Australia has committed $2.5 million to store 11 F-111G bombers, 130 Pratt&Whitney TF-30 engines, ALR-62I radar warning receiver systems and related support equipment at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. The spares are worth $500 million and may never be used. But the Royal Australian Air Force wants to secure them to keep its own fleet of 34 F-111-A/C/Gs operational until 2020. Its goal is to replace its F/A-18s and RF/F-111s with a single aircraft type.
W.L. GORE&ASSOCIATES, THE MAKERS OF GORE-TEX FABRICS, has developed an insulation for aircraft wiring. The High-Strength Toughened Fluoropolymer (HSTF) is a flexible and abrasion-resistant fluoropolymer insulation. Gore says it has better performance at high temperatures than existing insulation and does not produce smoke at high temperatures, as do the crosslinked EFTE (DuPont's Tefzel and Kapton) or a composite of PTFE/polyimide.
E. Van Cullens has been named president/chief operating officer of the Harris Corp., Melbourne, Fla., effective July 1. He has been president of the company's Communications Sector.
Despite the vagaries of cloud cover and unusual technical challenges, Qantas Airways' Antarctica sightseeing operations have logged 50 flights over the eastern seaboard of Antarctica in the past five years.
Scientists using the magnetometer on the Mars Global Surveyor have discovered banded patterns of magnetic fields on the surface of Mars, which they say provides further evidence that ancient Mars was a more dynamic planet than it is today. The observations of the ``magnetic stripes'' were made possible because of Mars Global Surveyor's aerobraking orbits, during which the lowest point of each orbit curved below the planet's ionosphere. That enabled the magnetometer to to make better-than-planned regional measurements of Mars.
One of the largest U.S. airlines has been analyzing the performance of 1,100 powerplants each day, using the Jet Engine Neural Analyzer (Jena) in a beta test, said John S. Howell, 4th, the chairman of JenaNet.com. The Fort Worth company, formerly known as Sensa Technologies, also is negotiating with a second major U.S. carrier.
The HemiLight is a personal locator light designed for life jacket use. Sensors automatically activate the light when it contacts water, providing a bright light that is visible in all directions for up to 1 mi. The light stays on for up to 90 sec. after being removed from the water, but a slight spray of rain will not turn it on. The specially designed Dragon Clip allows the light to be retrofitted to any life jacket. A button hold clip attachment can be made available for jackets fitted with a button hole patch.
Karl J. Krapek has been appointed president/chief operating officer of the United Technologies Corp., Hartford, Conn., while George David will remain chairman/chief executive. Krapek had been president of Pratt&Whitney. He will be succeeded by Louis Chenevert, who had been executive vice president.
Cedric D. Beckett has been named president of the Barnes Group subsidiary Bowman Distribution, Bristol, Conn. He was president of Barnes Aerospace, Windsor, Conn.
A number of private and public organizations have evaluated Emergent Technologies Corp.'s contrawound toroidal helical antenna (CTHA) for use in GPS receivers, space-based personal communications devices and aircraft communications systems.
A sweeping government/industry reassessment of U.S. space launch capabilities and processes will result from back-to-back failures of the U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin Titan IV and Boeing Delta III boosters, delaying major U.S. unmanned launch operations.
BFGoodrich Avionics Systems of Grand Rapids, Mich., received Technical Standing Order C105 approval for its Model RGC250 radar graphics computer on Mar. 26, allowing sales to begin, according to Michele Woogerd, the senior engineer who led the project team.
British Aerospace Regional Aircraft (BARA) is refining flight deck designs and formalizing relationships with suppliers on track for a decision later this year on launching its upgraded RJX series of regional aircraft.
The proposed Astrolink global broadband data satellite system, flush with nearly $1 billion in new venture capital, is transitioning to the fast track. Construction has started on the satellites, payload and ground infrastructure, and it is expected to accelerate in the months ahead. The Lockheed Martin-led team behind the $3.6-billion project has set its sights on being the first to market--there are at least five competitors--with the introduction of service in 2003.
