PRC Aviation, McLean, Va., has named James J. Leto chairman/chief executive officer. He was president/CEO. William C. Hoover, who was president of PRC's Federal Systems Group, has been named president/chief operating officer.
A European multinational review team expects to issue a preliminary report next week on what caused the third-stage propulsion system of an Arianespace Ariane 4 booster to malfunction during launch Dec. 1. The accident occurred when the third stage of the Ariane produced inadequate thrust during launch of the PanAm PAS-3 spacecraft (AW&ST Dec. 5, p. 15). Loss of the satellite and booster are insured by PanAmSat for $214 million.
The T-47C flight line test set can perform all FAA-required tests for air traffic control radar beacons, Mode-S transponders, distance measuring equipment, Defense Dept. Mode 1, 2, 3 and 4 IFF transponders and Tacan. The unit weighs 22 lb. and can operate for 8 hr. on a single charge of its nickel-cadmium batteries. It is equipped with an omni-directional antenna and with a TAP-122 direct connect coupler. It also can be equipped with a TAP-125 antenna coupler. Tel-Instrument Electronics Corp., 728 Garden St., Carlstadt, N.J. 07072.
LaserMate Power Meters are designed for tuning lasers. Standard features include analog out, zero adjustment, low electromagnetic interference noise sensitivity and interchangeable heads. The standard display is a high-speed, analog needle; a digital readout is optional. Detector heads are available with ratings of 3, 10, 30 and 100 w. Coherent Instruments Div., 2301 Lindbergh St., Auburn, Calif. 95602-9595.
Recent lethality demonstrations and a series of risk-reduction experiments support the feasibility of building and testing a near-operational anti-missile airborne laser system by the late 1990s. Six months into a 33-month dual-contractor concept design phase, the U.S. Air Force's Airborne Laser program is systematically addressing critical issues to ensure key technologies are mature enough to be integrated and flown on an aircraft. Operational concepts also are being defined, both at the program and Air Combat Command levels.
State aviation officials are urging the FAA to terminate its Letters of Intent (LOI) program in the wake of dwindling Airport Improvement Program funding that has subtantially weakened the ability of many airports to receive a federal grant.
The CDE-5000 can instantly measure the copper thickness in the plated through-hole of a circuit board. It can accurately and nondestructively measure etched and unetched, single, double-sided and multilayer circuit boards. A new probe design eliminates hole isolation prior to measurement. Hole diameters as small as 25 mils can be gauged. Downloading and statistics capabilities are available. Veeco Instruments, Inc., Terminal Drive, Plainview, N.Y. 11803.
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES is considering whether to begin a three-year program to develop an operational helicopter using RP-1 technology. The RP-1 program used a Sikorsky S-76 airframe combined with an MHI rotor, transmission and engine. The test vehicle had two 600-shp.-class MG-5 powerplants, which were developed as prototypes for an 800-shp. engine for the Japanese army's Kawasaki OH-X helicopter program. Approval for the RP-1 production vehicle also would trigger development of an operational MG-5 engine. Initial production would be for civil use.
South Korean air force officials took delivery of the first of 120 new, Lockheed Ft. Worth-designed, F-16C/D Block 52 aircraft early this month as the start of the Korean Fighter Program. They will supplement 40 other F-16s already in operation. Although not announced, these South Korean F-16s will subsequently be armed with the AGM-84 all-weather Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
EXPECT MORE ATTEMPTS AT CULTIVATING INDUSTRY-GENERAL AVIATION interaction by the Flight Freedom Foundation. The Howell, Mich.-based, nonprofit, privately endowed organization was founded in January to serve as a voice of general aviation at the grassroots level--specifically, to preserve small airports, protect airspace rights and support legislation favorable to general aviation pilots. But the group also expects to make an equally concerted effort to bring together representatives from ``little guy'' and ``big guy'' aviation sectors to probe issues of mutual concern.
IN THE QUEST FOR PROFITS in an increasingly competitive market, airline training companies are opening their multimillion-dollar flight simulators to the public. Pan Am International Flight Training Academy has had more than 400 people sign up for simulator sessions for aircraft as large as Boeing 747s. The experience, conducted during the downtime between regular pilot training sessions, includes a preflight briefing, engine start, taxi and preflight checks.
