Lord signs agreement to acquire MicroStrain
Lord Corp. announced the signing of an agreement for the acquisition of MicroStrain Inc., a developer and supplier of sensing solutions to the aerospace, defense, agriculture and construction, energy, and consumer electronics markets based in Williston, VT. Most recently, MicroStrain has been involved in programs to flight test a range of energy harvesting and wireless devices embedded in helicopter rotor head key components, as well as vibration measurement devices on platforms such as the UH-60. Once the transaction is closed, the business will continue to operate out of its current location in Williston as MicroStrain, a Lord Company, while retaining its current 50-plus employee workforce.
Ukraine cooperates with Russia on $4 billion AN-70 project
Ukrainian company Antonov together with Russian United Aircraft Corp. will participate in manufacturing Antonov An-70 transport airplanes. Russian defense ministry already placed an order for 60 such machines, $67 million apiece. Developed since 1978, An-70 can carry heavier cargo than existing transport planes and land on ill-equipped runways. An-70 can carry 300 troopers, or 200 injured persons, or 47 ton of freight. Comparably, the closest alternative to the An-70—Airbus A400M Atlas—can carry 37 ton of cargo. The An-70 planes will be produced at JSC Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Production Association in Kazan, Russia. The plane can fly at a speed of 780 km/h at distances of up to 7800 km. An-70 is capable of landing on 600- to 800-m runways with earth surfaces. Onboard navigation equipment allows the plane to land and take off at airports lacking special earth-based equipment.
Spirit AeroSystems signs spare parts agreement with Pacific American
Spirit AeroSystems Inc. and Pacific American Corp. (PAC) announced the signing of a supply agreement whereby Spirit Aftermarket Customer Support (ACS) will provide thrust reverser, fuselage, and wing component spare parts for the Hainan Airlines Co. Ltd. fleet of Boeing aircraft. This multiyear contract will enable PAC to obtain predictable and competitive pricing for all parts in the Spirit catalog while ensuring availability for key parts and components. Hainan Airlines, the largest privately owned air transport company in the People's Republic of China, currently operates six Boeing 737-300, six Boeing 737-400, 87 Boeing 737-800, and three Boeing 767-300ER airplanes. It also operates Airbus A319, A320, A330, and A340 aircraft.
KUKA Systems selected as supplier partner for Bell 525 Relentless production line
Bell Helicopters has named KUKA Systems as its supplier partner for developing the manufacturing line for the new Bell 525 Relentless super medium-class commercial helicopter. Design and engineering work are under way for the Bell 525 Relentless production line, which will assemble the entire airframe. When the design is finalized and all tooling and processes are confirmed, the Bell 525 is expected to become the second largest line KUKA Systems has built in the North American aerospace sector. The largest is the Integrated Assembly Line being built for Northrop Grumman Corp. to construct the fuselage of the F35-II program. The Bell 525 Relentless will be a hybrid of composites and metal, requiring different processes and tooling. The line is scheduled for setup in Bell's Amarillo, TX, plant.
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The Bell 525 Relentless will have a maximum gross weight of 18,000 lb plus and will be capable of carrying up to 16 passengers at a top speed of 260 km/h for distances up to 740 km.
TECT announces new manufacturing facility in Mexico
TECT announced today that the newest member of its family of businesses, TECT Aerospace Components, located in Guanajuato, Mexico, has begun manufacturing operations in support of sister business TECT Aerospace. TECT Aerospace Components' new facility is producing three- and four-axis machined and fabricated components for TECT Aerospace that get incorporated into larger work statements and complex assemblies for several end customers in the Seattle, WA; Wichita, KS; and Ft. Worth, TX, areas. Once the initial startup phase is completed, TECT Aerospace Components plans to begin servicing external customers. TECT expects to employ 50 full-time workers in Guanajuato when the facility meets its initial ramp-up objectives.
Raytheon awarded $636 million for Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle
Raytheon Co. was awarded a $636 million development and sustainment contract to provide the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) to The Boeing Co., which is the prime contractor for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) program. EKV represents the centerpiece for the Missile Defense Agency's GMD as the intercept component of the Ground Based Interceptor, which is designed to engage high-speed ballistic missile warheads in space. Under conditions of the contract, which extends through November 2018, Raytheon will provide EKV development, fielding, testing, system engineering, integration, configuration management, equipment manufacturing and refurbishment, and operation and sustainment. The EKV is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missile threats by colliding with them, a concept often described as "hit to kill." EKV has an advanced multi-color sensor that is used to detect and discriminate incoming warheads from other objects. it also has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination algorithms, guidance and control system, and computers to support target selection and intercept.
