This line of radiation-hardened, dual-port SRAMs is designed for space-borne applications. The UT7C138 is a 4K X 8, while the UT7C1139 is a 4K X 9 SRAM. They have a maximum address access time of 45 nanosec. They are available in 68-pin and 68-lead flatpack packages. Production memory chips can withstand a total dose of 500,000 rads and are immune to charge particle-induced latchup. The dual-port design and on-board arbitration logic saves design time and cost. United Technologies Microelectronics Center, 1575 Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80907.
The Model LS-1841N can measure air leaks as small as 0.0001 psig. in electronic components, castings, valves or mechanical equipment. The device sets off audible and visual alarms when differential pressure decay exceeds a user-defined value. It will test at pressures ranging from 0-560 psi. Its air operated valves permit faster cycle times and better repeatability than solenoid-operated testers. Cosmo Instruments Co. Ltd., 27200 Haggerty Road, Suite B-1, Farmington Hills, Mich. 48331.
While it may be thinking of buying Russian arms, Japan's Defense Agency also is looking at ways to tighten defense spending. One possibility under study is to buy off-the-shelf civil products to avoid the high cost of limited-production equipment made to military specifications. The JDA handles about 80,000 contracts a year worth $8.3-billion.
Sabena Belgian World Airlines' Swiss-led new management is scheduled to complete in the next few weeks a revised recovery plan, which is expected to include a freeze on salaries and more job cuts. Despite a sustained traffic growth and healthy load factor, the Belgian carrier in 1995 posted $66 million in losses as a result of high production costs, low yields and strikes tied to tense relations with ground worker and flight crew unions.
The Mini Air Data Boom is designed for gathering flight test data on drones, remotely piloted vehicles and light aircraft. Its overall length is 28.79 in. Companion products in the new line include a straight-nose air data boom for larger commercial and military aircraft, a swivel-head boom and a trailing bomb for recording propwash and related air data for helicopters and other short/vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The booms incorporate angle-of-attack and sideslip vanes, as well as static and total head pressure pickups. Space Age Control Inc., 38850 20th St.
Upgraded pilot training and the increased use of flight simulators are key changes facing regional airline operators transitioning to Part 121 standards, as required by the FAA's Commuter Rule. The new regulation, aimed at creating a single level of safety throughout the U.S. airline industry, was issued in December, 1995, and becomes effective in March, 1997. It requires aircraft with 10 or more passengers seats--or that require two pilots--to be recertified to operate under rules that govern major airlines.
ARNAV Systems, Puyallup, Wash., is expanding its GeoNet aeronautical data link network to Virginia and Alaska. GeoNet ground stations are scheduled to be operational at seven Virginia airports by the end of June. The state-supported, fee-per-transmission service provides digital two-way text communications, automatic position reporting and graphical and textual weather information to appropriately equipped aircraft flying as high as 55,000 ft. GeoNet already is operational in the Gulf of Mexico, primarily to help track oil support helicopters.
THE THESEUS HIGH-ALTITUDE drone arrived at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, Calif., on May 6, after being shipped from Aurora Flight Sciences' Manassas, Va., facility. It may fly in June. Theseus is to carry 700 lb. of payload to 65,000 ft. for over 24 hr. The 143-ft.-span aircraft has a takeoff weight of about 5,500 lb. It is powered by two Rotax 912 engines with three-stage turbochargers that produce 80 hp. each at 65,000 ft. and drive pusher propellers. Higher altitudes are expected from more powerplant development.
Pratt&Whitney and General Electric, responding to the growing issue of how to recoup the development costs of a new powerplant in a world of declining profit margins and cutthroat competitions, are joining forces to develop a new engine for the proposed growth versions of Boeing's 747 transport.
