March 27, 1995

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COVER STORY

Operability Verified in GE90 Flight Tests

MOJAVE, CALIF. General Electric has completed operability and system verification flight tests of its 84,700-lb.-thrust GE90 powerplant, demonstrating that the engine is ready to begin Boeing flight trials toward gaining 180 min. ETOPS clearance.

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM11 min

COVER STORY

747-100 Engine Testbed Provides New Options

Flights of an 84,700-lb.-thrust GE90 have demonstrated the concepts behind GE's new engine test strategy

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM8 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Major Upgrades Draw Industry 'down Under'

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA Major upgrades in fighter and transport aircraft, missiles and trainers are expected in Australia over the coming decade, turning the country into one of the most active military markets in the Pacific Rim. For some years, Australian procurement has been dominated by surface ship replacements, but as the bulk of those programs have passed through the system, the way has been opened for significant aviation upgrades for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Navy (RAN) and Army (RAA).

By MICHAEL MECHAM4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Loral Charting Next Acquisition

NEW YORK Loral Corp. already is looking toward its next acquisition, even as the company begins shepherding its latest catch— the Unisys Defense Systems operation— through the regulatory maze. Unisys Corp. last week selected Loral's $862 million, all-cash offer over rival bidders Raytheon Co. and General Motors Corp.'s Hughes Aircraft Co.

By ANTHONY L. VELOCCI4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Improved F100-229 Fan Could Boost Engine Life

NEW YORK Pratt & Whitney has completed tests of an improved performance fan that has the potential to boost F100-229 engine durability by almost 40%. Altitude tests of an F100-229 configured with the improved performance fan began at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center near Tullahoma, Tenn., late last November and ended in early March.

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Weather Report: Mars and Venus

WASHINGTON Weather on Mars has changed dramatically since the Viking spacecraft visited during dust storms in the late 1970s. The climate is colder, clearer, drier and more stable, recent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope show.

By JAMES R. ASKER3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Lockheed Martin Wins Mars Contract

LOS ANGELES Lockheed Martin Astronautics will build the Mars Surveyor 1998 orbiter and lander vehicles, the second set of spacecraft in a planned series of NASA missions to the planet through 2005. The two small spacecraft—intended to study climate and search for water in the Martian soil—are scheduled to be launched during the 1998 Mars launch opportunity, which extends from December, 1998, until February, 1999.

By BRUCE A. SMITH3 min

March 201995

April 31995

March 27, 1995

March 27, 1995

Operability Verified in GE90 Flight Tests

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM11 min

747-100 Engine Testbed Provides New Options

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM8 min

Station Partners Reassess Esa's Role

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min

Operability Verified in GE90 Flight Tests

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM11 min

747-100 Engine Testbed Provides New Options

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO,MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM8 min

Station Partners Reassess Esa's Role

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min