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Monday, February 9, 2009

Jusman Syafii Djamal Terima Sertifikat Paten Fly by Wire

Menteri Perhubungan Jusman Syafii Djamal menerima sertifikat hak paten Sistem Kendali Pesawat Terbang Berbasis Elektronik (fly by wire) dari Direktorat Jenderal Hak Kekayaan Intelektual (HAKI) Departemen Hukum & HAM. Penyerahan sertifikat dilakukan Dirjen HAKI Andi N Sommeng di hanggar PT Dirgantara Indonesia, Bandung, Jumat (6/2).

Menhub menjelaskan, paten tersebut diajukannya pada 21 Desember 1999 bersama rekannya, almarhum Ir. Bambang Pamungkas. Saat mengajukan paten itu, Menhub masih menjabat sebagai Direktur SDM Administrasi dan Chief Engineer CN250 di PT DI.

Sistem kendali pesawat terbang berbasis elektronik ini digunakan pada pesawat N250 yang mengusung mesin tuboprop. Menurut Menhub, sistem yang ada pada ketiga sumbu gerak ini memiliki tingkat keandalan lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan pesawat regional turboprop lainnya.

"Dengan sistem ini, semua sistem kendali di pesawat (N250) ini dikendalikan melalui mekanisme elektronik atau digital. Kalau yang menggunakan sistem analog, antara tuas di pilot dan semua sistem kendali dihubungkan dengan batang dan kabel. Kalau ini tidak karena tdk ada tuas penggeraknya. Yang ada hanya electronic control unit (ECU)," papar Menhub.

Secara rinci, sistem kendali ini terdiri dari sejumlah aktuator hidrolik yang menggerakkan bidang kendali terbang utama dan bidang kendali terbang sekunder. Tenaga hidrolik yang ada tersebut itu berasal dari sejumlah pemasok tenaga hidrolik independen, sehingga kegagalan dari satu pemasok tidak akan mengganggu kinerja pemasok yang lain.

Aktuator elektronik-hidrolik yang dikendalikan oleh unit kendali elektronik bekerja sebagai sebagai unit aktif. "Seperti kita pegang telpon, maka yang dikirim hanya sinyalnya saja, itu yg gerakkan aktuatornya," jelasnya.

Sedangkan aktuator mekanik-hidrolik, imbuh Menhub, berfungsi sebagai cadangan yang akan bekerja ketika terjadi kegagalan pada unit aktif.

"Pesawat ini punya power yg disebut turbin, sehingga meski engine mati pesawat masih tetap bisa dikontrol. Ada turbin kecil di bagian depan pesawat yang menjadi sumber energi bagi pesawat dan mampu memberikan tenaga elektrik untuk menghidupkan engine," papar Menhub.

Teknologi ini adalah yang pertama di dunia yang diadopsi pada pesawat bermesin turboprop seperti N250. Dengan teknologi dan struktur mesin yang mampu membuatnya melesat dengan kecepatan hingga di atas 300 knot tersebut, N250 menjadi pesawat yang cukup tangguh untuk beroperasi pada beragam kondisi cuaca.

"Pada kondisi ekstrim sekalipun mampu dioperasikan. Pesawat ini sangat cocok dan reliable digunakan di Indonesia," sambung Menhub.

Menurut Andi N Sommeng, dengan sertifikat tersebut, berarti total sertifikat HAKI yang dimiliki PTDI mencapai 72 sertifikat. Antara lain terdiri dari 63 sertifikat hakcipta, 4 sertifikat hak paten, 3 sertifikat merek, serta 2 sertifikat industri. "Sertifikat pertama diberikan pada 26 Nopember 2002," kata Andi.

Sementara itu, Dirut PTDI Budi Santoso mengatakan, seluruh sertifikat HAKI tersebut menjadi bukti bahwa putra-putri Indonesia di PTDI bisa menciptakan kemajuan dalam teknologi kedirgantaraan. (roda kemudi)

Garuda Diharapkan Terbangi Eropa Juni

Maskapai Garuda Indonesia diharapkan sudah dapat terbang kembali ke Eropa pada Juni, menyusul berbagai upaya untuk mencabut larangan terbang yang dikenakan kawasan itu terhadap seluruh maskapai Indonesia.

Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla mengatakan sudah banyak yang dilakukan pemerintah melalui jalur diplomasi maupun perbaikan internal berkaitan dengan larangan terbang bagi maskapai Indonesia ke Uni Eropa.

