Newsdesk – Commercial Aviation

McDonnell Douglas has scheduled a 33-month programme to design, manufacture, flight test and certify the MD-87. The decision to launch the MD-87 came after detailed studies of its market potential and negotiations with airlines around the world. Jim Worsham, President of Douglas Aircraft Company, builder of the MD-87, said the new twin-jet will expand the appeal and versatility of the MD-80 family.

He said airlines worldwide had expressed interest in the MD-87 as a companion to other MD-80s, and that more orders were expected within the next few months. Worsham said, “The MD-87 offers airlines the lowest costs per plane-mile of any advanced technology aeroplane in its class. Where traffic is suited to a smaller aircraft, the MD-87 is an ideal complement to the larger MD-80s.

“When greater passenger capacity is needed, one of the other MD-80 models can be used to achieve lower costs per seat,” Worsham said. “With passenger configurations in the MD-80 family now ranging from 109 to a maximum of 172 seats and range capability from short hauls up to transcontinental U. S. or Australia service, we now offer a twin-jet family with outstanding trip and seat economics and unparalleled flexibility. ”

The MD-87 retains the same efficient, high-aspect ratio wing, digital cockpit features, advanced materials and quiet, roomy interior as the three larger MD-80 models. However, its fuselage is shorter by 5. 3m. Typical passenger capacity is 130 in a single class arrange- ment and 109 in mixed class, compared with 155 single class and 142 mixed class in the other MD-80s.

The efficient MD-80 wing, the powerful engines and the lower weight of the MD-87 give the new twin-jet excellent field-length performance and superior range.

The MD-87 can take off from 1,830m runways and carry a full load of passengers 4,345km. Performance characteristics of the MD-87 are ideally suited for airlines plying long routes with lower traffic densities from relatively small airports. The MD-87, MD-83 and MD-89 are under investigation by TAA as possible DC-9-30 and 727-200 replacements.

ICAO Figures Show Traffic Increase Continuing:

Figures recently released by ICAO for 1984 indicate a growth of 8. 5% in Revenue Tonne kilometres over 1983 by the world’s scheduled carriers. During 1984 the airlines carried 832 million passengers for a load factor of 65%, one percentage point better than 1983 which indicates a further improvement in overall yield. Freight was the big winner for 1984 with a growth of nearly 15% for a total of 39 billion tonine kilometres. The increase in air freight movements parallels continued decreases in the overall cost of air freight coupled with the savings to be gained through having a reduced stock inventory as a by-product to using air rather than surface freight.

Qantas to Comprehensively Equip Its 7678 for Overwater Use:

In a caption last issue (p. 65) we stated that the forthcoming Qantas B767-200ER twinjets won’t carry the standard Boeing kit for overwater twins. Whilst this is true we would point out that Qantas have taken those items that they consider to be of most importance from the Boeing selection.

Qantas aircraft will be equipped with the fourth, hydraulically powered, generator and will use a metered fire suppression system for cargo hold protection. Qantas accept the results of tests that show that the cathode ray instruments in this aircraft will operate without cooling for over two hours. They consider that these measures provide an aircraft suitable for operation within presently planned overwater rules.

Transatlantic Twins:

TWA will from late April commence operating Boeing 767 twinjets on the transatlantic from St. Louis to Paris and Frankfurt. The routing will take the 767 on a northerly track to conform with existing FAA overwater-twin rules which dictate that the aircraft should be within a prescribed alternate airfield at no more than 60 minutes flight time on one engine. TWA, indeed every international operator of large twins in addition to Airbus and Boeing, are trying to get the traditional rules liberalised to allow more varied use of the new generation of 767, 757 and A300 and A310 twinjets.

TWA are hoping to get a dispensation on the specific route later this year which will allow them to follow a more direct route saving a half hour and around 4,000lb of fuel. El Al was the first carrier to employ the 767 on transatlantic services and has been flying its 767ER on the Montreal/Tel Aviv route since mid 1984. Air Canada is also commencing a service between Halifax and London using its specially equipped 767s while a number of 757 operators are also investigating the possibilities of using the -200 variant for similar operations.

