BALANCING ACT Lord Corp. and Hamilton Sundstrand are teaming to offer the In-Flight Propeller Balancing system that automatically adjusts propeller balance while the aircraft is flying. The installation features one balancing device for each propeller and one electronic controller, which accepts accelerometer inputs from the rotating propeller to constantly adjust the position of weights to minimize an unbalanced condition. The architecture was developed by Lord and BalaDyne, a wholly owned subsidiary.
Joseph Pizzicaroli has become director of missile defense programs and Chris Clark director of NASA and civil programs for Spectrum Astro, Gilbert, Ariz. Pizzicaroli was program manager/capture lead for the kinetic energy boost-phase intercept space-based testbed, and targets and countermeasures programs. Clark was head of the Glast program team.
Michael Bloomquist has been promoted to chief counsel from associate general counsel of the House Science Committee. He succeeds the late Barry Beringer. Tim Hughes has been named majority counsel to the committee and is assigned to its subcommittee on space and aeronautics. He practiced communications law at the Washington law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath. Dan Byers has been promoted to research subcommittee staff director from professional staff liaison to the staff director. He succeeds Peter Rooney, who has become deputy staff director for the full committee.
TAKING AIM Heckler & Koch Defense Inc. is offering Federal Flight Deck Officers specialized courses in shooting pistols. The instruction, given at a location near Dulles International Airport, lasts from 1-3 days at a cost of $195 or $495. The course is designed to help FFDOs learn more about the weapon and how to use it. In addition, at a security conference hosted by the Air Line Pilots Assn. last week in Herndon, Va., the company unveiled a new 19-cal., 3.5-lb. submachine gun capable of penetrating body armor at 200 meters (656 ft.).
There is much talk at the Pentagon about the power of network-centric warfare, but few projects embody the concept as clearly as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency effort to have small, distributed jammers collaborate to disrupt an adversary's communications.
It was with sadness and nostalgia that I read Ian Andrew's letter "Where Have Dreamers Gone?" (AW&ST Nov. 3, p. 6). His words about the fading of the spirit of America are true indeed. I can recall the feeling of disappointment and anticlimax when Apollo 17 set off for the Moon on Dec. 8, 1972. It was clear then that this mission probably would be the last one to the Moon for the rest of the century.
Having sidestepped the SARS crisis better than most, Thai Airways International has posted its 36th straight annual profit and has planned a $375-million offering to help it pay for a makeover and expanded services.
Duncan Campbell has become chief of staff and Jason Klitenic deputy general counsel of the U.S. Homeland Security Dept. Campbell was deputy chief of staff for operations. Klitenic was deputy associate U.S. attorney general.
SONG'S IN TUNE When it comes to creating a low-cost airline to compete against the discount carriers, major U.S. operators' track record is poor. But Delta Air Lines' Song will be the exception, or so claims John Selvaggio, president of the Delta venture that was launched in April. After being in business for eight months, he said Song is "doing very well." How well?
The U.S. Navy plans to retire a large portion of its P-3 fleet early because high-usage rate has caused them to age faster than expected. The fleet size will drop to 150 from 227 in the next few years.
Norway's air force has received the first Lockheed Martin Pantera targeting pods for its F-16s, the first export delivery of the equipment that is being sold also to the U.S. Air Force as the Sniper-ER system. After serious development problems, Lockheed Martin recently completed an operational utility evaluation of the system on the F-15E and pre-qualification testing on F-16s.
As new electronic warfare technologies emerge, countries are trying to determine how best to apply the technical promise into operationally useful systems (see p. 38). Much of that activity is still in the formative stage, with defense ministries testing the waters in different areas. Germany is considering replacement of its manned signals intelligence aircraft with a Global Hawk and recently tested
ROMANIAN ROTORCRAFT Eurocopter has completed an agreement to assemble twin-engine EC135 helicopters in Romania. Final assembly will be performed by Eurocopter Romania, a joint venture with Romania's IAR that began in 2002 intended to create a low-cost base for penetrating regional markets. IAR already is a service center for the EC135 and is involved in retrofit work on the larger Puma and Dauphin helicopters. Eurocopter Romania recently completed five EC135s for the Romanian government and delivered the first three aircraft last week.
