The Engineer articles from June 2004

The Engineer archives from June 2004

Formula not so grand for some.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... IS THERE a cloud hanging over Formula One? The sport has reached a point where its principle stakeholders are agreed that change is needed--as soon as possible. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The teams, the FIA, and the TV rights holder Bernie...

ESA funds light kite.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... A RESEARCHER at Kingston University has been awarded ESA funding to investigate using a solar kite to photograph the Moon and asteroids. For the idea to work Dr Welch, principal lecturer in the university's school of engineering, and researcher...

Lie detectors for sex offenders.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... THE HOME Secretary has hinted he wants to introduce compulsory lie detector tests for the first time for convicted sex offenders released from prison. The move follows a pilot scheme held in the north east, which The Engineer exclusively...

Tackling in-flight turbulence.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... TECHNOLOGY developed by NASA that automatically alerts pilots to potentially dangerous turbulence will make its first evaluation flights on a commercial aircraft this summer. The Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) detects...

Speed boost for Bluetooth.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... BLUETOOTH IS to get a speed boost, allowing it to carry data up to three times faster than current levels. A new prototype Bluetooth specification, Enhanced Data Rate, was unveiled this week by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, responsible...

Hospital code of practice.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... LONDON'S Charing Cross Hospital will this month begin to trial the use of barcodes on patients in a bid to reduce drug-related errors on the ward. It is the second hospital in the world to test such a system. Doctors on the ward use a PC-based...

Becksometer takes a bow.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... ON THE EVE OF EURO 2004, researchers at the University of Loughborough have invented the world's first device to capture the formula for a successful Beckham-style free kick. The QuinSpin system, demonstrated by the university's Dr Paul...

I-spy water power in space.(ThisWeek)
June 11, 2004... THE US MILITARY is developing technology to extend the life of its spy satellites using water. Most satellites use solar panels for day-to-day functions while relying primarily on liquid fuel for manoeuvring. DARPA is working with Proton...

'Rushed and ridiculous': Airbus warns that Boeing's 7E7 relies too heavily on unproven composite materials.(News)(Cover Story)
June 11, 2004... AIRBUS HAS ATTACKED the high proportion of composites used in Boeing's 7E7 Dreamliner, branding the aircraft's development 'rushed' and 'ridiculous'. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 7E7 will contain double the amount of composites used in...

Forecourt in the act: device links petrol station number plate recognition cameras to police database.(News)
June 11, 2004... KENT POLICE are to test a system that links their database with privately owned automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in petrol stations, car parks and housing developments, in a bid to cut vehicle crime. The pilot scheme, due...

Revealing another way to tackle crime.(News)
June 11, 2004... POLICE COULD spend less time on paperwork and more time on the beat, if a UK project to develop a system for automatically extracting evidence from CCTV footage is successful. Researchers from Kingston and Surrey Universities are working...

Reality check: infantry to be given a clearer understanding of terrain and hazards via digital graphics on headgear.(News)
June 11, 2004... UK SOLDIERS involved in urban warfare will gain an enhanced view of the battle zone using LCD displays overlaid with tactical 3D computer graphics. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Vital information, such as the names of roads, the presence of...

Rocket science: Lockheed Martin develops first mobile tracking device for rocket launchers.(News)
June 11, 2004... AIRBORNE SENSORS have been used to track a rocket for the first time in what engineers claim is a major step towards a 'space traffic control system.' Sensor technology installed on an unmanned aircraft successfully tracked and recorded...

Clearing the way for audible announcements.(News)
June 11, 2004... MUFFLED OR completely inaudible passenger announcements made by aircraft pilots and train drivers could soon be a thing of the past. Research specialist Qinetiq is in discussions with aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus and Boeing, and...

New formula for Grand Prix: as F1 faces shake-up, teams urged to use clever design rather than spend a fortune on hi-tech solutions.(News)
June 11, 2004... MANY ENGINEERS in Formula One could lose their jobs if plans to reduce the amount of in-car technology and pre-race testing come into force over the next few years. The changes are due to be ratified at the F1 World Council later this month,...

