Newsdesk – Commercial Aviation

The FJX will be powered by an entirely new generation of engine, either the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 series of 4,750lb initial thrust or the GE/Garrett CFE738 which will be available in 1992 at 5,000lb thrust. Both engines are optimised for future development and are projected to be conservatively 20% more fuel efficient than the best turbofans in this class today.

Shorts are now looking for a partner to share the $800m development costs with and list their most likely choice as one of their competitors. Primary market competitor will be the recently launched Canadair Challenger 601R, a stretched derivative of the established corporate jet though Shorts also expect one more entrant to enter the market between now and 1993, when the FJX would first fly. In addition to creating a faster, higher flying commuter, Shorts hope to be able to produce an aircraft that will be used to bypass the ever more congested hubs and offer airlines, both large and small, the opportunity to greatly enhance the frequency of direct point to point operations that nowadays are impractical due to the smallest applicable jet being a used F28-1000.

Indeed, if successful, the FJX will create havoc amongst the companies presently marketing commuter turboprops over 30 seats. However, Shorts has stated that a fully equipped FJX will sell for $US10m (’88 dollars). A price that most observers feel is fairly optimistic bearing in mind that a ‘green’ corporate jet in a similar size category (25,000lb empty weight) costs well in excess of this with most of its development costs already amortised over a broad product base. If however, Shorts can produce the FJX, with the performance specified, at $US10m flyaway then they will have certainly produced a winner. Shorts hope to be able to announce a formal programme go-ahead in about a year and plan to be able to deliver the first of type to the market by 1994. In the period from 1994-2008 Shorts estimate a potential market for 1,000 aircraft in this class and are consequently planning on capturing at least half this market with the FJX.

McDonnell Douglas Udf Tests Completed:

Flight testing of the world’s first passenger-carrying airliner powered with an ultra high bypass (UHB) engine is complete after 93 flights and 165 hours in the air, McDonnell Douglas have announced.

The 10-month flight programme with a GE unducted fan engine installed on an MD-80 achieved all of its goals and also carried 180 passengers in an extended series of demonstrations for airline executives and other interested people. UHB engines combine a turbine core with advanced propeller-like propulsors to offer airlines a 36% to 40% reduction in fuel consumption when compared with current production aircraft of similar type.

The GE UDF was installed on the left side of the MD-80, replacing the standard turbofan engine. The right side JT8 turbofan remained in place.

The flight test work on the UHB demonstrator was finished on March 25 with a series of ground runs, including reverse thrust demonstrations. The maximum altitude and speed flown were 37,000 feet and Mach 0. 865. The engine was then removed so that GE engineers could ascertain the effects of the operations.

According to MDC, the flights showed that the 35% to 40% fuel savings UHB engines offer are real and the UHB-powered aircraft will operate with the same speed, comfort and reliability as today’s best jetliners. McDonnell Douglas and GE are now actively marketing twin-engined UDF-powered transports, designated the MD-91 and MD-92, to the world’s airlines for an entry into service around 1992/93.

Lufthansa A320 Engine Choice a Blow to Iae:

Lufthansa has cancelled its order for International Aero Engine V2500 turbofans for its 15 firm and 25 optioned Airbus A320s. The decision is a blow to IAE as several other carriers have been awaiting the Lufthansa decision before making a final decision on which powerplant will power their A320 twinjets.

IAE have had several years of constant problems with developing the 25,000lb thrust class V2500 and only recently confirmed that the engine’s fuel specifics were between 6% and 7% below customer expectations. A reduced fuel burn (in the face of a higher initial acquisition cost) was the major claimed advantage that the all new V2500 exhibited over the competing CFM56-5-A1. Develop- ment problems have also slowed FAA certification which is not now expected till this June with the first V2500 powered A320 going into airline service next year.

Lufthansa also operates the CFM56 aboard its growing fleet of 737-300s and has also ordered the engine for its Airbus Industrie A340s. Other airlines which have specified the V2500 for their A320s are Indian Airlines (19), PanAm (16) Inex Adria, Royal Jordanian and Cyprus Airways. Both Indian and PanAm had previously stated that they would review their engine choice if Lufthansa decided against the V2500. By comparison ten airlines, including Ansett, have selected the CFM56 to power a total of 209 firm and 63 optioned A320s. Total orders to date for all versions of the CFM56 exceed 4,000 units.

