Newsdesk – Commercial

Boeing 757 airliners powered by this engine will use up to 40 per cent less fuel per passenger than current medium-sized airliners. Orders and options have already, been placed for 88 Rolls-Royce-powered Boeing 757s by British Airways and Eastern Air Lines.

Manufacture of RB 211-535C production engines is now well advanced. This follows the assembly of nine development engines for the RB 211-535C test program. Engine development is ahead of schedule. With over 2600 test running hours and 6500 simulated flight cycles completed, airworthiness certification of the engine is scheduled for March 1981.

The RB 211-535C is a lower-thrust development of the RB 211 engines in worldwide service powering Boeing 747 and Lockheed Tristar airliners. Rated at 37,400 lb take-off thrust, the RB 211·535C will enter service in Boeing 757s early in 1983. An advanced version of the engine offering even lower fuel consumption is on offer for airlines that plan to introduce Boeing 757s in the mid-1980s.

New Designations for Pratt And Whitney Engines:

In a world of ever-increasing acronyms, buzzwords and super ventilated (sorry about that!) alphanumeric soup, it is refreshing to see Pratts taking a step towards making their many engine types a little easier to remember. The new system relies solely on numbers. Four-digit designation refers to commercial engines, therefore the new JT-10 becomes the PW2000 series, ‘. with the first digit always an even number for commercial engines. The final two numbers refer to power rating, hence what was a JT-10 , of 37,000 lb thrust is now the PW2037. On the military side, the same story exists except that the first digit is of an odd number. . . Therefore, the new military engines to be developed by P&W will be designated PW1000 series engines, though USAF/USN customers may choose their own designations. General aviation engines will run three digits, commencing with an odd number, with the final two figures indicating power or thrust rating. Therefore, the new PT7 becomes the PW117, indicating 1700 shp. In later versions of this powerplant the only figures to alter will be the final two, thus indicating clearly the power or thrust the output of that engine. Current types, such as the JT3, JT8 and JT9, the F-100, TF-30, etc, will remain unchanged.

Concorde for Fast-Freight Service?

British Airways has had talks with several specialist fast-freight parcel firms, including Federal Express, regarding the use of a Concorde for a daily supersonic transAtlantic parcel service. BA now only require four Concordes, though seven are on strength. One aircraft is stranded at Heathrow with hydraulic fluid contamination, which is not worth the expense to repair, while the other aircraft is totally surplus to requirement since the axing of the Singapore route last November. BA have even lost the contract with the British Ministry of Defence to simulate high altitude Mach 2 Foxbat/Backfire/Fencer threats over the northern air defence region as a result of government defence cutbacks of recent months. The establishment of a priority supersonic parcel service from North America to Europe would see the Concorde emulating its much-maligned Soviet counterpart which itself has been largely confined to hauling freight between Alma Ala and Moscow for a number of years.

Super 71 DC-8 Prepares for First Flight:

A United Airlines DC-8-61 has completed re-engining with the CFM-56 at McDonnell Douglas’ Tulsa facility. The aircraft, now designated a Super 71, should make its first flight in a matter of weeks, with full FAA certification expected to be completed by the end of this year. Cammacorp, the company in charge for re-engining DC-6 aircraft, currently holds orders for 60 such conversions with a further 39 conversions on option.

Cutting Airline Fuel Costs:

Today the fuel costs of a single Boeing 747 airliner are about $US16m a year and a saving of 6 per cent in fuel consumption is worth $1m a year per aircraft. A 5 per cent reduction in fuel consumption has been achieved with the latest version of the RB 211 engine for Boeing 747 and Lockheed Tristar airliners. A further saving of around 10 per cent is envisaged by the late 1980s through progressive Improvements to the RB211 engine.

The rapid growth of fuel costs emphasises the need for continued reductions in aircraft fuel consumption. Twenty years ago fuel accounted for only about 25 per cent of aircraft direct operating costs. Today it accounts for 55 per cent and by the year 2000 it may well be 65 per cent.

Over the last 20 years, the fuel efficiency of large airliners has almost doubled through improvements in the performance of engines and airframes. Future improvements in airframes, as well as in engines, include more efficient designs of wings, the use of lighter-weight structural materials and changes in control systems.

Record $3 Billion Order as Delta Orders 60 757s:

Major US domestic carrier Delta Air Lines has announced the largest airliner order in commercial aviation history- 60 Boeing 757 twinjet airliners. Total value of the order, including spare parts, exceeds $US3 billion.

Delta’s order follows a previous commitment for $US1. 5 billion two years ago for 20 Boeing 767s, with options for a further 22.

