Changes loom in the way the National Reconnaissance Office does business, driven by lessons from Iraq, shifts in the Pentagon's organization and new technology.
Regional airlines have not only continued to grow rapidly in the downturn since Sept. 11, 2001, they have also started to approach parity in the number of flights with mainline carriers at many of the largest hubs in the U.S.
A long-held U.S. space program dream is moving toward reality this week with mobile science operations on Mars by a highly capable rover to search for life clues, while also scouting what eventually could be a manned landing site under new long-term U.S. space goals. The Spirit rover in the Gusev Crater 100 million mi. from Earth is discovering increased evidence, like carbonates, of potential life-sustaining water.
The ruggedized PCI portable enclosure is designed for field operations requiring a lightweight platform that can withstand harsh environmental conditions and still operate dependably. It can be used as a platform for data-gathering or communication applications. Large rubber bumpers on all corners absorb shocks before the case is impacted. The units' "LCD Tilt" feature allows the operator to lift the LCD monitor to 90 deg. so the screen can be seen from a variety of directions without moving the enclosure. The 14-in. display is protected by non-glare glass.
A new NetJets initiative to meet the needs of security-conscious transatlantic travelers underscores a continuing rebound of fractional ownership demand in Europe, after a slow start.
The crash of a Flash Airlines Boeing 737 into the Red Sea, killing all 148 passengers and flight crews, is sparking doubts about the technical integrity of charter operators. The heavy death toll includes 133 French tourists (the worst aviation accident for France), who were returning to Paris after a week in Sharm el-Sheikh, a renowned Egyptian resort.
An Uzbekistan government commission is working to determine the cause of the Jan. 13 crash of an Uzbekistan Airways Yakovlev-40 at Tashkent that killed 32 passengers and five crewmembers. The flight, en route from Termez, was on approach to Tashkent when it crashed, approximately 100 meters (328 ft.) from houses in a populated region, according to ITAR-Tass news agency. Preliminary accident data indicate that poor visibility in dense fog was a contributory factor in the crash. Investigators last week began examining the Yak-40's flight data recorder for further clues.
The expected recovery in the commercial turbine market has been taking on the characteristics of the Loch Ness Monster: much talked about and intensely argued, but it has eluded all who have come expecting to find proof of its existence. The slippery recovery is now not expected to rear its head until late 2006. One can only hope that market prognosticators have moved the expected date for a turnaround too far out in fear of having to adjust forecasts down one more time.
SPECIAL OPERATIONS AIRCRAFT WILL BE THE FIRST to benefit from a small, lightweight radio that DRS is developing to provide near-real-time intelligence information in the cockpit. The Concorde Intelligence Broadcast Receivers will correlate information received on eight channels, and present a single track file on threats and survivors. With a targeted weight of 15 lb., it's slated to replace systems that currently tip the scales at 50 lb., which will be of particular benefit to helicopters.
The crew of the DHL/European Air Transport A300B4 hit by a missile at Baghdad performed a go-around using throttles-only, because the flight controls were inoperative following total hydraulic failure, according to a PowerPoint presentation circulating on the web. It was purportedly written by a European Air Transport engineer sent to Baghdad to inspect the airplane (AW&ST Dec. 8, 2003, p. 42). The crew successfully landed the airplane using only throttles as well in the Nov. 22 incident that started while climbing through 8,000 ft.
National Technical Systems has completed ground vibration testing of a modified Raytheon Hawker 800 business jet for winglet manufacturer Aviation Partners. The physical part of the test consisted of exciting the aircraft with low-frequency vibration exciters (up to four at a time) to determine the modal parameters (natural frequencies, damping and mode shapes) to aid in flutter vibration analysis of the modified aircraft. During the live test, the aircraft was instrumented with more than 140 acceleration sensors.
With applications in aerospace, nuclear and industrial environments, Admotec's K Series magnetic encoders produce high resolution (up to 7,200 cpr.) and operate in situations including shock, vibration, oil, grease, salt spray, excessive moisture and condensing humidity. The K Series magnetic encoders incorporate a magnetoresistive chip sensor and onboard interpolator with a large (up to 2-mm.) wheel/sensor gap. They are available with wheels from 10-250 mm., and custom units can be designed. Admotec, 85 Mechanic St., Lebanon, N.H. 03766.
