Newsdesk – Commercial Aviation

HDH already builds wing ribs for the A310 and has an agreement on building some 300 chipsets of wing ribs for the new A320. With 267 orders and options already in hand for the twinjet though, the reorder will cover continuation work to ensure that HDH are able to maintain long-term production momentum on the contract. The electrical wiring loom contract for BAe Australia (located at Salisbury in South Australia) may sound relatively simple but actually involves a high degree of complex work not previously undertaken at this facility. On the propulsion side, General Electric has also signed a $65m contract for Australian-made components for the GE/Snecma CFM56 high bypass ratio turbofan. The CFM56 is currently being produced at a record rate of 45 units a month and is powering both Ansett’s and Australia’s 737-300s in addition to the A320s on order for Ansett. Most of this contract will go to Hawker de Havilland Victoria Ltd (nee CAC) and ANI, both of which are heavily involved with the RAAF’s GE F404 engine for the F-18 Hornet. More than $100m of offset work has been placed already against the purchase of these engines in addition to some $36m that has been offset against the CF6 turbofan used aboard Australian A300s and Ansett 767s. This contract will do much to boost the local high tech blade and component capability and follows the announcement earlier in September of the setting up of a large Rolls Royce blade manufacturing facility in Australia.

The Lateral Stick of the A320 Gains Popular Endorsement:

The pilots of some ten airlines and five different certification authorities recently pronounced their satisfaction with recent flight tests executed in conjunction with the lateral stick of the A320 and the associated control laws. These demonstration flights were preceded by a test programme which started on 30 November 1985 using a demonstration A300 equipped with lateral sticks.

The purpose of the tests was to demonstrate that the interaction between both sticks was correct and to establish control laws. This goal was achieved as electronic coupling between the two lateral sticks was seen to replace fully conventional mechanical coupling. During normal flight, the movements of both sticks are added together so that the instructor can correct pilot action by adding or subtracting.

In the event that one pilot or one stick should fail, the other pilot can take over full control simply by pressing a button. The control laws govern aircraft reactions and owing to the fly-by-wire controls, prevent the A320 from exceeding the flight envelope. This also makes for an additional guarantee against the effects of wind shear.

British Airways Developing Spe- Cial 757 Freight Container:

British Airways, in conjunction with Boeing, are developing a specially designed underfloor freight container that will greatly boost the revenue potential of the twinjet.

Tests have been proceeding for nearly a year into a number of designs and it is hoped that production of a definitive container will commence next year. Use of such a container boosts effective underfloor capacity by as much as a third while serving to speed up ground handling and offering greater commercial opportunities for transporting high yield specialised lightweight cargoes on routine scheduled short/medium haul flights.

BA is doing very well in freight and reported a gross turnover during 1985 of more than $A400m in freight alone. The carrier has also gone all out on designing a new range of 747 underfloor containers which make better use of the curvature of the fuselage in comparison with standard LD3-type units. As most of its flights cube out before they weigh out, the new 40% larger units provide a greater opportunity for profit maximisation on each flight. BA has added some 37% capacity during 85/86 alone by modifying its 747 containers and underfloor hold sections of the Tristar fleet.

BA also has 3 new 747-200 Combis being delivered next year while some of its recently ordered-400s will also be Combi versions. The -400 offers even greater underfloor freight capacity as the entire avionics compartment has now been moved up to aft of the flight deck thereby allowing space for several additional containers on the underfloor freight deck.

 Rolls Royce to Establish Local Blade Manufacturing Facility:

As a part of their growing offset commitment Rolls Royce are to establish, with an Australian partner, a turbine blade manufacturing facility in Australia.

The decision was formally announced in late September though at time of closing for the press a firm decision on the Australian partner had not been made. Two primary contenders were Hawker de Havilland Vic Ltd (nee CAC) and ANI, though Qantas could also become involved as it is already a long-term user of RR engine components.

The new facility will produce under licence from Rolls Royce, directionally solidified and single crystal turbine blade castings for the RB211 and possibly Tay powerplants. This is one of the most critical components in modern gas turbine engines and is an area where Rolls Royce are recognised leader. Total investment in establishing the new plant is expected to reach $A15m and it is planned that the facility will be fully operational by late 1988.