Delta is the first airline ·to order both of the new generation airliners. The 767 has also been ordered by Ansett Airlines.

He said Delta would use its 757s to replace its DC-9 and 727 airliners. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 1984 and be completed by 1990.

The Boeing 757 is a new-generation, advanced-technology, twin-engine airliner. In Delta’s two-class service configuration, the airliner will seat 180 to 190 passengers in a standard-width, single-aisle cabin.

Boeing Look to the Stretch:

The 767 has often been called “an airframe looking to be stretched”, and this is exactly what Boeing plans to do this to the strong-selling twin. Pressure from Airbus A300 sales has advanced Boeing plans considerably for a 29 ft 4 in cabin stretch which would give the 767- 200 a 270-seat capacity. In this way Boeing will have in their respective 100 and 200 series models true equivalents to the established A310 and A300 family from Airbus Industrie. Certainly the large wing of the current 767 can adequately cope with this stretch, which will also include the development of a freighter and a long range passenger model. Regarding the 747, Boeing claim that the combination of increased seating density, upper deck stretch and the use of more efficient engines have improved the fuel bum per seat by one third since the type originally entered service. To ensure that the current 5500 nm range capability of the 747B is maintained, Boeing is planning to develop a new wing spanning 253 ft as against 195 ft for the current model. The aspect ratio will be increased from 6. 75 to 9. 0, while the sweepback will be reduced from 37. 5 degrees to 34 degrees to offer better efficiency at the lower cruise speeds achieved by current fuel-saving cruise procedures. Boeing claim the new wing would be 15 per cent more efficient than the current wing and would allow further fuselage development. In this area Boeing are going away from massive stretches, owing to the fuselage clearance problems on rotation, and instead are favouring a mild 6 ft stretch for balance reasons, coupled with upper-deck extensions which could eventually accommodate up to 670 passengers. Also under investigation is the use of the 767 lobe for use as an upper deck structure which will offer seven abreast upper-deck seating coupled with 10 abreast on the central deck. The underfloor cargo hold in this case would suffer due to loss of space through a lowered mid-deck floor and an increased requirement for passenger baggage.

Dornier Resurrect the Do 24:

Back in World War II one of Nazi Germany’s most useful flying boats, indeed the Axis equivalent of the Catalina, was the tri-engined Dornier DO 24T. Several of these machines were even flown by the RAAF for a time after their capture in New Guinea by the Germans. Nearly half a century later this same design looks set to make a comeback if Domier’s market projections prove accurate. The new-look Dornier amphibian utilises the same fuselage as its WWII ancestor, coupled with new wings and Pratt and Whitney PT6A-45 turboprops. The West German Federal Ministry of Research is backing the program with $US15m in conjunction with Dornier who believes that a select market exists for such a commuter amphibian. Plans call for the first flight of the DO 24TT in 1985, subject to the current market projections remaining firm

Fokker and Rolls Look To Advanced Turboprop Airliner:

Fitting midway between the current F-27 and F-28 airliners, Fokker is developing design concepts for the FXX project. The FXX will seat around 90 passengers and features advanced airframe and propeller aerodynamics to reduce noise and fuel consumption. The FXX will most probably opt for short ranges of 300 to 400 nautical miles with a cruising speed in the 400 kt region. This would produce an aircraft little slower in block times than current twin jets while providing significant savings in fuel, which by 1990 is expected to consume upwards of 60 per cent of an airline’s operating budget using current generation aircraft. Rolls-Royce has been planning a re-phase of the popular Tyne turboprop based on the data that Fokker have been developing. For the past two years, Rolls-Royce has been voicing their opinions of the merits of an aircraft of the FXX type, which actually contradicts the policy of British Aerospace with their jet-powered 146 Feederliner.

Whatever Happened to Jet Express:

Have you ever had anybody in another city send you a package by either TAA or Ansett jet express only to have it take upwards of four or five days to reach you? Well, this happens all the time at AADR and we felt it about time that something was said about this ridiculous situation. Both domestic carriers advertise and promote that their express package service is second to none, yet the swiftest we have ever had delivery of a package is three days, the longest was five. When you consider that this service can cost ·three or four times the cost of overnight parcel post via Australia Post (one of their few services that really do work) it becomes a miracle that anybody uses it at all. The problem is that most businesses never really get enough feedback on when the consigned goods arrive so they keep patronising a very second rate service-come on, Ansett and TAA, get your act together!

