February 23, 1987

View Full Issue Table of Contents

AIR TRANSPORT

Customer Input Aids Development Of Advanced Fokker 100 Cockpit

Amsterdam—Customer input from Swissair, KLM and other carriers encouraged Fokker, Rockwell-Collins and Sperry to give the Fokker 100 one of the most advanced airline cockpits currently in existence, according to Fokker. Most of the Collins-designed Arinc Series 700 avionics and ‘the Sperry flight management system in the Fokker 100 are improved versions of systems in service with the Boeing 757/767 and the Airbus Industrie A310.

By Michael Feazel8 min

AVIONICS

GTE Adapts Off-the-She To Improve Command and Control

Boston—A joint service program managed by the Air Force is adapting off-the-shelf IBM PC/XTs to bring greater automation into the Worldwide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS) to speed execution of war plans. The program, called the WWMCCS Information System (WIS), follows congressional dictates to the Defense Dept, to use commercial off-the-shelf hardware as much as possible to cut costs of customtailored hardware.

By William H. Gregory8 min

AVIONICS

Joint STARS intensifies Reliance On Software in Development Phase

Melbourne, Fla.—The advanced very high speed distributed processing component in the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) has made the software job highly intensive and the key component in the full-scale development of the program, according to USAF Col.

By Edward H. Kolcum7 min

MANAGEMENT

Alcoa Restructures to Enter Value-Added Product Market

Pittsburgh—Alcoa is moving from its traditional role of supplier of primary materials to that of a manufacturer of finished, value-added products fabricated from aluminum and non-aluminum materials following a reorganization that began last year.

By Stanley W. Kandebo6 min

Space Technology

New Factors Cited in Challenger Accident

Washington—Evidence is building that loss of the space shuttle Challenger occurred not only because of a defective booster, but also because of undetected wind shear and a weakened attach ring that holds the boosters to the shuttle’s external tank, according to Astronaut Office Chief John W. Young.

By Craig Covauit6 min

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Italian RPV Wins $16-Mllllon Bid For NA TO Missile Range Service

Rome—Italy’s Meteor will supply its Mirach 100 remotely piloted vehicle for use on NATO’s Crete firing range under terms of a $ 16-million contract awarded by the Greek government, while an extended-range Mirach 100 version has been entered in the U. S. Navy/Marine Corps/ Air Force medium-range remotely piloted vehicle competition.

By Jeffrey M. Lenorovitz5 min

AIR TRANSPORT

Piedmont Delays Acquisition Decision, invites New Bids

Washington—Piedmont Airlines’ board of directors, deliberating late last week over proposals for the airline’s acquisition tendered by USAir and Norfolk Southern Corp., decided to seek other bids before reaching a decision. The week was marked by increasing antes from USAir in a bidding match with Norfolk Southern, a holding company with a net worth of $10 billion.

February 161987

March 21987

February 23, 1987

February 23, 1987