Kenneth E. Harwell (see photo) has been named chief scientist of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He will remain senior vice president-research/associate provost of the University of Alabama, Huntsville.
The move by poorer nations to have the International Civil Aviation Organization create an International Aeronautical Monetary Fund to pay for the implementation of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) was deflected earlier this month.
Norm Young (see photo) has been named vice president-sales and marketing of Derlan Inc., Santa Ana, Calif. He was general manager of Peacock Aerospace.
BRITISH AIRWAYS ANTICIPATES that a weakening of the pound sterling, falling fuel prices and continued cost-cutting efforts will boost profits this year, following a 9.6% drop last year. The carrier said annual pretax profits of 580 million pounds ($951 million) in the year ending Mar. 31 reflected the effects of a crippling summer strike by cabin crew and a strong pound sterling. Chief Executive Robert Ayling expressed confidence that the carrier's planned alliance with American Airlines would win approval despite a recent U.S. Justice Dept.
Photogrpah: A TEAM OF ASTRONOMERS studying images from the Hubble Space Telescope accidentally discovered what appears to be a planet outside our solar system. The object, located 450 light years from Earth in the constellation Taurus, was apparently ejected by a pair of newly forming binary stars and is hurtling into interstellar space at up to 20,000 mph. The potential planet (shown) was discovered by a team led by Susan Terebey of the Extrasolar Research Corp. in Pasadena, Calif.
The FAA is about to launch a controversial two-phase program to develop a Local Area Augmen-tation System to enhance the accuracy of GPS navsat signals for instrument approach and landing. Because the FAA is asking industry to fund most of the development cost, no more than three industry teams are expected to submit proposals on June 5.
Details emerging from the U.S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program indicate Lockheed Martin is looking at dropping development of its heavy-lift EELV version in spite of market analysis indicating a strong trend toward larger commercial communications satellites. Air Force EELV program officials insist they are committed to two new heavy-lifters, one from Lockheed Martin and one from Boeing (AW&ST Apr. 20, p. 21).
Lockheed Martin's stealthy DarkStar unmanned aerial vehicle is expected to fly by mid-June. After a two-year hiatus, the stealthy aircraft is ``clearly over the hump'' after a series of successful taxi tests that ended with three runs last week, said Chuck Heber, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's director of endurance UAVs. After two more taxi tests this week, the redesigned UAV should be about ready to fly, said Darpa program manager Harry Berman. The original DarkStar crashed on its second flight when it began to porpoise at takeoff.
Despite an early loss to Airbus' A340-500 for a Singapore Airlines order, Boeing executives say they remain committed to the ultra-long-haul-range Boeing 777-200X.
European airworthiness officials are expressing frustration at the slow progress being made in efforts to certify the Tu-204-120, a medium-range transport equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 engines.
Barry Turner has been promoted to general manager for engineering from deputy general manager of the Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong. He succeeds David Whalen, who has returned to the U.S.
Commercial satellite executives are dismayed by the furor in Congress over the alleged transfer of missile-related technology to China, and fret that the highly charged political climate in Washington could have a severe impact on the industry.
Ken Carlsen has been appointed director of strategic planning for the Colorado Springs-based Defense Systems Group of the OAO Corp. He was executive director of information technology operations of MCI.
WORLDSPACE, A WORLDWIDE digital audio communications service intended to serve emerging and underserved markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America, has decided to order a fourth satellite. The $67-million spacecraft will be built by Alcatel Espace, the manufacturer of the first three satellites, and will be identical to the other units. To be delivered in the first half of 2000, the new spacecraft will be used as a spare or to augment system capacity. The first satellite, AfriStar, is due to be orbited in late 1998.
During a rare but critical visit to Russia, Turkey's top military official, Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi, conveyed his country's concerns over Moscow's support to Iran on missile technologies and the proposed sale of surface-to-air S-300 PMU-01 missiles to Cyprus. The chief of staff of the Turkish armed forces met Defense Minister Marshall Igor Sergeyev, Chief of General Staff Gen. Anatoly Kvashnin and National Security Council Secretary Andrei Kokoshin during his May 18-21 visit to Moscow, which is the first since 1991 by a Turkish military official.
All Nippon Airways' 1,380 pilots are threatening not to operate international flights early this month in protest of management plans to cut their flight duty allowances. A walkout Apr. 6-20 forced ANA to cancel 94 Boeing 747-400 flights to international destinations and transfer 21,900 passengers to other carriers. ANA says the strike hurt its business in May, but it has seen bookings return to normal for June. First to be hit by a second walkout will be scheduled and charter flights to Paris.
Teaming with the White House, lawmakers have authorized a pilot program that would enable the FBI to help federal, state and local agencies obtain the appropriate equipment and training to shore up domestic preparedness against terrorist attacks with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is becoming one of the world's most profitable carriers. During the 1997-98 fiscal year, which ended Mar. 31, KLM's net income soared to $1.1 billion, up from $118 million in 1996-97, including a $800-million profit from the resale of Northwest Airlines shares. Traffic increased 6% in a healthy economic environment, which included favorable exchange rates of the guilder against the U.S. dollar and declining aviation fuel prices. Overall seat load factor increased to 77.9%.
GRID HAS DEVELOPED WHAT THE COMPANY says is the first ruggedized laptop with a Pentium 2 chip. The GRiDCASE 1580 P2 laptop has a 0.2-in.-thick magnesium protective case, transparent dust/waterproof seal for the keyboard, 14-in. screen, floppy drive and CD-ROM. The laptop will be on view at TechNet. GRiD laptops have been used on the space shuttle, in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf war and by scientists in Antarctica.
The fourth Airbus A3XX program review was held late last month, and in September, Airbus Industrie's engineer-ing staff and participating carriers plan to meet in Derby, England, for an update on Rolls-Royce's Trent 900 engine. A similar meeting is scheduled for October in the U.S. to review the Engine Alliance GP7200,which is jointly planned by General Electric and Pratt&Whitney. The European consortium formed working groups with major international airlines in 1997 to jointly finalize the proposed 480-656-seat A3XX's design.
Robert K. Lange has been named vice president-business development of Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, Marietta, Ga. He was director of U.S. Marine Corps programs for Lockheed Martin's Aeronautics Sector in Washington. Lange succeeds Richard G. Kirkland, who is now vice president-Washington international operations.
Boeing is solving problems that are slowing production of its next-generation 737 transports but warned that delivery backlogs may extend through year-end. Asia's economic downturn also is taking its toll on demand and may force a mid-1999 slowdown in 747 production. Still, the Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer is showing signs of recovery from its six-month slump, which to date has cost it over $1 billion in losses. The company earlier last month delivered on-time and under-budget the first stretched 777-300 to Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific.
