The Mars and Millennium II pens combine the performance of pressurized ``space pens'' with a guarantee that they'll never run out of ink. Pens from the manufacturer have been used on all manned space flights since winning NASA approval for the original Apollo missions. This tool allows astronauts to write at any angle. The latest pens offer an extra-large-capacity ink chamber and pressurized ball-point technology. Unlike regular ball points, which rely on gravity to feed ink, the Mars and Millennium II pens feature pressurized ink cartridges. At nearly 50 lb. per sq.
Last year, ``the worst in the history of air transport,'' produced a net loss of $12 billion on international scheduled services, according to the International Air Transport Assn.'s World Air Transport Statistics 2002. IATA's 200 airline members carried 1.35 billion scheduled passengers last year, a 3.3% decrease compared with 2000, with international scheduled passengers down 2.2%. The average passenger load factor fell by 2.2 percentage points to 70.3%, and freight tons carried by IATA members on international scheduled services in 2001 decreased by almost 7%.
From Chipmunks to Twin Otters, Bombardier Aerospace says its new 32,000-sq.-ft. Commercial Service Center will handle them all. The facility at Mirabel, north of Montreal, will provide technical support for everything from out-of-production de Havilland DHC-1--the Chipmunks that first appeared in 1946--through DHC-6 Twin Otters and Dash-7s. Bombardier Vice President Robert Mauracher said there are more than 1,600 de Havilland out-of-production aircraft to be supported.
Victor Anderes has been named assistant vice president-security for North America and the Caribbean for Virgin Atlantic Airways. He was station manager for the airline at New York JFK International Airport.
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory will pick up an extra $50.7 million from NASA to operate the Chandra X-ray Observatory through Aug. 31 of next year, bringing the total value of the contract for the Cambridge, Mass.-based center to $298.2 million.
This company has coated, solid, sponge, foam, cured and uncured, and super-wide sheet silicone products. Made in Mil-Spec and aircraft grades, they are available with pressure-sensitive adhesive. Fabric composites can be made with silicone on fiberglass, Dacron, Kevlar, Nomex and nylon. Silicone is used for its high-temperature range (-100F to 550F), chemical and moisture resistance, durability and compression capabilities. The products are known for handling demanding applications such as heat, release, chemicals, compression and stability.
Raytheon Co. plans to consolidate its defense businesses into a single operation that will be headed by William Swanson, who had been president of Raytheon Electronic Systems. The company expects to complete the realignment by the end of August. By virtue of reorganization, Swanson, 53, will be directly in line to succeed Chairman/CEO Daniel Burnham. Swanson is a 30-year veteran of Raytheon.
The U.S. Air Force Airborne Laser aircraft, a Boeing 747-400F, took off from McConnell AFB, Kan., on its maiden flight July 18 after completion of an extensive, two-year modification program at Boeing facilities in Wichita, Kan. The aircraft completed its first flight as part of its functional checkout with a flight-test program designed to ensure aerodynamic stability and control.
In a desperate attempt to survive, Fairchild Dornier is still trying to sell the production rights to the 728/928 regional twinjets--possibly to Russia or China--after a rejection by Finmeccanica/Alenia Aeronautica. Executives at Finmeccanica/Alenia Aeronautica confirmed to the German company's management that it would no longer seek to acquire the 728/928 and the 328JET programs. Moreover, Alenia is not interested in buying Fairchild Dornier's Airbus businesses or maintenance and product support units.
DAVID A. FULGHUMROBERT WALL ( EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. TUCSON, ARIZ.)
Faced with increasingly effective competition at home and in Europe, Raytheon strategists are fine-tuning their company's focus on delivering networked systems in addition to production of components that others can integrate. Raytheon, like other large, defense-oriented aerospace companies, knows the future is inextricably tied to what is often called network- or information-centric warfare, and that any large corporation's long-term success will depend less and less on new missiles or aircraft designs.
D.W. (Dennis) Helgeson has become vice president/general manager of business and regional systems for Rockwell Collins Commercial Systems, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was vice president-business development for Rockwell Collins Government Systems.
