The SR399 geodetic Global Positioning System receiver uses a Dual Code chip, which permits tracking of satellite P-code signals in the presence of anti-spoofing without using encrypted Y-code signals. The SR399 is part of the Wild System 300 Surveying System. It can independently track P-code on both the L1 and L2 signals without cross-correlation techniques. The Dual Code processor's patented technology allows it to make full L2 carrier wave measurements when antispoofing is activated, providing a 13 dB. improvement in signal strength over codeless tracking techniques.
PRATT&WHITNEY, China Airlines and Singapore Airlines Engineering Co. have agreed to establish a $12-million joint venture to repair high-pressure compressor stators for PW4000 engines at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Airport. The partners will build a 19,000-sq.-ft. repair facility to open in early 1997.
AN UNNAMED AIRLINE CUSTOMER has asked Boeing to consider providing day-to-day parts and maintenance services for its fleet under a contract basis. The request, now under study in Seattle, would combine Boeing's existing, computerized military and airline support expertise with its capability for large program management. Such a pact also could open new markets for the Seattle aircraft manufacturer and mitigate the effect of ongoing layoffs. The airline would be free to concentrate on marketing, carrying passengers and freight, and flying transports.
COORDINATED PURCHASING AND STOCK MANAGEMENT by Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas has allowed the Argentine carrier to trim its $46-million-a-year purchasing expenditures by nearly $5 million. The Spanish airline has management control of Aerolineas Argentinas, the Argentine carrier Austral and the Venezuelan airline VIASA, as well as a minority position in the Chilean carrier Ladeco.
The Shturmanskiye (navigator) watch is the type worn by Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on the first manned space flight in 1961. The 23-jewel chronograph, manufactured by Moscow's Poljot (flight) factory, features a date window, inset second and minute hand dials and a sweep second hand that is shaped like an aircraft. The stainless steel back is engraved with a serial number and the Soviet air force logo. It comes with a black leather padded strap, gift box, original Russian factory documents and English instructions.
Following is a commentary on safety objectives of U.S. regional and commuter airlines by Walter S. Coleman, president of the Regional Airline Assn., a trade group headquartered in Washington that represents most U.S. regional and commuter carriers. Previously, Coleman spent many years in operations at the Air Transport Assn. In 1994, regional and commuter airlines carried 57 million passengers. This was a fivefold increase over the number carried in 1978, the year of the economic deregulation of the U.S. airlines.
PASADENA POLICE PILOTS are finding Octec's new Compact Airborne Automatic Tracking System even more effective when teamed with a Octec slaved searchlight system. Using the slaved light, police helicopter flight crews can instantly and accurately train and illuminate a searchlight on a suspect already being tracked using infrared light. System software also is being modified so a heliborne searchlight can be offset, say, 90 deg., away from a suspect being observed in infrared.
Michael Graves has been named vice president/chief information officer of Silicon Graphics, Mountain View, Calif. He was senior vice president of Conner Peripherals.
Jerry Smith has been named South Central U.S. regional sales manager for Garmin International, Lenexa, Kan. He worked in avionics sales for BFGoodrich Aerospace.
Eric Erdheim has been named senior manager of government affairs for environmental, health and safety matters for the National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. in Washington. He was legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D.-N.J.).
The Model RMM280 is a rack-mountable 9.4-in., active matrix, color LCD display that uses standard VGA cards. It provides a resolution of 640 X 480 pixels and 4,096 colors. The unit connects directly to standard VGA outputs and automatically switches to the corresponding mode. The unit is 19 in. wide, 8.75 in. high and 5.5 in. deep. It is constructed of rugged steel mated to an aluminum front panel. Power, brightness, VGA text, tracking, frequency, and horizontal and vertical positioning controls are mounted on the front panel.
Photograph: USAir's aircraft technicians maintain its fleet of more than 400 transports, including seven Boeing 767-200s. DAVE MAXWELL PHOTO USAir officials are pressing the Assn. of Flight Attendants and the Transport Workers Union for tentative agreements after forging a key pact with the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The IAM agreement actually covers two employee groups--the aircraft technicians and the airline's 7,700 fleet service workers, whom the IAM also represents.
The Elop Compact Static Horizon Sensor is designed for use in small satellites with tight weight, size and power criteria but a demand for high accuracy. The sensor determines the angle between the satellite axis and the Earth's nadir in a fraction of a second, using the far infrared radiance profile at the horizon. The sensor has no moving parts, which makes it less susceptible to failure on orbit. The sensor has four optical units, each with a multielement detector array in its focal plane and a standard field of view of 14.6 deg. Power consumption is less than 1 w.
HONG KONG'S CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS is the first airline with pilots holding triple qualifications for the Airbus Industrie A320, A330 and A340 transports. Fleet Manager Rick Fry and Training Manager John Bent first qualified on the A320, operated by Cathay's sister company Dragonair, and recently added A330 and A340 rating conversions. The transports use similar cockpits. Cathay began operating the A340 in October and the A330 in March.
Perma-Lock 50-amp wiring devices capture and compress wire strands using a contact tang that also forces the terminal screw to lock against a collar-lug overlead. The result is an excellent electrical connection that eliminates strand breakage and premature connection failure. The new design virtually eliminates the need for stress-relieving and prevents loose connections due to heat cycling and vibration. Color-coded entrance holes simplify wiring, while generous strip length allows easy insertion of wires into terminals. The devices can accept wire from 10-4 gauge.
Sysmesh Version 2 automatically generates three-dimensional meshes from triangular mesh surfaces without modifying the original surface meshes, eliminating one of the most tedious, exacting and time-consuming tasks of engineering analysis. The new version allows simulation of models of unlimited size and minimizes the number of 3D elements. These features reduce demands on system memory and central processor time during later analysis. Sysmesh collects surfaces for a given volume in an envelope, so volumetric models do not have to be reconstructed.
The first 124-seat Airbus A319 twinjet is in final assembly at Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus' Hamburg facilities. The aircraft is scheduled to fly in September and to obtain certification next March. The A319, a derivative of the 150-seat A320 with a shortened fuselage, is offered with either CFM International CFM56-5 or International Aero Engines V2500-A5 turbofan engines. The European consortium has orders for 51 A319s. First delivery will be in April to the U.S.-based International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC).
John Stringer has been appointed manager of the Hartford, Conn., facility of MQS Inspection, Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill. He was vice president of Feole Technologies.
Under pressures to cut costs and still improve safety, the maintenance chiefs of U.S. airlines have set a new course to reduce waste in the $10-billion-a-year business of airplane upkeep. The executives, who convened at the Air Transport Assn. (ATA) Engineering Maintenance&Materiel Forum Apr. 24-25 here, cited potential savings in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
McDonnell Douglas has won a contract to loft at least 10 Hughes satellites, triggering the go-ahead for what would be the largest space transportation system ever developed privately--the Delta 3.
