The PC Card type II package with a push-in pop-out fingerprint reader is unique due to its ability to house an assembly large enough to accommodate this type of reader. Part of what made the innovation possible is the patented, sonically-welded two-piece frame kit consisting of insert-molded stainless steel and plastic. This design offers greater ruggedness and durability than other PC card packages, according to the company. Duel Systems Inc., Sales Dept., 1750 Junction Ave., San Jose, Calif. 95112.
Intercomp's newest aircraft scale is derived from their ACI-25LP. The downsized version is designed to accommodate single-engine to regional-sized aircraft and possesses the same basic design of the larger scale. It is 15 X 15 X 1.5 in. with a capacity of 20,000 lb. The scale is fully electronic, no hydraulics or moving parts. Load cells are certified for accuracy and repeatability. The design delivers repeatable readings from anywhere on the platform. The indicator includes lb./kg. conversion, low battery, calibration lock, auto zero and error message.
Controllers plan three burns of the Progress M1-5 cargo vehicle's engines to lower it into the South Pacific on the night of Mar. 21-22. Each burn, averaging about 20 min. in length, will be centered on the apogee of Mir's orbit to lower its perigee deeper into the atmosphere. The first two will use only attitude thrusters, and the last will include the 700-lb.-thrust main Progress engine. During reentry the station's solar arrays and booms will begin to strip away at an altitude of 100-110 km.
Jerry Trimarco has been named CEO of Emery Worldwide Airlines and vice president-transportation for Emery Worldwide, Redwood City, Calif. He was president of the airline's postal operations.
David Reilly, Bloomington, Minn.-based vice president-engineering of the General Dynamics Corp., has been elected chairman of the AIA's Technical Operations Council. He succeeds H.M. (Herm) Reininga, vice president-operations of Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Elected vice chairman was Roy Langton, group vice president-engineering and integrity of the Parker Hannifin Corp., Irvine, Calif.
The U.S. Army's interest in using lighter-than-air (LTA) cargo aircraft is steadily increasing. Service officials plan to make use of the emerging commercial market to get large amounts of weapons and supplies to a conflict area more rapidly than using sea-lift assets. Key equipment still would be airlifted using C-5s and C-17s. LTA manufacturers, however, should not expect an order anytime soon. Instead, the Army wants to lease the aircraft to evaluate their utility and application in a future conflict.
Martek Power Abbott's new NW series of modular AC/DC power converters are off-the-shelf power modules intended for harsh environments including extended levels of thermal and mechanical shock. They offer full electrical specification performance over the entire operating temperature range of -140 to +100C. Designed to a 2.5 X 3-in. footprint, they provide a drop in replacement for existing products when application requirements call for wide temperature performance. The series are available in 25- and 50-watt output versions with single- and dual-output channels.
Flandre Air, Proteus Airlines and Regional Airlines, Air France's regional subsidiaries, will be combined on Apr. 1 into a carrier named Regional. The unified company, to be headquartered in Nantes, will operate 80 twin turboprops and twinjets and carry about 2.5 million passengers per year.
Northrop Grumman argues the case for B-2A stealth and payload improvements, 40 new B-2Cs and additional intelligence-gathering/reconnaissance aircraft like the Global Hawk UAV, unmanned combat aircraft and manned radar ground surveillance aircraft. NorGrum made its pitch last week to one of the groups convened as part of the Bush Administration's ``Quick Look'' defense review. This initial phase is to be wrapped up this month with some public airing of its findings in April.
The U.S. Air Force is initiating a program to field several thousands of next-generation small, precision bombs. Known as the Small Diameter Bomb, the program will be conducted in three phases. The first is to field a near-precision GPS/INS-guided weapon with an accuracy of about 13 meters. A second phase would add a terminal seeker for increased accuracy and ability to hit a moving target. The third phase would develop a bomb with wide-area search capability. Plans call for two contractors to be selected late in 2001 for two years of concept development.
