National Transportation Safety Board investigators last week found the missing Hamilton Standard propeller blade that separated from the Atlantic Southeast Airlines Brasilia's left engine shortly before it crashed near Carrollton, Ga., Aug. 21, saying that the fatigue crack was in "pristine condition." They used cockpit voice and flight data recorder information as well as existing wind conditions and the aerodynamics of the blade to pinpoint a 2,500-square-foot area in nearby Alabama where the blade should have landed. It did.
Textron, Inc. will buy Elco Industries, a fastener manufacturer based in Rockford, Ill., for $180 million. Elco had sales of $249 million for the last fiscal year. It makes fastening products and systems for the automotive, commercial, construction and "do-it-yourself" home markets. Textron Chairman James Hardymon said Elco is an attractive acquisition because "it offers a balance to our long-cycle businesses, such as aircraft; has global growth potential; and serves many of the same customers and markets" that other Textron companies do.
HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE last week approved language in a tax package that would extend for two more years an exemption for airlines from the 4.3 cents per gallon tax. The package will be included in a broad-based budget reconciliation bill.
PATRICIA HART was named director of materials for all UNC Accessory Services locations. Hart, who previously served with Bell-South Mobility in Atlanta, Ga., also has 14 years of materials management experience with General Electric.
MICHELE HEID was appointed vice president, investor relations for Raytheon Company. Heid, who spent 19 years with the Cummins Engine Company in investor relations and financial management, will be responsible for development and managing Raytheon's relations with financial analysts.
BILL EICKHOFF, president of Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In, Inc. and Sun 'n Fun Aviation Foundations, was elected to the board of directors of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Eickhoff, a 21-year industry veteran who is chairman and chief executive of the Tampa, Fla. investment management firm of Eickhoff, Pieper&Willoughby, will serve a three-year term.
Noting that it is "fully aware of this long-standing problem" of poor U.S. business-jet access to Japanese airports, the U.S. Embassy assured Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) that it is pressing the government of Japan to provide better access. Pressler last month, in a letter to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale, expressed concern that Japanese policy prevents business jet operators from flying freely to Japan and is a "significant barrier" to flight to other Pacific /Rim countries that require a refueling stop in Japan (BA, Aug. 21/78).
WELDON WALSHE was named general manager for UNC Accessory Services-Florida. Walshe, who has served with UNC Airwork since 1969, will oversee production and support operations for the repair and overhaul of aircraft components and accessories.
HUGHES AIRCRAFT COMPANY agreed to buy Magnavox Electronic Systems Co. for $370 million in cash. Magnavox, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., produces tactical communications, electronic warfare, electro-optic, anti-submarine warfare and command and control systems.
Senate aviation subcommittee leaders last week drew a chorus of opposition from the general aviation community after they introduced a bill that would transform the nation's air transportation system into a completely user-paid enterprise and target business jets for increased fees.
GENERAL AVIATION SERVICES and Priester Aviation Services, both based at Palwaukee Airport north of Chicago, Ill., have jointly established a Custom Gulfstream G-I Program. The joint venture combines General Aviation Services' sales, purchase, lease and marketing efforts with Priester Aviation's background in maintenance, transitional crew training and modifications. The program will use General Aviation Services database of G-I aircraft and offer short-term and long-term leasing with crew and/or crew training.
GOLD LINE REFINING, LTD., Houston, Texas, won a $26.3 million fixed-price contract for JP-8 jet fuel from the Defense Fuel Supply Center, Alexandria, Va. The contract (SPO600-95-D-0502) runs through Sept. 30, 1996. The government said it solicited 240 proposals for the contract and received 31 bids.
HELICOPTERS DIVISION of Boeing Defense and Space Group completed negotiations with the U.K. Ministry of Defence for 14 HC Mk. II Chinook helicopters for the Royal Air Force. The contract, valued at about $365 million, calls for deliveries to begin in 1997 and continue through early 1999. Boeing said the new procurement and current RAF business will mean the RAF will operate a fleet of nearly 50 Chinooks.
