Gail E. Bingham (see photo), senior scientist with the Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory and a research professor with the state's Plants, Soils and Biometeorology Dept., has received a Governor's Medal for Science and Technology. Bingham was cited for his role in securing a $50-million NASA contract to develop a key instrument for the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spec- trometer program. He also has been involved with using a prototype greenhouse to train astronauts in how to operate a new growth chamber of the International Space Station.
NATO air forces are in trouble. The over-crowded airspace of Italy and Germany had already squeezed out most low-level flight training when a seemingly unrelated farm-industry catastrophe doomed those remaining in Britain. That nation's foot-and-mouth epidemic shut down for an indefinite period low-level night flying at the best ranges left to NATO. British officials feared that low-flying aircraft would contribute to spread of the airborne cattle infection.
Mary Trupo, former assistant to the secretary/director of public affairs for the U.S. Transportation Dept., has become vice president-corporate communications and government relations of Rosenbluth International of Philadelphia.
Designed for light aircraft and helicopters, the FTS-250 SS uses a 250-gal. stainless steel holding tank, a pumping system powered by either 110VAC, 12VDC or 24-28VDC, pumping rate 18 gpm., filter system, sump drain, 20 ft. of 1-in. hose with nozzle, retractable ground cable, control panel, top-mounted fill port with pressure relief valve, plus a fuel gauge measuring fuel both to and from the plane. All components are approved for aircraft fueling and suitable for all aviation fuels.
J. Robert Kerrey, president of the New School University in New York and a former Democratic U.S. senator from Nebraska, has joined the board of trustees of The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, Calif.
Janco Corp. has completed the design and testing of a triple concentric shaft miniature rotary switch. Based on the manufacturer's EF series, the switch has three concentric shafts to control three separate but related electrical functions. The two outer shafts control two rotary decks and the inner shaft is a momentary push function. The switch is tested to exceed 250,000 cycles while switching 0-50 milliamps make and break. The design uses several technological advances in design and materials to achieve that performance.
The European Space Agency and its 15 member nations are beginning to forge ``Project Aurora,'' an expansive new multi-national space effort envisioned as ``Europe's Apollo Program.'' The Aurora plan is to define a 20-year strategy for European solar system exploration, including the potential for European-led manned missions beyond Earth orbit to the Moon, Mars or asteroids by the 2020 time frame. Aurora unmanned precursor missions, rich in new European technology, could begin by about 2005.
Meggitt is to unveil its new Voodoo aerial target system at the Paris air show this week. The U.K. company said Voodoo, capable of 330-kt. speeds and 90-min. flight duration, will be aimed at the high, subsonic-speed target sector. Meggitt officials said Voodoo, powered by a 145-hp. piston engine, will be priced at more than 50% less than similar jet-powered target drones. Wind tunnel tests have been completed, and first flight is scheduled for August. Voodoo is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2002.
Lord Corp. will supply an active vibration control system for the Bell/Agusta 609 tiltrotor, which is being developed by a joint venture between Bell Helicopter Textron and Agusta.
The State Dept. is pleased with the level of European burden-sharing in the Balkans--usually a sore point on Capitol Hill--but lawmakers are worried nonetheless that the incipient civil war in Macedonia will spin out of control. Ambassador James Pardew told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Europe is picking up almost 75% of the peacekeeping tab in Kosovo. Conversely, the Pentagon mans only 8% of the U.N. mission in Bosnia. But the foreign relations panel's new Democratic chairman, Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
William Vantine has been named vice president/general manager of the Houston-based Aerospace and Technology Services Div. of the Ares Corp. He was vice president-business development of Ares Aerospace.
Brazilian aviation authorities on June 6 issued an emergency airworthiness directive about handling the Brazilian-made EMB-120 twin-engine turboprop in icing conditions. The Departmento de Aviacao Civil (DAC) said experience with ``loss of control'' events in icing indicate that pilots could be misjudging both the severity of the ice accumulating on the aircraft and the need to take immediate action to prevent excessive loss of airspeed, especially when using the autopilot.
