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Daily News
By Gail Helmer

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Friday, May 25, 2001

PC News

Aces High 1.07 Released
HiTech Creations has announced that Version 1.07 is available to download. The download size is an unusually large 9MB because of some extensive changes. Click here for the complete list of upgrades.

More Lock On Screenshots
SSI has posted more Lock On: Modern Air Combat screen shots on their Flanker 2 site. Click here to view.

PBY-5 Catalina For FS2000 and CFS2
Abacus Publishing has announced the release of PBY-5 Catalina add-on for FS2000 and CFS2. "PBY-5 Catalina" features the Princess in unsurpassed detail. Designed and created by Herve Janin, Florence Passelergue and Guy Semon, it includes several innovations: custom designed gauges, complete wrap around panel, working windshield wipers and multiple axis motion landing gear. Also included are several military versions of the CAT that saw distinguished service in the North Pacific and Europe. This package also includes video clips of the PBY in flight - the Princess is fully equipped as a film production studio used by French television stations. Click here for more information.

Shrapnel Games Launches New Website
Shrapnel Games today unveiled it's new website design. As part of this unveiling several new contests have been announced that will begin in June. Click here to check out the new site.

WWI Community Development Project Announced
Targetware has announced that it has authorized the use of its dynamic flight simulation engine to form the core of a WW1 community development project. The project team will be headed up by Andre "Vlasov" Costopoulos and Andrew "Buzzbe" Carey. It is composed of a diverse group of avid WW1 flight-sim enthusiasts, whose goal is to create a Targetware server environment, primarily focusing on aerial conflict as it occurred in the skies over Europe during the great war of 1914-18.

This project will be placing a high level of emphasis on historical authenticity and realism. The primary objective of the team is to design and implement the most accurate WW1 theatre ever modeled in a MMP (massively multi-player) game. According to the Team's stated Central Design Principles document, each and every aerial victory will be a significant and dramatic event, plus each and every flight will be challenging whether or not the enemy is encountered. The profile of each mission will be a direct response to overall operational conditions and the absence of enemy interference in a mission will be a welcome relief.

Anyone wishing to participate with this community development team, who possesses 3d modeling, aircraft skin design, terrain modeling, or detailed historical research on the period, should email Andre "Vlasov" Costopoulos at [email protected].

Military News

General Dynamics To Provide DSS For Super Hornets
General Dynamics Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $3.2 million dollar contract by the Raytheon Electronic Systems Company to design and develop the Data Storage System for the Active Electronic Scanned Array fire-control radar for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft, and for other radar system improvement programs.



The General Dynamics Data Storage System (DSS) is a compact, disk-based data translator, storage and retrieval system that translates and stores flight test data. The DSS is one configuration of the Tactical Disk Recording System (TDRS), a family of affordable, scalable and flexible open systems architecture storage solutions developed by General Dynamics for use in harsh military environments such as that experienced by the F-18E/F. Raytheon selected the DSS after a competition with several solid-state data recorders.

Current generation TDRS products are already being flown in the F-14, the F-16 and in pods, demonstrating that properly packaged disk drives can meet severe environmental conditions, including fast roll-rate, high g-forces and extreme vibration. General Dynamics disk drives are also being used in the U.S. Army's M1A2 and the French LeClerc main battle tanks.

Disk-based storage systems offer dramatic cost-performance advantages over solid-state storage while fully meeting program performance and environmental needs. The DSS is the first system to use the Ciprico (Nasdaq: CPCI) FibreSTORE(TM) RAID Controller, which was ruggedized by General Dynamics for the Tactical Disk Recording System.

Greece Delays Purchase Of Eurofighter
Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, on behalf of the Greek government, has confirmed that it intends to postpone by three years, to 2008, it's contract for the purchase of 60 Eurofighter jets. This decision has had to be taken by the Greek government due to budgetary constraints and a weak economic outlook.



The Defence Minister did confirmed that Greece still intends to purchase the 60 Eurofighter jets and retain the option to buy an additional 30, at a total cost of over 5.0 Billion euros.

Greece had indicated at the end of March that this major purchase would be delayed until after 2004. However at that time they did not confirming that they still wanted to go ahead with the purchase the Eurofighter jets.

Eurofighter is a joint project by the European defence giant EADS, which involves Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and BAE Systems of Britain.

EDO Awarded F/A-18 Contract From US Navy
EDO Corp. has announced that it received a $2.8 million contract from the US Navy for continued development and fabrication of its BRU-55/A "Smart Bomb Rack."



The BRU-55/A is slated for the Navy's carrier-based F/A-18 Hornet, and will carry new smart weapons, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) weapons.

With the addition of the F/A-18, EDO's Suspension and Release and/or Multiple Carriage Systems will now be on the US Government's F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18 and F-22, as well as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The contract extends through 2002, and will be performed by EDO M. Tech and EDO Marine and Aircraft Systems, located in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., and North Amityville, N.Y., respectively.

James M. Smith, EDO's chief executive officer, stated, "This award supports our progress in positioning EDO as the world's pre-eminent designer and producer of Smart Multiple Carriage Equipment for next- generation weapons. We believe EDO's increasing investment in research and development will further enhance the company's position in this core business area."


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