Seoul and LM disagree over price of C-130J

C-130J-30

Negotiations between South Korea’s arms procurement agency and a U.S. aerospace company over the sale of up-to-date military transport planes have ruptured due to a disagreement on the price of the product, industry sources said Sunday.

The failure in the projected contract of the C-130J Super Hercules ( built by Lockheed Martin) was largely due to a “miscalculation” by Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of the program costs, according to sources.

“By May, the negotiations over the purchase of C-130J planes were actually broken off,” a Seoul source told The Korea Times. “The problem was that the DAPA estimated the costs for the aircraft program too low. There was a 20-percent gap between the DAPA-estimated costs and those presented by Lockheed Martin.”

“The DAPA even failed to include costs for spare parts, including extra engines, and other logistics support in its preliminary price estimation report,” he said, adding the gap was too big for Lockheed to be engaged in negotiations, said the source.

A DAPA spokesman admitted the negotiations have been protracted but said his agency was trying to seal a contract by year’s end.

The newer C-130J-30 “stretched”’ variant, with the longer fuselage, is used for various operations, including peacekeeping and special forces projection. The C-130J’s improvements include a 40-percent greater range, a 21-percent higher maximum speed, and a 41-percent shorter take-off distance.

The plane, with modern avionics and increased engine power, can carry 92 passengers, 64 airborne troops, 74 litter patients with 2 medical personnel, and two to three Humvees, or an M113 Armored Personnel Carrier.

South Korea’s Air Force currently operates a total of 12 older C-130H planes, whose relatively small capacity and short operational range have often restricted the service’s overseas airlift operations.

The DAPA plans to procure about 10 C-130Js by 2016 in stages.

- THE KOREA TIMES

Two Bombardier Q400 NextGen Turboprops for Egypt’s Smart Aviation

Yesterday, Bombardier Aerospace announced that Smart Aviation Company of Cairo, Egypt has signed a firm order for two Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft, and has also taken options on an additional three Q400 NextGen aircraft.

Based on the list price for the Q400 NextGen aircraft, the value of the firm order is approximately $62 million US, which could increase to $158 million should all three options be converted to firm orders.

Founded in May 2007, Smart Aviation, a corporate jet aircraft charter operator, has formed a commercial airline subsidiary and will use its Q400 NextGen aircraft to launch scheduled and charter services to complement its corporate aircraft activities throughout the Middle East.

Wael El-Maadawy, Chairman and Managing Director, Smart Aviation Company, said “Middle East tourism and business travel are growing steadily and we want to be in a position to meet this growth with efficient, reliable, economical and passenger-friendly aircraft.” He also said that “Bombardier turboprop aircraft have excelled on these attributes in the Middle East operating environment for several years, so the Q400 NextGen aircraft was the first choice for our new service.”

Gary R. Scott, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, said “The Q400 NextGen aircraft is optimized for the intra-regional, shorter routes in the expanding North African and Middle Eastern travel market.” Scott also added “We at Bombardier are confident that the Q400 NextGen aircraft is well-suited to Smart Aviation’s new venture and welcome the company to the growing family of Q400 NextGen aircraft operators.”

Optimized for short-haul operations, the “comfortably greener,” 70- to 80-seat Q400 NextGen aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuel-efficient turboprop. It provides an ideal balance of passenger comfort and operating economics with a reduced environmental footprint. Including Smart Aviation’s order, Bombardier has booked firm orders for a total of 391 Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft, and as of April 30, 2010, 300 had been delivered. The aircraft are in service with more than 30 operators worldwide.

-planenews.com

Final Flight For Hickam’s Eagles

The Hawaii Air National Guard flew its last F-15 Eagle mission on Wednesday with Lt. Col Mark “Odie” Ladtkow and Lt. Col. James “Saw” Sage were the last pilots for the flight.

F-15s were first introduced in the mid 1970s. The two pilots who flew the last sorties Wednesday were in grade school when the planes were brand-new.

On Wednesday, the pilots had a sense of history.