Modified Udf Engine to Be Built for MD-80 Flight Test:

General Electric is building a new UDF (Unducted Fan) demonstrator engine for flight testing on a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft in mid-1987.

This second UDF engine will have a slightly different fan configuration from the first UDF. Which, during successful ground testing proved that the revolutionary engine concept works well. The second engine’s front rotor will have additional fan blades to provide a configuration that is expected to reduce the noise level. The first UDF is presently undergoing flight testing aboard a 727 test bed.

The new configuration will allow the engine on the test bed MD-80 to meet US FAA noise regulations (FAR36), an important goal of the UDF program.

Parts for the second engine are on order and assembly of the fan rotor is scheduled to begin in November. Final engine assembly will begin in January 1987. Both General Electric, which manages the UDF program and SNECMA of France, which has a 35% share in it, will build hardware for the MD-80 fight test engine.

The engine will be ground tested beginning in March before being shipped to General Electric’s Mojave, California, test facility, where the aircraft modification will take place. Flight testing on the MD-80 test bed will take place at Edwards Air Force Base, California around mid-year.

Australian Industrial Collaboration With a Major Overseas Airframe Manufacturer Drawing a Stage Closer:

As per our Recce this issue (p. 4) Australian industry, and particularly Hawker de Havilland, is drawing a step closer to being able to join with a major overseas manufacturer in a collaborative programme.

At time of going to press it looked like an arrangement would be shortly announced where the Federal government, via the Minister for Industry. Technology and Commerce, Senator Button, would be able to lend the Australian aerospace industry sufficient launch funds to enable it to compete in international collaborative programmes.

The amount in question is not known though industry sources have verified that $125/150m, spread over five to six years, would buy us between 2. 5% and 5% of either the Boeing 7J7, the MDC MD-91 or the Airbus A330 or A340. Failing this, the amount would also secure Australian industry between 20 and 25% of a new light to medium helicopter with either Bell, Aerospatiale or McDonnell Douglas with MDC being the primary contender.

Hawker de Havilland themselves are looking at the post-Hornet period of the mid-nineties when Australian industry will have to be very heavily committed to overseas participation if it is to only the left by declining Hornet, PC-9 and Sikorsky helicopter manufacture but to actually increase the level of employment and productivity of the existing infrastructure HDH anticipate that involvement in any of the above-mentioned programmes would produce an extra 3000 jobs through the nineties taking employment in such facilities (including maintenance, etc) to well over 14,000

Rolls Royce Ready for Privatisation:

With a pretax profit of some SUS110m for calendar 1985, a marked reverse from its consistent losses of the early eighties, Rolls Royce has been restructured by the British Government as a public limited company as a first move towards selling a minority shareholding in early 1987. The Government will however retain a majority shareholding, as it does also for British Aerospace, to ensure that it does not come under the influence of foreign interests.

Rolls are certainly looking good. The recent sale of more than three dozen RR-powered Boeing 747-400 aircraft to BA and Cathay Pacific in addition to the thriving demand for the new Tay turbofan are creating an excellent financial base for privatisation that should see strong demand for Rolls Royce shares in the years ahead.

Aerospace and America’s Cup:

If you want high tech then you inevitably come to the aerospace industry, and the international 12 metre yachting fraternity are no exception.

As the heat of battle intensifies off Gage Roads this summer spare a thought for what aerospace has contributed to the more than two dozen yachts that are competing for the Auld Mug.

The US syndicates for instance have been assisted to great lengths by a number of US aerospace organisations and particularly by Grumman and Boeing. The companies of course are reluctant to reveal either their clients or the precise aspects of the R&D assistance though it goes without saying that in the area of materials and aerodynamics, these high-tech aerospace giants are just what the yachsies need.

England’s Crusader has been built with much input from the diverse British Aerospace Group while across the Channel, both of France’s challengers owe much to Aero- spatiale and possibly even the ESA space group. Closer to home our own ARL has assisted with wind tunnel testing of the keel of the Task Force 87 Kookaburra family of yachts. So when you barrack for Oz, remember that whoever wins, aviation had a hand in it there somewhere!