In a whirl of its own: generator could enhance power of supercharged engines.(News)
June 11, 2004... A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY to improve compressor performance promises to enhance the power or driveability of cars with turbocharged and supercharged engines. Integral Powertrain's pre-whirl generator is expected to provide a way of extending...

The heart of matter: Oxford Instruments to build the world's first enhanced spectroscope.(News)
June 11, 2004... TECHNOLOGY that could unlock the secrets of molecular structures by boosting the effectiveness of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis is to be commercialised in the UK. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oxford Instruments will build the...

Vega prototype engine on test.(News)
June 11, 2004... RESEARCHERS AT the European Space Agency have successfully completed the inert casting of the main motor of the Vega satellite launcher. The trial, an important step in the development of Europe's small satellite launcher, was held at the...

Meeting of modes: high-speed version of Bluetooth poised to play leading role in 'one-phone' handset technology.(Business)
June 11, 2004... BLUETOOTH specialist Cambridge Silicon Radio claims that the short-range wireless technology is poised to play a leading role in the development of 'one phone' handsets that unite mobile and fixed-line telephone services. [ILLUSTRATION...

BAE triumphs in tank battle: eleventh-hour swoop trumps US bidder to keep Alvis in the UK.(Business)
June 11, 2004... BAE SYSTEMS looks poised to take control of UK tank manufacturer Alvis after an eleventh-hour swoop to snatch the company from its would-be US buyer. Alvis seemed certain to join US defence group General Dynamics, which made a [pounds...

Driving ambition: Johnson Matthey in cleaner motoring challenge.(Business)
June 11, 2004... UK MATERIALS technology group Johnson Matthey is hoping to be one of the big winners from the auto industry's search for new low-emissions vehicle systems. The London company is a key supplier of technology and precious metals to R & D...

Rolls Royce cheers Trent engine orders from Air New Zealand.(The Week in Business)
June 11, 2004... Rolls-Royce is celebrating its first order for the new Trent 1000 engine the company is developing for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Air New Zealand will use the engines to power its two newly-ordered Dreamliners,...

BTG seeks new projects to invest [pounds sterling]6m saved from from cost cutting.(The Week in Business)
June 11, 2004... Technology commercialisation group BTG said it was back on course after slashing its costs and stepping up its search for new development projects in which to invest. BTG cut [pounds sterling]6m from its operating expenses last year,...

ABB secures [pounds sterling]22m plant contract for work on Norwen Lange gas field.(The Week in Business)
June 11, 2004... Engineering group ABB has tied up a [pounds sterling]22m contract for work on the giant Norwegian gas field that is eventually expected to supply 20 per cent of the UK's needs. ABB will provide electrical drive systems for an onshore...

Trak Communications is latest buy in Smiths 2004 spending spree.(The Week in Business)
June 11, 2004... Smiths Group has completed the purchase of Trak Communications after being given the green light by regulators in the US and EU. Trak, which has facilities in Florida and Dundee, is a specialist in the design and production of microwave...

Long-term deal with petrol giant is a boost for spin-out OHM.(The Week in Business)
June 11, 2004... Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping (OHM), which uses electromagnetic soundings to detect deep-water reserves of oil and gas, received a boost after tying up a long-term deal with a major petrochemical company. OHM, a spin-out from Southampton...

Pentagon's heavyweight airship project is more than just hot air: the US Air Force has set the tough task of designing a dirigible that can lift twice the payload of today's largest transport aircraft. David Windle reports.(Comment)
June 11, 2004... IN PREVIOUS columns, I've bemoaned the lack of 'big ideas' in aviation and sketched out the case for re-evaluating the practicability of large airships. Well, I'm delighted to report that the Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency...

Term of endearment.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 11, 2004... Many thanks to all the readers who wrote in response to my PLM feature 'The meaning of lifecycle' (Design Engineering, 14 May), especially Jerry Beddo and Bob Clements (Letters, 28 May). In reply to Mr Beddo, while I agree the expression...

Not a smart move.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 11, 2004... The government is slashing its support for innovation and technology by two thirds. According to reports the number of innovation grants, formerly known as SMART, this year will be 300 compared to last year's 900. Since 10 per cent of...

