Model Airplanes

U.S. businesses increased their orders in January, although a key component that tracks business investment spending fell for the first time in four months.

Factory orders rose 1.2 percent, led by a jump in demand for aircraft, the Commerce Department reported Monday. Orders had risen 1.3 percent in December.

A category that serves as a proxy for business investment edged down 0.1 percent in January after three months of solid gains. It was the first setback since a 1.5 percent decline in the category in September.

American manufacturing has been under stress for nearly two years as a strong dollar cut into export sales and a big plunge in oil prices triggered cutbacks by energy companies. Manufacturers are expected to see stronger sales in 2017.

Demand for durable goods, items ranging from bicycles to battleships that are expected to last at least three years, rose 2 percent. That was even better than the initial estimate of a 1.8 percent gain made in an advance report on Feb. 27. Demand for nondurable goods, everything from paper products to chemicals and food, rose 0.4 percent in January after a 3.4 percent jump in December.

The strength in January reflected a surge in orders for commercial aircraft, which jumped 69.8 percent, and a 62.2 0ercent rise in orders for military aircraft. Demand for motor vehicles and parts rose 0.8 percent, while orders for ships and boats fell 33.7 percent.

Orders for machinery rose 0.9 percent. Demand for primary metals such as iron, steel and aluminum fell 1.5 percent.

Manufacturing firms

Article source: http://www.kansas.com/news/business/article136683153.html

WASHINGTON – You’ve undoubtedly heard the buzz around town already of the potential for big snow this weekend in the D.C. region. The question is, of course, is it true? The simple answer is, ‘yes,’ that potential exists, but going from a potential threat to reality is not an easy task. This winter in particular has had several ‘potential’ big snows just miss. Notably, the January 7th storm slid just south of our region, giving parts of central and southern Virginia over a foot of snow while most around the immediate D.C. metro area ended up with less than one-inch.

Forecasting snow events is particularly difficult at this time of year as well, with the sun getting higher in the sky and temperatures generally on the upswing with the journey into spring well underway. Washington, D.C. has done big March snows in the past, but also has a history of underperforming in spectacular fashion on occasion. Recall the infamous “snowquester” storm of 2013, when a forecasted blizzard turned into nothing more than a dusting, and our very own Tucker Barnes ended up sitting himself in a corner.

I will level with you straight – right off the bat here. We do not know what is going to happen this weekend in terms of if we will get any snow or not, and we do not know how much anyone will get if we do get snow. All we can do is highlight an area that is at risk for snow,

Article source: http://www.fox5dc.com/weather/240043517-story

(Adds detail, Boeing share price)

By Alwyn Scott

SEATTLE, March 8 (Reuters) – Boeing Co defended its
proposed 737 MAX 10X aircraft on Wednesday, saying it has drawn
plaudits from numerous airlines and interest from parts
suppliers to rebut criticisms aired at an industry conference on
Tuesday.

The comments showed Boeing’s confidence about adding a fifth
model to its revamped 737 product line, despite concern that it
might have only limited appeal. The highly profitable 737 is
Boeing’s top-selling jetliner family and is crucial to hitting
financial targets Boeing has set.

“I’m frankly bullish on the airplane,” Keith Leverkuhn, vice
president and general manager of Boeing’s 737 MAX program, said
of the MAX 10X on a conference call with journalists.

“The conference down south at ISTAT was important,” he
added, referring to the International Society of Transport
Aircraft Trading conference in San Diego that ended on Tuesday.

“But you have to know that we’re listening to customers
around the globe…many of whom have expressed enthusiasm for
it.”

Leverkuhn said suppliers also are interested in building
components for the MAX 10X, which will need taller landing gear
to accommodate its added length.

“The suppliers are always interested in extending the
capability of the (737) family,” he said.

Boeing pitched the MAX 10X to battle huge sales of rival
Airbus’ A321neo, which seats more passengers than the
737 MAX 9 that Boeing is already building. Boeing rolled the
first MAX 9 out of the factory on Tuesday, and plans to begin
delivering the model to customers next year.

The heads of two

Article source: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-update-1-boeing-says-737-max-10x-jet-has-support-from-airlines-suppliers-2017-3

By Alwyn Scott

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co defended its proposed 737 MAX 10X aircraft on Wednesday, saying it has drawn plaudits from numerous airlines and interest from parts suppliers to rebut criticisms aired at an industry conference on Tuesday.

The comments showed Boeing’s confidence about adding a fifth model to its revamped 737 product line, despite concern expressed by big leasing companies that it might have limited appeal. The profitable 737 is Boeing’s top-selling jet family and is crucial to hitting financial targets Boeing has set.

“I’m frankly bullish on the airplane,” Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s 737 MAX program, said of the MAX 10X on a call with journalists.

“The conference down south at ISTAT was important,” he added, referring to the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading event in San Diego that ended on Tuesday.

But “we’re listening to customers around the globe…many of whom have expressed enthusiasm for it.”

Leverkuhn said suppliers are willing to build components for the MAX 10X, which needs taller landing gear to accommodate its length. “Suppliers are always interested in extending the capability of the (737) family,” he said.

Boeing pitched the MAX 10X to battle huge sales of rival Airbus’ A321neo, which seats more passengers than the 737 MAX 9 that Boeing is already building. Boeing rolled the first MAX 9 out of the factory on Tuesday, and plans to begin delivering it next year.

The heads of two major aircraft leasing companies said at ISTAT that the MAX 10X is not

Article source: http://whtc.com/news/articles/2017/mar/08/boeing-says-737-max-10x-jet-has-support-from-airlines-suppliers/

A $2,500 supplemental-type certificate from a salvage yard in Texas is what turned Mike and Carolyn Kelley’s Air Plains Services Corp. from an airplane repair shop into a “speed shop” with its own manufacturing capability.

Earlier this year, the 13-employee company marked its 40th year in business.

Based at Wellington Municipal Airport, about 30 miles south of Wichita, Air Plains has made boosting the horsepower of Cessna single-piston-engine airplanes a mainstay of its business.

It does so through a number of parts it manufactures and either installs or puts together in XP – or “extreme performance” – kits that are shipped all over the world.

To date, the company has delivered or installed more than 3,000 of the kits to owners of Cessna 172, 180 and 182 airplanes. Depending on the airplane, Kelley said his XP kits increase performance by between 20 and 70 horsepower.

“It’s really tough to make a living in doing strictly maintenance work,” Mike Kelley said. “When (customers) are doing mods (modifications), they’re more inclined to spend money.”

Kelley said he got the idea for boosting the performance of those airplanes after working on a project with a friend who had an engine overhaul shop in Viola.

“That’s where he got the need for speed,” Carolyn Kelley said.

And while that business has served the company well over four decades – along with traditional aircraft maintenance and repair work – Mike Kelley, a pilot and airframe and power plant mechanic by training, is constantly on the lookout for other business opportunities.

Article source: http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article136671258.html