Defense Articles

Operating limits for commercial aircraft have been proposed by regulators in the US in an attempt to avert issues caused by age-related metal fatigue cracks.

A draft rule from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the change would exceed current regulations relating to older aircraft, mainly concerning maintenance, and would apply to thousands of aircraft currently in service as well as models not yet introduced, Reuters reported.

Under the proposed plans the FAA would work with aircraft manufacturers to establish operating limits. Over 20 years the cost to the industry could reportedly be as much as USD360m.

The proposal is said to cover aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, the newest Boeing 777, as well as next-generation aircraft such as Boeing’s 787 and the Airbus A380.

Swedish aircraft humidity control systems provider CTT Systems AB said on Monday (28 May) that it has received an evaluation order for an aircraft condensation elimination system from the Portuguese airline TAP.

The order covers a Zonal Drying System for installation in an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

If the trial is successful TAP plans to install the Zonal Drying System in all of its aircraft.

CTT Systems, headquartered in Nykoping, Sweden, provides Zonal Drying Systems for eliminating condensation on the aircraft structure, and Cair Systems for controlling cabin humidity. The company is listed on the Nordic Exchange in Stockholm.

Operating limits for commercial aircraft have been proposed by regulators in the US in an attempt to avert issues caused by age-related metal fatigue cracks.

A draft rule from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the change would exceed current regulations relating to older aircraft, mainly concerning maintenance, and would apply to thousands of aircraft currently in service as well as models not yet introduced, Reuters reported.

Under the proposed plans the FAA would work with aircraft manufacturers to establish operating limits. Over 20 years the cost to the industry could reportedly be as much as USD360m.

The proposal is said to cover aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, the newest Boeing 777, as well as next-generation aircraft such as Boeing’s 787 and the Airbus A380.

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2007 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Australian regional carrier QantasLink is to expand its Boeing 717-200 fleet as part of a renewed operating agreement with National Jet Systems (NJS).

The carrier will reportedly expand its fleet from eight to 11 aircraft.

The first of the three additional aircraft will commence operation in August 2007 and will be based in Perth, while route options for the other two aircraft, set to enter service in October 2007, are still being assessed.

Surface Transforms (www.surface-transforms.com; Ellesmere Port, Cheshire) is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of ‘next-generation’ carbon fiber reinforced ceramic composite materials (CRFCs). They are designed to replace traditional carbon-carbon products on aircraft by offering an improved product lifetime, thereby increasing the number of landings that can be performed between maintenance schedules. Its products can be found on rocket propulsion systems and as a replacement for conventional technical ceramics for use in body and vehicle armor. They can also be found on high-performance cars. Formed in 1992, Surface Transforms originated out of the Advanced Materials group of ICI when four former employees bought the intellectual property rights to the materials technology. Initially, and for quite a lengthy period of time afterwards, it served as a research and development company. Initial projects were funded programs that looked at various applications including aerospace and railway carriage braking. It even started to become involved in Formula One. However, the timing was unfortunate because the company initiated the project just at the time when the FIA, the sport’s governing body, was in the process of banning carbon ceramics on Grand Prix cars. Surface Transforms duly refocused its efforts on fitting its brakes to high-performance road cars.

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As a result, Surface Transform’s System ST brakes can now be found on the Koenigsegg supercar as an option on the CCX, which was launched at last year’s Geneva Show and on the CCGT that was launched at this year’s show, the $600,00 Ascari A10, and a new supercar from Weber Sportcars. Altogether, System ST is now fitted to more than 15 different car platforms. Surface Transforms is also working in partnership with StopTech, a California based leader in balanced brake upgrades for production cars and production-based racecars, to promote the adoption of carbon ceramic brakes on high-performance cars in the U.S. market. An annual supply contract has not yet been signed, yet both companies forecast that in the aftermarket between 50 and 100 car sets will be required in the next 12 months. StopTech has placed the first production order and will soon be offering the System ST ceramic brake disc on selected vehicle offerings.

