Could Motorola become a leading manufacturer of large commercial communications satellites? The company doesn't plan to go head-to-head with the likes of Aerospatiale, Hughes, Lockheed Martin and Space Systems/Loral in major satcom procurements just yet. But, fresh from its success in building and launching the Iridium network and winning the prime contractor role for the Teledesic constellation, Motorola clearly is eyeing such a future.
Japan's Transport Ministry is studying recommendations from the Aviation Council, a government advisory committee, that foreign aircraft be subject to ramp safety inspections beginning next year. The recommendation follows the 1994 crash in Nagoya of a China Airlines A300 and the 1996 crash in Fukuoka of a Garuda Airlines DC-10. Inspectors would look for safety-related certificates and maintenance records, as well as perform maintenance audits.
Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical's Global Hawk reconnaissance drone made its second and third flights recently from Edwards AFB, Calif., gathering airworthiness data and demonstrating control by satellite link with handoffs between two ground stations. The third flight was marred by a hydraulic failure on approach that caused the aircraft to veer off the runway at low speed, causing minor damage.
AFTER A REVIEW OF TWO ACCIDENTS, Transport Canada has imposed a requirement that all commercial aircraft be equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT), which broadcasts a signal on a monitored radio frequency. The ELT in the Pilatus PC-12 that glided without power to a landing near Clarenville, Newfoundland, had been removed for maintenance on May 18, the day of the incident (AW&ST June 8, p. 37). Under the previous rule, aircraft were permitted to operate up to 90 days without an ELT while the device was being maintained.
Betting that it will be past the Asian doldrums after 2000, Korean Air placed orders last week for 22 Boeing 737s plus five options, to replace 12 Fokker 100s and 14 McDonnell Douglas MD-82s on domestic and Japanese routes. The $2-billion order includes 11 each of the 737-800 and -900; the options can be mixed from either model. Deliveries are scheduled from August 2000 through July 2005.
The substantial cost of insuring commercial satellites against launch and in-orbit failures has been plummeting, and it is expected to remain a buyer's market for the foreseeable future. But the favorable outlook also could change--abruptly, some insurance brokers caution.
Joe Vreeman has been named senior vice president-customer support of the Fairchild Aerospace Corp., San Antonio, Tex. He was vice president-engineering and fleet reliability of Northwest Airlines.
The 1,000th production Hawker business jet is in final assembly at Raytheon Aircraft Co.'s facilities in Wichita. The Hawker 800XP is scheduled to be delivered to the Gainey Corp. in Grand Rapids, Mich., late this year. The 800XP evolved from the de Havilland 125, which flew in 1962, through the Hawker 700 that debuted in 1976. The first Hawker 800-series jet was delivered in 1984. Raytheon acquired the program from British Aerospace in 1993 and modified the design to the 800XP configuration.
Dassault Aviation moved one step closer to launching an 8-seat supersonic business jet in 1999. The SuperSonic Business Jet (SSBJ) concept, which was unveiled at last year's National Business Aviation Assn. convention, recently evolved into a defined project, although company executives have not finalized development costs or the aircraft's price tag. A considerable amount of work still must be completed before go-ahead, Bruno Revellin-Falcoz acknowledged. He is Dassault Aviation senior vice president.
The European-U.S. Solar and Heliospheric (Soho) spacecraft observatory captured images of two comets plunging into the Sun's outer atmosphere on June 1 and 2. Shortly after the comets disappeared from view, Soho's Large-Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph observed an enormous coronal mass ejection of hot gas and magnetic energy (lower right in image). Scientists said the ejection was probably unrelated to the comets. They noted the timing of the two occurrences was highly coincidental, however. The comets were vaporized in the Sun's atmosphere by solar radiation.
Washington State is threatening to withhold thousands of dollars in state transportation monies and suspend the authority of The City of Des Moines to levy real estate excise taxes as the city continues to resist planned expansion of adjacent Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The city has refused an order to properly amend its comprehensive plan, according to a state growth management board. The plan still is aimed at preventing, not mitigating, the impact of airport expansion, the board said.
President Clinton defended the licensing of U.S. commercial satellite launches on Chinese rockets. It furthers efforts ``to stop the spread of missile technology by providing China with incentives to observe nonproliferation agreements,'' the President said in a pre-U.S./China summit speech. ``This policy clearly has served our interests'' by persuading China to end exports of nuclear assistance and antiship cruise missiles to Iran, he said. Clinton also averred that U.S.-built satcoms encourage freedom of information in the world's most populous state.
