Matthew J. Quinn has been named Grand Rapids, Mich.-based vice president-manufacturing operations of Smiths Industries Aereospace. He was operations leader for Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems in Fort Worth.
Spanish carrier Air Nostrum plans to sign an agreement early next month to buy up to 44 new turboprop and jet-powered aircraft from Canada's Bombardier Aerospace.
US Airways was a study in contrasts last week as the carrier took delivery of its first A330-300 aircraft just three days ahead of a threatened flight attendant strike. The fourth largest airline (as measured by passengers boarded) plans to introduce three-class transatlantic service on May 4, when the new 261-seat Airbus widebody enters service. It's also receiving Airbus A320-family aircraft at the rate of about one per week, primarily for use in North America.
U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen has told Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono the U.S. may return rights to the radar approach control (Rapcon) in Okinawa to his country. Japan has repeatedly requested authority over the Rapcon, which the U.S. has held since 1972. The approach control covers a circular air space with a 50-mi. radius from the U.S. Air Force base at Kadena to an altitude of 20,000 ft. Kadena AB is about 12 mi. north of the Naha International Airport. The Japanese complain that U.S.
Virgin Australia, the no-frills regional carrier Virgin Atlantic is to start Down Under, said it will lease 10 737-800s from International Lease Financing Corp. for delivery in March 2001. Services are to start by July, however, so the new airline will fill in with 737-300s.
Tom Baker has become chief operating officer of LMI Aerospace Inc. of St. Louis. He was executive vice president-North American operations for the Allied Automotive Group. Baker succeeds Steven Marcus, who has resigned.
Boeing engineers and technicians voted by better than a 2-1 margin to return to work last week after a 40-day strike that crippled aircraft production and slowed vital defense programs.
Boeing is relying on three-dimensional solid product definition techniques and a toolless final assembly environment to design, develop, manufacture and build two F-16-sized unmanned combat aerial vehicles for the U.S. Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Significant progress has been made in the program: Both demonstrators are already in final assembly and Boeing is aiming at a September rollout for the first aircraft. The contract was awarded about a year ago (AW&ST Mar. 29, 1999, p. 84).
German engine manufacturer MTU has decided to set up a new subsidiary in the U.S. as part of a plan to reinforce ties with its strategic partner, Pratt&Whitney.
A Titan IV solid rocket motor upgrade (SRMU) with new nozzle material was static test fired successfully at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Test Stand 1-C on Edwards AFB, Calif. The 140-sec. test on Mar. 19 was intended to provide system data to validate performance of the new materials used in manufacture of the enhanced carbon-carbon nozzle of the three-segment SRMUs. The motors, which produce 1.7 million lb. of thrust, are manufactured by Alliant Tech Systems. An SRMU was last fired on Test Stand 1-C in late 1993.
Runway incursions are the target of joint FAA/airline industry efforts to develop guidelines to standardize ground operations of commercial transports. A subgroup of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team that has been investigating the cause of runway incursions--in which an aircraft or vehicle strays onto a runway from which another aircraft is taking off or landing--found that no industry-wide standard procedures for ground operations exist.
The Czech Republic cabinet is scheduled to meet on Apr. 15 to decide whether to accept a security council recommendation to move ahead with plans to acquire new fighter aircraft. If the recommendation is approved, as some observers expect, a request for proposals to industry would follow with a 60-day response time. The Czech air force would like first deliveries in early 2005.
For Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminal, 1999 was the year of ``Back to the Future.'' HACTL overcame recession and the embarrassing debut of its $1.2-billion automated processing center that it calls SuperTerminal 1, to regain its leadership role in international air freight at Hong Kong's new Chek Lap Kok airport.
The airline industry's foray into cyberspace, which already has altered the system for ticket distribution, is taking new directions that promise to revolutionize the airline travel experience. Air carriers are moving toward broad access to comprehensive Internet-based information systems designed to serve both commercial aviation and consumers. New travel portals on the Internet, more effective search engines and new handheld wireless devices connected to the Internet are promising great change.
Work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Astronautics suggests that a sensitive touchdown sensor and related software were the most likely causes for the loss of the Mars Polar Lander on Dec. 3, which was made by the two organizations. NASA's official report on the loss, led by retired Jet Propulsion Laboratory chief engineer John Casani, is expected on Mar. 28. While the Casani study is independent of JPL and Lockheed Martin, their work should hint at its direction.
India will use a seaward attack on land by cruise missiles during its Spring Ex-2000 naval exercise as part of a plan to introduce Russian missiles to its new Kilo-class submarines. The attack will be simulated, but a senior naval officer said India will shortly introduce the Russian Klub cruise missile to its Kilo fleet. The missile has a range of 300 km. (185 mi.) and comes in variants that can strike marine- and land-based targets. The nine Kilo submarines in service are expected to be retrofitted to carry the Klubs.
The commissioning of a second parallel runway and use of flight monitoring equipment has allowed Hong Kong International Airport to overcome its long-standing problem of peak-hour slot constraints.
Spectrolab Inc. of Sylmar, Calif., which has been making solar cells for European spacecraft manufacturers for years, has received blanket approval from the State Dept. to hold technical discussions with them, the company said last week. Spectrolab held such authority when the Commerce Dept. administered the Munitions List of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations with regard to commercial communications satellites. But Congress transferred that authority to State last year in an effort to tighten foreign access to U.S. satellite technology.
Cushioned by a rapidly growing outbound market from China, Hong Kong Dragon Airlines has sustained double-digit growth through Asia's economic recession.
Lufthansa Technik and Malev have concluded an agreement to form a new maintenance, repair and overhaul venture in Budapest. The venture, to be 85% owned by Lufthansa, will employ 350 people and specialize in narrow-body aircraft, particularly Boeing 737s operated by Lufthansa German Airlines. It will take over facilities owned by Aeroplex of Central Europe, a former joint venture between Malev and Lockheed Martin that the latter quit a year ago (AW&ST Mar. 22, 1999, p. 71).
BAE Systems has decided to formally launch the Avro RJX family of regional jet aircraft, although there are no firm orders yet from airlines. Managing Director Mike O'Callaghan said, however, he was confident of finalizing initial Avro RJX orders in the ``near future,'' noting the launch decision demonstrated BAE Systems' faith in the regional market.
U.S. national security policy in an Al Gore administration will look much the same as it does under President Bill Clinton, with any changes only being made gradually, according to the Vice President's national security adviser.
The Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor has been selected to fly on the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (Glast) mission. The instrument is intended to complement the Glast Large Area Telescope Flight Investigation, which is the primary science instrument on the spacecraft. Glast is scheduled for launch in 2005. The mission is managed by Goddard Space Flight Center for NASA's Office of Space Science.
Vladimir Putin, who appeared on course late last week to be elected president of Russia, will face a much tougher battle to create the fundamental economic and organizational structures necessary for the country to survive in the 21st century. He must also appease the military and KGB security apparatus that has vaulted him into power.
