The pilot and scientist who pioneered human factors studies and applied those ideas to Northwest Airlines has concerns for the future role of pilots in an increasingly more automated world. H. Clayton Foushee, Northwest's vice president for flight operations, said next-generation aircraft are likely to usher in a new era of technology and automation that could alter the pilot's traditional role.
The PA series of high-reliability potentiometers is designed for a wide range of aerospace applications. The 1-w pots are available in resistance values of 1,000-100,000 ohms with a variety of mounting and shaft options. The devices meet the environmental requirements of Mil-R-39023 and Mil-S-3786. Units can be built to customer specifications with up to three concentric shafts and are available with integral on/off push-pull switch functions. Janco Corp., 3111 Winona Ave., Burbank, Calif. 91504.
Rolls-Royce is set to increase its visibility in the U.S. military market by transferring assembly and support of the T-45 Goshawk's F405 Adour engine from its Military Engine Business in Bristol, England, to its Allison subsidiary in Indianapolis. ``Moving assembly and support of the F405 to Indianapolis means that we will be able to respond more quickly to our customer's needs,'' Mike Hudson, president of Allison Engines, said.
The use of Level D flight simulators, programmable, interactive learning stations and the development of Advanced Qualification Programs for business aircraft is expected to put training for the Gulfstream 5 and the Bombardier Global Express on a par with major airlines.
Robert Cozzi has been appointed executive vice president/chief operating officer of Duane and Associates, Coral Gables, Fla. He was senior vice president-marketing and planning for Trans World Airlines.
The FS-8718 is an 18-slot, 6U, VME ruggedized computer/workstation enclosure. It meets Mil-Std-810E, 901D and 167/1 shock and vibration standards for severe environments. It also meets Mil-Std-461C electromagnetic interference requirements. The FS-8718 can be configured for desktop or rack mounting. A hinged front door provides access to VME printed circuit boards. An optional security interlock for the front door prevents other panels from being removed when the front panel is closed. Cooling fans can be placed in the front, rear or sides of the unit.
Aracon is a metal-clad aramid fiber for electrical interconnect systems. It combines the strength of Kevlar with the electrical properties of metal coatings. The material has greater flexibility than copper and weighs as much as 60% less. Aracon was developed for electromagnetic shielding of cables and wiring harnesses, signal conductors and static control. The Kevlar base fiber provides low creep under stress, high resistance to tensile fatigue and maintains its strength at extremely high and low temperatures. DuPont, P.O. Box 80705, Wilmington, Del. 19980-0705.
Raul Leal has become manager of international sales and Fred Escheu manager of aircraft support and service sales for the Aircraft Services Div. of Atlantic Aviation, Wilmington, Del. Frank J. DeNiso, Jr., has been promoted to modification operations manager from aircraft project manager.
Strong disagreement over pay for pilots flying a future low-fare service at American Airlines is a major stumbling block in negotiations with the Allied Pilots Assn. and could trigger a strike against the carrier.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has unveiled a new corporate identity for its aircraft, ground equipment and vehicles, ticket jackets, uniforms, ticket counters, signs and publications. The new image's colors--royal blue and turquoise, beige and gold--will replace the white and green markings of its current corporate identity. Airline officials said the royal blue and turquoise symbolize the coral reefs and deep water of the Red Sea, and the beige, the dunes. It is scheduled to be repainted over the next few years as part of the fleet overhaul program.
A wide-ranging effort by Airbus Industrie to improve cockpit crew interaction with automated systems is focusing more on practical know-how and less on academic knowledge. ``A pragmatic approach to automation is a key element in our training,'' Pierre Baud, senior vice president-training and flight operations support, said.
Aerospace training is striving to keep pace with today's increasingly complex aircraft, spawned by rapid technological advances and a corresponding move toward increased automation. At the same time, air forces, airlines and manufacturers are grappling with the question of how to provide training for even more sophisticated, next-generation aircraft, a number of which will be in evidence at the Farnborough air show this week.
Russian industry is developing several new approaches to flight simulation that seek to reduce operating costs as well as support the latest generation of military aircraft, such as the thrust-vectoring Su-37.
John Rampy (see photos), executive director of the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, Tullahoma, Tenn., and AEDC engineering specialist James Jacocks have been inducted as AEDC Fellows. Rampy was honored for his leadership at the center and Jacocks for his contributions to enhancing its flight simulation capabilities.
Despite failures in its first three intercept tests, Lockheed Martin Corp. chief Norman R. Augustine remains confident that Thaad, the Theater High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, will be a success. Augustine says the problems behind each of the failures of the system his company is developing for the Army--a software flaw, malfunction in a lanyard that held components together and an apparent problem with the seeker's electronics--can be corrected.
FAA Administrator David R. Hinson has approved a comprehensive transition plan that would terminate most existing ground-based navigation aids by 2010 and make the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) the nation's primary source of guidance for aircraft. The plan calls for the U.S. to phase out operation of Omega and Loran-C transmitters by 2000. VOR stations, non-directional beacons and instrument landing systems, which have been in widespread use since the late 1940s, would gradually be eliminated during the 10-year transition period.
Worldwide market opportunities for ``severe environment'' flat- panel displays could approach $4 billion from 1997-2005, according to a study conducted by an industry-led group, the U.S. Display Consortium of San Jose, Calif. Special flat-panel display needs include ruggedized, wide-viewing angle and unique aspect ratio displays, according to an ``industry road map'' developed by USDC's military and avionics user group. More than 50 weapons platforms were identified for potential retrofit and new flat-panel display applications.
Former astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr. (see photo) has been appointed to the board of directors of Ashtech Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. He is president of Lovell Communications.
The ASD-944/883 analog/digital converter meets requirements of Mil-Std-883. The 14-bit, 5-MHz. sampling device guarantees no missing codes to the 14-bit level over a range of -55-125C. The unit offers a 76 dB. signal-to-noise ratio and -77 dB. total harmonic distortion. It is housed in a 32-pin, hermetically sealed ceramic housing. Typical power consumption is 2.95w. Applications include focal plane array and charged-coupled device imaging, digital communications, radar and sonar. Datel Inc., 11 Cabot Blvd., Mansfield, Mass. 02048.
Airloc 2 quick-operating, quarter-turn fasteners are designed to be interchangeable with Camloc's 2600/2700 and 4002 series fasteners for aircraft doors and panels. The Airloc 2 fasteners meet the requirements of Qualifed Parts List 5591 and meet or exceed Mil-F-5591C. They can be manufactured in different sizes and from a variety of materials. The Monadnock Co., 18301 E. Arenth Ave., City of Industry, Calif. 91748.
FACED WITH MOUNTING LOSSES, British Airways will discontinue its services to Beirut, Amman and Damascus on Oct. 26 and enter into a franchising agreement with British Mediterranean Airways to serve those destinations. BA resumed flights to the three cities in early 1995 in competition against British Mediterranean, which started operations two years ago, but the routes have not proved profitable.
Corporate jet subsidies are among a host of federal supports for business that would be cut in order to finance a nearly $3-billion proposal by President Clinton to shore up child literacy. The election year proposal, proffered by Clinton during his campaign swing to last week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, would charge a $225 per-flight fee on turbine-powered business aircraft.
Lise S. Margin has been appointed corporate secretary of the Washington-based National Business Aircraft Assn. She had been executive assistant to the president and succeeds Dennis Wright, who remains vice president.
