Former astronaut James C. Adamson has been named to the board of directors of the TSI TelSys Corp., Columbia, Md. He is an aerospace industry consultant and former president/CEO of Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc.
With this new aircraft dataloader switch module, flight data can be downloaded to a variety of instruments and systems in the cockpit without removing the instrument or its database. Applications for this switch module include the downloading of navigational data and flight path information to the aircraft's GPS and other navigational systems. The switch is available in various custom configurations, and with up to 30 positions, as a plug-in module as shown or as a standalone switch with flying leads. It meets Mil-Std-3786, Mil-Std-810 and RTCA DO-160.
The economic downturn and airline industry crisis could contribute to creating market-share parity between archrivals Airbus and Boeing, according to European industry executives. The Europeans acknowledge that Boeing remains the leading commercial transport producer, but point out that its decades-long market domination could end soon. In the last few months, plummeting demand forced the Seattle manufacturer to slash its combined production rate and cut up to 30,000 jobs. Next year, Boeing expects to deliver 275-300 transports, down from 380 in 2002.
Kurt Waniek, a member of the management board of Vienna International Airport, has become chairman of the Professional Assn. of Aviation of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. He succeeds Mario Rehulka, a former member of the Austrian Airlines management board.
The chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, which promotes public policy research, offered a multipoint security plan for the U.S. last week. First, according to Gregory Fossedal, President Bush should fire Transportation Secretary Norman Y.
DSP Architectures has started production of a new radiation-hardened, digital signal processor chip that's slated for a 2005 launch as part of NASA's Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Gifts). It will test new technologies for measuring temperature, water vapor, wind and the chemical composition of the atmosphere. The radiation-hard DSP24 is part of a chip family that uses a fast Fourier transform to boost the efficiency of signal and image processing. The chips are the first optimized for the frequency domain, according to the company.
The A320 series, the cornerstone of Airbus' product range, is being pummeled by the airline industry downturn. Combined production, which was set to grow to record levels before the crisis erupted, will soon be stabilized at a low 19 aircraft per month. Nevertheless, the schedule revision is not affecting the A318, Airbus' smallest aircraft, which is to enter service in mid-2003, completing the European product range's lower end. ``After adding the A318, the A320 family will be fully deployed.
This year's Farnborough air show is the largest gathering of the aerospace industry since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11. That fact will not be lost on the 300,000 visitors who are expected to attend the biennial event. Increased security is planned for the weeklong show, and the impact of the war on terrorism will be fresh in the minds of many, if only for having run the gauntlet of often unwieldy and unreasonable security measures at airports on the way to London.
While a background in law enforcement alone appears to be qualification enough to get a job at the Transportation Security Administration, it's apparently not good enough to keep the top job. TSA boss John Magaw, a former head of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, was shown the door last week. His shortcomings included not being ``hands-on'' enough, not being ``inclusive'' with the aviation industry, not being accessible and not keeping Congress adequately informed. Magaw, who was nominated to run the TSA Jan.
Zuji, a joint venture travel portal for 16 Asia-Pacific airlines, has been soft-launched in Singapore and Sydney with the goal of building a 500,000 membership in the Asia-Pacific region, including 80,000 in Singapore. Officials say Zuji will be available in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Taiwan by year-end, and the formal launch is planned in the first quarter 2003.
Lufthansa says its 48-seat Boeing Business Jet service between Newark and Dusseldorf did well in its first month. Even though business travel, the targeted market, normally falls off in the summer, the flights had a load factor higher than the roughly 60% needed to break even, a Lufthansa official said, and better results are expected in the fall. PrivatAir of Geneva operates the BBJ service for Lufthansa on a wet lease (AW&ST May 27, p. 44).
The PTZ-Cam 2.75 robotic inspection camera fits through narrow access openings to view a vessel's contents and evaluate its structural condition. This waterproof inspection tool packs a color video camera with 40:1 zoom inside a head assembly that pans 360 deg., tilts 10 deg. and casts illumination. The system includes high-torque stepper motors, each coupled to a hardened-gear linkage. An integral slip clutch protects each drive, and allows the entire head assembly to return passively to its home position for retrieval in the event of a mechanical or electrical failure.
FedEx executives last week nudged Airbus' conviction that its all-cargo A380 will be a force to contend with one step further toward reality. ``The international express market will grow 8-13% per year for the next several years, supplying a spot for the A380F,'' FedEx Corp.'s Chairman, President and CEO Frederick W. Smith said.
The hand-held EGA06H axial design magnetic induction probe with small field effect is suited for measuring small parts or areas, such as nuts, bolts, screws and other fasteners. With a measuring range of 0-28 mil., the probe measures non-magnetic coatings including zinc, chrome, copper, tin, paint and enamel on ferromagnetic base material using the magnetic induction method according to DIN 50981. The smallest surface the probe can measure is an 0.08 in. dia., 0.04 in. of convex curvature and 0.79 in. of concave curvature.
French systems and avionics manufacturers are concerned that a sharp decrease in funding for civil research, combined with a steady drop in defense R&D funding, may undermine the future competitiveness of European suppliers. According to figures released by the aerospace industries' association Gifas, French spending on basic and applied civil research not tied to specific development programs has declined 53% in the last two years.
Australian investment bank Macquarie last week purchased a 44.7% stake in Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), operators of Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino airports. Macquarie, which holds a controlling interest in Australia's Sydney Kingsford Smith and shares in the U.K.'s Bristol and Birmingham airports, obtained the ADR stake for $483 million from Leonardo Holding SA. Leonardo bought a 51% stake of ADR in July 2000 from the state-owned IRI and acquired further shares through public offering to gain nearly 96% of ADR capital.
Continental Airlines reported a second-quarter net loss of $35 million as the carrier struggled to balance consumer demand against capacity, and cope with rising security and insurance costs as well as discount fares by competitors. Although April and May were unprofitable months for the Houston-based carrier, it did post a slender $16-million net income in June as the summer travel season began to heat up. Despite this slight uptick, ``we need to find a way to make money,'' said Gordon Bethune, chairman and CEO.
The low-profile Ultra SpillBerm contains leaks and reduces OSHA slip hazards. Made of nonabsorbing polyurethane, the 10-ft. sections bend to follow curves or angles. Applications include: containing oil leaks from machinery and equipment, diverting stormwater, sealing areas during washdown operations and spill response. Interlocking end joints allow multiple SpillBerms to be connected, creating longer lengths. Safety orange units measure 10 ft. X 21/4 in. X 13/8 in. UltraTech International, 9454-9 Philips Highway, Jacksonville, Fla. 32256.
Curtis W. Robb has been named senior vice president/chief information officer of Delta Air Lines and president/CEO of subsidiary Delta Technology Inc. He had been chief technology officer.
The 200-ft.-tall Boeing Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle is shown stacked for the first time on Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral following a nearly $1.5-billion development split between Boeing and the U.S. Air Force. First launch carrying a Eutelsat communications satellite is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 9, but could be as early as late September. This first vehicle is a Delta IV Medium Plus version with two solid rocket boosters and a 13-ft.-dia. shroud.
American Science and Engineering Inc. has received a $4-million order from the Defense Dept. for two MobileSearch X-ray inspection systems for use in force protection and counter-terrorism applications. The order represents the first transaction under a three-year, $500-million blanket purchase agreement awarded to AS&E last May.
