This portable noncontact ultrasonic measurement system uses penetrating pulse technology for fast, safe, accurate level or interface measurement of abrasive, corrosive, toxic or pressurized liquids or liquefied gases where contact with the process is not prudent. The Sonometer 11 features 10 programmable channels, each with 99 individual functions so that 10 different vessels/liquids can be preprogrammed. The instrument uses pulsed hazard-free soundwaves. The return echo from the air/liquid interface is detected at levels of up to 65 ft.
Dennis Schmitz, director of marketing and business development for Penny&Giles Aerospace's Aviation Information Solutions unit, has been named to the board of advisors of AirPower, Woodland Hills, Calif.
The new MHS single-stroke honing system is one of many high-production, modular bore sizing and finishing systems offered by Sunnen. It uses single-pass plated tools that provide precise bore size, geometry and surface finish. The modular design enables it to be tailored to specification and manufactured quickly. Honing tools of a preset diameter go through the bore to remove a predetermined amount of stock. For increased metal removal or surface finish correction, multiple spindles can be incorporated to enlarge the bore.
While Europe's surveillance capabilities have been bolstered by the recent launch of a second French Helios 1 satellite, European nations remain far apart in efforts to forge a space-based intelligence capability that would reduce their dependence on the U.S. This recon shortfall was seen as a major handicap in Europe's contribution to the NATO cause during the Kosovo conflict.
A unique instrument designed and built at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to study high-cycle fatigue combines a high-frequency machine with a scanning electron microscope to help engineers understand metal fatigue, a potentially catastrophic phenomenon that can affect high-performance aircraft engines.
The way NASA handles the Mars Polar Lander inquest could have a big effect on Administrator Daniel S. Goldin's reputation in Congress. ``He's got a credibility problem,'' says a key staffer, which has more to do with the International Space Station than problems with the faster-better-cheaper approach to planetary programs. But if NASA doesn't fully embrace review panels' recommendations--or if Congress catches one whiff of a whitewash--Goldin will be in serious trouble on the Hill. House Science Committee chief F.
Sanford I. Weill, chairman/co-CEO of New York-based financial services giant Citigroup, has been named to the board of directors of the United Technologies Corp., Hartford, Conn.
This new compact Cherry G747 power riveter weights 3.625 lb. and installs -4, -5 and -6 CherryMaxR blind rivets in all grips and materials as well as 1/8 in. and 5/32 in. blind bolts. Its ergonomic design reduces fatigue and the 15-deg. angled pulling head allows installation of rivets using natural hand positions. The riveter can be operated with one hand. Straight, right angle or offset pulling heads may be ordered separately. The tool features a plastic base that prevents scratches on aircraft surfaces.
Malaysia's air force and national airline have come under political pressure to begin purchasing once again, now that the Asian economic crisis is receding. The government wants the country's aerospace manufacturers to be able to leverage purchases to win technology transfer and offset manufacturing deals. Attention to the issue reached a peak during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition here early this month, which was attended by more than 700 companies from 30 countries.
Manfred Wolff has been named vice president-campaigns, Andy Lewis vice president-sales support and Rob New vice president-contracts and finance, all for Eurofighter International.
Japan's regional carriers are increasingly turning to Bombardier. Ryukyu Air Commuter has ordered two Dash 8s for its services on Okinawa, while Amakusa Airlines on Kyushu Island has ordered one Dash 8 and Air Nippon, three. A Japan Airlines subsidiary, J-Air, has ordered two CRJ200ERs, and Fiarink, a startup planning to begin operations next July, has bought two CRJ100LRs and two CRJ200ERs.
This circular plastic multipin connector with one 50-ohm coaxial, or 25-amp power contact, and nine 2-amp contact positions has a unique push-button release. The coaxial contact provides 1/20:1 max. VSWR at 3 Ghz. and 1.40:1 up to 6 Ghz. The pushbutton latch system eliminates field problems and equipment downtime associated with more complex squeeze, screw or push-pull mechanisms. The Coaxtac system includes two concentric wire contact sockets, one for ground, the other for signal, while the power and signal provide a single wire basket socket.
