BAE Systems reported earnings for the first half-year in line with its expectations. The company achieved a profit of $810 million (up 9% over last year) on sales of $9.2 billion. The orderbook reached $66 billion, a 10% increase. Net debt increased 15% to $1.52 billion, with a total debt to market capitalization of about 10%.
A GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP. GIV-SP FLEW NONSTOP from Bedford, Mass., to Moscow last month, covering 3,895 naut. mi. in 8 hr. 23 min. The company plans to apply for two world speed records in category C1.K for airplanes weighing 55,116-77,162 lb., and in the unlimited weight class. The airplane departed Bedford carrying four passengers and a crew of three, reaching a maximum cruise speed for the flight of Mach 0.80 before landing at Vnukovo Airport. Gulfstream flew the business jet to Russia for participation in the Moscow air show.
Greg Epps has been appointed regional manager for Europe and North America for Qatar Airways. Jake Warren, Joe Luciano and Ed Hunter have been named vice presidents for the Western, Midwest and Eastern U.S., respectively.
William E. Kassling has been named to the board of directors of the Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland. He is chairman of the Wabtec Corp., which was the Westinghouse Air Brake Co.
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved a new, streamlined licensing system to police exports of dual-use (military and civilian) high-technology commodities but House action is uncertain. The Bush Administration is lobbying the Republican-led House to adopt the Senate's update of the Export Administration Act, which expedites licensing procedures to help U.S. export sectors like aerospace compete overseas (AW&ST Jan. 29, p. 30).
Heli-Tube spirally cut Teflon cable wrap is designed for bundling and protecting cables and hoses from damage that can be caused by sparks, flames and abrasion. Featuring seven sizes from 1/16-11/2 in. in diameter, this nonflammable Teflon cable wrap and abrasion protector applies like tape without tools onto bundles up to 10 in. in diameter. Used in applications where a fire would be catastrophic, the cable wrap is UL recognized and meets a variety of key military and ASTM specifications. It is chemically inert and operates from -450 to +500F. M.M.
Clarex AR (anti-reflective) nonglare optical quality acrylic sheets prevent the reflection of light on display panels. They enhance the clarity of letters, numbers and images on a variety of displays used in avionics and industrial instruments, barcode scanners, computers and other equipment. The cast optical quality acrylic material's nonglare feature is achieved by a very fine etching on the surface that reduces light reflection.
Paul J. (Page) Hoeper and Maurice P. Ranc have been appointed to the board of directors of the AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md. Hoeper is a former assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology. Ranc is retired vice president/general manager of AAI Engineering and Maintenance Services.
Monday-morning quarterbacks find the ATC system did all it could during the hijackings. Controllers assume an emergency is underway when an aircraft deviates from its flight plan, its transponder stops working and the pilot doesn't answer radio calls. They expect the plane to divert to a closer field, and try to help by clearing other traffic out of the path. In some situations, says a retired FAA official, controllers also alert the FBI and Norad.
Philippe Bertertottiere (see photo) has been appointed to the Arianespace executive committee in charge of strategic planning. He was commercial director.
GE Americom has named Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems to build GE-10/11/18 for distribution of premium cable television programming to the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. All three satellites will be A2100s carrying 24 C-band transponders. GE-10 will replace the Lockheed Martin-built Satcom C-3 at 135 deg. W. Long., and GE-11 will replace Satcom C-4 at 131 deg. West. GE-18 will be a ground spare. The launches have not been set, but are to begin in the first quarter of 2004.
The terror attacks unleashed a continuity-of-government plan rooted in the Cold War that sent President Bush on an airborne odyssey until it was clear the threat to U.S. ``National Command Authority'' had eased. Bush's movements were dictated by worst-case contingency planning that started in the 1950s when Soviet nuclear attack was considered the gravest threat to the U.S. The President bailed out of an appearance in Sarasota, Fla., and headed east over the Atlantic in Air Force One.
This thermal spray masking tape withstands heavy-duty grit blasting, protection from overspraying/splash and resists intense heat and abrasion. The two-ply/double-duty tape saves cost and time by eliminating a second taping operation when multiple layers are needed. High-temperature silicon adhesive provides heat resistance, high adhesion and ease of removal without adhesive residue. They are used for HVOF, metal or ceramic plasma spraying and grit blasting. The company is offering free samples of its plasma flame spray masking tapes.