“Carbon ceramic brake technology was really brought to the market by three cars that were launched, utilizing the technology at a similar time–the Ferrari Enzo, Porsche Carrera GT and the Mercedes McLaren SLR–and Surface Transforms had the appropriate technology,” says Antoni Sznerch, Surface Transforms’ business development director. Unlike carbon-carbon brakes, carbon ceramics do not need to be hot to work, they work optimally from cold while offering significant weight saving over traditional iron rotors. They also have negligible wear in normal use. “The fundamental difference between the brake discs that are fitted to these three cars and Surface Transform’s technology is that they are manufactured using discontinuous carbon fiber, where our discs are made of continuous carbon fiber. This means that their mechanical integrity should be superior because the strength of carbon lies in the direction and length of the fiber.”

Surface Transforms manufactures and supplies 3D multi-directional carbon fiber and oxidized PAN (polyacrylonitrile) preforms to suit a variety of engineering applications. Carbon fiber preforms are mats of interwoven multi-directional carbon fibers and are the basic materials that Surface Transforms converts into ceramic brakes and discs using its patented technology. “By developing our discs and pads from our pad partner, we provide a balanced and high-performance complete friction couple,” says Sznerch. “We use what could be called a traditional nought/90 fiber orientation. However, our raw material is carbon fiber precursor which has 30% elongation in the fiber before it will break whereas carbon fiber only has 2%. This 30% elongation allows us to needle the fibers together so that we not only have the nought/90 orientation but also have the fiber in the Z direction through the material bundle and that is what binds the fibers together. It would be physically impossible to do this with traditional carbon and can only be done at the precursor stage. We convert the precursor to carbon fiber then we crack methane and convert the carbon to carbon-carbon.

“The final stage of manufacture is to convert the carbon-carbon to carbon silicon carbide. The carbon that we crack from methane infills around the fiber that is then converted to silicon carbide. In this way we end up with a carbon silicon carbide disc with good mechanical integrity. Because we machine our discs to shape as opposed to shaping them in a mould we have great flexibility in the design and dimensions of the disc.”

“We are now going through the phase of transforming an R&D company into a more commercial manufacturing one,” says Sznerch. “We are a materials technology company looking for commercial applications. The company philosophy and strategy is twofold. One is that we don’t see ourselves as a large volume manufacturer of automotive brake discs and are looking for licensed manufacturers for the long term. Aircraft brakes, currently, in the main are carbon-carbon–metal brakes are now less common on new aircraft–and we are looking to license our technology to carbon-carbon manufacturers. This has a good strategic fit because our siliconization process can be added onto the tail end of their existing process. A licensed automotive manufacturer will be a little bit different because it would need a more complete manufacturing package. However, we have intellectual property rights for the main core of three critical processes, starting with the raw material, how it’s put together, then the carbonization stage followed by the siliconization process.”

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Operating limits for commercial aircraft have been proposed by regulators in the US in an attempt to avert issues caused by age-related metal fatigue cracks.

A draft rule from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the change would exceed current regulations relating to older aircraft, mainly concerning maintenance, and would apply to thousands of aircraft currently in service as well as models not yet introduced, Reuters reported.

Under the proposed plans the FAA would work with aircraft manufacturers to establish operating limits. Over 20 years the cost to the industry could reportedly be as much as USD360m.

The proposal is said to cover aircraft such as the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, the newest Boeing 777, as well as next-generation aircraft such as Boeing’s 787 and the Airbus A380.

BRIEFING: The Mark V SOC is used to insert and extract Special Operations Forces, primarily Navy SEALs, in areas of low-to-medium threat. The SOCs - assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group Four - are organized into detachments of two boats, their crews and a deployment support package. The detachment can be delivered in-theater by C-5 transport aircraft or by ship. The detachments - deployable within 48 hours of notification - can be ready for operations within 24 hours of arrival in a forward operating area.

The Mark V SOC is equipped with radar and sophisticated navigation systems, including a Global Positioning System. It can carry four Combat Rubber Raiding Craft to transfer SEALS covertly to and from shore. Full-rate production of the Mark V began in 1995. Full operational capability was achieved in 1999.

