Photograph: Serge Dassault, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation FRANCOIS ROBINEAU Aviation Week&Space Technology has been recognizing the achievements of aviation and aerospace individuals and teams for more than four decades with its Laurels and Laureate awards. On Feb. 8, the magazine announced its 1998 Laurels and Laureate winners in seven categories: Aeronautics/Propulsion, Space, Commercial Air Transport, Government/Military, Operations, Electronics and Lifetime Achievement.
Photograph: Paul B. MacCready, Doing More With Less To get a feel for Paul MacCready's accomplishments, you can begin by looking in science museums and trophy cases. The National Air and Space Museum has the Gossamer Condor, the first aircraft to achieve real human-powered flight, next to the 1903 Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis. The Gossamer Albatross, first human-powered aircraft to cross the English Channel, awaits display in the museum's planned Dulles branch after adorning the London Science Museum atrium.
Rolls-Royce is in talks with Polish aerospace and defense firms to expand its ties with local industry. According to company officials, the discussions concern the supply of components for aero engines, propulsion systems for naval warships and power-generating facilities, and perhaps the creation of a training center in Deblin for the Polish air force.
A TEAM FROM FLORIDA-BASED ST. LEO'S COLLEGE evaluated Xybernaut's mobile assistant wearable PC as a tool to assist astronauts for tasks in space. The system was tested in NASA's KC-135 zero-gravity simulator. The lightweight MA-IV presents video in front of either eye on a 1-in.-sq. head-mounted color display. The voice-activated descriptive video shaved 7-13% off the time to do a job, compared with the audio system used today.
American Airlines plans to retire nine Boeing DC-10s by the end of 2000 and 16 Boeing 727s by December 2003, eliminating both types of aircraft from its fleet. The accelerated retirements will help American accommodate delivery of up to 115 new Boeing transports between 1999 and 2001. Officials expect annual capacity to expand by 3-3.5% through 2003.
The FAA withdrew its revocation of Kiwi International Air Lines' license and suspended it instead. The change allows Kiwi to avoid a long and costly trial, but the grounded carrier still faces the challenge of becoming recertified. It also is looking for equity investors so that it can exit bankruptcy. It has enough money to sustain a skeletal staff of 30 people for about four months. Management has vowed to restart the airline, possibly as a charter carrier.
Honored with others for their ``successful orbital flights in McDonnell Douglas Mercury capsules, which confirmed the growing U.S. capability in manned space flight and laid the basic foundation for the Apollo Moon mission.'' Aviation Week&Space Technology, Dec. 24, 1962
This year's Outstanding Cadets are: U.S. Air Force Academy: Cadet First Class Matthew French U.S. Coast Guard Academy: Ensign Brian Erickson U.S. Military Academy: Cadet First Class Scott Stechschulte U.S. Naval Academy: Midshipman First Class Andrew Grubler
Photograph: A vertical takeoff Harrier lands on the deck of the USS Nassau in the Adriatic Sea. The Harrier, first developed in the U.K., evolved into a major transatlantic industrial partnership. WIDE WORLD Operation Allied Force is underscoring the benefits of interoperability among NATO members' armed forces as well as the probability that it could be enhanced by harmonization of specifications and sustained by transatlantic alliances among contractors. In a tight budget environment, the U.S.
Regional Airlines of France has agreed to acquire a 34% stake in Flandre Air, another French commuter carrier, and create a strategic alliance that will strengthen Regional's position as an independent carrier and broaden its base of major airline partnerships. Over 40% of Regional's traffic is generated by code-sharing or carriage agreements with Iberia, KLM and Alitalia, and an agreement was signed with Lufthansa in February. Flandre Air has a partnership with British Airways affiliate Air Liberte.
Photograph: Space Imaging's Ikonos 1, commercial space's first 1-meter resolution Earth-imaging satellite, is to be launched on Apr. 27 on an Athena II from Vandenberg AFB. After years of promise, launch of Space Imaging's Ikonos 1 this week brings the first high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite into commercial service. Launch of Ikonos 1, a Lockheed Martin Missiles&Space LM 900, is set for Apr. 27 at 11:21 a.m. PDT from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The launch window is 30 min. A Lockheed Martin Astronautics Athena II will place the 1,600-lb.
The Data Logger provides real-time digital display of analog signals. It features up to 24 channels of analog, reading directly into an Excel spreadsheet. A macro scripting utility automatically prints and saves spreadsheets and graphs. An interface card, cable and terminal block are supplied. They can be used to automatically fax or e-mail graphs or spreadsheets. All data are recorded in real time. Validyne Engineering, 8626 Wilbur Ave., Northridge, Calif. 91324.
