Newsdesk – Commercial

A Long Shorts:

Shorts have been released details of their latest aircraft. Designated the model 360 the new aircraft is essentially a stretched version of the successful 330. The 360 also features a re-designed empennage featuring a single vertical stabiliser, power is supplied by Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprops. The 360 will seat 36 passengers and will stress economy of operation and true STOL performance coupled with extremely low noise levels. Shorts estimate a total market through to 1990 for aircraft in the 20 to 40 seat category of 1000 units, of which Shorts hope to capture at least a quarter with their model 330 and 360 airliners. First flight is scheduled for September 1981 with the new model becoming operational early 1983

Category I Landings:

Following DOT approval, Ansett Airlines jets can now land under lower cloud ceilings with reduced forward vision on certified runways. They can come down to 65 metres (200 feet) before sighting the runway and land with a minimum of 800 metres (2600 feet) forward vision on two runways in Melbourne and one runway at Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and Darwin. Crew training has been in progress for about nine months and is over 90 per cent complete for all Ansett jet crews. Four requirements were regarded essential before Category I landing procedures could be adopted.

1 The runways had to be equipped with very accurate Instrument Landing System equipment.

2 Aircraft equipment needed to be at a similar sophisticated standard, including dual flight directors, autopilots and radio navigation aids, including radio altimeters.

3 Airport lighting had to be upgraded and the runways had to be clearly defined.

4 The training simulator had to be capable of reproducing all the required conditions needed for pilot training and regular checking.

When landing under Category I conditions, the pilot must be able to clearly see the runway at or before 65 metres altitude and must keep it in clear sight until touchdown. If he loses visual contact at any point between 65 metres altitude and a touchdown, he must execute a go-around.

Ansett Airlines is confident that the latest poor weather operating procedures will further complement Australia’s world-class air safety record and will offer passengers fewer delays or diversions during adverse conditions.

Y-10 Update:

Who said the Chinese would stoop to copying Western aircraft? Just because they have a Nomad look-alike powered by tractor engines is no reason to assume that the new four-engined commercial transport called the Y-10 will be a mirror image of the Boeing 707.

The Y-10 has been under development for more than ten years and is claimed by officials of the Shanghai Aircraft Factory to be more a development project rather than a concerted effort to produce a long-range multi-engined jet transport. The Y-10 will seat 140 people, 20 less than the Boeing 707s purchased by CAAC during the early 70s. The Y-10 will also use four P&W JT-3D turbofans. The primary reason for the use of this engine is that the Chinese grossly overordered spares with their 7 0 7 purchase and have now more than 50 JT-3Ds in crates waiting to be used. The reason this occurred was not that the Chinese wished to hoard spares but that being used to lower quality Soviet equipment where TBOs are frequent and an entire engine is junked after three of four overhauls, the Chinese have simply underestimated the longevity of the western-made powerplant.

A major reason for not wishing to put the Y-1O into series production is that there are simply not enough sufficiently qualified engineers in China to support such a program. To this end there will undoubtedly be problems in Western manufacturers licence building modern aircraft in that country. Certainly, transfer of technology and training of a large core force of engineers will be vital if the West is to participate with the world’s largest nation in the co-production of modern aircraft.

Twin Engined Convairs?

General Dynamics Convair Division is investigating the possibility of re-engining the CV-880 with either a derated GE CF-6-6 or CFM56 turbofans. Gulfstream American are currently converting the CV-880 into freighters and have 24 of the aircraft in storage. Conversion to twin-engined configuration would provide a fuel-efficient jet freighter.

What Price Fuel Economy?

As an indication of the importance airlines are now placing on aircraft weight in relation to overall operating costs, Japan’s All Nippon Airways is prepared to outlay more than $1 million to replace the seats and carpets in its fleet of 29 Nihon YS-11 turboprops. This will save a mere 3441b per aircraft but is reckoned to be good value by the fuel-starved Japanese domestic carrier. If you had read that item 1 O years ago you would have laughed for half an hour – how the times have changed. Perhaps more importantly – what will we be reporting in 1 0 years hence?

Britannia Orders Five More Boeing 737s:

Five more twinjet 737s have been ordered by Britannia Airways. Two of the five will be delivered in September and December 1980 while three will be delivered in April and May 1982. The value of the five-plane order exceeds $US60 million. When all five are delivered, Britannia will have a 26-plane fleet of 737s and be the world’s sixth-largest operator of the type. The company also purchased new generation Boeing 767s for delivery in 1983 and 1984.

