December 31, 1973

December 31, 1973

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Missile Engineering

Mideast War Spurs Missile R&D Effort

Air Transport

Economy, Fuel Cloud Airline Outlook

Avionics

Pushbutton Flight Hardware Use Grows

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1617
Missile Engineering

Mideast War Spurs Missile R&D Effort

Combat effectiveness of missiles employed by both sides in the Mideast October war has generated a flurry of research and development activity within the U. S. Defense Dept. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. The use of Israel Aircraft Industries’ Gabriel surface-to-surface ship-launched missile from the Saar boat with eight missiles and a 40-mm. gun against Soviet-built Komar and Osa boats is spurring the directorate of Defense research and engineering (DDR&E) to press for U. S. Navy point defense development.
1213
Air Transport

Economy, Fuel Cloud Airline Outlook

Airlines are moving into 1974 not only with doubts over their future status as business enterprises but also with serious questions as to their role in an economy suddenly stifled by a world shortage of petroleum. Early predictions for airline activities during the forthcoming year have been shelved as obsolete.
2627
Avionics

Pushbutton Flight Hardware Use Grows

Recent developments in avionics hardware, packaged and priced to spread downward through the ranks of general aviation aircraft, bring sophisticated operating capabilities to increasing numbers of pilots. Microcircuit technology has made possible the proliferation of the pushbutton in equipment such as King Radio Corp.’s KNR 665 area navigation (R-Nav) system (AW&ST Aug. 27, p. 48) and in Collins Radio’s NCS-31 auto-tuning navigation and control system and Edo-Aire’s solid-state frequency management and data display sysOct.
1011
Space Technology

U. S. Faces 1974 Manned Launch Hiatus

Culmination of the Skylab orbital workshop program with the mission of its third astronaut crew will end U. S. manned spaceflight until July, 1975, when the Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) U. S. crew is scheduled to be launched for a rendezvous with Soviet cosmonauts.
1415
Aeronautical Engineering

Aerospace Technology Up, Funds Down

"Year of Technology” might be used to describe 1973 in aeronautical engineering. While funding generally slowed, technology continued to advance in the aerospace field. Scientists and engineers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Air Force and Navy along with their civilian contractors continued to provide the technology needed to keep the United States preeminent in both commercial and military aeronautics.
2829
Business Flying

Fuel Crisis Dictating Health of Industry

Equipment vendors face a real threat that business aircraft production may slide 40% from predictions for the 1974-1975 period as a result of the energy crisis. Alleviation of the stern allocations announced initially by President Nixon, which called for reducing fuel supplies to business aircraft by 40% of 1973 levels, agricultural, air taxi and industrial aviation by 20% and training and pleasure aircraft by 50%, would still result in severe production cutbacks, an industry survey indicates.
3031
Energy

Boeing Offers Aircraft Fuel Measures

Variety of operational and maintenance measures designed to save jet fuel—but not necessarily money—have been outlined to its airline customers by Boeing Co. Spurred by current fuel shortages, the company has prepared a 28-page booklet of fuel-saving tips that include specific speed recommendations for each of Boeing’s four basic models, emphasis on the importance of aerodynamic cleanness and weight reduction and even a suggestion that flight planners direct 747 transports through cold air masses whenever possible.
3435

News Digest

45

Message from the Publisher

As 1973 comes to a close we are witnessing one of the most turbulent times in modern history. Comet Kohoutek, now flashing across the sky, seems a celestial exclamation mark punctuating the numerous recent domestic and international crises.

By Reginald A. Hubley

3435

AIA Forecast

December 171973 January 71974