HERE'S THE CONCEPT: WHEN CALLERS to Instant-Rent-a-Car at the University of Nevada's Reno campus ask for a car, a computer using Global Positioning System data locates the nearest one of IRAC's electric-powered fleet. The renter walks to the car and swipes a credit card through a sensor, which unlocks the car and ignition.
Hollywood made a bundle with a couple of cute movies about the boy whose big family jets off for a Christmas vacation. Funny things happen after his kin realize the little lad has been left home alone. This holiday season, it is U.S. airlines that have figured out how to cash in with a twist on that theme. Call this one ``Flying Alone.'' The trouble is it's not nearly as funny.
William J. Skibbe has been named president/chief executive officer of Cobham Plc., the U.K. subsidiary of the Sargent Fletcher Co., El Monte, Calif. He was vice president/general manager of operation control for the C-17 program at McDonnell Douglas.
A YEN FOR SPACE TRAVEL does not fade with age in Japan. Of 572 applications that the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) has received to become the nation's fifth astronaut, 99 were submitted by applicants more than 36 years old. Overall, the age span was 20-50, and the list included 60 women. The astronaut trainee is to be selected next May. His or her task will be to conduct experiments on board the international space station, for which Japan is building an experiment module.
A LARGE RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT that has been in orbit for almost 25 years was expected to reenter the Earth's atmosphere around Dec. 10. Known as Cosmos 398, the spacecraft was launched Feb. 26, 1971. Some Western experts believed it was one of a series of tests to the Soyuz propulsion system as part of Russia's abortive Moon landing program. U.S. Space Command trackers measured the spacecraft's cross section at 13 sq. meters, a size they said was large enough to give it a chance of surviving reentry.
The Canadian Forces have refocused traditional training exercises to expose air, land and sea forces to emerging threats such as cruise missiles and to prepare them for a variety of post Cold War roles including continued support for NATO.
A LEAP FORWARD FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL will require big changes at the FAA, industry officials have told a House subcommittee. The execs say Air Traffic Services is the most hierarchical of the FAA's major bureaus. Mid-management there resists change more than either controllers or FAA brass. Roger Fleming of the Air Transport Assn. says the unit can't envision fundamentally changing ATC, even though aircraft capabilities have far exceeded those of ATC ever since the introduction of the Boeing 757 and 767.
RAYTHEON WON'T MOVE CERTAIN DEFENSE manufacturing work from Massachusetts following state legislature approval of a sales tax change. The revision will save the corporation $20 million a year. Raytheon also has obtained significant work-rule concessions and a three-year salary freeze from its 4,800 manufacturing workers in the area. The company still is seeking a reduction in utility bills.
Carl L. Chen (see photo), founder and president of Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures Inc., Long Beach, Calif., has added the title of chief executive officer.
The integration of Virtual Prototypes Inc.'s VAPS software and i-Logix's Statemate enables design engineers to model a highly realistic graphical human machine interface (HMI) and the underlying behavior of a system in a graphical environment. VAPS graphical editors allow design and prototype of real-time graphical HMIs, while Statemate can capture the behavior and functionality of the logic of the application driving the HMI and validate it using the Statemate Analyzer.
SCIENTISTS AT ARGONNE (Ill.) NATIONAL LABORATORY are working on a system to ``reverse engineer'' complex parts and components using three-dimensional CAT-scan data. As envisioned, the popular medical imaging technology would enhance rapid prototyping efforts by capturing the internal and external contours of the part and feeding its digital description to a new fused deposition modeling process. The CAT-scan technique also could be used for in-process defect monitoring, according to William Ellingson, Energy Technology Dept.
John Ballantyne, president of the U.S. Ultralight Assn., will receive its 1995 John Moody Award. The award, named for the ``father of ultralights,'' recognizes contributions to or advancements of enduring value in ultralight aviation in the U.S.
THE FAA IS POISED TO RELEASE THREE long-awaited--and controversial--regulatory proposals this month. One calls for a single level of safety throughout the U.S. airline industry. Another would impose new restrictions on flight and duty times for airline pilots. By far the most explosive issue, however, is the infamous ``Age 60'' retirement rule for commercial airline pilots. After 35 years of ``studying'' the situation, FAA officials finally have vowed to act on the policy.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS IN HONDURAS seeking a 100% pay increase and other benefits are threatening more strikes that could damage the nation's tourism-dependent economy. Controllers went on strike for 2 hr. on Dec. 1, disrupting operations at Honduras' four international airports, but went back to work after government officials agreed to negotiations. Airports that were shut down were in the capital city of Tegucigalpa and at three major tourist destinations: San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and the island of Roatan.
Katherine Dumas has been appointed manager of the Institutional Coordination Office of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Other recent appointments are: Alan Marriot, manager of the Dynamic Testbed Vehicle program; Magalena Powell-Meeks, manager of the Commercial Technology Data Management Office; Sheldon Rosell and Alfred Zieger, managers of the Topex/Poseidon Projects and Operations Offices, respectively; and Ed Massey, manager of Ulysses science and mission operations.
The U.S. Air Force's B-52H is being upgraded with improved conventional combat capabilities in an effort to ensure the venerable warhorse remains an effective dual-role, long-range bomber well into the next century.
Machbloc HVOF masking compound is a heat-resistant, silicone-based compound with conformal properties similar to modeling clay, but after curing at 325F for 25 min. it has the consistency of rubber. It can withstand temperatures of up to 900F, sand blasting and high-velocity spraying. Machbloc peels back cleanly from parts without leaving a residue. It conforms to complex contours, including masking applications in extrusion screws, bolt holes and grooves. Praxair Surface Technologies Inc., Specialty Powders, 1555 Main St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46224.
This new technology Engine Instrument Display System replaces numerous electro-mechanical indicators. The single line replaceable unit displays engine parameters on two active matrix liquid crystal display screens. In addition to continuous monitoring of engine pressure ratios, N1, N2, exhaust gas temperature and fuel flow, it also provides real-time engine condition data and exceedance recording capabilities.
Becky L. Schergens has been named vice president-ventures and initiatives of the Challenger Sector for Space Science Education, Alexandria, Va. She was U.S. deputy assistant Education secretary.
INCREASED COMPETITION IS EXPECTED from an upgraded Vancouver (British Columbia) International Airport as the new U.S.-Canada ``open skies'' bilateral phases in. A new, 19-story control tower will open in June. A new 9,990-ft.-long third runway and 15-gate international terminal will be operational by October. The $350-million (U.S.) modernization will increase capacity to almost double the current 275,000 movements per year.
Alfred Ritter (see photo) has been inducted into the Engineering Hall of Fame at the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Engineering. An aerospace consultant, Ritter retired as director of technology for the Calspan Corp. at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, Tullahoma, Tenn.
The Humispace humidifier generates vapor by the Joule effect to provide clean, fresh air for commercial and business aircraft cabins. The microprocessor-controlled system uses water from the aircraft reservoir and automatically regulates humidity based on input from dual sensors. It can be controlled through an Arinc 429 bus. The boiler is designed to last 2,000 hr. The reservoir is automatically emptied before landing to prevent bacteria accumulation. The system can produce up to 4.2 kg. of vapor per hour and weighs about 30 lb.
