The FT310 and FT350 are ``smart'' fiber optic-test kits that can cut optic network testing time in half. Instead of conducting separate tests at two wavelengths, the FT310 multimode kit and the FT350 single-mode kit can test at both wavelengths at the same time using Fotec's ``Smart Instruments.'' Fotec Inc., 529 Main St., Box 246, Boston, Mass. 02129.
The Red Line Level is a portable laser level designed for industrial, engineering, factory and construction applications. It projects a red visible light laser reference beam that allows one person to quickly level machinery, establish straight runs and align drive shafts. A transit grade level is mounted in clear acrylic and maintains an accuracy of better than 1/16 at a distance of 25 ft. A plumb level in the back of the unit can be used for vertical alignment and overhead referencing. It will operate for 16 hr. on 3 AA batteries.
Theodore M. Shema, Jr., has been appointed to the board of directors of Booz-Allen&Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va. He is vice president and head of the C4I Functional Group.
A special FAA report recommends technical changes and advanced flight testing of Robinson R22 and R44 light helicopters in an effort to reduce accidents caused by main rotor contact with the airframe.
Icepak Version 1.1 is a CAD-like thermal management software tool for electronic packaging engineers. It uses computational fluid dynamics to analyze air flow and thermal distribution in enclosed spaces, especially those containing electrical components. Design engineers can use Icepak to create new designs, test and refine untested ones or improve old designs. The new version is compatible with Fidap, which allows users to run Icepak on a supercomputer. Fluid Dynamics International, 500 Davis St., Suite 600, Evanston, Ill. 60201.
SI DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY IS DEVELOPING a manufacturing process to apply a diamond-like abrasion-resistant coating to optical fibers as they are produced. The process will be demonstrated under a two-year, $600,000 contract from the Army Communications-Electronic Command, Ft. Monmouth, N.J. Plastic coatings prevent the fiber from scratching but absorb moisture under stress and may weaken the fiber and make it susceptible to degradation. Hermetic sealing can protect against water but not scratching.
James C. Healey has been appointed regional vice president-Europe for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. He was director of international sales for the Cessna Aircraft Co.
The MD-1324/U modem is designed for upgrading existing satellite communications radios and terminals on U.S. military aircraft to Narrow Band Secure Voice/Demand Assigned Multiple Access requirements as mandated by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The modem meets Mil-Spec requirements and has a 9,000 hr. mean time between failures. It uses less than 25 w., weighs less than 15 lb. and occupies less than 350 cu. in. Doppler correction allows interoperability with existing DAMA systems even from high dynamics airborne platforms.
Carsten Birkebaek has been named managing director of Pemco World Air Services of Copenhagen. He was vice president-Shipowning Div. of the Burmeister&Wain Shipbuilding Group of Denmark.
Bernard Bradpiece has been named president-elect/chief executive officer of JSX Capital Corp., San Antonio, Tex. He succeeds Robert K. Wamsley, who has retired but will remain a director.
Wayne H. Gross has been named managing director of the International Gas Turbine Institute of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was director of international operations of the Technical Assn. of the Pulp and Paper Industry.
GEC-Marconi and Bell Helicopter Textron have added a new element to Britain's attack helicopter competition with an offer of an upgraded, four-blade version of the AH-1W SuperCobra-based Venom entry.
USE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL Remote Monitoring System developed by Sandia National Laboratories is being evaluated by Argentina, Australia, Japan and Sweden. The system currently is keeping tabs on nuclear material storage vaults in Idaho and Russia, eliminating the need for on-site inspectors. The network of motion sensors, video cameras and communication links automatically records activity in vaults at Argonne National Laboratory-West, near Idaho Falls, Idaho, and the Kurchatov Institute near Moscow.
NASA plans to launch three shuttle missions in little more than five weeks to prevent an industrious woodpecker from disrupting U.S. space operations for several years. Shuttle managers ordered the orbiter Discovery rolled back from Pad 39B here after deciding that workers could not repair 105 holes in the insulation of the vehicle's external tank in time to launch Mission 70 as planned on June 8. The holes were pecked in the various types of urethane foam on the tank in late May by the bird, which was seeking a mating nest.