Cfm Offers Growth Versions of the CFM56-5 Engine:

Based upon the successful development testing of the 25,000lbs thrust CFM56-5 high bypass turbofan engine, CFM International is offering a growth model of the engine at thrust ratings up to 28,600lbs for potential future applications, such as the Airbus A340 and McDonnell Douglas MD-90X. CFM International, a joint company of SNECMA and General Electric is currently working with both Airbus Industrie and McDonnell Douglas to define the installation features and thrust requirements of the CFM56-5 growth engine for new potential applications. Engines with the increased thrust could be made ready for aircraft installation and service entry as early as 1989 CFM56-5 engines are now on test at SNECMA’s Villaroche, France, facility and at General Electric’s outdoor test facility in Peebles, Ohio. Takeoff thrust of 28,400lbs has already been demonstrated and the additional power was achieved “easily at operating temperatures within our current experience for the CFM56 engine family,” according to Richard Shaffer, manager of CFM56 market development.

The CFM56-5 engine, nominally rated at 25,000lbs thrust for the new Airbus Industrie A320 twinjet, is scheduled for flight testing aboard a Boeing 707 at General Electric’s Mojave, California, facility this November. While the first flight of a CFM56-5 powered A320 is slated for next February in Toulouse

Head-up Display Option for A320:

Airbus Industrie are to offer a Head-Up Display (HUD) as an option on their A320 and later generation airliners. The HUD has already been ordered for French regional, Air Inter and will be mounted on the left seat position glare shield for use in Cat Ill conditions. Air Inter already use HUDs on their Mercure fleet though they are presently the only operator to have specified this option on the new A320 twinjet.

General Electric to Upgrade CT7/ T700 Engines:

GE is to uprate its successful CT7 and T700 turbines to increase power output to 2000shp.

The CT7 is a civilian turboprop that currently powers the Saab SF340 and Casar Nusantara CN-235 regional airliners. This engine is now out to 1735shp though both manufacturers no doubt could always employ extra thrust. On the military front the T700 is one of the best-known helicopter powerplants in US service GE T700s will power Australia’s Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters and a more powerful version will help GE alay possible inroads into the rotary wing market by the competing RTM322 Over 3,000 of the engines have been shipped to date and the uprated version is due for certification during the first quarter 1988.

British Aerospace Proceeds With 146-300 Stretch:

British Aerospace has begun construction of the first 300 series version of the BAe 146 regional jetliner.

The first prototype of the earlier BAe 146-100 arcraft, which first flew in September 1981, has been separated into its three basic fuselage sections which have been jigged to the overall length of the new -300 model. The first flight of the 146-300 is scheduled for next April or May and the aircraft will appear at the 1987 Paris Air Show British Aerospace says it has also reconfigured the interior styling of the new aircraft to make it the world’s most comfortable 100-seater. ” The BAe 146-300 will retain many of the elements of the Series 200, using the same engines – AVCO Lycoming ALF 502R-5S – and wing and will operate at the same gross weight, 93,000lb (48,184kg).

The fuselage is to be lengthened by some eight feet to 101ft 8in (30. 99m) by the addition of two four-frame drums to a dimensionally similar 146-100 fuselage. This simple cost cost-effective stretch means that 100 passengers can be carried in a highly comfortable five abreast Business Class layout that leaves scope for ample galley and wardrobe space.

Lan-Chile Operates 767 Across South Atlantic:

Lan-Chile during early September established a new 767 twinjet’first’ with a flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Madrid, Spain. It was the first twinjet revenue operation across the South Atlantic and the first 767 service from South America to Europe.

The flight, in which the 767 was substituted for Lan-Chile’s regularly scheduled 707 service, was flown in 10 hours 12 minutes. The flight originated in Santiago and carried a 100% load factor or 193 passengers. The return flight from Madrid carried 160 passengers and took 10 hours 45 minutes. Both segments were operated under the ICAO 90-minute rule for twin-engine commercial flights over extended ranges. Under this rule, the aircraft must be no more than 90 minutes from an alternate airport in event of a problem.