The debut of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Orbcomm global mobile communications system--based on a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites--remains 3-4 months away, but a countdown of sorts already is underway among some Wall Street observers.
THE FAA PLANS to issue an amended airworthiness directive affecting Boeing 747-200 and -300 versions powered with General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engines. Joint investigations with Boeing revealed that inflight thrust reverser deployment during high-speed climb and cruise may cause certain flight control problems in these aircraft. The AD amends a similar directive issued in July against the 747-400. Inspections and functional tests will be required every 1,000 hr. for the reverser and 18 months for the control and indication systems.
HIGH-STRENGTH, LONG-LIFE graphite-to-metal bonds have been developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The highly reliable technique has applications in aircraft and space components, brakes, lightweight weapons and other devices that use graphite as a low-weight, high-strength structural member. The method requires the use of sputtered metal bonding agents to provide a graded diffusion bond to which both graphite and metal adhere. Bond strengths of more than 3,000 psi. are possible.
Lockheed Advanced Development Co. has completed work on the fuselage of the large-scale wind tunnel mockup of its design for the Advanced Research Project Agency's common affordable lightweight fighter. It has been shipped to Pratt&Whitney's facilities in Florida for installation of the propulsion system.
THE INDEPENDENT Federation of Flight Attendants last week ratified a tentative agreement with Trans World Airlines that provides for a variety of cost-saving and productivity enhancements. TWA already had reached similar agreements with the airline's pilots union and the International Assn. of Machinists.
Piloted and unpiloted aircraft are entering an era when their integrated use in combat is well worth considering, given the Pentagon's growing inability to afford new manned aircraft. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) community sees an opportunity to develop new roles for pilotless aircraft in innovative, high-technology projects such as the Joint Advanced Strike Technology program.
Continental Airlines is closing its maintenance bases in Los Angeles and Denver, contracting out its heavy maintenance and expanding its president's control over its pursuit to regain profits. The Houston-based airline last week laid off 400 maintenance workers at Los Angeles International Airport and 140 at Denver's Stapleton International. Another 1,100 positions at LAX are to be cut by this week. Houston will now be the carrier's sole major maintenance base.
Ion Systems, Berkeley, Calif., has named Jerry van Lonkhuijzen European regional sales manager. His company, Contamination Control Technologies, has represented Ion in Europe since 1992.
German engineers at the OHB System facility, Bremen, this week will begin detailed orbital checkout of the German Safir-R commercial communications payload launched Nov. 4. on a Russian booster. The project is one of three separate German/Russian space projects just reaching major milestones.
Emery Worldwide, Palo Alto, Calif., has named Irvin S. Varkonyi manager of government international logistics. He was vice president-cargo sales for the Americas at Martinair Holland.
A teardown inspection of Pratt&Whitney's new space shuttle main engine oxidizer pump found only a few problems with the hardware after certification testing that included 22 simulated flights. ``I'm extremely pleased,'' Otto Goetz, the senior NASA engineer overseeing Pratt's development of the high-pressure pump, said. ``The hardware is in excellent shape, and I've cautioned everybody to be very careful with it because we intend to reassemble it'' for use in testing other upgrade shuttle engine hardware.
THE DEMOCRATS' CRUSHING DEFEAT turns Hill committees upside down. Conservative Rep. Floyd D. Spence (R.-S.C.) will replace liberal Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D.-Calif.) as head of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Joseph M. McDade (R.-Pa.) becomes head of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee--if legal troubles don't prevent his accession--ousting fellow Pennsylvanian, Rep. John P. Murtha (D.). On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Strom Thurmond (R.-S.C.) topples Mr. Defense, Sen. Sam Nunn (D.-Ga.) as chief of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
SCIENTISTS AT WRIGHT LABORATORY'S Materials Directorate have developed a new, fire-resistant hydraulic fluid to allow safer aircraft operation at temperatures as low as -65F. The new fluid's higher flash point and reduced flammability rating could increase aircraft survivability and worker safety while lowering component life cycle costs and commercial insurance premiums, officials of the Dayton, Ohio, lab said.
The revitalized Kuwaiti air force, with its primary striking power residing in 40 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18s, visibly flexed its muscles in October's Middle East crisis by flying bombing missions within sight of an Iraqi mechanized force deployed less than 4 mi. from its borders.
RONALD M. SEGA is succeeding Navy Capt. William F. Readdy as NASA's director of operations in Russia. Sega becomes the third astronaut in the short history of U.S.-Russian manned space flight cooperation to assume the post at Star City. He will coordinate all training and support of NASA crew preparing at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center to fly on Soyuz capsules and the Mir space station. Meanwhile, USAF Col. John E. Blaha and Shannon W. Lucid are to report to Star City shortly for training. They will join Dr. Norman E. Thagard and Bonnie J. Dunbar.
LOT POLISH AIRLINES IS RECEIVING Boeing 767 aircraft maintenance training from Wicat, of Orem, Utah. The recently installed system is similar to those at the new Boeing Customer Services Training Center in Seattle. Comprehensive education at the LOT Technical Training Center in Warsaw is provided using seven Pentium CBT workstations connected through a server and Novell network, high-resolution classroom projection system, and Wicat/Boeing courseware.
DirecTV of Los Angeles has promoted L. William Butterworth to executive vice president-technical development from senior vice president. James B. Ramo, previously senior vice president-sales, marketing, programming and customer service, is now executive vice president.
Naval Research Laboratory scientists have developed a new type of laser that they expect will give tactical aircraft infrared countermeasures protection, in a very small package, against all known infrared missile seekers. Navy researchers believe a laser-equipped infrared countermeasures (IRCM) system will soon be necessary to defeat new generations of missile seekers, which are less susceptible to being decoyed by flares.
It's surprising how many things in aviation come in twos. I don't mean the obvious items like wings and engines. A typical commercial transport has two pilots, two sets of controls, two sets of instruments, plus two or more sets of hydraulics and electrical systems feeding each critical component. There is a good reason for this. Redundancy is the backbone of aviation safety. There is one area of safety, however, where two is one too many.
Russia and the U.S. are stepping up efforts to stimulate aerospace trade and cooperation as both countries' industries struggle with continued downsizing and a prolonged slump in military sales. A high-level Russian delegation is in America this week on a 10-day-long U.S. government-sponsored trip to seek additional trade opportunities and identify new joint projects. The delegation arrived Nov. 6 at Andrews AFB near Washington on the prototype Ilyushin Il-96M--marking the new four-engine transport's first visit to the U.S. The Il-96M has become a symbol of Russian-U.S.
SkyWest Airlines, Inc., St. George, Utah, has promoted Rob B. Reber to chief operating officer/executive vice president. He was senior vice president-marketing and customer service. Bradford R. Rich, who was chief financial officer/senior vice president, is now chief financial officer/executive vice president-finance/treasurer. John Ligtermoet, formerly senior vice president-operations, has been named vice president-maintenance for subsidiary Scenic Airlines, Inc.
EGYPT HAS SIGNED a letter of agreement with the U.S. Navy to purchase 10 SH-2F helicopters that will be remanufactured into the ``G'' configuration by Kaman Aerospace Corp. Upgrades include new General Electric T700-401 engines, cockpit and avionics improvements and AlliedSignal's AQS-18A dipping sonar. Kaman, which will also provide support for the Egyptian military, expects the contract to be worth more than $100 million.
