John Kelley has been appointed executive vice president of Herley Industries Inc., Lancaster, Pa., and will remain president of Herley Medical Products.
The premature separation of an unmanned test vehicle being carried piggyback on a solid-fueled rocket at Australia's Woomera test range has set back Japan's supersonic transport development program. It was the first flight test for the as yet-unnamed, unmanned and non-powered vehicle built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL). The $8.7-million vehicle is 11.5 meters (38 ft.) long and weighs 2 metric tons.
The Swedish air force has completed a six-flight evaluation of the Eagle medium-altitude long-endurance UAV. During the test campaign, the Eagle demonstrated suitability for detection of land-based targets as well as usefulness for scientific research and an ability to fly within civilian airspace. At various times, it flew with IFF VDL Mode 4, SAR and TV/IR payloads, as well as with a condensation particle counter. Development of the Eagle is expected to be completed by 2003.
Magellan Aerospace Corp. has received orders valued up to $13.1 million to manufacture aerostructure assemblies for the AgustaWestland EH-101 Cor- morant helicopter. Composite and sheet metal assemblies will be made at Magellan's facilities in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Fort Erie, Ontario. Also, Magellan has signed a $9.16-million contract for manufacturing components for the Volvo Aero RM12 engine, which powers Saab/BAE Systems JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft.
General Dynamics' Decision System Div. has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to manufacture and integrate theater deployable communications integrated communications access packages, under a $260-million work order.
Dynamics Research Corp. has won a $34-million five-year contract to provide advisory and assistance services to the U.S. Air Force's Joint-STARS program office. The contract includes an eight-month base award of $4.3 million and four one-year renewal options.
Patrick Thomas Biltgen of the Georgia Institute of Technology is one of 17 undergraduate and graduate students of science and engineering who have won $8,500 scholarships from the Titusville, Fla.-based Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The other winners are: David Joseph Diaz, Harvey Mudd College; Jacqueline A. Hardgrove, Miami University; Maranda McBride, North Carolina A&T University; Jason D. Surratt, North Carolina State University; Kimberly M. Stanek, North Dakota State University; Eric S.
Michelin's Near Zero Growth radial tire is scheduled to obtain certification by year-end. It is expected to initially equip the 380-seat A340-600 with other Airbus and Boeing aircraft types to follow in quick succession, according to company executives. Development of Near Zero Growth (NZG) tires began in the mid-1990s and became a high priority following the Air France Concorde crash in July 2000. Tests confirmed that wing and fuel tank puncture risks tied to tire blowouts could be eliminated by the new radial tire.
Designed for material handling and manufacturing operations, the BOD-66M analog laser sensor allows low-cost, long-range continuous measurement of parameters such as distance, height and length in industrial applications. With a sensing range of 200mm. to 2m. and resolution of <5mm., the BOD-66M is suited to roll diameter monitoring, height detection and sorting of parts and boxes, and level detection of fillers or vertical boxing machines. The unit employs laser triangulation to determine distance to objects.
A preproduction Gulfstream V-SP made its first flight July 18 at Gulfstream Aerospace facilities in Savannah, Ga. During the 5-hr. flight, pilots John O'Meara and Al Morris, along with flight test engineers Jim Winkelman and Bill Osborne, flew the aircraft at altitudes up to 51,000 ft. and speeds of Mach 0.955. FAA certification is tentatively scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year, with initial customer delivery one year later.
Scientists at India's Defense Research and Development Organization developed an integrated field shelter as protection from biological and chemical agents and nuclear particles, provided the shelter is sited an unspecified distance from ground zero. The shelter can accommodate 30 people for 96 hr., DRDO Chief Controller R.V. Swamy said. Tests were conducted near the sea, and in desert and mountainous terrains. The shelter is designed as a command-and-observation post and communication center.
A Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-76 crashed in the North Sea on July 16, with all 11 crewmembers and passengers presumed dead. So far, five bodies have been recovered. According to a statement from Bristow, the helicopter ``inexplicably ditched into the sea'' as it approached the oil rig on which it was to land.
LaBarge will supply subsystems for its Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar system for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Electronic Systems Sector, under a $9-million contract. The military airborne surveillance system enables the radar to simultaneously track air and sea targets.
Mark Donegan, who has been president/chief operating officer of the Precision Castparts Corp., Portland, Ore., also will be CEO. William C. McCormick, who has been chairman/CEO, is resigning as CEO but will remain chairman.
German investigators are looking at work-rule compliance and potential system deficiencies at Swiss air traffic control provider Skyguide, as well as cockpit procedures, to determine what caused the midair collision between two commercial jets over southern Germany on July 1. Traffic in the region is handled by Skyguide. The aircraft--a DHL Boeing 757 (A9C-DHL) and a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 (RA-85816)--collided over the northern shore of Lake Constance near the town of Ueberlingen close to Akabi waypoint. All 71 on both aircraft died.
A National Research Council panel has breathed new life into the planned but unfunded New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. The group declared such a mission the top priority for planetary exploration exclusive of Mars in the decade to come and noted that work already done on New Horizons enhances the mission's technical readiness. NASA has opened talks with New Horizons principal investigator Alan Stern on implementing the recommendation, according to Colleen Hartman, director of the Solar System Exploration Div.
Space shuttle management is assessing hydrogen fuel line repair options that could return the orbiters Columbia and Atlantis to flight status as early as October or November, and Endeavour by November or December. The preliminary plan based on the fuel liner data collected so far is to focus on flying the cracked liners ``as is,'' pending additional reviews, or repairing them in place as opposed to cutting out and replacing the pipe sections. Two cracks were found in Endeavour lines last week, indicating the problem is generic to the entire four-orbiter fleet.
A joint venture of EADS, BAE Systems and Finmeccanica/Alenia Aeronautica has been awarded a 45-million-euro ($44.1-million) contract to upgrade 18 defense strike Panavia Tornados operated by the Italian air force. The mid-life upgrade includes installation of next-generation navigation and communications systems and the capability to carry GPS- and laser-guided bombs and stand-off weapons. The program is scheduled to be completed in 2004.
You can't ground pilots or aircraft or repress the flying spirit for long. In the 10 months since Sept. 11, the U.S. general aviation sector is returning to the flight lines determined to build a more positive image and hold on to a corner of the sky. ``Pilots were uncertain as to when, if ever, [general aviation] would come back. For the first time, we comprehended we might lose that gift of flight. When you have the risk of loss of something that precious, you value it even higher,'' said John King, co-chair of King Schools Inc., multimedia training experts.
Low-fare carrier JetBlue Airways reports a 110% increase in June traffic to 595.8 million revenue passenger miles compared with 283.2 in June last year, based on a capacity increase of 98.5%. Available seat miles for the month increased to 695,016 from 350,191 last June. JetBlue had a system-wide load factor of 85.7% for the month, 4.8 points above last year, and a 100% completion factor compared with 99.96% in June 2001.
The Navy will use the first of five new radar threat simulators to help train pilots of tactical aircraft to identify and counter enemy missile or artillery threats. The mobile remote emitter simulator, designed by Northrop Grumman's Amherst Systems unit in Buffalo, N.Y., simulates a variety of emissions and can be towed from site to site by pickup truck, much like the portable threats it simulates. The tactical training range at Patuxent River, Md., has received the first simulator. Other units are slated for the Navy's Atlantic Test Ranges, also at Patuxent River.
Details emerging from China are gradually exposing the secretive approach maintained by the Chinese to house and train its new astronaut corps in preparation for Shenzhou manned space flights as early as next year. In addition, the orbital module section of the Shenzhou 3 unmanned test vehicle for the manned spacecraft design continues to maneuver in space following its launch Mar. 25.