“Saat ini dari 60-an persoalan yang menjadi keberatan mereka, tinggal 10 yang belum selesai. Tapi mudah-mudahan, dalam dua bulan ini selesai…dan Garuda dapat terbang kembali ke Eropa pada Juni… mudah-mudahan,” kata Jusuf Kalla di DenHaag, saat memberikan pengarahan kepada masyarakat Indonesia di Belanda, Senin malam waktu setempat atau Selasa dini hari waktu Indonesia.

Wapres merespons pertanyaan warga Indonesia di Belanda yang menginginkan larangan terbang Uni Eropa terhadap Garuda Indonesia, yang dikenakan sejak Juli 2007, segera dicabut.

Keberatan Uni Eropa antara lain mencakup banyaknya kecelakaan penerbangan, kondisi airport yang tidak memenuhi syarat, pemeliharaan pesawat yang tidak memenuhi standard penerbangan internasional hingga menyentuh aspek regulasi penerbangan serta pengawasan keselamatan penerbangan.

Menurut Kalla, saat ini, sekitar 50 keberatan Uni Eropa sudah dapat diperbaiki, tanpa merinci poin-poin yang dimaksudkan itu. Sisanya, sekitar 10 masalah lagi diupayakan akan tuntas dalam waktu dekat, termasuk penerbitan Peraturan Pemerintah sebagai tindak lanjut UU Perhubungan Udara. “Sisa yang 10 itu diharapkan dapat diselesaikan dalam dua bulan ke depan,” katanya.

Wapres juga mengatakan Garuda Indonesia sendiri sudah siap terbang kembali ke Eropa dengan pesawat yang baru. “Garuda sudah siapkan itu…jadi pada saatnya nanti, bisa terbang dengan pesawat baru,” jelasnya dalam dialog yang dipandu oleh Dubes RI di Belanda J.E. Habibie itu.

Sebelumnya, saat bertemu dengan Perdana Menteri Belanda Jan Peter Balkenende saat mengawali kunjungan di negeri itu, Wapres mengatakan soal larangan terbang tidak dibicarakan karena menyangkut isu teknis. “Itu adalah isu teknis, bukan isu politis,” katanya.

Namun, dia mengatakan, larangan terbang atas maskapai Indonesia itu saat ini mulai mendekati penyelesaian. “Jadi kira-kira kita harapkan Juni nanti sudah bisa [larangan terbang Uni Eropa dicabut],” ujar Kalla.

Pemerintah Indonesia sejauh ini telah bersifat kooperatif terhadap Uni Eropa untuk mencabut larangan terbang itu. Beberapa opsi dilakukan antara lain mendorong regulator penerbangan Indonesia bekerja sama dengan organisasi penerbangan sipil internasional (ICAO) dalam meningkatkan standard keselamatan penerbangan.

Wapres berada di Belanda dalam kunjungan kerja selama dua hari, sejak Sabtu. Hari ini, Kalla bertolak kembali Ke Jakarta, setelah menjalani serangkaian kunjungan kerja ke Jepang, Amerika Serikat, dan Belgia, sejak 31 Januari lalu. (bisnis)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Inka Expects 30% Rise in Revenue on Increased Orders

Despite an economic slowdown, state owned train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (Inka) is looking at a 30 percent rise in revenue this year, boosted by greater production capacity and overseas expansion.

"This year we will be expecting a 30 percent increase in revenue to Rp 714 billion (around US$61.4 million) from Rp 548 billion last year," president director Roos Diatmoko said Monday.

Out of this total projected revenue, Rp 358 billion was expected to come from orders from the state ministry of transportation, another Rp 309 billion from the state railway company, PT KAI and the rest from the Jakarta city administration for supply of reticulated buses.

Although revenue is projected to rise, no significant increase is expected in the company's net profits.

"Given the crisis, we will try to maintain profits at Rp 26 billion to Rp 28 billion this year," Roos said.

Last year, it booked Rp 26 billion in profits, representing 44 percent growth on 2007's Rp 19.4 billion.

This year, the company will also boost investment by more than 200 percent to Rp 47 billion from last year, for revitalization of machinery, and the building of new workshops.

"We will continue our program from last year to provide machinery that will help us in revitalizing our production facilities. We will also build new workshops to increase our production capacity," he said.

Investment finance is being mobilized from internal company reserves rather than bank loans and additional finance will be provided by the state financing and investment firm, PT Permodalan Nasional Madani, Roos said.

Currently, Inka is revitalizing four abandoned railway tracks in Jakarta (the Tanjung Priok-Kota track), West Java (the Bogor-Sukabumi-Cianjur and the Cicaheum-Jatinangor track), and East Java (the Bondowoso-Situbondo track).

Inka is also participating in an overseas tender for an electric train development project in Malaysia. Currently there are two countries left competing for the project, Inka and PT CAF from Spain.

