Final plans for completing the International Space Station are taking shape, with Russia adding to its anticipated on-orbit assets as NASA prepares to shut down the space shuttle fleet. The next shuttle crew to visit the ISS will clean and lubricate both of the 10-ft.-dia. solar alpha rotary joints (SARJs) that turn the massive solar arrays around the ends of the station truss to track the Sun.
Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group, has released a hand-held vapor detector for volatile chemicals commonly used in homemade bombs. The Sabre EXV, using Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) technology, is a lightweight device that can detect and identify explosive substances, including peroxide-based chemicals, in as little as 10 sec., according to the company.
NASA and the European Space Agency have identified several areas of “significant mutual interest” to pursue as the U.S. agency and its international partners cobble together plans for developing lunar-exploration hardware. Potential areas of cooperation include Ariane V-based lunar cargo-landing systems, lunar orbital and surface infrastructure, and systems for communications and navigation on the Moon. The two agencies also agree on the importance of having two different crew vehicles able to reach the Moon.
Safran has been selected to supply landing/braking system and nacelles for the Bombardier Learjet 85. Safran’s Messier-Bugatti unit will provide the landing and braking system, which includes the wheels, carbon brakes, ground steering system and landing gear extension/retraction hardware, for the midsize jet. The company’s Aircelle affiliate will supply the nacelle, along with the thrust reverser (see p. 156). Together, the two awards will account for 11% of the Learjet 85’s supply contracts, Safran says.
Charlie Stuff (see photo) has been named executive vice president of U.K.-based Cobham’s North America Corporate . He was president of Cobham Avionics and Survellance.
EOS GmbH. Electro Optical Systems announced that aerospace supplier Northwest UAV Propulsion Systems (NWUAV) has purchased an EOSINT P 390 plastics laser-sintering machine to produce laser-sintered parts for UAVs. NWUAV manufactures complex cylinder head temperature controllers and shrouds among other parts for UAVs from Insitu Inc. With 10 days training time, NWUAV went from installation to parts production on the P 390, according to EOS. Previously, NWUAV ordered parts from an outside vendor and then performed finishing processes.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on July 9 reconvened its flight delay task force in a continuing effort to expand capacity and reduce flight delays at the region’s major airports, JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty. The authority remains opposed to a flight slot auction plan as a solution. The task force proposed more than 100 recommendations in a December 2007 report. For details, see www.panynj.gov/pdf/flight_delay_report_final.pdf
David A. Fulghum (Washington), John M. Doyle (Washington), Craig Covault (Cape Canaveral)
Iranian war games and the firing of nine ballistic missiles to remind the world that Iran could control the Strait of Hormuz proved instead to be an intelligence windfall for the U.S. and Israel. Data on new Iranian warhead configurations was obtained as was “ground truth” launch data to match with U.S. missile-warning satellite sensor data. It also did the U.S. a favor by bolstering U.S. arguments for basing an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe, says Defense Secretary Robert Gates (see p. 53).
The La Fresh Tech Pack is a road-tested compact mini travel zip-up bag that contains individual towelettes to clean tech devices, and more. It’s appropriate for all digital gadgets—screens, lenses, scopes, cameras, PDAs, cell phones, laptops and gaming devices—as well as glasses, according to the company. The pack includes four wet & dry dual-action screen-cleaning towelettes, three lens-cleaning towelettes, and three for anti-bacterial use. All are biodegradable and meet TSA regulations to be carried on board a plane. La Fresh Group Inc., 4200 E.
Patrice Herbay (see photo) has become Toulouse-based aerospace group business manager for France and Spain for Crane Aerospace and Electronics . He was a customer services executive for Airbus.
Berkeley Nucleonics (BNC) offers three detector types: sodium iodide (NaI), lanthanum bromide (LaBr) and high-purity germanium (HPGe). The model SAM 935 has been deployed with such organizations as volunteer fire and public health departments to government pollution monitoring agencies. The company notes that it has taken the following features into account: 1. Efficiency: To detect/ID all ANSI isotopes, the device uses a 2 X 2 NaI, 3 X 3 NaI and 1.5 X 1.5 LaBr. The SAM 940 can provide 85%, 100% and 85%, respectively. 2.
