Editor's Note

System Design: Forged and Counterfeit Parts (Part II)

My first encounter with forged parts was almost 40 years ago. I discovered that some U.S. surplus dealers would strip the markings from expensive tantalum capacitors and connectors, and then select or…

Commercial

Safety: Getting the Lead Out

Tin whiskers on plated electrical leads and printed circuit boards (PCBs) pose a threat to component reliability and safety. They can cause circuit failures, intermittent upsets and electrical arcing. Tin whiskers are…

Business & GA

Human Factors in Avionics Certification

Recognizing the role that design-related human error plays in aviation accidents, regulators are placing greater emphasis on human factors in avionics certification. To strengthen the regulatory basis for addressing human factors in…

Military

Editor's Note: Lead-Free Avionics?

It's hard to believe that something as small as solder on a circuit board can cause a stir in a multibillion-dollar industry that builds and operates fast-moving, multiton vehicles. But it has.…

Military

Network Centric, Rush to Connect

Weaving military systems into a seamless "network of networks"--an enterprise known as the Global Information Grid (GIG)--promises to speed access to critical data, sharpen situational awareness and shorten the "kill chain." As…

Business & GA

Perspectives: New Direction Sought For TSA

In the last two and a half years, the U.S. government has made progress in fortifying U.S. airports and airways against terrorism. However, despite the billions of dollars spent on federalized passenger…

ATM Modernization

New Products

From TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Montebello, Calif., comes the new AirTracks In-Flight Moving Map Software and Digital Video Playback systems. The high-resolution, moving map software allows aircraft passengers to view different maps,…

ATM Modernization

People

Schmidt, Deputy Director Kevin Petersen, director of the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), has named Steven Schmidt as deputy director. Schmidt has been the special assistant to the NASA administrator since January…