Structures expert Nicholas J. Hoff died on Aug. 4 at Stanford University, at age 91. He received the Daniel Guggenheim medal in 1984 for his contributions to the theory and practice of structural design, among other awards. Born in Magyarovar, Hungary, he emigrated to the U.S. in 1939, and researched aluminum reinforced monocoque structures at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and worked on the Atlas, Polaris, Poseidon, Saturn, and Apollo rocket programs, as well as serving in a number of advisory and consultant roles.
Not long ago, the most wondrous thing about the general aviation industry in the U.S. was that it wasn't dead yet. How quickly matters change! Now, ``gen av'' is on the brink of a new and promising era. Despite the naysayers and prophets of doom who continue to predict its demise, the light plane industry is emerging from the ``Dark Ages'' of the 1980s and 1990s, headed into a 21st Century renaissance. And nowhere was that transition more evident than at the Experimental Aircraft Assn.'s 45th Annual Convention and Sport Aircraft Exhibition (see p. 22).
Pilots gathered at Oshkosh last week were elated to learn that Washington nixed aviation user fees in its tax cut/budget balancing act. What's more, beginning on Oct. 1, all the aviation fuel taxes would go to the Airports and Airways Trust Fund. Currently, of 19.3 cents per gal. on aviation fuel, 4.3 cents is allotted to deficit reduction. Without that deduction, taxes on fuel, cargo waybills and airline tickets are projected to generate about $34 billion for the trust fund during the next 5 years.
The U.S. government will provide $750 million to extend the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) system to San Francisco International Airport. The long-sought extension is part of a $1.2-billion, full-funding grant by the Federal Transit Administration that will add four stations and almost 9 mi. of track to the commuter rail system. The BART station will connect to the airport's internal rail transit system and is being built jointly with a new international terminal.
To buy eight Mi-17-1 transport helicopters and 12 Su-30 aircraft with the potential for eight more. The deal is estimated to be worth $650 million for Russia's defense industry. The move to Russian equipment follows U.S. congressional objections to Indonesia's human rights record, which led to Jakarta's cancellation of a proposed buy of nine Lockheed Martin F-16s. Late last month, the U.K.'s new Labour government set tougher criteria for arms exports, saying they would be barred if the weapons were likely to be used for internal repression.
Pan American World Airways has tapped British Aerospace Aviation Services to perform heavy maintenance on its fleet of Airbus Industrie A300B4s for three years. Work under the $60-million contract will be carried out at British Aerospace Aviation Services' facilities in Filton, U.K.
Molecular OptoElectronics, Watervliet, N,Y., is developing a new, broadband active sensor technology that covers a wide section of electromagnetic spectrum from the mid-infrared (8-micron) through millimeter-wave bands, including the terahertz region in between. Commercial applications--still far down the road--could include single-sensor enhanced vision systems for aircraft cockpits and military use.
On why the Adeos-1 advanced Earth-observing satellite failed, Japan's National Space Development Agency has rescheduled the launch of its Comets communication and broadcasting engineering satellite, shifting it from August to sometime during its winter schedule in January/February. Comets uses systems that were common to Adeos.
Sandia National Laboratories chief Paul Robinson was in town showing his wares. His researchers have begun using differential synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to make detailed terrain maps in any weather. They have developed an advanced manufacturing system that uses a laser and a plastic solution to make 3-D maps from the SAR images within minutes. The thin, rubbery maps can be folded and stored inside a wetsuit or pocket without distortion and have already been used by special operations troops.
Officials from the Krasnoyarsk Territory of Russia were in town last week promoting a new air route from North America to Asia over the North Pole and Siberia. The new routes could save 3 hr. on flights from Washington to Singapore, according to Krasnoyarsk's Gov. Valery Zubov. For communications over the pole, Russia plans to launch new mobile communications satellites that aircraft could use to transmit their GPS- and Glonass-derived positions. But he says resolving technical issues to open the routes for scheduled airline service could take 3-4 years.
Continental Airlines will get greater access to destinations in Hawaii through its new marketing alliance with Hawaiian Airlines. When the pact takes effect Oct. 1, Continental will be able to tie its marketing in with Hawaiian's 12 daily wide-body services between the island state and the mainland U.S. The pact also should boost traffic feed for Hawaiian and Guam-based Continental Micronesia, which is included in the alliance.