The Technical Research and Development Institute of the Japanese Defense Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are trying to determine whether the vertical fin of the F-2 close air support fighter needs reinforcing. The JDA said the fin experienced loading that was several percentage points above predicted levels during a 180-deg. roll to an upside-down attitude on a test flight last October. If reinforcing is needed, further delays in the program are inevitable and the JDA will have to seek additional funding from the Finance Ministry.
Ark-Plas Products has introduced a line of ready to use filter valves for in-line removal of most visible particulate in aqueous solutions and gas streams. They are designed to be used with soft plastic tubing with inner diameters ranging from 1/8-3/8 in. and are suitable for applications where a disposable unit may be more desirable. Or, in less critical applications, filter valves can be flushed for longer duty.
Spacehab and RSC Energia plan to seek private funding next month for a joint venture to develop a commercial pressurized module for Russia's side of the International Space Station, Aerospace Daily has learned. The U.S. and Russian firms will cover the $100-million cost of developing the 15-ft.-dia., 36-ft.-long module with revenue from television and Web broadcasts originating from it. Dubbed ``Enterprise,'' the module would be launched on a Russian Space Agency Zenit booster and mated on orbit with the station's Russian docking and stowage module.
Engineers have not given up on Mars Polar Lander yet, but the easy solutions died about four days after the Dec. 3 landing. There still are plausible scenarios that explain the lack of contact and in which most or all of the mission could be recovered, but they lie in a rapidly expanding tree of more complex faults.
Florida Sen. Bob Graham has some sobering advice for those hoping Congress will pass legislation to help the fledgling reusable launch industry get off the ground: Forget about it--at least for next year. Graham, a Democrat, is a big supporter of the space industry, but he's also a realist. He sees little hope that the investment woes of launch companies will resonate on Capitol Hill in the busy election year of 2000, especially when the industry is divided on what kind of government assistance is needed to bring new RLVs into service.
Air France has announced plans to begin service in March 2000 between the City of Light and the City of Brotherly Love. Airbus A310-300 aircraft are to be operated on the nonstop, six-times-per-week flight between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Philadelphia International Airports. Air France operates in 10 U.S. gateways and, under code-sharing arrangements with Continental and Delta airlines, offers service from 79 other U.S. cities.
The Royal Australian Air Force has revealed it used the Raytheon DB-110 dual-band sensor fitted to its RF-111s to monitor activity in East Timor before and after the bloodshed that prompted U.N. intervention. Monitoring began about two weeks prior to the East Timorese voting for independence and in the attacks from Indonesian-backed militia after that Aug. 30 vote. Air force officials said the sensor pod has become a source of evidence of violence against East Timorese, including throwing civilians overboard from Indonesian naval vessels.
Will Manton (see photo, p. 18) has become vice president-turboprop remarketing for Vance and Engles Aircraft Brokers, Annapolis, Md. He was director of airline sales for the Fairchild Aerospace Corp.
In addition to rocket and air-breathing propulsion work involving combustion, NASA is beginning to test concepts such as magnetic levitation (MagLev) systems that could hurtle future reusable launch vehicles off their pads with ground-based electrical fields. NASA MagLev testing is to enter a major new phase next spring. The use of a MagLev launch-assist track would reduce the vehicle size and propellant needed to place a payload in orbit. The work is underway at Marshall Space Flight Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Titan Corp. plans to acquire Advanced Communication Systems Inc., a government information technology services company. The all-stock transaction is valued at about $175 million. Advanced Communication reported revenues of $218 million for its last fiscal year.
James B. Ream has been appointed president of Continental Express. He was senior vice president-Asia for Continental Airlines. Ream succeeds David Siegel, who will be president/chief operating officer of the Budget Group.
The U.S. Air Force has lifted the veil on a classified radar upgrade that is supposed to become operational on a small number of F-15Cs late next year. The main component in the radar program is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) that will provide much improved capability for the APG-63 radar in use on F-15s. The system, known as the APG-63(V)2, is going to include a new advanced interrogation friend-or-foe (IFF) system and enhanced environmental control system, the Air Force says.
