The Army Space&Missile Defense Command used the powerful ``MIRACL'' ground-based laser to illuminate the aging MSTI-3 satellite, in what the service said was a test of satellite vulnerability. However, it is not clear if all the desired data were gathered.
This swaging tool can be used for short run or high production installation or replacement of aircraft bearings. It fits standard drill presses and minimizes internal free play or torque changes due to outer ring distortion, develops full thrust capability on the swaged lip and ensures uniform swaging around the entire bearing circumference. Shafer Bearing Div., Rexnord Corp., 2400 Curtiss St., Downers Grove, Ill. 60515.
The U.S. Air Force's air intelligence agency has finished analyzing virtually all of the electronic data gathered during Desert Storm, and the information is influencing the look of a new generation of electronic warfare weapons. Along with exploring the use of computers as offensive weapons and building nonexplosive bombs to knock out electronics, the Pentagon is developing a new generation of airborne decoys.
Responding to concerns about English language proficiency standards for air traffic controllers and pilots, a House/Senate Conference Committee has approved a $500,000 addition to the FAA's Fiscal 1998 budget, earmarked for that purpose. The House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee had earlier voted for those funds, encouraging the agency to work with ICAO and the National Transportation Safety Board to develop standardized training and monitoring for English language proficiency around the world (AW&ST Sept 29, p. 46).
United Airlines will use a V-Cone Flowmeter to test bleed off from air conditioning packs in its Boeing 757, 767 and 777 aircraft at its San Francisco maintenance center. The V-Cone monitors the accuracy of existing orifice plate flowmeters, which measure flow from compressors used to simulate airflow reaching the aircraft's engine. The orifice plates become less accurate over time as they are worn by high airflows. McCrometer, 3255 W. Stetson Ave., Hewmet, Calif. 92545-7799.
Instead of traveling to a distant training center for a simulator check ride, Beech 1900 pilots could find a mobile facility complete with a full-motion simulator parked at their home base next year. TechniFlite America Inc. of Englewood, Colo., has developed a tractor trailer-based training facility with a Training Devices Inc. (TDI) Level B simulator for the Beech 1900D and a 12-seat classroom with a multimedia instructor's station. The facility will operate as an FAR Section 142 training center.
The U.S. Air Force and Army are preparing for a series of major new tests to demonstrate a more advanced laser radar sensor and other technologies involved with the new Low-Cost Autonomous Attack System (LOCAAS) air-launched smart munition. The project is being headed by the Munitions Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin AFB., Fla. Lockheed Martin Vought Systems is developing test versions of LOCAAS, while Alliant, Raytheon and Texas Instruments are involved in seeker development.
MacSema Inc. of Bend, Ore., is offering a button-sized, stand-alone computer memory that can be epoxied to aircraft components or equipment and serve as an electronic logbook. Called MiniButton, the rugged, battery-free device has up to an 8,000-byte, nonvolatile memory that can be used to record equipment history, configuration, maintenance records, parts lists or other data.
This research-quality portable wind tunnel is designed for heat-sink characterization. The Plexiglas tunnel is ideal for smoke flow visualization and allows easy access to the test specimen. The test chamber can be used for component and printed circuit board simulation is well. It can accommodate boards as large as 7 X 11 in. The tunnel's four d.c. fans can be controlled individually. Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc., 36 Jaconnet St., Newton, Mass. 02161.
The V-22 tilt-rotor is taking a bashing from congressional auditors. The General Accounting Office says despite 15 years of development, the system has not achieved stability in cost or design. As proof, the report cites flyaway cost-per-aircraft estimates that range from $40 million (contractor) to $58 million (President's budget). The problem, investigators contend, results from incomplete data on payloads, aerial refueling and downwash in the hover mode.
CoPilot 1553 is a Microsoft Windows 95 or NT-based graphical program for simulation, development, testing and monitoring of Mil-Std-1553 avionics data buses. The software can be used to control all hardware features available on Ballard 1553 interface cards. Bus controllers and remote terminals can be defined quickly and characterized, even as complex, multiterminal systems. Once the bus is running, data values may be observed and modified on the fly. Ballard Technology Inc., 3229A Pine St., Everett, Wash. 98201.
