The U.S. Senate's version of the Fiscal 2000 defense appropriations bill contains a series of aerospace provisions, from F-15E purchases and Patriot missile retrofits to U-2 upgrades and aircraft noise suppression funding. In last week's floor action on the bill, senators agreed to spend $220 million to buy four more F-15Es for the Air Force--at the expense, however, of readiness.
The organizing drive to unionize Midwest Express flight attendants has been a rare experience for Beth DeProspero, a staff negotiator for the Assn. of Flight Attendants (AFA). She is accustomed to working with flight attendants who are aggravated at management over issues of pay and working conditions. Neither issue was a motivating force for the unionization at Midwest Express.
ProMetrix is a line of all-metric spindles that incorporates optimum geometry and bearing placement for stiffness, and a design for high performance and virtually contaminant-free operation in milling, boring, drilling, turning and grinding applications. During spindle operation a uniform outward flow of clean, dry air through the seal prevents contamination from entering the spindle and keeps humidity levels low. The air seal provides contact sealing against moderate contamination even if the air supply fails or is shut off during machine downtime.
The Air Transport Assn. late last week was trying to hammer out a pact on passenger-service guarantees, to head off the congressional drive for a ``passenger bill of rights'' (AW&ST Mar. 15, p. 24). ATA officials have drafted a 12-point plan that would commit the trade group's 28 member airlines to making ``every reasonable effort to provide food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical treatment'' during long delays, according to the Associated Press, which obtained a copy of the draft.
Estrella Ochoa has become director of sales, purchasing and rotable repair of the BPI Aerospace Corp. of Miami. Other recent appointments were: Eddie Pagan sales manager for rotables, Robert Lopez director of quality assurance and technical services, Bogdan Chalopa manager of inventory control and operations, and Doyi Gema new business and credit manager.
The Mitsubishi LE-7A first-stage H-2A booster engine failed in its first ground test firing at the Japanese National Space Development Agency's Tanegashima Space Center off Kyushu Island. The engine automatically cut off at 16 sec. into a planned 30-sec. test. Officials said it appears the redesigned LOX/LH2 engine itself did not fail and theorized two possible causes for the shutdown: a false sensor reading or the failure of plumbing linking the fuel tank to the engine.
Australia has balked at opening its skies to foreign competition on the country's domestic routes, despite pressure from the tourism industry and some state governments. But it has opened regional airports to international airlines. All airports, other than the major gateways of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, will be open to any international airlines under agreements signed by the Australian cabinet in late May. They followed recommendations by Australia's Productivity Commission that the country's $10-billion yearly aviation market be freed up.
In the next 20 years,. NASA and industry research will produce significant technical advances for subsonic flight that could revolutionize the manufacture and efficiency of airline transports--but only if program funding levels are increased and the commercial aviation industry adopts a totally integrated systems approach to designing and producing aircraft.
H. Lindsay McKinnon has become Birmingham, England-based European sales manager for iBASEt, Lake Forest, Calif. He was a regional director for the Parametric Technology Corp.
Merrill (Chip) DuMont has been named vice president-finance/chief financial officer of the Universal Avionics Systems Corp., Tucson, Ariz. He was vice president-finance and contracts.
The SMD Membrane Air Dryer provides pure, dry compressed air and offers an alternative to refrigerant dryer technology. It will dry compressed air to a dewpoint as low as 35F at flow rates of up to 600 standard cu. ft./min. This equipment has no moving parts and operates reliably and efficiently without operator attention. Whatman Inc., 100 Ames Pond Drive, Tewksbury, Mass. 01876-0962.
The Air Transport Assn. is looking for regional airlines and the manufacturers of equipment they use to sign on to its Spec 2000 parts and repair-service clearinghouse service. Major airlines for more than 10 years have used ARINC and SITA links to Spec 2000 to search and order aircraft parts and repair services. ATA plans to make the service, which it says has a database of more than 6 million parts and repair services, available to customers via the Internet by October.
The space community was baffled and divided last week over pictures of what appear to be China's new manned launch vehicle being rolled out to a pad from a large new processing building. The problem: are the photos real or sophisticated fakes?
This Paris air show issue and special report on the coming of 21st century transports shows the great potential of the international air transportation system. The cover, painted by renowned aviation artist Keith Ferris, depicts what is flying now as well as concepts of some of the new aircraft that could be flying in the next century. On the cover and in our stories, we also attempt to reflect on the international nature of aviation commerce.
This corrosion resistant 6-in. brake disk is manufactured with a superior heat sink to minimize brake fade. The one-piece forged part has improved corrosion resistance with increased surface hardness. The conditioning procedures include: taxi aircraft for 1,500 ft. with engine at 1,700 rpm. applying brake pedal force as needed to develop a 5-10 mph. taxi speed, allow brakes to cool for 10 to 15 min., apply brakes and check for restraint at high static throttle. Parker Hannifin Corp., 1160 Center Road, Avon, Ohio 44011.
The aerospace application library consists of a variety of machining methods that can be applied to common features found on structural aircraft components and is available for NCL V9.0 multi-axis machining software. This package generates simultaneous 2 through 5-axis numerically controlled tool paths and provides parametric 3D modeling. It is used for environments where design changes are frequent as in the aerospace, turbomachinery, power generation and tire mold industries. Numerical Control Computer Sciences, 4685 MacArthur Court, Suite 200, Newport Beach, Calif.
Mel J. Trudeau has been appointed vice president-commercial development of the Miami-based U.S. operations for Amadeus. He was a consultant to American Express Corporate Services on business travel automation. Debra A. Iannaci has been named public relations manager of Amadeus Travel Distribution.
Kaiser Aerospace&Electronics Co. has concluded an agreement with IDD Aerospace Corp. for design, development and production of primary display pushbutton bezels for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the F-22 Raptor.
The Model 31 is a tension/compression unit, which delivers non-linearity/hysteresis up to 0.15% (FS) and is used for in-line cable tension measurement, press monitoring and parts testing. The precision load cells are welded from 17-4PH stainless steel and are rugged. Integral stabilizing diaphragms allow tolerance of overloads of 50% over capacity and resistance to off-axis and side loading forces. The Model 31 is available in ranges from 5-1,000 pounds with deflection of only .0005-.0020 in.
J. Brooks Davis has been appointed manager of aircraft sales for Flight Services Group Inc., Stratford, Conn. He was president of Conn Mooney Aircraft Sales, Danbury, Conn.
The FM-100 Flash Measurement Photometer System allows maintenance personnel to measure flashing light sources such as aircraft anti-collision strobes to ensure they meet output requirements. The product measures the illuminance of each pulse in a string of light pulses at a rate of up to 700 per sec., at pulse widths from 1 nanosecond to 30 milliseconds. Sensitivity of the pulse luminance intensity measurement ranges from 11 millicandela sec. at 1 meter to over 50,000 candela sec. at 15 meters. Gamma Scientific, 8585 Aero Drive, San Diego, Calif. 92123.
Lockheed Martin has removed the forward and mid-fuselage sections of its X-35B Joint Strike Fighter from jigs for integration with the wing carry-through and aft fuselage assemblies this autumn. The concept demonstration aircraft, one of two under construction at Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif., is designed for short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL). The X-35A version is designed for conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL).
