Cimlinc Inc., of Itasca, Ill., has gained an electronic library--and more--for its integrated shop floor maintenance and repair software programs in a partnership with Enigma Inc., an electronic publishing house in Burlington, Mass. Both software firms count major engine manufacturers and airlines among their clients and both aim to improve shop floor efficiency by making technical documents quickly updatable and easily accessible.
Adrian Harris has been appointed head of marketing and sales in the U.K. and Matthew Walls head of European sales and marketing for KLM subsidiary Buzz.
Boeing also plans to expand its service and support capability for world militaries. This would free up critical resources for customers as they modernize, according to Jerry Daniels, president of Boeing's Military Aircraft and Missile Systems division. Support-related opportunities include maintenance, operations, training and ground equipment. Holding $3 billion in military service and support contracts now, the company expects to triple that level over the next decade, Daniels said. Service and support now accounts for about 25% of Boeing's defense revenues.
CRL OPTO IS WORKING WITH SEVERAL customers to explore replacing CRTs with liquid crystal displays for viewing the outputs of thermal imaging systems. Using LCD panels would eliminate the need for high-voltage power supplies and allow designers to shrink thermal imaging systems. Although CRTs currently used to display the video images are only 1-2 in. in diameter, the complete CRT package including high-voltage power supplies is typically 4 X 4 in. and 6-10 in. deep. The display and backlight for the company's LCD panels is only 0.5 in.
Rear Adm. Andrew A. Granuzzo (USN, Ret.) has become vice president-safety and Melvin (Ted) Graves vice president-flight operations of Emery Worldwide Airlines. Granuzzo was USN senior environmental/occupational safety executive.
American Eagle pilots represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn. (ALPA) have rejected amendments to an existing contract chiefly because of ``economic and work-rule issues,'' an American Eagle official said. Capt. Cevin D. Kehm, chairman of the Eagle pilots' ALPA Master Executive Council, said the pilots' ``solid rejection'' of the agreement reflects ``growing dissatisfaction with the quality of work life at the airline.'' Eagle is American Airlines' regional affiliate.
Texas-based Mooney Aircraft is producing a limited production run of one dozen special Ovation2 Platinum Edition aircraft. It offers all of the Ovation2's standard package features but also introduces highlights such as a TCM IO-550-G 280 BHP Platinum Series engine (shown). The special edition also features advanced avionics and instrumentation, airframe upgrades and enhanced cabin features. The aircraft will receive a comprehensive program of customer benefits and a special tie-in to Mooney Flight Support.
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater plans to meet this week with the leaders of major U.S. airlines to discuss what can be done about delays, flight cancellations and improving service overall (AW&ST Aug. 14, p. 66). Apparently, United's continued labor woes is the impetus behind the hastily arranged meeting that will include representatives of airline labor and airport officials. Reportedly, Slater said from the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles that United Airlines was ``the poster child'' for what ails the airline industry.
Messier-Bugatti, under a 10-year contract signed with TAP/Air Portugal, will supply wheels and carbon braking systems for the carrier's fleet of Airbus A320-series twinjets.
Washington Dulles and Baltimore/Washington, the fastest growing major airports in the world, are taking steps to ensure that their growth will not be interrupted.
Patrick Allen has been named vice president/treasurer of Rockwell International Corp. of Milwaukee. He was vice president-financial planning/analysis and succeeds Dennis Popovec, who has resigned.
This new line of high-performance, high-voltage power supplies offers significant improvements in performance, and added features enable these miniature modules to replace larger, more expensive power supplies in many applications. Ripple is extremely low at only two parts per million peak to peak, stability is 0.001% per hour and the temperature coefficient is less than 25 ppm. per degrees C. Features include an onboard precision reference and precision output voltage monitor. At 1 cu. in.
