Virgin Travel Group is mulling alternative options to finance ambitious expansion plans following the collapse of talks with Continental Airlines about acquiring a minority stake in the British carrier. Virgin was interested in selling a 25% stake to Continental, with which it has a limited code-sharing agreement, for 400 million pounds ($640 million). Virgin is now reconsidering stock floatation plans, as well as going to the debt market, in order to boost its cash resources.
Large market shares, a huge installed base of equipment and systems, and technology leadership across all of its core businesses combine to form a solid base from which Honeywell Corp. should be able to improve its financial performance during the next five years.
A TEAM FROM TRW AND NASA'S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY demonstrated a high-speed indium phosphide chip that could lead to smaller, lighter and more capable Earth-observing satellites. The indium phosphide low-noise amplifier chip operates at 190 GHz.--which the team believes is the highest operating frequency for a solid-state monolithic microwave integrated circuit. The circuit is designed so low-noise amplifiers could be cascaded to create an amplifier with 20-30 dB. of gain at that frequency.
Airlines have made steady progress in heading off potential Year 2000 problems with their computer systems and are on track to complete that work by late this year. Carriers such as British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Qantas and Swissair all report they are well on their way to meeting that deadline. Grupo Taca has set up a central office to coordinate the Y2K mitigation efforts of its four Latin American airlines--Aviateca, Lacsa, Nica and Taca.
A new-technology, high-capacity air-cycle modular cooling system (ACCS) has been operational for more than two years, according to a recent SAE paper presented by Joe Phillips, system designer and ACCS consultant in Santa Barbara, Calif. Each module provides a high volume flow of -120F air to a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, where it cools more than 35 gal./min. of liquid to 41F from 59F. The ACCS is used to dissipate the heat load generated by a manufacturer's confidential experimental airborne package.
Europe got a polite but unmistakable warning from a heavyweight senator last week that Uncle Sam can make life miserable if the European Union goes ahead with hushkit restrictions against U.S. aircraft. In a blunt letter, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) reminded European officials that the Transportation Dept. can ``deny, amend, modify, suspend, revoke or transfer'' a foreign air carrier's permit to fly in the U.S. Then he delivered the zinger: ``Clearly, the U.S. has the ability to take actions that are very detrimental to European interests.
Conducting nuclear warfare isn't going to be a problem for the Defense Dept. come Jan. 1, 2000, but the Pentagon is anticipating difficulties with minor systems and is keeping watch for cyber attacks that may be disguised as Year 2000 computer bugs.
Lockheed Martin-Boeing's F-22 Raptor 02 returned to flight test at Edwards AFB, Calif., on Apr. 8 following three months of scheduled ground activities aimed at upgrading the aircraft for envelope expansion and validating its ground equipment and maintenance procedures. The ground tests may prompt modifications to landing gear support equipment, the elimination of unnecessary support equipment and tools and some revisions to maintenance procedures.
Siva S. Banda, technical director of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is one of 30 new fellows of the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The others are: Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack, professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology; John A. Benek of Micro Craft Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn.; Robert E. Berry, president of Space Systems/Loral, Palo Alto, Calif.; Pierre C. Betin, senior vice president of France-based Snecma; and Melvin R. Brashears, who is retired from the Lockheed Martin Corp.
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca has begun tests of an advanced Adour engine that promises to boost hot-section overhaul life to 2,000 hr. for British Royal Air Force aircraft. The powerplant--dubbed the Adour Mk.106--began altitude tests last month at France's Saclay facilities. These evaluations should conclude in late April, after the engine runs 40 hr.
Earl Palmer has become corporate aircraft sales manager for the King Aerospace Commercial Corp., Addison, Tex. He was a regional sales manager with the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga.
TransDigm Inc. has agreed to acquire Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., a supplier of aerospace products and manufacuturer of latches, lavatory hardware, oxygen systems and electromechanical devices for a range of applications.
Flight Services Group has merged with Ogden Corp. to form Ogden Flight Services Group. This merger will integrate FSG's aircraft management, charter and sales businesses into Ogden's global network of passenger services, ground handling, fueling and airport infrastructure development.
Sweden's FMV military procurement agency has ordered EP-12 color display systems from Ericsson Saab Avionics to upgrade Saab JA37 Viggen fighter aircraft. First delivery is scheduled for Apr. 1, 2000.
A Delta II successfully launched the 4,662-lb. Landsat 7 Earth-imaging satellite into a 705-km. (438-mi.) Sun-synchronous polar orbit on Apr. 15 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The $650-million satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Missiles&Space for NASA, the Defense Dept., NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Robert L. Mallet is deputy U.S. Commerce secretary. He spoke about export controls and the space industry this month at the U.S. Space Foundation's 15th annual National Space Symposium, held in Colorado Springs. Excerpts follow.
Security experts say it is past time for President Clinton to rethink his ``strategic partnership'' with China, in favor of a more realistic framework for bilateral relations.
The FAA plans to issue an airworthiness directive mandating revisions to the Time Limits section of engine manuals applicable to Pratt&Whitney PW4000-, PW2000- and JT9D-series as well as General Electric CF6, GE90, CFM56 and IAE V2500 turbofan powerplants. These engines power a variety of transports, including the Airbus A300/A310/A330 and Boeing 747/767/777 and MD-11. The directive centers on inspection of certain critical life-limited parts as well as incorporation of the inspections into an airline's continuous airworthiness maintenance program.
Under a five-year agreement, Lufthansa Technik has selected Collins Aviation Services to maintain the avionics on board Lufthansa Citylines' fleet of Canadair Regional Jets.
The White House and American industry are intent on completing China's entry into the World Trade Organization by the end of this year, an export plum avidly sought by U.S. mega-companies like Boeing. China's entry is well within reach, given the East Asian giant's willingness at the Apr. 8 Sino-American summit here to open its aviation, information technology and telecommunications markets to greater foreign involvement.
The FAA team charged with preventing the ``millennium bug'' from disrupting aviation operations has started assessing which of the most popular international destinations are vulnerable to such disruptions.
Flight Dynamics is testing performance enhancements to its Head-up Guidance System (HGS) aimed at improving pilot situational awareness, including rapid recognition and recovery from unusual attitudes or inflight upsets.
AlliedSignal Inc. has realigned its $7.5-billion aerospace business and appointed Robert D. Johnson as president and CEO of the new unit called AlliedSignal Aerospace. The organization will be headquartered in Phoenix and have three account teams to provide integrated sales and marketing. The team for air transport and regional airlines will be headed by Lynn Brubaker; business and general aviation by Robert L. Ruck; and defense and space by Thomas M. Culligan.
Former Boeing Chairman Thornton Wilson died on Apr. 9 at home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 78. Wilson joined Boeing in 1943 and helped develop the swept-wing B-47 bomber. Known as ``T,'' he was project engineer for the B-52 bomber during the latter stages of its design and led the proposal team which won the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program. Wilson was named CEO in 1969 and became chairman as well in 1972. Under his leadership, Boeing introduced the 747 and launched the simultaneous development of the 757 and 767 transports.
