Abstract: A braking system for use with a dual landing gear aircraft. The braking system pairs outboard brake control into an outboard brake system control unit (BSCU) and inboard brake control into a second inboard brake system control unit (BSCU). Each BSCU is designed with two independent control lanes in which the forward wheel set is paired in one control lane and the aft wheels are paired onto the other. Alternate braking is provided via an alternate brake module installed in a fore-aft wheel pairing.

Abstract: An exemplary tow hook assembly for a vehicle includes a tow hook, a bracket, and a coupling member. The tow hook is coupled to the bracket by the coupling member. The tow hook is pivotable between a first position and a second position about the coupling member. In the second position, the tow hook is contained within a horizontal dimension and a vertical dimension defined by the bumper.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling landing gear retract braking are described. A controller determines wheel speed data corresponding to a speed of a wheel of a landing gear. The controller determines wheel deceleration data corresponding to a rate of change of the wheel speed data. The controller generates a first control signal in response to the wheel deceleration data being greater than a wheel deceleration threshold. The first control signal initiates a wheel deceleration regulation process, the wheel deceleration regulation process to cycle an antiskid valve between a first valve position to release brake pressure from the wheel and a second valve position to cease releasing the brake pressure from the wheel. The controller generates a second control signal in response to the wheel speed data being less than a wheel speed threshold. The second control signal terminates the wheel deceleration regulation process.

Abstract: Methods for forming thin, pinhole-free conformal metal layers on both conducting and non-conducting surfaces, where the morphology and properties of the metal layers are tuned to meet desired parameters by adjusting the concentration of ionic liquids during the deposition process. The formed metal films contain tunable properties for solar and electronic use and provide specific advantages for non-conducting surfaces, which are otherwise unsuitable for electroplating without the presence of the formed metal films. The disclosed methods do not require the presence of a voltage or external electric field but form the metal films through an electroless technique using electrostatic interactions between negatively charged nanoparticles. In addition, the disclosed methods are compatible with solution phase processing and eliminate the need to transfer the surfaces into a vacuum chamber for a chemical or physical vapor deposition to form a metal layer.

Abstract: An automated small particle distribution system is provided for transferring small particles from source tubes to destination tubes. The system includes a loading deck that is structured and operable to store and provide a plurality of source tube trays and a plurality of destination tube trays. Each source tube tray includes a plurality of source tubes stored therein, and each destination tube tray includes a plurality of destination tubes stored therein. The system additionally includes a work deck is structured and operable to receive selected source tube trays and selected destination tube trays from the loading deck, aspirate various specified amounts of small objects stored in selected source tubes, and deposit the aspirated small objects into selected destination tubes without cross-contamination of small objects.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The Vehicle Crew Training System (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military ground and air vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The Vehicle Crew Training System (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military ground and air vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The vehicle crew training system (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and that require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need. One of the crewman modules can be a gunner module, which provides an unrestricted view of the simulated environment to the gunner by means of a display and a simulated vehicle-mounted weapon.

Abstract: A method of particle mitigation which includes obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a nonfunctional backside and a functional frontside on which semiconductor devices are formed by one or more lithography processes; coating the backside with a layer comprising silicon or amorphous carbon; planarizing the coated backside by a planarizing process; placing the semiconductor wafer onto a wafer chuck such that the wafer chuck makes direct contact with the coated backside; and while maintaining the coated backside in direct contact with the wafer chuck, performing a first lithographic process on the frontside.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The Vehicle Crew Training System (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military ground and air vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need.

Abstract: A method of particle mitigation which includes obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a nonfunctional backside and a functional frontside on which semiconductor devices are formed by one or more lithography processes; coating the backside with a layer comprising silicon or amorphous carbon; planarizing the coated backside by a planarizing process; placing the semiconductor wafer onto a wafer chuck such that the wafer chuck makes direct contact with the coated backside; and while maintaining the coated backside in direct contact with the wafer chuck, performing a first lithographic process on the frontside.

Abstract: A method of particle mitigation which includes obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a nonfunctional backside and a functional frontside on which semiconductor devices are formed by one or more lithography processes; coating the backside with a mitigating layer comprising silicon or amorphous carbon; patterning the mitigating layer to form indentations in the mitigating layer; placing the semiconductor wafer onto a wafer chuck such that the wafer chuck makes direct contact with the coated and patterned backside mitigating layer; and while maintaining the coated and patterned backside mitigating layer in direct contact with the wafer chuck, performing a first lithographic process on the frontside.

Abstract: An automated small particle distribution system is provided for transferring small particles from source tubes to destination tubes. The system includes a loading deck that is structured and operable to store and provide a plurality of source tube trays and a plurality of destination tube trays. Each source tube tray includes a plurality of source tubes stored therein, and each destination tube tray includes a plurality of destination tubes stored therein. The system additionally includes a work deck is structured and operable to receive selected source tube trays and selected destination tube trays from the loading deck, aspirate various specified amounts of small objects stored in selected source tubes, and deposit the aspirated small objects into selected destination tubes without cross-contamination of small objects.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The vehicle crew training system (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and that require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need. One of the crewman modules can be a gunner module, which provides an unrestricted view of the simulated environment to the gunner by means of a display and a simulated vehicle-mounted weapon.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The Vehicle Crew Training System (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military ground and air vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need.

Abstract: A method for wafer bonding includes measuring grid distortion for a mated pairing of wafers to be bonded to determine if misalignment exists between the wafers. During processing of subsequent wafers, magnification of one or more lithographic patterns is adjusted to account for the misalignment. The subsequent wafers are bonded with reduced misalignment.

Abstract: A method for wafer bonding includes measuring grid distortion for a mated pairing of wafers to be bonded to determine if misalignment exists between the wafers. During processing of subsequent wafers, magnification of one or more lithographic patterns is adjusted to account for the misalignment. The subsequent wafers are bonded with reduced misalignment.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for tracking race participants via a Global Positioning System, providing feedback in substantially real time to the race participant, and optionally to other remote individuals via web publication at the user's preference. The feedback includes graphical and tabular presentation of such information as geographic position, race route, current race performance metrics, projection of future milestone and final race performance, projected position at a given time, projected time to a given position, relative performance to historical participants, to personal historical performance and to other members of the current race that are being tracked in aggregate or by demographic or otherwise subdivided.

Abstract: A computer based simulation system for virtual training for vehicle crews is disclosed. The vehicle crew training system (VCTS) simulates crew positions for different military vehicles. Two or more crewman modules are networked together to support a partial or full vehicle crew. The crewman modules are self-contained devices that are modular in hardware and software design, easily reconfigurable, and that require minimal facility space, allowing use in restricted environments such as trailers. The VCTS is modular at the crew position level; crewman modules are added or deleted as required to meet a particular training need. One of the crewman modules can be a gunner module, which provides an unrestricted view of the simulated environment to the gunner by means of a display and a simulated vehicle-mounted weapon.