Boeing will open a new Engineering Design Center in Moscow, further expanding the company's five-year relationship with Russian aerospace research institutes and companies on a variety of projects. The design facility will become part of the Moscow-based Boeing Technical Research Center, which employs about 17 researchers and includes a computational fluid dynamics laboratory with 10 workstations.
Lufthansa Cargo and Envirotainer Holding, manufacturer and supplier of insulated and temperature-controlled cargo containers, have entered into a joint agreement to develop products for the air transport of perishable cargo. ``Coolbox,'' their first product, will be available this month. The container is designed to maintain stable, low temperatures for sensitive goods and will fit both narrow- and wide-body aircraft.
Loral Orion Network Systems has leased transponders from Intelsat and Mabuhay Agila 2 satellites from the Philippines to break open the Asia-Pacific market for expanded Internet services while it awaits the planned launch of Orion 3 in November. The new spacecraft, a Hughes HS 601HP, will provide 33 Ku-band transponders and 10 C-band transponders for Internet, business and voice communications for customers in Southeast Asia, India and Oceana.
The Senate may decide as early as this week whether to join the House in voting to ban the export of satellites to China for launching. Last week, Aerospace Industries Assn. President Don Fuqua, a former House member, blasted his erstwhile colleagues' ``stampede mentality.'' He urged the Senate to wait until Congress completes inquiries into whether previous exports have transferred technology that China could use to improve its ICBMs. ``Let's not pre-judge what's under investigation,'' he said.
A SECOND DASH 8Q SERIES 400 has made its first test flight from Bombardier Aerospace's de Havilland facility at Downsview, Ontario. The aircraft, Serial No. 4002, will be used for certification testing of fuel, powerplant and other mechanical systems at the Bombardier Aerospace Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kan. Three more aircraft will join the 1,300-hr. flight test program by year-end. Since its maiden flight on Jan. 31, the first prototype has accumulated 146 hr. in 66 flights. Aircraft 4002 has flown 16 hr. in six flights.
Anthony B. Oates (see photo) has been named assistant general manager of the Corporate Business Div. of The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, Calif. He was principal director of business management.
The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport governing board has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines to prevent the carrier from offering long-haul flights from Dallas' Love Field. The board filed the lawsuit earlier this month in state district court. It marks the fifth legal action filed since last October over proposed long-distance flights from Love Field near downtown Dallas. The cities of Fort Worth and Dallas and Southwest Airlines also have filed lawsuits.
Lt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson (USAF, Ret.) has been appointed a director of the Orbital Imaging Corp., Dulles, Va. He is chairman/CEO of StratCom and Air Safety Consultants.
I am amazed that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is now acting as a broker for the Boeing commercial helicopter division, putting it up for sale to all comers. As a result, either U.S. technology will be sent abroad or the Boeing line will be shut down and American jobs will be lost.
Despite South Korea's negative economic growth, Samsung Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems continue to get a green light for the supersonic KTX-2 advanced trainer/ lead-in fighter program and have begun preliminary design of the single-engine aircraft.
BEAL AEROSPACE HAS COMPLETED initial test firings of a subscale, first-stage bipropellant rocket motor at its McGregor, Tex., facility. A series of four tests, each lasting about 24 sec., were completed earlier this month and validated design of the injector and thrust chamber, according to David Baker, Beal's business development and government relations manager. The motor burns a mixture of kerosene and a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer.
Josef Felder, executive vice president/ head of product management at Crossair, is scheduled to become general manager at Zurich Airport in October. Felder will be succeeded by Richard Heidecker, former general manager of Deutsche BA.
Russell D. Turner has been appointed president/CEO of United Space Alliance of Houston. He was president/general manager of Boeing's Rocketdyne Power and Propulsion. Turner succeeds Paul B. Smith, who has resigned.
Safety investigators re-interviewed two AirTran Airlines pilots last week to clarify why their DC-9-32 flew through a hail-laden thunderstorm in early May.
William I.M. Turner, Jr., Howard L. Beck and Gregory A. Yeldon have been appointed directors of NovAtel Inc., Calgary, Alberta. Turner is chairman/CEO of Exsultate Inc., chairman of the Canadian Marconi Co. and a director of Bombardier Inc. Beck is chairman of Wescam Inc. and is a director of Canadian Marconi. Yeldon is vice president/chief financial officer of Canadian Marconi.
With technology making the Civil Air Patrol's primary search-and-rescue mission more efficient, the organization is using its resources to assist federal agencies in congressionally directed counter-drug efforts. In 1997, 5,000 specially trained adult CAP members flew almost 6,600 counter-drug flights and provided reconnaissance information that assisted in the confiscation or eradication of more than $2.6 billion in drug crops, according to Col. Glen Atwell, director of operations.
BOEING IS CONSOLIDATING the sales, marketing and overall management of its transport modification and engineering services into a single entity that will look for expanded commercial airplane business. The new unit, which will be part of Boeing Enterprises and have about 1,200 workers, is aimed at ensuring focused and coordinated efforts with customers. Called Boeing Modification and Engineering Services, it will be comprised of Boeing's main center in Wichita, Kan., and Douglas Products Div. Modifications Services in Long Beach, Calif.
Norman Y. Mineta, senior vice president/managing director of Lockheed Martin IMS Transportation Systems and Services, has been nominated as a member of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority by President Clinton.
Richard A. Black (see photo) has become director of national and theater missile defense programs for Boeing Autonetics Guidance, Navigation and Sensors, Anaheim, Calif. A recently retired U.S. Army brigadier general, Black was commandant of the Defense Systems Management College, Ft. Belvoir, Va.
Asia-Pacific's deep economic malaise and its severe impact on commercial aviation in the region will lead Boeing to scale back production of 747-400s later this year and 777s late next year, although not by much.
Frank Weaver (see photo) has become Washington-based director of business development for satellite services for Boeing. He was associate FAA administrator for commercial space transportation.