The first four of 22 Agusta/Westland EH101 Merlin Mk3 utility helicopters have been delivered to the British Royal Air Force. The Merlin integrated project team has accepted another six, with two undergoing trials at the Defense Evaluation Research Agency. Eight RAF pilots, three navigators and seven loadmasters have completed initial training. A second Merlin Mk3 flight simulator is scheduled to become operational by Apr. 1 at RAF Benson, where No. 28 Sqdn. is conducting conversion training.
American Airlines' $742-million winning bid for troubled Trans World Airlines in U.S. bankruptcy court on Mar. 12 could prompt or prevent a final round of mergers between the nation's largest carriers from taking place, industry observers contend.
Airport Signs, Markings and Procedures: Your Guide to Avoiding Runway Incursions is a video developed for the FAA's Back to Basics Safety Seminar program in cooperation with the FAA Runway Safety Program Office. The video covers airport signs, lights and pavement marking from an operational standpoint. It also reviews procedures to help pilots guard against incursions, including how to plan the taxi route and procedures for preventing runway incursions at uncontrolled airports.
Spacehab Inc. has won final approval from the Russian government to attach its planned ``Enterprise'' commercial module to the International Space Station, but until it actually does so the company is going to try to make a little money closer to home. Space Media Inc., the Spacehab subsidiary created to manage the Enterprise, has reorganized to generate revenue through its existing educational and online retail operations, and to develop new business using Russian space archives and possible new content generated on the ISS.
Thales has received final approval for a naval systems venture and agreed to take full control of its air traffic management business, which it currently shares with Siemens. Last week, the French defense electronics giant (formerly known as Thomson-CSF) revealed that it had concluded an agreement with the French government that will allow it to create a naval and naval combat system venture, in partnership with French shipyard DCN.
Carl Brogdon (see photos) has been appointed president/CEO and Clark Kessler vice president-sales for both Aurora (Ill.) Custom Machining and Brogdon Tool and Die, Kansas City, Mo. Brogdon has been president of Brogdon Tool and Die, and Kessler was area sales manager for Osram Sylvania of St. Louis.
President Bush's vow to ``take the necessary steps to prevent airline strikes this year'' has put airline unions in a bit of a pickle. On one hand, union leaders must convey the message of solidarity with chest-thumping that they won't be bullied by this Republican administration. But behind the scenes, calmer heads prevail. Labor leaders know that Bush won't short-circuit collective bargaining and invoke emergency boards to resolve labor disputes at Delta, Comair, United or American airlines.
The chances of building a third regional airport in the south Chicago suburb of Peotone, Ill., look even more unlikely. City aviation officials announced recently that they may soon launch a $700-million revenue bond issue through ticket taxes collected at O'Hare International Airport. Officials said the bonds would, in effect, block funds from going anywhere except O'Hare. The bonds will be used to pay for construction of a new terminal and the soundproofing of nearby homes and schools, the officials indicated.
Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) announced it will buy airline data centers and information technology from Fort Worth-based Sabre Holdings Corp., a large computer reservation system. As part of the deal, Sabre gave EDS a 10-year, $2.2-billion service contract. Sabre has been indicating a desire to sell its slow-growing information technology business.
Lockheed Martin's unsolicited proposal to substitute its own system for Raytheon's Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (Stars) drew little interest or support from expert witnesses at a congressional hearing.
A trio of bills to augment airline competition, bolster customer service and raise the pilot retirement age limit to 63 was completed late last week by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The competition bill would prohibit major carriers from hoarding slots, gates and other facilities at the nation's 35 largest airports. The ``passenger rights'' bill would increase compensation to involuntarily bumped passengers and require carriers to reduce their chronically delayed flights.
A Peruvian MiG-29 crashed during a flight demonstration before congressional investigators on Mar. 13. They are questioning whether the purchase of 18 of the fighters and 18 Su-25s in 1996, for more than $250 million, involved kickbacks to members of the government of then-President Alberto Fujimori.