Sikorsky signs contract to build H-60 helicopters for U.S. Army, Navy
The U.S. Army and Navy signed an $8.5 billion contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. to buy a baseline quantity of 653 Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters through December 2017. The five-year contract will yield significant savings compared with purchasing the same quantity across five separate annual agreements. The five-year agreement also allows the Army and Navy to order as many as 263 more aircraft within the same contractual terms. If exercised, the optional purchases could push the contract value as high as $11.7 billion. Actual production quantities will be determined year-by-year over the life of the program based on funding allocations set by Congress and Pentagon acquisition priorities. Black Hawk and Seahawk aircraft deliveries under the new contract will begin this month. Sikorsky produces the two H-60M Black Hawk and two MH-60 Seahawk aircraft models on four separate production lines at its final assembly facility in Stratford, CT, and West Palm Beach, FL.
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The base contract includes UH-60M utility and HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopters for the U.S. Army, and MH-60R (shown) and MH-60S helicopters for the U.S. Navy.
XCOR, MDC announce new Commercial Spaceflight R&D Center Headquarters
The Midland Development Corp. (MDC) and XCOR Aerospace jointly announced the establishment of XCOR's new Commercial Space Research and Development Center Headquarters that will be created over the next 18 months. XCOR will be establishing its new R&D center on the flight line at Midland International Airport (MAF) in a newly renovated 60,000-ft² hangar, which will include office space and a test facility. The renovation is expected to commence in early 2013, and be completed by the late autumn. In parallel with the XCOR facility renovation, the City of Midland is applying to the FAA for a Commercial Space Launch Site designation for MAF, an estimated 12 to 18 month process. Upon completion of the licensing process and the hangar renovation, the XCOR presence will begin to ramp up. XCOR manufactures reusable rocket engines for major aerospace prime contractors and is the designer, manufacturer, and operator of the Lynx, a winged fully reusable, high performance suborbital space vehicle that is designed to safely carry two persons or scientific experiments to the edge of space and back up to four times per day.
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XCOR Chief Test Pilot Richard Searfoss shows Texas Governor Rick Perry a full-size Lynx model unveiled during a ceremony held at the Midland International Airport, where XCOR will open a new R&D headquarters.
Pratt & Whitney acquires Rolls-Royce’s share in IAE
Pratt & Whitney finalized an agreement to purchase Rolls-Royce's program share in International Aero Engines (IAE). IAE is a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders now consist of Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corp. (JAEC) and MTU Aero Engines GmbH. To date, more than 5000 V2500 engines have been delivered, and nearly 2000 more engines are on order with close to 200 customers around the world. As well as restructuring participation in IAE, on Oct. 12, 2011, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce also announced the formation of a new collaboration to power future midsize aircraft, which is subject to separate regulatory approvals. IAE partners JAEC and MTU have also agreed to join this new venture.
A123 Systems supplying Li-ion battery technology for aviation applications
Mid-Continent Instrument Co., Inc. signed a distribution and supply agreement with A123 Systems Inc. by which Mid-Continent will offer A123's advanced Nanophosphate lithium-ion battery technology for aviation applications. Mid-Continent’s True Blue Power division, which was announced in March 2011, initially began by offering two inverters and the TS835 Emergency Power Supply (EPS), the industry's first FAA TSO-approved EPS to feature A123 technology. Under the agreement with A123, True Blue Power will provide Li-ion cells, modules, and custom power solutions to the aviation community. Mid-Continent's True Blue Power division will work with customers to develop custom power solutions using A123's Li-ion chemistry for a range of aviation-related applications. A123's Nanophosphate technology offers advantages over lead-acid products, including faster charging and consistent power over a wide state-of-charge range, translating into smaller, lighter products. The True Blue Power TS835 Emergency Power Supply with Li-ion batteries from A123 is more than 66% lighter than its competition.
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The TS835 Series Emergency Power Supply is the aviation industry's first lithium EPS to be FAA TSO-approved.
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