Driving home a design point.(Talking Point)
June 11, 2004... I was drawn to your article 'Under Pressure' about the Prodrive variable compression engine [News, 28 May] initially by the similarity between Prodrive's arrangement and that of a hypocycloidal crank. It appears that the design includes...

Power to the people: the battery life of mobile phones is lagging behind other fast-changing advances in the technology. Andrew Lee and Helen Knight on the race to bring performance up to speed with 3G.(Mobile Power)
June 11, 2004... ARUN SARIN, chief executive of Vodafone, did not mince his words when he addressed the great and the good of the mobile phone technology community at a recent industry conference. The battery life offered by current handset models was...

Superhighway code: Ford's head of intelligent vehicle technology is pioneering the driver's dream: a car that tells you about hazards via wireless communications--in real time. Helen Knight reports.(Interview)
June 11, 2004... TRAFFIC-CONTROL rooms rely on cameras and 'eye-in-the-sky' helicopters to monitor the road network for jams, accidents and hazardous weather. But one car manufacturer hopes to give them access to a far more comprehensive source of data in the...

Sandwich strength: a new composite material may soon be used as a replacement for steel or reinforced concrete in marine, civil and military structures. Jon Excell reports.(Composite Materials)
June 11, 2004... FROM THE glass fibre-aluminium fuselage sections on the Airbus A380 ('Glaring Addition', Design Engineering, 2 April) to the body panels on MG's X-Power SV sports car, composites are replacing traditional materials in an ever-growing range of...

Plastic fantastic: improvements to the injection-moulding process could slash the cost of plastic bottle production by 10 per cent. Jon Excell reports.(Fluid Power)
June 11, 2004... GERMAN ENGINEERS have developed and demonstrated a process that could dramatically lower the cost of plastic bottle production. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Polymer expert Zimmer claimed that its new approach could reduce the cost of...

Step change: a UK engineering company has come up with a low-voltage control system that could open up lucrative opportunities in the automotive industry. Jon Excell reports.(Power Control)
June 11, 2004... A NEW type of electric power controller could make hybrid and electric vehicles both safer and more efficient, according to its inventor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The developer of the device, Exeter-based 3DI Power of Exeter, told...

All done with mirrors: technology developed to improve bar and datacode readers could also be used to put tiny film projectors inside your mobile phone. Jon Excell reports.(Vision Systems)
June 11, 2004... IT'S THE WEEKLY shopping trip to the supermarket. A mad dash up and down the aisles, a quick recce to establish the location of the speediest cashier--and then you join the queue. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Sweeping changes: the world's longest wind turbine blade, made from a lightweight composite, promises cost savings with no risk to performance. Christopher Sell reports.(Wind Turbines)
June 11, 2004... THE WORLD'S LARGEST rotor blade has been developed in Denmark using a composite technology to combine light weight with efficiency. The LM 61.5P blade, measuring 61.5m--6.4m longer than any blade now in use--is the brainchild of LM Glasfiber....

Doing it in Style: fast and easy concept design is the philosophy of a new software package which allows designers to model in a photo-realistic environment Charles Clarke gives his verdict.(Software)
June 11, 2004... UNTIL NOW the styling market has been dominated by Alias with its high end Auto Studio package and recently the more affordable Studio Tools. But now there is a new player--ICEM, which developed surface modelling package Surf, has entered the...

Update.
June 11, 2004... For more information on any of the products listed below, go to www.theengineer.co.uk/info and enter the enquiry number SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Sensors Labfacility has launched the...

Brain Teaser.(ProblemPage)
June 11, 2004... What is the missing number in this sequence? 110, 20, 12, 11, 10? Solution next issue. Sent in by Norman Brooks, co-ordination manager, Delphi Diesel Systems, Gillingham, Kent, who wins a family ticket to the Science Museum's Science of...

You could bag a beastly trip into the past.(ProblemPage)
June 11, 2004... It is 16 million years after the reign of the dinosaur. T-Rex is a distant memory. New and fearsome creatures are stalking the Earth. Their bitter fight for survival, and the story of the coming of Man, has just begun. Walking with Beasts...

