The LD 90-3 and LD 90-3-GF series of pulsed laser altimeters can provide fast, accurate measurements of an aircraft's height above the ground from 3 ft. to 1 mi. or more. Accuracy is 3 ft. at altitudes greater than 1,650 ft. and as little as 1 in. at distances of less than 330 ft. The LD 90-31K features an adaptive mode that updates altitude every 1-3 sec. at altitudes of 4,500 ft. or more but provides up to 10 measurements per sec. at lower altitudes.
Jean-Philippe Schumacher has been named vice president-trading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the AAR Allen Group. He was director of sales and marketing for the Paris area.
Michael J. McQuay has been named executive vice president-operations/chief operating officer of Hawaiian Airlines. He succeeds Frank L. Forster, who has retired. McQuay was vice president-Houston hub for Continental Airlines.
After two warmup flights since its conversion from the DC-X, the McDonnell Douglas DC-XA experimental rocket has started expanding the flight envelope again. The DC-XA made its second and third flights on June 7 and 8, the fastest turnaround yet of the liquid hydrogen/oxygen-powered vehicle, showing high utilization rates that could improve the economics of a full-scale launcher. THE DC-XA ALSO WENT to 10,300 ft. above the ground, reached a speed of 300 fps., and flew for 142 sec.
David Evans and Ivan Sutherland, founders of Evans & Sutherland, a Salt Lake City-based computer graphics company, have received the Price Waterhouse Information Technology Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement and will be honored within the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collection of information technology innovations.
Mark D. Ellinger has been named New York-based Eastern U.S. general manager of Swissair. He was director of public relations and market communication in New York. Ellinger succeeds Markus Albrecht, who is now general manager in Singapore.
A new, ultra-thin-film ceramic electrolyte could double the output of solid oxide fuel cells while reducing costs. The technique, pioneered by researchers at Berkeley (Calif.) Laboratory, could speed development and commercialization of low-cost, nonpolluting fuel cell technology. SOFCs create electricity by electrochemically combining hydrogen with oxygen, using natural gas for fuel. Tests indicate the new fuel cell generates a record 2 w/cm.2 of cell surface area, according to researchers. Electrical output remained constant for over 700 hr.
The Jetpower PMW is a 400-Hz. converter with pulse width modulation technology for converting 60-Hz. ac power to 400-Hz. ac used on commercial and military aircraft. PMW uses rectifiers that take in 60-Hz. ac voltage at a constant rate, creating a constant dc voltage. A bank of specialized transistors then act not only as switches but as modulators to release pulses of varying width to sequence dc voltages for stepped ac output at 400 Hz. The PMW converter requires about 33% less current than current silicon controlled rectifiers to produce a given output.
James Irwin has been promoted to vice president-products from director of special projects of the S-TEC Corp., Mineral Wells, Tex. Other recent appointments were: Kenneth J. Paul, director of marketing; and Ronald Tesdal, associate director of engineering. Paul was OEM sales manager for BFGoodrich Aerospace, while Tesdal was a product development director for Global Wulfsberg/ AlliedSignal.
Thomas Collins has been promoted to vice president/general manager of Comsat Mobile Communications, Bethesda, Md. He was vice president-finance and planning for Comsat International Communications.
FlightSafety International, LaGuardia Airport, N.Y., has introduced a Master Technician Program for aircraft maintenance technicians. The program leads through progressive training levels to qualify and award Master Technician status. The first Master Technician Program has been introduced at FlightSafety's Gulfstream Center in Savannah, Ga. Courses offered for the Gulfstream 4 business jet include maintenance initial, engine run and taxi, maintenance update, electrical and avionics initial and advanced troubleshooting.
Politically, there is little chance the U.S. government's complex of national laboratories will receive funding for the major research and development effort they say is needed to combat nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) terrorism and proliferation. To the contrary, such R&D funding is declining despite the need for a sustained technology response to meet the rapidly evolving NBC threat, according to officials from Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
NASA is nearing selection of a design for an ``X-33'' test vehicle that it hopes will lead to development of a radically cheaper launcher--and possible successor to the space shuttle. The U.S. space agency is set to choose by July 1 an industry partner that will receive an estimated $900 million under a three-year cooperative agreement to build the X-33. The aim of the new vehicle--which will not reach orbit--is to take to a much higher level single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) technologies such as those already tested by the McDonnell Douglas/NASA Clipper Graham (see p.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Howell M. Estes, 3rd, has been nominated to take over as Commander-in-Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Space Command. He also would serve as Air Force Space Command chief, succeeding Gen. Joseph W. Ashy, who will retire from those positions this fall. Estes is a fighter pilot with 4,500 hr. of flight time--including 169 F-4 combat missions in Vietnam. He commanded the F-117 stealth fighter group in the mid-1980s. Estes is currently at the Pentagon as the director of operations for the Joint Staff.
New Zealand's Commerce Commission has approved a revised plan by Air New Zealand to buy half ownership of Ansett Australia--an important step in the carrier's effort to gain broader access to the Australian domestic market. Air New Zealand (ANZ) may still face a challenge from Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board and the Competition and Consumer's Commission. An ANZ official, David Beatson, said the airline's target is to complete the regulatory process by the end of June.
Indian Airlines, beset with $265 million in losses since 1989 and a crushing debt-equity ratio of 27:1, will have to seek another government capital injection, according to finance director N.C. Ghosh. He says the airline's only other alternative is to float bonds or debentures to provide working capital. Indian Airlines has proposed a turnaround plan for government review, pledging to step up fleet use and pilot training and improve cabin service.
John G. Ryan has become senior vice president-sales and services for the Americas for Virgin Atlantic Airways Cargo, based in Lake Success, N.Y. He was senior vice president-business development.
Jean-Paul Bechat, French engine manufacturer Snecma's newly appointed chairman and chief executive officer, is expected to restore normal working relations with General Electric. Previously, Bechat was chairman and CEO of a French rocket motor procurer. His predecessor, Bernard Durour, was implementing a fiercely independent strategic plan and refused to follow GE in an engine price war in the commercial market. GE and Snecma are equal partners in CFM International, a joint subsidiary producing CFM56 engines.
Sigal Levy has been promoted to vice president-sales and marketing from director, of Tower Air. Robert W. Mann, Jr., has resigned as vice president-services, systems and planning, to act as a consultant to the airline.
The Powervamp is a 24-v. sealed battery pack that provides greater starting current than a lead-acid or gel-cell battery of the same size. The 49-lb. pack delivers up to 1,500 peak amps and can provide up to 25 amps per hr. for diagnostics and loading flight computers. The unit can be carried on board small aircraft and helicopters to provide backup starting power in isolated locations. It meets ICAO standards for nonhazardous material. The Powervamp also will hold its charge for up to a year under normal temperatures.
