WESTLAND ENGINEERING LTD., a subsidiary of the Westland Group, was selected to design and manufacture a speed decreasing gearbox for the General Electric T700 turboshaft engine. The contract, valued at approximately $29 million, is expected to cover production of a minimum of 500 gearboxes over a 10-year program. The Westland gearboxes are designed to reduce the engine output shaft speed from more than 20,000 RPM to just over 6,600 RPM, with initial applications expected in the re-engining program for the UH-1H (Huey) helicopter.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model BAe 146-100A, -200A and -300A airplanes (Docket No. 94-NM-131-AD) - proposes to require repetitive inspections for cracking of fuselage Frame 29 and repair, if necessary. This proposal is prompted by testing that revealed fatigue cracking in the web and inboard flange of Frame 29. The actions specified by the propsed AD are intended to prevent fatigue cracking, which could reduce the structural integrity of the fuselage.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR David Hinson, reacting to the recent bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, has ordered increased security at all FAA facilities nationwide. He said security personnel will perform more thorough checks of individual identification, personal packages and vehicles. "These measures may cause delays and some inconvenience," Hinson said, adding that FAA's security staff is working closely with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. He said security will be tightened further, if necessary.
ASRS has processed more than 300,000 reports since it began operation in 1976, including more than 33,000 last year. Reynard said that level of activity shows that people in the aviation community "really do give a damn" about improving problems in the air transportation system.
BEECH Model 1900D airplanes (Docket No. 94-CE-33-AD) - proposes to require inspection of the cabin partition to ensure that a right-hand forward partition bracket exists on certain airplanes, installation of the bracket if it does not exist, and improvement of the right-hand forward partition installation. This proposal is prompted by the discovery of structural deficiencies found during an analysis of the cabin partition. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent cabin partition failure and subseqent passenger injury.
U.S. Air Force officials say fuel management issues are a principal focus of their investigation into the April 17 crash of a C-21 Learjet near Alexander City, Ala. The aircraft, the military version of the Model 35A Learjet, was en route from Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C. to Randolph AFB, Texas when the crew asked to divert to Maxwell AFB in Alabama because of an inflight emergency (BA, April 24/176).
ESTABLISHMENT of a proposed Military Operations Area near Port Hueneme, Calif. (on the coast immediately south of Oxnard) will be the subject of an FAA public meeting June 1.
FAA and Loral Corp. have agreed on contract modifications by which Loral will provide new air traffic controller workstations instead of the Initial Sector Suite System (ISSS), which had troubled the agency's relations with the former IBM Federal Systems Co. before Loral took it over. Announcing the agreement last week, FAA Deputy Administrator Linda Daschle put an $898 million value on the new fixed-price-incentive contract for the workstations, now called the Display System Replacement (DSR).
SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE, weighing options for cutting transportation funding, says it can save $14.7 billion through fiscal 2000 by privatizing air traffic control services and $5 billion by eliminating airport grants.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT said The Master Group, a Moscow-based company, took delivery of a used Hawker 800 that will be operated from Moscow's Vnukova Airport by Meridian Air. The aircraft will fly charters to points in western Russia and Europe and will be maintained at Raytheon's facility in Chester, England. Raytheon said the Model 800 is the ninth Hawker to be sold in Russia since the aircraft was certificated in that country in 1993.
CENTURY FLIGHT SYSTEMS, INC., Mineral Wells, Tex., received a supplemental type certificate from FAA for installation of its Century 2000 autopilot in the Beech Model A36TC aircraft.
THE 38TH ANNUAL TULSA REGIONAL FLY-IN is scheduled for Sept. 22-23 at Frank Phillips Field in Bartlesville, Okla. For more information, contact Charles Harris at (918) 622-8400.
American Trans Air founder and chief George W. Mikelsons was elected chairman of Allison Engine Co.'s newly formed board of seven directors, Allison parent Rolls-Royce said last week. "George brings to Allison a wealth of knowledge of the airline industry, a clear understanding of today's customer requirements and proven leadership abilities in what for some time has been a tough economic environment for the airlines," said John Sandford, president of Rolls' U.S. subsidiary, Rolls-Royce Inc.
De Havilland, as expected, opted for the new Pratt&Whitney Canada PW150 engine to power its proposed 70-seat, high-speed Dash 8 Series 400 turboprop, officials announced last week (BA, April 24/171). The PW150, based upon the configuration of the PW100 that powers the rest of the Dash 8 family, was selected over offerings from Allison, General Electric and Lycoming.
JOHN HODSKINS was appointed to the newly created position of vice president, marketing and sales for Kal-Aero. Hodskins previously held marketing and sales positions with Allen Test Products, Cessna and Xerox.
AVIATION SAFETY REPORTING SYSTEM, which receives most of its reports from airline pilots and air traffic controllers, has designed a new reporting form for aviation mechanics and technicians. Bill Reynard, director of NASA's ASRS, said the new forms are expected to be approved and available later this year.
GILLES OUIMET, president and chief operating officer of Pratt&Whitney Canada, credits a Japanese concept, "kaizen," for enabling the company to sharply reduce time required to build engines. Ouimet told Flight Safety Foundation's Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar in Vancouver last week that giving employees training in kaizen, which stands for continuous incremental improvement, allowed PWAC to cut engine manufacturing time from 24 months to 11 months.
FAA Administrator David Hinson has targeted free flight as the agency's next major initiative for shaping the national airspace system, tasking RTCA to come up with a draft operating concept by August and a final report by the end of October.
Some 354 Federal Aviation Administration employees decided to take buyouts during a five-day period last month, bringing to 3,322 the number who have elected to leave the agency since it launched a streamlining effort two years ago as part of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994. The 354 took separations that are deferred to October through December of this year, and in 1996.
MEANWHILE, Jet Support Systems, which nearly a year ago unveiled a similar program to sell fractional shares of Learjets (BA, June 13/256), has returned the aircraft to Learjet parent Bombardier, which wants "to consolidate the fractional ownership activities of its Learjet and Canadair lines of business jets," according to JSS officials. JSS plans to continue operating its program, called The Share System, and hopes to announce details within the next couple of months on which aircraft it will offer. JSS previously offered two Learjet 31As and two Learjet 60s.
U.S. general aviation manufacturers reported a 33.7 percent increase in billings and a 14.4 percent increase in shipments during the first quarter of 1995, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association said Thursday. The manufacturers billed $595 million and shipped 207 units in first quarter 1995, compared with billings of $445.1 million and 181 shipments in the same period in 1994. Turboprops represented the most dramatic gain, with 52 delivered in first quarter 1995, a 40.5 percent increase from the 37 shipped in first quarter 1994.
SABRELINER CORP., St. Louis, Mo., acquired technology to apply Surface Seal coatings to the windshields of Sabreliner business jets. The window treatment is designed to improve visibility in rain by causing water drops to bead and roll off.
BUSINESS/PERSONAL/REGIONAL AIRCRAFT - FIRST QUARTER UNIT SHIPMENTS 1st Qtr. Cal. 95 Year AMERICAN GENERAL AIRCRAFT CORP. -- Single-Engine AG-5/B Tiger 0 0 ---------- 0 0 ATR (Avions de Transport Regional) -- Multi-Engine ATR-42 4 4
