MilitaryB737 Joins the Navy The U.S. Navy's new Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), a modified Boeing 737-800, is touted as a significantly enhanced mission platform, compared with the venerable P-3C it will replace. Prime contractor Boeing and…
Editor's NoteCalendar September 21-24 ION GNSS, Long Beach, Calif. New this year is a classified session cosponsored by the GPS Joint Program Office. Contact the Institute of Navigation (ION), phone 703-383-9688, e-mail meetings@ion.org or…
ATM ModernizationQ&A: Russ Chew A little more than a year ago, in June 2003, Russell Chew became a pioneer in the annals of U.S. aviation history by becoming the first chief operating officer (COO) of the…
Editor's NoteSystem 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…
CommercialSafety: 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 & GAHuman 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…
MilitaryEditor'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.…
MilitaryNetwork 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…