The Pratt&Whitney/Klimov venture is ready to start building engines based on the venerable PT6A next year, and within three years hopes to have output reaching 100 engines annually, says Alexander Saarkisov, Klimov's general designer and chairman of the venture.
TEXTRON AEROSTRUCTURES AND GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of a relationship under which Textron's Nashville, Tenn., facility manufactures wings for Gulfstream business jets. The former Avco Aerostructures received its first contract from Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. in July 1965 to build 100 sets of Gulfstream II wings. The Nashville plant has delivered 779 shipsets of wings for various Gulfstream models since then and has a contract to supply an additional 63 shipsets through 2000.
A Raytheon Aircraft Company subsidiary won a follow-on contract to support the U.S. Navy's fixed-wing trainer fleet for up to five years, an award the company said could be worth up to $325 million.
The European Union's competition authority approved a proposed regional aircraft joint venture between British Aerospace and the French/Italian partnership Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) - but for only five years. The European Commission said the international consortium would not seriously reduce or eliminate competition.
Belgium national airline Sabena signed a contract with Avro International Aerospace for 23 RJ85s, marking the British regional manufacturer's largest single order for its jet aircraft. Avro plans to ship four of the aircraft by the end of the year with all 23 delivered by 1998. The aircraft, which will be used to handle increased traffic demand at Sabena's Brussels hub, will be configured in an 82-seat, five abreast layout.
DOWTY AEROSPACE LOS ANGELES appointed Rick Berg president. Berg previously served as president of Jetways Systems, a former division of Pneumo Abex Corp. He also spent 12 years with Pullman Corp., most recently as president of Peabody Barnes. Dowty Aerospace Los Angeles, based in Duarte, Calif., manufactures aircraft actuation systems, including thrust reversers and fly-by-wire primary and secondary flight controls.
WAYFARER KETCH CORP., White Plains, N.Y., added a second Canadair Challenger 601-3A-ER to its fleet in conjunction with the addition of a new aircraft management customer. The Challenger also will be available for charter.
A SOLAR-POWERED, remotely-piloted "Pathfinder" aircraft reached an altitude of 50,000 feet during an 11-hour flight Monday at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California, demonstrating the feasibility of long duration flights using sunlight as the only source of power, according to AeroVironment, Inc., the plane's developer. The Monrovia, Calif.-based company said Pathfinder - which weighs 400 pounds and has six electric- powered propellers on a wing that spans 100 feet - is designed to operate above 60,000 feet.
Governance: -- FAA Administrator is appointed for a five-year term and confirmed by the Senate. -- FAA makes personnel and procurement decisions. -- Significant Regulations are submitted to DOT for approval. Regulations are determined to be significant if the regulations will result in expendi tures by governments or private sector of $50 million per year or meet the criteria specified in Executive Order 12866. All regulations that cost more than $25 million per year would be reviewed by FAA after three years.
SIMULA, INC., a Phoenix, Ariz.-based provider of crash safety and energy absorption technology, declared a stock split. The adjusted shares are payable to shareholders of record at the close of business Sept. 15 and the distribution date is Sept. 28. The company currently has 5.9 million shares of stock outstanding. After the split there will be approximately 7.8 million shares outstanding.
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS SYSTEMS CORP. signed an agreement with Teledyne Controls to develop a low-cost datalink to communicate via VHF, satellite, Mode S and airphone systems. Under the agreement, Universal will incorporate Teledyne licensed technology into its two-way datalink, allowing messages to be exchanged between the aircraft and datalink service providers on the ground via existing communication networks.
APPROXIMATELY 1,400 KEY EMPLOYEES who participate in Lockheed Martin's management incentive compensation plan "will be asked to establish or increase holdings of the corporation's securities at a level two to five times their annual base salary," the company said. Chairman and Chief Executive Daniel Tellup said "our corporation is committed to actions that consistently deliver premium growth in shareholder value.