If the FAA overwater twin rule is liberalised TWA hopes to pioneer a number of new direct US/Europe routes that are presently too large for Tristar and 747 aircraft but would be ideal for the 210-passenger 767. If and when the routes develop TWA can then swing on the larger aircraft as traffic demands.

China to Introduce Its Own Version of Deregulation:

The world’s most populous nation, reputed to be the home of one billion citizens, is to move away from one centralised airline system into a number of smaller and hopefully more efficient operations. The huge Civil Aircraft Administration of China (CAAC) has been the guardian of civilian air travel within the PRC since 1949 when it was formed with only ten aircraft and an annual uplift of around 10,000 passengers. Today the giant carrier operates over 1000 aircraft varying from Boeing 747s to MIL helicopters over an international route network serving 22 cities in 18 countries. In 1984 the carrier uplifted just over four million passengers and has a requirement for a significant level of fleet re-equipment before the decade is out.

To supplement the CAAC fleet four smaller carriers are being formed to serve the direct interests of China’s regional requirements. CAAC itself will continue to oversee the operation of civil air transport within China in addition to being responsible for the operation of international routes other than those to Asia. The four new carriers will be named Air China, China Eastern Airways, China Southern Airlines and China Southwestern Airlines The individual airline names allude to their operating region while these carriers will no doubt now be in the market for new technology transports to replace the aged Trident, II-18 and 707 fleet which presently are the bulwark of internal operations.

China is currently having discussions with McDonnell Douglas regarding licence production of the MD-80 in addition to looking at a similar programme with the Boeing 737-300. British Aerospace have also been hard at work with a co-production deal on the 146 for which China already builds undercarriage doors. Whoever wins this order will no doubt eventually see a potential for up to 200 aircraft to satisfy China’s expanding civil uplift requirement as the nation rapidly industrialises into a potential world power.

 By TAA to Mangalore:

Now that TAA has acquired the promotional rights to sponsor the annual Mangalore fly-in, they will effective- ly be taking over the charter market pioneered over recent years by Ansett. A part of the agreement between the SAAA and TAA of course is that Ansett do not participate in the show. TAA will be operating special DC-9 charters from Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane at a cost of $120, $120 and $180 respectively. The Sydney and Adelaide flights depart at around 8. 15AM while Brisbane departs at 6. 30AM, all flights are scheduled to leave Mangalore around 5. 30PM for their return journey. If you haven’t been to Mangalore before then you are really missing something. so hop on a TAA, or Rebel Air DC-3 (02- 693. 2788) charter and participate not just in an air show but an event.

Australia to Be Well Represented at Paris:

Australia’s participation at this year’s Paris air show will be a combined effort via the newly formed Association of Australian Aerospace Industries. The AAAI now comprises more than three dozen members and if Associate Member status is made available for the peripheral aerospace companies then this figure looks set to double Aim of the AAAI is to organise Australia’s aerospace manufacturing and expertise capability into the one unit in an effort to capture more of the export market. “Most people just think of GAF, CAC and Hawker de Havilland when you mention Aerospace, but there are dozens of smaller, specialist firms that make up the industry here in Australia,” stated AAAI chairman, John Corby, who is also a marketing manager for Transavia in addition to being the ‘father’ of the excellent Corby Starlet.

Australia presented itself in a united form at the recent Beijing aviation expo with good results following. At Paris there will be active participation from no less than 17 individual companies who will operate from a large AAAI trade display and a hospitality chalet. The federal government is also fully behind the AAAI; Minister for Industry and Development, Senator Button, not only publicly endorses the association but has instituted an aerospace industry review in conjunction with the Aerospace Industry Council and the Bureau of Transport Economics. Tabling of the report is expected around mid-year and it is hoped that this document will at last provide a solid basis of understanding between bureaucracy and industry so that Australia’s aerospace capability may fairly capture its share of the multi-billion dollar aerospace market.

