A growing awareness of the need to protect commercial spacecraft electronics from radiation that can disable or alter microcircuits may ultimately revitalize a shrinking U.S. technical and industrial base for defense-related radiation-hardened components.
Cessna Aircraft has delivered a C-172 Skyhawk SP as the 1,000th airplane built at its facilities in Independence, Kan. It also received FAA certification of the six-place C-206 Stationair and turbocharged T206 Stationair versions. The Wichita-based company delivered its 1,000th turboprop C-208 Caravan utility transport late last month at the National Business Aviation Assn.'s annual convention in Las Vegas.
There will be no problem spending an extra $1 billion on ballistic missile defense next year, says Hans Mark, the Pentagon's new research and engineering honcho. Congress added the money to the omnibus appropriations bill at the last moment. Critics argue that missile defense projects shouldn't be force fed. But Mark says the money can be wisely spent to accelerate programs by conducting more tests that reduce risks when they are carefully orchestrated and timely. ``That means flight tests, simulations and ground tests,'' he said.
Resumption of South Korea's stalled defense modernization program is highly uncertain, although Seoul is projecting a return to economic growth as high as 2% by the end of 1999. Even if realized, such a recovery would come on the heels of a 5% net decline projected for 1998 by the South Korean government, the result of Asia's grave regional recession.
Korean Air's Aerospace Div. will extend a long-standing licensed production contract with Sikorsky of the UH-60P Black Hawk by diversifying into maintenance and design. One goal is a new attack helicopter, another is to equip Black Hawks as ``Fire Hawks'' for firefighting. Korean Air expects a total of $100 million worth of technology transfer to flow from the memorandum of understanding.
BRUSHLESS AC MOTOR The PW-82351 motor drive is a three-phase device for use with 270-volt brushless AC motors in servo current/torque control systems. The motor provides the interface between the power stage and control electronics and can be used with analog or digital servo control systems. Applications include primary and secondary flight control trim surfaces, hydraulic pumps, fan motors and thrust vector control systems. ILC Data Device Corp., 106 Wilbur Place, Bohemia, N.Y. 11716-2482. VELOCITY CONTROL DRIVE
European Commission Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock says Europe must make a quick decision on whether to build a proprietary global satellite navigation system (GNSS), or risk remaining permanently dependent on the U.S. GPS. Kinnock said discussions with Washington had ruled out prospects of joint ownership or control of GPS, but that the EC was continuing to evaluate a cooperative setup with Russia.
Ballistic missile threats are drawing mixed responses in Northeast Asia. Japan is debating the end of a long-standing taboo on military satellites, while China is reportedly conducting research into laser weapons. But South Korea is unsure how much defense it can afford. An extraordinary session of the Diet is expected to hear a plan late this month for Japan to fund a $1.3-billion, four-satellite reconnaissance network to be placed in orbit by 2002.
As expected, price has become an issue in Cathay Pacific Airways' proposed purchase of a minority share in the troubled Philippine Airlines (PAL). Sources close to the deal suggest Cathay values a 40% stake in PAL at $200 million, but PAL Chairman Lucio Tan wants far more. PAL has debts of $2 billion and needs funds urgently to resume full international operations. Cathay's proposal assumes it will be involved in running PAL.
A Southwest Airlines official said the low-fare carrier is holding discussions with authorities at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., regarding scheduled service that could begin as early as March or April next year. Flights to and from MacArthur, which is located about 40 mi. east of New York's LaGuardia Airport and offers one 6,000-ft. runway, 6-24, and two 5,000-plus-ft. runways, 33L/15R and 10/28, would expand Southwest's presence in the Northeast. It already provides service to Providence, R.I., and Manchester, N.H.
William (Barrett) Hanley (see photo) has become aircraft modification program manager for the Crestview (Fla.) Aerospace Corp. He was an experimental test pilot for NASA's X-38 airdrop program.
Comments by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed last week in support of Malaysia Airlines led analysts to anticipate a government bailout, if necessary. ``One thing is for sure, under no circumstances will the government allow Malaysia Airlines to be grounded,'' Mahathir said. But MAS has deferred deliveries of six 747-400s and six 777-200 IGWs from Boeing and has sold two 747s to Qantas. It wants to lease out its fleet of 10 Airbus Industrie A330s to a Brazilian carrier.
At the opposite end of the size spectrum from its stealthy, high-altitude, half-ton-payload DarkStar unmanned aerial vehicle, Lockheed Martin has built a 6-in.-long, 3-oz. micro air vehicle designed to collect intelligence from an altitude of a few hundred feet. The miniature aircraft is seen as providing ``bubbles of information'' to small teams of as few as four people, particularly if they are in unfamiliar or unmapped terrain. The units are expected to be widely dispersed, with little access to other intelligence sources.
Singapore Airlines announced its intention to buy 25% of China Airlines when the Taiwanese government stated it will sell more than half of its controlling interest in the carrier.
Pierre Bayle has been appointed vice president-communications for Aerospatiale. He succeeds Patrice Kreis, who has left the company. Bayle was press attache to the French defense ministry.
Japan's air force has begun phasing out its Mitsubishi F-1 fighters in anticipation of the fiscal 1999 entry into service of its Mitsubishi/Lockheed-Martin F-2 close air support fighters. There were 59 F-1s in operation at the beginning of the year; only 24 are expected to remain in service by 2002. There are to be seven F-2s flying in fiscal 1999 and 39 by the end of 2002. Numbers of Boeing/Mitsubishi F-15J/DJ fighters will hit a high of 200 in 2002 but drop to 197 as older aircraft are retired.
Western manufacturers may have scaled back their joint venture ambitions for airframe production in China, but the country remains a drawing card for long-term investment as the industry gathers next week for the Zhuhai air show.
U .S. airspace users and government regulators will have to cooperate more closely to increase airspace capacity while moving toward free flight and an air traffic management system. A slow shift toward greater collaboration is underway, but ultimately the solution to best satisfy everyone's needs is for cooperation at ``every decision point, among all the players,'' according to Margaret Jenny. She is director of airline business operations and analysis for US Airways.
Dave Gardner has been named engineering director and a member of the executive committee of British Aerospace. He was deputy managing director of the Military Aircraft and Aerostructures Div.
Although research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has determined that transmission of active tuberculosis on board airline transports is possible, the risk of airborne infection remains low. Using CDC information, the World Health Organization plans to publish global guidelines next month calling for notification of passengers and crewmembers who may have been exposed to a person infected with the disease. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, WHO will distribute the publication worldwide to airlines, physicians and health officials.
As engineers make final preparations for the first launch of an improved four-stage Soyuz booster under the Starsem consortium, partner companies are already planning further enhancements in the Soyuz family. Starsem comprises Aerospatiale (35%), Arianespace (15%), the Samara Space Center (25%) and the Russian Space Agency (25%). The venture was set up in 1996 with exclusive rights to market the Soyuz launcher family.
British Airways, faced with tough regulatory conditions, stalled U.S.-U.K. open skies talks and renewed European Commission efforts to nullify such bilateral deals, has scaled back ambitions for quick approval of its proposed alliance with American Airlines.
Flight Dynamics of Portland, Ore., has exceeded 1,000 firm orders for its head-up guidance system (HGS). The company also holds 500 options and other follow-on requirements expected to be exercised over the next few years, according to President John Desmond. Alaska Airlines ordered the first Flight Dynamics head-up displays for its Boeing 727-200 transports in 1987. Today 14 airlines, 30 corporate jet operators, four military transport agencies and NASA have placed orders with the company.
