Arc Second of Dulles, Va., has developed a coordinate measurement system that functions much like GPS, but works indoors, and can locate objects in three dimensions to within tenths of a millimeter, according to the company. Analogous to the radio-frequency signals from GPS satellites, Constellation 3Di transmits infrared planes from lasers that rotate inside bowling ball-size transmitters. Unlike GPS, it is an angle measurement system, with two planes emitted from each transmitter. Typically three transmitters need to be within a receiver's view.
Boeing Chief Financial Officer Michael Sears, a member of the office of the chairman, has reaffirmed the company's plan to decide at the end of the year whether to proceed with development of Mach 0.98 Sonic Cruiser project. At the Farnborough air show, he said the company is continuing to wrestle with the issue of the value of speed. ``We're having a problem with the business case,'' he said. He has stated in the past that Boeing will not proceed if the company doesn't believe the project would earn a sufficient return on its investment.
General Atomics has signed six contracts with U.S. Army and Air Force customers for purchase of six Lynx radars, newly designated the AN/APY-8 by the U.S. military. The 115-lb. Lynx offers day and night all-weather reconnaissance, surveillance and target tracking for military, civil and commercial customers, and is based on technology developed by Sandia National Laboratories.
The space shuttle program has tentatively selected a simple welding technique to seal 11 cracks in the hydrogen fuel liners of the four shuttle orbiters. The decision is subject to additional review, but the work should begin this week. Each crack is expected to take about two shifts of work at Kennedy Space Center to repair. The root cause of the cracks has not been identified, but there is mounting evidence that they may have formed when the liner material was originally stamped out. If work proceeds as planned, Atlantis would return to flight as early as Sept.
EDO Reconnaissance & Surveillance Systems has acquired Condor Systems Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based mini-conglomerate specializing in airborne, ship and submarine electronic support measures and sigint systems (AW&ST Sept. 11, 1995, p. 49). Purchase price was $61.9 million in cash, plus assuming $28 million in Condor debt. Four years ago, Condor was negotiating with Litton Industries to buy its Advanced Technology Div., a leading producer of radar warning systems, but negotiations broke down (AW&ST Oct. 26, 1998, p. 19).
The FAA has lifted a July 16 temporary ban on the issuance of U.S. pilot certificates to certain foreign-licensed pilots. New procedures under FAR Part 61.75 now require a non-U.S. pilot to undergo a background check before the agency issues a U.S. certificate based on a license issued by another country.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the Sonic Cruiser, it continues to play a key role in Boeing's quest for enabling technologies. Moreover, the proposed Mach 0.98 aircraft is now part of the company's forward-looking identity and remains a passionate topic. ``We are after a program with broad attractiveness and a long life.
American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Technologies Corp. were the first among the biggest airlines and aerospace companies to certify that their financial reporting is accurate. In a June 27 order issued as corporate accounting scandals mounted, the Securities and Exchange Commission demanded the certifications, signed under oath, from top officials of the 947 U.S. companies with more than $1.2 billion in revenues during their most recent fiscal years.
US Airways put 44 of its aircraft up for sale or lease, but whether it's testing the market, its lessors or its employees is a matter of perspective. The aircraft--33 of its 34 757-200s, four of its 11 767-200ERs, four of 85 737-300s and three of 54 737-400s--are among the oldest in US Airway's active fleet and might not actually be disposed of, a company official said.
British financial watchdog, the National Audit Office, has highlighted low helicopter availability as one of the lessons of the Defense Ministry's Saif Saree II exercise in Oman in 2001. Five different types of helicopter--Chinook, Puma, Lynx, Gazelle and Sea King--were deployed, totalling 44 airframes. The Puma had the highest availability at 88%, while the Lynx had the lowest at 36%, according to the audit office. The report cited rotor life expectancy in the case of the Lynx as a contributory factor.
William Schachte has been appointed Washington-based Eastern U.S. director of sales for BMI British Midland Airways. He was senior analyst for brand management, product development and integration for US Airways.
Bob Blouin, senior vice president-operations of the Washington-based National Business Aviation Assn., has been elected chairman of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics.
Lydia Kennard and James Rohr have been named to the board of trustrees of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Rand. Kennard is executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, while Rohr is a director of Allegheny Technologies Corp. and chairman/president/CEO of the PNC Financial Services Group, both of Pittsburgh.
