European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes monday december 19,1988 neighbors Don t object to noisy army tests by Rosemary Sawyers gift writ it Mainz West Germany less than 100 feel from lie ears of their sleeping German neighbors night shift workers at the maim army depot in Mombach run armoured personnel carriers and Bradley fighting vehicles through tests. And not a complaint is heard. The . Army s first Cost track simulator for Light track vehicles makes possible the seemingly  acts. With the simulator workers can test tactical vehicles night and Day in soundproof building. Before Mombach started using the Power and inertial simulator system Paisi in november Drivers had to jockey around a test rack in Gonsen him to Sec if rebuilt vehicles met army standards. Now operators Check such functions As steering acceleration and braking without Ever soiling the vehicles tracks. Simulators like the depot s have been used by automakers such a porsche for several years said Heinz much scr depot facility planning and control Branch chief. However the de pot s version is the firs such simulator for tactical vehicles. German armed forces University joined with inc Asea Brown Boveri company of Switzerland to develop it. Its prototype the Only other Model sat the University in Hamburg. However noise elimination Marks just one of the system s Selling Points Mahler said. The building and Simula Tor Cost $4.7 million but thai still beats the Cost of building a track. And its maintenance costs represent a Mere fraction of the 1500,000 a year Nec Essary to maintain a track. The system also frees up the Gonsen Heim track that is restricted by local quiet hours and has been heavily use since i9s3, when the depot added production at Mombach. Vehicle exhaust is funnel cd out a smokestack and meets Germany s clean air standards. Quality control officials Praise the system s technology that takes the human error out of testing the vehicles that have been rebuilt or revamped at the depot. And of course a stationary vehicle presents fewer safety risks. The simulator can lest 23 Light track vehicles from the m113 and Bradley fam Ilies said Matthias Dielmann Branch chief of Mombach s vehicle division. About four vehicles can be run through the test sequence in two shifts die Mann said but he expects that capability to increase As the operators be come More familiar with the new sys tem. A third shift also May be added. For testing the vehicles Are towed tothe building without their tracks and attached to two dynamometers devices that simulate various running conditions. Then test cables Are attached to Monitor inc vehicle s performance. The Driver receives commands via computer screen from an operator in a room overhead. For example the Driver of a cargo Carrier might be told to accelerate while the operator watches his com Puter to see i the vehicle can accelerate to 20 Mph in 18 seconds As required. The simulator computer spits out More accurate data than the Best Drivers and Esters could provide at the test track. At the test track for example a Brak ing lest would Call for a Driver to watch a speedometer a timekeeper to Monitor a Stopwatch and a measurement of the stopping distance to be made All elements prone to some degree of human error. The computer provide such measures accurate to the Millise cond. Mahler said. Once test data Are compiled it can be Analysed to detect common defects. This information would then be passed on to vehicle manufacturers. The simulator can test 11 of 15 performance requirements with such tests As Hull leakage and Shock absorbers being handled through conventional methods. News update Chappell concedes Tallahassee Fla. A after 20 years in Congress and More than a month spent challenging his 791 Vole loss to a Republican newcomer democratic . Rep. William Chappell has con ceded. Craig James whose Campaign emphasized reports linking Chap Pell to investigations of he Penta gon procurement scandal Defeated the 10-tcrm incumbent by less than 1 percent of about 230,000votes cast in the Northeast Florida District on nov. S. Chapell said i must acknowledge the re publican party has won the scat in the 4th congressional District of Florida and i have decided against pursuing a Challenge an further. Chappell 66, sought to have the Florida supreme court throw Oul nearly 11,000 Voles from Flagler county. they arrived at the stale clue Lions office one Day after a seven Day state  would have Given him a 229-Votc Victory out the court denied i request nov.30. _ Chappell has not been charge Din any investigation of defense contractors. -. Washington a an Ohio company is voluntarily recalling about 14,000 umbrella strollers to Correct mechanical problems according to the con Sumer product safety commission. The recall is being undertaken by Cen Tury products co. Of Macedonia Ohio in cooperation with the commission ii involves three strollers sold nation ally Model numbers 11-q66d1 and 11 077sa sold under the a a go Brand name and Model number 11-074sr sold by scars As an infant umbrella style  " Model numbers Are found on the instruction Sheet and a Label on the stroller s rear legs.  ". _ Consumers having the stroller should Slop using the product and return it to the retail store where purchased fora full refund the commission said. For More information Consumers May Call 1-800-222-9825. Panama charges . Plans to keep military presence despite treaties Panama City Panama a the foreign ministry said saturday that the United Stales will try to maintain a Mili tary presence in Panama into the next Century in spite of the Panama canal treaties. In Washington a state department spokesman said the United states in tends to fallow he treaties. The panamanian government statement issued in Panama City said the foreign ministry has been follow ing the development of a unilateral thesis in the . Slate department under which the neutrality treaty would allow a limited . Military presence in Fana map Asl dec. 31,1999." the Panama canal treaties signed by president Carter and the late panamanian Leader Omar Torrijos in 1977, stip ulate that on dec. 31, 1999, Only the Republic of Panama will operate the canal and maintain military forces de sense Sites and military installations in Side National  the panamanian foreign ministry said inc . Intention to remain in pan Ama after 1999 is one of the main Rea sons for the economic aggression and the threatening use of Force against  about Panama s charges state department spokesman Dennis Hart Erin Washington said it s not the tint Lime they be said anything like that they be said i fairly frequently. He said we intend to abide by the Panama canal treaties. We have been and we intend to continue  the United slates imposed economic sanctions on Panama earlier this year and expanded its military Force along the canal in an Effort to Force Gen. Manuel Anionio Noriega to step Down. The foreign ministry statement alluded to a document in said was Issue last week by he . Army s Southern come saying that after 1999, the United states will continue showing its determination to support the neutrality an operation of the Panama canal As Well As regional and , Security  Ortega to submit reasonable plan to Bush for new York. A nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega said his govern ment is preparing a peace proposal that it will present to the United Stales according to a published report on sunday. The new York times quoted Ortega As saying in an interview we re working on a reasonable proposal for an agreement with the United  the times reported that Hesam Winima Leader is hopeful that presi Dent elect George Bush will be less enthusiastic about supporting the Nicara Guan rebels called contras than was president  began supporting the contras soon alter taking office in january 1981. But the Congress has not provided consistent Aid for the rebels. Bush has said he supports the contras but has no Daniel Ortega spelled out any plan for rebel support. Ortega in the times interview said the contras had become no More than. Delinquent bands and Wen unable to seriously threaten the overthrow of the nicaraguan government. Since a March 21 cease fire the con tras have become mostly inactive Al though a permanent peace plan has not been resolved. The times reported that Ortega said his government would make its peace proposal to Bush when the moment is right but did not specify when that might be. 5 the newspaper said Ortega s proposal 2 did not differ substantially from other offers Nicaragua has made to the . Government. Ortega told the times he would not negotiate Over internal policy. 2 Sis killed in 4-vehicle pileup bad Kreuz Nach West Germany ass two 8th inf div soldiers were killed and. Six West German civilian were injured when the soldiers 5-ton tractor truck skidded across a Center Guardrail on autobahn 6 and struck. Three cars about 5 15 . Saturday. Both soldiers were pronounced dead St the scene said Kin inf div spokesman maj Michael Fmaher. Their names Are being withheld until  the soldiers from the 708th support in in bad Kreuz Nach were returning from a raining exercise that began dec. 5 at the combat Man Euver training Center at Hohenfels Maher said. The Accident. Occurred Between Schwabish Hall and Heilbronn when the truck the soldiers were travelling i encountered heavy traffic Slid Over the Guardrail and struck three oncoming cars driven by German civilians Maher  the two soldiers were in the Inick which was not part of a Convoy be said. The six injured people Wen taken to three different hospitals where their conditions were not known sunday be said. The cause of the Accident is under investigation by German and . Military police