Airport planning for a new generation of large aircraft will not be any easier than when the introduction of the first wide-body aircraft transformed the industry a quarter century ago. Modern airports are better able to make adjustments for the quantum shifts in ground handling operations that a 600-1,000-seat aircraft implies. But in many ways they face greater constraints than they did in the early 1970s.
NOS Instrument Approach Charts are now available in a loose-leaf format with a four-hole pattern at the top of each page. The binder is made of plastic with a reinforced spine and has steel rings to hold the pages. Sheet protectors are available for frequently used charts, while color dividers can be used for quick reference to departure, alternate and arrival approaches. The approach kit comes standard with the binder, 10 sheet protectors, three color dividers that extend to the bottom and five color dividers which extend to the right.
The K5014S-MF minifocus X-ray tube uses a sealed metal-to-glass X-ray envelope encased in a 6.5-in.-long, 2.75-in.-dia., radiation-shielded housing. It is capable of projecting at 50 kv. and 1 milliamp in a 0.2-mm. spot size, making it ideal for plating thickness gauges and imaging applications. Mated with the proper power supply, it can provide a highly stable X-ray flux. Kevex X-Ray, Inc., 320 El Pueblo Road, Scotts Valley, Calif. 95066.
The Gard 150 parachute recovery system is approved for use on Cessna 150s and 152s under a Supplementary Type Certificate. The patented ``smart chute'' concept uses a secondary slider parachute that moves along the main canopy lines to provide additional drag at high speeds. It also limits the amount of air flowing into the 40-ft.-dia. main canopy to prevent seams from rupturing. Pulling the activation handle inside the cockpit ignites a 119-lb.-thrust rocket that deploys the nylon parachute from its box atop the wing's center. Descent rate at sea level is 21 ft./sec.
Facing daily losses of $1 million, USAir Group and its pilots' union have resumed negotiations and committed themselves to agreeing on a new labor contract within 30 days. There are a number of serious obstacles, however, that must be overcome before a final agreement can be hammered out. These include: -- Retaining the no-furlough clause in the current contract.
THE UKRAINIAN parliament's ratification of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, just days before President Leonid Kuchma's scheduled visit to the U.S. this week, removes the last obstacle to bringing the Start 1 treaty into force. A formal document is to be signed at a summit meeting in Budapest next month. Ukraine will receive ``security assurances'' from the U.S., Russia and Britain in exchange for dismantling its nuclear weapons. Kuchma will also seek additional economic aid during his visit, including a request for $50 million to build homes for retired servicemen.
Remstar Horizontal Carousels can dramatically increase order picking productivity over traditional storage and retrieval methods. Requested items are delivered directly to the operator. Carousels can bring parts to an operator simultaneously to maximize efficiency and minimize waiting time. The carousels can be controlled by computer, or a handheld controller can store as many as 99 locations. The top-drive technology has greater reliability and requires less maintenance than bottom-drive systems. Remstar International, 41 Eisenhower Drive, Westbrook, Maine 04092.
The restored Northrop N-9MB flying wing made its first flight on Nov. 8 at Chino, Calif., after about 45 years on the ground (AW&ST Jan. 31, p. 17). Don Lykins piloted the 60-ft.-span twin pusher propeller aircraft for about 25 min., then landed it smoothly. The N-9MB is the only prototype left for the Northrop XB-35 flying wing bomber, and is owned by the Air Museum Planes of Fame in Chino.
The Oxley 3STR integrated lampholder can display eight different conditions in an indicator with a footprint of just 15 mm. The lamp has three segments that can be configured wih red, yellow, green or blue light emitting diodes. They emit 10-15 milliamps. Typical voltage drop is 2.2 v. Units with up to 28 v. capacity are available. Cross illumination among segments is low. The 3STR has a glass lens, aluminum body and fluorocarbon mounting ring that will stay sealed to the equivalent pressure of 20 meters (66 ft.) deep water. Oxley, Inc., 25 Business Park Drive, P.O.
ALITALIA WILL BE UPGRADING its London services next month when it boosts Heathrow-Milan frequencies from four to six daily flights and Heathrow-Rome from four to five daily flights. To accommodate the added flights at Heathrow, the airline's London services to Bologna, Pisa and Venice will begin operating from Gatwick Airport on Dec. 1. In a bid to appeal to the business traveler, Alitalia will operate the earliest and latest London-Milan and Milan-London flights.
