Deutsche Aerospace Research Articles

ERRATA: "FOKKER, A CLASH OF CULTURE?"

What role do cultural play in the survival of companies that face existential problems? We try to provide some answers by looking at the decline of the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. In 1996 this company went bankrupt and among the causes of this event cultural factors rank high, at least at first sight. We show that differences in national culture could have played a role in one of the defining moments in Fokker's existence: the failed take-over by the German aerospace giant Deutsche Aerospace (DASA). But we also show that an over-ambitious management was responsible for the situation in which there were no other options to survive besides a take-over by DASA. An increasing gap between the ambitions of the management to be one of the worlds prime aerospace companies and the limited resources of what was essentially a second-league player put Fokker in such a bad financial condition that it surely had to become an unbearable burden for DASA. So culture played a role in Fokker's decline, but its influence was at its peak long before the problems that brought the company down were recognised.

Strategic planning in manufacturing systems — AHP application to an equipment replacement decision

The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) has been investigated with respect to its compatibility with strategic planning in manufacturing. Specifically, it was examined in its ability to support decisions in incrementing an organization towards higher levels of automation/technology in their manufacturing processes. The replacement of several milling machines at Deutsche Aerospace Airbus, Germany, required the development of a strategic plan to address both automation in manufacturing systems and machinery replacement. The objective of this research was to develop/explore different planning alternatives ranging from extending the life of existing machinery to total replacement with a new manufacturing system and to evaluate these alternatives through economical and technological criteria. Quantitative (financial and technological) and qualitative (intangible) benefits of investments in new manufacturing systems were considered using the AHP with the aid of AutoMan, a microcomputer program for multiple criteria decision making.

Left atrial appendage systolic forward flow

T he advent of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has greatly improved the ability to detect cardiac sources of embolism. 1 This technique allows an easy and accurate evaluation of anatomic structure and function of the left atria1 appendage (LAA).2-4 Although it is well established that there is an association of LAA thrombi and left atria1 spontaneous echo contrast with a history of peripheral embolism,2 only recently has a study focused on LAA Doppler flow signals.3 Kortz et al3 reported a quadriphasic pattern of LAA flow in normal subjects without overlapptig of tachycardia-related waves: a diastolic forward flow just after mitral valve opening is followed by a diastolic backward flow due to LAA recoil; subsequently, a forward and a backward flow wave respectivCly due to LAA contraction and relaxation can be detected. . . . We report our observations on a new LAA flow pattern characterized by the presence of an additional systolic forward flow wave after LAA relaxation. After the first occasional observation of a systolic LAA flow wave, a study was undertaken to characterize this new tiding. TEE was prospectively performed in 62 consecutive patients with sinus rhythm. Reasons for the examinations were determination of source of embolism (62%), assessment of suspected endocarditis (lo%), detection of aortic and mitral valve disease (18%), and evaluation of valve prosthesis (10%). Ten patients were excluded from the sttidy because of inadequate representation of the LAA. The study group consisted of 12 patients (mean age 51 f 16 years) in whom the presence of LAA systolic forward flow was observed. Anesthesia of the hypopharynx was p&formed with 10% lidocaine spray. For sedation, patients were given a mean intravenous dose of 2 mg of midazolam. TEE was performed using a Sonos 1500 (Hewlett-Packard, Andover, Massachusetts), a Sonolayer SSH 140-A (Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan), or a Domier (Deutsche Aerospace, Munich, Germany) ultrasound system equipped with 5 MHz multiplane phased-array transducers. The LAA was mainly visualized in the longitudinal view and the probe adjusted to maximize its dimensions. Flow velocities were obtained by positioning the sample volume inside the left atria1 appendage at the point that offered the best alignment with its flow and avoided the noise signal due to wall motion. Furthermore, color Mand B-mode of the left atrial appendage flow were recorded. The presence of systolic forward flow after LAA relaxation was assumed when there were concomitant pulsed Doppler signal and color Band M-mode findings. Pulmonary venous velocity recordings were obtained with

Laplace interaction law for the computation of viscous airfoil flow in low- and high-speed aerodynamics

A new interaction law that accelerates convergence of interactive boundary-layer methods is presented. The law is derived from the Laplace equation and allows the automatic implementation of the Kutta condition for lifting airfoil flows. The accurate influence coefficients of the Laplace interaction law (LIL) facilitate efficient prediction of high-lift flows about multi-element airfoil by direct numerical simulation.Taking into account suitable turbulent closure relations for boundary-layer equations, a fast and reliable computer code has been developed for industrial applications at Deutsche Aerospace Airbus.

In-Orbit Performance of the EURECA AOCS

The EURECA (European Retrievable Carrier) is a μ-gravity platform for multi-disciplinary space science missions and was developed by Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) under contract to the European Space Agency (ESA). On the 31st of July 92 it was launched on-board the US shuttle into a near Earth orbit and was retrieved on the 24th of June 93 in the course of the STS 57 shuttle mission. EURECA was controlled by ESA's Space Operations Centre in Germany. The attitude and orbit control subsystem (AOCS) of EURECA was developed and tested by DASA and MATRA.This paper reports about the in-orbit experience with the AOCS, which provided 3-axis stabilization for the different mission phases, including orbit transfer manoeuvres. It operated with three types of actuators (hydrazine, cold gas, magnetic torquers) and also several types of sensors (coarse and fine sun sensors, earth sensor, gyros). Examples from the Shuttle deployment, the payload operations phase under μ-gravity and the retrieval phase will be used to demonstrate the good overall AOCS performance. Special attention will be devoted to the complex, autonomous on-board failure detection which successfully mastered most of the encountered anomalies. In particular, problems relating to the tuning of the failure management system will be discussed and recommendations for potential improvements given for the benefit of other projects.

Deutsche Airbus flight test of Rosemount smart probe for distributed air data systems

Deutsche Aerospace Airbus (division of DASA) and Rosemount Aerospace Inc. Jointly sponsored a flight test program to evaluate in-flight performance of distributed multifunction air data smart probes. The probes measure pitot pressure, static pressure, and angle of attack. The tests were conducted at the DLR Flight Test Center, near Braunschweig, Germany. Two smart probes were installed on the DLR VFW 614 ATTAS Flight Test Aircraft and tested between June of 1992 and January of 1993. Flight test results are presented together with suggested air data system architectures, including ARINC 738, that can be used with the distributed smart probe concept. New architectures are developed for future commercial aircraft. The smart probe concept offers several advantages including reduced weight and size, reduced number of line replaceable units (LRUs), and increased reliability. Overall cost of ownership is significantly lowered.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Cross‐cultural Co‐operation: A Meaningful Challenge

In 1993 Dutch aircraft constructor Fokker was taken over by Deutsche Aerospace, better known as Dasa. Only a few months later Fokker announced yet another major intervention in its organization. On 14 February 1994 the employees were informed about the plans for a third reorganization in three years. As a result, in the coming months 1,900 — out of 8,200 — employees will lose (some part of) their jobs. In his statement to the press the chairman of the board of directors — Van Duinen — expressed his feelings for those concerned, but added:

Meeting the Need — The A330/A340 Programme

UNDERGOING structural and vibration tests at Airbus Industrie's Toulouse facility is the A340 which is being prepared for its first flight in the autumn. It is the first European four‐engine aircraft and the most recent product of the Airbus consortium, with the forward fuselage and centre section being built by Aerospatiale, wing produced by British Aerospace, horizontal stabilizer by CASA and rear fuselage and fin as well as furnishing by Deutsche Aerospace.