Boeing Bullish About the Future:

Continued moderate growth in air travel combined with the need to replace retiring aircraft will provide a substantial market for manufacturers and suppliers of commercial aircraft through the end of the century, according to an executive of Boeing.

The ‘world open market’ that Boeing sees as the requirement for new airliners, will amount to $US342 billion by the year 2005. This represents deliveries of an estimated 7,464 commercial jetliners of all types between 1988 and 2005. Of this, $US100 billion is anticipated for replacement and $US242 billion for growth requirements. In addition, $US72 billion worth of jetliners is already on backlog for a total delivery value of $US414 billion. The average value of aircraft deliveries per year from 1988 through 2005 will be $23 billion, or just twice what it has been from 1970 to 1987.

Beneficial airline industry trends are leading to continued declines in airline costs and air fares, in real terms, excluding inflation. These trends include continued low fuel prices, new technology and automation, lower real labor costs, governments’ promotion of tourism and less regulation. Airline costs are expected to decrease steadily from now to the year 2000 while employee productivity should continue to increase. Jet fuel prices, the Boeing studies indicate, should remain essentially the same (in real terms) for the remainder of the century. Additionally, the economy is expected to grow modestly, resulting in continued growth in discretionary income and greater affordability of travel. Boeing is also forecasting stable to lower interest rates, minimal inflation, increased employment and no major recessions. Meanwhile, travel, which spurted sharply in 1986 and 1987, is expected to grow at a ‘moderate’ rate of about 5% per year through the year 2005. Although the percentage is moderate, Boeing expects the current market will double in size by the year 2000 and reach two and one-half times by 2005, because of the large current market base.

With the recovery of the world economy in 1983 and 1984, airlines began to anticipate renewed traffic growth, so 1985 through 1987 have seen heavy ordering activity. This order pace may relax somewhat this year and next and deliveries will decline slightly after 1989 in units, while increasing in dollar value. Boeing estimates that the largest share of airliner deliveries (in units) are expected to be in the 120-170 seat market with a share increase from 26% historically to 31% in the future. This is indicative of a market shift from the under-120 seat category (which shrinks from 38% of unit deliveries historically to only 8% in the future) combined with a trend toward international hub and spoke development and increased frequencies.

Even though departures (frequencies) will continue to increase because of the number of currently delivered or on-order smaller airliners, the Boeing study indicates average aircraft size will grow dramatically in the 1990s. From 1994 to 2005, more than three-quarters of the seats delivered will be in airliners with more than 240 seats. This is necessary to minimize congestion, and yet is consistent with growing market size, added range requirements and overall aircraft economics. Even though large aeroplane unit deliveries will be fewer than their smaller cousins, the share for these is forecast to triple to 18% in the future. However because of their greater cost, these will total 42% of the dollar amount of deliveries. More importantly, these large airliners (more than 350 seats) will account for 46% of all seats delivered after 1994.

 ASTA Gets Into Stride With Lucr- Ative Airbus Contract:

Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) have won a lucrative contract from Airbus Industrie via Aerospatiale that could ultimately be worth more than $150m.

The agreement between Al and ASTA covers the production of components for the A330/340 and makes good use of ASTA’s excellent composite structures division at Fisherman’s Bend. ASTA will build, as a risk sharing partner with major Airbus partner Aerospatiale, the main landing gear doors and associated floor support structure and the central landing gear doors. The floor support structure is a large composite construction box measuring 3m x 5m and is used to reinforce the centre wing section of the long-range A340 which unlike its A330 twin engined cousin has a central landing gear not unlike that of the DC-10-30.

Airbus expect to sell at least 800 A330/340s with production split evenly between the two, ASTA’s contract covers the first 600 aircraft. The first A340 is due to fly in mid 1991 for an entry to service one year later. Development of the big twin A330 will trail roughly one year behind that of the four engined A340. The project will provide a significant long-term workload for ASTA sheet metal chemical milling. 3 axis gantry mill machining, bonding and assembly.

