Art McKinnell has become vice president-customer service and support for Microwave Instrumentation Technologies of Atlanta. He was senior manager of service planning for the Worldwide Service Div. of Scientific-Atlanta.
Thomson-CSF Services Industrie will develop and produce the Airbus A340-500/ 600's braking and steering computer unit under a business agreement with Messier-Bugatti.
The Japanese Defense Agency's Board of Audit said it now appears that Japan Aviation Electronic Industry (JAEI) overbilled it by about $69 million for work done since 1993, not $6.9 million in 1993 as originally thought (AW&ST Aug. 10, p. 13). A new round of audits has been ordered. About 1,400 contracts worth a total of more than $345 million were awarded to JAEI from 1993-97. JAEI manufactures electronic components including inertial navigation systems for Mitsubishi Type 80 (ASM-1) and Type 82 (ASM-2) antiship missiles for the Japanese air force.
Boeing has replaced the head of its troubled commercial transport division, Ron Woodard, after discovering new cost problems at its Wichita factory. Taking his place is Alan Mulally, president of Boeing's space and defense group and formerly chief of the successful 777 transport development program.
The T-5 line of fluorescent interior wash lamps are designed for use in general aviation and commercial aircraft. They are available in warm white (3100K) and cool white (4200K) colors with 4, 6, 8 and 13-watt ratings. Miniature bipin and pinless models are available. The new lamps come in 6, 9, 12 and 21-in. lamps. They are compatible with both electronic and magnetic ballasts. Chicago Miniature Lamp Inc., 147 Central Ave., Hackensack, N.J. 07601.
North Korea's flight test of the two-stage Taepo Dong 1 extends Pyongyang's missile reach over all of Japan, and marks a significant advance in its efforts to acquire an ICBM-range booster, U.S. Defense Dept. officials and strategic analysts say.
After nearly four years of cooperative research and development among NASA, light aircraft manufacturers and academia, the Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments (AGATE) program is yielding technologies aimed at revitalizing the U.S. general aviation industry.
DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THE PENTAGON and FAA to agree on a new signal format for the next-generation GPS satellites has delayed a mid-August scheduled decision by the Interagency GPS Executive Board (IGEB) until at least late September (AW&ST June 29, p. 61). The Pentagon favors providing a second civil GPS signal at the existing L2 frequency centered at 1,227.6 MHz., while the FAA prefers a slightly lower frequency band. But the FAA preferred band is presently used by the USAF's Joint Tactical Information Delivery System and a similar NATO data link.
Two Mitsubishi F-1 close air support fighters apparently collided during a training exercise in the seas off Misawa air base in northeast Japan. Part of a three-aircraft formation, the two disappeared from radar screens as the third pilot observed two fireballs. The pilots are presumed dead.
The GNS 530 multifunction display offers the same technology and capabilities as the GNS 430 but with a 5-in. diagonal color display. The 430, which was announced in April, has a 4-in. diagonal display (AW&ST May 18, p. 78). Both offer Wide Area Augmentation System-ready IFR GPS receiver capability, a communications panel, VOR, localizer and glideslope data integrated into a moving map display. They have expandable architecture that will permit upgrades later. Jeppesen database information can be updated with front-loading data cards. Garmin, 1200 E.
Three B-2A stealth bombers, accompanied by three B-52Hs from Barksdale AFB, La., have been hastily deployed to Guam for what the Pentagon is calling 30 days of ``training operations.'' Unusual for a training mission is how quickly it was put together. Top Air Force officials knew about it for less than a week. Also, the B-2s were ordered--by the Joint Chiefs of Staff no less--to arrive in Guam no later than Sept. 6. Furthermore, the Air Force had to scrap a previously planned major B-2 exercise.
J. Tyler Morris has become Fort Worth-based vice president/regional manager and George Schlotthauer West Palm Beach, Fla.-based senior vice president-aircraft management of Flight Services Group.
Boeing next year plans to win FAA approval to conduct aircraft certification-related ice testing in its Seattle icing research wind tunnel. The facility would allow manufacturers of business jets and general aviation aircraft to save significant time and expense compared to natural inflight ice testing. The Boeing Research Aerodynamic Icing Tunnel is equipped with a spray-bar system that can generate a variety of water droplet sizes upstream of the test section, according to Boeing associate technical fellow Gene Cain.
One of the Pentagon's most guarded intelligence collection methods--measurements and signature intelligence (Masint, in the spooks' argot)--is being scrutinized to eliminate duplication. Masint involves collecting and analyzing radar, infrared, chemical, seismic, acoustic or other emissions and the sampling of gases, liquids and solid materials. The Defense Intelligence Agency's Central Masint Office seeks an architecture to create a ``system of systems'' for Masint.
After six tries in 20 days, Japan's National Space Development Agency was able to complete its second set of geosynchronous rendezvous and automatic docking experiments on Aug. 27 with its ETS-7 chaser and target satellites. Intermittent failure of one of seven pairs of attitude control jets on the target spacecraft, a continuing problem, caused the repeated failed dockings. The successful capture was begun with the chaser 2,000 meters (6,560 ft.) from the target. The distance was reduced in steps down to 2 meters when closure was at 1 centimeter/sec.
Joseph F. Marcus (see photo) has been named vice president-production operations of Lockheed Martin Michoud Space Systems of New Orleans. He was director of space launch systems engineering for Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver.
Richard Whiston, executive vice president/general counsel of Pratt&Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., will also be president for space and Russian operations.
Richard D. Jones has become membership director for the Miami-based International Air Cargo Assn. He was publications director for the Battelle Memorial Institute Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation.
Mary Byerly has been promoted to assistant manager from product marketing manager of the Greater Philadelphia/ Wilmington Learning Center of FlightSafety International. Amparo Calatayud has been promoted to assistant manager from groundschool and simulator instructor at FSI's San Antonio, Tex., International Learning Center.