Sales

• AIRBUS A300: Thai International has ordered 2 additional A30084-200s bringing their A300 fleet to 16 aircraft.

• AIRBUS A310: CAAC have ordered 5 A310-200s though these aircraft may be employed in the service of one of the new Chinese regionals (refer to Newsdesk).

•ATR 42: Air Guam has ordered 1 ATR42 with 1 additional aircraft on option.

• BOEING 737: Air France has ordered 1 737-200 to bring its -200 fleet to 13 aircraft. Piedmont Airlines (USA) has ordered 3 additional 737-300s to increase its total order of the type to 18 aircraft. Transavia (Netherlands) has ordered 2 737-300s for 1986 delivery. The Yunnan Province of the PRC have purchased 2 737-300s (refer Newsdesk). Angola Airlines have ordered 1 737-200 for 1985 delivery. Cameroon Airlines (Africa) have ordered 1 737-200.

• BOEING 747: Lufthansa has ordered 2 additional 747-200 Combis with a further 2 on option. Cathay Pacific has exercised an option purchase a second 747-300 for March 1986 delivery. This aircraft will be used primarily on the Australia/HK service, Japan Air Lines has ordered 3 747-300s for 1966 delivery. Total 747 sales now top 644 units.

BAe 146: Dan-Air (UK) has ordered a third 146-100.

•BAe 748: LIAT (Leeward Islands Air Transport) of the Caribbean has ordered 2 748 28 aircraft.

•BAe Jetstream 31: Netherlands (Netherlands) has ordered 4 Jetstream 31s for European commuter routes. American Eagle, a new US operator, has ordered 10 aircraft (refer Newsdesk). Atlantis Airlines (USA) has ordered 6 aircraft for 1986 delivery.

• DHC-6 TWIN OTTER: Ethiopian Airlines have ordered 6 Twin Otters for 1985 delivery. More than 800 Twin Otters have been built since production began in 1966.

•DHC-7 DASH 7: Newmans Airways (NZ) have ordered 2 Dash 7s, both of which are now in service (refer NZ News).

•DORNIER 228: Olympic Airways (Greece) has converted 2 options on 228 aircraft to firm orders and taken a further 2 options. A/S Norving (Norway) has signed for 1 228-201 to take its total order of type to 5 aircraft.

•FOKKER F27 FRIENDSHIP: Midstate Airlines (USA) has ordered 4 F27-500s to bring its total of type to 6 aircraft.

• FOKKER F50: Ansett Transport Industries have signed for 10 with an option on a further 5 aircraft. First delivery in early 1987 with subsequent aircraft delivered at 2 a month thereafter. ATI is the Fokker 50 launch customer (refer Update & Newsdesk).

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-80: Irish Aerospace has ordered 12 MD-83s with 12 more on option. Irish Aerospace is a partnership between Guinness Peat of Ireland and MDC which will specialise in leasing these aircraft to airlines.

• SAAB-FAIRCHILD 340: Birmingham Executive Airways (UK) has ordered 1 SF340 for UK and European commuter services in Business Class configuration. Comair (USA) has ordered an additional 3 SF340s to bring its total order to 15 aircraft.

Delta Use of Demonstrates Dual 757/767 Pilot Type-Rating:

Delta Airlines, the first carrier in the world to operate both 7578 and 767s, recently demonstrated the practicability of the dual 757/767 pilot type- rating when one crew flew a 767 in revenue service from Atlanta, Georgia, to Seattle and the next day flew a 757 back to Atlanta.

Although they had completed a four-hour “differences course”, neither pilot – Capt. Malcolm Simpson nor First Officer Phill Glenn – had ever flown a 757.

The FAA last July cleared the way for pilots trained on one of the new generation Boeing twinjets to be rated on both. The FAA action followed a demanding test series in which agency and Boeing pilots type-rated on one of the two types underwent flight examinations on the new Boeing twinjet type on which they were not qualified. All pilots involved in the tests passed. This was possible because of the close similarity between the 757 and the 767 from the pilot point of view.