Balloons Back in Vogue:

British cargo and charter operator, Redcoat Airlines has ordered four balloons from Airships Industries Ltd of the UK. Designated the R-40 and measuring 600ft in length the dirigibles will be able to carry 53 tonnes of freight at speeds between 80 and 90 knots and will service the British Channel Islands.

NASA Resumes Testing to Reduce Aircraft Vortices:

Wake vortex flight testing with an L-1011 widebody jet transport resumed this week at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration.

Vortices are invisible turbulent air flows that stream in a tornado-shaped pattern from the flaps and wingtips of aircraft.

The tests, which will continue for several months, are aimed at reducing vortices, which, for the wide-body class of aircraft, can be severe enough to require time delays in take-offs and landing at airports. As these vortices can also interfere with other aircraft landing and taking off, planned time separations are currently imposed.

If the vortices can be diminished, the reduction in traffic congestion could result in significant fuel and time savings. Previous tests with the Boeing 747 transport indicate that it may be possible to break up vortices by selected use of the aircraft’s ailerons and spoilers.

The spoilers, which are normally used as speed brakes and to decrease the aerodynamic lift after landing, will be used in flight to disturb the vortices trailing from the wing flaps. The ailerons, which are normally used for turning, will be deployed to disturb the wing tip vortices.

The flight tests will consist of high-altitude probing of the vortices (marked by smoke generators) by a small, highly instrumented NASA test aircraft.

If the high-altitude tests are favourable, simulated landing approaches will be made to a runway on the dry lakebed at Edwards. A laser Doppler velocimeter, a radar sensing system, and a ground-wind vortex-sensing system will be used to measure the trailing vortices in ground effect.

If the configuration changes to the L-1011 alleviate the vortices sufficiently, actual landings of the test aircraft at reduced separation distances are under consideration.

New 747 Model Announced:

A new version of Boeing’s 7 4 7 has been announced, featuring structural changes to the aeroplanes’ upper deck area to allow increased passenger payloads. The famous bulge atop the forward section of the superjet will be extended 23 feet to the rear, a new exit door installed and additional windows placed to make room for 69 passengers (upstairs) in a standard economy arrangement.

In addition, the circular stairway which has been a feature of most 747s since they were introduced in 1969 has been replaced by a straight stairway installed at the rear of the new upper deck area.

In a typical mixed-class layout, all the changes add up to 44 more passenger seats compared to configurations presently in service. The new stretched upper deck 747 thus will help the airlines in their search for more efficient aircraft to offset increased fuel prices and other costs.

Swissair will receive the first of the new model 747s in March 1983. The carrier announced on June 11 the purchase of four 747s to be delivered from that date to December 1984. In addition, Swissair will delay delivery of another 747, previously announced, in order to have the stretched upper deck changes incorporated in that aeroplane.

Boeing 747s were originally certificated to carry eight passengers on the upper deck behind the cockpit. Subsequent approval was given for 16 passengers with the installation of an improved slide and other changes. Studies continued into late 1970, and the interior of the upper deck was enlarged – with the same exterior dimensions but more windows – in 1971 and four years later Boeing received certification for 32 seats on the upper deck with emergency exit changes.

The big superjet is in service with 59 operators, who have purchased over 570 in seven commercial versions. The stretched upper deck 747 will thus be the eighth model since starting 747 design work in early 1966. It is the only change in external shape except for the short-body 747 extended-range model.

 Lufthansa Orders Four 747s:

Lufthansa, the largest overseas purchaser of Boeing jetliners have announced an order for four more 747s. The purchase brings Lufthansa’s total orders of Boeing jets to 164 aircraft.

Value of the new Lufthansa order is about $US308 million. The carrier also said it would take options on two additional 747s. All will have General Electric CF6-50 engines.

The four airplanes include one freighter, to be delivered in September 1981, two Combi models, to be delivered in December 1981 and February 1982, and one -200B all-passenger model, to be delivered in March 1982.

US Airlines Receive First F28s:

Two United States Airlines recently received their first Rolls-Royce-powered Fokker F28 Fellowship Airliners. They are the first American Airlines to order the F28.

Altair Airlines, of Philadelphia, has ordered three F28 series 4000 aircraft with options for a further six and Empire Airlines, based in Utica-Rome, New York, has ordered two F28s.

Over 160 F28s have been sold to date to operators throughout the world.

The RB 183 MK 555-15H, which powers the F28, has a take-off thrust of 9,900Ib. The engine was designed especially for the F28 it features low fuel consumption, low operating costs and low noise levels, particularly important in short-haul operations from small airfields.