“For the last 18 years I’ve been flying this bird almost 3,000 hours worth, and she has never ever treated me wrong, always brought me home safe,” said Lt. Col Mark “Odie” Ladtkow, as he climbed down from his last flight in an F-15.

“I’m just so proud to be part of the team and be on the last flight. It really means a lot to me. I’m honored to be given that opportunity,” said Lt. Col. James “Saw” Sage.

Two new F-22 Raptors are already in Hawaii. The Air National Guard will eventually get 20 of the new jets, which cost $361 million each.

“Just like saying goodbye to a good friend. I’m really eager to meet the new friend. I’m ready fly the F-22 and I can’t wait to get started on that airframe,” said Sage.

The retiring F-15s will either be sent to an airplane “boneyard” in Arizona, or some will be sent to training units at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

The Hawaii Air National Guard pilots will begin training next month to fly the new F-22. That flight training takes four months.

-         KITV.com

Seymour Johnson AFB Airmen sent to Afghanistan

From August 22-26, more than 250 Airmen from the 4th Fighter Wing (FW), the 336th Fighter Squadron and 336th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron departed the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (SJ AFB) to assume the F-15E Strike Eagle close air support mission at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
The men and women of the 4th FW will play a key role in ensuring the Strike Eagles and those who operate them are ready to answer calls for help from those who come under enemy fire at a moment’s notice.

Recently, Seymour Johnson Airmen have been called upon to lead the U.S. Air Force’s new policy of deploying their Air Expeditionary Force aviation package to Bagram Airfield for a six-month rotation, instead of the previous standard four-month tour.

Airman 1st Class Ryan Konning, who joined the Air Force in 2006, was eager to begin the mission. This is the first time he has deployed with his unit. “I can’t wait to get over there,” said the 336th AMU crew chief.

Several of the deploying Airmen returned from their last deployment to Bagram Airfield less than a year ago. Despite being Senior Airman Reece Dvorak’s third deployment, leaving his family behind never gets any easier.  “(Leaving) is necessary, but you want to be with your family,” said the 336th AMU aircraft maintainer. “You are torn because you know it is something you have to do, (since) the F-15 provides one of the biggest advantages to those on the ground.”

When Colonel Doherty addressed the departing Airmen he made a point to let them know their family members will not be left without a support unit while they are gone. “We will take care of your loved ones,” he said. “That is our job and our responsibility.”

-f-15e.info

Death during an air show training

Alejandro (Alex) Maclean, a Spanish race pilot and one of the few elite pilots of the Red Bull Air Race, was killed last August 17 while practicing near Madrid for an airshow. The Red Bull Air Race season ended Aug. 8.

His aircraft struck the ground while practicing in an aerobatic box (of airspace) at Casarrubios del Monte Airport in central Spain. The 41-year-old pilot, father of two children ages 7 and 11, was a favorite of many of the Red Bull Air Race fans. He also is survived by his wife, Emma. His crew thanked fans for their condolences on the pilot’s website.

Another news source said practice sessions were common at the airport.

The pilot was called an ambassador for flying and was recently named as the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Paul Tissandier Diploma for his contribution to sporting aviation. Tissandier served as Secretary General of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) from 1919 to 1945. The award was established in 1952. American combat pilot and author Walter J. Boyne is among the recipients.

Maclean is also known as “The Flying Matador.” He flew an MXS-R aircraft. Developed by MXR Technologies, the MXS a single seat, carbon fiber aircraft Though he is Spanish, his grandfather was Scottish hence his family name.

The Red Bull Air Race, created by Red Bull, is an international series of air races in which competitors have to navigate a challenging obstacle course in the fastest time. It was established in 2003.

- planenews.com

-wikipedia.org

- avstop.com

- mxaircraft.com

Agni Airplane Crashes Near Everest

The plane crashed near Shikharpur village, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Katmandu, Nepal., Tuesday, August 24, 2010. A small passenger plane heading to the Mount Everest region crashed in heavy rain Tuesday killing all 14 people aboard, officials said.