World Airways has completed a major operations realignment that includes shifting a portion of its fleet to its new Malaysian strategic partner, reducing headquarters staff and cutting ground handling and catering costs. As a result, the Herndon, Va.-based charter carrier is expecting a significant revenue growth in 1995 and is once again seeking to enter scheduled service in ``niche'' markets where it can compete.
GREECE WILL BE THE FIRST COUNTRY to use the new NATO long-range air defense radars produced by Hughes Aircraft Company. Ten of the NATO radars are slated for delivery to Greece, Italy, Portugal and Turkey to protect NATO's southern borders and Portugal. All are scheduled for delivery by the end of 1996. The S-band radars are designed for joint use for air traffic control.
The Modular Aircraft Staging System is designed to give aircraft maintenance crews the quick deployment capability and other features of custom-designed work platforms at lower cost. In addition to straight work platforms, stairway, nose dock, over and under-wing bridges and tail dock modules are available. The modules can be used alone or linked. Their height can be adjusted by up to 3 ft. Two people can easily move the modules, which feature a 1,323-lb. capacity, 42-in.-high heavy aluminum guardrails, 12-in.-dia.
SIEVERS INSTRUMENTS, Inc., is growing rapidly on sales of a highly sensitive, portable water quality monitor that is based on research it did for McDonnell Douglas and NASA for the space station program. Now the small Boulder, Colo., company is poised to fly a unit in space. Cofounder Misha Plam says the Russian Space Agency is interested in the analyzer because it would allow the Mir space station's water system to be operated much more efficiently. Inventor Rick Godec demonstrates Sievers' total organic carbon analyzer at right.
The Beechcraft C90SE (Special Edition) combines a new level of King Air affordability with turboprop economy and performance that makes it a unique value in the highly competitive, entry-level business aircraft market. Development of the C90SE by Raytheon Aircraft Co. was prompted chiefly by growing competition from a new generation of lightweight, turbine-powered business aircraft. These include the Cessna CitationJet, TBM 700 and Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop aircraft.
Capping a year of heightened image clarity, the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a startling menagerie of primeval galaxies. Peering back to when the universe was only about 10% of its present age (assumed to be 14 billion years), astronomers were surprised to find very mature football-shaped elliptical galaxies only 1-2 billion years after the Big Bang but nothing like a well-formed spiral galaxy such as our own Milky Way.
TPL, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., has named David R. Garfinkle vice president- Energetic Materials Programs. He was vice president/general manager of Sparta Corp.
AlliedSignal Engines has started testing its new RE220 auxiliary power unit aimed at the 70-130-seat aircraft market and expects to have it certified in April, 1996. Two engines have accumulated about 140 hr. of total run time since July 29. The RE220 brings a high level of technology to this size of auxiliary power unit (APU) and draws upon the expertise of BMW Rolls-Royce and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, two of AlliedSignal's partners in the program.
RAYTHEON will make the main antennas and transceiver modules for the Iridium constellation of low Earth orbiting mobile communications satellites. The latest contract, worth $122.6 million, brings the total of the Lexington, Mass., company's Iridium work to $217 million. Raytheon figures the project could bring in more than $300 million through Iridium's first five years of operations (1998-2003).
Delta Air Lines has invested $375 million--and a piece of its future--in a new flight center at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Ronald W. Allen, Delta's chairman, president and chief executive officer, dedicated the new facilities on Dec. 1. Allen said Delta flights at the Cincinnati facility will grow from 170 per day to about 200 in 1995.
The commercial space insurance market will be forced to pay 1994 claims totaling $750-800 million, making it the worst year for insured commercial losses in the history of the space age. Insurance premiums total only about $500-550 million, giving the industry a net loss of $200-250 million on the year. Space insurance brokers and underwriters are concerned that some insurance capacity for future missions may be lost as a result of the heavy 1994 losses. Premiums for all launch vehicles will increase.
