THE PATHFINDER solar-powered drone was severely damaged on Oct. 21 when wind blew through a hangar at Edwards AFB, Calif., and twisted the ultra-light craft (AW&ST Sept. 25, p. 112). Pathfinder officials believe the drone could be rebuilt in time for next summer's flying season.
The BRS-5 is a rocket-fired emergency parachute for recovering disabled aircraft in flight. The parachute is housed inside a virtually waterproof container. The BRS-5 features an activating housing that is an improvement upon the earlier BRS-4 and is less susceptible to installation error, an easily aimed rocket motor that can be removed by the user and a more versatile mounting system. The removable rocket allows the user to send the parachute back for repacking without concern above hazardous materials shipments.
POLAR HAS BEEN SHIPPED to Vandenberg AFB, Calif., for launch on a Delta 2 Dec. 9. The spacecraft is one of two in the Global Geospace Science program that NASA delayed because of concerns about the quality of work at what is now Lockheed Martin Astro Space (AW&ST Mar. 7, 1994, p. 22).
NORTHROP GRUMMAN IS ADAPTING ITS microwave power module (MPM) technology for possible use in self-protection jammers for the next-generation of aircraft. The U.S. Air Force's Wright Laboratory Electronic Warfare Div. recently awarded a $1.2-million R&D contract to the company to further improve performance while cutting costs. Hardware delivery of 6-18-GHz. conduction-cooled MPMs for laboratory tests began in March. The MPM family currently includes a 2-6-GHz. module, another 6-18-GHz.
Pilot error and training deficiencies led to the crash of an American Eagle Jet-stream Super 31 near Morrisville, N.C., in December, according to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators concluded that the captain's ``improper assumption that an engine had failed'' was the root cause of the accident. That error, coupled with his subsequent failure to follow approved procedures for a single-engine approach, missed approach and stall recovery, were significant contributing factors leading to the crash.
WESTERN PACIFIC AIRLINES IS OFFERING $59 round-trip fares for ``mystery tours'' from Colorado Springs to any of its 13 destinations--but with one catch. Passengers do not know where they are going. Travelers choose a flight date when booking their two-day, overnight trip and will receive hints about whether they are going to a warm or cold climate. A ``mystery dossier'' given to each passenger that day includes discount coupons for hotels, rental cars and on-board drinks.
The Magellan CNS-12 is an integrated aircraft communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS), GPS navigation and surveillance unit. The ACARS capability allows sending and receiving of predeparture clearances, weather, flight planning and test messages. The 12-channel GPS receiver can be used for nonprecision approaches and en route navigation. The system has a full Jeppesen Navdata data base and enough memory for more than 400 flight plans. The CNS-12 also is designed to be upgradeable for use with future air navigation and air traffic control systems.
CALLING IT ``ONE OF THE MOST insidious causes of accidents'' in the U.S., National Transportation Safety Board head Jim Hall is promoting this week's symposium on fatigue and its relationship to aviation safety. More than 500 participants from 14 nations will examine the scope of fatigue and how it affects all modes of transportation, fatigue countermeasures and physiological considerations. The NTSB has made nearly 80 fatigue-related recommendations to the FAA and other transport agencies since 1972.
ASIAN ENVOY ``OPEN SKIES'' WILL BE THE CHIEF theme of Transportation Secretary Federico Pena's trip to Asia scheduled for Nov. 6-21. In Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines, Pena plans to press for open aviation markets instead of new or revised bilateral agreements. He also will emphasize development and upgrading of airports that would provide business opportunities for U.S. companies (see p. 29).
After years of program ups and downs and multiple scrubs and delays, the first Conestoga commercial launcher finally flew--only to self-destruct less than a minute off the pad. The $75-million loss means that three of the newest U.S. small space launch vehicles--the others are Lockheed Martin Corp.'s LLV-1 and Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Pegasus XL--have now failed in their first attempts.
Charles H. Kaman, chairman/chief executive officer of the Kaman Corp., Bloomfield, Conn., has been named an honorary fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in London. Kaman was cited for leadership and contributions to rotary-wing aircraft for 50 years.
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AS THE STAGE, Saudi Arabia officially announced the conclusion of its roughly $6-billion order of U.S.-built jet transports. The long-awaited order, whose makeup became known in June, includes 23 Boeing 777s and five 747s, 29 McDonnell Douglas MD-90s and four MD-11 freighters (AW&ST June 26, p. 30). The announcement was staged last week at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. because President Clinton, with considerable fanfare, began lobbying on the two American manufacturers' behalf in early 1994 against Europe's Airbus Industrie.