Aviation Week&Space Technology presented its 1998 Laureate and Laurels Legends awards at a dinner at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington on Apr. 21. The 1998 winners also were inducted into the Laureates Hall of Fame. A permanent Hall of Fame display is located in the museum. The following photos are of the Laureates, Laurel Legends, Outstanding Service Academy Cadets and the Top Student from Aviation High School in New York.
USAF WILL START OPERATIONAL TESTS OF RAYTHEON'S Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (Stars) at Eglin AFB, Fla., this month. Stars will be used by both FAA and Defense Dept. air traffic controllers. Civil air traffic controllers balked at using even an interim Early Display Configuration (EDC) until 98 changes their union considered essential--plus 52 insisted upon by the maintenance technicians union--were implemented (AW&ST May 3, p. 19).
Lockheed Martin has delivered an X-33 composite liquid hydrogen tank to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center for testing, showing that the experimental rocket program is beginning to recover from a large structural failure of a tank in December. The X-33 is a NASA/Lockheed Martin program to test technologies and configuration for a follow-on ``VentureStar'' reusable single-stage-to-orbit launcher.
Flashcure adhesives are formulated to overcome limitations associated with light curing and cyanoacrylate technologies. They offer instant fixtures and tack-free surfaces in less than 5 sec. when exposed to low, medium or high intensity light. These adhesives cure tack-free without the use of solvent-borne accelerators and are surface insensitive and versatile, offering adhesion to a variety of substrates including rubber and polyolefins.
Rolls-Royce has signed a six-year manufacturing agreement worth $20 million with China Aviation Supplies Corp. of Beijing for engine components. The work, which will include structural fabrications, turbine rings and compressor seals, will be placed with Xian Aero Engine Corp. and Chengdu Aero Engine Group.
The Allied Pilots Assn. and American Airlines have hammered out an agreement whereby American will not seek collection of up to $45.5 million in compensatory damages until the pilots' union has appealed a U.S. District Court ruling that imposed the fine. A U.S. District Court judge awarded the money to AMR in April following a February ``sickout'' by more than 2,000 pilots that cost the airline more than $280 million in lost revenue when 6,700 flights were canceled because of too few cockpit crews.
Rubbercraft has developed a proprietary high-temperature material for use in aerodynamic seals and thermal barriers on launch vehicles. The new material, which has not been named, combines ceramics for temperature, Teflon for low friction and durability, molded room temperature vulcanization material (RTV) to save assembly time, aluminum for strength and attachment ease, another high-temperature compound and cork. The materials are then pre-molded and shaped to replace previous cork parts and hand-applied RTV. Rubbercraft Corp., 15627 South Broadway, Gardena, Calif.
The pending alliance between the Flight Safety Foundation and the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) represents a first step toward coordination of aviation safety programs. Representatives of the 250 IATA airlines will vote on the alliance proposal at the industry group's annual general meeting next month. Airline membership in the Arlington, Va.-based Flight Safety Foundation will increase by 100 to 250 when the alliance is completed.
The judges for Aviation Week&Space Technology's Third Annual Technology Innovation Awards bring a wide variety of experience in aerospace and defense. They were: -- Dee H. Andrews, a human factors expert who is technical director of the Air Force Research Laboratory, Warfighter Training Research Div., Mesa, Ariz. -- Anthony J. Broderick, a safety consultant who represents manufacturers, airlines and governments. He retired from the FAA as associate administrator for regulation and certification.
Riding on the results of its best annual performance ever, Embraer is moving toward a decision within the next two months on the launch of new aircraft to keep it in the race with Bombardier for the lion's share of the burgeoning regional jet market.
The H series is a multi-spindle, single-pass diamond abrasive bore finishing machine. It is available in standard configurations of 4-, 5-, or 8-spindles equipped with an 8- or 10-position rotary index table. The machine is suited for bore finishing hardened steel, aluminum, ceramic, cast iron and stainless steel parts. It features CNC programmability, diamond and carbon boron nitride or CBN tooling, 25-in.
