The PM1204 12-volt starter and PM2404 24-volt starter have been approved for installation on Textron Lycoming LIO-320, LO-360, LTO-360, LIO-360, LHIO-360 and LTIO-540 engines under an FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval. The lightweight starters were developed for use on left-hand turn engines. They use permanent magnets to replace bulky windings and weigh about 40% less than conventional starters. The starters are designed to have a lifetime equal to the time between engine overhauls and have a 1,000-hr., two-year warranty. Precision Aviation Products Corp., 3102 100th St.
With an eye on its development of the A3XX, Airbus Industrie's four industrial partners have begun pilot installation of Parametric Technology Corp.'s Windchill Technology family of enterprise product data management software.
U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command is operating a fleet of 21 transports and other logistical aircraft in support of rescue and evacuation work in the wake of terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa earlier this month.
The Pathfinder Plus solar-powered drone has set a new absolute record for propeller aircraft by exceeding 80,000-ft. altitude and staying above 70,000 ft. for more than 3 hr. The altitude broke the prior record by 9,000 ft., which was set by Pathfinder last year.
Don Skiados, assistant general manager/communications director of the Washington-based Air Line Pilots Assn., has been named president of the Council on Aviation Accreditation.
This inexpensive, noncontact Doppler radar sensor can accurately measure speeds over a range of 1-300 mph. within 0.5%. It operates on 9.5-15.5 v. d.c. The output comes as a digital pulse. It measures 2.3 X 2.3 X 2.6 in. and weighs less than 1 lb. Applications include measuring air speed in drop tests, speed control and motion sensing. GMH Engineering, 336 Mountain Way, Orem, Utah 84058.
JOSEPH C. ANSELMOLos Angeles Bureau Chief Bruce A. Smith contributed to this story.
Boeing has crafted a plan to strengthen controls on the transfer of technical data to its Ukrainian and Russian partners in the Sea Launch venture in an effort to convince the U.S. government to lift a suspension that has halted most work on the project.
Bombardier is set to start delivering its long-range Global Express to corporate operators by year-end, and they should be pleased at the demonstrated performance they signed up for when the program was launched in December 1993.
The nation's top soldier says that improving the defenses of high risk overseas U.S. facilities has driven terrorists to attack more poorly defended, low-threat sites. U.S. researchers are trying to quickly develop advanced equipment to lessen vulnerabilities at high- and low-risk facilities. The U.S. Air Force, for example, is conducting demonstrations of new technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and explosives detectors as part of an overall Pentagon effort to strengthen the defenses of forward operating bases.
A new diamond-turning process that uses high-purity aluminum is being used on infrared mirrors for the National Optical Astronomy Observatories' Gemini Near Infrared Spectrograph. The high-purity aluminum is plated over standard aluminum alloy mirrors. AlumiPlate Inc. and II-VI Inc. of Saxonburg, Pa., teamed on the work. The new technique eliminates the problem of bimetallic bending that plagues metal mirrors plated with electroless nickel when the temperature changes. AlumiPlate Inc., 8960 Springbrook Drive, Minneapolis, Minn. 55433-5874.
Jeffrey Northern has become vice president-operations at Menasco Aerospace Texas and Barry Levoir vice president-engineering at Menasco Aerospace Oakville. Northern was a business unit manager at AlliedSignal Aerospace Engines. He succeeds Leon Sujata, who has resigned. Levoir was director of structures at Messier-Dowty Aerospace. Kenneth L. Wagner has been named assistant general counsel of Menasco parent Coltec Industries, Charlotte, N.C. He was a lawyer with the Banc One Corp. Wagner succeeds Eileen M. Effinger, who has resigned.
The Catamaran is a portable scanner designed for inspecting aircraft fuselages and other large structures. The system, including two 4-ft. sections of track, weighs 35 lb. and can be set up and dismantled by one person. It can scan irregular shapes and does not use magnets, allowing it to be used close to sensitive electronic components. The flexible X-axis tracks adhere to the test article with vacuum mounts. Surface discontinuities of up to 0.125 in., such as patches and rivets, can be accommodated. ABB Amdata, 2000 Day Hill Road, P.O. Box 500, Windsor, Conn.