LORAL FEDERAL SYSTEMS WILL SUPPLY 15 forward-looking infrared (Flir) and 150 upgraded airborne data link systems to the U.S. Navy for use on SH-60B Lamps helicopters, under a $35-million contract. The Flir will give the helicopters a passive day/night target detection and classification capability. The upgraded ARQ-44 data link will permit downlinking Flir video to Lamps-capable surface ships.
The Collins Avsat 3000 Series is a satellite-based precision navigation and communications system designed for corporate aircraft. The system can be used for en route, terminal and lateral navigation as well as nonprecision approaches. It has a growth capability that could support precision approach computations. Navigation inputs include GPS, IRS/AHRS, VLF/Omega, VOR and DME. The system also features a global database of flight planning and navigation information.
WSSHost weather station monitoring software allows a person using an IBM-compatible personal computer to manipulate data from or control Earth and Atmospheric Sciences sensors or systems. WSSHost allows full system interrogation with a click-and-drag interface, one-shot daily and weekly, user-selectable auto polling of remote stations, the ability to quickly change station downloading cycles or manage up to 100 field installations, viewing of real-time data and the setting of alarm levels for remote sensors. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Inc., P.O.
After years of subpar financial performance and a well-earned reputation for unfulfilled promises to do better, United Technologies Corp. finally is delivering--and apparently converting--Wall Street skeptics. Last week, the company posted third-quarter net earnings of $1.60 a share, or $210 million, on revenues of $5.65 billion versus $1.41, or $188 million, on revenues of $5.25 billion a year earlier. The results exceeded analysts' estimates by 10 cents. In each of the preceding quarters, the company also has turned in a strong earnings performance.
JAPAN'S INSTITUTE OF SPACE and Astronautical Science (ISAS) has completed 10 test firings of the kick motor for its M-5 launch vehicle. At 100 ft. tall, the three-stage M-5 is the largest all-solid-propellant booster in Japan and is to replace the M-3S-2 for launching research satellites. It represents an all-new design. Its first launch is set for next summer from Kagoshima Space Center on Kyushu Island. The payload will be the 1,760-lb. Muses-B, a radio telescope to be used with observatories on the ground for very long baseline interferometry.
BOEING'S 32,500 MACHINISTS remained on the picket lines late last week as the strike entered its fourth week. No new talks were scheduled between the Seattle-planemaker and its largest union, the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The two sides remain far apart on job security, foreign contracting and health benefit issues. IAM now is trying to bring other pressures to bear on Boeing. It recently helped instigate separate U.S.
Francois Chaurette has been promoted to vice president-operations of Innotech Aviation, Dorval, Quebec, from chief financial officer of the Innotech/Execaire Aviation Group. Jerry Sosontovich has been promoted to director of sales and marketing of Innotech/Execaire from manager of marketing support.
Cathay Pacific Airways said it will uproot offices across Hong Kong to build a new headquarters at the Chek Lap Kok airport, which is due to open in April, 1998. The facilities are expected to cost HK$3.5 billion ($450 million) and will include a 775,000-sq.-ft., 10-story office building, a 250,000-sq.-ft. stores center and a staff hotel of some 20 floors. It will be located on an 8-acre site adjacent to the airport's air cargo complex and government facilities on Chek Lap Kok island.
THE U.S. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS Commission has granted Space Imaging Inc. a license to transmit digital high-resolution imagery data from its commercial remote-sensing satellite system to a network of ground stations. The action, which allows operation in the 8-GHz. Earth Exploration Satellite Services band, moves SII another step closer to tapping an estimated $3-billion market for geographic information. SII will provide 1- and 4-meter-resolution Earth images to commercial users in the utility, resource management, agriculture, real estate and other industries.
Mauricio Novis Botelho has become president/chief executive officer of Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. Botelho has a management background in finance, engineering, telecommunications and automation systems. He succeeds Juarez Wanderly, who was interim president of Embraer following privatization. Wanderly has been named vice president- industry. Samuel D. Hill has become president of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based Embraer Aircraft Corp.
Japan's space agencies plan to start seven new programs next year, including an improved H-2 booster, the country's first mini-shuttle, an advanced Earth survey and an asteroid sampler. The programs are to be backed by $176 million in startup funding in the fiscal 1996 budget. The Finance Ministry is reviewing the requests, but no serious political opposition has been raised.