Aero-Instruments has recently made available its FAA PMA-approved Boeing 757 0851FJ-1-AI Pitot Probe. It is a direct replacement for the 0851FJ-1 or S232N911-2 pitot probes currently installed on all 757s. The instrument has been certified to meet or exceed SAE AS393, AS8006, BS2G.135 and TSO C-16A standards for environmental icing and has been engineered for longer life, ultimately reducing operators’ total cost of ownership, according to the company. Same-day shipping is available. Aero-Instruments, 14901 Emery Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44135 or www.aero-inst.com
KineticSystems’ P216/210/206/205 cards are simultaneous sampling multifunction PXI modules that provide four differential analog input channels, 14/16-bit A/D resolution, and up to 2 MS/s simultaneous sampling. They also provide two analog output channels with waveform generation capabilities to meet a range of requirements.
Human-machine interface, crew decision-making and the value of “seat-of-the pants” flying will likely be discussed late this summer when the NTSB determines the probable cause of an American Eagle incident in 2007.
Open rotors and geared turbofans hit the headlines like never before at last year’s Paris air show mainly because of growing environmental pressures, particularly on emissions. Now at Farnborough, the solutions are the same but the talk is all about skyrocketing fuel prices and airline survival.
Claude-Henri Hereus has become vice president of the Aerospace Div. of the New York-based Seabury Group . He was vice president-procurement strategy at Airbus.
Dave Bakker has been appointed senior vice president-customer services and operations for Geneva-based SITA . He was a customer service executive for Dell Inc.
The huge value of the vertical-landing feature in the Stovl F-35 seems to escape many people (AW&ST June 30, p. 11), including the U.S. Air Force, because recent experience has caused runway availability and operability to become an unexamined assumption. However, if we look back to the early days of the Vietnam and Korean Wars and World War II, we can see the tremendous role runway availability and operability played in dictating the pace of our campaigns.
Paris-based aerospace engineering company GECI International has concluded a preliminary agreement to acquire a majority shareholding in Reims Aviation Industries, a leading maker of light surveillance aircraft systems.
In an Airline Outlook item on 33 mobile air units acquired by Alaska Airlines to perform cabin venting, cooling and heating of parked aircraft (AW&ST July 7, p. 19), the amount of time required for the units to pay for themselves was misstated. The period is 1.5 years. An article on Bedek activities mischaracterized the nature of Airbus A330/A340 work the company will begin this year (AW&ST July 7, p. 62). It will be heavy maintenance.
USMC Brig. Gen. (ret.) James M. Feigley has been appointed to the board of directors of Applied Energetics Inc. , Tucson, Ariz. He is president of Rock River Consulting Inc. and was commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command.
Fred Downey has been appointed vice president-national security and Daniel Elwell vice president-civil aviation for the Arlington, Va.-based Aerospace Industries Assn. Downey was senior counselor/legislative aide for defense and foreign affairs for U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.). Elwell was assistant FAA administrator for aviation policy, planning and environment.
EVAS Worldwide says the Gulfstream G650, due to enter service in 2012, will have the Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS) as standard equipment. EVAS allows pilots to see in continuous dense smoke. With EVAS protection included as standard equipment, the G650 will be the first factory-delivered aircraft to meet FAA recommended standards for cockpit smoke. More than 3,000 EVAS systems have been delivered. EVAS is certified for use in dozens of aircraft types by FAA, EASA, Transport Canada and China’s CAAC, according to the company.
A BAE Systems artist’s impression shows how an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) element of the Royal Air Force’s Deep and Persistent Offensive Capability requirement might look when it enters service around 2018-20 (see p. 111). The UCAV is shown operating in concert with an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon. European UCAV efforts are examined as part of this year’s Farnborough air show coverage.
There’s increasing optimism among aircraft developers that big fuel-burn improvements can be achieved with radical new aircraft designs, but they also face a stark reality: Whatever economic and environmental leaps they produce will take until 2050 to reach throughout the air transport system. For traditional design improvements, “we are starting to see some leveling off” in efficiency gains, says Peter Chivers, Airbus vice president of research and technology planning. That’s causing increasing interest in “some major game-changing technologies,” he says.
