Late last week, U.S. Air Force, Army and Civil Air Patrol teams were still searching for a USAF A-10 Thunderbolt believed to have gone down Apr. 2 in rugged terrain southwest of Vail, Colo. The missing aircraft had strayed almost 600 mi. from its intended destination, the Barry M. Goldwater training range in southwestern Arizona. Why the pilot broke from a three-aircraft formation and flew a nearly straight-line route across Arizona and well into Colorado remained a mystery.
The Twin Flex Wrench features a handle with swivel blocks at both ends, allowing it to hold two different sizes or types of attachments simultaneously. The tool can accommodate sockets of different sizes, a crawfoot wrench end or an extra-long socket that can be used as a handle. The attachments allow the Twin Flex Wrench to be used as a flare nut wrench, breaker bar, crank or speed handle. The tool, available in 1/2 in. and 3/4 in. drives, is made of 4140 chrome alloy steel. Wright Tool Co., 1 Wright Drive, P.O. Box 512, Barberton, Ohio 44203.
Navigation From A to Z is designed to prepare pilots for navigating with state-of-the-art avionics such as GPS receivers, moving maps and integrated displays. The training video reviews traditional navigation techniques and technologies such as dead reckoning and VORs, providing information that is useful to pilots at all levels, then goes on to explore GPS, flight management systems and other sophisticated equipment. King Schools, 3840 Calle Fortunada, San Diego, Calif. 92123.
THE FIRST BOEING 737-300 for Kenya Airways was delivered last month, to be operated by the 20-year-old carrier on regional routes. Kenya Airways has two more -300s on order. With the order, Boeing has sold more than 1,100 -300s and logged 3,710 orders among all versions of the 737.
Dassault Falcon Jet, Teterboro, N.J., is making its Computer Assisted Troubleshooting System (CATS) available on CD-ROM for personal computers. Originally designed for in-house Help Desk use, CATS uses case-based reasoning and probability of failure rates to aid maintenance troubleshooting and suggest the most likely solution. It quickly reviews symptoms of a malfunction and develops a list of suspect components, according to Tim Barbosa, CATS program coordinator.
An aircraft dedicated to short-run cargo feed, capable of carrying six tons of containerized freight, has been designed by a Reston, Va., company, American Utilicraft Corp. In blueprint, the FF-1080 Freight Feeder, a twin-turboprop at 32,000-lb. gross weight, will carry six standard industry freight containers over a typical feed run of 400 naut. mi., with IFR reserves, taking off from runways as short as 3,000 ft. At maximum range, the aircraft is designed to carry four tons of containerized freight more than 1,500 naut. mi. Engine selection is expected shortly.
Dan R. Bannister has been appointed chairman and Paul V. Lombardi president/chief executive officer of DynCorp., Reston, Va. Bannister, who was CEO, succeeds Herbert S. Wino- kur, who is retiring. Lombardi was chief operating officer.
EUROCONTROL HAS SELECTED Raytheon Cossor to supply a pre-operational European Mode S (POEMS) secondary surveillance radar system. The POEMS system will be used to validate Eurocontrol's specifications for the Mode S ground station, including its ground-air data link capability and the ability to form a network with other Mode S stations. The Raytheon Cossor system is to be employed in southern England, and is networked with similar stations that Eurocontrol will procure for Germany and France.
French aviation authority DGAC has ordered seven additional InVision CTX5000 explosives detection systems. They are to be installed at major French airports as part of an effort to boost security. Late last year, DGAC ordered a first batch of five CTX5000 systems. Total value of the two orders is $11.6 million.
CNES FRENCH SPACE AGENCY and CNRS French national scientific research center have utilized for the first time long-duration infrared montgolfier balloons to observe the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer in the Arctic. The balloons are part of a 20-flight campaign using both montgolfier and open stratospheric balloons organized in conjunction with Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies, the Swedish Space Corp.
Bombardier-built regional aircraft captured a 42% share of the world's 20- to 90-seat regional transport in 1996, according to the Downsview, Ontario-based Bombardier Regional Aircraft division. During the year, there were 71 orders for the Dash 8 twin turboprop out of a total world order book of 201 sold by seven manufacturers. The Canadair Regional Jet captured 60 of 113 orders for regional jet transports between 40- and 90-seats in size. In addition, Bombardier received conditional orders and options for 143 Dash 8 and Regional Jet transports.
Clinton remains undecided about arms sales to Latin America, but suggests how he is framing the issue. Citing the border dispute between Peru and Ecuador, he said the first priority was lowering tensions between Washington's allies in Latin America. As for arms export policy, he takes as a given that ``all the militaries there have to continue to modernize their forces. So the question is . . . [how] to help the modernization process in a way that will not spark an arms race. That's how the line has to be drawn.''
