2003 sets tomorrow’s course


For Phantom Works, the advanced research-and-development arm of Boeing, 2003 will be known as a year that helped set the course for the future of aerospace, said the unit's head.

"By providing exciting new systems solutions and breakthrough technologies, Phantom Works is adding real value to the enterprise and helping to define the future of aerospace," said Phantom Works President Bob Krieger.

Krieger cited solid results to prove the point.

In 2003, Phantom Works led the way to successfully achieving the decisive go-ahead milestone in the Future Combat Systems program, which is providing the U.S. Army with a revolutionary network-centric solution to their objective force requirements. FCS and the X-37 experimental reusable space plane were transitioned to Integrated Defense Systems.

Krieger also noted that Phantom Works completed single-ship flight-testing and began multiship testing of the X-45A Joint Unmanned Combat Air System in November 2003. Phantom Works plans to transition the program to IDS by the end of December 2003.

In addition, Phantom Works is preparing to conduct flight tests of the revolutionary Canard Rotor/Wing concept, which can operate both as a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, and of the X-43A hypersonic vehicle, demonstrating Mach 7 flight with a more affordable and efficient air-breathing "scramjet" engine. Phantom Works also captured contracts for the X-43C reusable hypersonic vehicle as well as for the Orbital Space Plane multipurpose space vehicle, Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter and Battle Management Command & Control programs.

Phantom Works exceeded its goal in 2003 for transitioning innovative technologies to the business units, to reduce their cycle times and cost while improving the quality and performance of their products.

"A major focus this year has been on providing the new Boeing 7E7 program with the kinds of advanced design, analysis, avionics, materials and assembly technologies it needs to design and produce the most efficient, comfortable and affordable middle-of-the-market airliner possible," Krieger said.

To ensure that Boeing is using the best technologies in the world in its systems, Phantom Works is establishing strategic research alliances with universities and government and non-government research agencies around the globe. Phantom Works this year created strategic alliances with learning institutions including the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, Spain's Polytechnic University of Madrid and Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and Stanford and Carnegie Mellon universities in the United States. It also forged alliances with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa and Centro Ricerche Fiat in Italy.

Phantom Works continues to invest globally in venture capital funds focused on technologies of interest to the company. Krieger said the new Research and Technology Center in Madrid, Spain, has recently announced its partners in an exciting project focused on the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly fuel cell technology for potential use in commercial airplanes.

Finally, Phantom Works is helping ensure the long-range business success of the company by implementing a new process for identifying "white-space" business opportunities that fall outside business unit plans.

"Through this and its many other initiatives, Phantom Works is fulfilling its mission as the catalyst for innovation for the enterprise," Krieger said.