Approval for a type rating common to both airliners was an industry first, since it applies to a wide-body airliner, the 767, and a standard-body type, the 757. Other different type of aircraft require separate FAA-issued ratings which are awarded only after specialised training in each type.

In addition to the practical advantages of airlines being able to schedule pilots on either aeroplane for improved productivity, the savings in capital costs of simulators and recurrent training for the dual type-rated pilots over pilots qualified on a single type would be substantial in a fleet made up of both 7578 and 7678.

The two airliner types were designed with virtually identical flight deck layouts, pilot view from the flight deck, and airplane performance and handling characteristics.

Pan Am Launch IAE V2500 and PW4000 Engines:

Pan American has launched the sales prospects of two new aero engine programmes with its recent decision to equip A320 and A310 aircraft with these powerplants. PanAm has firm orders on 16 A320 with options on a further 35. The carrier also has firm orders against 12 A310s with options on a further 13. Till the first of these air- craft are delivered Pan Am is leasing from Airbus a number of A300 and A310-200 aircraft powered by GE engines.

For the A320, Pan Am has coloured the 25,000lb thrust International Aero Engines V2500 turbofan. IAE is a consortium comprising Pratt & Whitney (30%), Rolls Royce (30%). Japanese Aero Engines (23%), MTU (11%). and Fiat (6%) who are primarily in competition with General Electric and Snecma of France with their CFM56. For the A310-300, PanAm has gone for the Pratt & Whitney PW4000, a much-developed new-generation follow-on engine to the JT9. The PW4000 comprises around 25% less individual components than its predecessor and is somewhat more fuel-efficient. The primary competitor to the PW4000 is the GE CF6-80C2 and later variants of this engine to be co-developed between GE and Rolls Royce.

Airbus A320 Gets Longer Legs:

Airbus Industries have released new data on the -200 variant of the A320 that indicates a considerable range extension for the type. Max. takeoff weight rises from 66 to 72 tonnes in the -200 version while a centre section fuel cell now allows max. payload missions out to almost 3,000 miles. While sales of the A320 have been quiet in recent months Airbus hope to be able to announce several new orders at the Paris air show First flight of the 150-seat A320 is scheduled for February 1987 for an in-service date of early 1988. The -200 version will be available from 1989.

 Csiro Space Research Unit a Boost for Industry:

Australia has taken a firm step towards the 21st century with the recent announcement that the CSIRO will operate a specialist space research organisation. The new unit will receive $6m funding for 1985/86 while this is expected to increase to around $20m by 1990. It is estimated that by that time Australia will be spending in excess of $500m annually in space systems which by present standards would almost entirely be purchased overseas. Founding of the new unit will hopefully allow much of this money to remain in Australia in addition to providing the basis for an advanced technology Australian

Hawker Pacific Have Another Strong Year:

Hawker Pacific have again surpassed $100m in earnings for calendar 1984. The Sydney-based aerospace and consumer products company now has offices in six international locations as well as throughout Australia. Earnings have grown from a mere $41m back in 1979 to now well over $100m a year from direct sales while ag- ency sales in this period top $495m. Hawker Pacific now employs around 480 people, just over a hundred of which are based overseas. The company’s major offshore market is Asia, where rapid growth since 1981 has helped to balance the effects of recession back home.

Boeing Reports Increased 1984 Earnings:

The Boeing Company has reported sales of US$10,354 million and earnings from current operations of US$390 million for 1984.

Comparable figures for 1983 were sales of US$11,129 and earnings of US$355 million. Sales for the fourth quarter of 1984 were US$3,327 million with earnings of US$124 million compared with 1983 fourth-quarter sales of US$2,731 million and earnings of US$98 million.