A Dornier 9N-AHE Agni Airliner crashed about 50 miles south of the capital, Katmandu, said Laxman Bhattarai, a spokesman for Nepal’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

According to Nepali officials, fourteen people, including four Americans, died Tuesday in Nepal when their plane crashed due to rough weather, after a failed attempt to reach a popular destination for touring hikers near Mount Everest.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nepal’s government announced an investigation into the cause of the crash. One witness told a Nepalese television station that there appeared to be an explosion in midair before the aircraft went down.

Terry White, a spokesman at the United States Embassy in Nepal, said the families of the four Americans had been notified. Those killed include Capt. Lucky Shah, co-pilot Sophia Singh, air hostess Sahara Sherpa, and passengers R Rijal, P Humagain, P Bhote, K Rai and P Sherpa. Six foreigners – four Americans, one Japanese and a British national – were also killed in the crash.

Weather has often been blamed for plane crashes in the same region. On Tuesday, visibility at the crash site was minimal.

The crash site is at least two hours walk from the nearest police post. Rescue personnel from Nepal Army and Nepal Police have left for the crash site and have started collecting the dead bodies.

Saroj Dhakal, chief of Central Division Headquarters, said the 35-men army team found body parts scattered elsewhere and the plane broken into pieces. Meanwhile, following the slight improvement in weather, a Nepal Army helicopter has left the capital Kathmandu for Makwanpur to carry out rescue operation of the Agni Air.

The Dornier 9N-AHE had taken off from Kathmandu airport at 7.05 am. It lost contact with the RADAR at around 7.30 am.

Sources say, the plane had encountered a technical failure in addition to the difficulty due to bad weather. According to reports, the pilot had reported generator failure en route to Lukla and decided to return, but the backup generator also later failed. Generator failure would mean the Dornier 9N-AHE plane would have lost its cockpit avionics and would be effectively flying blind in rugged terrain and bad weather.

-planenews.com

- demotix.com

-yahoo.com

X-47B UCAS First Flight Slips to December

The unexpected complexity of the interface caused the delay of U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator as its first flight slips to at least six months to December, says Capt. Jeff Penfield, Navy UCAS program manager.

Navy officials say they still expect to meet the goal set by the chief of naval operations for UCAS to operate from an aircraft carrier in Fiscal 2013, but they need more time to work on the air vehicle/ship interface.

Northrop Grumman has been designing and building two X-47B air vehicle demonstrators since 2007. At that time an ambitious plan was laid out to get UCAS on a carrier in Fiscal 2011.

Photo: Northrop Grumman

The X-47B will be a transformational, carrier-capable, multi-mission, unmanned combat air vehicle. Strike fighter-sized, it is a survivable, long range, high endurance and persistent platform capable of a variety of missions including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Time Sensitive Targeting/Strike.

The Navy and the company targeted late 2009 for the first UCAS flight, but it slipped until summer 2010. Now, however, the first UCAS flight at Edwards AFB, Calif., is planned for Dec. 12, Penfield says.

Despite the shift in these dates and some cost growth acknowledged by Janis Pamiljans, Northrop’s UCAS vice president, Penfield says the program is still within the confines of the original six-year, $1.5 billion window.

“Both of us [the Navy and Northrop Grumman collectively underestimated the effort. We are doing something we have never done before,” Penfield says. “There is a set of standards for if you were going to always land at a field. But when you take [the air vehicle] out to an aircraft carrier — a national asset — that level of standards goes up. I don’t think we had a firm understanding about the delta between the standards.”

Air Vehicle 2 is about 65% complete, Penfield adds. It is expected to roll out in the middle of 2011. Air Vehicle 1 is emerging from a six-week preplanned modification period at Edwards, needed primarily to ensure flight qualification on some parts. Some hardware, such as hydraulic and fuel plumbing, is being changed prior to flight tests.

In early 2012, both air vehicles will be shipped to Houston, then loaded onto barges bound for NAS Patuxent River, Md., in preparation for further trials.

