the Netherlands has developed a small instrument to measure wind speed and direction from the ground up to heights of 200 metres – information that is vital when deciding where to build a wind turbine to produce electricity.
The French company Leosphere developed their system Windcube using 'lidar' (light detection and ranging) remote-sensing technology to measure wind speed and direction, turbulence and wind shear with great precision. Using a laser beam to measure the distance to objects is similar to how sonar measures distances underwater using sound pulses.
The lidar concept being used by Leosphere is similar to that ESA will use on its Aeolus Earth Explorer Atmospheric Dynamics Mission, to provide global observations of wind profiles from space to improve the quality of weather forecasts, and to advance our understanding of atmospheric dynamics and climate processes. Aeolus is planned for launch in 2011.
"Windcube sends laser pulses to measure wind characteristics. The laser light is scattered on its path by particles in the air, such as dust, water and aerosols, and bounced back to an optical sensor. These signals capture the movement in atmosphere particles and by mathematical calculations we can determine the absolute wind speed and direction in the laser pulse's line of sight," explains Laurent Sauvage, Leosphere Scientific Director.
Kick-started by ESA BIC's business support
Leosphere was supported during its start-up phase by ESA's Business Incubation Centre (BIC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. The company also collaborated with the French ONERA aerospace laboratory during development.
"We were supported by ESA experts to refine our business plan and they helped us with our system development. Actually, thanks to the strong support we received at ESTEC, and the excellent information provided by ESA's lidar experts with their unique experience operating equipment in severe environmental conditions, we have been able to develop our business throughout Europe," says Laurent Sauvage.
ESA gave the technology development a major push though its business incubation initiative. Errico Armandillo, head of the Opto-Electronic Section at ESA, explained: "Our expertise from Aeolus turned out to be highly relevant for Leosphere's engineers in designing a system to best resist temperature variations, to optimise its weight and to define the best coating for the optics. Knowhow from ESA engineers on working in hostile space environments turned out to be very useful for them."
Don't raise mast, send the light
If new wind farms are to be profitable, it is essential to know the local wind conditions and to identify the best position for each wind turbine. Understanding the wind conditions can be difficult because trees, cliffs or hills affect the strength and direction. A typical method is to raise masts and then estimate wind conditions. The Windcube can replace or complement this method.
Klaus Andersen from Alpha Wind Energy, Denmark, says: "The Windcube fulfils our requirement to do accurate wind measurement in remote locations where a conventional mast is not feasible for various reasons. Leosphere has made it possible for Alpha Wind Energy to move into a new technology, which will make wind measurements possible in places previously inaccessible."
Same technology now also in other fields
Leosphere has designed several portable lidar systems for the environmental market, following the business plan developed and validated at the ESA BIC in Noordwijk.
"With our Windcube system we can measure the wind profile at ten programmable measurement heights in the range of either 40–200 m or 100–5000 m vertically above the point of measurement, depending on the needs of our customers. In addition, we have developed other systems using the same lidar technology to measure clouds and aerosol parameters. More than 80 systems are now installed in 14 countries, contributing to regional and global monitoring of meteorological and climate change processes," added Laurent Sauvage.
Considered to be an emerging technology just a few years ago, the wind and aerosol lidar technology is now widely used for routine observation instruments feeding meteorological databases and models
Read more...
Photo: Pearl Harbour, dec 7, 1941
Torpedo planes attack "Battleship Row" at about 0800 on 7 December, seen from a Japanese aircraft. Ships are, from lower left to right: Nevada (BB-36) with flag raised at stern; Arizona (BB-39) with Vestal (AR-4) outboard; Tennessee (BB-43) with West Virginia (BB-48) outboard; Maryland (BB-46) with Oklahoma (BB-37) outboard; Neosho (AO-23) and California (BB-44). West Virginia, Oklahoma and California have been torpedoed, as marked by ripples and spreading oil, and the first two are listing to port. Torpedo drop splashes and running tracks are visible at left and center. White smoke in the distance is from Hickam Field. Grey smoke in the center middle distance is from the torpedoed USS Helena (CL-50), at the Navy Yard's 1010 dock. Japanese writing in lower right states that the image was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry. NHHC Photograph.
Read more...
Yesterday, December 7th 1941...