David M. Anderson has become senior vice president/chief information officer of Spirit Airlines. He was vice president-technology for GoCruiseDirect.com.
Amir Makover has been appointed vice president-projects of BVR Systems Ltd., Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel. He was an executive of the Rafael Israel Armament Development Authority and president of Elul Energy Ltd.
One Stop Systems introduces its 2U high CompactPCI enclosure with rear input/output. This low-profile, space-efficient enclosure includes a 6U four-slot horizontally mounted backplane, 130-watt power supply and cooling fans. The 2U high enclosure has rear input/output on all four slots, allowing all cabling to be routed through the rear of the enclosure and permitting easy servicing of front boards. The 2U high enclosure is constructed of lightweight aluminum with rackmount ears for mounting a 19-in. rack. It is also available with rubber feet for tabletop operation.
Deloitte Consulting and Telispark Inc., which it spun off last year, are testing a software answer to one of the biggest headaches in civil and military maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations--how to allow technicians to create work orders, request parts, view repair procedures or check inventory levels when they are out on the maintenance line or on the shop floor without having to trot back to a data center.
William F. McKinney has been named vice president-flight operations for Frontier Airlines. He succeeds Frontier founder Jim Wyche, who also was executive vice president-operations and who plans to retire later this year. McKinney was vice president-operations for Vanguard Airlines. He has been succeeded there by Mark M. Peterson, who was chief pilot. David Strafuss has been named director of engineering and Joe Crampton director of customer care and service for Frontier at Denver International Airport.
These coalescing Balston filters are redesigned to include two differential pressure indicators built into the head of the filter, allowing for a full 360-deg. viewing. A quick-release, bayonet bowl design and pressure relief valve are incorporated for easier maintenance without the need for tools. A modular snap-together port-to-port design eliminates the need for pipe nipples, pipe dope and pipe wrenches. All housings have a sightglass on the filter bowls for monitoring condensate collection and auto drain performance.
Panduit has released a catalog describing the complete Panduit Pan-Steel system of fastening and marking products for use in harsh environments. Pan-Steel products withstand temperature extremes, are chemical and radiation resistant and provide permanent marking. The catalog addresses the complete line of self-locking stainless steel ties, as well as banding and strapping systems, marking devices, market plates and tags, mounts, telecommunications stackable cable spacers, installation tools and accessories.
The DD-4291613 Mezzanine card interfaces with ARINC 429 PCI data buses. It uses an ARINC 429 interface and is designed to analyze and simulate data to and from electronic equipment and systems in commercial airlines and military avionics via the PCI format. Mike Hegarty, product marketing manager at DDC, said: ``In ground support and on-board data acquisition applications, operators don't always know beforehand how many transmit/receive channels will be needed.
Frederick M. Strader has been named vice president/general manager of AAI Defense Systems, Hunt Valley, Md., and executive vice president of AAI Corp. He was vice president of United Defense and general manager of its Armament Systems Div. Strader succeeds Maurice Ranc, who is scheuled to retire July 31.
CAE will build full flight simulators (FFS) for American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Lufthansa Flight Training, and will upgrade an existing FFS for Delta Air Lines. Orders include a fifth Boeing 737-800 FFS for American, a 737-700 device for Southwest and an Airbus A320-212 unit for Lufthansa. The 737 simulators will be qualified to FAA Level D standards; the A320 will meet JAR 1A Level D criteria. All three units are scheduled for delivery in 2002.
U.K.-based Radstone Technology has won a $12.4-million agreement to supply VME-based computer products for the common acoustic processor for the NH-90 naval helicopter. Under a $3.31-million contract from BAE Systems, Radstone will supply Power PC processors that will be integrated within the electronic warfare suite of the Eurofighter's Defensive Aids Subsystem.