WEIGHT: ………………..57 tons
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LENGTH:………………..82 feet

BEAM:………………..17.5 feet

SPEED:………………..maximum, 50 knots

RANGE:……………………500+ nautical miles

POWER PLANT: ………..2 MTU 12V396 TE94 engines, 2.285 hp each, powering 2 K5OS waterjets

COMPLEMENT: …………5 crew, 16 SEALS

ARMAMENT: …………….5 mounts for .5O-caliber or 7.62mm machine guns and Mkl9 40mm machine guns

CONTRACTOR: ………..Halter Marine Inc., New Orleans

SMALL-UNIT RIVERINE CRAFT (SURC)

BRIEFING: The SURC is designed to provide tactical mobility and a limited weapons platform for a ground combat element in a littoral and riverine environment, provide command and control, reconnaissance, logistic/resupply, medevac, counter-drug operations, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and noncombatant evacuation operations. The SURC hull is aluminum with beaching plates, a foam collar that provides redundant buoyancy and some ballistic protection.

WEIGHT: ………………..17,500 pounds; 22,000 pounds combat load

LENGTH:………………..38 feet

BEAM:………………..10.2 feet

DRAFT: ………………..24 inches static

SPEED:………………..cruise, 35 knots; sprint, 39 knots

RANGE:………………..250+ nautical miles

POWER PLANT: ………..twin Yanmar 6LY2A-STP diesel engines, 440 hp, powering twin Hamilton HJ292 Waterjets

COMPLEMENT: …………2 crew, 16 troops

ARMAMENT: ……………….3 mounts for .50-caliber or 7.62mm machine guns

CONTRACTOR: ………..Safe Boats International, Port Orchard, Wash.

RIVERINE ASSAULT CRAFT (RAC)

BRIEFING: The RAC is a high-speed aluminum-hulled riverine platform that provides speed, maneuverability and survivability to conduct command/control, armed escort, direct fire support, electronic warfare, pursuit/intercept and scout/patrol missions during riverine operations. It is capable of employing a variety of military and commercial communications/electronic and crew-served weapons systems. The RAC is transportable by truck, externally by CH-53 helicopter, or internally by C-5, C-130 or C-17 cargo aircraft.

WEIGHT:………………..13,600 pounds empty; 16,400 pounds full load

LENGTH:………………..35 feet

BEAM: ………………..9.2 feet

DRAFT: ………………..30 inches on plane

SPEED:………………..cruise, 27 knots; maximum, 37.4 knots

RANGE:………………..350 nautical miles

POWER PLANT:………..twin Cummins diesel engines, 300 hp, powering Hamilton 271 waterjets

COMPLEMENT:…………4-5 crew, 10-15 troops

ARMAMENT: …………….fore and aft gun tubs capable of mounting 7.62mm, .50-caliber or Mkl9 40mm machine guns; port and starboard mounts for 7.62mm machine guns

CONTRACTOR: ………..SeaArk Marine, Monticello, Ark.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS CRAFT RIVERINE (SOC-R)

BRIEFING: The SOC-R is designed for SEAL combat operations in a riverine environment. SOC-R is capable of operating in shallow, confined waters, can suppress fire or break contact with hostile forces and be fast and maneuverable. The aluminum SOC-R can be fully armored to stop 7.62mm rounds.

WEIGHT: ………………..19,000 pounds full load, 20,500 pounds armored load

LENGTH:………………..33 feet

BEAM: ………………..9 feet

DRAFT: ………………..24 inches static, 15 inches on plane

SPEED:………………..cruise, 30+ knots; maximum, 40+ knots

RANGE:………………..195+ nautical miles

POWER PLANT: ………..twin Yanmar diesel engines, 440 hp, powering Hamilton HJ292 waterjets

COMPLEMENT: …………4 crew. 8 troops

ARMAMENT: ……………..5 mounts for M240 7.62mm, GAU-17 7.62mm, M2HB .50-caliber or Mkl9 40mm machine guns

25-FOOT PATROL BOAT

BRIEFING: The 25-foot Patrol Boat is a highly maneuverable, welded aluminum boat powered by two outboard gasoline engines. Naval Coastal Warfare Groups One and Two are organized into Mobile security Detachments of three 25-foot patrol boats per detachment. The boat is designed to perform a variety of patrol, surveillance and security-related functions.

