CYCLONE IN A SPIN OVER F-15 CONTRACT
Elbit Systems subsidiary Cyclone Aviation Products has won a $31 million contract with Boeing to supply structural components for its F-15 fighters. The contract includes the supply of external fuel tanks, pylons, horizontal stabilisers and gun access doors. Deliveries are scheduled between 2009 and 2011. In March, Cyclone was awarded $160 million by Spirit AeroSystems to supply doors for commercial aircraft.
JAT MAINTENANCE GIVES CAUTIOUS SALE BACKING
Serbian maintenance firm Jat Tehnika insists its 900 personnel support privatisation, but it has reservations over the intentions of potential investors. The company, based at Belgrade airport, is being 70% privatised in parallel with flag carrier Jat Airways. Jat Tehnika director of maintenance Djordje Kresovic says the company wants to ensure a new owner will support development: "We have a long history in the airline industry. We have excellent capabilities here." Last year operating profit was €407,000 ($599,400) on €22 million revenue Jat Tehnika has licences primarily for work on Boeing 737s, McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and ATRs.
ROCKWELL COLLINS EXPANDS IN ALABAMA
Rockwell Collins has opened a 2,790m² (30,000ft²) facility at Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama to combine engineering, integration, simulation and training, product testing and support capabilities in a single location. Currently, Rockwell Collins has about 40 employees in Huntsville, and the new facility and expanded capabilities will attract more than 100 new high-skilled jobs to the area. "The staggering growth of the aerospace and defence industry in Alabama is redefining the economic development profile of the state," says Alabama Lt Gov Jim Folsom Jr.
HAMPSON US UNIT TO SUPPLY A350 TOOLING
Airbus has signed a letter of intent with a US division of UK supplier Hampson Industries covering the supply of wing and fuselage curing tools for the A350 XWB programme. The $23 million agreement with California-based Coast Composites covers only the first set of tools, for which delivery will start in the current financial year. Hampson expects to derive another $60 million from further deliveries over the next four years. Coast is involved with programmes including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787.
ISRAELI UAV EXPERTS OFFER 'RENTAL' SERVICE
A group of former Israeli defence forces unmanned air vehicle experts have formed a company to rent or lease UAVs and support services. Themis chief executive Asaf Gilboa says: "We allow civil and paramilitary customers to use UAVs without having to purchase a platform and without having to establish their own operational unit." The concept was inspired by similar requests from customers to Israeli UAV makers.
AEROSPACE TOP 100
In our Aerospace Top 100 feature (Flight International, 12-18 August), we gave the wrong impression of the size of Eaton's aerospace business. The $4.48 billion figure, quoted in the ranking and profile article, reflects the company's entire Fluid Power activities, which include industrial hydraulics, fluid connectors and filtration equipment as well as aerospace. The correct figure for its aerospace business is $1.8 billion. We also incorrectly referred to Hamilton Sundstrand as Hamilton Standard, a previous name.
Source: Flight International