Japan Airlines says it is the first carrier to issue sunglasses-like audio-visual entertainment systems to passengers. Starting this month, first-class passengers on the carrier's long-haul 747-400 flights can request the glasses, which weigh about 4 oz. and unlike seat-back and arm-mounted screens allow the wearer to comfortably view video while fully reclined on 180-deg. sleeper seats. Called the Eye-Trek Face-Mounted Display unit, the entertainment devices are produced by Olympus and are expected to sell for about $500 each.
Steve Masse has been appointed vice president-finance/treasurer of British Aerospace North America Inc. Phillip Perotta has been named senior legal adviser for British Aerospace Asset Management. He succeeds Paul Briggs, who has become general counsel to Abu Dhabi-based Oasis International Leasing Co.
A revised accord between Air France management and pilot unions has brought an end to a 10-day-long walkout. Late last week, the French carrier was gradually restoring normal operations on its domestic and international route system. The draft agreement, signed in the wake of tense negotiations, is scheduled to be finalized no later than Aug. 31. Detailed arrangements on specifics and still unresolved difficulties are expected to be discussed in the next few days. Air France was expected to resume normal operations by June 15.
Despite a sharp decline in production volumes, to roughly 20% of the levels achieved in 1990, there has been little progress toward restructuring Russia's aircraft engine manufacturing industry. ``Integration is the only correct solution under the market conditions,'' said Victor Chuiko, president of the Aircraft Engine Manufacturers Assn. (ASSAD). There are now 11 engine manufacturing plants in Russia, six design bureaus and five plant-based design bureaus. Some facilities are only operating at 8% of their 1990 level.
The U.S. and South Korea have signed an open skies accord and agreed to press for a resumption of four-party talks aimed at easing security tensions with North Korea. President Clinton and recently-elected South Korean President Kim Dae Jung announced the accord on unrestricted air services between and beyond the two countries, following Kim's state visit here last week. The open skies pact was signed in the wake of a major purchase of Boeing aircraft by Korean Air (AW&ST June 8, p. 18).
Japan's National Polar Region Research Institute, scientists and construction companies are to test construction techniques at Rikubetu on Hokkaido Island for a 2,000-meter (6,500-ft.) runway for Antarctica. Japan has a short strip at its Showa base, but it is suitable for only light aircraft and helicopters. Without the capability of landing full-size cargo aircraft, Japanese scientists must use ships for transport, which take about a month. The Hokkaido tests, scheduled to run three years, involve numerous techniques for working in packed snow.
Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) and Nissan Motors are talking with Lockheed Martin Astronautics about bidding to replace Japan's J-1 launch vehicle. Meanwhile, competitor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been talking with Boeing about teaming on a separate bid for the work. The goal of Japan's NASDA is to have a replacement ready by fiscal 2000 that will cost about $14.5 million each. The Nissan J-1, which launches 1,000-kg. payloads into low-Earth orbits, is regarded as too expensive (AW&ST May 11, p. 41).
Jacques Roussarie has become vice president-total quality, Robert F. Clossin director of interior engineering and Robert Smith director of commercial completions, all at the Little Rock (Ark.) Completion Center of the Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. Roussarie headed quality assurance at the Merignac, France, plant. Clossin succeeds the late Loy Carroll and was chief of interior engineering for Learjet Inc., Wichita, Kan. Smith was director of operations for American Eurocopter in Dallas.
Larry Myers has become deputy director of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. He was group leader of the office.
ANSETT AUSTRALIA and Ansett International are expected to implement a range of operational and marketing strategies to enhance their international operations after Australian regulators gave draft approval of their alliance with Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines (SIA). The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the alliance is a move to counter dominance of Qantas and British Airways in flights to and from Australia. Ansett, Ansett International, Air New Zealand and SIA are linked to the Star Alliance.
Boeing is focusing on minor upgrades to its transport aircraft and attacking niche markets as ongoing 737, 747, 757 and 767 derivative programs progress toward first-flight status. In addition to a fourth addition to its next-generation 737 family, the -900, and a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) version, the company has committed to producing the 737-700QC ``quick change'' transport, according to Joseph W. Ozimek. He's director of product marketing for the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.
It may be months before there is a clear indication of just how hard the Boeing Co. and other aerospace contractors will be hit by the softening in Asia/Pacific air traffic.
It is one of the most baffling of recent developments in U.S. defense technology modernization efforts. While the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been preaching that the military must keep improving ground and air surveillance, the Air Force and Congress have been slashing two high-profile programs that would do just that.