The MG 121 VF is a variable focal spot, sealed X-ray tube for aerospace and other markets. The tube is capable of both high geometric magnification and low geometric, high-contrast images. The spot can be varied from 0.07-0.30 mm. at 0.12, 0.5, 1,0 and 2.0 milliamps. Maximum power is 120 w. Philips Electronic Instruments Co., Philips Industrial X-Ray, 2975 Courtyards Drive, Norcross, Ga. 30071.
Ramco Wet Finishing Machines can be used for finishing, polishing and deburring flat surfaces, stampings and components. Water-based coolants can be varied to improve surface finishes, speed production and extend abrasive belt life. Machines are available in three series, using standard abrasive belts in widths of 13-62 in. and lengths up to 103 in. Models can be configured with up to five heads, combing sanding belts, platens, wire brushes or an abrasive-impregnated nylon brush. Ramco Wet Finishing Machines, 0-794 Chicago Drive, Jenison, Mich. 49428.
THE RUSSIAN PROGRESS M-25 unmanned tanker/transport docked with the aft port on the Russian Mir space station Nov. 13, following launch from Baikonur Nov. 11.
The Model DG is a solid-state, microprocessor-based, digital pressure gauge capable of 0.2% accuracy over a range of 5-10,000 psi. A variety of pressure port adapters are available. The device is protected against electromagnetic interference. Readings are shown on a four-digit liquid crystal display. The gauge has 200% over-pressure protection and no moving parts. Front panel push buttons control on/off, 100% zero adjustment and the peak/valley feature. The buttons may be disabled to prevent tampering. Outputs of 0-5 v. or 4-20 milliamp are available.
WESTINGHOUSE NORDEN SYSTEMS WILL SUPPLY two Joint-STARS radar sensors to Northrop Grumman Melbourne Systems under a $71.2-million contract. This will bring the number of aircraft to nine, including the three testbeds. The Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System, developed for the U.S. Army and Air Force to locate moving and fixed objects on the ground, proved its ability during Desert Storm.
LITTON'S APPLIED TECHNOLOGY DIV., SAN JOSE, will supply the German Ministry of Defense with AN/ALR-68(V)3 threat warning systems for installation on German F-4 aircraft. Production is scheduled to begin in November, 1995. The (V)3 will be an upgrade to Litton's ALR-68 systems, currently installed, and will include new quadrant receivers and an improved processor to increase system sensitivity and boost threat processing capability.
Innotech/Execaire Aviation Group of New Orleans has named Jerry Sosontovich marketing support manager for North America, based in Montreal. He was manager of corporate marketing at Rolls-Royce Canada, Ltd. Ric Cade, who has been with Innotech in business aviation management positions, has been promoted to Western Region sales manager for Execaire's Aircraft Sales Div., based in Vancouver.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY SCIENTISTS will describe a new micromachined actuator for microelectromechanical systems to the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco, Dec 11-14. The device--a linear microvibromotor--delivers a series of impacts to a linear motion slider. It offers a large range of motion, high velocity and precise positioning. The number of pulses determines the length of the slide, which traveled 100 micros in 0.27 micron steps in the device.
CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS PUT ITS FIRST A340-200--and the first crews to fly it--through some quick paces before starting revenue flights. In the two days that the training group had the aircraft, 10 pilots made a total of 62 takeoffs and landings at a Thai air force base, Utapoa. Capt. John Bent, flying training manager for the Airbus Industrie A330/340 program, said the A340 performed without a hiccup.
SENIOR MILITARY and industry officials indicate that the extended-range Boeing 767 has the inside track and most support within the Pentagon as the commercial aircraft to supplement the McDonnell Douglas C-17 in the military transport role. In a passenger configuration, it has a range of over 6,000 naut. mi. ``Once the C-17 program is put to bed with a buy of 40-50 aircraft, certainly no more than 60, the Air Force will start buying an off-the-shelf wide-body--probably the 767ER,'' a senior defense official said.
SpeedSim, Inc., Westford, Mass., has appointed Kevin Ladd vice president-research and development. He was with Digital Equipment Corp. and Viewlogic Systems, Inc. Don McInnis, formerly general manager of Computervision's Software Business Unit, has been named chief executive officer.
