A FOLDING-REFLECTOR DESIGN PROVIDES A LOW-DRAG satellite antenna that will give airlines access to Arinc's Commercial SKYLink satellite broadband service. SKYLink's K u-band coverage of North America became operational in April, providing e-mail, the Internet, and real-time TV for passengers, as well as applications for the pilots in the cockpit. Satellite signals can be simultaneously received at 5 Mbps., and transmitted from the aircraft at 256 Kbps.
Commercial flight deck design is progressing steadily with improved processors, memory, higher bandwidth data links and networking technology spinning out of the information technology and telecommunications sectors. Avionics specialists say flight deck design is probably five years behind the leading edge of information technology developments, in part because any technology used in cockpits has to be flight qualified and tested. Safety and security requirements are stringent for flight-critical systems.
I agree with Robert Mustic's letter (AW&ST Aug. 9, p. 6) and the one from Paul Havis. It is becoming clear that the most effective legal and operational long-range operations solution is a crew configuration consisting of two captains and one or two first officers. This arrangement will nullify potential legal issues of "sleeping culpability."
The U.S. Marine Corps plans to place a bulk order for 384 GAU-21 (M3M) guns for use on CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters. The contract for the 0.50-caliber weapon, with Belgian arms maker FN Herstal, is being awarded on a sole-source basis to expedite the process. The guns will form part of the common defense weapon systems program and be installed on CH-53Es.
Boeing plans to dip heavily into IBM's commercial expertise in supercomputing, networking and high-speed communications in a 10-year partnership aimed at winning more network-centric operations contracts for both companies.
ADVANCES IN ELECTRONICS FROM SOME OF THE WORLD'S leading researchers will be described at the 2004 International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). Special sessions on emerging technologies will focus on topics such as nanocomputing devices, and possible solutions to some of the interconnect and manufacturing challenges. Responding to the demand for smaller, faster integrated circuits will be a preview of the next-generation 65-nanometer integrated circuits, shrinking from the current 90-nanometer chips.
Another option for what to do with the HST may be a storage consideration. The article "Full Service" (AW&ST Aug. 16, p. 32) relates the latest NASA ideas involving a robotic servicing mission to change out science and flight modules, and states it would attach a retro-rocket for deorbiting the spacecraft at the end of its life. A better option may be to turn the spacecraft 180 deg. and fire the rocket twice to place it in a high storage orbit. Future generations with better budgets and more capabilities will decide what to do.
World News Roundup 18 JIMO pact propels Northrop Grum- man into new technology work 19 Irkut funds development of Yak-130 trainer/attack aircraft 20 Alcatel studying further expansion, this time in Russia World News & Analysis 26 Commercial space lifting off, thanks to more business-like approaches 28 Edusat launch shows India can go it alone 29 Kill-vehicle, booster centerpieces of U.S. missile defense plan
Chris Toffales has been appointed to the board of directors of the Irvine Sensors Corp., Costa Mesa, Calif. He is vice chairman of Communications Power Industries and was a senior executive with DRS Technologies.
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie says France has agreed to provide two battle groups for the European Union's new multinational tactical brigades, which are intended to deploy as many as 1,500 troops up to 5,000 km. (3,100 mi.) on two weeks' notice for peacekeeping and crisis-management missions, and may add a third later. The commitment means the goal of fielding nine battle groups by 2007 will be attained, with initial units becoming operational in 2005.
Sarkis Garabetian has become sales manager for the turbine fuel control overhaul and repair operation of Precision Engines, Everett, Wash. He was director of sales and marketing for FDC Aerofilter.
Craig Seabrook has been named business development director at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Other new appointments are: Paul M. Munafo, assistant director for safety and engineering; Anthony R. Lavoie, director of the Space Systems Programs/Projects Office; James M. Ellis, director of the Chief Information Office; Theresa H. Washington, director of the Office of Human Capital; and Teresa B. Vanhooser and Chris E. Singer, co-deputies of the Engineering Directorate.
Raytheon and EADS Space Transportation have agreed to collaborate on interceptors for ballistic missile defense projects. The pact is one of a series between U.S. missile defense suppliers and overseas contractors in preparation for an anticipated internationalization of the U.S. program.
Thales reported a 0.4% rise in revenues for the first half of the year to 4.6 billion euros, and a 1.8% increase in operating earnings to 300 million euros. Net earnings soared 124%. Orders declined 9% to 4.05 billion euros, but are expected to recover in the second half.
When Lord Wellington was hotly pursuing Napoleon to drive him from the Iberian peninsula, an allegation arose that certain accountable items had been lost or misplaced. Word of these indiscretions was fanned to a fever pitch in London newspapers, which provoked a predictable inquiry from accountants in Whitehall, the Pentagon of its day.
The article "Dawn of the Discounters," which is pertinent and topical especially for a not-so-affluent country like India, will have an impact in the hands of policy and decision makers (AW&ST Aug. 16, p. 40). While our frequent fliers are business people, politicians and public servants who travel on someone else's account, few of our younger or even well-off citizens can think of air travel. There is a strong case for reducing overhead including the costs of aircraft, fuel and airport fees, and cut- ting road travel costs by using minibuses.
European and U.S. trade negotiators met last week but failed to achieve a breakthrough in talks on amending the 1992 agreement on government support to large commercial aircraft companies. Both sides restated their positions, and committed to continuing talks.
A pair of software problems affected about 1,000 flights on Sept. 14-15 when they knocked out communications for the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center for more than 3 hr. on the afternoon of Sept. 14. The Voice Switching and Control System at the center shut itself down because a technician had not reset a software clock, and the backup system also failed due to a software problem that had gone undetected. That left controllers unable to contact the 800 flights they had been handling, or their counterparts at other facilities.
The last flight test failure of the Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile has been linked to a short-circuit in the missile fuze caused by foreign object damage, the Air Force has determined. Flight testing remains on hold until all reviews are completed.
World News Roundup 18 Finmeccanica and Alcatel near on space venture agreements 19 Thales shipping the first A380 inflight entertainment systems World News & Analysis 24 USAF to buy Stovl F-35s after weight loss and thrust increase 26 USAF reconnaissance, UCAV plans undergo senior-level appraisal 30 USAF and Army in clash over roles and missions for C-XX 31 Japan's '05 budget plans reflect em- phasis on missile defense buildup
When Northwest, KLM and Continental formally joined SkyTeam alliance last week, airline member CEOs were quick to note there is strength, and potential cost-savings, in numbers.
A new concept of operations for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for the U.S. Air Force is being crafted, a document that could alter the service's future spending in this field. Researchers already have their eyes on new missions, with developers of the X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) having set their sights on penetrating reconnaissance. But top USAF officials were noticeably noncommittal about UCAV plans at last week's Air Force Assn. symposium.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will be checking passengers more closely for explosives at screening checkpoints by adding more explosives trace detectors and expanding the use of manual pat-down searches. All passengers will be required to remove outer coats and jackets for X-ray inspection. TSA screeners also will have more latitude in selecting passengers for secondary screening and pat-downs based on visual observations.
A group of 15 general contractors will be selected to build a fourth runway at Tokyo Haneda Airport, a job expected to be worth about $6.3 billion (AW&ST June 14, p. 42). The award of such a big contract without competition is unusual but a consortium of seven shipbuilding and steel companies that planned to offer a floating runway concept has dropped out of the running. The contract is expected to be let next March and the runway completed in 2009.
Tommie Hutto-Blake has been elected as president of the Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants at American Airlines. She succeeds the losing incumbent candidate, John Ward.
