Neal D. Hulkower has become vice president-engineering of RAF Technology, Redmond, Wash. He was a department head in the Economic and Decision Analysis Center of the Mitre Corp.
Reversing years of defeat at the hands of filibustering Democrats, the Republican-controlled Senate has overwhelmingly approved a commitment to deploy a rudimentary national missile defense ``as soon as technologically possible.''
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems delivered its first co-cured carbon composite wingbox for the production F-2 fighter to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries last week. Japan has ordered 130 F-2s, which use the F-16C/D Block 40 fighter as a baseline. LMTAS is under contract to provide 80% of the left-hand wingboxes, which include lower skin, spars, ribs and cap, all made from graphite-epoxy composites and cocured in an autoclave. Mitsubishi co-cured manufacturing technology was transferred to Lockheed Martin to produce the wingbox.
Mark A. Bobbi has been appointed vice president-business development and strategy of Oxford Industries, New Britain, Conn. He was director of competitive analysis for Pratt&Whitney.
FlightSafetyBoeing is setting its sights on maintenance training for new growth and revenues as the world fleet grows and increasingly complex aircraft enter service.
A Russian Proton booster was scheduled to put AsiaSat 3S, a Hughes HS 601HP satellite, into orbit at 105.5 deg. E. Long. on Mar. 21 from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft will replace AsiaSat 1, the Hong Kong firm's HS 376 that was launched in 1990 and continues to function, although past its design lifetime. The 10,000-watt AsiaSat 3S duplicates AsiaSat 3 that failed to reach orbit in December 1997 when a Proton fourth stage malfunctioned.
David L. Mathisen has been named vice president/general manager of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Transportation Management Systems Div., Dulles, Va. He was general manager of Raytheon Transportation Management Solutions.
Nabil M. Jammal has become Seattle-based national director of airport terminal design/airport services manager of URS Greiner Woodward Clyde. He has been terminal planning and design leader for the Guangzhou (China) International Airport.
Donald R. Doty has been named vice president-business development of Litton Aero Products, Woodland Hills, Calif. He held a similar position at the Pacific Scientific Corp.
Smiths Industries is on the lookout for potential acquisitions that might crop up as a result of the proposed merger of British Aerospace and GEC Marconi and TRW's takeover of LucasVarity. Half-year results announced last week showed a 42% increase in operating profits at the U.K. company's aerospace division.
Boeing appears to have its highest volume product line back on track, 17 months after parts shortages and manufacturing bottlenecks temporarily stopped 737 production lines. Earlier this month, the company completed a planned rate increase from 21 to 24 next-generation 737s a month. In addition, Boeing still produces three earlier model ``classic'' 737s every 30 days.
A former Transportation Dept. inspector general and a Columbus, Ohio, television station news team are suspects in a criminal investigation stemming from an unauthorized test of an airline baggage security system that went awry and caused an emergency at Port Columbus International Airport.
After years of fruitless attempts to rejuvenate a national aerospace and defense industry decimated by the end of the Cold War, the Polish government earlier this month approved a new plan to link industry restructuring to the modernization of its armed forces. The plan must still be approved by parliament, a process that is expected to take several months or more.
After nearly four years, the public inquiry into plans to build a fifth terminal at London Heathrow airport drew to a close last week. But formal recommendations stemming from the inquiry, which cost 80 million pounds ($130 million) and has drawn criticism from local authorities and environmental groups, is still at least two years away. Airport operator BAA now plans to open the new terminal in 2006.
Washington, abuzz over alleged leaks of sensitive missile and nuclear weapons technology to Beijing, has a new security concern. But this alert involves Chinese technology that is being exported to the U.S. NASA last week followed the lead of the National Security Agency by banning ``Furby'' from sensitive areas. The faddish, bug-eyed toy is made in China and seems to record, mimic and playback what it hears. A memo from NASA security chief Steve Peyton ordered employees to capture all the critters and remove them from areas where classified discussions take place.
Difficulty in securing delivery slots is delaying production of the Airbus A319 Corporate Jet, according to Airbus Industrie officials. Airline customers who have purchased A319s have been unwilling to defer deliveries to accommodate the business jet, according to John J. Leahy, senior vice president-commercial. But Financial Controller Ian Massey said, ``We need to identify specific slots. We'll take the risk on white tails.'' Starting in 2000, the European consortium plans to set aside only four such slots. Twelve of the aircraft are on order.
The Eurojet partners have tabled virtually all work on an axisymmetric thrust vectoring nozzle for the EJ200 powerplant after approximately $400 million in funding failed to develop. The work was fueled by the Swedes, who were interested in a thrust vectoring version of the EJ200 for an advanced JAS 39 Gripen fighter. Despite the thrust vectoring setback, Eurojet continues to examine alternative applications for the EJ200, including the Gripen and the Italian Brazilian AMX. The EJ200 is on track to complete certification this year.
The Defense Dept. last week recommended to the Federal Trade Commission that the proposed merger between BFGoodrich Co. and Coltec Industries be approved over the objections of AlliedSignal Inc. A senior Pentagon official said there were ``potential vertical integration issues'' with the proposed merger. However, the Defense Dept. was ``unpersuaded'' by opponents' arguments against the transaction.
European industry restructuring took another step forward last week when Finmeccanica of Italy and GKN of the U.K. reached agreement on merging their respective helicopter subsidiaries, Agusta and Westland.
Joseph Vavala has become director of construction and facilities of the Atlantic Aviation Corp., Wilmington, Del. He was vice president of Christiana Construction.
The U.S. Air Force wants a new, bomber-launched cruise missile--with at least six times the range of weapons currently under development--to replace a rapidly shrinking inventory of a few hundred aging, Boeing-made conventional air-launched cruise missiles (Calcms) that once carried nuclear warheads.
As the U.S. approaches the second century of air travel, there is much to be proud of. Each day, more than 1.5 million Americans wing their way around the country and the world for business and pleasure. But missing from the early 21st century are equivalent achievements in space flight. Yes, men have walked on the Moon. But where are the lunar bases and giant pinwheel space stations envisioned 30 years ago in the movie ``2001: A Space Odyssey''?