Herley Industries Inc. has won a five-year, $16.5-million contract from the U.S. Navy to deliver tactical landing systems for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
Adacel Inc. has won a $2.17-million contract to upgrade NAV Canada's existing 180- and 360-deg. air traffic control tower simulators and provide ATC simulation software.
Fractional aircraft ownership providers are relying on increasingly complex software programs to orchestrate their growing operational requirements as jet fleets continue to expand and the job of pampering owners becomes more competitive.
Lista International describes its mobile cabinets as ``mini-workstations on wheels,'' that are designed for aviation service and repair applications. Each cabinet comes with handles, as well as two rigid and two swivel heavy-duty bearing casters. Their narrow width and shallow depth are made for maneuverability in confined areas. Each cabinet has a locking system, and each drawer has individual latches that lock drawers closed when moving. The drawers feature a 440-lb. load capacity each, and are available in seven different full sidewall heights.
HONEYWELL'S PROGRAM TO RETROFIT Dassault Falcon 50 business jets with TFE731-40 engines has been approved by both the DGAC in France and the FAA. The conversion, which brings the older jets up to Falcon 50EX configuration, costs about $5.3 million, plus another $2.3 million to install a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics suite. The new engines still produce 3,700-lb. static thrust at sea level, but have been flat-rated to ISA +17C to provide improved takeoff/climb performance. In addition, the airplane can cruise at speeds up to Mach 0.80 instead of Mach 0.75.
The FieldGo R9 portable PC brings workstation power to field environments. With seven expansion slots, including four full-length PCI slots, the computer is configurable for power-hungry applications in aerospace, industrial, test and data acquisition markets. The unit is powered by what Broadax Systems says is full ``industrial spec'' Intel Pentium III or IV processors for redundant fault reliability providing up to 1.5 GHz. with 133 MHz. front-side bus speed. It is designed for tough environments with an all-aluminum chassis, NEMA 4/12 keyboard, plus a 15.4-in.
Thomas W. Nunn has been named director of aviation safety and regulatory compliance and David Minnelli director of pricing and revenue management for Frontier Airlines. Nunn was director of emergency management for Northwest Airlines and succeeds Wayne Elliott, who has retired. Minnelli was managing direct- or for yield management for Trans World Airlines. Beckie Mogensen, Bob Wyn- koop and Kim Byrd-Newkirk have become city managers in Kansas City, Seattle and Washington, respectively.
In an unanticipated move, Thai domestic carrier PB Air has received a license to operate international flights and has teamed with Swedish investors to form PB Air International. The new carrier will use two leased Airbus A340s to provide twice-weekly scheduled services from Stockholm to two of Thailand's top tourist draws, Phuket and Bangkok. Thai civil aviation authorities have, in the past, reluctantly provided international licenses to private carriers as a way of protecting Thai Airways International.
U.S. satellite broadband service providers are entering into the Internet consumer marketplace with existing on-orbit hardware, looking for a customer base and the revenue that goes with it even before custom-built Internet-delivery satellites are launched.
GPS Trainer is a tutorial to help pilots master GPS from their computers. The most popular GPS receivers are included on a single CD-ROM. Pilots will learn to use the KLN 89B, GNS 430 and GX 50/60 from their desktops, and the manufacturer's operating manuals and simulators are included on the CD, as well as FAA documents pertinent to GPS operations. Applicable to both VFR and IFR operations, the tutorial is organized into five sections to reflect each phase of flight: theory, preflight, en route, terminal and approach.
A critique of the National Reconnaissance Office capabilities five years ago found that the agency, a premier U.S. intelligence organization, was not up to par in providing ``global information superiority'' on critical intelligence matters (AW&ST Feb. 9, 1998, p. 26). Major NRO changes were recommended in the 1996 report led by Navy Adm. (ret.) David Jeremiah, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ``The current path and current process will not get us there,'' the report said.
UPS AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES HAS IMPROVED its MX20 multifunction display (MFD) by adding capability to view Jeppesen instrument approach charts and surface maps in an integrated moving map presentation. According to the company, the MX20 is the first panel-mounted MFD to offer this feature. In addition, users can uplink weather services through AirCell's Flight Guardian 1000 or Data-Comm 500 communications systems. Pilots can receive up to five high-resolution weather maps, Nexrad radar data, weather depiction charts and Airmet/Sigmet warnings.
