TOP OFFICIALS FROM SPACE agencies involved in the international space station project are planning to meet in Tokyo on May 31 to discuss the program's new schedule and other details. The meeting will help set the stage for a formal intergovernmental agreement on the station to be signed by President Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and other members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations when the G-7 meets in Denver in June.
Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright recently spoke at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on ``American Principle and Purpose in East Asia.'' Among the topics she addressed was concern about China's growing economic and military power (see p. 68). Excerpts from her talk, the 1997 Forrestal Lecture, follow.
Gary Pulliam (see photo) has been promoted to general manager of business management for space technology applications from principal director of government operations, in the Washington office of the Aerospace Corp. He succeeds Dwight Abbott, who is now general manager of the Systems Engineering Div. of the Engineering and Technology Group, El Segundo, Calif. Kenneth Holden (see photo) has been promoted to principal director of the Electronics Engineering and Evaluation Subdivision of the Electronic Systems Div. from systems director of Titan avionics.
More than a year after the crash of ValuJet Flight 592 in Florida, the FAA plans to mandate the presence of fire detection and extinguishing systems in the cargo compartments of all U.S. airline aircraft, and is forming a special team to strengthen its certification and oversight of new carriers.
The ADAS 5000 Automated Data Acquisition System is an integrated end-to-end data acquisition system that can automate test and measurement activities. It provides signal conditioning, analog-to-digital conversion, data storage and data distribution. Its universal signal conditioning amplifier can plug into any type of transducer. Other features include automatic limit checking, continuous self-calibration and self-test, system throughput of up to 16 million samples/sec. and an open system architecture.
Mark Dunkerley, British Airways manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is to become Miami-based general manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. He will succeed David Evans, who has moved to the U.K. to become managing director of British Airways Regional.
EnSight 6.0 is a postprocessing system that allows engineers to perform large-scale visualizations using a graphical user interface. The program accelerates data extraction and allows users to perform such functions as particle tracing, plane clipping and data querying. Its distributed architecture allows models containing millions of nodes, and multiple server processes or cases can be controlled by one client. Computational Engineering International, P.O. Box 14306, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709.
THE FRENCH LAGARDERE GROUP and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) late last week concluded a far-reaching strategic alliance. The two companies agreed to form Matra Marconi/DASA-Dornier (MMDD), a joint space subsidiary, with combined sales estimated at $2.7 billion a year. Lagardere and DASA will be equal partners in MMDD which will comprise Matra Marconi Space and DASA's space businesses. In addition, Matra BAe Dynamics, a Lagardere-British Aerospace tactical missile joint subsidiary, will acquire a 30% stake in LFK, DASA's missile affiliate.
Schweizer Aircraft has certified a new version of its Model 330 light turbine helicopter aimed at law enforcement applications. Called the 330SP, the 3-place helicopter incorporates a larger main rotor hub and blades, high-skid landing gear, and other upgrades. Performance improvements include a 13% increase in maximum cruise speed to 104 kt. and 17% increase in maximum specific range, according to Paul H. Schweizer, executive vice president of the Elmira, N.Y.-based manufacturer.
A proprietary process using a copper-based etchant allows Photofabrication Engineering Inc. to etch exotic materials including pure titanium and zircaloid/ zirconium alloy. The process offers an alternative to fine-machining of titanium parts. It also can be used for other applications requiring noncorrosive metal parts. Photofabrication Engineering Inc., 500 Fortune Drive, Milford, Mass. 01757.
The first titanium matrix composite (TMC) aircraft component is expected to fly in the No. 5 F-22 test aircraft, according to officials of the consortium that is developing the high-temperature, high-strength materials.
Just how much does an airport contribute to the local economy? The typical employment impact of an airport ranges from 750-2,000 ``direct'' workers per million passengers, depending on hubbing, domestic-to-international traffic mix and other factors, according to data from the Geneva, Switzerland-based Air Transportation Action Group. Modern, efficient airports also are critical in attracting new businesses and investment.
Republic's A-10 Thunderbolt 2: A Pictorial History by Don Logan features hundreds of color photos of the close air support aircraft that was conceived during the Vietnam war but was not combat-tested until the Persian Gulf war nearly a quarter century later. The book also features a history of the tank killer, photos of the Fairchild and Northrop prototypes built under the AX program, unit patches and diagrams. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 77 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, Pa. 19310.
A joint venture of Boeing Enterprises, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace and CSA Czech Airlines is expected to become a strategic partner of Aero Vodochody, the Czech builder of L-39 and L-59 jet trainers and L-159 light attack aircraft.
The FAA may propose a rule to require airlines to outfit cargo compartments with fire suppression equipment--not just smoke detectors. Aviation Daily, a McGraw-Hill Companies newsletter, reports that, while the proposal hasn't been given a green light just yet, FAA studies indicate the benefit would justify such a rule. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that step nine years ago. Last November, airlines said they would voluntarily install smoke detectors, but didn't promise extinguishers.
The HAC-47-3 is an advanced composite replacement for the Bell Model 47 helicopter's tail rotor. The graphite and Kevlar blade, which has a maximum life of 4,000 hr. versus the original equipment's 2,400 hr., is built under an FAA Parts Manufacturer's Approval and is approved for use on the Model 47 under a Supplementary Type Certificate. It incorporates an airfoil developed for helicopters by NASA and a swept-back tip design. H.A.C. Inc., 1124 Ainsworth, Pasco, Wash. 99301.
European Space Agency's approval of an extension to the ESA/NASA SOHO mission and a reflight of ESA's Cluster mission promise to ensure the most comprehensive study ever attempted of the Sun-Earth system--provided ESA's partners, in particular NASA, come up with their part of the funding.
At least 77 times last year, commercial aircraft were involved in ``near misses'' in African airspace, according to a volunteer survey of airlines and pilots conducted by the Air Line Pilots' Assn.-South Africa.
James E. Murphy has become vice president/treasurer of the Sabre Group Inc. of Fort Worth. He was vice president-North American sales and service for the Sabre Travel Information Network. John S. Stow, who was president/chief executive officer of Encompass, will succeed Murphy.
What do Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) and Rep. Larry Combest (R.-Tex.) have in common politically with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D.-N.Y.) and Rep. Lee Hamilton (D.-Ind.)? More than you might think. The four joined to introduce bills last week aimed at curbing government secrecy. They would require all classified documents to bear the name of the official who ordered them classified, as well as the justification.
William C. Kessler has been named vice president affordability processes and policy for Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems. He was director of manufacturing for the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
New 737 sales logged by Boeing in April included an order for 10 -400s from Aeroflot and two -500s from Maersk Air of Denmark. Deliveries of the $440-million Aeroflot order are scheduled to start next April, with handover of all 10 of the 131-passenger, two-class transports completed by February, 1999. Maersk's order for two -500s is valued at $72 million, with deliveries planned in September and October, 1998.