The Star Alliance is considering a restructuring that would allow it to make joint equity investments. Thai Airways International President Thamnoon Wanglee said last month that the alliance had offered to buy up to a 23% share in the carrier, one of the eight in the grouping, and that it would form a holding company or consortium through which to make the purchase.
Pierre Baud Laurent Beaudoin Philippe Camus Phil Condit Bob Curtin Serge Dassault Jean-Luis Gergorin Dale Hougardy Thomas V. Jones Charles H. Kaman Jean-Luc Lagadere Ray Morgan Alan Mulally Ronald Ostrowski Jean Pierson Ben Rich Lt. Col. Felix Sanchez Daniel M. Tellep Jacques Troyes Bernard Ziegler
Hughes Electron Dynamics has won a $9.2-million contract to design and manufacture the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness 30-cm. system for validation on the New Millennium Deep Space 1 project.
Bary R. Bertiger John Casani Richard Cook Daniel Goldin Kurt Heftman Hubble Space Telescope Service Team Raymond J. Leopold Rob Manning Jacob R. Matijevic John Mather Brian Muirhead William O'Neil Kenneth M. Peterson Paul Regeon Col. Pedro L. Rustan, Jr. Alvin Seiff Shuttle Mission 39 Military Team Shuttle Mission 40 Spacelab Life Sciences Team
Japan has named Mitsubishi Electric to conduct research on a synthetic aperture radar and optical sensor system for the country's first reconnaissance satellite program. The 200-billion-yen ($1.7-billion) program was initiated late last year after North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests that overflew Japan (AW&ST Nov. 9, 1998, p. 34). Besides the radar and optical sensors, Mitsubishi's 9-billion-yen contract includes development of a propulsion system for maneuvering.
Marshal Sergei Fedorovich Akhromeyev John B. Alexander Lord Carrington Hubert Curien Lt. Gen. Charles A. Horner Larry D. McClain Robert G. Myers Paul H. Nitze William Perry Alexander W. Riedy Malcolm Rifkind Mary Fackler Schiavo VXE-6 U.S. Navy Sqdn. R. James Woolsey
Each Laureate Award winner from 1988 through 1998 automatically becomes a member of the Laureates Hall of Fame. But what about those Legends of the past among prior Laurels winners? To ensure the Legends of the past are remembered in Aviation Week's Hall of Fame, each class of inductees now includes the current year's winners and a number of legendary achievers selected by Aviation Week&Space Technology editors. This year, the following legendary Laurels winners have been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Swiss tour operator Kuoni has concluded a merger with First Choice Holidays, the third largest travel firm in the U.K., marking a further step in the consolidation of Europe's travel industry. The merger will create Europe's second largest tour operator (after TUI-Hapag Lloyd of Germany) and its fifth largest charter airline (behind Britannia, LTU Group, Airtours and Condor). The charter unit, Air 2000/Edelweiss, has a fleet of 27 aircraft and carried 6.8 million passengers last year.
Tak-Ty hook and loop cable ties can be used in air handling spaces. The hook and loop closure make it easy to release and reuse, and they will not pinch or abrade. They are available in several sizes ranging in length from 6-18 in. Panduit Corp., 17301 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park, Ill. 60477-3091.
Illustration: Drawing: Three-view of the stretched version of proposed new Boeing jumbo transport shows a conventional, low-wing configuration with a single deck. Economy-class seating would be arranged in a two-four-four-two pattern. Boeing is working closely with key suppliers on the design of a proposed new 450-550-seat, single-deck jumbo transport family. If authorized for production by Boeing's board, plans call for entry into service as early as 2006, a date that has slipped two years in the past four months.
The Kawasaki-built Section 43 fuselage panel for the new 767-400ER transport is lowered into place at Boeing's Everett, Wash., factory. The aircraft, which is 21 ft. longer than the 767-300, incorporates the same size airframe panels as used in the -200 and -300 to minimize costs and tooling. They are slightly thicker--and therefore stronger--to accommodate the increase in fuselage length. The first 767-400 delivery is scheduled to Delta Air Lines in May 2000.
Photograph: James Strong, chief executive of Qantas Airways Not many airline chief executives spent their early years running a bauxite mine, but not many have James Strong's background at Qantas Airways. Strong, 54, is trained in the law--he is a barrister and solicitor admitted to practice in three Australian states--but has spent most of his career managing large enterprises. For 13 years he worked in Australian mining and refining operations.
Ronald W. Allen Gordon Bethune Christian Blanc Robert L. Crandall Herman De Croo Grigory A. Gurtovoy Herbert D. Kelleher Lord King of Wartnaby Sir Colin Marshall Alexander P. Pleshakov Richard T. Santulli Frederick W. Smith James Strong Peter Sutch Juergen Weber Nikolai Feodorovich Zobov