WEIGHT: ………………..7.430 pounds full load

LENGTH (overall):………25 feet

BEAM (overall): ………….8.5 feet

The Pall Corporation reports that it is “continuing its commitment to the craft brewing industry” with the exhibition of two products at the upcoming Craft Brewery Convention BrewExpo, to be held in Philadelphia April 13-16. The Pall booth will be #518.

On display at the Pall booth will be the Ecoflux Smartline Filtration System, which the company says is designed to combine a two-step process to remove spoilage organisms and particles from beer into a single step.

In addition, Pall will be exhibiting the new B.S. Depth Filter Sheet. According to the company, this Depth Filter Sheet “supports three-filtration mechanisms of surface filtration, depth filtration and absorption to meet the high standards of the brewing industry.”

In a statement, the company said, “Both these products provide craft brewers with the total filtration and separation technology they need required for continued growth and to protect brand integrity”.
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The Pall Corporation’s Food & Beverage Division offers numerous products for the filtration and stabilization of beer.

According to the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) the craft market is worth 29 billion dollars (that’s billion with a B!) and 4 million new people discover crafts every year. In other words, crafts are everywhere and people are jumpin’ on the wagon. In the past few years, there has been a wonderful explosion of craft-related magazines, books, Web sites and television shows. The more the better, right?

There are roughly 15 craft shows on the air right now, and I’m sure more and more are being developed as I write this. Many of these great shows are on cable stations like HGTV (Home and Garden Television), it’s sister station DIY (Do-It-Yourself Network), your local PBS station and even the Style Network. There are two shows that have particularly caught my eye recently–Crafters Coast to Coast and Craft Corner Deathmatch.

Crafters Coast To Coast is a new show on HGTV and, so far, it seems to be a hit with viewers, me included. Crafters Coast To Coast continues the tradition of the beloved Carol Duvall Show, but with a welcome new twist. Where Carol had the artist travel to HGTV’s studio in Southern California, Crafter’s Coast To Coast brings the television studio to the artist. Why didn’t I think of that? Coast’s philosophy is to let all of us see “each artisan in their own environment and experience how their personalities, lives and communities influence their work.” What a great concept. Crafts and voyeurism–what could be better?
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Crafters Coast To Coast brings us serious creating in a lighthearted manner, with a touch of silliness–a lot like the sessions you and I would have with friends. A production crew takes over the artist’s studio and spends the day taping a specific project. It takes about six hours of filming to get five minutes of television. They’ve showcased ceramics., papermaking, beading, purse making, stained glass, card making and felting, just to name a few. Basically, a little something for everyone.

What I find so endearing about the show is that it allows us to see crafters as real people, just like you and me. They have busy lives with lots of responsibilities, and they continue to love what they do. They also fight to keep pet hair out of their work and search for ways to keep the creative juices flowing while raising families and dealing with life. It allows us to see that others feel as adamantly about their art as we do. It validates that creativity is and should be a part of healthy life.

Craft Corner Deathmatch is a new show on the Style Network, and let me just say, it ain’t your grandma’s sewing circle. The premise of the show is interesting. Two young, hip crafters competing against each other and the clock to create a randomly chosen project with strange and oddly assorted supplies–definitely pushing creativity to the max! The contestants are people I’d like to hang out with, take classes from of even see in the pages of Expression. They are collage artists, mixed-media artists and in general crafty people.

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After the project idea is given, the supplies are rolled out on a cart by the stoic, just-put-her-finger-in-a-light-socket assistant (nary a smile mind you) and the contestants rummage through the assortment of materials and then retreat back to their “corners.” The crafters are allotted 10 minutes to create something from their chosen materials while host Jason Jones throws twists into the challenges along with added commentary that might be viewed as, well, obnoxious. To break things up a bit, they throw in a taped segment with hints on what else could be done with the theme and supplies available had you more than 10 minutes. The art is finally judged on beauty, creativity, and utility by a panel of three “experts” and the winner of two rounds goes on to face the Craft Lady of Steel. Like the assistant, she’s not a smiler either. The two go head-to-head and the winner (usually the aforementioned Craft Lady of Steel) … well, wins.

Both shows are interesting in their own right, and merit a checking out. While Crafters Coast To Coast focuses on crafting and creating as a worth-while pursuit. Craft Corner Deathmatch is more for entertainment purposes and humor. I mean, who can really take the host seriously anyway?

