James D. Shields (see photo) has been appointed vice president-programs and Joseph M. Wolfe, Jr., (see photo) vice president-finance and administration/treasurer of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, Mass. Shields was vice president-strategic development for Litton-TASC Inc. He succeeds Matthew W. Ganz, who is now CEO of Draper subsidiary Navigator Technology Ventures. Wolfe was vice president-business management and administration/chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Oak Ridge, Tenn. He succeeds David C.
NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz has been selected to receive the 2001 Wyld Propulsion Award from the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Other upcoming AIAA awards and their recipients are: John J.
As the Bush Administration completes its nuclear posture review, the aging of those weapons and hurdles to keeping them operationally viable are emerging as key issues that will need to be addressed. The scope of the problems has been highlighted by a group of experts conducting a congressionally mandated, three-year assessment of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Furthermore, holes in the nuclear weapons stewardship program were also brought out in congressional testimony by John A. Gordon, the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
France has opted for the EADS/Israel Aircraft Industries Eagle 1 to meet an air force requirement for a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The companies' bid was selected over a rival offer from France's Sagem and General Atomics of the U.S. with the latter's Predator UAV. A contract for an initial demonstration phase is expected to be signed at the Paris air show next month.
Japan's defense agency plans to send a team of representatives from the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) to the U.S. specifically to collect information on U.S. Air Force aerial refueling operations. The information will be used by the ASDF to select a tanker/transport later this year. Modified versions of the Airbus A310 and Boeing 767 are contenders, but the 767 may have a competitive advantage because of commonality with four 767 AWACS aircraft already in service with the ASDF.
Ed Pease has become senior vice president-government relations of Rolls-Royce North America Inc., Chantilly, Va. He was a Republican congressman from Indiana.
BAE SYSTEMS' ADVANCED THREAT infrared countermeasures/common missile warning system (ATIRCM/CMWS) has completed a series of live-fire tests at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range, N.M. ATIRCM/ CMWS is intended as the next-generation countermeasures to protect aircraft from IR-guided missiles. Live missiles were fired at a cable car with an IR source that simulated a helicopter. Also on the cable car to protect it were the ATIRCM/CMWS systems. Ten launches were completed with missiles fired from various angles and ranges.
NAVCANADA WILL ADD TWO MODE-S monopulse secondary surveillance radar systems in northern Canada as part of its radar modernization program. Raytheon Systems Ltd. U.K. will supply the Condor Mk. 2S systems that the Canadian division will install. The Iqaluit, Nunavit, radar should benefit North Atlantic traffic, and the LaRonge, Saskatchewan, system should simplify airspace control procedures.
Williams International, maker of turbofan engines for small business jets, is exploring the possibility of retrofitting Jetstream 31 turboprops with Williams FJ44 engines, but the feasibility and economics of such a project have yet to be demonstrated.
In the absence of profitability, Delta Air Lines plans to terminate the New York-Lyons nonstop route in late August. The U.S. carrier's decision is a serious blow to local authorities and to the French transport ministry. Delta's decision could seriously undermine ongoing efforts to promote secondary gateways, slow down Charles de Gaulle's robust traffic growth and delay the need for Paris' proposed third airport (AW&ST May 14, p. 84).
NASA Glenn Research Center has installed a large stereoscopic wall display system for engineers to immerse themselves into huge graphics of computational fluid dynamics and structural analysis solutions. ``The display wall is ideal for showing large amounts of data where one can look up close at small details or step back and get the big picture,'' said Jay Horowitz, director of the display laboratory. NASA plans to have engineers at several centers collaborate, each viewing their own immersive display connected by high-bandwidth links.
Thales Optronique is developing a dual-band reconnaissance pod featuring a 360-deg. rotating nose section for the French air force's next-generation reconnaissance program. The day/night pod would use visible and infrared electro-optical sensors and a low-speed data link for control from the ground, and a high-speed link to download imagery. France has ordered 23 of the systems for installation on Mirage 2000N and Rafale fighters, along with seven ground stations. A prototype pod is scheduled for completion in mid-2005.
Despite uncertainties clouding Raytheon Co.'s near-term outlook (see p. 74)--especially the outcome of the legal battle with Washington Group International (WGI)--some market professionals believe the company is on the cusp of longer-term fundamental improvement and that its share price will trend upward in the next 1-2 years.
Avcom Technologies is exploiting a new foam core material in aircraft radomes that features superior transmissivity and physical toughness compared with conventional materials, according to the company. The ``Stormtrooper'' radomes aim to improve the performance of wind shear radars and traffic-alert and collision-avoidance systems (TCAS), which have to detect smaller signals and thus are more sensitive to the quality of the radomes than normal weather radars.
Errors are an inevitable part of flying. No matter how good our training is, we can never hope to eliminate errors. Nowhere in life can we ever muster enough brainpower and diligence to make mistakes impossible. Just think of the flawed mirror in the Hubble Space Telescope and the recent Mars probes. Even at our very best, we see a shadow cast by our own brilliance.
The crew of a Turkish air force CN-235 transport reportedly informed ground controllers of problems with the right engine before the twin-turboprop crashed in the eastern province of Malatya on May 16, killing all 37 people on board. Eyewitnesses said the aircraft exploded in the air and then crashed into an empty field. ``There are no survivors, and the exact reason for the crash is still unknown,'' a senior air force official told Aviation Week&Space Technology.
The first C-17 built for the Royal Air Force left Boeing's Long Beach, Calif., plant on May 17 for delivery to the U.K. The transport aircraft is scheduled to arrive at its base, RAF Brize Norton, on May 23, following a visit to Charleston AFB, S.C. where U.S. Air Force C-17s are stationed. To meet its strategic mobility needs, the U.K. is leasing four C-17s for seven years with an option for two additional years of service. The total program cost for the U.K. is estimated at $1 billion. Of the other three C-17s in the U.K.
Michael Pepper (see photo) has become general manager of Howmet Castings' Whitehall (Mich.) Casting facility. He was general manager of Howmet's Laval (Quebec) Casting facility.
David M. North, editor-in-chief of Aviation Week&Space Technology, received a honorary doctor of science degree from the College of Aeronautics in New York on May 11. He delivered the address at the college's annual convocation.
President Bush is slated to unveil his Administration's much-anticipated grand military strategy at a commencement speech this week at the Naval Academy. Lawmakers are eagerly awaiting the budget that will support the ``new strategic direction'' the Pentagon is taking. The Administration is expected to ask for $30-35 billion more for Fiscal 2002 than what it has already requested in its place-holder budget submission of $310 billion, says Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa). Of the add-on, missile defense would receive about $3 billion, he believes.
The Assn. of European Airlines said flight delays in Europe during the first quarter of the year were worse than the same period in 2000. Delays affected 23.9% of all departures, up from 21% a year ago.
In a further attempt to overhaul Russia's languishing military-industrial complex, the government has approved a radical aviation industry restructuring concept which it hopes to implement within three years. Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, who oversees the military-industrial complex activity in the government, said the concept calls for consolidation by 2004 of 316 existing aviation industry enterprises into 9-11 large integrated holding companies with different areas of specialization. The general concept was approved by the government on May 11.
Southwest Airlines has reached a tentative accord with ramp and operations workers, but American Airlines and its flight attendants remain separated on key contract issues as both parties prepare to resume negotiations this week.
The Russian Satellite Communications Co. has ordered two new satellites to provide in-orbit spare capability for the company's growing satcom network. Chairman/CEO Boris Antoniuk said the spacecraft would use an NPO PM bus and an unspecified Western payload. Each would carry 8-12 Ku-/C-band transponders. Delivery is planned in 2003-04.