A file with a view.(Tech Need Challenge)
June 11, 2004... A low-cost, portable PDF file viewer is sought by a north American company. Designed for use in the manufacturing industry, the viewer must be able to read from a CD or file into its memory via USB cable from a PC. It doesn't need any computing...

Magnetic tool clamp.(Tech Need Challenge)
June 11, 2004... This European company requires a magnetic clamping method for holding tools in place on a variety of machines, such as injection moulding, metal pressing and die casting machines. The company needs the technology within the next three...

Clean coat.(Tech Need Challenge)
June 11, 2004... A coating for exterior surfaces that picks up little, if any, dirt is sought by this European company. The company wants a coating that can be applied in situ as a paint or simple surface treatment (with no additional curing step, such as...

Nano additives.(Tech Need Challenge)
June 11, 2004... A US firm seeks additives that could be used for making low-friction continuous multi-filament nylon/polyester. It is thought that nanoparticles or monomeric grafting could provide possible solutions. The technology is desired for use in...

Head guard.(Tech Need Challenge)
June 11, 2004... Novel products, or ideas that could be used in the development of a new helmet for military use, is being sought by a north American firm. Interest is invited from firms seeking any ideas related to comfort, weight, cooling, and increased...

SPY with X-appeal.(Patent of the Week)
June 11, 2004... Rumours may be rife of Pierce Brosnan's future as the UK's foremost secret agent, but whoever inherits the role 007 must surely hope that the good folk at United Pictures read The Engineer, writes Christopher Sell. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

East beats West.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... SHOULD WE BE worried about the China Syndrome: the trend by western engineering companies to manufacture their products in the Far East? Received wisdom is that 'outsourcing' is not good: jobs are going abroad; the UK is weakened and something...

Thrusting towards the X-Prize.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... THE US SPACESHIPONE became the world's first manned and privately owned vehicle to free itself from the Earth's gravitational pull this week, and in so doing came one step closer to securing the $10m ([pounds sterling]5.5m) X-Prize. ...

Pebble-dash treatment opens window on glaciers.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... IN A BID to understand more about glaciers, UK researchers are using wireless 'electronic pebbles' to collect information and transmit it instantly over the net to remote computers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The low power probes,...

Weapons fall to wave of wand.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... CAMBRIDGE imaging specialist Teraview is working with US-based Smiths Detection on a new generation of hand-held security wand to detect terrorist weapons and explosives. The device will employ terahertz light technology which lies between...

Saab proves a star on safety.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... EURO NCAP has awarded the first ever five-star safety rating for a soft-top car to the Saab 9-3 Convertible. In the latest set of test results, announced in Prague yesterday, the car received five stars for occupant safety, the highest...

Taking the spark out of lasers.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... RESEARCHERS in the US are developing an eye glass device to prevent laser beams from blinding soldiers, pilots or police officers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new technology, being developed at the University of Central Florida and the...

Plastic holds art of change.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... NEC HAS developed a plastic that is biodegradable, has the ability to 'remember' its shape and can easily be formed into new shapes, the company has claimed. Most shape-memory plastics cannot take on new shapes because the bridge between...

Wales to clean up on fuel.(ThisWeek)
June 25, 2004... WALES could become the first country in the world to mass-produce a new, less polluting fuel called hithane. The mixture of hydrogen and methane produces a third less carbon dioxide than petrol and has been used in trials in Canada and the...

Repairs on the fly: aircraft skin composites are being developed that bleed uncured resin to repair damage sustained during flight.(News)
June 25, 2004... 'BLEEDING' composites that repair themselves in mid-flight while alerting maintenance crews to the site of damage could be used on spacecraft and unmanned aerial vehicles within the next five to 10 years. Researchers at Bristol University (with...

Making light of damage: crystals that glow when cracked can pinpoint damaged areas in composites.(News)
June 25, 2004... COMPOSITE fibres could be used as optical sensing devices, using light to illuminate damaged areas of an aircraft structure, in research soon to begin in the UK. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers at Bristol University, led by Dr Ian...