“It pays to be a winner,” shouts Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (SEAL) David Cassidy, a dive motivator assigned to Recruit Training Command (RTC), Great Lakes, Ill. “It pays to be a winner.”

Like a starting pistol, his words catapulted Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL), Explosive Ordnance and Disposal (EOD), Diver, Search and Rescue swimmer (SAR) and Special Warfare Combat-Craft Crewman (SWCC) candidates into the secondary combat training pool for another lap. It was their tenth lap after what seemed like a million push-ups, flutter kicks and pull-ups, but not one candidate complained or even flinched as the workout grew more intense. The truth is, they actually liked the grueling exercise, and they should–after all, they volunteered for the workouts.

Workouts are part of an informal mentorship program called Dive Motivator which are run by SEAL, SWCC, Diver, SAR and EOD instructors assigned to RTC. Local “A” school graduates, Sailors awaiting class assignment and any Sailor around RTC who passes one of the special program screening tests are welcome to join the voluntary workouts.
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Officially, the instructors are billeted to RTC to educate recruits during boot camp and administer special program screening tests to candidates. At the same time, the dive motivator instructors saw a need for a more structured physical fitness training following boot camp to help ensure Sailors showed up at schools like Basic Underwater Demolition/SCUBA (BUD/S) or Navy Air Crewman School in the best shape possible.

“If I had been left on my own after “A” school, there’s no way I would have been ready for BUDS,” said SEAL candidate, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Taylor King. “I would have been going to the weight room and getting bulky and heavy–the complete opposite of what I need to do to succeed as a SEAL candidate.”

The instructors constantly mentor their candidates in every aspect of their lives because they know being physically fit is not enough to make it through the Navy’s special programs. According to Dive Motivator Instructor, Chief Journalist (SEAL) Zechariah Carmack, it takes a fit mind, a will to win and the heart of a champion. Bringing the champion out of each and every one of the candidates’ is why they mentor.

The instructors demand their candidates act like champions in every aspect of their lives. And the mentoring works–it shows in their uniforms, their demeanor, how they talk to the instructors and to each other. Because of the leadership the dive motivators introduce the candidates to, candidates change their diets, study harder and develop the will to swim just one more lap when their body says no more pain today.

After a workout, the candidates, every one of them ripped with toned muscle structure and lungs like a dolphin, thanked Cassidy for letting them workout. As they left the pool, Cassidy reminded them that the next workout would be at 3 p.m.

“Every time we have an intense training session, and I finish it, I look back upon it and say to myself that it wasn’t that bad,” said King. “What’s amazing is every once in a while I look at just how far I’ve come both mentally and physically, and i’m motivated even more because I know that what the instructors demand from us works–we get stronger, we get faster, we become more cunning. And that’s what Dive Motivator is all about. It prepares us for the special programs so we make it through.”

Cassidy’s words echo throughout the day with the candidates. Much more than just a slogan, the idea that being the very best you can be is drilled into their beads as if their lives depend on it–because it does.

“All of our jobs are inherently dangerous,” said Carmack. “We have to demand from each candidate an attitude of always doing their best. In our line of work, a lapse in concentration or a moment of indecision can mean the difference between a mission’s success or failure, a Sailor living or dying.”

“We know that we have to bring our “A” game every day,” said Dive Motivator Instructor, Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD/SW) Brian Farris. “Most people in our community may look the other way when this billet is offered to them because they’d rather keep diving, jumping and working within their communities. But they should look at this assignment as the most important contribution they can make to their communities because we’re these candidates first impression of the special programs.

“Like the CNO says, we’re their first 72 hours, and how well we represent our communities goes a long way in determining the success or failure of each candidate,” said Farris. “This job should be viewed as the most important billet to the future of each of our communities. I know I consider it an honor to be here, an honor for fresh candidates to meet me as the first representative of the EOD community. What an awesome responsibility.”

Sometimes the Sailors who show up at the pool aren’t rookie Sailors fresh out of boot camp or “A” school. Sometimes, Sailors midway through their career are attracted to the zest of being in a special program and petition an instructor for help. Without the slightest hesitation, regardless of the hour in the day, they get the instructor’s very best effort.