Snecma, French aerospace R&D agency Onera and national science research center CNRS signed a five-year agreement to pursue advanced combustion research. The $20-million-plus per year effort will focus primarily on commercial aero-engine noise and emissions and cost reductions in space propulsion systems.
GE Aircraft Engines has won a $126- million contract from Lockheed Martin Aerospace Co. to provide CF6-80C2 engines and thrust reversers and nacelles for the development and demonstration phase of the USAF C-5 Galaxy Reliability and Enhancement and Re-engining Program.
Moving to address a shortfall of air traffic controllers at the national level, Germany is hiring staff from Ireland. Under a partnership between the Irish Aviation Authority and German air navigation services provider, Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), 17 Irish air traffic controllers have begun a 2.5-year stint with the DFS.
Telair International has received FAA approval of its bomb-resistant LD-3 cargo container and is marketing it in conjunction with a lightweight container, for a net weight savings on aircraft.
Margaret Ewing has been appointed group finance director for London-based BAA plc. She will succeed Russell Walls, who will retire this summer. Ewing has been group finance director of Trinity Mirror plc.
Goodrich Corp. has signed a six-year contract with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. to supply standby altitude indicators for 300 MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters.
This 60-year-old ball screw assembly company has issued a new catalog: ``Actuation Solutions for Commercial, Military and Defense Applications.'' It traces the history of the company's technology, and reviews operating principles of ball screw actuation in respect to design, reliability, performance, manufacturing, inspection and engineering criteria. A separate section explains use of ball splines, industrial ball screws and electromagnetic actuators. Thomson Industries, 2 Channel Drive, Port Washington, N.Y. 11050.
Phil Kent has become vice president-engineering for Hydro-Aire Inc., Burbank, Calif. He was an executive at Northrop Grumman Navigation Systems, Woodland Hills, Calif.
The Air Force's unmanned combat air vehicle will be much larger and heavier than first thought, following a redesign intended to narrow the gap between initial prototypes and an operational system. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Boeing matured the existing design over several months. The new look comes at a time when the Pentagon has opted to field the system as soon as possible. The Fiscal 2003 defense budget request puts the project on the fast track, with the goal of fielding 14 aircraft by 2003.
Now that NASA's new administrator, Sean O'Keefe, has completed his get-acquainted tour of the agency's field centers, he has his work cut out for himself back in Washington. Interestingly, O'Keefe is the first NASA administrator barely old enough to remember John Glenn's Mercury mission; he was six at the time. But here we are, 40 years after Glenn's historic three orbits--a full three years after he returned to space on the shuttle at age 77 as the oldest astronaut ever. I cannot help but think, hey, weren't we supposed to be on Mars by now?
After several years of ``mending and fixing,'' as Chairman and CEO Daniel P. Burnham puts it, Raytheon Co. finally has regained enough financial flexibility to begin thinking--again--about expanding its business. That doesn't mean Raytheon plans to make a multibillion-dollar acquisition anytime soon. But it does signal a major inflection point in the company's recovery.
NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center has awarded a $1.9-million contract to the Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory to build a floating potential measurement unit for the International Space Station.
Eclipse Aviation Corp. ended its third round of equity financing worth $100 million toward development and certification of the Eclipse 500 business jet. The Albuquerque, N.M.-based company has secured $220 million in financing. FAA certification is scheduled for December 2003 with deliveries in 2004.
The British Defense Ministry and BAE Systems are on the brink of concluding a deal providing the ministry with at least the possibility of clawing back some of the extended delay in getting its next generation of maritime patrol aircraft into service. The formal in-service date of the upgraded Nimrod MRA4 is March 2005. However, the deal being struck between BAE, the prime contractor, and the Defense Ministry would allow aircraft to being operated in the latter half of 2004.
An outside panel of astronomers working through the National Academy of Sciences will have a powerful role in deciding the first target of NASA's proposed New Frontiers program. Ed Weiler, associate administrator for space science, says the so-called ``decadal survey'' to set priorities for planetary exploration over the next 10 years can shortcut the scientific peer review that normally precedes project selection after an announcement of opportunity (AO).
VISIONICS CORP. AND HONEYWELL ARE COLLABORATING on combining Visionics' Biometric Network Appliance facial recognition technology with Honeywell's Enterprise Buildings Integrator and digital video manager equipment. Visionics' FaceIt software uses 84 bytes to characterize a face. In synthesizing a countenance, commonly known facial features are not used. The system picks 12-40 elements whose characteristics and relative position define the face.
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed Feb. 22 (local time) in the Philippines killing all 12 soldiers on board. The troops were part of a growing contingent of U.S. forces supporting the Philippine military's counter-terrorism operations. The crash occurred about 120 mi. north-northwest of Zamboanga.
In yet another affirmation of the wildly overblown expectations for mobile satellite services in general and satellite telephony in particular, Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd. last week filed for bankruptcy protection. In so doing, the Loral Space and Communications-backed venture demonstrated that industry's vision of millions of subscribers worldwide was a pipe dream. Iridium and ICO Global Communications preceded Globalstar down the same path in recent years, as did Orbcomm, a satellite-based data and messaging communications system.
Boeing is developing a production crew-rest module for the 777-200ER that would be located above the passenger cabin just aft of the cockpit. The first aircraft with this feature is slated for delivery to Japan Airlines in May 2003. The module--which accommodates up to four people with two bunks and two seats--replaces two main-deck flight crew bunks occupying space that otherwise could be used for two business-class seats. The unit also has space for a closet, sink or lavatory. The rest area is not certified for use during takeoff and landing.
James W. Page, 2nd, has become vice president-airline maintenance for Continental Connection carrier CommutAir, Plattsburgh, N.Y. He was director of maintenance.
This line of infrared ceramic heaters features a honeycomb tile design the company says provides a more radiant surface for increased output and heating efficiency. Operating at temperatures to 1,800F, the line consists of 14 models with input capacities of 30,000-160,000 BTU/hr. Suitable for horizontal or angle mounting up to 35 deg., the DK Series has a modular type design with 1-4 burners. The minimum mounting height is 11-17 ft. An optional Incoloy 800 reverberatory screen provides a secondary radiating surface.
Only a few months after it partially privatized its air traffic service provider, the British government is having to provide a 30-million-pound ($42.8-million) support package. The need for a cash infusion, which is yet to be announced formally, is the result of the business plan supporting the privatization not surviving its first contact with market realities.
Japanese International Space Station hardware that make up the single largest U.S./Japanese cooperative aerospace effort are shown undergoing final checkout near Tokyo.
