The Aussie Airbus

From the engineering and operational point of view, the “speaking” of the A300 shows a sense of cautious and positive innovation, which will improve· the technology and skills of the airline without pursuing the glamorous, but high-risk technological path that Ansett’s new proprietors plumped for the in 767 selection. To take an example, the TAA Airbus is largely an off-the-shelf product, incorporating most of the specified equipment that have been proven by operations already, the A300s flown by the European ATLAS Group’ and Eastern Airlines.

But TAA is not aiming at this stage any higher than the modest Category I type operation, which is generally all that is required in Australia. In this event, the triple redundancy built in for Cat Ill capability will allow the aircraft to keep operating with an ample safety margin if any one of its three key flight control systems goes unserviceable.

The model TAA has selected is designated the A30084-203. In Airbus’s industry nomenclature, this means that it is the 84 model of the -200 family (the heaviest all-up weight Airbus is offering at the moment). The “03” version of the -200 family indicates that it will be powered by General Electric’s CF6-50C2 engines (the 52,500Ib or approximately 23,800kg thrust version).

Even looking into this basic aircraft specification, we find another example of TAA’s canny approach. The A30084-200 series has the capability of operating up to 165 tonnes of all-up weight. TAA will certificate only up to the older weight of 1 57.5 tonnes, retaining the capacity to certificate to the higher weight it requires.

The lighter weight is likely to be ample for all TAA operations into the foreseeable future, giving, for example, a full passenger load plus some cargo on the Sydney-Perth operation against prevailing westerlies (which is the Australian equivalent of the “Denver-Boston on a 100-degree F day”, the traditional US sort-them-out task).

And as air navigation charges are based on the certificated AUW, the 1 57.5 tonne certification will provide a handy saving until the day arrives when the higher weights may be required.

Cast yourself ahead to July 1981 You’re at Melbourne Airport heading for Sydney. On your way in along the trees, you will have noticed that the big new A300 hangar is nearing completion. If you’re curious to turn off and drive around the airport boundary, you’ll see that maintenance is being conducted in the present building with the big wide-body nosed in, dwarfing the 8727-200s and DC9-30s on the maintenance ramp. The big, swept tail is out in the cold. But new doors, with a sealing fixture, clamp around the aft part of the A300s fuselage, to keep out the cold winter air. A cherry picker is being used to perform inspections on the exposed fin. Approaching the terminal, the A300 you are about to catch does not dominate the terminal. The international jets on the centre finger are much bigger; the A300 appears in scale with the terminal environment.

You check in and pass your bag across. Out of sight, down below on the air side of the terminal, the handlers check the destination tag and load it into an LD3 container ready to despatch to the aircraft. Your bags go into the Sydney container. Another set goes into the Brisbane container. The possibility of mishandling is reduced immediately.

You walk out along the boarding finger into the extended waiting lounge for seat allocation. Then when the flight is called, you file down the aerobridge into the aircraft.

Although there are about twice as many passengers as on the 8727-200 flight, there are no traffic jams in the aerobridge before you reach the aircraft door. You can see why as soon as you enter the aircraft.

Compared with the “watch-your-head, sir”, approach to the 727, the A300 door is wide and high. There is virtually a reception hall in the entrance area. Your boarding pass will be the mother’s assistance in guiding you to your seat. Seats ABCD are on the port side of the aircraft, EFGH on the starboard.

First-class passengers turn left, economy passengers go right.

So instead of the shuffle down a single corridor that the Australian domestic passenger has been used to, the traffic is immediately split four ways and moves much faster. The interior, of course, is wide and spacious.  The US-made, Fairchild Burns seats are in groups of two on each side of the 19in (48cm) aisle, so there is no need to clamber over two passengers to reach a window position.

Although there will be no dividers in the big cabin, the decor is broken up into four compartments by the use of different colours. This makes finding your seat easy.

TAA has finally decided on a six-abreast first-class and eight-abreast economy seating arrangement. At the time of writing, the details of the first-class arrangement were still being finalised, while the economy plan was complete.

The economy seats will be similar to those Australians are familiar with in the 727, although marginally wider. The arrangement across the aeroplane will be two seats together on the window side, a corridor, two more seats with a double arm space between, two seats again, another corridor and two more seats on the opposite window 2-aisle-2-space-2-aisle-2, in summary (the present Boeing arrangement is 3-aisle-3 and the DC-9 is 2-aisle-3).

The choice of six-abreast seating first allows a sharp differentiation in the product. There will be bigger seats, further apart and probably separated by an armrest and console that will have a pull-out drinks tray.

The standard layout will be 40F and 229Y seats.

However, the possibility exists of conversion into 52 first and 21 3 economies by changing the first two rows of the economy into first-class seating. This is not an instant conversion, as is done at the moment, but requires more time and would characteristically be done during overnight maintenance to meet perceived changes in the market from day to day.

