Investigators are reviewing the effects of the blast that destroyed Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, looking for any similarities that might give insights into the cause of the loss of TWA 800. Of course, the effect of an explosion and decompression at an altitude of 31,000 ft., as experienced by Pan Am 103, could be quite different than one at TWA 800's altitude of 13,700 ft. At 31,000 ft., the pressure difference between the cabin and outside would be about 8 psi., while at the TWA 747's altitude the differential should have been less than 4 psi.
Thomas C. Robinson has been appointed president of the Computer Sciences Corp.'s Technology Management Group, Falls Church, Va. He succeeds Edward Boykin, who has joined the Pinnacle Alliance at J.P. Morgan in New York. Robinson was president of CSC's Systems International Div.
Two French independent carriers, Air Liberte and AOM, are seeking to become France's ``second force'' airline and to compete more aggressively against the troubled Air France group. Last month, AOM and Air Liberte implemented a wide-ranging business partnership, including a code-sharing agreement, that could lead to a merger.
In the face of increased competition, Hughes Space and Communications Co. is remaining focused on the company's basic business strategies, while stepping up efforts in the areas of efficient production and partnership relations with customers. Those basic business strategies which have proved successful at Hughes for more than three decades include the aggressive application of new technology, maintaining a balance between commercial and government work, timely development of new satellite designs and exploring new market opportunities.
The ``Clipper Graham'' experimental rocket was destroyed last week when one landing gear leg failed to extend, causing the vehicle to topple after a normal vertical landing at the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., and be engulfed in flame. The July 31 accident came at the end of a 140-sec. flight to gather aerodynamic data that otherwise went well. The McDonnell Douglas rocket stayed upright for 2 sec. after touchdown, giving hope that it would remain safe, but the precarious balance on the remaining three legs did not last.
Southwest Airlines' long-planned, low-fare incursion into the Northeast is scheduled to start Oct. 27, when it begins 14 daily nonstop flights from Providence, R.I., to Baltimore/Washington, Chicago Midway, Nashville, Orlando and Tampa. The bulk of the service--eight dailies--will be to BWI, where its main competitor will be USAir. The everyday one-way fare will be $59, while an advance purchase can yield a $39 fare, a huge savings over current prices. Southwest also will be battling USAir to Florida.
AMERICAN AIRLINES HAS SELECTED Rockwell Collins' SAT-906 airborne satellite communications system to equip its fleet of Boeing 767, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and Airbus A-300 aircraft. Initially, American will add multichannel voice and data to 83 aircraft with plans to add 68 later. The system, capable of two to six channels, provides passenger phone, fax and PC links as well as voice and data links for automatic dependent surveillance for the cockpit. Canadian Marconi will supply the antenna and AT&T Wireless the digital passenger telephone.
Dragonair, the Hong Kong regional with the most flights of any foreign airline into China, has made its first connections to the ``other'' China--Taiwan. A new air services agreement allowed the airline to start three-times daily services last week to Kaohsiung, a southern port city that is the country's second largest. The opening is a plum--Hong Kong-Taiwan services are consistently ranked among the top ``country'' pairs in Asia. The airline, which is now controlled by state-owned China National Aviation Corp., has also seen its fortunes on the mainland improve.
Saab Aircraft has signed up a fourth European customer for its high-speed Saab 2000 turboprop with a firm order for four, with options for two more, from SAS Commuter, a division of Scandinavian Airlines System. The first four will be delivered in February-April, 1997. The order came as Saab was winding up a 20-day U.S. tour with a 2000 wet-leased from Crossair. Pilots from the Swiss regional talked to their U.S. counterparts about the flexibility of their 2000 operations.
Richard R. Quirin has been appointed executive vice president/chief financial officer of the Allison Engine Co. of Indianapolis. He succeeds Joseph T. Doyle, who has left the company. Quirin was vice president-contracts and business development of Lucas Electronics Systems Products.
Calcor Aero Systems of Whittier, Calif., is developing a combined thrust reverser and variable area exhaust nozzle for turbofan engines. The ``REVEN'' device has been tested on a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306 5,400-lbf. turbofan at a P&WC test cell while varying exit area 3%, and is to be tested on an IAE V2500 engine early next year. Calcor claims the device maintains the inner and outer lines of a standard nozzle, and has no flow gaps when in the cruise position. The exit area can be opened up to 15% to increase takeoff thrust, the company says.
A small Salt Lake City based company hopes to apply mass spectrometer technology used in semiconductor manufacturing to the detection of explosives. The advantages of Sensar Corp.'s system compared with others are high sensitivity (parts per trillion), a low probability of false positives, and fast scanning rate, according to Dr. Edgar D. Lee, general manager of Larson Davis' Sensar Div. Eight semiconductor manufacturers and ultra high-quality gas suppliers are using Sensar systems to warn of impurities at levels of parts per trillion.