Low-cost quest: push to develop piezoelectric motors for mass applications.(News)
June 25, 2004... RESEARCHERS at a UK university plan to develop a piezoelectric motor suitable for low-cost mass production by the end of the year. Cranfield University hopes to commercialise the motor as a smaller, cheaper alternative to conventional...

Bags more safety: air bag deployment can be tailored to each car occupant with Bosch seat-mounted sensor system.
June 25, 2004... BOSCH HAS developed a system that uses sensors mounted beneath car seats to adjust airbag deployment to suit the different sizes and seating positions of the occupants. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The German technology firm's iBolt system...

Lighter valves to render cams redundant: European-Chinese project paves way to more efficient engines.
June 25, 2004... THE INTRODUCTION of more fuel-efficient 'camless' engines could be made easier thanks to a joint European and Chinese project to develop lightweight valves. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Under the Livalves (Lightweight valves for...

Juice on demand: system takes strain off car battery by regulating power use.
June 25, 2004... AN AUTOMOTIVE technology that prioritises and regulates the power supply to a car's electrical systems could ease the growing burden on the beleaguered battery. Developed by researchers at Siemens, the power trader system distributes...

Sour power: a waste by-product of crude oil processing is proving a feasible fuel for power plants.
June 25, 2004... A WASTE by-product of crude oil processing could become a valuable fuel in its own right, if tests being carried out by US researchers are successful. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The team, from the University of North Dakota's Energy and...

Metal has had its chips: tomorrow's microchips could be faster and more efficient, using carbon nanotubes in place of metal.(News)
June 25, 2004... REPLACING metal with carbon nanotubes in electronics could lead to faster, smaller and more energy-efficient microchips and open up the use of a raft of new semiconductor materials, researchers have claimed. Researchers at the University of...

Dotty enhancement for infrared sensors.(News)
June 25, 2004... QUANTUM DOTS could vastly improve night-vision goggles and infrared sensor technology, researchers claim. Devices with quantum dots could detect infrared light better at a lower cost, according to scientists at the universities of Southern...

Feeling out of this world: super-sensitive biodetectors will make it easier to find and identify traces of life on Mars.(News)
June 25, 2004... A UK TEAM is developing lighter and more sensitive biosensors to allow future space probes to detect and identify evidence of life on other planets more precisely. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers at Cranfield and Leicester...

GM declares war on duplication in Europe: in a bid to boost regional performance, General Motors centralises engineering, production and design functions.(Business)
June 25, 2004... GENERAL MOTORS is to bring its European engineering, production and design activities under central control in a bid to turn around its lacklustre performance in the region. The world's biggest automotive group's three operations in...

Smiths Aerospace picks up another Dreamliner contract.(Business)
June 25, 2004... SMITHS AEROSPACE secured another major 7E7 Dreamliner deal when Boeing awarded the UK engineer a $1.6bn ([pounds sterling]0.88bn) contract to supply actuation and control systems for the aircraft's landing gear, flaps and slats. This cements...

Bumper profits for Atkins: transport contracts provide a steady stream of work.(Business)
June 25, 2004... ENGINEERING group Atkins enjoyed a bumper profits boost last year as the government threw billions at the nation's railways, roads and public services. High public spending in general, and on transport in particular, helped Atkins deliver...

Electronics specialist plans to float on the London Stock Exchange.(The Week in Business)
June 25, 2004... Electronics and sensors specialist E2V Technologies plans to float on the stock exchange two years after splitting from former owner Marconi. Essex-based E2V develops imaging and sensor systems for a range of radio, radar and microwave...

And Qinetiq could be tempted to float soon, too.(The Week in Business)
June 25, 2004... The improved climate for flotation may prompt UK technology research giant Qinetiq to float on the stock exchange sooner than expected, according to reports this week. Qinetiq, which could be worth up to [pounds sterling]1 bn on the stock...

Prodrive unveils ambitious plans for its composites business.(The Week in Business)
June 25, 2004... Automotive technology specialist Prodrive has unveiled ambitious plans to turn its composites business into one of the largest of its type in Europe. Prodrive has moved its composites operation to a site in Brackley with significant extra...

