The European avionics industry developed the world's first commercial fly-by-wire transport in the 1980s. Today, it continues in the forefront in a number of areas. Over the next nine pages, Senior Avionics Editor Bruce D.
Deploying NMD wouldn't change China's plans to increase its inventory of ICBMs, says USAF Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish, head of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. China has already decided to double its force by 2015, according to the CIA. In addition to CSS-4 missiles, the arsenal is expected to be expanded with the JL-2 submarine-launched ICBM, the 8,000-mi. range DF-31 and an even longer-range follow-on missile, according to recent estimates. Kadish is convinced both of China's intention to build its force and that rogue states present a serious threat.
The European Commission cleared the way for the creation of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. (EADS) last week with the proviso that the three companies involved in the merger create an independent supply source for two satellite components--central tubes and antenna reflectors. EADS partners DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA), Aerospatiale Matra and Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. (CASA) said they will move ``full speed ahead'' with preparations for establishing the new company and a simultaneous initial public offering this summer.
Suspicion that the Royal Australian Air Force is using a Raytheon DB-110 dual-band sensor to spy on them is part of the background behind Indonesia's recent aerial confrontation with a Royal Australian Air Force flight en route to Singapore (AW&ST May 8, p. 18). For months, Indonesia has accused Australia of using RF-111C recon aircraft to spy on it, charges the Australian government denies. When Australia led an international peacekeeping force last year in East Timor, however, it used DB-110-equipped F-111Cs to monitor Indonesian Defense Force (TNI) activity.
CharterX of Washington Crossing, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, expects to go live with its Web-based exchange for charter operators and executive aircraft brokers in July, although it is already in service for a basic list of customers. The company's business plan is based on being a link between business jet users and their charter operators, offering aircraft price and availability for specific legs of trips in North America by aircraft tail number. As such, CharterX (www.CharterX.com) operates as a ``back office'' with free posting of aircraft availability.
Scientists at the U.K.'s Defense Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) here are studying aircraft-wake vortices in the hope of learning what design characteristics can be modified to reduce the resulting turbulence. Vortices have been targeted by a variety of measuring and modeling techniques, but the results have not been combined to produce a clear understanding of how vortices are created and how they dissipate. Now DERA is encouraging researchers to correlate their data.
Jeffrey A. Manley and Bruce H. Rabinovitz, specialists in aviation law, have become partners in the Washington law firm Wilmer, Cutler&Pickering. Both were members of the law firms of Ginsburg, Feldman&Bress and Kirkland&Ellis.
Major U.S. air carriers are lobbying hard for the rights to make new nonstop U.S.-China flights. The Transportation Dept. is due soon to apportion 10 new weekly round trips and authorize one new U.S. carrier to China. It will be the last such award under the current bilateral agreement. In the cat bird seat are United, Northwest and FedEx, which already fly to China. For the rest, it's the last chance to get a foot in the door for an anticipated boom in trade with China. There's a glut of passenger service; the average load factor was only 62.6% last year.
R. David Hoover has become vice chairman/president/chief operating officer and Raymond J. Seabrook senior vice president/chief financial officer of the Ball Corp., Broomfield, Colo. Hoover was vice chairman/president/CFO. Seabrook was senior vice president-finance.
UPS' Zipperle sees promise in an exchange from AviEx Inc., of Morristown, N.J., that is specifically tailored to the aftermarket for parts and components. ``These parts are commodities and their prices are set by supply and demand,'' says AviEx President Uri Finkelstein. By way of example, he says a new nosewheel for a 707 might fetch $18,000 if procured through Boeing but cost only $4,000 in the aftermarket. He says the market now lacks a benchmark for prices.
James A. Flowers has been named vice president-North American sales for the Orbital Imaging Corp., Dulles, Va. He was sales and marketing liaison with Radarsat International.
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. was hammered last Wednesday on news that Hughes Network Systems, a unit of Hughes Electronics Corp., had sued Gilat and its Spacenet Inc. subsidiary for patent infringement. Hughes is claiming that Gilat and Spacenet are using its high-speed Internet access technology and patented satellite-receiver adapter card for use in personal computers without a license. Hughes is requesting an injunction, as well as an accounting for damages stemming from the alleged infringement.
