Russia's OAK Proposes New Aerospace Centre
OAK, the holding company for much of Russia's consolidated aircraft industry, hopes to set up a 150ha (370-acre) design and manufacturing site in north-east Moscow's Khodinskoye Polye district. If approved, the site would be an adjunct to existing facilities, according to sources quoted in the Russian press.
The proposal is an apparent reversal of an earlier decision announced by President Putin this year to base OAK at the Zhukovsky airfield in Moscow region, home of the Gromov LII flight test centre. The main experimental divisions of the aircraft industry will remain at Zhukovsky. Two aviation universities, based on the exising Moscow Aviation Institute and Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, will also be included on the site.
Union Welcomes Boeing's 787 Supply Move
A major Boeing union has hailed the airframer's decision to reclaim a formerly outsourced role within the 787 production system. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), representing 22,000 Boeing staff, called Boeing's move to buy Vought Aircraft's 50% stake in the Charleston, South Carolina-based Global Aeronautica joint venture with Alenia Aeronautica a "necessary first step" to restoring the health of the 787 programme. SPEEA and Boeing will begin talks on a new contract in October. Outsourcing is expected to be contentious.
G650 Boost for CPI Aerostructures
CPI Aerostructures turned a $1.9 million 2006 pre-tax loss into a $3 million profit in 2007 on revenue up 56% to nearly $28 million. Chief executive Edward Fred attributed the improvement to efforts to increase subcontracting and commercial business and expects 2008 revenue to reach $35 million. CPI recently won a multi-year contract, with an initial order of $3.5 million to provide Gulfstream G650 structural assemblies to Spirit AeroSystems.
Filter Specialist Boosts Aviation Prospects
Liquid filtration specialist Porvair hopes to boost its aviation business with new south of England manufacturing facilities and the acquisition of a key supplier, Toolturn of Fareham, Hampshire, for £1 million ($2 million) spread over three years. Buying Toolturn secures scarce engineering skills for Porvair's Microfiltrex subsidiary, says chief executive Ben Stocks. Porvair supplies fuel and hydraulic fluid filters for most commercial airframes. In its year to the end of November, Porvair made a pre-tax profit of £3.6 million on sales of £45.5 million, and aviation filtration sales are up 40% over the past two years.
Saturn Bolted on to Acument
Troy, Michigan-headquartered fasteners maker Acument Global Technologies has bought, for an undisclosed sum, high-performance aerospace threaded fastener maker Saturn Fasteners of Burbank, California. In March, Acument re-entered the threaded aerospace fastener market by opening a new manufacturing operation, Camcar Aerospace, in Rockford, Illinois.
Park Acquires Nova Composites
Park Aerospace Structures has purchased Lynwood, Washington-based Nova Composites, for about $4.5 million, plus up to $5.5 million over the next five years, depending on performance. Nova, which was marginally profitable on $2 million revenue in 2007, will trade as Park Aerospace Structures.
Source: Flight International