Through the cabin, there will be four galleys. Six toilets are planned. Meal and bar service will be by trolleys.

On the ramp, the first officer is completing his walkaround. He notes that the freight has been loaded. It’s a full load today – 13 LD3 containers have been shunted, two abreast into the two holds, an LD9 igloo 1 2Sin (317.5cm) pallet has also been stowed in the forward hold where a big freighter door (an option that TAA has specially selected), permits it to be loaded across the adequate underfloor crosssection. The five LD3 containers of passenger baggage are just arriving. (Total capacity is 10 LD3s plus one LD9 or 20 LD3s).

Using the automatic loading system built into the aircraft, they’ll be aboard in a couple of minutes. The aft, bulk hold is still open. This is where the last-minute baggage from late arrivals and stand-bys will go.

On the flight deck, the captain and the engineer have checked out all the systems. TAA’s flight deck will be orthodox compared, for instance, with the Boeing 767 and the A300’s sister A310. It uses familiar, analogue-type instruments. The flight engineer is in a side-ways facing position.

The smaller A310 will be fully digital when it comes into service in 1983. All the displays will be on cathode ray tubes and the two or three-man crew (an operator’s option), will all face forward.

However, while TAA’s A300 won’t be space-age, the flight deck shows that it will be a good generation ahead of present equipment and well up with the advances in the intercontinental trijets and 747s. The captain is just programming the triplicated Delco Carousel inertial navigation systems, the same as Qantas uses on its 747s. The international carrier is fully equipped to service and support these complex, independent navigation aids. They will allow TAA to select flight routings clear of airways, which will give shorter great circle distances on longer routes and permit significant time and fuel savings.

In the glare shield, there are also the controls for two SFENA autopilots, with integrated flight directors, which are part of the automatic landing system.

The Collins weather radar is also a big step forward. This is digital and displays in colour, permitting detailed analysis of what is going on in any clouds that might lie across the flight path.

By now the doors are closing. The last containers of meals and drinks have been loaded into the Japanese-made JAMCO galleys, which again are similar to those selected by Qantas for its 747s. The hostesses, getting ready for departure, check the toilets. Here there’s a dinkum Australian touch – three-pin plugs for razors.

The loaded Airbus is pushed out onto the tarmac as the engines start up. The big GEs settle into a quiet rumble as the captain turns and heads for the runway.

While these engines, in scale with the aircraft, are much bigger than anything TAA has had up to now, they are still within the airline’s capabilities.

Initially, TAA proposes to service the fan module, the big blades and their shroud in the front of the engine, the accessory gearbox which drives the hydraulics and electrics is located in the bottom of the engine, the combustors (where the fuel is burned) and the tricky, high-pressure turbine. Air New Zealand, in Auckland, with a well-equipped GE facility and long experience with the CF6. -5Q in its DC-1Os, will initially do the high-press cure compressors and the low-pressure turbines until TAA is set up to handle her. The engines are planned for modular maintenance on this pattern and can be broken down and freighted in an A300 or DC-10 belly hold without any trouble.

The captain has clearance for take-off and summons takeoff power. An ingenious computer is busy making a host of decisions for him at this time so that he can determine the precise engine setting to achieve correct thrust associated with ambient conditions, for the aircraft to take off from the specific runway.

The Airbus rolls quickly down the runway, rotates and steeply climbs out, turning to acquire its routing to Sydney via the programmed waypoints in the INS.

Except for dedicated wavers on the terminal balcony, few people around the airport pay much attention. On the airport freeway and in the houses that have been allowed to creep embarrassingly close to Tullamarine, the sound simply won’t be audible, such is the quietness of the A300’s operation.

Melbourne to Sydney is the standard one-hour flight at around 30,000ft. The approach is in from the west over the suburb and down 07 runway. Again in the houses and factories below there is little disturbance, even when the power goes on to counter the extra drag of the flaps and the extended gear. On the runway, air brakes deploy and reverse thrust goes into operation with a muted roar. Only a few touches on the brakes are needed to slow the Airbus for a turn left, clearing the runway for the next aircraft.

At the terminal, the passengers deplane as quickly as they boarded. Even as they smile goodbye to the hostesses and greet their friends, the Sydney baggage containers have been unloaded by the automatic system and are speeding on trolleys to the terminal’s racetrack baggage delivery system. As the passengers struggle down the escalators, the racetracks are turning and the first baggage is beginning to appear. You pick up your suitcase, head for a cab and reflect on the flight. Comfortable? Yes. Service? A notch or two above what it was in the single-aisle jets with passengers and flight attendants falling over one another as they tried to pass one another.

If your feeling is that it was a pleasant experience, that the aircraft is an improvement but not unsettling in terms of what you’re familiar with; if, overall, it is one of solidity and reliability, then conservative TAA will have achieved its objectives.