April 23, 1979

April 23, 1979

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Space Technology

Nasa Seeks Shuttle Capability Growth

By Craig Covault13 min

Air Transport

Caledonian Seeks Concorde for Sunbelt

By David A. Brown10 min

Avionics

Advanced Flight Decks Gain Acceptance

By David M. North10 min

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4243
Space Technology

Nasa Seeks Shuttle Capability Growth

Houston—First test of the space shuttle as a propellant tanker could occur in the early 1980s with a General Dynamics Centaur stage. The activity would be important for development of a U. S. space refueling capability and transfer vehicles that by 1990 could support manned operations in geosynchronous orbit.

By Craig Covault13 min

3435
Air Transport

Caledonian Seeks Concorde for Sunbelt

By David A. Brown10 min

6061
Avionics

Advanced Flight Decks Gain Acceptance

Washington—Advanced flight deck design involving maximum use of cathode ray tube displays is being adopted in varying degrees by airlines and aircraft manufacturers in their next generation of transport aircraft. First contract for the use of electronic attitude director indicators and horizontal situation indicators in a production transport-category aircraft was awarded recently to Rockwell International’s Collins Air Transport Div., by the Boeing Commercial Airplane Co.

By David M. North10 min

1819
Management

U. S. Reexamines Fighter Needs

Operating conditions in Europe, Soviet technological surprises in new aircraft raise questions for USAF

By Clarence A. Robinson9 min

2223
Space Technology

Highly Stressed Reentry Performed By Soyuz 33

Washington—Soyuz 33 propulsion system failure forced Soviet cosmonaut Nilolai Rukavishnkov and his Bulgarian companion, Georgiy Ivanov, to fly a high stressed ballistic reentry profile that placed 8g on the crew, twice the normal loads for a Soyuz reentry.
2627
Air Transport

Backlash Feared in Bilaterals

U. S. airline executives concerned that country-of-origin fares in recent pacts may hold competitive edge for Europe

By Laurence Doty6 min

5657
Missile Engineering

Navy Receives First Bqm-74c Drone

Los Angeles—Northrop Corp.’s Ventura Div. has delivered its first BQM-74C air-launchable target drone to the U. S. Navy for test and evaluation prior to a Navy decision on series production of the drone. A primary mission for the BQM-74C will be to simulate enemy cruise missiles attacking U. S. fleets in conjunction with the Navy’s mobile sea range.

By Robert R. Ropelewski6 min

3233
Air Transport

Machinists’ Strike Costing United $1.5 Million a Day

Washington—Strike-bound United Airlines has been losing $1.5 million per day since 18,600 machinists walked off the job Mar. 31, carrier executives confirmed last week. The carrier was enduring the strike without benefit of Mutual Aid Pact funds, while its competitors were registering huge traffic gains and high profits as a result of the grounding of United’s 1,600 flights per day.

By James Ott5 min

2021
Avionics

Major Improvement Urged in F-16 Radar Capability

Washington—U. S. Air Force’s Tactical Air Command has recommended a major improvement of the all-weather air-to-air and air-to-surface attack capabilities of the General Dynamics F-16 through the introduction of an improved radar. This could be done either by improving the existing Westinghouse radar in the F-16 or by switching to the Hughes Aircraft APG-65 radar, developed for use in the Navy/McDonnell Douglas F/A-18.

By Philip J. Klass5 min

2021
Space Technology

Shuttle Hardware Progress Confirmed

April 161979 April 301979