Ultra buys US battlefield comms specialist DNE Systems.(The Week in Business)
June 25, 2004... Ultra Electronics, the UK defence and aerospace group, has agreed to pay $40m ([pounds sterling]22m) for a US specialist in battlefield communications systems. DNE Systems designs and manufactures equipment that controls access to tactical...

Motion moves into the military communications sector.(The Week in Business)
June 25, 2004... Motion Media, the video technology group, is to expand into the military communications sector. Bristol-based Motion Media has agreed to acquire Scotty, an Austrian provider of rugged battlefield video and data systems in a deal worth [pounds...

Rich pickings in the Far East: forget the stereotypes about the low-wage economy, engineers are highly valued in China's booming economy. Fiona Harvey reports.(Comment)
June 25, 2004... WHAT DOES an engineer earn in China? You might be surprised to find out. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We are used to regarding China as a low-wage economy. That's why so many companies are outsourcing--or offshoring, to use the latest...

Driver of change.(Letters)
June 25, 2004... I was delighted to learn of the launch of the UK's first automotive academy (Interview, 14 May) and believe that an institution like this is desperately needed, both to develop the skills of the next generation and to encourage people to enter...

Chemical reaction.(Letters)
June 25, 2004... As a chemist I take issue with the Plimsoll Line Brain Teaser solution (Problem Page, 5 March). The question, about a ship that sails from Calais to Tower Bridge, asked us to predict where the water level would be in relation to the...

Air of anticipation.(Letters)
June 25, 2004... The design of a new air-powered car engine has recently been published on the internet. (Details of the MDI Air Car at www.theaircar.com/howitworks.html.) The question is--will it work? And if it is a viable idea, why has no large company...

Testing take-off.(Talking Point)
June 25, 2004... Readers may be interested in a story my father told me about the Mosquito aircraft. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The plane was designed and built by de Havilland at its factory in Hatfield Peverel before World War II. It was built as a...

China syndrome? Until recently reversing the flow of manufacturing towards Asia would have been seen as an impossible dream but now supporters of automation technology are claiming it could soon be a reality. Andrew Lee and Jon Excell report.(Offshoring)(Cover Story)
June 25, 2004... WITH LOW COSTS, huge new markets and a seemingly unstoppable momentum on its side, what can stem the tide of production out of the UK and towards Asia? Step forward an unlikely superhero in the form of automation technology. Those in the...

Outstanding display: Chris Barnado of Pelikon waxes lyrical about a small handset ... with its glowing electroluminescent display it is, he hopes, set to be the iPod of remote controls. Andrew Lee reports.(Interview)
June 25, 2004... THE HUMBLE remote control handset is rarely the cause of unbridled enthusiasm, but Chris Barnardo brandishes his with the relish of a conductor's baton. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This particular handset is called Kameleon, and it radiates...

Farnborough: international Air Show 19-25 July.(Preview)
June 25, 2004... ADVANCES IN MACHINE tool technology for the aerospace industry will be demonstrated for the first time at next month's Farnborough Air Show. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than 900 exhibitors will attend this year's event, organised by...

On a higher plane: Boeing says that, far from being risky, its substantial use of composites in its 7E7 will make the aircraft more durable, reliable and efficient than using more conventional materials. Christopher Sell reports.(Preview)
June 25, 2004... IS BOEING building up to something big for Farnborough? After a public bout of the jitters in the past few years the company seemed in confident and relaxed mood last week. The progress made by Airbus on the A380, rival to Boeing's fledgling...

Sulphur challenge: unless airlines, the aerospace industry and oil companies act now to reduce the sulphur in jet fuel, legislation could be imposed--with painful consequences George Coupe explains.(Preview)
June 25, 2004... WHAT IS THE aerospace industry going to do about cutting the amount of sulphur that is currently used in jet fuel, or Jet A-1 as it is known? The issue has the potential to deliver a huge and destabilising shock to the aerospace industry,...

Brain teaser.(ProblemPage)
June 25, 2004... You have eight ball bearings, identical in size and appearance. All but one weigh the same. Using only a pair of scales, how can you find the odd one and whether it is heavier or lighter in three weighings? Solution next issue. Sent in...