ITALY'S ALENIA WILL TEAM with Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) to promote the G222 twin turboprop military transport in the Australian market. The Australian Defense Force plans to procure about 15 small transports to replace aging de Havilland Caribous. If the G222, designated the the C-27A Spartan by the U.S. Air Force, is selected by Australia, ASTA will produce subassemblies and perform final assembly at its Port Melbourne facilities. ASTA also will have product support responsibility and could serve as a base for a planned G222 Pacific Rim sales campaign.
From the poorest to the richest, Asian nations are eager to develop their own aerospace industries, but many are finding the step from subcontractor to prime is a big jump. Strategies vary. In China, the basic demand of a huge population that is finding money to travel fuels demand for aircraft. The state-owned Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) wants to build its share.
THE AIR FORCE Phillips Laboratory is flying initial laser propagation tests with Gulfstream 2 and Boeing C-135E ``Argus'' aircraft in support of Airborne Laser program conceptual design efforts. The two testbeds started technology validation flights early this month in the Albuquerque, N.M., area at altitudes of 35,000-50,000 ft. Subsequent flights over the Gulf of Mexico, the central and southwest U.S. and South Korea will evaluate the effects of varying climates on laser propagation through the atmosphere.
LORAL CORP'S AERONUTRONIC DIV. has snagged a $38.7-million contract from the U.S. Navy to build 1,784 AIM-9 M/S guidance and control sections for the service and seven allied nations. The buy includes components destined for Finland, Taiwan, Belgium, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Turkey which will be built at Loral's new electronic assembly plant in Litchfield Park, Ariz.
Harnessing the nation's commercial industrial base to reduce defense costs and keep pace with technological advances is one of the key challenges the U.S. military faces over the next decade.
THE ROLLS-ROYCE TRENT 700 entered commercial operations last week on a 320-passenger Airbus A330 for Cathay Pacific Airways on an inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Singapore and Bangkok. The occasion also marked the first commercial flight by an Airbus aircraft with Rolls-Royce engines. Cathay has orders for nine A330s and its sister airline, Dragonair, for three more.
The P7-900060 series of dome-styled pushbuttons is available in two versions. In one the button is flush with the conical bezel, while in the other it is slightly extended from the bezel. The switches also feature short back-panel depth, offering vastly improved mechanical and electrical performance. They are designed to last at least 50,000 operations at a full rating of 0.5 amps and up to a million operations at low-signal switching levels. The switches are available in dust-tight and moistureproof sealed or unsealed construction. Otto Controls, 2 E.
The space sector will continue to lose ground in 1995-96, but a turnaround should occur soon thereafter. At best, NASA's budget will remain flat at about $14 billion; it is likely to decline to $13 billion or less by the end of the decade. Cuts in defense spending will continue to put pressure on military space expenditures. Commercial space will remain the healthiest part of the industry, with new applications in telecommunications--especially low-Earth orbit constellations--and in remote sensing, offering potential for solid expansion.
Richard S. Wigton (see photo) has been named manager of Challenger training programs for SimuFlite, Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport. He was director of operations for Rainin Instrument Co.
Pilot in Command is a CD-ROM-based emergency procedures trainer that is designed for single-engine VFR pilots. The interactive, multimedia program includes more than 30 emergency classes, briefings and analyses of real-life emergencies, a collection of more than 500 aviation still photos and more than 20 Fox Movietone Newsreels related to aviation history. A checkride allows a pilot to evaluate his skills. The program is available for computers running Microsoft Windows or the Macintosh. Digital Perceptions, Inc., 11526 Sorrento Valley Road No. C, San Diego, Calif.
Albert F. Peter has been appointed president/chief executive officer of Structural Dynamics Research Corp., Milford, Ohio. He was acting chief executive officer. William P. Conlin has been elected chairman of the board. He is a consultant to CEOs of advanced technology companies. Jeffrey J. Vorholt has been appointed chief financial officer. He was CFO of Cincinnati Bell Information Systems.
The CS5000 Crane Scale is available in capacities of up to 500,000 lb. with an accuracy of 0.1%, making it possible to weigh major components such as engines or even an entire aircraft with one. The scale can transmit data up to a range of 500 ft., making remote readings routine. The scale can be used during engine removal/replacement to tell when the load has been transferred to the aircraft and while recovering aircraft with collapsed landing gear to ensure that crane capacities are not exceeded. Intercomp, 14465 23rd Ave. N., Minneapolis, Minn. 55447-3438.
