Sky Talk

Boeing 787 takes to the air at long last

Boeing's revolutionary 787 jetliner, with the bulk of its major structural components made of carbon fiber composites (high strength, high tech plastic) finally made its first flight today.

The company hasn't yet issued a press release and news coverage so far is sketchy, but here's a You Tube video of the takeoff.

In development since 2003, design and production of the test aircraft has proved far more difficult than Boeing anticipated, with today's flight two-plus years behind schedule. American Airlines is one of the many carriers that have ordered nearly 1,000 of the aircraft, which Boeing promises will provide dramatic operating cost reductions and a more comfortable ride for passengers.

Vought Aircraft Industires of Dallas played a major role in development of the 787.

We'll post more details or news as we get it.

-Bob Cox

 

Fokker is back

Dutch conglomerate Stork Aerospace has decided to capitalize on its heritage and a great brand name and beginning in January will become Fokker Aerospace Group., the company announced Wednesday.

"This decision has been taken because the Fokker name is regarded in the international aerospace market as an extremely strong brand, and one that is inseparably linked around the world with aviation, aircraft building, constant innovation and entrepreneurship," the company said in its press release.

"The brand’s 90th anniversary is an excellent opportunity to make even better use of its unique image for the positioning of the companies. This strong, clear brand name will make a major contribution to that aim."

With 3,700 employees, the Fokker Aerospace Group is a major component and systems supplier to aircraft builders like Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and even Lockheed Martin. The company is a supplier to the F-35 joint strike fighter program and has maintained a presence in Fort Worth almost since the inception of the F-35 program.

In modern times company, probably best known for the Fokker Dr.I Triplane and Fokker D.VII fighters used by Germany in World War I, built a fleet of smaller airliners in use worldwide, including the Fokker 100s formerly flown by American Airlines.

- Bob Cox

Wanted: Way to cool off carrier decks

This isn't exactly breaking news to anyone who has paid attention to the V-22 Osprey program in recent years, but the Navy has found that when a jet engine dumps its exahust straight down onto the deck of an aircraft carrier or one its amphibious assault ships the heat does bad things to the steel.

Now, with the Marines MV-22 beginning to see service aboard ships and the looming entry into service a few years from now of the F-35B short-takeoff-vertical landing variant, the Navy is hoping somebody out there can find a solution that will keep these planes from wrecking its flight decks.

Both the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have put out bulletins calling for ideas from industry and researchers.

Here's the ONR's summary of the problem:

Navy studies have indicated that repeated deck buckling will cause deck failure at approximately 40 percent of planned ship life. With the upcoming deployment of he F-35B STOVL Joint Strike Fighter, it is anticipated that the engine exhaust plumes will have a severe thermo-mechanical impact on the non-skid surface and flight deck structure of ships. ...  During STOVL operations of these aircraft, engine exhaust is angled or positioned downward, directing the hot exhaust onto the horizontal deck surface, thereby subjecting that surface to higher than normal temperatures. For the MV-22 the localized region of heating, surrounded by regions of cooler deck plate and mechanical constraints of the deck structure (longitudinal and transverse stiffening beams are located under the deck plate) has lead to the observation of thermally induced buckling which appears after approximately 10 minutes of aircraft operation (while the aircraft is sitting on the deck turning rotors). Currently there are no available solutions.

And DARPA's hoped for technological solution:

Currently, there are no available strategies to mitigate deck buckling and thermal-mechanical deck failure other than heavy structural modifications.  The goal of this effort is to exploit thermal management technologies that incorporate a thermally and functionally stable non-skid surface which meets Navy requirements for application, safety, and performance.  Eligible technologies should consist of an integrated Thermal Management System (TMS) that mitigates the thermo-mechanical structural impact of the F-35B engine exhaust plumes.

See commentary at Aviation Week's Ares blog and at Defense Springboard.

- Bob Cox

 

 

 

Israel says no interest in buying V-22

Bell Helicopter and Boeing are still looking for someone other than the U.S. Marines and Air Force to shell out big bucks for the V-22 Osprey.

Flight Global reports today that Israeli Air Forceofficials say they are no longer considering buying V-22s.

Israel confirmed in 2007 that it was evaluating the V-22 tilt-rotor, but an air force source says its interest has now been terminated. "The V-22 is not on our current list," the source adds.

The need for a new vertical take-off and landing aircraft became more acute following a decision to phase out some of the air force's legacy CH-53s. As an interim measure, it is prolonging the service lives of some of these aircraft by upgrading them to the CH-53 2025 configuration.

"We will wait for the CH-53K and evaluate it when it flies," says the air force source. The new type will maintain almost all the basic capabilities of Sikorsky's previous CH-53E, but will be capable of lifting a much heavier payload.

- Bob Cox

Special Delivery

The 2010 Chevy Camaro pace car was sent "special delivery" to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday's race aboard a military Chinook helicopter.

- Bob Cox

Lockheed wooing S. Korea to buy F-35

Steve Trimble, very good aviation reporter for Flight Global, posts on his Dew Line blog today that Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force are in South Korea trying to win hearts, minds and orders for the F-35.

Boeing is also working to convince the South Koreans that its F-15SE Silent Eagle (see photo), a modified version of the F-15E that can be made less visible to radar, can give more bang for the buck. Check it out.

- Bob Cox

It's official: Charleston lands 787 production line

BREAKING NEWS

Boeing just announced that it had indeed chosen to locate its second production line for the 787 Dreamliner in South Carolina, moving quickly after negotiations with the Machinists union in Washington state over a no-strike contract broke down. Here's Boeing's press release.