Final Analysis Inc. received the first Quick Ride contract from NASA to fly science and technology secondary payloads on the company's Little LEO Satellites, to be launched in 2000. The contract is worth $49 million with all options exercised.
Northwest Airlines will be the first U.S. airline to fly the Polar 2 route through Russian airspace on its Aug. 19 nonstop from Detroit to Beijing. The demonstration flight through the air corridor will operate in Russian, Mongolian and Chinese airspace. Two Russian air traffic controllers will be on board, along with two Northwest management captains. Carrier officials anticipate that flight time on the new route would be reduced by 45 min. during winter months.
Indonesia's state-owned IPTN aircraft factory has been eliminated from the Royal Australian Air Force's DHC-4 Caribou replacement competition because additional work was needed on its CN235-330 cargo candidate IPTN and its Australian partner, Aerospace Technical Services, sought time to fit General Electric GE CT7-9C3 turboprops and Honeywell avionics to the aircraft. The request was denied. Australian defense authorities were apparently concerned about IPTN's future given the economic situation in Indonesia.
The ThermaCAM X95 Series features three uncooled infrared focal plane array thermographic cameras. They use a microbolometer detector designed specifically for precision temperature measurement. They feature 8-12 mm. response, making them ideal for preventative maintenance in sunlight. The cameras have an Auto Hot Spot finder and a Delta Mode that calculates temperature rise automatically. They operate on standard Sony camcorder batteries. Both a liquid crystal diode viewfinder and a 3-in. LCD color screen are available for viewing the target.
The French Labinal group's revenues during the first half of the year increased a healthy 22.2% to $1.3 billion, including $239 million for the Turbomeca/Microturbo Div.
Michael J. Daugherty (see photos) has been named executive vice president of The Aerospace Corp. of Los Angeles. He succeeds George A. Paulikas, who has retired. Daugherty will remain senior vice president-Space Systems Group. Manuel DePonte has been promoted to corporate chief engineer from principal director of the Systems Engineering Directorate's National Systems Group, Chantilly, Va. Also promoted were: Carl J.
In an historic shift, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory structure will reorient its advanced technology work much more aggressively toward space and less toward aircraft, to build a new foundation for USAF space operations early in the 21st century. The move represents a ``sea change'' in the Air Force, said USAF Maj. Gen. Richard Paul, commander of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the umbrella organization that manages the service's key research facilities.
Several European airlines soon are expected to submit bids to acquire AOM, a French independent carrier. AOM operates domestic routes and also serves French overseas territories with a 24-aircraft fleet. It is owned by Consortium de Realisations, the defeasance subsidiary of Credit Lyonnais, a troubled state-owned bank. AOM recently joined the Swissair-led Qualiflyer Group, an initiative that helped boost the carrier's traffic. In 1997, in the wake of a strong recovery plan, AOM regained profitability.
Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Robins AFB, Ga., has issued a request for proposals to convert three ski-equipped LC-130R aircraft to LC-130H configuration. The Navy has been operating the aircraft in support of the National Science Foundation in Antarctica, but that mission has been transferred to the Air National Guard, which wants the aircraft's avionics upgraded to match the rest of its fleet (AW&ST May 25, p. 58).
Martin Marietta Millimeterwave Technologies Inc. awarded Sanders, a Lockheed Martin company, a $50-million contract to supply millimeter wave transceivers for the Longbow Hellfire Missile System, to be deployed on the U.S. Army AH-64D and British army WAH-64 Apache helicopters.
Despite Reno Air's stiff competition and lackluster financial performance--it has edged into profitability only twice in its six-year history--Salomon Smith Barney analyst Brian D. Harris thinks there is potential upside for the airline stock.
