A HYBRID ROCKET MOTOR for maneuvering satellites has been tested by the University of Surrey with the help of British Aerospace Royal Ordnance personnel and facilities. The innovative 90-lb.-thrust hybrid propulsion system combines some of the best aspects of liquid and solid-fuel propulsion systems. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., a world leader in small satellite development, helped fund the project.
Air Jamaica Airbus A300B4 leaves British Aerospace Aviation Services at Filton, England, in new livery. The U.K. company is refurbishing the interiors and exteriors of Air Jamaica's four A300s under a 2-million-pound ($3.2-million) contract. The work involves heavy C checks, including corrosion prevention.
Unprecedented joint FAA and European type certification in mid-April of the new Boeing 777 transport capped an intensive six-aircraft, year-long flight test program that totaled more than 1,600 flights and 3,000 flight hours. The certifications, which cover a total of 19 countries as well as FAA production authority, came almost exactly five years after formal program announcement by Boeing. FAA certification was received the same week it was originally targeted, according to Gerald Mack, Boeing director of certification and government.
BOEING'S MILITARY Airplanes Div. has received a four-year, $110-million subcontract from Rockwell to upgrade the B-1B bomber's offensive avionics system. Part of a $232-million, U.S. Air Force conventional mission upgrade program for the B-1B, the subcontract calls for Boeing to develop software necessary to integrate Global Positioning System and Joint Direct Attack Munition capabilities into the bomber.
The Model 7015 standard resistor bath can maintain short and long-term stability to 0.0005C. Uniformity offers temperature gradients of less than 0.0015C throughout the work area. The bath's temperature can be set from 0-110C and allows for RS-232 or IEEE-488 interfaces for automatic temperature measurements or for checking standard resistor temperature coefficients. All resistors are electrically isolated from the tank by a fully anodized shelf. A stirrer guard prevents entanglement by the resistor wire. Hart Scientific, Inc., 220 N.
The Cryolab CV8 vacuum jacketed cryogenic valve is engineered for use in liquid hydrogen, helium, oxygen and nitrogen systems. The body and Kel-F seat configuration employs a sharp edge on a tapered seat, while the top works incorporates low heat-loss technology with the reliability of industrial hardware and total component accessibility through the bonnet flange. Double seals utilize Viton with a Teflon backup seal. Leak rates of less than 10-7 std cc GHe/sec. are standard.
Elrey B. Jeppesen, founder of Jeppesen Corp., will receive the Air Traffic Control Assn.'s 1995 Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award. Jeppesen has won the FAA's Extraordinary Service Award, its highest honor for non-employees.
An FAA Convair 580 sits underneath gas-fired infrared heating units in a new deicing process being developed by Process Technologies, Inc., Cheektowaga, N.Y. A full-scale demonstration of a prototype system was supervised by the FAA at the Greater Buffalo International Airport last month. Initial results indicate the system can deice a transport in about 6 min., depending on ice thickness.
Douglas Aircraft Co. has agreed in principle to build the planned MD-95 transport in Long Beach, Calif., as part of the company's newly ratified contract with the United Aerospace Workers (UAW). Douglas had planned to assemble the 100-seat MD-95 at Dalfort Aviation in Dallas in an effort to reduce overhead, but those negotiations fell through, Douglas officials said (AW&ST Mar. 27, p. 19).
Linda L. Carroll has been appointed vice president-human resources of the Dexter Aerospace Materials Div., Pittsburg, Calif. David Packo is the new director of operations in Waukegan. Patrick Adams has been promoted to national sales manager for aerospace coatings from area sales manager. Calvin Cedarleaf has been promoted to marketing manager for aerospace adhesives from program manager. And, Bill Welch has been named controller for the aerospace coatings business. He was plant controller for Champion Spark Plug.
Parker S. Stafford has been named vice president/chief engineer of Lockheed Martin Astronautics of Denver. He was director of technical operations at Lockheed Martin Astro Space.
The MiniChipper milling kit is an extra light duty facemill designed to maximize productivity on low-horsepower machines. Cutters are available in diameters of 0.75-4 in. It features TransPositive technology that results in reduced vibration during cutting. The sharper edges of the inserts provide smooth, quieter cutting. The MiniChipper's small inserts also can be used in larger cutters to minimize costs, maintain high productivity and improve surface finish. Carboloy, P.O. Box 330237, Detroit, Mich. 48232.