Although neither bid was successful, courtship of elements of TRW by BAE Systems and Smiths Industries merely served to underscore the continuing attraction of the U.S. defense aerospace market to British and continental European companies. The lure of the U.S. market is self-evident: garnering a slice of a defense budget that's roughly three times that of European Union nations. However, conversely--and perhaps, at first glance, perversely--at least the bulk of the U.S.
Francis X. Shea, who has been executive vice president-finance, also will be chief financial officer of the World Fuel Services Corp., Miami Springs, Fla.
Universal Avionics has received technical standard order certification for its Vision-1 Synthetic Vision System. This is the first synthetic vision system based on terrain data to receive FAA certification, according to the company. It gives pilots a synthesized 3D picture of their aircraft and the terrain, from the perspective of a camera above, behind and to the right of the aircraft. The flight plan from the flight management system is overlaid on the display, along with deviation indicators and compass symbol.
European countries are ill-equipped for Combat Search-and-Rescue (CSAR) missions behind enemy lines, at least in high-threat environments. To meet NATO and European requirements, the partners of EAG (European Air Group), Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the U.K. are trying to achieve interoperability by sharing knowledge of procedures and equipment. An EAG study on CSAR led to an agreement last month by the Chiefs of Staff of the seven air forces.
Honeywell has recovered from a disappointing start to win a major share of systems work on the Airbus A380, reinforcing the important role U.S. suppliers will play in the ultra-widebody program. With more than 80% of the value of outsourced components under contract as of mid-July, the U.S. avionics, powerplant and systems manufacturer has already landed six A380 awards that could be worth $2 billion over the life of the program.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has become one of Europe's most modern air services, equipped for both national defense and active participation in coalition warfare and peacekeeping operations beyond its country's borders. During the last 10 years or so, the RNLAF has meshed its resources and capabilities with a national commitment to be a key player in major world events.
The FAA last week downgraded Argentina's International Aviation Safety Assessment rating (IASA) from Category 1 to Category 2. The assessment, which was made by evaluating Argentina's civil aviation authority's standards against those set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will mean flights to the U.S. by Argentine carriers will be subject to ``heightened'' FAA surveillance and no new service will be approved. Carriers, however, can add capacity by wet-leasing aircraft from a U.S. carrier or another country with a Category 1 rating.
It's an interesting proposition: launch a 24-satellite, space-based radar system, and you could substantially reduce the amount of materiel--primarily munitions--that you have to take to a war. The logistics portion of the claim has been well-validated by Pentagon planners who decided to store in place most of the vast supply of munitions carried to the Middle East for the 1990-91 Persian Gulf war. Leaving the weaponry there, as pre-positioned equipment, was far cheaper than further running up the war's cost by hauling all the unused ordnance back to the U.S.
Repair of high-performance composite parts, such as engine inlet cowlings and pylon fairings, is among the most expensive and time-consuming tasks in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. Traditionally, the process of evaluating and repairing a composite part involves manually producing repair details, overhauling the part, testing it and revising the overhaul procedure until the process is optimized.
Joan Sullivan Garrett, president/CEO of Phoenix-based MedAire Inc., is among four new members of the board of governors of the Washington-based Flight Safety Foundation. The others are: Charles M. Barclay, president of the American Assn. of Airport Executives; Capt. Michael Denis Jeffery, retired director of flight operations for British Airways; and Deborah Costolo McElroy, president of the Regional Airline Assn.
The British Defense Ministry is faced with a precarious balancing act in its future equipment program as it attempts to retain an independent capability while trying to ensure coherence with emerging U.S. developments. The U.K. is trying to retain a force structure that will allow it, independently if required, to mount significant military operations outside either NATO or ad hoc coalitions. As a close, if not the closest, U.S.
Kevin Russell has been appointed executive vice president-sales and marketing and Steve Zacks vice president-marketing for NetJets Inc., Woodbridge, N.J. Russell was senior vice president-marketing and international sales and Zacks vice president-strategic marketing.