This self-contained modular, potable water system has been FAA-certified for commercial, regional and business aircraft. The "plug-and-play" water system can be supplied complete with faucets, drains and tanks to support both lavatory and galley. Recently delivered as part of Embraer's Legacy program, the system replaces a heavier and costlier pressurized bleed air unit. At full production, the company estimates it will produce approximately 90 systems per year for Embraer. It will also participate in aftermarket technical support as customers take delivery of the Legacy.
Danaher Motion's new catalog, Ball and Lead Screws, features its line of lead screws, ball screws, ball splines and components. Products once manufactured by Ball Screws & Actuators, Thomson Industries and Warner Linear have been combined under one brand to provide a broad product scope.
QATAR AIRWAYS HAS ORDERED TWO BOMBARDIER Global Express business jets and has options to acquire two more. The long-range jets would be operated chiefly for regional and intercontinental VIP missions, according to the company. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in mid-2004, and the second late in the year. Qatar Airways also operates a fleet of Airbus transports.
The ProDyne fixed-length collet chuck features a quarter-turn collar system that allows set up changes to be performed quickly. Its small size helps to reduce tool interference problems and allows machines to run at higher spindle speeds, improving productivity and throughput. The ProDyne collet chuck is compatible with machines using an A-4, A-5, A-6, or A-8 spindle nose, and can be mounted using the machine's existing draw tube and actuator. The fixed length means no drawback as the collet closes.
The majority of new military electronics programs in the past year have addressed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), fueled by the increasing importance of time-critical targeting for conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the new surveillance demands of Homeland Security. ISR: SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADARS Synthetic aperture radars (SARs) will account for more than half of the total U.S. airborne reconnaissance sensor budget throughout the decade, with U.S. funding alone providing almost $1 billion per year.
It has become old hat to talk about the sluggishness of the satellite market. The satellite manufacturing industry has been hurting for the past few years as a result of a significant drop in orders for commercial satellites, and while a recovery seems to be underway, it is not sufficiently robust to make people forget 2002 and believe that truly good times are just around the corner.
The company has developed a new series of high-current, ultra-low dropout (ULDO) linear voltage regulators in high density, hermetic packages for military and aerospace applications. The regulators feature a typical dropout voltage of 0.4V to 0.66V. Low dropout voltage means low power consumption, a requirement for power-restricted applications such as military and commercial aircraft, ground-based vehicles, radar and electronic warfare suites. The new regulators are DSCC (Defense Supply Center Columbus)-certified, with standard microcircuit drawing models available.
Honeywell's Engines, Systems & Services unit has acquired the U.K.-based Hymatic Group to reinforce the U.S. company's presence in Europe. Hymatic specializes in pneumatic equipment for aircraft and miniature cryogenic cooling systems for infrared sensors, and is developing a Stirling cycle cryocooler in partnership with Oxford University. Hymatic has annual sales of $40 million and employs 230 people. Honeywell already has acquired Normalair-Garrett, a U.K.
Alexey Komarov (Moscow), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
A new space accord will give Russia access to Kazakhstan's huge Baikonur spaceport for the foreseeable future and provide the Central Asian republic with its first domestic satellite telecommunications system. On Jan. 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, inked a memorandum of understanding that extends the current 10-year pact, signed in 1994, through 2050. Russia had previously sought a gradual withdrawal from Baikonur, but eventually decided this was not feasible.
This will be one of the Indian Space Research Organization's busiest years as it tries to strengthen cooperation with the European Union, renew ties with the U.S., get the $80-million Chandrayaan-1 Moon mission underway and develop an updated Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle called the Mark III. And to help it, ISRO will rely on India's low-cost industrial base.
The Pentagon is delaying the planned in-service date for the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) two years to 2014. U.S. Army officials advocated that plan, arguing, for instance, that the fire-control radar wouldn't be ready before then anyhow. But it isn't all bad news for Meads. Pentagon officials, who back the program even in the face of Army reluctance, have demanded the service boost funding in 2008-11.
Innotech-Execaire Co. received a Supplemental Type Certificate to provide DirecTV service in the aircraft cabin of a Bombardier Challenger 601 business jet through a Honeywell AIS-1000 OneView TV system. The certification follows a similar one the company holds for the Challenger 604. The first applications of the STC were for an American client and incorporated a North American transmission uplink.
France is reportedly poised to pick a conventional propulsion system for its new PA2 aircraft carrier, instead of the nuclear powerplant on the Charles de Gaulle, and ready to discuss a new cooperative program with the U.K., which has expressed dissatisfaction with progress on its CVF carrier program. However, defense minister Michele Alliot-Marie insisted that discussion on propulsion had not ended, and that no decision had yet been taken.