In this year's Five-Year Outlook, the editors of AVIATION WEEK&SPACE TECHNOLOGY examine the prospects for a broad range of aerospace/defense markets. But the emphasis is on the commercial aircraft sector for one simple reason: it is the wellspring of life-sustaining business for thousands of companies, and it continues to suffer from one of the most punishing downturns on record.
The Laser-Blade ABR-25 System uses laser-guided machining technology for repairing turbine blades. It builds on the ASC System, which is used for machining turbine airseals and engine cases. The ABR-25 uses a laser to scan the turbine blade below the welded overlay that must be remachined, extrapolates data to determine proper five-axis tool paths and automatically downloads the program into the host machine's computer numerically control. SeamX, 486 Ellis St., Mountain View, Calif. 94043.
EXPECT MORE ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON TRAVEL AGENT commission caps following the American Society of Travel Agents' recent filing of a complaint against seven U.S. carriers. ASTA alleges American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, TWA, USAir and United conspired to cap agent commissions. The society contends airline and travel agents were well aware of and had leaked news of the caps-to-be to ASTA--before the caps were announced and became official. Stay tuned as the travel agents seek relief in the Delaware federal court.
In 1995-97, airline traffic will rise steadily, but major U.S. carriers will be hard-pressed to show more than modest profits as they race against time and each other in a life-or-death struggle to reduce costs drastically. Increasing airport delays, the threat of recession, new taxes and rising fuel costs, however, could offset any financial gains. Except for USAir, TWA and Continental, major airlines will post improved earnings this year compared with 1994.
The 1994 BMD Technology Applications Report summarizes the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization's foremost technology transfer initiatives and highlights successful commercial spinoffs and 50 emerging technologies. Key points include optical spectroscopy that can achieve 96% accuracy in detecting breast cancer, holographic products that can improve the quality of flat-panel displays and fiber-optic communications and superconducting technology that improves cellular telephone performance.
C.L. (Neil) Hensel has been appointed senior vice president of Titan Corp., San Diego, Calif., and president/general manager of the Titan Systems (East) group. Hensel was senior vice president/general manager of the C3I Systems Div. of the Atlantic Research Corp. Professional Services Group.
In response to a plea for urgent action from the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA has directed air traffic controllers to deny departing aircraft clearance to position and hold on runways being used for arrivals. The agency's action was spurred by a series of recommendations made by the safety board earlier this month, as part of its investigation into the cause of a runway incursion accident last November at St. Louis (AW&ST Nov. 28, 1994, p. 19).
FEDERAL EXPRESS EXPECTS TO OPEN ITS ASIAN HUB in Subic Bay July 1 with six flights a week from Anchorage through Tokyo and other Asian cities. It will rely on a combination of A310, MD-11 and DC-10 freighters to bring express documents and freight to the new hub. According to company officials, FedEx is seeing strong growth throughout the Asia/Pacific region and expects to add Myanmar (Burma) to its list of countries served late this spring. Its new service into China (AW&ST Mar. 6, p. 26) will connect 32 cities there into its network.
The seven astronauts on board Endeavour spent their first week in orbit fine-tuning a collection of ultraviolet astronomy instruments to study rarely explored aspects of the universe.
U.K. Ministry of Defense has decided to procure 22 Westland/Agusta EH101 utility helicopters and 14 more Boeing Chinook HC Mk. 2s for additional medium support helicopters for the Royal Air Force. The total program cost is valued at 1.2 billion pounds ($1.9 billion), about 300 million pounds ($480 million) more than had the government opted for a single aircraft type. Westland's contract will be worth about 500 million pounds ($800 million), Boeing's will be less, and the remainder will be in other RAF costs.
BELGIAN POLICE ARE investigating the suicide, on Mar. 8, of Lt.-Gen. (Ret.) Jacques Lefebvre, a former Belgian air force chief of staff linked to a procurement corruption scandal. Belgian authorities are investigating allegations that Italian manufacturer Agusta in 1988 paid about $1.8 million in bribes to secure a Belgian army contract for 46 A109BA antitank/escort helicopters. NATO Secretary General Willy Claes, who was a member of the Belgian government when the A109BA contract was negotiated, has denied involvement in the scandal.
Global air cargo, propelled by burgeoning international trade, will expand about two percentage points faster than passenger traffic during each of the next five years. Increasing cargo capacity, however, will continue to hold down rates and erode yields. As a result, operators will be forced to lure customers with an ever-wider array of value-added distribution and logistics services.
