Trunkneck’s Blog

ST. LOUIS, July 11, 2008 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], U.S. Army leaders, supplier representatives and other guests celebrated the first flight of the AH-64D Apache Block III helicopter this week in Mesa, Ariz. Just prior to a ceremony attended by more than 300 people at the company’s Apache production facility, the aircraft was flown by two Apache-rated aviators — U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody and an Army experimental test pilot, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rucie Moore.

Block III Ceremony with General Richard Cody, LTC Jeff Hager, MG David Rataczak, BG Tim Crosby, COL Mark Hayes, COL Derek Paquette, Al Winn, Obie Jones, Gary Bishop. First flight ground to air.

“This milestone is a testament to the tremendous team effort of Team Apache — the U.S. Army, our worldwide industry suppliers and Boeing,” said Al Winn, Boeing vice president of Apache Programs. “The technologies incorporated into the Block III helicopter come from a cross-section of the best of industry.”

Experimental test pilots — one U.S. Army soldier and one Boeing teammate — initially flew this Block III prototype aircraft over the Arizona desert on June 27 in preparation for today’s ceremony, which commemorates the success of engineers, production teams and program managers in keeping the Apache Block III program on time and on budget.

Ensuring the continued relevance of this rotorcraft platform for the warfighter, Apache Block III technologies deliver network-centric communications capabilities, extended ranges for sensors and weapons, unmanned aerial systems connectivity and control, and enhanced aircraft performance. The Block III technologies have been successfully tested and matured through a planned process of continuous modernization used since the delivery of the first AH-64A model to the U.S. Army in January 1984 and throughout the deliveries of AH-64A Apaches and AH-64D Apache Longbows to the Army and the defense forces of 10 nations around the world.

“Built upon a legacy of success, the Apache Block III will deliver mission-critical performance capabilities to U.S. Army aviators, facilitating successful operations across the spectrum of conflict,” U.S. Army Apache Project Manager Col. Derek Paquette said to Boeing teammates who worked to build the helicopter.

The Army awarded Boeing the first Apache Block III contract in June 2005. In accordance with contractual milestones, Boeing plans to begin Low Rate Initial Production in April 2010 and to deliver the first production AH-64D Apache Block III in June 2011.

The Japanese government said Thursday it will support Sony Corp., Sharp Corp. and other domestic companies in joint development of super-thin TVs based on organic light-emitting diodes.

The group will aim to develop a 40-inch OLED display sometime after 2015, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, said in a statement. NEDO is a Japan government agency that promotes research into new technologies.

OLEDs use light-emitting organic compounds similar to those found in fireflies. TVs using OLEDs don’t require a backlight and can be made thinner than those based on traditional liquid crystal or plasma displays.
The technology is still young, but Japanese manufacturers are eager to get the jump on South Korean TV heavyweights such as Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Display Co.

Last year Sony introduced the first OLED TV for the commercial market — an 11-inch TV with a screen just 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) thick. The TV went on sale at roughly 10 times the price of comparable LCD models.
Sony is working to mass produce a 20-inch model by next year and has pegged the technology as a key to regaining it is elite status as an electronics innovator. The company will now work with some of its biggest rivals in development, but spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa said it will keep advanced technologies in-house.
Kitsukawa said Sony was keen to work with component makers and companies that will produce manufacturing equipment.

“OLED TVs won’t take off if we don’t foster an infrastructure  like the one that exists for LCDs,” he said.
Sharp is taking a longer view on OLED TVs and has no fixed plans for commercial production. The company has invested heavily in LCD manufacturing and believes it will remain the dominant technology for at least the next 10 years, spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said.

The joint research is to run from this year through March 2013. It will also focus on increasing the longevity and power  efficiency of OLED TVs, as well as efficient manufacturing.

Other companies involved in the effort include Sumitomo Chemical Co. and Hitachi Zosen Corp.
While OLED technology is seen as a promising candidate to replace the current generation of plasma and LCD TVs, it is expensive, difficult to employ for large screens and fades faster than other TV technologies.
OLEDs are and used in smaller devices such as mobile phones and car navigation systems.