An agreement with Russian industrial partners could be German manufacturer Fairchild Dornier's last and final hope to rescue the 728/928 regional jet program and avoid demise. In the last few days, the Bavarian state economics minister, Otto Wiesheu, initiated talks with a Russian-German strategy commission, which seeks to promote and develop industrial relationships between Russian and German companies. Wiesheu's objective is to complete the development and flight tests of the 70-seat 728 under Russian leadership.
Merrill K. King has won the Energy Systems Award of the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was recognized for his contributions to the fields of propulsion, combustion and energy systems improvements.
Snecma Services has acquired a 20% stake in GE Aviation Materials, a provider of serviceable engine parts and refurbished engines. The unit, based in Dallas, has 100 employees and generates $130 million a year in revenues, Snecma officials said. The move is part of Snecma's effort to increase its U.S. market presence. The French company also concluded an on-wing maintenance cooperation agreement with Czech carrier CSA, as part of its European expansion plan.
In a draft environmental impact statement, the Pentagon has made its recommendations for basing 11 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons on the U.S. East Coast. Two options were offered. The first would station six fleet squadrons (78 aircraft) and one replacement squadron (32 aircraft) at NAS Oceana, Va., and four squadrons (52 aircraft) at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. The alternative is eight fleet squadrons and the replacement squadron at Oceana and two squadrons at Cherry Point. The Navy also wants to build a new 8,000-ft.
The China Airlines Boeing 747-200 that disintegrated in midair appears to have fatigue cracks up to 9 in. long in the rear fuselage section where the aircraft may have come apart, according to Taiwanese investigators. China Airlines Flight 611 crashed in the Taiwan Strait near the top-of-climb on May 25, killing all 225 on board (AW&ST July 1, p. 42). ``Since the suspicious pieces of wreckage were mostly from Section 46, it is very likely that the aircraft first broke up there,'' said Kay Yong, managing director of Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC).
Patrick J. Spratt has become chief financial officer of KVH Industries, Middletown, R.I. He succeeds Richard For- syth, who will remain as vice president-finance.
The Senate Commerce Committee had a go at taking up Marion Blakey's nomination as FAA administrator last week, but it didn't work out. The committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Aug. 2, but had to postpone it until early September when the Senate left town for summer recess on Aug. 1. Although the White House announced Blakey's nomination July 18, the paperwork didn't reach the committee until July 30. Jane Garvey left office Aug.
In a surprise initiative last week, the French government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin unveiled a plan to sell a major portion of its 54.4%-stake in flag carrier Air France. No schedule has yet been determined, because the sale heavily depends on economic recovery, which has been very slow. The French government is not expected to completely abandon Air France to market forces and could retain a minority 20% of the airline's capital. In the post-Sept. 11 industry crisis, Raffarin's predecessor terminated a plan to privatize engine manufacturer Snecma.
Andrew K. Ellis has been promoted toWashington-based vice president for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems from vice president for Boeing Military Aircraft and Missiles. Shephard W. Hill has been promoted to vice president-business development for Boeing Integrated Defense Systems from vice president-space and communications program in Boeing's Washington office.
While Lockheed Martin ponders three engine options for the FB-22 dedicated long-range strike derivative of the F-22, the emerging issue is whether the U.S. Air Force will propel the study any further. Following a request from the Air Force, F-22 manufacturer Lockheed Martin has spent the past few months refining its concept of the FB-22. However, interest among senior Air Force officials is in a state of flux and appears to be waning. The FB-22 would be larger than the F-22 and able to deliver about three times its air-to-ground ordnance.
The International Air Transport Assn. asked the FAA to push back from Apr. 9, 2003, to Nov. 1, 2003, the deadline for installing secure cockpit doors on foreign-operated transports (AW&ST June 24, p. 33). Airbus and Boeing have run into ``substantial delays'' in getting certification for their flight deck security kits, IATA said, and based on the manufacturers' current schedules, IATA members think significant groundings, which would ``exceed the cost of buying and installing the kits themselves,'' will be needed if the FAA sticks with the April deadline.
Not to belabor the point, but as of Aug. 2 the ``state of national emergency with respect to Iraq'' put into effect by the first President Bush in 1990 was renewed for another year by his son. The edict keeps trade sanctions in place and Iraqi government assets frozen. ``Because the government of Iraq has continued to engage in activities hostile to U.S. interests, the national emergency declared on Aug. 2, 1990. . . must continue in effect,'' President Bush 2 stated in the latest notice.