This week's summit of President Bill Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin could be the most important bilateral meeting in 25 years, U.S. China experts say. A follow-on to the summit here is scheduled for 1998 in Beijing.
This Flir zoom lens provides magnification of up to 22.5 times for 3-5 micron staring focal plane arrays in indium-antimonide (InSb) forward looking infrared devices. The zoom ratio can be used in both the super wide field of view used for navigation and detection and very narrow field of view used in long-range recognition and identification in the zoom-in position. Controp Precision Technologies Ltd., P.O. Box 611, Hod Hasharon, 45105 Israel.
The Versatile Huffer Unit is a portable air starter that can be used to start engines on H-60 and VH-60 helicopters when their own air starting systems are inoperative. It also can provide 20 kw. of 400 Hz. electrical power. The device was fabricated at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Patuxent River, Md. The VHU uses the same components as the huffer, which reduces spares requirements and eases maintenance. The VHU weighs 477 lb. fully fueled. Business Development Office, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Div., Patuxent River, Md.
AN ``INNOVATIVE WAR-FIGHTING CONCEPT'' demonstration by Eglin AFB's UAV Battle Lab will use a Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle to determine locations of ``threat emitters'' and to then transmit this information by data link to F-15s and F-16s in flight to quickly ``attack'' these targets. The demonstration is scheduled for early 1998 in New Mexico. The Hunter will be outfitted with a LR-100 ESM system, built by Litton Industries' Amecom Div., which was used for 1996 tests at the Navy's electronic warfare range at China Lake, Calif.
In spite of the controversy surrounding the launch of the Cassini spacecraft to Saturn, NASA is likely to stand firm in the use of plutonium-powered radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for planetary missions beyond Mars, where there is too little sunlight for solar power. Cassini carries three RTGs with a total of 72 lb. of plutonium ceramic. But NASA, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Energy Dept. are working on advanced RTGs that are more efficient in generating electricity with less nuclear material.
Boeing's supplier crunch is boosting Canada's aerospace industry. Both Boeing plants in the country are nearing full capacity and the Seattle-based company just awarded a $75-million contract to Bristol Aerospace, Winnipeg, to make composite parts for the 737 transport. New equipment also has been moved to manufacturing facilities formerly owned by McDonnell Douglas Canada. Boeing traditionally purchases about 10%, or $900 million, of Canada's annual aerospace exports.
The five airlines of the Star Alliance network have formally accepted a sixth member, Varig of Brazil, amidst signs of growing concern within the European Commission about the impact of such alliances on airline competition. The Star Alliance, comprising Lufthansa German Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Thai Airways International and Scandinavian Airlines System, was formed in May (AW&ST May 19, p. 27).
Formal agreements with Germany and Italy to launch a trination program to significantly enhance the capabilities of the HARM (AGM-88) antiradar missile are expected to be signed before year-end. The new version, called AGM-88D Block 6, will add a GPS navsat receiver and inertial navigation sensor (GPS/INS) to facilitate hitting the intended target if the enemy radar shuts down after missile launch. The new capability also should reduce the risk of HARM attacking a friendly radar if the intended target stops emitting.
THE FIRST TWO TORNADO GR4 aircraft are to be delivered by British Aerospace to the Royal Air Force this week, the initial installment in an upgrade program that will allow the aircraft to remain in service through 2018 or beyond.
NASA's recent award of eight contracts to supply quick-reaction spacecraft buses for space- and Earth-science missions signals a departure from the agency's traditional acquisition process. By selecting companies to build buses ahead of time, then compete for a particular application, NASA expects to obtain completed spacecraft within 18-36 months at a firm fixed price.
NASA ANNOUNCED two new spacecraft missions. The $67-million High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager will launch in 2000 to investigate solar flares. The $65-million Galaxy Evolution Explorer will launch in 2001 to explore the origins of galaxies and stars.
THE DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY is funding the USAF's Rome Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley to develop the computer-aided design environment for modeling single-chip radio architectures. The three-year effort is funded at $3.7 million.
