Francois Gayet has become senior vice president-French defense of Thales. He was president of Thales International North America and has been succeeded by Lawrence J. Cavaiola. Jacques Bourgeois has become director of operations for Saudi Arabia.
Bob Ehr has become president of Smiths Aerospace Electronic Systems, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Paul Strother managing director of Smiths Aerospace Actuation Systems, Wolverhampton, England, following the merger of Smiths Industries Aerospace and Dowty. Peter Wright, formerly president of Dowty Aerospace, has been named president of Smiths Aerospace Components and will remain based in Mountaintop, Pa. John Legg, who headed Smiths Industries' customer services business, is now managing director of the combined customer services group in Cheltenham, England.
NASA's new $200-million Boeing Satellite Systems TDRS-H tracking and data relay satellite has malfunctioned in geosynchronous orbit. As a result, upgrades to the critical TDRS relay constellation are being delayed and, to date, NASA has refused to take ownership of the platform from the contractor. When the 3.5-ton TDRS-H was launched more than a year ago, NASA and Boeing managers hailed it as one of the country's most advanced and critically needed spacecraft (AW&ST July 3, 2000, p. 39).
USAF Gen. (ret.) Albert J. Edmonds, president of EDS Federal, has been elected chairman of the Fairfax, Va.-based Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Assn. (AFCEA) International. He succeeds Mary Jane McKeever, president of AT&T Government Markets.
Boeing's X-32B made short takeoffs last week, completing all the flight maneuvers required for its bid to the Joint Strike Fighter program office. The company is continuing to fly the short takeoff/vertical landing (Stovl) demonstrator at NAS Patuxent River, Md., for its own tests that could supplement its proposal. Officials expect the tests will end this month.
European aerospace giant EADS will continue to operate in its current structure for the foreseeable future, according to EADS Co-chairman Manfred Bischoff, who also said DaimlerChrysler planned to remain a long-term shareholder in the company.
Southwest Airlines' Herb Kelleher sees a solution to airport congestion in simplistic terms: build another 50 mi. of concrete runways (AW&ST June 4, p. 86). While the construction industries would no doubt welcome this as a supplement to the already bottomless crucible of cement that continues to become concrete for extra lanes on interstate highways and parking lots, this is not the answer.
David McCartney has become president of e-tenna Corp., a subsidiary of the Titan Corp. of San Diego. He was executive vice president of RangeStar Wireless. Greg Mendolia has been named executive vice president and Joe Pitman vice president-businessdevelopment.
The maiden flight of the second Aeronautical Development Agency/Hindustan Aeronautics Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-TD-2) is scheduled for the end of August, LCA Program Director Kota Harinarayana said. The TD-1 has been in flight testing since Jan. 4. He wants to reduce the weight of the Kaveri engine for the single-seat, supersonic fighter to 1,050 kg. (2,310 lb.) from 1,200 kg. (2,640 lb.) through greater use of composite materials.
Systems testing and engine installation for the Bell/Agusta BA609 civil tiltrotor are ``progressing rapidly'' toward first flight of a production prototype early in December, according to officials of the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co.
AAR has signed the renewal of an exclusive supplier agreement to provide engine, bare engine accessories and auxiliary power unit surplus parts for Delta Air Lines.
The U.S. Air Force and industry representatives plan to spend the next two years refining requirements for highly secure satellite communications in the polar region. The Advanced Polar system would augment Milstar and Advanced EHF satellites and is primarily intended to provide submarines with highly secure communications options. The first in a series of meetings between the government and contractors is slated for July 10.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is conducting flight tests of an enhanced vision system (EVS) for the company's Gulfstream business jet product line. A Gulfstream V is being used for FAA certification flights, which include 35-40 approaches in day/night visual and instrument meteorological conditions. The system uses a camera that projects a forward-looking infrared image on the pilot's head-up display. Company officials expect the EVS to be approved for operations by the third quarter of 2001.
An erroneous firing of Vulcan 20-mm. cannon on a Boeing/Mitsubishi F-4EJ fighter off Hokkaido island on June 25 prompted the Japanese air force and army to suspend use of the cannon pending an investigation. The suspension affects F-15Js, F-4EJs, F-1s, T-2s and AH-1s. The unexpected discharge happened over a firing/bombing range near Sapporo when a pilot rolled to the right for a turn, discharging 188 rounds out of 200 loaded in his cannon. They hit a bus and medical facility but caused no casualties.
Boeing has completed the first flight of its improved CH-47F Chinook. The first of two prototypes flew June 25 at Boeing's Ridley Park, Pa., facility. The helicopter flew for 5 min. to complete basic system checkout. ``All the functional checks were good,'' one Boeing official said. The second prototype is slated to fly this fall. Both aircraft will be used for company-run flight testing through the fall before being handed to the Army for operational test and evaluation.
Andrea L. Amram (see photo) has been promoted to principal director of the Architecture and Design Subdivision of the Systems Engineering Div. from director of the Electrical and Electronic Systems Dept. of The Aerospace Corp. of Los Angeles.
After ripping through the government-required portion of the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing test schedule in record time, Boeing's X-32B demonstrator aircraft has run into a couple of delays in finishing its last series of 10-15 company-sponsored flights.
Astrium GmbH. is ready to begin final integration work on Europe's two main contributions to the International Space Station, the Columbus laboratory module and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).
Under its newly appointed top management, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has ambitious expansion plans as it looks to redefine its role as a major European carrier. The airline's strategy builds on a significantly strengthened market presence in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, more long-haul operations and the renewal of its short-haul and long-haul fleets. And with the introduction of a single stock share instead of three traded separately in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, SAS hopes to increase its market capitalization.
The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration ordered 20 A109s from Agusta SpA., a subsidiary of AgustaWestland. The twin-engine, light-utility helicopter, to be designated the HKP15, will be used for training, antisubmarine warfare, medevac and search-and-rescue missions.
Longbow International, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., has partnered with Bell Helicopter to develop the radar system for the AH-1Z Cobra helicopter.
The U.S. Air Force is taking the next step to try to get freight airlines interested in a commercial version of the C-17 transport. The service is releasing a draft request for proposal spelling out their initial plans for how the government would support an airline's purchase of up to 10 commercial C-17s, dubbed the BC-17. As an incentive, USAF is offering ``guaranteed revenue for each aircraft'' and other market-development assistance. Furthermore, they are considering buying back the aircraft if commercial ventures fail.
Alcatel Space and Astrium are planning a project to jointly develop a large new satellite bus for telecom applications, and proposing that it be funded largely with public money.
Sick and tired of having its weapons programs criticized for high costs, Air Force officials are promoting a new financial yardstick. ``We need to move from `cost per system' to `cost per target engaged,''' said Maj. Gen. David Deptula, who oversees the service's Quadrennial Defense Review efforts. The idea is that, for instance, flying a B-2 from the U.S. with two refuelings is cheaper than deploying large amounts of forces overseas to strike the same target.
The Bush Administration giveth and the Bush Administration taketh away. First, the White House made clear that it would appoint a Presidential Emergency Board to avoid a flight attendant strike at American Airlines. But then the Justice Dept. said it will appeal the dismissal in April of a 1999 antitrust suit that accused American of using predatory tactics to drive out competition at its Dallas-Fort Worth hub.