The Permaglass 100 Series self-adhesive patch system is designed for repairing damaged cargo liners in aircraft holds. The patches form an instant repair. The process involves simply cleaning the area to be repaired, peeling off the backing and pressing the patch in place. The repair system meets FAR 25.885, Appendix F, Part 3 Amendment 25-60 and JAR 25.855, Appendix F, Part 3, Change 12. The patches are available in 6 in. X 6 in. and 12 in. X 12 in. sizes. Permali Gloucester Ltd., Bristol Road, Gloucester GL1 5TT, England.
SUITABLY EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT crossing the North Atlantic were allowed to use vertical separations of 1000 ft. starting Mar. 26, which permits more aircraft to use the more efficient altitudes. The change only affects aircraft operating between Flight Level 330 (33,000 ft.) and FL 370. Previously, 2,000-ft. vertical separation was required for aircraft flying above FL 290. To take advantage of the new Reduced Vertical Separation Minima requirements, an aircraft must be certified to have equipment that can measure and maintain altitude more accurately.
Richard Cardin has been appointed senior vice president-planning and development and Gus Whitcomb director of corporate communications of Greenwich Air Services of Miami. Cardin was a consultant in corporate organizational development. Whitcomb held the same position with America West Airlines.
The NHI-15164 Personal Computer Enhanced Terminal can serve as an interface between a Mil-Std-1553/1760/A3818 bus and any desktop or laptop computer equipped with an enhanced parallel port. The hand-held interface allows the computer to function as a bus controller, bus monitor, remote terminal or concurrently as a remote terminal and bus monitor. The NHI-15164 weighs 1 lb. and comes with a 9-v. rechargeable battery that will provide 21/2 hr. of field operation. A 9-v. d.c. adapter can be used in the lab. National Hybrid Inc., 2200 Smithtown Ave., Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
JOHN D. MORROCCOCarole A. Shifrin contributed to this article.
Meggitt is seeking to grow through ``bolt-on'' acquisitions now that restructuring efforts and new product developments at the aerospace, electronics and controls manufacturer have begun to pay off.
The latest images from the Galileo spacecraft suggest that Jupiter's moon Europa has large amounts of liquid water, that it has an ice crust only 1-2 km. thick and that there are internal volcanic heat sources.
Meanwhile, Pentagon budget chief John J. Hamre predicts that the F-22, F/A-18E/F and the Joint Strike Fighter will all survive in the current budget cycle. He does expect ``departures'' from the procurement programs originally envisioned by the Pentagon, though. He warns, ``We are not modernizing at anywhere near the pace required to replenish our capital stock.'' Look for Cohen and others to make the case for holding defense spending to at least 3% of gross domestic product. It's hovering around 3.2% now but is likely to drop to 2.9% by 1999, Hamre says.
THE IRISH AVIATION AUTHORITY AND ARINC plan HF data link (HFDL) tests in the North Atlantic installing a ground station with modem at the HF radio facilities located near Shannon. Approximately 80% of the North Atlantic traffic passes through the Shanwick flight information region. Eventually, HFDL is expected to be used for ADS, but one major airline believes earlier benefits for airline operations control will justify the installation expense. HFDL service is slated to commence between the West Coast of the U.S.
Kimberly Aerospace, Bellevue, Wash., is beginning a turnkey project management service to oversee aircraft retrofit projects and installation of buyer-furnished equipment on new transports. Leaner airline staffs, the trend to outsourcing and the increased number of aircraft being acquired on operating leases is driving the new service, according to Rod Brown, vice president sales and marketing. Shorter aircraft delivery cycle times, the rapid increase in aircraft deliveries and complexity of in-flight entertainment systems also are factors.
As airlines and repair stations wrestle with cutting costs and preserving the quality of their maintenance, industry officials agree that the most efficient way to repair and overhaul aircraft remains the same: do the job right the first time. ``If you do it once and do it right, maintenance doesn't become a safety problem and a reliability problem,'' said Anthony Ristuccia, a former Trans World Airlines maintenance base chief at John F. Kennedy International Airport and currently a consultant with The Reston Group in Camden, Maine.
Last May's ValuJet crash in the Everglades jolted the air transport industry with tragic reminders of the ultimate price of inadequate maintenance oversight. Subsequent investigations have highlighted common and chronic problems in the quality of repair and overhaul work and its oversight. This week, Aviation Week&Space Technology examines some of those problems and the steps that airlines, third-party maintenance contractors, and the regulators at the FAA are--or should be--taking to correct those shortcomings.