Publicado originalmente aqui por Ignacio
Hoy 7 de diciembre exactamente se cumplen 68 años de la entrada de los EEUU en la IIGM.
Seguro que todos hemos escuchado estas palabras en cortes de juegos, canciones, progamas de radio y TV.
Os ofrecemos hoy, en respetuoso silencio, la transcripción original de aquella sombría locución.
Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:
Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
(Ya no aparece en el video)
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
Fuel Cell Flyer
December 8, 2009: The U.S. Navy has been experimenting with powering
lightweight UAVs with fuel cells. One of these aircraft recently
stayed aloft for 26 hours. The Ion Tiger UAV is a 37 pound aircraft
that carries a 9.5 pound tank of compressed hydrogen to power the fuel
cell battery that runs the engine. Also carried is a five pound sensor
payload (day/night vidcam).
Eurofighter encarga a España la comercialización del caza en Corea del Sur
http://www.infodefensa.com/esp/noticias/noticias.asp?cod=2107&n=Eurofighter-encarga-a-Espa%F1a-la-comercializaci%F3n-del-caza-en-Corea-del-Sur
08/12/2009 (Infodefensa.com) Madrid - La compañía europea Eurofighter ha responsabilizado a su equipo en España la campaña de venta del caza en Corea del Sur, país que podría adquirir entre 100 y 140 unidades, lo que representaría un contrato de más de 8.000 millones de euros, con soporte logístico y mantenimiento.
Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceshipTwo
http://www.gizmag.com/spaceshiptwo-unveiled/13536/
Gallery
http://www.gizmag.com/spaceshiptwo-unveiled/13536/gallery/
The SS2 draws on the experience developed during the successful flights of SS1 in 2004, which won the Ansari X-Prize for completing the world's first manned private space flights. The WK2 mothership has now also completed a year of rigorous and successful first phase flight-testing prior to today's attachment of SS2. Virgin Galactic says the SS2's design will be refined and completed during an extensive test flying program to commence shortly, and it will be an entirely new vehicle by the time it is capable of carrying up to six passenger astronauts and up to two pilot astronauts into space on a sub-orbital flight. By then SS2 will be powered by a unique hybrid rocket motor, which is currently under development.
Read more...
The Flex-Seat offers even Economy Class fliers the chance of a good night's sleep
http://www.gizmag.com/airline-seating-innovation/13535/
Gallery
http://www.gizmag.com/airline-seating-innovation/13535/gallery/
The Flex-Seat is a unique flexible seating configuration that can be utilized differently for each class of flier. While some business class passengers might feel that they are perched precariously in their seats, their Flex-Seat model allows them to lie in comfort and virtual solitude, which offers a much greater chance of restful sleep on long flights than current seating arrangements.
Other benefits over current business class sections include increased privacy (good for traveling professionals), allows for travel with infants, and has extra room for large carry-on luggage and bulky items. Passengers and luggage are stored away from the aisles, allowing better traffic flow while loading and unloading passengers. Also, these seats don't need reclining mechanisms, as the diagram shows.
Jacob Innovations say this Flex-Seat configuration can increase the density of a conventional business class by up to 50 percent, while providing full reclining. With clever configuration and mobility, Flex-Seats can even be sold "on-demand" by airlines.
Read more...
Russia’s Ka-52 Alligator Scout-Attack Helicopters
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Russias-Ka-52-Alligator-Scout-Attack-Helicopters-05150/
Dec 7/09: Russian Helicopters JSC, which includes the Kamov, Mil, and Kazan design bureaus, announces a combined public and private investment of RUB 6 billion (about $200 million) to modernize manufacturing at the Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress plant, which makes the Ka-52.
UAV
Technion flies 1kg rotorcraft UAV with pocket PC
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/08/335865/technion-flies-1kg-rotorcraft-uav-with-pocket-pc.html
A 1kg (2.2lb) remotely controlled helicopter has been flight-tested by researchers at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology's faculty of computer science using a pocket PC with a three-dimensional map.
Imaging morphing Falcon wings to aid micro air vehicles, says AFRL
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/08/335863/imaging-morphing-falcon-wings-to-aid-micro-air-vehicles-says.html
"The researchers used stereo-vision analysis techniques to derive a three-dimensional mapping of the wing from the images," says AFRL. "This data will enable engineers to study not only the shape of the bird's wing, but also the morphing that occurs during manoeuvres."
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