April 1, 1985

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SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Contractors Reposition Personnel to Support Station Development

Washington—Companies across the U. S. have begun reassigning hundreds of engineers and other personnel to support development of the U. S. space station as a result of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's selection of six contractor teams for nearly two years of space station definition and preliminary design work (AW&ST Mar. 18, p. 301).

By Craig Covault10 min

Air Transport

Improved Economy Sparks Profits for Aircraft Maintenance Companies

Dusseldorf—Resurgence of world airlines has headed off a price war that threatened two years ago between aircraft maintenance companies. Many maintenance firms have shown 25-50% increases in revenues since that time, and some have more than doubled their revenues.

By Michael Feazel8 min

AVIONICS

Raytheon Plans to Design, Build Vhsic-quality Integrated Circuits

Andover, Mass.—Raytheon Co. can design and produce integrated circuits comparable in quality to those developed in Phase 1 of the Defense Dept.'s very high speed integrated circuit (VHSIC) program at its new Microelectronics Center here.

By Benjamin M. Elson7 min

MISSILE ENGINEERING

Defense Nuclear Agency Directing Six-year Lethality Assessment

Washington—A six-year effort directed by the Defense Nuclear Agency to assess the lethality of six different types of weapons for strategic missile defense and possible countermeasures that could reduce their effectiveness is projected to cost around $600 million.

By Philip J. Klass6 min

BUSINESS FLYING

Avco Lycoming, Deere Will Develop Stratified-charge Rotary Engine

Washington—Avco Lycoming and John Deere Technologies International have undertaken joint development of a stratified-charge rotary engine in the 350-400-hp. class planned for deliveries beginning in 1990. Manufacturers of engines for general aviation aircraft have been evaluating a number of possibilities for an engine, or engine modification, that would eventually replace the piston engine that has been in use for more than 60 years.

By David M. North6 min

Aeronautical Engineering

Army Performs New, Rigorous Divad Tests

Washington—Follow-on evaluation tests scheduled for the U. S. Army/Ford Aerospace division air defense gun system (Divad) during the next two months will be the most complex and rigorous ever administered to an Army system, Lt. Gen. Louis C. Wagner, Jr., Army deputy chief of staff for research, development and acquisition, said.

By Brendan M. Greeley6 min

March 251985

April 81985

April 1, 1985

April 1, 1985