Newsdesk – Commercial Aviation

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that newer variants of the 747 may be more prone to fatigue stress in the forward fuselage area owing to the use of lighter-weight materials used in this portion of the aircraft since 1973. Boeing quotes the target fatigue life of the 747- 200 and SR as 24,000 and 52,600 cycles respectively over a 20 year operating life. It is believed that even Qantas has found a number of very small stress cracks in its older aircraft and could well influence the time span in which these older QF Boeings are replaced in the years ahead.

Pratt & Whitney And Allison Form Propfan Venture:

General Motors’ Allison Gas Turbine Division and United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney have announced plans to jointly pursue development of proptan propulsion systems.

The companies will participate in an aircraft flight program in 1987 with a jointly produced demonstration propulsion system. Upon the achievement of program milestones, the companies’ plans include the development, for commercial and military transports of the 1990s of a propfan propulsion system combining the latest in gas turbine engine technology with a new high-speed propeller.

For the flight demonstration program, a model 578-DX prototype propulsion system will be developed using an Allison core engine with an advanced technology gearbox driving a counter-rotating pusher propfan system in development by United Technologies Hamilton Standard Division.

In the demonstrator program, Allison wil conduct engine development through ground testing and Pratt & Whitney will integrate the propulsion system to the test aircraft and coordinate the flight test.

Flight test to evaluate engine/airframe interaction and acoustics will occur next year on an MD-80 aircraft as part of McDonnell Douglas’ ultra high bypass technology read- ness program. Work is also ongoing with Boe- ing on the application and demonstration of a geared propfan system. The new propulsion system is an outgrowth of research initiated in the mid-1970s by NASA and Hamilton Standard.

Nasa Selects The Final Cfm56- Powered Dc-8 Super 70:

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has selected a DC-8 Super 70 aircraft, powered by CFM56-2 high bypass turbofan engines, for use in their Ames Research Center flight research and development activities. The NASA aircraft is the 110th and final Super 70 retrofitted with CFM56-2 engines, rated at 22,000 pounds thrust.

NASA-Ames will use the re-engined Super 70 as a multidiscipline airbome laboratory, a function previously performed by a Convair 990. The improved performance and fuel efficiency of the CFM56-2 engines will provide NASA-Ames with significant improvements in altitude and range capability.

Now in service with 15 different operators, Super 70s have accumulated nearly 2 million engine flight hours. The advanced technology CFM56-2 turbofans are accumulating more than 77,000 hours monthly, with average flight lengths of 2. 15 hours. The high-time CFM56-2 in service has accumulated 9,280 hours.

Engines in the CFM56 family have also been selected to power Boeing’s 737-300 diners, the US Air Force KC-135R tanker, the Royal Saudi Air Force E-3 AWACS and KE-3 tanker and the US Navy E-6 communications aircraft. An advanced version of the CFM56 will power the Airbus Industrie 150-passenger A320 and A340 aircraft.

 Insurance Becomes An International Headache:

What the effects of liability insurance premiums are on General Aviation is well known, nowadays similar cost pressures are also beginning to be felt in the international airline community.

Reason for the escalating premiums on hull insurance was the particularly disastrous airliner safety record of 1985. During 1985 there were 19 losses for a hull value of nearly $A550m in addition to tens of millions due to be paid out in the form of compensation for nearly 2,000 victims. The recent loss of the Shuttle Challenger plus a series of expensive satellite losses from both NASA and Arianespace have served to increase premiums to the point where many airlines are no longer able to afford insurance. The problem here of course is that as the airline industry moves more towards leverage leasing rather than straight out purchasing of new equipment the requirement for comprehensive insurance cover on the aircraft becomes a part of the lease contract. Airlines like our own, particularly Qantas, pay relatively low rates though many carriers who are highly respected operators but fly into sensitive and dangerous areas are now having to pay the burden of nearly two decades of unrestrained terrorism.

To combat the problem IATA is moving to reactivate a system of insurance broking that it operated during the sixties and seventies in addition to limiting the claims that operators are having to pay out as a result of that country’s topsy-turvy liability insurance system. The situation in the meantime though may well develop into the biggest problem commercial aviation has to overcome in the year ahead

Boeing Selects Its Partners For The Propfan Race:

Boeing has been working hard these past few months in attracting co-production agreements from a number of international aerospace concerns to offset the R&D cost of developing their propfan 7J7 airliner.

Major coup was the March signing of a number of large Japanese aerospace and technology firms in what amounts to a 25% stake in the equity share of the entire programme. Boeing concluded a similar agreement with the Japanese consortium in the late seventies for 767 production and has been thus rewarded with a strong Japanese sales base for their largest twinjet to date.