Alfredo Schildknecht has become chief operating officer of Guatemala City-based Grupo Taca. He was vice president-fleet maintenance for the airline and president of El Salvador-based affiliate Aeroman.
Virtual Prototypes is easing its foot into the DO-178B waters for its VAPS design environment for display software. DO-178B is the RTCA's specification for producing airborne software with varying levels of criticality, and Virtual Prototypes is working with several avionics companies to certify that its automatic C-code generator (CCG Lite) produces code that meets DO-178B Level B requirements, one notch short of the most critical Level A. The new product will be called Qualified Code Generator, and will initially be approved for Level C criticality devices.
Transport Canada plans to significantly reduce the time it takes to certify new aircraft from about five years to 40 months or less. The move is supported by Bombardier, now the world's third largest aircraft builder, but came as a surprise to the U.S. FAA. Manufacturers will now be able to perform certification tasks themselves.
Boeing's two-pilot conversion of the DC-10 cockpit received FAA certification last week. The Advanced Common Flightdeck modification installs a Honeywell instrument panel with a layout identical to that found in later-model MD-11s. Following receipt of the amended type certificate and production authority, Boeing delivered the first MD-10 to FedEx, launch customer for the program in 1996.
Russia has sold China the aircraft carrier Kiev, according to the Russian daily Kommersant. Built starting in 1970, the Kiev was the first Soviet carrier, although it was originally designed as an antisubmarine cruiser. With the sale, Russia has sold all four of the ships in her class.
LaBarge Inc. has received a $2.1-million contract from Sensis Corp. to produce printed circuit board assemblies for the AN/TPS-59 (V)3 Tactical Missile Defense radar system. The U.S. Marine Corps will use the system for long-range surveillance and ground control intercept capabilities.
Alaska Airlines has broached one of the final barriers to passenger self-check-in, linking its Instant Travel Machine (ITM) self-service ticket kiosks to baggage X-ray devices at Portland and Anchorage. The carrier plans to expand the service to Los Angeles and Seattle soon. It takes 23 sec. to check in using an ITM, an airline official said. Alaska also hopes to introduce Required Navigational Performance approaches on its routes to San Francisco International as early as this year.
Electrical systems on aircraft are about to change drastically. In the near future, variable frequency generators will replace today's constant frequency power systems, and electrohydraulic actuators will replace centralized hydraulics for powering flight control systems.
Airbus is trying to round up A3XX customers prior to the Farnborough air show in July but ``customer interest is probably cooler than'' the European aircraft manufacturing consortium would like, according to Steven Udvar-Hazy. He's president and CEO of International Lease Finance Corp., one of the largest purchasers of new jet transports. Although the A3XX targets a 15% cost advantage over the Boeing 747-400, the proposed 555-seat transport requires ``lots'' of new infrastructure including terminal and airport taxiway upgrades, Udvar-Hazy said.
Canada has created an Air Travel Complaints Commissioner in response to customer charges that service has deteriorated after Air Canada's merger with Canadian Airlines International. Air Canada said the problems are only temporary as the two airlines meld their systems, and it would establish a ``customer bill of rights'' and appoint an ombudsman to respond to consumer problems.
Former NTSB Vice Chairman Robert Francis has been named senior policy adviser to the Washington law firm of Zuckert, Scoutt and Rasenberger and executive vice president of affiliate firm Farragut International. Denise Daniels also has joined the law firm. She was special counsel to Francis at the NTSB and a lawyer in the FAA Office of Chief Counsel.
The SAirGroup, Swissair's parent company, and French investors are expected to form France's second largest airline by unifying Air Liberte, AOM and Air Littoral.
James O. Arnold, deputy director for space transportation in the Aeronautics Directorate at the NASA Ames Research Center, is among the 30 new fellows elected to the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The others are: Gary T. Chapman, professor at University of California, Berkeley; Donald R. Connell, retired engineering manager of Pratt&Whitney; USAF Lt. Gen. Donald L. Cromer (Ret.); David S.