HUGHES COMMUNICATIONS INC. announced that its Galaxy X satellite will be launched on the inaugural flight of McDonnell Douglas' Delta 3 rocket in 1998. Hughes, whose agreement to purchase 10 launches allowed McDonnell Douglas to initiate development of the new booster last year, also bought an 11th launch. The Delta 3 is designed to loft up to 8,400 lb. into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
MAGNAVOX ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS changed its name to Hughes Defense Communications effective Aug 1. The company, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., was sold to Hughes Electronics Corp. last December by the Carlyle Group, which acquired it from North American Philips Corp. Products include the ARC -222 airborne Sincgars radio, GPS for the Tomahawk missile, weapon control data links for the Air Force's smart guided weapons and sonobuoys.
AEROJET AND NASA ARE WORKING out the details of developing a ``strutjet'' propulsion system that could substantially reduce the cost of space vehicles. The combined-cycle system embeds a rocket into a scramjet, reducing vehicle size and weight by about 50% over that of conventional launch systems, while cutting propellant consumption and mitigating stress and temperature concerns, according to Aerojet officials.
Over the last five years, technological advances have enabled satellites to play an increasing role in meeting the ever-rising demand for telecommunications services around the world. Commercial satellite communications, once thought to be a nearly mature market, is growing at a clip of 10% a year. Leading manufacturers are positioning themselves for the future by branching into new areas, such as direct broadcast satellites and high-speed transmission of data. They're working to push power levels up and delivery times down to unheard of levels.
Military officers detailed to Capitol Hill are a scandal in the making, according to Rep. Pat Schroeder (D.-Colo.). She called such assignments ``haphazard and uncontrolled lending [that] violates congressional ethics rules, not to mention DoD's own regulations.'' The practice may involve up to 100 officers and continues to grow so fast that the Pentagon has no idea how many are involved, she said. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R.-Ga.) alone has four officers assigned from the ``congressional temp service,'' Schroeder said.
Fans of the DC-X were dismayed, then dejected. First, NASA selected Lockheed Martin's lifting body/glider design for the X-33, instead of the DC-X-inspired vertical lander that McDonnell Douglas proposed for a single-stage reusable rocket. Then, the DC-X itself collapsed and burst into flame (see p. 22)--even as the fans were maneuvering with some success to keep the DC-X program going. Amazingly, they aren't giving up hope, though the vehicle has been destroyed.
Bipartisan pledges of cooperation on new anti-terrorism measures quickly gave way last week to wrangling over specifics. The White House seeks renewed consideration of chemical markers to help detect terrorist possession of explosives, greater authority for multi-point wiretaps on telephones and application of federal racketeering statutes in terrorist prosecutions, freezing of assets and longer prison sentences.
Air Force F-15C fighters won't be modernized with F100-PW-220E engine kits anytime soon, according to Air Combat Command chief Gen. Richard Hawley. The upgrades, along with some unspecified sensor modernization, were moved to later years as part of Fiscal 1998 budget planning. The slip is aimed at helping keep the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter programs intact. However, F-22 is fighting its own battle over what Hawley euphemistically calls ``negative cost trends.'' He said, ``We're not willing to let [F-22] cost grow. . . .
Japan's Defense Agency is showing concern that China's double-digit growth rate in military spending will create instability in Southeast and East Asia. But the JDA doubts that North Korea has a nuclear weapons capability. Those views are presented in the JDA's annual White Paper assessment of Asian security issues. The paper notes that Japan is to reduce its army from 180,000 to 160,000 under its new defense plan, with P-3C antisubmarine aircraft units dropping from 16 to 15, and tactical aircraft from 430 in 13 intercept or squadrons to 400 in 12 squadrons.
U.S. aerospace/defense companies, reaping the benefits of ambitious cost-cutting programs and improved productivity, are reporting generally solid second-quarter profits and appear able to sustain their considerable earnings momentum. Many first- and second-tier contractors are posting double-digit improvements in net income, earnings per share and operating margins.
Dirk Vander Zee has been named vice president-sales and marketing of the Mooney Aircraft Corp., Kerrville, Tex. He was factory sales manager for the Southeast U.S.
McDONNELL DOUGLAS WON an initial USAF contract to build two prototype T-38C fighter-bomber trainers and develop two aircrew ground training simulators. Total value of the T-38A/B upgrade program, including modifications of 425 aircraft, is expected to be worth over $400 million. Foreign military sales to Germany, Taiwan, Turkey and other T-38/F-5 operators could further increase its value. Six years of production will begin in April, 2000.