Airlines and Communication:

With the ever increasing cost of air travel, both domestic and international, and the increased pressures on senior executives’ time it has often been felt that there will come a time when telecommunications will be so refined as to actually provide an alternative to personal business travel. This, of course, already happens in many cases where a few phone calls to interstate customers can take the place of a one or two-day business trip. Considering the ever-increasing delays experienced at the airport terminals, the fragility of the airline labour system, from air traffic controllers down to stewards, and the high cost of business first-class flying, then there will come a time when airlines will have to actually promote their business flights via the advantages of face-to-face communication. In the US, where cable television has revolutionised communication, airline traffic forecasters are predicting a 5 to 6 per cent negative effect by 1990 upon airline first-class business travel. Bearing in mind this is where a major portion of real net profit is generated, then airlines will certainly have to come up with some innovative alternatives to the marvels of electronics if they are to remain competitive.

PW2000 Familv Come of Age:

Pratt and Whitney claim a development expenditure of nearly one billion dollars on their new PW2000 family of high by-pass turbofans. Even for the world’s largest supplier of aircraft engines, this is a formidable sum and one that at least now has achieved some strong recent sales. Boeing’s 757, long a slow seller, is now literally taking off, and all the new orders have specified the 37,000 lb thrust PW2037 as the power source. American Airlines even went so far as to order the engine before the airframe, only to announce days later that the 757 would be the bird. Pratt officials have announced that the PW2000 family will stretch from a series of engines providing between 25,000 lb to 40,000 lb thrust. The differences lie in the number of turbine stages and cropped fans, though all engines will utilise the same common core.

Jetstream 31 Production Go ahead:

British Aerospace has announced that, as a result of encouraging worldwide market response to the new Jetstream 31 Light Turbo Transport, production will go ahead at British Aerospace’s Scottish Division at Prestwick.

Intensive market studies have been carried out on the Jetstream 31 in recent months which have resulted in commitments being received for 13 aircraft plus nine options from five operators and letters of interest covering 30-40 aircraft from 16 operators. The majority of these operators are from overseas countries.

757 Customer List Grows As American Orders:

American Airlines, a major US trunk carrier became the second airline to order both of Boeing’s new-generation twinjets – the 757 and 767 – when it announced the purchase of 15 model 757s.

The 757s will be delivered beginning in late 1984 through 1985. The new airliners will be powered by Pratt and Whitney PW2037 engines rated at 37,000 pounds of thrust each.

American’s new 757s will be configured in a mixed-class arrangement with seating for 175 passengers.

American also said that it had taken options for an additional 15 of the 757s which, if ordered, would be delivered beginning in 1986.

American’s chairman, Albert V. Casey, said: “We expect the 757s and the PW2037 engines to reduce our fuel costs by 40 per cent below those now associated with the operation of the older 727s they will replace. ” The 757 program remains on schedule with the start of major assembly at the company’s Renton (Washington) plant earlier this year. The first 757 will roll out of the factory in January of next year. Nearly one year of flight testing will lead to aircraft certification in December 1982.

More than 9500 Boeing employees presently are working on the 757 project.

Just 22 months since the formal program go-ahead, the 757 continues to sell better than Boeing’s most popular commercial Jetlinerthe 727 – during its first two years. The American announcement brings total orders for the 757 to 127 aircraft, a sales mark which was not _achieved by the 727 until the third year after its program go-ahead. Trijet 727 sales have continued to climb since then with current orders at 1801 aircraft Current options for the 757 now total 57 aircraft.

NASA Announces New Fire-Resistant Material for Aircraft:

A spongy, lightweight material that resists ignition better than any materials now in use, and upon ignition at 426°C only chars and decomposes, has been developed for NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston by the Solar Division of International Harvester, San Diego.

The new flame-resistant material, named “polyimide resilient foam”, could further reduce in-flight fire risks and lengthen the time allowed for airline passenger evacuation from two to five minutes for a survivable crash complicated by an external fuel fire.

Accident statistics given by the US House of Representatives, 96th Congress, in 1979 revealed that from 1965 through 1978 fires occurred in about 20 per cent of all air carrier accidents involving passenger operations.

During this period there were 2727 fatalities, 469, or 17 per cent, attributed to the effects of fire or smoke. The data was presented in hearings before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Review of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.

Once in production, polyimide foam also could provide extra safety for surface transportation, including school buses, trains and automobiles, NASA fire experts said.

Polyimide foam is being suggested as a replacement for polyurethane used in aircraft seat cushions, which represent the largest amount of flammable material in airline interiors.

The foam is not only safer, say NASA fire safety experts, but also provides an estimated 50 per cent weight savings thereby improving aircraft energy efficiency.