SEATTLE, Oct. 28  -- Boeing today announced that it has chosen its North Charleston, S.C., facility as the location for a second final assembly site for the 787 Dreamliner program. Boeing evaluated criteria that were designed to find the final assembly location within the company that would best support the 787 business plan as the program increases production rates. In addition to serving as a location for final assembly of 787 Dreamliners, the facility also will have the capability to support the testing and delivery of the airplanes.

"Establishing a second 787 assembly line in Charleston will expand our production capability to meet the market demand for the airplane," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This decision allows us to continue building on the synergies we have established in South Carolina with Boeing Charleston and Global Aeronautica," he said, adding that this move will strengthen the company's competitiveness and sustainability and help it grow for the long term.

Boeing Charleston performs fabrication, assembly and systems installation for the 787 aft fuselage sections. Across the street, Global Aeronautica, which is 50 percent owned by Boeing, is responsible for joining and integrating 787 fuselage sections from other structural partners.

Until the second 787 assembly line is brought on line in North Charleston, Boeing will establish transitional surge capability at its Everett, Wash., location to ensure the successful introduction of the 787-9, the first derivative model of the 787. When the second line in Charleston is up and operating, the surge capability in Everett will be phased out.

"We're taking prudent steps to protect the interests of our customers as we introduce the 787-9 and ramp up overall production to 10 twin-aisle 787 jets per month," said Albaugh.

"While we welcome the development of this expanded capability at Boeing Charleston, the Puget Sound region is the headquarters of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Everett will continue to design and produce airplanes, including the 787, and there is tremendous opportunity for our current and future products here," Albaugh emphasized. "We remain committed to Puget Sound."

Approximately 55 airlines have ordered around 840 787 airplanes since the program was launched in 2003. The 787 family of airplanes will carry 200 to 250 passengers on flights up to 8,200 nautical miles (15,200 km). The 787 will be more efficient, quieter and have lower emissions than other airplanes while offering passengers greater comfort and the convenience of direct, nonstop flights between more cities around the world.

"The 787 will provide airlines with unprecedented operating economics and efficiencies. It also will take passengers where they want to go, when they want to go, and do it more comfortably and affordably than ever before," Albaugh said. "This airplane will allow us to continue to set the standard for commercial aviation in the second century of flight."

Here's Boeing's 787 web site:http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/index.html

- Bob Cox

Boeing may add 787 production line Charleston

Negotiations between Boeing and the Machinists union over a 10-year no strike contract agreement have broken down, according to the Seattle Times, and Boeing now seems likely to go ahead with plans to locate a second 787 production line in Charleston, S.C.

Boeing management has turned down further talks over the potential 10-year no-strike agreement the company had sought," the Times reported today.

"The union wants to continue talking," said this source, who is not aligned with the union. "The Boeing Co. does not want to talk any further.

"The company is fairly close to being done, if not done already."

- Bob Cox

 

South's gonna rise again -- to help sell Airbus tankers

Boeing and the state of Washington better look out. The South is ganging up on them.

The governors of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, Republicans all, today announced "the launch of The Aerospace Alliance,"  a private/public partnership that aims to "establish the Gulf Coast  and surrounding region as a world class aerospace, space and aviation corridor."

They will settle, at least in the next year or two, on helping Northrop Grumman and EADS North America win a giant Pentagon contract to buy Airbus-built jets, assembled and modified in Mobile, Ala., for Air Force aerial refueling tankers. It's a highly contentious process that's been under way since, oh, at least 2001, and the Air Force has yet to get a contract signed that is acceptable ethically, legally and politically. The latter part is the hardest since the competition, for all intents and purposes, is between Airbus and Boeing. 

The press release for the Southern coalition states in part:

If the KC-45 aircraft is selected, the tankers will be assembled in Mobile, Alabama, bringing 48,000 direct and indirect jobs to the country, and thousands of direct and indirect jobs to the region.  With the tanker program, the region would be one of the largest in the world to build large-body aircraft, along with France and the Pacific Northwest. The Aerospace Alliance will identify, educate, organize and activate allies to aggressively communicate why the KC-45 is the best solution for the war fighter, for the Gulf Coast and surrounding region, and ultimately for the United States.

The Gulf Coast region is already home to some of the world’s most advanced aerospace installations, a number of key NASA facilities and numerous military installations critical to the Department of Defense flight missions and training.  The region is centrally located to markets across the United States and offers access to global markets via numerous air and deep water ports. 

For additional information go to: www.aerospacealliance.com.

- Bob Cox

 

Lockheed to South Korea: Buy planes, get work

Aviation Week is reporting that Lockheed Martin has told South Korea that its aviation industry could get some production work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter if it orders jets. The result could be less work for Lockheed or some of its U.S. suppliers. Here's the key excerpt: 

As production builds up turning out one fighter a day, second-source suppliers will be needed for parts that Lockheed Martin itself is responsible for supplying, says Steve O’Bryan, vice president for F-35 business development.

Building F-35 parts to Lockheed Martin’s blueprints would give Korea Aerospace Industries manufacturing work but no opportunity to advance its fighter-design skills, which it might get from participation in Boeing’s proposed program to develop the F-15SE, an Eagle with less radar reflectivity.

Korean Air Aerospace, the manufacturing division of airline Korean Air, would presumably also be interested in helping to make the F-35.

- Bob Cox