Meanwhile, the Navy interface software will be going through trials using an F/A-18 surrogate, he adds.

-         aviationweek.com

Two More C-130J Super Hercules for Sultanate Of Oman

A C-130J Super Hercules in Gloucestershire, England

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Sultanate of Oman for two more C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

In July 2009, Oman ordered its first C-130J for delivery in 2012. The two additional aircraft will be delivered in late 2013 and early 2014. The first aircraft is of the C 130J-30 “long” configuration and the new order is for two C-130J “short” configuration aircraft.

Jim Grant, Lockheed Martin Vice President for Air Mobility and Special Operations Forces Programs said “The C-130J is ideally suited to the operating conditions found in Oman and other areas of the Gulf,” adding “In selecting the C-130J Super Hercules, Oman has recognized all the proven qualities of the world’s most advanced airlifter.”

Oman currently operates a fleet of three C-130Hs purchased in the early 1980s. The new C-130J fleet will support Omani operations with its outstanding capability to operate out of remote, austere airstrips.

The C-130J Super Hercules is a military transport and aerial refueling aircraft introduced in 1999. Developed from the C-130 Hercules, it has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. Powered by four Rolls-Royce turboprop engines, it could reach a maximum speed of 417 mph.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $44.5 billion.

-planenews.com

-wikipedia.org

Yingling Reassembles Cessna Skycatcher

Reassembly at the Yingling hangar

Technicians at Yingling Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, one of the reassembly points for Cessna‘s 162 Skycatcher, are preparing these aircraft for delivery.

The Skycatcher is Cessna‘s entry in the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) category and is priced at $112,250. Yingling has a Skycatcher available to rent for flight instruction or just for fun for less than $100 an hour.

Cessna is the world’s leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business namely Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by Citation Air. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems.

The Skycatcher is a side-by-side two-seat, high-wing, strut-braced, tricycle gear light-sport aircraft which was produced beginning in December 2009. The latest aircraft in the Cessna general aviation product line, its intended market is flight training and personal use.

Powered by a Continental O-200D flat-four engine, it could reach a maximum speed of 218 km/h. It has a range of 870 km and it could fly up to 15,500 ft.

-planenews.com

-wikipedia.org

Lockheed’s Hypersonic ATACMS Motor Boosts Experimental Scramjet

Lockheed Martin announced last August 11 that its Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rocket motor successfully boosted the experimental X-51A WaveRider beyond Mach 4.5, the speed at which a scramjet will start and begin to provide thrust. The successful boost helped the X-51 hypersonic scramjet engine to accelerate to a historic Mach 5, a first for the vehicle.

The X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for extended hypersonic flight durations. The successful boost with the ATACMS rocket motor will allow for future advancements in hypersonic flight. In this test, the modified ATACMS motor was air-launched from a B-52 aircraft at 50,000 feet, and data collected validates its performance well beyond the original design specifications. This was the first time an ATACMS rocket motor has been used as a booster for an air-launched vehicle. More tests using the ATACMS motor are planned.

The modified rocket motor included a Boeing designed lightweight, high performance exit cone produced by Aerojet, a GenCorp company, for Lockheed Martin. The program is managed by a Boeing and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne team for the U.S. Air Force and DARPA.

Scott Arnold, Vice President of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control “The ATACMS rocket motor has proved its power in combat, and now we’re happy to see it performing a mission that advances hypervelocity flight technology.”

According to John Myers, Vice President of Tactical Programs for Aerojet, “We are proud to have played a part in this new milestone in hypersonic flight and to have been given the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to modify existing motor designs for future applications.”

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets. GenCorp is a leading technology-based manufacturer of aerospace and defense products and systems with a real estate segment that includes activities related to the entitlement, sale, and leasing of the company’s excess real estate assets.

Previously DARPA viewed X-51 as a stepping stone to Black swift, a planned hypersonic demonstrator that was canceled in October 2008.

- planenews.com

-wikipedia.org