Photograph: The ACeS regional system, to be launched next year, will be the first to offer cellular services from geostationary satellites. While billion-dollar cluster satellites capture the industry's imagination, the day of the national or regional system is hardly over. In the vast expanse from India to Oceana, big and small Asia-Pacific nations are using satellites to help them gain the kind of communications infrastructure that the West takes for granted.
Agency is funding NewMonics Inc. of Ames, Iowa, under a $1.3-million contract to extend its real-time software for a variety of military applications, which could include data communications, telecommunications and missile guidance systems. The company's new real-time Java software--Portable Executive for Reliable Control (PERC)--is used to develop software for embedded systems. It gives embedded-Java developers more precise control of central processors and memory.
Malcolm R. Currie, former chairman/chief executive officer of the Hughes Aircraft Co., has become chairman of the board of directors of Constellation Communications Inc., Reston, Va. He succeeds Bruce D. Kraselsky.
Asia has become the top market for U.S. aerospace industry exports. Today, U.S. sales to Asian customers currently represent 13% of total industry sales and 41% of U.S. exports, according to the Washington-based Aerospace Industries Assn. Before 1993, Europe was the U.S. aerospace industry's largest export partner, David Vadas, director of AIA's research center, said. However, over the past four years U.S. sales to Asia have averaged $1 billion higher per year than those to the European Union. In 1996, U.S.
Alberto F. Fernandez has been appointed chairman/chief executive officer of Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. (CASA) of Spain. He succeeds Raul Herranz. Fernandez was senior vice president-administration and finance of Airbus Industrie.
Said the company is accepting orders for its OE-600 aluminum block V-8 engine pending final certification by Transport Canada and the FAA later this year. The 600-hp., liquid-cooled Orenda powerplant already has received a $20-million order for 140 engines from Stevens Aviation in Greenville, S.C. Stevens is the sole North American supplier of a Supplemental Type Certificate currently under development by Orenda. It would replace PT6 turboprop engines in older Beech King Air aircraft with the more powerful OE-600.
Steven R. Loranger has been appointed president of AlliedSignal Engines of Phoenix. He was president of AlliedSignal Automotive's Truck Brake Systems. Loranger succeeds Greg Summe, who has been promoted to president of the AlliedSignal Automotive Products Group.
Nine orders for full flight simulators from Boeing, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. A 737-700 simulator will be operated by the recently created joint venture FlightSafety Boeing Training International. Delta has ordered one 737-200, one new-generation 737 and two Boeing 767-300/300ER/400 simulators for delivery beginning by mid-1998. Delta also placed orders for eight flight training devices for its Boeing fleet. The order from American is for two 737-800, one 777-200 IGW and one 767-300 simulators. Deliveries are to begin in mid-1998.
Photograph: Bell 204B sets air conditioners precisely in position on a factory rooftop in El Segundo, Calif. Turn time for each of the 3,000-lb. units averaged about 1 min. Airlift Construction Services is experiencing increasing demand for heavy-lift helicopters due to its low cost structure and a strengthening Southern California economy. The two-year-old firm, based in Long Beach, operates similarly to so-called ``virtual'' companies to effectively compete in the cyclical heavy-lift market, according to Glenn J. Smith, owner and chief pilot.
Was sworn in as the 14th administrator of the FAA on Aug. 4, filling a spot vacated by David R. Hinson on Nov. 9, 1996. Barry L. Valentine, assistant administrator for policy, planning and international aviation, had been acting administrator of the FAA since January, 1997. Prior to being named to her new post, Garvey was acting administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, where she served as deputy administrator from April, 1993, to February, 1997. Before that, she served as director of Boston's Logan International Airport.
Photograph: Two highly elliptical orbital planes would cover northern hemisphere. Others would cover the southern and equatorial regions. Orbital Sciences Corp. will design and build the first-generation Ellipso mobile communications satellites and invest in the ``Big LEO'' network's developer, Mobile Communications Holdings Inc. (MCHI). The contract, announced last week, is worth at least $400 million, the companies said. It includes possible roles for Orbital in providing launch services and manufacturing handsets for the system.
