The landing runway mentioned in the recently published pilot report on the Cessna Citation Excel (AW&ST Feb. 9, p. 82) was incorrect. The runway was 19L.
The U.S. Air Force has formulated a long-term plan that tries to guarantee the viability of its B-52Hs, B-1Bs and B-2As until the service can afford to start buying a new bomber in 2034. The modernization strategy was drafted in response to criticism that Air Force bomber upgrade plans have been largely haphazard. An extensive review of airpower conducted for Congress last year stated that ``current plans do not adequately address the long-term future of the bomber force.'' The road map was mandated by Congress and delivered last week.
British Airways has selected Sextant Avionique avionics suites to equip 124-150-seat Airbus A319/A320s ordered in mid-1998. The suites will include flight management systems jointly developed by Sextant and Smiths Industries, multimode receivers, long-range radio-altimeters, angle-of-attack sensors and additional components.
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) has signed an agreement for a strategic alliance with Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI). The Greek company will take part in military aircraft modernization programs, aircraft and engine maintenance projects and production of components for military and civil aircraft. Negotiations are also continuing with DASA for HAI's participation in the Eurofighter program (AW&ST Feb. 22, p. 32).
Combining Top Gun, `Strike U' and Top Dome bolstered the Navy's push to standardize tactical air training The U.S. Navy is starting to realize dividends as front-line aircrew expertise and performance levels steadily improve following the merger of three distinct training and tactics development commands into a new Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) here.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has taken a close look at the proposed Airbus A3XX 650-seat transport and finds it a good ``hub-to-hub'' aircraft. However, KLM passengers have shown they want high-frequency, point-to-point routes, according to Peter F. Hartman, managing director and chief operating officer. He questioned if there would be enough A3XX demand to justify production. Nonetheless, Airbus still has substantial opportunity at KLM. The carrier is studying the replacement of its mid-size fleet with either A330/340 transports or a Boeing 767/777 combination.
US Airways last week introduced hourly DC-9 service between Washington Dulles International Airport and New York's LaGuardia airport with regular unrestricted, walk-up fares of $149 one-way. There are 15 scheduled roundtrip flights each day between the two airports. The new service nearly quadruples the number of daily flights operated by US Airways and US Airways Express between Washington Dulles and LaGuardia.
In a transaction valued at less than 1 times sales, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. plans to purchase struggling Aydin Corp. and thus broaden its participation in the telemetry and instrumentation and communications markets. Separately, GTE is screening offers for its Government Systems unit after recently putting the $1.4-billion operation back on the auction block. It originally went up for sale last summer (AW&ST July 27, 1998, p. 23).
Boeing's next-generation 737-600/700/800 family is achieving more than 99% mechanical schedule reliability--flying an average of 8.5 hr. a day--a little more than a year after entering revenue service. Its predecessor, the 737-300, flew less than 7.5 hr. daily in its first year of operations in the mid-1980s.
AlliedSignal Aerospace continues to develop its cockpit safety technologies and systems. The company is studying expanded use of the digital terrain database in its enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) to provide automated ``tilt management'' for on-board weather radar. EGPWS derives precise aircraft 3D position and flight path and can set radar tilt to best display upcoming weather and avoid underscanning or overscanning, according to Gordon Carter, director of business development for radar.
Chile's quest to buy new fighters may get new life by summer's end. The Asian financial crisis, falling copper prices and charges of misconduct against the Air Force commander-in-chief, Gen. Fernando Rojas, had stalled a purchase decision once slated for early 1998. Aerospace industry officials here say a new commander-in-chief--Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Marcos Meirelles is a strong contender--will be appointed in July and is expected to ``reenergize the selection'' in August.
U.S. military officials are trying to hide their growing concern about North Korea's nuclear program, but are tacitly acknowledging their aversion to letting it succeed in building weapons. Asked by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) whether the U.S. should take preemptive action against North Korea, Tilelli said he does not want to use the term ``preemptive.'' However, he noted, ``I do not believe that we should allow North Korea's nuclear weapon program to come to fruition.'' To head off a military confrontation, former U.S.
Continental Airlines plans to launch services between Cleveland and London on June 30, having succeeded in obtaining workable slot times at Gatwick airport. The flight is to depart Cleveland Hopkins airport at 5:20 p.m. and arrive at Gatwick at 5:55 a.m. the next day, with a return flight departing at 10:55 a.m. and arriving Cleveland at 2:45 p.m. Continental, which serves seven U.K.
The DLR German Aerospace Center is planning several initiatives, in partnership with manufacturers, to reduce noise and enhance safety. One project aims to improve engine acoustic characteristics by creating equal and opposite sound-wave-induced vibrations that essentially cancel each other out--a method known as destructive interference. A prototype equipped with 32 miniature loudspeakers mounted inside a test engine is scheduled to be run this summer. A second project will undertake to optimize air flow around the aircraft body and wings.
The big three aircraft engine manufacturers--General Electric, Pratt&Whitney and Rolls-Royce--are developing propulsion strategies to meet the design and business challenges of an increased gross weight Boeing 777 transport. Design studies at each of the manufacturers are focusing on how to provide thrusts ranging from 100,000 lb. up to 115,000 lb. Engine makers also are studying how they can recoup investments and turn a profit in such a limited but highly competitive market.
Three years after China used the Taiwan Straits as a testing range for a score of its M-9 missiles, Taiwanese defense officials are once again alarmed by news that Beijing is continuing deployments of M-9 and M-11 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in three of China's southern coastal provinces. In March 1996, when President Clinton ordered two carrier groups to patrol the Taiwan Straits, there were only 30-50 such missiles in China's coastal regions. Today, there are an estimated 160-200, a figure that could rise to 650 within 5 years.
Rolls-Royce's preliminary results for 1998 show pretax profits of 325 million pounds ($518 million), an increase of 18% on 1997. The company said it captured a third of all civil aircraft engines sales in 1998 and ended the year with a record order book of 5 billion pounds. But Rolls expected the rate of new orders to slow in 1999. The company forecast a demand over the next 20 years for 83,000 engines worth $350 billion.
In advance of its 1998 annual report, a Korean Air official said the Seoul-based carrier will post a net profit of $247 million--a big turnaround from 1997's net loss of $280 million. Although passenger counts and yields in East Asia are at their nadir, the airline squeezed out a profit by reducing domestic and international routes by 12% and 15%, respectively, and selling and leasing back 16 aircraft, including older 747s.
The Australian Bureau of Air Safety Investigation is probing an incident in which an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 nearly landed on top of a de Havilland Dash 8 at the Sydney airport. The 747 pulled up but came within about 800 ft. of the Dash 8.
For well over a decade, the U.S. Navy has been operating two small squadrons of what appear to be innocuous P-3 patrol aircraft but in fact are state-of-the-art sentinels packed with a multitude of classified sensors.
The U.S. is having difficulties keeping watch on North Korea because it can't generate enough U-2 sorties to meet the demands of intelligence officials. U.S. forces ``truly have a shortfall in the continual `deep look' '' mission, Army Gen. John Tilelli, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, told Congress. The problem is simply that U-2s aren't flying often enough to continuously monitor what's going on more than 100 mi. inside North Korea, an intelligence officer added.
NTvision, a real-time video system developed by researchers at the Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratory, combines computers, cameras and an Internet browser to provide low-cost, efficient security. The system takes periodic photos of the area under observation and begins to film when movement is detected. It documents and highlights any changes to the scene, even as small as a pen being shifted on a desk, or events such as lights being turned off or on at a nonstandard time.
