Competitive tensions between Airbus and Boeing are truly at a new high point following Airbus Industrie's late-December decision to launch its A380 (formerly A3XX) mega-transport. This means Airbus and Boeing now have intense competitions going at every level of the jetliner spectrum. It also means the manufacturers have two fundamentally different philosophies of how the air transport market will develop in the coming years. JUMBO VERSUS MINI JUMBO
A laminated ``credit-card'' style detector--The Visualize-series Card--features an area which fluoresces when impacted by the type of light for which it was designed--either IR, UV or VIS. The card features green emission (for when IR safety goggles are worn) and provides NIR detection specifically for use with IR, LED's IR laser diodes (including telecoms) and Nd:YAG lasers. The card does not require optical charging before use and can be stimulated continuously without the emission fading.
U.S. Army aviators hope they will be able to resolve several critical issues this year to set the service on a path toward fielding the RAH-66 Comanche and initiating development of a new, heavy-lift rotorcraft.
The 2771B remote charge convertor is a low noise, two-wire, single-ended device for use with piezoelectric transducers. The rugged, lightweight device transforms the transducer's high-impedance charge output to a low impedance voltage proportional to the transducer's charge. The RCC can be used with Smart Sensor Technology, communicating under the protocol of IEEE Pi451.4. The ability to store and recall TEDS data drastically reduces test setup time and also allows for cost saving through the use of existing PE transducer inventory in the Smart Sensor realm.
The SMU-9000 noncontact position sensing system is designed to meet OEM application-specific requirements. Signal conditioning electronics, featuring Kaman's pulse-width demodulated circuit, is built to meet specific requirements defined by the OEM. The company can customize sensor resolution, measuring range, linearity and thermal stability to provide optimum performance for a given application. The unit is available in a one-, two-, three- or four-channel configuration. Kaman Instrumentation, P.O. Box 33020, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80933-3010.
These lamps come in a full range of voltages, light outputs, and mounting configurations and feature voltages from 1.25-28 volts, incandescent white light output up to 1.2 MSCP and up to 100,000 hr. of life depending on styles. They are offered in wire lead, miniature flanged, miniature grooved, midget screw and bi-pin configuration. Samples available on request. Gilway Technical Lamp, Pamela Matos, 800 West Cummings Park, Woburn, Mass. 01801-6355.
Horizon Air has received the first of 15 Bombardier Q400 turboprop-powered regional transports, and plans to inaugurate service with the 70-seat aircraft in February on high-density routes in the Northwestern U.S. Officials of Horizon, which is the North American launch customer for the Q400, expect the twin-engine airplane to be popular with passengers because of its large cabin and systems designed to minimize noise and vibration. European launch customer SAS Commuter already operates the Q400. Horizon Air is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.
The Modular series 443 dual-mode amplifiers operate as both charge amplifiers and ICP sensor signal conditioners with charge and ICP pressure, force and vibration sensors. They work with any standard voltage signal and support EDS sensors. The low noise units feature a selection of low-pass and high-pass filters, single and double integration, long discharge time constant, gain normalization, automated drift nulling and computer control. PCB Piezotronics Inc., 3425 Walden Ave., Depew, N.Y. 14043-2495.
RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE ADDED TO THEIR NAVIGATION satellites in orbit. An observer in the U.K. reports that all three of the Glonass satellites launched in October 2000 are now healthy and operational. That brings the total of operational Glonass birds to 10, plus one undergoing maintenance. China launched its second navigation satellite, Beidou-2, on Dec. 21. It is now in geostationary orbit at 80 deg. E., partnered by Beidou-1 at 140 deg. E.
United Parcel Service is scheduled to take delivery of an additional 60 all-cargo A300-600Fs by the end of the decade. In the longer term, the Louisville-based courier operator tentatively plans to operate up to 140 European twinjets to boost capacity and replace aging aircraft.
