Military officers charged with conducting a war with Iraq, if it occurs, will get far more assistance and information from U.S. space forces than their predecessors did during the 1991 Persian Gulf war. And in any future conflicts, milspace forces may bring even more firepower to the fight, such as quick-response conventional versions of today's Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
The third pre-production AB139 helicopter has arrived in the U.S. for certification of the Honeywell EPIC avionics suite. The tests will be conducted at Honeywell's facilities in Phoenix. Tim Brookman, executive marketing director for the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. that is developing the aircraft, said plans call for the AB139 to achieve Italian certification this summer followed by FAA approval. Initial certification will include single-/dual-pilot IFR using the EPIC suite with a 3-axis automatic flight controls system (AFCS).
The Model 84 disk-based telemetry recording system allows transfers of a single stream of digital PCM instrumentation data plus IRIG A, B and G, and an auxiliary analog channel. The unit records up to 288 gigabytes of instrumentation data to internal disk drives, or up to 9terabytes to an external RAID. The Model 84 was created to provide customers a transition from legacy rotary or longitudinal tape recorders to disk-based recorders that utilize advances in computer and networking technology.
A Turkish Airlines Avro RJ100 crashed Jan. 8 during an attempted landing in fog at the southeastern city of Diryarbakir, killing 72 people. Five injured survivors were evacuated to the local hospital according to the Associated Press. The plane was en route to the town from Istanbul, which is more than 600 mi. away.
As aerospace and defense companies begin reporting fourth-quarter results next week, expect to see a continuation of the pattern of the last year or so: generally favorable numbers from military contractors and generally dismal results from commercial aviation suppliers. No less important to investors will be companies' cash flow and earnings guidance for the next four quarters.
Modeling and simulation capabilities designed to improve operation of space vehicles and platforms, as well as to understand the flow of gases over aircraft, were key attributes of two software programs selected by NASA to share its 2002 Software of the Year Award.
These 1.250 Gigabit per second (Gbps.) and 1.485 Gbps. Copperhead transformers for point-to-point coupling and transceiver modules for buffered short- and long-haul applications are ruggedized to military standards and are used in satellites, military aircraft, UAVs and tactical ground communications systems. Applications include high-speed video transmission, fiber channel over copper, and Gigabit Ethernet.
Production of the Global Hawk UAV should be assured through 2011, now that Pentagon officials have approved an Air Force scheme to slash the price of the surveillance aircraft and extend its capabilities, but the hopes that some of the purchases would be accelerated were dashed.
At the dawn of the jet age, a small group of test pilots, engineers, technicians and maintenance troops secretly evaluated the Bell XP-59A, America's first military jet, at the remote Materiel Center Test Site in Southern California. This windswept, dusty camp, on the edge of what is now Rogers Dry Lake, eventually would become the secretive North Base section of Edwards Air Force Base, home of today's U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC).
The U.S. Transportation Dept.'s November 2002 Air Travel Consumer Report shows the 10 largest U.S. carriers posted an 85.2% on-time arrival record, compared with October's 84.2% and November 2001's 84.7%. US Airways had the best on-time arrivals rate, at 88.7%, followed by United at 87.9%, and American at 87.6%. American Eagle Airlines ranked lowest in on-time performance for the month, at 79.3%.
Honeywell has purchased Baker Electronics Inc., a supplier of audio systems, liquid flat-panel displays and other cockpit electronics. Honeywell will use the acquisition to help provide business-jet manufacturers and operators with completely integrated cabin management systems. The business will continue to be located in Sarasota, Fla.
The Finnish Defense Ministry has contracted with Sweden's Saab Training Systems in a $51.3-million award. The order includes the purchase of Saab's Combat Training System.
Later this month, the governments of Thailand and Singapore are to discuss the formation of a regional carrier in the northern Thailand tourist city of Chiang Mai. The goal would be to serve major regional cities, including destinations in China, beginning in mid-2004. The idea was sparked by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin, who directed the Airports of Thailand Plc. (previously known as Airports Authority of Thailand) to upgrade Chiang Mai's airport so it can serve as a tourist gateway.
The Israel Defense Force demonstrated that its Arrow ballistic-missile-defense system can acquire several targets at once, prioritize them and launch at least four interceptor missiles almost simultaneously to knock them down.
The first two tests of a full-scale rocket thruster powered by a 90% peroxide "tri-fluid" fuel mixture have been completed for NASA's Integrated System Test of an Air-breathing Rocket (Istar) program, which aims to develop a hypersonic flight vehicle by 2025. The tests were revealed last week by Aerojet, which conducted them last fall at its Sacramento, Calif., facility on behalf of the Rocket Based Combined Cycle Consortium (RBC3), which is working under a contract let in 2001 by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
Alaska Airlines plans to take noncash charges of about $151 million against its fourth-quarter financial results. Approximately $80 million is tied to the carrier's underfunded pension plan, while the remainder relates to a write-off of all goodwill. As of Dec. 31, Alaska Airlines had $637 million of cash and short-term investments.
The Fiberoptic Video Lens Kit Model 135705 permits covert viewing into inaccessible areas lit by ambient light. The flexible camera lens allows penetration through and around obstructions to see inside rooms, hallways, etc. The unit can be used with various closed circuit video cameras, and with night-vision technology. The user can flex the distal tip of the fiberscope by rotating the control knob on the scope body. The kit yields bright, sharp images for observation and recording, says the company. Instrument Technology, 33 Airport Road, Westfield, Mass. 01086.
Mar. 10-11--European Transport Leaders Conference. Landmark Hotel, London. Mar. 12-13--Toulouse Symposium. Toulouse (France) Congress Center. Mar. 27-28--Defense Budget Conference. Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, Va. Apr. 15-17--MRO 2003 & MRO Latin America. Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. May 6-8--Aerospace Defense & Finance Conference. Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York. May 14-16--Homeland Security Summit & Exposition. Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Va.
The RJ-2000 series of hydraulic jacks are engineered to meet the needs of regional carrier maintenance facilities. Major components are accessible and easily removed for inspection and servicing, and replacement parts are standard components available from local sources, according to the company. The line of jacks reflects compliance with military standards, including: height-to-width rations; extra safety factors for material strength; and all-steel structural components with no dissimilar metals.
The 3470-II automatic wire bonder is designed for first-level, gold or aluminum wire interconnect assemblies used in military and aerospace applications. The machine enables deep access wedge bonds across a 633-sq.-in. bonding area, with 0.00025-in. accuracy, and repeatability for bonding complex parts such as compact hybrids, MCM power connections, microwave devices and microwave tuning. Bonding on large surface area assemblies is needed for defense and satellite applications, says the company, which began in 1995 as a spin-off of Hughes Aircraft's Test and Assembly Div.
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