Nearly three million hours of operational experience have been accumulated with the RB 183 MK 555 in the F28 with airlines worldwide.

TAA’s Record Year:

TAA set new traffic records in the 1979/80 Financial year.

Provisional figures show that TAA carried an estimated 5,080,000 passengers- the highest-ever one-year uplift for an Australian airline. This represents an eight per cent growth on the passenger uplift in the 1978/79 financial year. TAA also performed a record number of passengers/kilometres, the normal yardstick for airline performance. TAA performed 4 . 3 billion passengers/kilometres in 1979/80 – a 10. 7 per cent increase on the previous fiscal year.

A highlight of the year was TAA’s competitive performance in cargo. The airline achieved an estimated 50 per cent market share – the first time in the airline’s history that TAA has reached 50 per cent.

TAA carried more than 68,000 tonnes of cargo during the year and performed more than 57 million tonne/kilometres 3. 9 per cent growth on last financial year.

During the financial year, TAA also became the first Australian airline to carry five million passengers in the one year and the first Australian airline to uplift a million passengers on the Melbourne/Sydney route in a year.

The best passenger growth areas included Coolangatta (24 per cent), Perth (15. 8 per cent) and Darwin (13. 9 per cent), and the best routes included Melbourne-Adelaide (9. 1 per cent) and MelbourneWynyard/Devonport ( 19. 2 per cent)

 All Nippon Confirms Six More Boeing 747s:

All Nippon Airways has ordered six more Boeing 747s.

The new order will bring ANA’s Boeing 747 fleet to 13 of the SR version, for use on the carrier’s domestic Japanese routes.

The ANA 747SRs carry up to 500 passengers in an all-economy seating arrangement and are powered by General Electric CF6 turbofan engines.

The six additional 747s bring ANA’s overall purchases of Boeing jets to 95. Since 1964 the Japanese carrier has ordered 22 model 737s, and late last year announced its purchase of 2 5 of the new generation Boeing 767 twinjet airliners.

Saab/Fairchild Go GE:

In what was a mild surprise for aviation watchers, the new combination of Saab/Fairchild have selected the General Electric CT-7 turboshaft to power their new commuter liner. Selection of the new GE turbine was surprising in view of the tie-up between Garrett and Volvo Flygmotor for the production of the new Garrett TPE331-14 turboprop. First flight of the Saab/Fairchild airliner is slated for late 1982 with initial airline deliveries commencing early 1984.

Pressurised Bandeirante:

Embraer have decided to produce a pressurised version of their best-selling Bandeirante. Designated the P3, the new model will provide a 10,000ft cabin at altitudes reaching 17,000ft. The power plant will be the Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-65 while the P3 will be able to maintain a 260kt cruise over ranges of 700 nautical miles. The first flight of the new airframe will be in April 1982 with certification about a year later.

A Sale for the 146:

In what must have been a relief for sweating BAe 146 project managers, Lineas Aereas Privadas Argentinas (Lapa) has ordered three model 146 airliners with options on a further three. Lapa will use the 146 to replace turboprop YS-11 aircraft from when the first of the new four-engined jets enter service in September 1982.

Another 727 Milestone:

It seems only yesterday I was typing an item for Newsdesk highlighting the delivery of the 1500th Boeing 727. That was reported in our September edition of last year and so barely 1 2 months later we report on the delivery to Air Canada of 727 airframe 1600. Boeing inform us that at any time of the day there are an average of 320 model 727s airborne throughout the world.

Supersonic Research Continues:

Three aircraft manufacturers have been awarded NASA contracts for continued technology studies on advanced transport concepts capable of supersonic cruise flight.

Boeing, Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas were awarded contracts, each for about $1. 15 million. The studies are intended to develop further the technology base for this class of air transport. NASA also asked the three to draw on past studies and update them, looking especially for economic considerations, reduced fuel consumption and reduced noise.

All three manufacturers have basic design concepts which, like those of NASA, have been evolving for years with each new development in supersonic cruise research.

Boeing’s baseline concept is a “blended body” 270-passenger delta-wing configuration with a cruise speed of Mach 2. 4. The Douglas baseline is an arrow-winged configuration capable of carrying 225 to 300 passengers at cruise speeds of Mach 2.2. Lockheed is contemplating a Mach 2. 5 arrow-winged configuration carrying 290 passengers.

Each design requires continued research into improved aerodynamics, lightweight titanium and composite structures, and variable cycle engines for efficient subsonic and supersonic operation.