The Columbia Neurolab Spacelab mission was set to land here May 3, completing a 16-day research flight saved from early termination by quick ground-team work to diagnose a serious environmental control system problem. Depending on the weather, mission commander Richard Searfoss and copilot Scott Altman were to complete Columbia's reentry and landing at 12:09 p.m. EDT. Mission managers decided against extending the flight to a 17th day because of landing weather considerations and science planning issues.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S AAQ-24(V) Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) completed its first test for the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense. The test evaluated DIRCM's ability to protect a helicopter against infrared-guided surface-to-air missiles. The ministry tests followed a number of contractor flights in the U.K. and U.S. for the jointly developed system. The system that was tested uses a high-powered xenon lamp to create a beam that is aimed at the missile seeker.
In a joint press conference, French Minister of Defense Alain Richard agreed with U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen that the U.S. and French military should cooperate more in space. The comments came following a meeting by the two defense officials last week at the Pentagon. Cohen noted that the use of satellites is central to modern military operations. When asked if cooperation would mean sharing military space intelligence with the U.S.
Maj. Gen. David M. Jones (USAF, Ret.) and World War 1 U.S. Navy aviator Charles A. (Buck) Rowe have been inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. Space shuttle Challenger commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee was enshrined posthumously.
Larry Williams has been promoted to Washington-based vice president-international and government affairs from director of external affairs for Teledesic LLC.
LOCKHEED MARTIN PLANS to consolidate its aftermarket commercial replenishment spare parts and logistics services line of business. The new organization will become part of the company's Aircraft and Logistics Centers unit based in Greenville, N.C., effective May 1. It will focus initially on the F-16 and C-130 B/E/H, while phasing in support of the L-1011 and other aircraft. Heading up the operation will be David Dacquino, who until recently was vice president and general manager of logistics management for the company.
Aerospatiale has delivered the main stage for Ariane 5's third and, if all goes well, final qualification mission before the new booster enters full commercial service. The stage is similar to a main stage used on the Ariane 5's second flight last October, but contains repositioned main engine turbine exhausts to counter roll torque phenomena observed during the last flight. European officials say the next Ariane 5 launch could take place at Kourou, French Guiana, anytime between July and September.
APPLYING ITS ELECTRONIC WARFARE BACKGROUND, Electro-Radiation Inc. has also developed a way to selectively deny the use of GPS. The technique applies a code to the jammer. Authorized receivers would set in the code of the day and be able to receive GPS unimpeded.
BMW ROLLS-ROYCE HAS AGREED to become a partner in the RTM-322 helicopter engine program, a joint venture of Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca of France. BMW will take a 23.2% share in the NH-90 frigate/transport helicopter engine, for which the RTM-322 has been baselined. Under the agreement, which covers design, production, marketing and product support, BMW Rolls-Royce will assemble and test HH-90 powerplants purchased by the German government.
THE COCKPIT VOICE and flight data recorders for the Formosa Airlines Saab 340 that mysteriously crashed with 13 persons on board while en route from Hscinchu to Kaoshiung Mar. 18 have been found in good shape in a debris field some 6 mi. off the northwest coast of Taiwan (AW&ST Mar. 30, p. 61). They are being sent this week to the NTSB for analysis. Investigators videotaped and catalogued the entire debris field last week before retrieving the recorders.
Bell Helicopter Textron has completed 40% of the design phase for the U.S. Marine Corps' major H-1 upgrade program that would remanufacture 280 AH-1W and UH-1N helicopters for service well into the next century.
President Bill Clinton said in a press conference last week that Iraqi compliance with U.N. inspections has been encouraging regarding nuclear weapons and it may be possible to move to a monitoring regime by October. ``Our position on lifting the sanctions is that the U.N. resolutions have to be complied with completely, and then we'd vote to lift the sanctions. So this is just the nuclear piece. But I am encouraged.'' He said it may be possible to reduce the U.S.
USAF efforts to outsource and privatize noncritical support functions will supply about $1.6 billion for fleet and force modernization by 2003. Although sometimes painful, identifying and freeing up excess resources committed to support functions will help offset a budget that is essentially flat for the next six years, according to Gen. Michael Ryan, Air Force chief of staff. The average age of USAF's fleet ranges from 15 years, for the F-15 fighter, to 35 years for the KC-135 transport and B-52 bomber.
Japan is planning its own version of the FAA's upcoming wide area augmentation system (WAAS) to improve the integrity of GPS-based navigation data in its flight information region. The system also should help pave the way for implementation of advanced global air traffic management over Japan.
THE NO. 3 PRATT&WHITNEY JT8D engine on a United Airlines Boeing 727-200 (UAL Flight 355) suffered a contained failure Apr. 27 during takeoff from Miami en route to Orlando. According to a United official, the failure occurred after rotation, with debris exiting the tailpipe. The engine was shut down and the crew flew about 20-25 naut. mi. offshore to dump fuel, then returned for landing on two engines without further incident.
Three Latin American airlines have joined to provide the 14-year-old International AeroEngines consortium with its largest single order. San Salvador-based Grupo Taca, Chile's LanChile and TAM Brazil have placed 88 firm orders and 87 options for A319 and A320 aircraft to be powered by V2500 engines. Grupo Taca, which had already ordered 14 V2500-powered A320s, has ordered 30 additional aircraft and optioned 30 more; LanChile has ordered 20 aircraft and optioned 20 more, and TAM Brazil has ordered 38 and placed options for an additional 37.
Terry A. Graham (see photo) has been appointed executive vice president/chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, Marietta, Ga., and a vice president of the Lockheed Martin Corp. He was executive vice president/COO of the Allison Engine Co. in Indianapolis.
The Eutelsat European telecommunications organization has approved the purchase of a new digital communications satellite to meet booming demand for direct-to-home television and multimedia services. The Europesat-1 spacecraft will be built by Matra Marconi Space for launch in mid-2000 into an orbit of 29 deg. E. Long. It will be equipped with 36 transponders, two steerable antennas and one fixed antenna.
Walter Aue has been named vice president-capacity planning of American Airlines. He has been managing director of capacity planning. Aue will succeed Melvin Olsen, who is set to retire on July 1.
In the wake of late deliveries of Boeing 737-700s, Southwest Airlines will add only one new destination this year instead of two as originally planned, according to officials of the airline.
France-based Aero International Regional will be dissolved in the wake of the three participating companies' decision to terminate the proposed AIRjet regional transport. Late last year, Aerospatiale, Alenia Aerospazio and British Aerospace failed to come to agreement on the $1.2-billion program's business plan (AW&ST Dec. 15, 1997, p. 27). The three companies owned a 33.3% stake each in AIR, which was formed on Jan. 1, 1996, in an effort to streamline their regional aircraft businesses and launch a family of 58-84-seat regional jets.
Forecasts that NATO expansion would heighten friction with Russia are coming true. Moscow has affirmed plans to sell S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to the Greek Cypriots, which could reignite the long Greek-Turkish dispute over the partitioned island and upset NATO's southern flank. The risk of another Balkans war looms in the Serbian province of Kosovo, which also could draw in Greece and Turkey. Russia can thwart NATO in that arena because Moscow is in the six-nation Contact Group of the U.S. and European powers trying to curb Kosovo's growing Serbian-Albanian strife.
About 15 airlines have purchased 350 shipsets of FANS-1 upgrades for their Boeing 747-400s. The Seattle-based manufacturer expects similar FAA certification for its 757, 767 and MD-90s soon, with certification of MD-11 and updated MD-10 freighters planned. FANS (Future Air Navigation System) relies on space-based navigation and communications for air traffic control in remote regions.