BOEING HAS SIGNED AN AGREEMENT to jointly work with Russia's Ilyushin Aviation Complex on airplane safety and technical issues. The pact, intended to foster a closer relationship between the two transport manufacturers, calls for the joint study of wide-scale air traffic management and improved prediction of aircraft fatigue. Two separate agreements, between Boeing and Russia's National Institute of Aviation, include the joint evaluation of new manufacturing technologies.
This is the second and final part of the cockpit voice recorder transcript from the Dec. 20, 1995, American Airlines Boeing 757 accident on approach to Cali, Colombia. The first part of the Flight 965 transcript and the final half-minute of flight data recorder information were published May 6. 2138:33 HOT-1 [Captain hot microphone] Off ULQ, so let me put ULQ in here, seventeen-seven, cause I want to be on raw data with you. [[ULQ is the Tulua VOR identifier; the frequency is 117.7.]]
Noman, an Italian startup carrier, recently inaugurated no-frills low-fare services between Rome and Milan and is scheduled to open additional domestic routes in the next few weeks. The carrier is currently operating two McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 twinjets (shown here) and is about to increase its fleet to four aircraft. Noman is competing against AirOne, another Italian startup carrier, and troubled flag carrier Alitalia. Noman is based at recently revamped Ciampino Roma City Airport, 9 mi. from downtown Rome.
Advances in fiber-optic gyros and integrated optics technology at Litef are allowing the development of smaller systems for a growing number of applications.
Robert M. Czajkowski (see photo) has been appointed chairman/chief executive officer of Space Electronics Inc., San Diego, Calif. He was senior vice president-business development of the Loral Test and Information System Div.
Industry analysts are elated at the prospect of GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt&Whitney jointly developing a new jet engine for the Boeing Co.'s proposed 747-500X/600X. Their feeling is that all parties stand to win.
THE SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR, slated for launch May 19 on a 10-day technology-research mission, will carry 11 IBM ThinkPad 750 color notebook computers. The record number of ThinkPads flown will be used by Endeavour's six-astronaut crew to manage a number of complex experiments, including an inflatable antenna and a demonstration of technology using aerodynamic drag and the Earth's magnetic field to stabilize a small satellite. Combined, the ThinkPads will give the shuttle crew the power of a single computer processing more than half-a-billion instructions per second.
THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE has backed off some of its more radical proposals for reforming U.S. intelligence agencies. Senators and the agencies themselves were strongly resisting.
The European Space Agency and CNES French space agency have again slipped the scheduled first Ariane 5 launch by another five days to no earlier than May 30. Additional delays to the schedule are possible as processing of the Ariane 501 vehicle moves into its final stages at Kourou, French Guiana. The program had last week set launch for May 25 (AW&ST May 6, p. 60). But routine checkout delays with the new hardware forced the latest slip.
Tanaka Takesi, a former director of Nissan Motors, has been promoted to president of Fuji Heavy Industries from executive vice president. He succeeds Kawaai Isamu, who will become chairman.
Sir Christopher Chataway, outgoing chairman of the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority, warned that progress toward developing common aircraft safety standards in Europe is threatening to grind to a halt.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace is working on the problems of low-altitude terrain-following flight for large transport aircraft, a challenge that bears some similarities, but many differences, from ground-hugging flight in attack aircraft. Military transports obviously have more structural constraints, but the biggest difference is a low thrust-to-weight ratio, especially when heavily loaded. Lacking tactical aircraft's ability to pop up quickly to follow the terrain, a transport's pull-ups over rising terrain must be planned much further ahead.
BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE GROUP is expanding its worldwide digital maintenance data service. The company launched the service last year, offering subscribers an on-line source of aircraft technical drawings and parts lists. The expanded service, called Boeing On-Line Data or BOLD, offers recent service bulletins, too, as well as a complete service bulletin index, specifications and processes for parts and materials, and the Boeing Component Maintenance Manuals.
The Joint Advanced Strike Technology program office is funding development of a ``virtual design and manufacturing environment'' that is projected to save $716,000 on the average cost of an F-22, and up to $3 billion in Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) life-cycle costs.
