Advancements made by Sandia National Laboratories in microelectromechanical system design and fabrication are spawning breakthroughs in the development of compact weapons, nanosatellites and optical telecommunications. In particular, an ability to combine electronic circuits with mechanical systems on the same piece of silicon has opened many intriguing possibilities, according to lab engineers.
Brent Wisch has become director of sales and marketing at Eaton Corp.Aerospace Operations, Irvine, Calif. He was director of business development and customer relations at GE Aircraft Engines.
Orders for 310 regional jets placed here at ILA 2000 continued the rising growth trend for manufacturers, with leasing companies making the majority of the commitments for the first time. The orders constitute a significant boost to the ongoing development programs for regional jets at newly renamed Fairchild Dornier and Embraer of Brazil which have not seen significant follow-up orders after they had initially been launched at ILA 1998 and the Paris air show in 1999.
A landmark order from the European Space Agency and a new strategic partnership involving Arianespace's Starsem affiliate will advance the European launch firm's goal of expanding its government business and broadening its product line.
S. Lee Kling, William H.T. Bush and Gen. Michael P.C. Carns (USAF, Ret.) have been named to the board of directors of Engineered Support Systems Inc. of St. Louis. Kling is chairman of the Kling Rechter Co., while Bush is chairman of Bush O'Donnell&Co., both of St. Louis. Carns, a former USAF vice chief of staff, is an independent consultant and member of the U.S. Defense Science Board.
Northrop Grumman has won a $3.2-million contract from the U.S. Air Force to design an improved wing for the T-38 supersonic jet trainer. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures sector, headquartered in Dallas, will build a test article using advanced design techniques and new, more fatigue-resistant aluminum alloys. It will have double the structural life of current T-38 wings, according to Mike Major, F-5/T-38 program manager for Northrop Grumman.
German engine manufacturer MTU plans to set up a new manufacturing site for engine components in the U.S. The company plans to invest between $20-30 million and employ 150-200 people. MTU has not said when and where the new facility will be opened. MTU says it wants to increase its manufacturing capacity with the expansion.
Airbus Industrie's partners, who last week failed to authorize commercial offers for the A3XX mega-transport, say they expect to resolve the remaining difficulties soon and advance the program in the next few weeks.
Mark M. Minot (see photo) has been promoted to vice president/general manager of the Broadband Group from director of engineering of Racal Instruments, Irvine, Calif.
The need to provide pilots with flight-based training in unexpected ``upset'' scenarios has spurred Aviation Safety Training to create its Advanced Maneuvering Program that teaches pilots of all skill levels how to recognize, react to and recover from a sudden loss of control in flight.
Germany's Vidair is installing its video monitoring system in an Airbus A340 next month for a two-month test. The test will include cockpit, cabin and cargo hold monitoring. Testing is expected to lead to an FAA supplemental type certificate for installation in Evergreen's Boeing 747s, primarily for cargo hold monitoring. The Vidair 2000 system is expected to be fully operational by the time federal agencies mandate cockpit video recording, which is anticipated in the near future.
Robert Williams has been named director of engine programs, Ted Faircloth director of information technology and Dan J. O'Neill director of marketing, all for Superior Air Parts Inc. of Dallas. Williams was manager of business development and Faircloth manager of information systems. O'Neill was senior manager of marketing services for Aviall Inc.
A LOW-COST, RELIABLE AIR DATA/ATTITUDE and Heading Reference System (AD/AHRS) based on sensors now used in automotive applications has been developed and flight tested by two Boulder, Colo., researchers. The solid-state AD/AHRS, which contains no rotating components, is targeted initially at the general aviation market, but has potential applications in unmanned air vehicles, according to James P. Hauser, one of the system's co-inventors.
Cary Ludtke (see photos) has been named vice president and Raymond S. Gray director of business and technology development, both of the Products and Technology strategic business unit of the Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.
The Australian government said last week it saw room for competition in the domestic airline sector and was firmly committed to a drive toward greater liberalization in the aviation industry. The comments from Transport Minister John Anderson came as Impulse Airlines started Sydney-Melbourne services with Boeing 717s. Another new domestic startup, Virgin Blue Australia, is expected to commence flights in August between Sydney and Brisbane with Boeing 737-300s.
Much bigger-faster-cheaper? Airbus Industrie is proposing the 555-seat A3XX ; Boeing is promoting a 504-seat 747-derivative program. At last week's International Air Transport Assn. Annual General Meeting in Sydney, airline executives engaged in the Great Mega-Jumbo Debate. British Airways' new chief executive, Rod Eddington, said he did not even see a need for a 500-seat aircraft until 2007-- at the earliest. United Airlines President Rono Dutta said his carrier probably would buy a few, but only for certain routes such as San Francisco-Narita.
When Precision Castparts Corp. (PCP) purchased Wyman-Gordon's forgings business last year, most investors believed it was pretty much a sleeper, recalls Wasserstein Perella Securities analyst Joseph San Pietro. ``We knew the operation had good market shares, but were unaware of the opportunities for substantial cost-cutting and increasing throughput,'' he said.
Carl Donaway, who has been president of ABX Air Inc., has been named senior executive vice president-air and ground services for parent Airborne Freight Corp.'s airline subsidiary. He will assume additional duties that had been performed by Ray VanBruwaene, who has retired. Joe Hete will succeed Donaway. Hete was chief operating officer of ABX Air.
Patrick White has become president of Rapco Inc., Hartland, Wis. He was vice president-sales and marketing and succeeds Michael White, who has resigned.
IBM has allied with several companies to offer ``IBM ConnectEdge for Airlines,'' which is to help carriers quickly develop new e-business programs and integrate them with their existing infotech software. Airlines spend more than $10 billion annually on IT investments, IBM says. Available services from IBM's allies include maintenance, repair and overhaul management using Intentia's Movex Aviation software; sales, marketing and customer service using applications from Siebel Systems; and crew planning using Mercury Systems' Magellan software.
Destruction of a rocket in flight by a high-energy laser system has demonstrated that an operational-type directed energy weapon can defeat a short-range ballistic rocket attack, according to program officials. The Katyusha rocket was destroyed on June 6 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., when the U.S. Army's Tactical High Energy Laser/Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (Thel/Actd) detonated the vehicle's high-explosive warhead.
NASA ended the nine-year career of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory successfully last week when the remains of the 33,000-lb. spacecraft fell into the Pacific Ocean where they were forecast to impact.
Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems and Aerostructures sector has been awarded a $3.2-million contract by the U.S. Air Force to continue wing design for the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer aircraft.