"The tender is worth 160 million Ringgit (around $44.2 million).

"We will also be participating in the same project tender in Bangladesh in March," Roos added.

Last February, Inka signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation consortium, a Canadian transportation manufacturer - producing from aircraft to rail transportation equipment - to provide electric trains in Indonesia. (The Jakarta Post)

Car Choice Reflects Presidential Vote

As we await the results of the biggest US Presidential Election we have ever seen, I have found an interesting article on how car choice reflects how Americans vote.

Kelley Blue Book Market Research surveyed almost 12,000 US car owners and how they planned to vote in the election. They found that owners of larger trucks and traditional luxury cars are more likely to vote for John McCain, while owners of hybrids and station wagons are more likely to vote for Barack Obama.

Backers of Arizona senator McCain typically own American brands – GMC (61%), Chevrolet (60%), Buick and Dodge (58%). McCain voters are also more likely to drive luxury brands like Lexus and BMW.

Barack Obama followers prefer imported vehicles, with the most popular being the Mini with 70%, Subaru (61%) and Saab (59%).

McCain supporters are most likely to drive full size trucks and SUVs, while Obama voters drive station wagons, hatchbacks and hybrids.

Rick Wainschel from Kelley Blue Book said "Car ownership says a lot about a person, and can even be an indicator who they are likely to vote for”. I do agree with this to an extent. While all this data may seem like a sweeping generalisation, some of it does make sense.

Sales of domestic and large trucks (McCain) are higher in traditionally Republican ‘red’ states whilst import and hybrid owners are predominantly located in Democratic ‘blue’ states.

Wired Blog claims all American brands like GMC and Chevrolet, as favoured by McCain followers, represent a blue collar ethic and fit with McCain’s image as a war hero with years of experience.

Throughout the campaign, Obama has stressed the importance of renewable energy, so it’s not surprising that eco-conscious hybrid car owners would vote for him.

So while some of it makes sense, I’m sure there are a lot of exceptions to the rule. I imagine a lot of American car choices reflect personal budgets and need for space rather than their voting preference. (Car Guru)

How to Pump More Savings Out of Your Gas Usage

The summer of 2008 saw the highest prices for gasoline the United States had ever seen. The prices have settled down a bit but they are expected to rise again. This isn't exactly the fault of the consumer. If you trace the reason why gasoline prices have risen at the pumps, you can easily go back to two historic events; the attack on the World Trade Center and the United States invasion of Iraq.

It was thought that with Saddam Hussein no longer in power, the price of gasoline would plunge. The fact is that oil markets are an extremely volatile commodity, linked to the supposed volatility in supplies and the oil-producing nations.

Trying to keep a family on a budget with these wildly fluctuating gasoline prices is difficult at best. The good news is that there are ways to shield you from the rising costs of gasoline. Here are some tips to help you save money on gasoline.

Minimize the use of your car

Keeping your car for long trips is the best way to save money. When possible, travel by foot, bicycle or bus if traveling short distances. This method will not only help you save money and gas, but it will certainly be of benefit to your health. Long walk are proven to improve your cardiovascular system and will improve your overall physical and mental health.

Taking a bus or train can, in many circumstances, be cheaper than driving and paying for gas, tolls and parking fees.

Setting a good example for your children will go a long way to teach your kids to rely less on the family car. Teaching them to commute will foster independence and make them more familiar with the areas where you live. This will allow them to travel where they need to go without always having your presence when they need to go somewhere.

Regular maintenance of the car

Just as you should routinely visit the doctor, your car should also be checked every few months. The efficiency of a car drops considerably when it is not running at optimum performance.

Basic maintenance that is easily done by the driver should be to check the tire pressure, the oil level and the water/antifreeze in the cooling system. When your car struggles to accelerate, especially on flat roads, or you are having an overheating problem, chances are your car is in poor condition.

Use fuel-efficient cars

In past years, the fuel economy of a car was not the primary consideration when purchasing a car. The proliferation of gasoline hogging SUV's and monster trucks can attest to that. Now times are changing and efficiency is the name of the game. Gas hogging behemoths' are losing fashion and people who drive them are being looked down upon.

When considering the purchase of a car, fuel efficiency should be your primary concern. Many cars give outstanding fuel economy. Several companies produce hybrid vehicles, but these cars are still in the experimental stage and are more expensive that their gasoline powered competitors.

Ideally, the car that you use daily should give you outstanding mileage in terms of your miles per gallon. You can consider a hybrid, but this technology is still in the developmental stage, and the cars are considerably more costly than gas-powered vehicles. The rush is on to produce more hybrid vehicles and more and more options will be available to the consumer. ( Beverly Saltonstall)