On the other side of the globe, Boeing have also signed associate partner agreements with Saab Scania of Sweden and Shorts of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Both these agreements are considerably smaller than that negotiated with the Japanese but they will still provide a considerable workload to both companies in the decades ahead.

Rolls Royce Look Set For Big Market For The Tay:

Rolls Royce have signed an order with Gulfstream Aerospace for an additional 200 Tay turbofans. This brings to 520 the number of Tay’s on firm order and looks set to make the engine programme one of the most successful in Rolls Royce history. Gulfstream Aerospace launched the Tay project with an order for 200 engines for its new Gulfstream IV in March. 1983. Shortly after, Fokker ordered an additional 100 engines to power its Fokker 100 airliner which has to date been ordered by KLM, Swissair and US Air.

Meanwhile a further use for the Tay has been recently announced with the formal launch of the Tay-powered BAC 111 programme. To be managed by the Dee Howard Company of the USA, the conversion will be applicable to all series 400 111s though it is believed a marketing agreement between British Aerospace and Dee Howard precludes the engines being fitted to the popular Mk500 aircraft owing to the competition it would provide for existing BAe 146 products.

Rombac, who licence build the 111 in Romania are also looking at developing a Tay- powered version, though this aircraft may be limited to being sold only to non-Wester operators. A total of 230 111s were built, of which around 160 are still in service, some 43 of which wear corporate livery, a market at which the Tay conversion is primarily aimed.

Dee Howard claim that the Tay engine with the 111 airframe will produce an aircraft with over 3,200nm range with NBAA IFR reserves and will reduce balanced field length requirements by as much as a third under hot day conditions. It is expected that the conversion cost would be in the region of $ABm an airframe.

 Local Galley Manufacturer Hoping For Export Orders:

Hannam’s Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based specialist fabrication company has completed a sizeable order of galley equipment for East-West Airlines. The aircraft division which has been developing and marketing aircraft galley equipment over the past two years, also provides a wide variety of services to both domestic and international airlines. These services include an extensive repair programme on various galley items and cargo containers, the sale of cabin disposables and rotables and the marketing of new and second-hand tarmac vehicles. With the recent strengthening of the Australian Offset Programme (refer p101, March AA) Hannam is hoping to be able to ultimately offer galley equipment for export to Boeing. McDonnell Douglas, Fokker and Airbus Industrie.

Boeing Pledges Massive Support For De Havilland Canada:

Boeing has launched a far-reaching investment programme designed to vastly upgrade the level of facilities and productivity at de Havil- land Canada.

In a recent statement to DHC employees, Boeing Canada Chairman, Richard Albrecht, pledged several hundred million dollars would be invested in new plant and machinery in addition to a full-scale R&D effort aimed at making DHC a world leader in second and third level airliner development. DHC will begin to specialise in the production of composite components in addition to performing subcontracting work on the larger Boeing programmes in both civil and defence areas.

Albrecht also stated that DHC would become actively involved in the recently announced agreement between Boeing, MBB of West Germany and Nurtanio of Indonesia on the potential development of an advanced techno-airliner in the 80/90-seat class for introduction in the mid-nineties.

Boeing Launches 737-400 Twinjet:

Boeing is now offering a new, longer fuselage version of its highly successful 737 series of twinjets.

The new 737-400 would have all of the advanced technology of the -300 model but would seat 18 more passengers. This aircraft was formerly referred to by Boeing as the 737- 300L (refer p7 Mar AA). The additional passengers are accommodated by lengthening the fuselage 114 inches for total seating of 145 passengers in mixed class or 159 in an all-economy configuration.

The aircraft would be powered by quiet, fuel-efficient CFM56-3B2 engines rated at 22,000 pounds of thrust. These high bypass engines are produced by CFM International, a company jointly owned by General Electric of the US and Snecma of France. These are the uprated engines which are a current 737-300 option and are employed aboard TAA’s new 737s.

Offering low operating costs, the 737-400 is designed to be the next logical step in the growth of the 737 family. It will have a high degree of commonality with -200 and -300 models, including the same pilot-type rating. Boeing plans to have the 737-400 in commercial service by late 1988 and will use the type to combat the sales success of the Airbus A320 until Boeing’s own 7J7 Propfan airliner is ready for commercial service around 1992.

Sia Places Largest Value Order In Aviation History:

Singapore Airlines” appetite for new 747 airframes appears unsatiable in that almost by a clockwork timetable they regularly place an order with Boeing that without fail makes aviation history. Their last was in 1983 when they boosted the newly launched EUD order book by several billion dollars, their latest is for no less than 14 747- 400s that in 1986 dollars are valued at $US3,3 billion.

