William R. Moreu has been appointed director of flight operations for the Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. of San Antonio. He was director of engineering for The New Piper Aircraft Co.
UAL Corp.'s Avolar subsidiary may yet salvage its venture into the burgeoning fractional ownership market, but the prospects for success appear to have dimmed considerably.
This electrostatic oil cleaning system removes insoluble contaminants, including tars and varnishes, from hydraulic oil system. The system uses electrostatic principles to draw contaminants out of the oil, trapping them on the surface of the collector. Only insoluable contaminants are extracted. Use of the system reduces the need for repeated oil changes and system downtime, according to the company. Each unit has a modular design, and can be field mounted as a dedicated unit. They can also be used on a rotational basis.
Despite last year's heavy losses, Lufthansa German Airlines executives say the carrier expects to become profitable again in 2002. Traffic is expected to reach pre-Sept. 11 levels, and some parked aircraft would be returned to service. Last year's loss of 591 million euros ($520 million), which was worse than financial analysts had predicted, included the dire straits of catering subsidiary LSG SkyChefs. Lufthansa's operating profit, although a low $17.6 million, reportedly was in line with in-house expectations.
Hubble Space Telescope engineers are spending this week activating an advanced mechanical refrigeration system that they expect will restore the telescope's infrared vision, but without the vibration that could blur images of some of the most distant objects in the universe.
Jerry Agee has been appointed vice president/general manager of TRW Systems' Missile Defense Div., Reston, Va. Patrick Caruana has been named vice president of TRW Space&Electronics' Missile Defense, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Summary of U.S. Regional Airline Service Changes January 2002 vs. January 2001 Alaska America Airlines West American Continental Partners Express Eagle Express Number of Hubs: 2 2 9 3 Regional Route Type: (1) All-New: - Regional Jet (RJ) exclusive 0 4 25 5
The importance of long-term preferential relationships between prime contractors and suppliers is growing and is likely to be reinforced by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, industry officials say.
If ongoing efforts to devise a rescue plan and secure more funding fail, Fairchild Dornier could be the first post-Sept.-11 industrial casualty. The Munich-based company, the third-largest regional twinjet manufacturer behind Bombardier and Embraer, is reportedly talking with potential partners to provide some major funding and a revised business plan.
NASA's Kennedy Space Center and USAF's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station continue to maintain tight security for potential terrorist attack against unmanned launch vehicles and the space shuttle--both especially vulnerable when fueled on their launch pads. During the Mar. 1 launch of the shuttle Columbia for its Hubble servicing mission, F-15s patrolled the immediate Kennedy area while F-16s flew over central Florida. A USAF air defense radar, especially suited to low-altitude threats, was also positioned at the Cape and used in connection with FAA radar surveillance.
MTU Aero Engines of Germany has boosted revenues by 18% in its financial year 2001. Revenues totaled 2.5 billion euros ($2.2 billion) mainly because of increased civil sales. Managing Director Klaus Steffens said sales were likely to decrease in 2002 and 2003, but the company would outperform the competition and gain market share. MTU has not yet disclosed profit figures.
The ST3400 terrain avoidance and warning system (TAWS) will add interface capability for Goodrich's Skywatch traffic awareness system and Stormscope lightning detection system. Pilots operating aircraft equipped with either of the Goodrich systems, along with the ST3400, will be able to view traffic and/or lightning data on the ST3400 display. It mounts directly in the primary field of view of the pilot, and is offered as an optional dual-redundant system for both pilot and copilot.
Emmet Fletcher has been named head of the Madrid office of Malvern, Pa.-based Analytical Graphics Inc. He was a technical consultant in Europe for the Satellite Tool Kit.
A freight forwarder is suing Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration for damages incurred in the crash of Singapore Airlines Flight 006 on Oct. 31, 2000, at Taipei Chiang Kai-Shek Airport. According to Taiwanese press reports, the forwarder cited CAA ``mismanagement'' for a client's $1.27-million loss of electronic parts on board the aircraft.
The U.S. Air Force has ordered one Gulfstream V jet for service as a C-37A transport. An additional 19 airplanes, a mixture of G-Vs and V-SPs, could be ordered as required. The contract, including logistics and support services, is potentially worth up to $1.6 billion to Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
NASA successfully communicated earlier this month with Pioneer 10, now 7.4 billion mi. from Earth. The TRW-built spacecraft, launched in 1972, completed its science mission in 1997, but continues to be tracked by the agency's Deep Space Network as part of an advanced concept study of communications technology. Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to make close-up images of Jupiter.
The Defense Dept. is hinting that it might shut down procurement projects that have spent years in development and still have financial problems. ``I wouldn't be surprised to see more program cancellations, particularly where there is financial duress combined with perhaps not up-to-date technology,'' Suzanne Patrick, deputy undersecretary of Defense for industrial policy, said.
It turns out the intelligence community may have missed more than just the existence of a third stage when it gathered data on North Korea's Taepo-Dong 1 ballistic missile. It also missed the real name. The traditionally reticent North Korean regime has gone the poetic route, calling it the Pekdosan-1--which means white-capped mountain, and is the formal name of a peak on the North Korean-Chinese border--says the Korean Report, a North Korean-operated news agency based in Tokyo. After a Pekdosan-1 overflew Japan on Aug.
German political infighting continues to shackle Europe's interminable effort to launch a military airlifter program, with the Mar. 31 deadline likely to be passed, without Germany being able to meet all of its partner nations' requirements for a formal go-ahead. While Germany's parliamentary budget commission is expected to vote this week in favor of the long-awaited order for the Airbus A400M tactical transport within the deadline, it will almost certainly not be in a position to commit to full production numbers.
The Sontara window wipe was designed for use on aircraft windshields and passenger windows manufactured from acrylic, polycarbonate and glass. Using a proprietary blend of fibers, the wipe gives off little lint, helping to reduce scratches. The company says scratches are most often caused by contaminants that exist on the window's surface. The product is approved by Boeing to be included on document D-6-49427 for use in window assemblies. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., 1002 Industrial Road, Old Hickory, Tenn. 37138.
Astrium and Babakin of Russia have agreed to jointly market inflatable reentry and descent technology (IRDT). An Astrium IRDT system consisting of a heat shield that inflates shortly before reentry to act like a drag chute was flight tested in February 2000 (AW&ST Jan. 31, 2000, p. 41). The technology, initially developed by Babakin for the ill-fated Mars 96 mission, may prove useful to return launcher stages, satellites, International Space Station or Mars samples, and other space payloads. A second test flight is planned for this summer.
Mark L. Ludwig has become chief financial officer and Robert Meurer international satellite systems business director of AeroAstro Inc., Herndon, Va. Ludwig was CEO of Mancelona Metal Products, while Meurer headed civilian and international program development for the Orbital Sciences Corp. Alan Parker has been appointed to the board of directors. He was president/CEO of Orbcomm.
Airbus executives remain convinced they can ride out the ongoing industry crisis with their deeply revised production plan and emerge virtually unscathed. In addition, the Europeans claim that ongoing airline network restructurings will strengthen hub-to-hub routes, further enhancing sales prospects for high-capacity aircraft such as the 380-seat A340-600 and 555-seat A380.
Air Canada provides maintenance and repair services in Montreal for Atlantic Coast Airlines' fleet of Canadair Regional Jets, under a five-year $60-million agreement.