New orders were announced in 1984 for 169 transports valued at US$5. 8 billion compared with 1983 new orders of 151 jet transports valued at about US$6. 4 billion. One hundred and thirty-five of the new orders were for the smaller 737 models which accounts for the decline in order value relative to 1983. During 1984 no military derivatives of the 707 were ordered, whereas 15 707 military derivatives were ordered in 1983.

During 1984 the extended cabin 737-300 jet transport passed several significant milestones – rollout, first flight, FAA certification, first delivery and service, and more than 100 announced orders.

During 1984 Boeing delivered 8 7078, 8 7278, 60 737-200s, 7 737-300s, 16 7478, 18 7578 and 29 767s for a total of 146 airplanes. This compares with 8 7078, 11 7278, 23 7478, 25 7578 and 55 7678, a total of 204 airplanes, for 1983.

Current schedules call for the delivery of 3 7078, 30 737-200s, 86 737-300s, 24 7478, 38 7578 and 23 767s for a total of 204 aeroplanes during 1985.

Sales to the US Government in the year ended December 31, 1984, totalled US$4,328 million, US$818 million higher than the comparable period of 1983. The principal contributors to the continued growth in military business include the KC-135 re-engine programme, the Peacekeeper strategic missile system, the B-1B bomber, the Minute-man ballistic missile system, the Joint Services vertical lift aircraft (JVX) and CH-47 modernisation work.

Growth in military programme sales is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Based on current schedules, total sales for 1985 are projected to be in the US$13. 5 billion range.

Update Could Breathe New Life Into Ys-11:

An aircraft that has been little known outside Japan, but is rapidly deploying worldwide, is the Nihon YS-11 turboprop. The YS-11 found favour within Japan but few were sold outside the land of manufacture as at the time, few smaller regional carriers required a turboprop of that capacity. The YS-11, which first flew in 1962, is now offered in updated form via Mitsubishi Industries. Mitsubishi have realised the present appeal of the airliner some two decades after it first entered service and are offering a comprehensive refurbishment which includes a new interior. modernised cockpit, replacement of some of the on-board systems and a weight reduction programme.

With 60 seats at a generous 34″ pitch, the YS-11 has increased its value on the used airliner market considerably in recent years. A total of 182 were built with the bulk of these going to TDA, All Nippon and the Japanese military though today US regional operators are becoming aware of the economics of the type and are purchasing them in relatively large numbers. Mid Pacific Air of Hawaii is one such successful YS-11 operator which owns 10, leases another 7 to other US carriers and is negotiating with TDA for their entire 36 aircraft fleet. It is ironic that the YS-11, in basic payload terms, equates fairly similarly to the stretched variants proposed of the ATR42. Fokker 50 and to the BAe ATP at a time when the Japanese industry is discussing participation with these European manufacturers on these programmes.

Ansett Make 51 Changes to Their Fokker 50 Aircraft:

Before signing for ten Fokker 50 aircraft (with options on a further five) Ansett instituted no less than 51 design alterations to the basic aircraft as proposed by Fokker. For example, Ansett has introduced into the cockpit area an AHRA (Attitude and Heading Reference System) which is a relatively new avionic improvement of the pilot’s basic instrumentation reference system. Another innovation is a new series of lightweight avionic radio systems. Additionally, like all Ansett aircraft, the new Fokker 50s will incorporate the Atlas galley system which will now allow a full hot meal service to be served on F50 flights. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in January, 1987 with the remaining nine aircraft following within the next six months.

Airbus Industrie to Increase Output:

In what represents another endorsement that things are picking up in the commercial airliner industry. Airbus Industrie has announced that it will increase its 1986 output to 40 aircraft. Previously the consortium had budgeted to deliver only 30 aircraft for the year. In addition to building new A300 and A310 twinjets the Toulouse facility is busy refurbishing and modifying a number of existing airframes for different customers Design development of the 150-seat A320 proceeds on schedule towards a first flight in March, 1987 while project launch of the four-engined ultra-long range TA11 and stretched TA9 are expected to occur by the end of 1986.