The OK-2000 and OK-605 back support belts extend lower in the back than in the front to provide support in key areas of the abdomen and lower back. They are designed for people who lift average loads or are involved in repetitive motion. The belts are 5 in. wide in front, 4 in. wide on the side and 8.5 in. wide at the lower back. The OK-2000 features a built-in lumbar support pad with air holes for ventilation. The OK-605 has built-in stays and rubber stitching to prevent uncomfortable ride-up. Sizes range from SM-XXXL. OK-1 Manufacturing Co. Inc., 709 S.
FAA OFFICIALS have selected United Airlines as the first carrier to conduct field trials of the InVision Technologies CTX 5000 explosives detection system. The one-year evaluation is scheduled to begin this autumn at the San Francisco International Airport. After operational testing at other airports yet to be selected, the FAA will decide where and when the CTX 5000 will be deployed for international and domestic flights. CTX 5000 machines already are in use at Brussels International Airport and at airports in Gatwick and Manchester, England.
Bombardier plans to log about 1,800 flying hr. in the Global Express test program using a total of four aircraft over an 18-month period starting with the first flight in September, 1996. The announced date for the first flight has not changed since the Global Express program was launched one-and-a-half years ago, and Bombardier officials say the aircraft development program is right on track. By the time the aircraft is certified in March, 1998, several green aircraft will already have been delivered to customers and completion work will be in progress.
Patricia N. Snyder has joined the Washington law firm of Dyer Ellis Joseph&Mills. She was an attorney with the Office of Assistant General Counsel for International Law of the U.S. Transportation Dept.
Virginia L. Anthes of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., has won the Sigma Gamma Tau National Honor Society of Aerospace Engineering's Ammon S. Andes National Award and a regional Honor Undergraduate Student Award. Other regional winners: John E. Harper, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.; V. Eric Roback, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg; Richard A. Salyer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Wilmer B.M. Ullmann, University of Kansas, Lawrence; Cole H. Stephens, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater; and Stuart J.
Thomas Schlessinger has been named vice president-operations of Lucas Aerospace Cargo Systems, Brea, Calif. He was plant manager of Sundstrand Corp.'s Brea and Puerto Rico facilities.
A NEW EMERGENCY BAILOUT parachute system for aircrew is being evaluated by the Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, Calif. Called the Lightweight Environmentally Sealed Parachute Assembly (Lespa), it has a hermetical sealing material that surrounds and protects the parachute canopy. Lespa is smaller, more comfortable and 7 lb. lighter than the 25-lb. NB-8 parachute system it may replace. Lespa also has a quick-don, fully adjustable harness and a planned 5.5-year repack cycle. The aged NB-8 system constitutes 75% of the U.S. Navy's emergency bailout parachute inventory.
CTA INC. has been selected for a $77-million contract to develop small payloads for satellites and the space shuttle at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The Rockville, Md.-based company will support work on the Small Explorer, Spartan, Get Away Special and Hitchhiker programs.
Eastman Kodak's Commercial and Government Systems Div. has developed an electro-optical camera system for military surveillance applications based on commercial off-the-shelf technology. The Megapixel Imaging Technology (Mite) camera offers a low-cost alternative to expensive customized digital imagery systems while offering higher resolution than video systems, according to Kodak. The progressive-scan charge-coupled-device system delivers 1,000 X 1,000 pixel resolution and can operate at 30 frames per sec.
ARINC WILL BE THE PRIME CONTRACTOR in a $29.9-million effort to modernize Harbin Airport in Heilongjiang Province, China, leading more than 30 U.S. companies. China will construct the runway and terminal, and ARINC will be responsible for everything from runway lights to terminal communication and air traffic control systems. ARINC will provide the communication suites including voice switching, and will integrate ATC radars that China purchased from Alenia. Subsystems will be tested in the U.S. and integrated on-site, to meet the tight schedule.