Freighter crashed on takeoff from Miami International Aug. 7, killing the three crewmembers and a security guard on board. Miami-based Fine Air's Flight 101A, operated under lease for another company, was set to carry roughly 80,000 lb. of textiles to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The aircraft took off from Miami's Runway 27 Right. Shortly after it lifted off, a firefighter at the airport and other eyewitnesses reported, the aircraft pitched up to a steep angle, banked from side to side and plunged back to the ground.
Photograph: DASA last month tested the A340-500/600's low-speed flight characteristics with this 1:23.5-scale model in the company's wind tunnel. Airbus Industrie has finalized agreements with two A340-500/600 launch customers--Air Canada and Virgin Atlantic Airways--and the consortium's supervisory board is now ready to authorize go-ahead for the ultra-long-range transports within the next few weeks.
British Airways estimates last month's three-day strike by cabin crew will cost the airline 125 million pounds ($204 million) in lost revenues. Both sides are now trying to negotiate a settlement in the dispute over pay and cost-cutting measures. Profits are also under threat from the continuing strength of the pound sterling. Operating profits in the first quarter, which ended June 30, were down 60% from last year as the strong pound reduced profits at BA by 77 million pounds ($125.5 million).
Sandia National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif., has developed a software program that tracks the progress and status of components and subassemblies as they advance through the manufacturing process. The aim is to use object-based technology to build a lightweight, platform-independent alternative to cumbersome paper-based manufacturing systems which also can be used by small to medium businesses, according to Jack O'Connor, senior technical staff member.
Officials have begun evaluation flights on the Bombardier Global Express, moving the ultra-long-haul business jet closer to its planned May certification. As of mid-July, the flight and certification test fleet of three Global Express jets had accumulated more than 560 flight hours in almost 200 flights. A fourth aircraft is scheduled to be added to the test fleet in September. The $32-million Global Express has a projected range of up to 6,700 naut. mi. During the test program, aircraft No. 9001 has reached speeds of Mach 0.96 and flown up to 9.4-hr. legs.
Photograph: Hollow diamond wing configurations provide more locations for control surfaces and more flexibility in their arrangements. Lockheed Martin is seeking international partners to develop a family of transport/tanker aircraft for the 21st century. ``The next-generation aircraft has to be built in a world partnership,'' said Richard G. Kirkland, vice president for market development at Lockheed Martin's Aeronautical Systems Div.
PGA Portugalia Airlines took delivery last month of the second of four Embraer EMB-145 aircraft on order as it moves to establish itself as a major regional carrier on the Iberian Peninsula. The independent Portuguese airline, established in 1990, has converted options on another two EMB-145s into firm orders. Two more Embraer twinjets will be delivered in the fall and the remaining two next spring when the airline will have a total fleet of six EMB-145s and six Fokker 100s.
A single chip with impressive capabilities to detect the relative motion of objects and uses colors to interpret direction and velocity. BEV Stockplus invented the chip that it calls a generic visual perception processor. The design is modeled on the processing carried out in the eye and the visual cortex of the brain. Rather than relying on a large amount of digital signal processing, simpler algorithms are used in the chip to detect motion in any direction designated by the operator. Inputs to the chip can be images from a video camera, Flir or radar.
Photograph: The Cessna CBI private pilot program's Management Module fulfills FAR Part 141 reporting requirements and allows the instructor to monitor a student's progress. Computer-based instruction aimed at the fledgling private pilot is scheduled to become available in the spring of 1998. Cessna Aircraft Co., at the EAA's 45th annual convention, outlined its plan to bring CBI to the entry-level pilot via its 350 Cessna Pilot Training Centers in the U.S. The offering, according to Russell W.
A British Regional Airlines senior pilot made a safe emergency landing at Manchester airport after a landing gear malfunction on a British Aerospace ATP. The eight-year-old twin-turboprop, one of 15 ATPs operated by British Regional under a franchise agreement with British Airways, departed from Manchester for Knock, Ireland, with 66 passengers and a crew of four at 5 p.m. on Aug. 3. Shortly after takeoff, cockpit warning lights indicated a fault in the left landing gear as the wheels had not locked into the retract position.
Photograph: The rise of fractional ownership programs for business jets such as the Bombardier Global Express is helping to fuel new sales. A two-year ``golden age'' of business jet sales is continuing with deliveries up more than 40% in the first six months of 1997. Better yet, sales are expected to remain strong for several more years. Manufacturers delivered 184 business jets in the first half of 1997, compared to 130 for the corresponding period last year, according to John Lawson, president of sales for Bombardier Business Aircraft.
