Paul Meehan has been named manager of employee and labor relations of Lockheed Martin Aircraft Services, Ontario, Calif. He was corporate director of personnel services for the Western region for Carter Hawley Hale Inc.
The U.S. and France are discussing major new military cooperation on air and missile defense, space-based intelligence and fighter aircraft technology. Real-time missile warning data from U.S. Air Force/TRW Defense Support Program (DSP) missile warning spacecraft are, for example, being offered to France pending the course of new U.S.-French agreements. These discussions are taking place against the backdrop of heightened aerospace industrial competition between the two countries as well as tight defense budgets on both sides.
CelsiusTech is expanding its business base in the commercial sector by emphasizing information technology developed for its defense customers. At the same time, the parent company, Celsius AB, is reorganizing into three sub-groups to emphasize information technology, defense and other industrial operations. The new structure became effective June 1.
After months of heated internal debate, one X-33 team--McDonnell Douglas/ Boeing--has struck out on its own, selecting a vertical landing scheme for the experimental reusable launch vehicle it is designing. The significance of the decision goes far beyond the resolution of an engineering argument. And in opting for a powered lander, the team is not merely diverging from a design approach both its competitors in the NASA/industry project are pursuing.
Russia displayed the preliminary design of two new space boosters at the Paris air show, including a system that would use a Blackjack bomber as the carrier aircraft for a large Pegasus-type vehicle. The Russians also provided details on a marketing plan for converting ballistic missiles into new medium space launchers with Daimler Benz (DASA). New space technology agreements with U.S. and German companies were also signed by Russian space officials at Le Bourget.
In a period of hard competition for air couriers, Airborne Express is completing a $60-million expansion in this Corn Belt community and is about to begin a program to replace its Douglas freighters.
Pratt&Whitney and NASA have begun ground loads tests on a modified F-15B that could lead to first flight of the aircraft with axisymmetric, thrust vectoring engines in late August or early September.
THE BUCK ROGERS DREAM OF OPERATING factories, or at least mini-factories, in outer space may get a significant if mundane boost from Congress. The chairman of the House Science Committee, Rep. Robert S. Walker (R.-Pa.), has made it known that key House Republicans are getting serious about legislating a tax exemption for profits on products made in space. Walker says the House tax-writing panel, the Ways and Means Committee, is definitely interested, including its Texas GOP chairman, Rep. Bill Archer.
CHINESE AVIATION OFFICIALS and McDonnell Douglas have signed a letter of intent calling for delivery of 20 MD-90 aircraft from the Douglas plant in Long Beach to two airlines--China Eastern Airlines and China Northern Airlines. McDonnell Douglas said a final agreement, which also will include the China Aviation Supplies Corp., is expected by the end of the month.
Federal Express is in final negotiations to open its second Asian express-freight hub at Taipei's Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport in early 1998. Senior Vice President Joseph C. McCarty called the new Taipei facility ``a great strategic fit'' with the distribution center that FedEx is to open July 3 at the former U.S. naval facility at Subic Bay in the Philippines. When it opens, the Taipei facility will be larger than Subic Bay. To serve it, McCarty expects that FedEx will need to at least double its Asian freighter fleet.
William F. Paul (see photo) has been promoted to executive vice president from senior vice president-government affairs of United Technologies Corp. He also will be chairman of United Technologies International Operations.
IF SEN. DANIEL AKAKA (D.-Hawaii) gets what he wants, an overburdened FAA would have to take on another responsibility--helping the National Park Service to manage airspace above the Grand Canyon and many other public facilities. A bill introduced by Akaka calls for establishing joint management of such airspace between the two agencies, and for tightening certification standards for operators. A National Park Overflight Advisory Council also would be created. The bill would not affect general aviation, airline or emergency flights over parks.
GENCORP HAS DECIDED to keep Aerojet, taking the aerospace and defense segment off the sales block. It had been seeking a buyer for Aerojet since December. Citing ``environmental and consolidation complexities,'' GenCorp chief John Yasinsky said ``divestiture at this time will not create sufficient [shareholder] value versus other alternatives.''
COLLINS WILL SUPPLY ITS AVSAT system for installation on the Fokker 70 and 100 aircraft. The AVSAT system integrates a 12-channel GPS receiver with a new flight management system. The Fokker selection marks the return of Collins as an FMS supplier for commercial air transports. A flexible design allows customizing AVSAT for different levels of capability. It was first used on a midrange business jet, the Challenger 604.
A NEW BALL SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM will let U.S. and other authorized aircraft communicate with encrypted voice and data over commercial Inmarsat global aeronautical satellite network and public telephone systems. A single system provides six channels of secure and nonsecure voice or data, but a dual installation is an option. The data channels also support secure facsimile and low-rate video, at 4.8 Kbps. and 9.6 Kbps. Most aircraft installations would use two of the thin (0.375-in.
The General Accounting Office questions whether the FAA's schedule for implementing GPS allows sufficient time to develop and test the Wide Area Augmentation System. The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is crucial if the agency is to meet its 1997 milestone for civil aircraft to use GPS as a primary means of domestic navigation. WAAS is intended to augment GPS to ensure the required availability and integrity of the satellite navigation signals.
CATHAY PACIFIC'S CARGO DIV. is leading a group of 16 Asian, European and North American airlines in developing and promoting a common electronic data interchange (EDI) under the auspices of the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA). Called the Cargo Multinational EDI Assn. (Cargo Media), the group will concentrate on standardizing the implementation of electronic shipment status information and airway bill exchanges in the cargo community.
The U.S. aerospace industry captured the attention of show participants and dominated the daily flying displays with exhibitions by new aircraft. In years past, the Russian's flight displays by MiG-29s and Su-27s and the French Dassault Rafale have clearly provided the spectators with show-stopping performances. While those fighters still performed impressive routines daily, it was U.S. aircraft that clearly stole the flying display portion of Paris air show `95. The first-time appearances of the Northrop Grumman
A B-2 BOMBER SUCCESSFULLY completed its first GPS-Aided Munition (GAM) drop on June 13. The guided test weapon made by Northrop Grumman was dropped from a B-2 at approximately 40,000 ft. over a Navy China Lake range, acquired GPS satellites within 10 sec., and maintained autonomous guidance over a 45,000-ft. downrange track. It impacted the target well within the 20-ft. circular error probable projected by company engineers.
France's new president, Jacques Chirac, greeted aerospace executives and other officials while visiting the Paris air show on opening day. Chirac shakes hands with Lockheed Martin Chairman Daniel M. Tellep, while Dassault Aviation President Serge Dassault (left), U.S. Ambassador to France Pamela Harriman, Aerospace Industries Assn. of America President Don Fuqua and McDonnell Douglas President Harry C. Stonecipher look on.