Photograph: Chart: AIR TRANSPORT The Accident Aircraft Boeing 747-3B5 Registration: HL-7468 Fleet No.: 605 Delivered: Dec. 12, 1984 Powerplants: Four Pratt&Whitney JT9D-7R4G2s Hours: 49,526 Cycles: 8,340 Last week's crash of a Korean Air 747-300 may spur safety investigators to scrutinize the U.S. FAA's design and maintenance of instrument approach courses to airports as well as the training and performance of the airline's flight crews. The Aug.
An-30 twin-turboprop aircraft equipped with aerial cameras was allowed to photograph launch pads at the U.S. Air Force Cape Canaveral Air Station and Patrick AFB, Fla., Aug. 1, under the U.S./Russian Open Skies agreement. The Russian photography included the USAF Launch Complex 40-41 facility where a Titan 4A booster is being prepared for the launch of a National Reconnaissance Office/Hughes sigint/elint spacecraft by late August or early September. For its Aug.
Illustration: Chart: BOEING COMPANY ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Newly merged Boeing and McDonnell Douglas last week began operations as the world's largest aerospace company, promising few layoffs while instituting major organizational and management restructuring. Full integration of the two huge aerospace manufacturers is scheduled to be completed next year. The combined entity has 220,000 employees, although a planned merger of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, if successful, could soon eclipse it in total number of employees and revenue.
Theunis J.P. Botha has been appointed president of Coltec Industries' Walbar Metals unit, Peabody, Mass. He was managing director of Standard Aero. Gerry Kouverianos has been named vice president/general manager of Coltec Industries' Menasco Aerospace facility, Euless, Tex. He was vice president-engineering. Robert J. Kanaskie has become manager of the Walbar Metals unit, Hodges, S.C. He succeeds Lou Melograna, who has left the company. Kanaskie was operations manager of the Peabody facility.
Photograph: Nine pairs of UV runway lights are clearly visible with FogEye sensor (facing page), in sharp contrast to the three fuzzy pairs that are disappearing in the fog when seen with the unaided eye (above). Ultraviolet sensors, largely ignored in the past, show promise for relatively low-cost, passive, enhanced vision systems that could let pilots see runway lights through fog, heavy rain and snow at least 3.4 times the range of the unaided eye.
Boeing has developed an upgraded, hinged overwing exit for the 737 transport that automatically deploys once triggered by a single handle. First installations on the 737-700 are scheduled to begin this month pending FAA and European certification authority approval. Advantages of the door, which retains its ``plug'' design, include significantly faster and easier operation, according to Harry Arnold, executive vice president of engineering for Boeing Commercial Airplane Group family.
Mark C. Steinman, senior vice president/chief financial officer of Spar Aerospace Ltd. of Toronto, will also be acting chief executive officer of subsidiary Comstream Corp. He succeeds Fred Lawrence, who has left the company.
Photograph: Hughes engineer checks SeaWiFS sensor. Orbital Sciences launched SeaStar on Aug. 1, placing into orbit the first privately owned multispectral imaging satellite. SeaStar, also known as OrbView-2, is being operated by Orbimage, the Earth-imaging services subsidiary of Orbital Sciences, and will supply scientific and commercial customers. While owned by Orbital Sciences, it was funded by a contract from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, using quasi-commercial principles (AW&ST Oct. 2, 1995, p. 46).
With U.S. Defense Dept. procurement spending continuing to slide, as it has since the late 1980s, some Wall Street analysts are beginning to conclude that a meaningful increase probably won't materialize in the foreseeable future.
Gerhard Schulmeyer, president/chief executive officer of Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme, has been appointed to the board of trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
German Maj. Gen. Manfred Eisele, the U.N.'s assistant secretary-general for planning and support of peacekeeping, says his organization still struggles with ill-trained and ill-equipped troops. Some nations just don't understand that simply supplying a general officer will not position them to be the lead nation in a peacekeeping mission, he told a reporters' breakfast.
China Great Wall Industry Corp.'s premier heavy-lift launcher, the Long March-3B, is to return to service, probably Aug. 10, with the launch of a Space Systems/Loral FS-1300 direct broadcast communications satellite for Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corp.
