Australian Helicopter Competition Heats Up

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2010/05/21/03.xml

Only a month into the Australian government's competition for new maritime helicopters and still a year away from a contract award, an interesting twist has been introduced into the battle between the Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R and the Eurocopter NH-90.

According to reports in the Australian press, the Australian government hid for 28 days the fact that it had to ground its first Eurocopter NH-90s after an aircraft suffered a catastrophic engine failure and had to limp back to base on a single engine.

Too few engineers to meet Boeing's need

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_engineer_shortage.html?source=rss

- Adam Bruckner has noticed a disturbing trend during his 38 years as a University of Washington professor of aeronautics engineering.

His tests are less rigorous. His students, less prepared. Even the format of classes is changing, morphing into something that requires less manpower and smaller amounts of state money.

Bruckner, the chair of the only aeronautical engineering program in the Pacific Northwest, is facing a crisis: a malnourished budget and a bad case of student unpreparedness.

A330-200F’s prospects as DC-10 replacement boosted as fuel prices rise: Airbus

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/21/342112/a330-200fs-prospects-as-dc-10-replacement-boosted-as-fuel-prices-rise.html



Airbus believes that the increasing cost of fuel will help draw demand for its A330-200Freighter from operators of McDonnell DouglasDC-10Fs, a target replacement market for the new cargo widebody.

Boeing expects decision on 737's future by year-end

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/05/21/342320/boeing-expects-decision-on-737s-future-by-year-end.html



Joining Albaugh at a recent investor meeting, Boeing CEO Jim McNerney says that increasing cash flow once the company begins 787 deliveries will enable Boeing to "ride high for a while" heading towards 737 and 777 development, adding "that's not a bad thing"