WITH A DOZEN OR SO STARSHIPS remaining in inventory, Raytheon Aircraft Co. plans to launch three special-mission adaptations to increase sales. A photo version would allow detailed imagery unaffected by heat waves from the Starship's rear-mounted pusher engines; an airways calibration model would use a portable Sierra Technologies flight inspection system. The canard-winged Starship's stability in rough weather and turbulence lends appeal as an air ambulance, Raytheon said.
AS PART OF A five-year (1995-2000) military-technological cooperation agreement with Russia, India will receive a ``highly impressive'' amount of combat equipment, primarily aviation-related. In addition to new MiG-29 purchases, it will involve modernization of the existing MiG-29 fleet--which has a troubled maintenance history--and delivery of R-73E (AA-11 Archer) close combat and RVV-AE (AA-12 Adder) medium-range air-to-air missiles and new antitank missiles for Mi-25/35 helicopter gunships.
The Titan safety-interlock switch is designed for use with high-risk machines that have long rundown times and present a hazard to personnel even after the stop button is pushed. An actuator operated, solenoid-locking switch, the Titan incorporates two safety contacts and one auxiliary contact in a compact housing. The design allows four actuator entry points. When the door guarding a machine is closed, the actuator enters the switch and physically locks the door until it receives a release signal. The Titan holds firm with more than 335 lb.
AIRLINES NOW HAVE DIRECT, ON-LINE ACCESS to Boeing's central maintenance technical drawing and parts lists data base. The new 24-hr. electronic library, which covers all Boeing jet transports including the 777, eliminates maintenance department reliance on bulky, handloaded microfilm-based systems. The data base, Reference Engineering Data Automated Retrieval System, is updated daily and accessible on conventional workstations.
PENTAGON COMPTROLLER JOHN HAMRE WARNS that plans to reverse the downward trend in modernization spending will be placed at serious risk if base closings do not yield the savings anticipated. ``We have got to have those savings,`` according to Hamre, who is not optimistic that Congress will increase the defense budget. The Navy has by far the best modernization plan, he says, while the Air Force is well-financed for the F-22.
USAF OFFICIALS HAVE again delayed the next launch of a Lockheed Martin Titan 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Station. The launch was pushed back two days, to no earlier than May 13, after launch team workers discovered that rails on which the Titan's mobile service tower moves had settled deeper into the ground than anticipated. The Titan had been slated for launch with its classified payload in April, but problems with ground-support equipment and radiation shielding on the vehicle's Centaur upper stage had pushed that launch back to May 11.
AVIATION WEEK&SPACE TECHNOLOGY held its annual dinner to honor recipients of the 1994 Aerospace Laurels awards, here on Apr. 19. The awards were announced in the Jan. 23 issue of the magazine, and are presented to individuals and teams who make substantial contributions to the global field of aerospace. Also honored were three senior cadets/midshipmen from the service academies and one recent graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Osmay Torres from Aviation High School in New York also was honored.
United Airlines, with the help of the information services company CompuServe, Inc., based here, has developed a new way to sell airline tickets directly to consumers--giving them direct access to United's computer reservation system. The new service, United Connection, is billed as the fastest and most user-friendly on-line travel service available. It is certainly the newest service, a key development in a general trend that is breaking down long-established practices in ticketing and distribution (AW&ST Jan. 23, p. 40).
Satellite Communication Systems: Design Principles by M. Richharia focuses on the fundamentals rather than examining specific systems. It provides an in-depth treatment of the components of satellite communication systems, including the geosynchronous satellites used in global mobile communications. The book includes step-by-step explanations of the principles and methods of system design, focusing on concepts, guidelines and models. Radio link design, the basics of satellite orbits and data transmissions techniques are covered.
ILYUSHIN DESIGN BUREAU is using EDS Unigraphics' CAD/CAM software for the production of its new Il-96 transport. The Moscow-based manufacturer also is using the software for the body and interior design of its other aircraft including the Il-76 transport, Il-112 and Il-103.
AEROSPACE CONTRACTORS jockeying for the U.S. Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) also are eyeing foreign customers to make the first four years of the production program economical. Potential early customers are Israel (up to 75 aircraft), Mexico (about 40 aircraft) and NATO (around 60 based at Sheppard AFB, Tex.). These likely would be followed by Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea. JPATS would fit the requirement for the Korean KTX-1 primary trainer if that indigenous program falls through.
