British Airways is on track to achieve record profits in its 1994-95 fiscal year as solid traffic growth, lower fuel costs and increased productivity allowed the carrier to report unexpectedly strong last-quarter and nine-month results.
PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES USUALLY RESERVE COMMENT on policy until their Senate confirmation. But when retired Air Force General Michael Carns was nominated by President Clinton last week to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the ex-fighter pilot immediately signaled what is in store--shrinkage and makeover. ``We will be leaner,'' he volunteered at the White House announcement ceremony. Borrowing a White House byword, Carns added that ``reinvention'' of the CIA would be a major part of his stewardship.
Ashteck, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., has named Charles M. Boesenberg president/ chief executive officer. He was president of Symantec Corp. Boesenberg succeeds Ashtech founder and former president Javad Ashjaee, who remains a director and president of the company's Moscow research and development center.
A board room coup at Kiwi International Airlines has resulted in a dramatic change of top management, with the expelled chairman and chief executive officer threatening a court fight A Kiwi official indicated the firing of Robert Iverson was related to the airline's financial condition, which deteriorated badly in the closing weeks of 1994.
The enhanced Agusta A129 International attack helicopter, an A129 Mangusta derivative, is entering the flight test phase. The growth version is equipped with two 1,260-shp. Allison-Garrett LHTEC T800 turboshaft engines, replacing 825-shp. Rolls-Royce 1004 Gems, and has a new, five-blade main rotor. Maximum takeoff weight is 10,140 lb., up from 9,040 lb. and maximum speed is 150 kt., up from 135 kt. The new version's armament includes a 20-mm. cannon, rocket launchers and a variety of antitank missiles such as TOWs, Hellfires and Stingers.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS is part of a consortium that will bid next month to take over the U.K. portion of the Channel Tunnel rail project and operate Eurostar passenger services from London to Paris and Brussels. If its operator-led consortium is successful in the four-way competition, Virgin, the only airline company among the bidders, plans to institute an airline-style frequent traveler program on the Eurostar routes.
LOOK FOR A CROSS-INDUSTRY PUSH to mandate child-restraining devices for infants traveling in transport aircraft. Design challenges include interface with the airplane seat geometry and 17-in. economy seat widths. Seat overhang, quick-release buckles, ease-of-installation and seat-back breakover also are issues. Although CRDs designed for automobile seats are impractical to use and provide a low level of safety in aircraft, any restraint is better than holding a child in an adult's lap during a crash, according to a recent Flight Safety Foundation study.
THE FLIGHT TEST CENTER of the French Ministry of Defense will use a Harris Night Hawk real-time multiprocessor as the host computer in a new interactive pilot training project. The computer is supplied by Harris Systemes Electroniques S.A., the French subsidiary of Harris Computer Systems Corp., of Ft. Lauderdale. The project at Centre d'Essais en Vol will run several simultaneous simulations so fighter pilots and helicopter pilots can interact in a hostile environment.
The 2300 series of controllers is a PC-based, closed-loop pulse and direction output, motion control board. It can be used either as a closed-loop stepper controller or with digital input servo drives. The 2300 is programmable in high-level languages and is not dependent on a proprietary programming language. The card's pulse output is adjustable to a maximum output of 2 MHz. All boards in the series have 20 digital inputs and eight outputs. They may be used with single-ended encoders using open collector or totem pole outputs.
Michael Dewar, former deputy director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has become a director of Cadogan Management. James Wey has become junior vice president-sales and marketing for EVA Air in Europe.
Astra Jet Corp., Princeton, N.J., has appointed C. Richard Beine vice president- marketing and sales. He was vice president-sales for the western U.S. for Gulfstream Aerospace.
Swissair is considering several initiatives to obtain proper access to the European Union's unified market, boost traffic growth and further reduce operating costs. Switzerland, which is politically neutral, recently declined joining the 15-country EU, a decision that could pose a threat to Swissair's strategic business plan. ``Switzerland is not yet as European as we would like it to be, at least from an economic and political viewpoint,'' according to Paul Reutlinger, Swissair group executive vice president-marketing.
Alaska Airlines has appointed Robert M. Reeder staff vice president-information and communication services. He was director of applications development.
The BASS-03X ultra-wideband impulse generator produces a 1-nanosec. monocycle pulse with a peak-to-peak output of 7,000 v. The monocycle is centered at 1 GHz., and more than 90% of its energy is above 250 MHz. The pulse will radiate efficiently from most nondispersive antennas. Power consumption is 350 milliamps from a +28-v. supply. The low average transmitted power limits the probability of detection by other equipment or conventional receivers. Triggering can be internal or external. Power Spectra, 919 Hermosa Court, Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086-4103.
THE CIA WILL SOON ASK President Clinton to approve the declassification of vintage spy satellite photos taken during the 1960s. They would be made available through the National Archives. The agency recently declassified many top secret National Intelligence Estimates.
Shipments of U.S.-built general aviation aircraft declined 3.7% in 1994, but industry billings totaled more than $2.3 billion due to rising demand for business jets, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA).
Reports by Beijing-controlled Chinese media that have blamed Hughes for the Apstar-2 satellite failure have become so persistent that the government-owned China Great Wall Industries has publicly denounced them.
The Model SCS 2400 is a global positioning system constellation simulator that is designed for testing GPS receivers. The device generates 24 independent radio frequency channels of highly accurate L1 and L2 GPS signals that can be routed to two RF ports. The signals can simulate ground, air and space vehicles in motion with up to 30g of acceleration. Multipath effects, wide area augmentation systems, common GPS jammers and GPS ground transmitters also can be simulated.
This hydromechanical actuator provides smooth, reliable deployment of spacecraft subsystems without the need for external power. The device consists of a fluid-filled damper with an integral coil spring. The orifices can be set to provide virtually any deployment time. The actuator can be held closed by a mechanical latch or some other device. The device is available in sizes ranging from 10-500 lb. and displacements of 2-10 in. Taylor Devices, Inc., 90 Taylor Drive, P.O. Box 748, North Tonawanda, N.Y. 14120-0748.
Universal Navigation Corp. expects its UNS-1M Navigation Management System, already in use for en route and terminal navigation, to receive FAA approval for use on nonprecision approaches in April.
Pentagon analysts say suspending large aperture radars from balloons at high altitude may be a cheap way of finding stealthy cruise missiles and aircraft. Military aerostat advocates contend that a high-altitude-based combination of radars and other sensors will ``facilitate detection and track of low observables in high clutter environments,'' according to a new Defense Dept. document currently being briefed in the Pentagon.
The GTR250VG is a five-axis chamfering machine that can process work pieces up to 250 mm. (9.75 in.) dia. and 350 mm. (13.65 in.) wide and 500 mm. (19.5 in.) long. The computer numerically controlled machine can store more than 100 part summaries. Macro parameters can be altered to point teeth as required. The machine features five-axis control of the work spindle drive, workhead cross feed, cutter head vertical feed, cross feed and swivel. The cutter spindle's speed can be varied continuously over a range of 0-5,000 rpm.
General Microwave Corp., Amityville, N.Y., has promoted Mitchell Tuckman to president/chief executive officer from executive vice president/chief operating officer. He succeeds Sherman A. Rinkel, president and cofounder, who has retired.
Bombardier Regional Aircraft Div. has chosen a 13,000-lb.-thrust CF34-8C engine from General Electric for its new 70-seat CRJ-X regional jet, and GE will invest more than $200 million to develop this CF34 derivative powerplant.