The new jets will enter the SIA fleet between early 1989 and 1993 and will replace SIA’s present fleet of 747-200s. The -400 will consume 10% less fuel per seat kilometre than SIA’s existing -300s and 18% less than the -200s they replace. Boeing plan to roll out their first -400 in early 1988 and deliver the first of type to Northwest Orient later that year. The SIA order does not show in this issue’s Sales column as it has officially been categorised as an April sale and thus will be included in our July issue Sales tables.

China Defines Its Civil Aviation Role:

The PRC is to establish a civil aviation agency similar to that of the American FAA but under the firm hand of the administration echelon of CAAC. CAAC is the major Chinese carrier and will remain so despite the granting of airline transport licences to a number of small regional carriers these past two years. Previously China had intimated that CAAC was going to be wound down in terms of size but this policy has since been rescinded though the operations and administration sections of the carrier will be separated in order to provide the airline division with more autonomy.

Chinese carriers have purchased a plethora of modern equipment over the past few years including Boeing 737s, 767s and additional 747s, and MD-82s, which are in production at Shanghai, Airbus A310s, CN235s, Shorts 360s in addition to participating in a programme with HAECO to refurbish Yun-7 and Yun-12 aircraft.

 Saab Scania Join Mcdonnell Douglas In the Propulsion Research Programme:

Saab Scania of Sweden has joined with MDC in the development of its high tech ultra-high bypass (UHB) engine programme. MDC are hoping to use UHB engines, generally termed propfans, aboard later versions of the MD-80 airliner in 120 and 150-seat configurations. Also joining Saab are the Shanghai Aviation Industrial Corp from the PRC and Aeritalia from Italy. UHB has the potential to reduce seat mile fuel burn by up to 50% as compared with present versions of the MD-80 twinjet.

General Electric Cf6-80a Engine Passes One Million Flight Hours:

General Electric CF6-80A high bypass turbofan engines have powered Airbus Industrie A310-200 and Boeing 767-200 aircraft for more than 1,000,000 engine flight hours.

The CF6-80 engine started commercial revenue service aboard an American Airlines 767 in November 1982. Operation on a Lufthansa German Airlines A310 followed shortly thereafter in April 1983. Overall performance and reliability of the engines in both applications have been outstanding, with a dispatch reliability rate of 99. 9 percent.

The General Electric CF6-80A engine is currently flying on 64 767s with seven customers and has been chosen to power 96 of the 190 767s now on order with Boeing. The engine has also been selected to power 45 of the 82 Airbus Industrie A310-200 twinjets currently ordered.

Us Engine Manufacturer Observes Turbo Fan Engines In Air-line Operation:

A continuous real-time telecommunications link has been set up between an airline and engine manufacturer for the first time in aviation history, allowing the engine builder to see how his products perform in actual airline operation. After preparations lasting nearly a year, General Electric – manufacturer of the CF6-80A3 engine for the Airbus A310 – was connected to the Engine Condition Monitoring computer system at the Lufthansa maintenance base in Frankfurt. The information that engineers at the General Electric plant at Evendale, Ohio, obtain from the Frankfurt computer gives them deeper insights into engine behaviour under the realistic conditions of daily flights and provides them with information for future engine improvements and developments.

This information exchange between manufacturer and operator owes its success to the diagnostic procedure that Lufthansa and General Electric have developed jointly with other airlines. On A310 flights, the pressures, temperatures and other operating data of various engine components are noted with meticulous accuracy. The data is accumulated on board all A310s by a ‘propulsion multiplexer and printed, during various slight operation phases, as a ‘snapshot of engine operation by a printer installed in the cockpit. On landing at any airport, this technical report from the airliner is instantly and automatically transmitted- ted to the computer system at the Frankfurt maintenance base, which performs real time engine diagnosis down to the module level.

The know-how transfer brings benefits for both General Electric and Lufthansa. A measure of their mutual satisfaction with their transatlantic data link are the plans to extend the system to all General Electric engine types in service in the Lufthansa fleet by 1987.

 Haeco Wins United Tristar Over-haul Contract:

HAECO, a division of Cathay Pacific, has won a contract to provide comprehensive maintenance and overhaul support for United Airlines fleet of 6 Lockheed L1011-500 Tristars. HAECO also provides full overhaul support for Cathay Pacific, Gulf Air and Air Lanka Tristars and in the past has supported the British Airways L1011 fleet in their East.

While the agreement was good news for HAECO, the good news for passengers travelling aboard Cathay was that CX will be the first carrier to provide electronic headsets for economy class passengers. Any reader who has endured a Sydney to London economy haul with the plastic earphones generally provided will readily appreciate the difference that the new electronic units will make to overall levels of passenger comfort, well done Cathay.