This training tool offers dozens of interactive AutoCAD lessons and videos that are suitable for people who are new to AutoCAD or who want to hone particular skills. Chapters include Getting Started in AutoCAD 2000, Creating and Editing Drawings, Working with Efficiency and Accuracy, Basic Dimensioning and Annotation and Concepts. There are dozens of interactive tutorials to choose from and practical, complete answers to questions can be found fast by keyword or area. Vivid animations and incisive commentary clarify complex AutoCAD concepts.
Remember fears of Y2K computer shutdowns that proved false? Officials of Japan's airlines do. Although fear of the Y2K bug kept many people off airplanes last December and January, the recent holiday season was just the opposite. Airlines reported a record 3.4 million travelers on domestic flights--up 11.2% from the 1999-2000 season--while 375,000 passengers boarded international flights--a 33% increase. A stronger Japanese economy also is partly responsible for the surge in traffic. But the holidays were good for British Airways, too.
European aerospace giants EADS and BAE Systems have essentially completed the formation of Airbus as an integrated company although a formal launch will not occur until late February.
A European team has kicked off a project to study a new avionics architecture intended to increase the competitiveness of future commercial aircraft such as the A380 mega-transport.
Launch of the XM-1 digital audio radio satellite was halted seconds before liftoff on Jan. 8 by Sea Launch when an out-of-specification condition was observed on the spacecraft. A post-halt investigation resolved the out-of-sequence issue on the Boeing Satellite Services 702. But the launch halt command occurred after the pre-ignition process had begun.
Northwest Airlines is controlling its fuel prices in a shifting marketplace with the help of commodity trading software by TradeCapture.com. The Integrated Commodity Trading System (ICTS 2000) helps to make fuel purchases, keeps track of inventory, and administers credit, invoicing and contracts. ``ICTS 2000 is a great tool to help us manage the inherent price volatility of fuels,'' said David Zanussi, Northwest's managing director for fuel services. ``It will help Northwest track inventory and fuel usage and maintain our price risk profiles.''
The U.S. Air Force is graduating 24 ``Space Weapons Officers'' each year from the Weapons School here as a way to bolster ongoing efforts to better integrate space-based capabilities with air operations.
Airline Tycoon is a well-put-together video game with excellent graphics. The story line is good and will test anybody above 10 years old to meet the challenges in all aspects of getting an airline up and running. Just as Monopoly is fun but won't train you to become a banker, Airline Tycoon is fun--and while it covers aspects of running an airline--it won't be part of any course material at a management school. However, players can experience making flight plans, equipping planes, managing fuel, staffing and much more.
Severe pricing pressure and heavy investment loads plunged Arianespace into the red last year, despite record orders and launches. Chairman/CEO Jean-Marie Luton said the company would post a net loss of more than 200 million euros ($188 million) for 2000, compared with a 7.3-million-euro profit a year earlier. The earnings slide marred an otherwise remarkable performance that saw sales rise 10% to 1.1 billion euros--on the strength of a record 12 launches, including eight in the last four months, and 16 payloads--and orders zoom to new heights.
Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology is a new book of photographs by John Sexton. This collection offers 82 stunning black-and-white duotone photographs that document some of the world's most amazing technological achievements. From ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings to the intricacies of the space shuttle, his images reveal the striking beauty of miraculous structures and machines. This unique look into the unexpected dynamic loveliness of technological achievement can reshape preconceived notions.
The Breitling Emergency watch is dubbed a survival device for pilots of small planes and their passengers. It comes equipped with a tiny transmitter to broadcast on the international distress frequency in an aeronautical emergency. The FAA and FCC have granted approval of the sale of the instrument which has a multifunction chronograph plus micro-transmitter that enables close-range location of pilots or passengers after a forced landing.
An interim report on last summer's Concorde tragedy reveals several unusual failure mechanisms that could affect how the supersonic transport is modified to be returned to service. The report by the BEA French accident investigation bureau also includes a history of tire bursts on the aircraft and how they were addressed, as well as refining the sequence of events leading to the accident. The report covers investigators' activities through Dec. 15.