The U.S. Army will start using surveillance aerostats in Iraq as a force protection tool, expanding the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) effort that began earlier this year in Afghanistan. The expansion is being financed with $38 million from the $87-billion Fiscal 2004 supplemental. The system uses 15-meter aerostats equipped with a color TV, infrared camera and laser range finder.
In a declaration of independence from United Airlines, and Mesa Air Group's hostile takeover attempts, Atlantic Coast Airways last week formally announced its transformation into a low-fare carrier and inked an agreement with Airbus for 25 A320-series aircraft that would give the new entity transcontinental scope.
Rear Adm. Thomas Q. Donaldson, 5th, has been appointed director of the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, effective Jan. 5, after his retirement from the U.S. Navy. He will succeed William Parsons, who is now NASA's space shuttle program manager. Donaldson is commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, which is at Stennis. David Throckmorton has been named deputy director, effective Dec. 1. He has been deputy director of the engineering directorate at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Ala.
Jerry Madigan (see photos) has been named vice president/integrated product team leader for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s E-10A Multi-sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A) program and Dave Nagy vice president/ integrated product team leader for the Joint-STARS program, both based in Melbourne, Fla.
George Afordakos (see photo) has become customer service manager for the Southeast U.S. for the Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., Teterboro, N.J. He has been manager of the Western Hemisphere Authorized Service Center. Afordakos has been succeeded by Dean Anderson, who has been director of service network and maintenance training.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT IS OFFERING THE GARMIN G1000 all-glass integrated avionic system for installation in the Model 182 Skylane and Model 206-series airplanes. The G1000 features two 10.4-in. color XGA displays, one serving as the primary flight unit, the other as the multifunction display. The option will become available early in 2004.
Robert Wall (Munich and Uberlingen), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
German efforts to develop a hypersonic weapon are suddenly mired in uncertainty, with funding for the technology development slated to run out by the end of the year and derailing a cooperative effort with Sweden set to begin next year. The financial problems persist despite successes in recent test flights. Moreover, unless Berlin changes course soon, German industry representatives fear they will lose what they perceive as their edge in solid-motor hypersonics technology.
WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP 22 EADS plan to revamp de- fense/security unit advances 23 United-Mesa-ACA feud con- tinues over low-fare move WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS 28 $3.5-billion pact kicks off Eu- ropean ATBM defense effort 29 Continued U.S.-European trade spat creates bitterness 30 European industry waits out hostile economic climate 32 Sukhoi consolidation reveals Russian government intent 33 U.K., AgustaWestland at- tempt to squeeze Lynx costs
Low-cost carriers named Song, Jazz and Snowflake soon may have more competition: "Ted"--as in UniTED. Officials of United Airlines are happy with the buzz generated by a marketing campaign, particularly in Denver. Ted is promoted on a web site, www.meetted.com. One can join the Ted Club, read Ted's poetry, which is something akin to Japanese haiku, and view sightings and stories about Ted. The low-cost carrier is scheduled for launch in mid-February from Denver with four Airbus A320s configured for 156 seats including roomier Economy Plus sections.
EADS has received a 22-million-euro ($25.6-million) contract from the French armament procurement agency (DGA) for the design, production and operation of the airborne test facility MAMO (airborne optronic measurement facility) over a 10-year period. The main purpose of the system is to characterize the infrared signature of French and foreign military assets (aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and missiles) for research on stealth technologies and improvements to countermeasures systems.
UNITED STATES Editor-In-Chief: David M. North [email protected] Managing Editor: James R. Asker [email protected] Assistant Managing Editors: Stanley W. Kandebo--Technology [email protected] Michael Stearns--Production [email protected] Senior Editors: Craig Covault [email protected], David Hughes [email protected] NEW YORK 2 Penn Plaza, Fifth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10121 Phone: +1 (212) 904-2000, Fax: +1 (212) 904-6068