Turbine technicians take some repaired engines on a ``test flight'' on the West Star Truck. The 12 parameters that affect the shaft horsepower the engine should produce are tested. These are: torque, output, propeller speed, exhaust gas temperature, inlet temperature, fuel flow, fuel temperature, static tailpipe exhaust pressure, uncorrected barometric pressure, compressor discharge pressure, compressor discharge temperature, specific gravity of fuel and the lower heating value of fuel.
Schafer Corp. was awarded a one-year, $8.5-million contract from the Indian Head division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Schafer will provide technical and engineering services for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency information systems office.
William J. Weyand, chairman/CEO of the Structural Research Dynamics Corp., Millford, Ohio, has been named to the board of directors of Manufacturers' Services Ltd. in Cincinnati.
Ball Aerospace&Technologies Corp. has been selected as subcontractor under Denver-based ITN Energy Systems Inc. to participate in the $35-million Space Vehicles Directorate Technology Satellite of the 21st Century Program.
Mircho Davidov has become senior vice president-engineering and Tracey Stayner vice president-original equipment manufacturing of Sirius Satellite Radio of New York. Davidov was vice president of Hughes Network Systems and is scheduled to succeed Robert D. Briskman, the company's founder/executive vice president-engineering, when he retires. Stayner was telematics strategy manager for DaimlerChrysler.
China Southern Airlines plans to construct and operate a new cargo center to handle its expanding cargo operations to the U.S. The planned 269,000-sq.-ft. facility at Shenzhen International Airport is expected to be completed in 2001, according to the airline.
In the wake of record orders for its regional jets, Bombardier Aerospace plans to build a new final assembly facility at the airport in Mirabel, Canada, to complete 90-seat CRJ900 and 70-seat CRJ700 airplanes. Plans call for the facility to be completed in the second quarter of 2001, with employment reaching 1,700 people by 2003. In the first seven months of this year Bombardier received orders for more regional jets than in all of 1999, according to President and CEO Michael Graff.
Traffic at Macau International Airport increased 22% during the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 1999. More than 1.5 million passengers used the airport, which is located in southern China near Hong Kong, and cargo tonnage exceeded 30,600 metric tons. The number of operations also increased 21% in the first six months to more than 13,800 takeoffs and landings. Macau has 180 weekly flights to 15 destinations in mainland China in addition to international destinations.
The National Transportation Safety Board presented the factual results of its EgyptAir Flight 990 accident investigation on Aug. 11 and determined there is no need for a public hearing as the board believes there are no unresolved Boeing 767 safety issues. Analysis of the data is continuing and will result in a final report. The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) has expressed its disagreement with some of the tack of the investigation, and its comments are in the public docket (www.ntsb.gov/events/ EA990/default.htm).
Although the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is expected to look at all major programs, the F-22 has been put on notice it will get special attention as the Defense Dept. tries to reconcile its cost estimates with future budget projections. Pentagon acquisition officials issued the warning in response to the latest General Accounting Office review of the F-22. The GAO's report had repeated concerns that the F-22 may exceed cost estimates.
We don't normally report financials in this column, but the recent returns for Partsbase.com are interesting. As a publicly traded independent aerospace dot.com., the Boca Raton, Fla.-based firm offers some insights into how that business is coming along. Partsbase's second quarter net revenues reached $935,000, up 70% over returns of $550,000 in the first quarter and a whopping
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Systems jointly launched shuttle services between Tokyo and Osaka last week with one goal--beat the Shinkansen ``bullet train'' that carries 85% of the traffic on the route. Between them they will provide 34 daily round trips connecting Tokyo's Haneda and either the Itami or Kansai airports serving Osaka.
Arc Guard anti-spatter products are intended to minimize the costly finish grinding that can occur with MIG and flux cored welding. The spray forms a micro-thin protective refractory coating in the first few moments of welding to prevent spatter from adhering to welding surfaces, nozzles and tips. The nozzle gel provides the same benefits while eliminating fumes and greasy drippings associated with petroleum-based products. The products work on carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum.
