The UTS-4050 Auto-Recognition Portable Torque Analyzer is designed for testing the torque of joints and tools. It can be set up in minutes and can be used in either a one-button or automatic mode. Its autorecognition feature spots any transducer change without operator intervention. The unit can operate for up to 10 hr. continuously on its rechargeable batteries. Cooper Power Tools, Apex Operation, P.O. Box 952, Dayton, Ohio 45401-0952.
Major upkeep for NASA's Kennedy Space Center and the U.S. Air Force's Cape Canaveral Air Station and Patrick AFB are being consolidated under a single contract awarded to the new Space Gateway Support consortium of Herndon, Va. The consortium is led by Northrop Grumman Technical Services and includes ICF Kaiser Defense Programs and Wackenhut Services. The Joint Base Operations Contract has a potential value of $2.2 billion over 10 years and will eventually combine work now carried out under 18 separate NASA and USAF contracts.
The NASA-Japanese Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) spacecraft captured dramatic radar images of a towering storm cloud rising from the eye of Hurricane Bonnie. The 59,000-ft. (18,000-meter) cloud--twice the height of Mt. Everest--can be seen in blue, green and red in a compilation of TRMM precipitation radar images (right) taken on Aug. 22 as Bonnie approached the East Coast of the U.S. The skyscraper-like radar representations are draped over photo imagery from a U.S. Goes weather satellite.
An improved manufacturing process developed by IDD Aerospace for controlling the dying of phosphors used in electroluminescent lamps and displays allows creation of virtually any color without having to reduce brightness. The company controls the EL lamp-making process from raw phosphors to finished display. IDD Aerospace Corp., P.O. Box 907056, 18225 N.E. 76th St., Redmond, Wash. 98073-0387.
A six-year survey of galaxy clusters using the Hubble Space Telescope has found what may be some of the most distant clusters ever seen. The Medium Deep Survey observed 10-20 clusters of galaxies that could be over 7-billion light-years away, meaning they would have been assembled early in the history of the universe. The survey, led by astronomers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, estimated distances based on the colors of galaxies in each cluster.
Vice Adm. Brent M. Bennitt (USN, Ret.) has become vice president of Veridian, Alexandria, Va. He was commander of the Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The heightened security alert following last month's U.S. military strikes against suspected terrorist bases abroad found the FAA considerably along in its plan to equip the nation's airports with the latest-technology aviation security equipment.
A new test piece simulator for the Woodpecker WP 632 tap tester measures the contact time of the hammer head, presenting results on a digital display. The simulator uses a diaphragm that can be adjusted with a thumb wheel to vary contact time and a sensor. During testing the contact time output of the Woodpecker is compared with an internally generated window to ensure correct calibration. The simulator can operate for more than 20 hr. on its four AA alkaline batteries. The device fits in an aluminum case.
Steve Lee has been promoted to vice president-business development from regional vice president and Jeffrey P. Hartman to vice president-finance from director of operations accounting of Signature Flight Support. Paul Shira has been named general manager of the Chicago O'Hare International Airport facility. He was operations manager at the Chicago Midway Airport facility.
An FAA official said a Delta Air Lines L-1011 and an Alaska Airlines MD-80 came within 2.5 mi. of each other on Aug. 31 at an altitude of 25,000 ft. about 30 mi. southeast of Julian, Calif. Controllers directed the pilots of both aircraft to maneuver and a potential collision was avoided. The Alaska pilots had been warned of the L-1011's presence by their TCAS, and were preparing to maneuver. The agency blamed the incident on an operational error due to high workload at the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center at Palmdale.
Japan Airlines is taking advantage of a new slot allocation at Tokyo's Narita airport to add flights to Europe, the U.S. and selected Asian destinations starting this fall. By November it will operate thrice-weekly Tokyo-Las Vegas services via Los Angeles. New services to Milan and Rome and added services to Manila, Seoul and New Delhi are being offered. Three new Osaka-Honolulu flights are to be added, but Osaka-Rome and Osaka-NewDelhi flights will be dropped, and Tokyo-Hong Kong services will be trimmed, as well.
Keith Maxwell has been named vertical market manager for defense and federal civilian markets for the Spot Image Corp., Reston, Va. He was a contracting officer for the U.S. Transportation Dept.
Aeronavali, Alenia Aerospazio's maintenance and overhaul subsidiary, has been selected by NATO to upgrade and refurbish two training/transport Boeing 707-320s that will be operated by the German air force. The $11-million contract will be handled by Aeronavali's Capodichino facilities in southern Italy.
W. Glenn Yarborough, Jr., has been promoted to president/chief operating officer from corporate vice president of the Allied Research Corp., Vienna, Va. He succeeds J.R. Sculley, who will remain chairman/CEO.
The CAD Rating Guide is written to help users of computer-aided design programs evaluate different programs without getting bogged down in statistics, benchmarks, buzzwords and canned demonstrations. The 650-page guide provides detailed information on more than 120 CAD systems for mechanical design and drafting, mapping, three-dimensional modeling, structural analysis, geographic information systems and animation. ZEM Press, 8220 Stone Trail Drive, Suite F, Bethesda, Md. 20817-4556.
The U.K.'s Smiths Industries Plc. will be a company to watch as the pace of European aerospace industry consolidation picks up in 1999, according to London-based stock analysts.
Michael W. Lai (see photo) has been appointed vice president-engineering for the Jetcruzer 500 project for Advanced Aerodynamics and Structures Inc., Long Beach, Calif. He was director of engineering quality control for Lockheed Aircraft Service International, Ontario, Calif. Robert M. Blair has been named flight test operations pilot for the Jetcruzer and Stratoccruzer 1250.
Helicopter manufacturers are continuing to explore new technology, but some also are checking the bottom line to make sure that new features don't hurt them in the marketplace. Some technology is applied to manufacturing itself to keep costs down. In Europe, the French and German aerospace research organizations, Onera and DLR, in association with Eurocopter and other companies and agencies, are focusing on noise and vibration reduction, enhanced operating performance and day/night all-weather operations.
Thomas G. Cody has been appointed to the board of directors of the CTS Corp., Elkhart, Ind. He is executive vice president-legal and human resources of Federated Department Stores Inc.
Russell Bardos has become director of commercial programs, Maureen Ryan director of government relations and Anne F. Eisele director of corporate communications, all for Spacehab Inc., Vienna, Va. Bardos was deputy associate administrator for space flight at NASA. Ryan held the same position with Smith, Bucklin and Associates in Washington, and Eisele was an aerospace journalist.
DARcorporation has developed a suite of design tools for Microsoft Windows-based computers that is optimized for designing general aviation aircraft. The flagship of the new line is G.A.-CAD, which was developed with financial assistance from NASA under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program grant.
Dran-View Pro is an enhanced version of Dranetz-BMI's power quality and harmonics analysis software that offers such tools as three-dimensional timeplotting, harmonic timeplots and statistical data presentation. The company's Report Writer utility also is bundled with the new program. Data from separate Dran-View files can be combined with the new version. Other features include phase normalization, sine/cosine expansion, selectable output format and interharmonics. Dranetz-BMI, 1000 New Durham Road, Edison, N.J. 08818.