The Airbus agreement follows closely on the heels of ASTA’s recent link up with Aerospatiale and CATIC (refer Rotor Torque, this issue) to design, develop and produce a new light to medium helicopter for the nineteen nineties. ASTA is also in the final stages of completing a significant agreement with Continental Airlines that will see the US carrier operating a large maintenance facility at ASTA’s Avalon base. It is believed that Continental will begin to move a substantial amount of its line maintenance work to Australia and will be building new hangar facilities at Avalon to accommodate this workload which could also tie in nicely with existing ASTA maintenance expertise.

ASTA at presstime were also nearing an announcement on a link with BP in the composite structure technology area. Additionally, in mid April, the first two of seven Searchmasters were airlifted to the US via Heavylift Shorts Belfast freighters. The Nomad Searchmasters will go into service with the US Customs Service and all seven will be operational by this September.

Twinjet Overwater Extension Likely:

US Federal Aviation Agency head, Mr Allan McArtor, stated recently that the FAA was confident that it would be able to shortly extend the existing twinjet overwater restrictions by as much as a third.

“I’ve instructed the FAA to rapidly resolve the remaining technical issues so that extended range flights can be expanded to include routes where alternate airports are within 180 rather than 120 minutes as presently required,” he said. Industry observers are tipping that the new ruling will be in force as early as September.

A change in the diversion ruling will allow the rapidly growing band of transatlantic twinjet airlines to fly a more southerly routing, thus saving time and fuel. The introduction of a three hour limit (at single engine cruise speed) will also allow twinjets to serve the US West Coast/ Hawaii market for the first time, opening up a whole new range of non stop point to point services between the Hawaiian Islands (other than Oahu itself) and smaller cities within the USA. Presently most flights hub through San Francisco or LA while only the largest of the eastern cities, such as Chicago, Detroit and New York, have a viable schedule of direct non stop services linking Hawaii and the mainland.

New Aerodynamically Improved Wing for Airbus A320:

British Aerospace has produced the first set of wings fitted with drag-reducing wing tip fences which are to become standard equipment for Airbus Industrie’s A320 twinjet. The fences are designed to further increase the high level of aerodynamic efficiency of the British Aerospace designed and manufactured A320 wings.

Aircraft No22 will be the first A320 to be fitted with the new device, which projects some 19in (48cm) above and below each wing. They will now be a standard feature of all pairs of wings built for all future A320 aircraft. The second development A320 equipped with wing tip fences was due to commence a series of test flights in April to confirm the performance improvement and fuel savings offered by the modification.

A similar wing tip device fitted to an Airbus widebody A310 has provided a 1% reduction in cruise fuel burn for the type. British Aerospace has a 20% membership share in Airbus Industrie and is primarily responsible for the design and manufacture of high-technology wings for the entire family of Airbus aircraft.

Latest RB211 Certificated

Royce has gained certification for the RB211-524G, latest in a long line of RB211 powerplants.

Launched in June 1986, the 58,000lb thrust engine has been selected by Cathay Pacific, Qantas and British Airways to power the 56 Boeing 747-400 aircraft these carriers have on order or under option. The first flight of a RR powered 747-400 is scheduled for July this year with entry to service in March 1989.

The 60,600lb thrust RB211-524H engine, which has been ordered by BA for the 767-300ER, is basically the same engine as the -524G but with minor changes to give it a higher thrust rating. Similar changes will be in- corporated in the -524G in due course, providing commonality between the two versions and offering full interchangeability airframes.

between This will obviously be a boon for BA and may also be of direct relevance to Qantas, who presently have the EROPS certified GE CF6-80C2 destined for their 767-300ERs which are due to enter service later this year. Such commonality may also influence Cathay Pacific to replace its existing Lockheed Tristar fleet with the long-range versions of the 767 or the Airbus Industrie A330.

World’s First Airborne Collision Avoidance System Put Into Operation:

A United Airlines 737-200 and DC-8-71 are being used to operationally flight test the world’s first Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

The Bendix/King TCAS II is an airborne collision avoidance system which is independent of ground stations and employs unique direction finding techniques to locate and interrogate the Mode C transponders of other aircraft to determine their range, bearing and altitude. It then informs the flight crew of these transpon- der equipped aircraft, alerts them to threats, and issues specific recommendations for vertical avoidance manoeuvres if the situation warrants it. With FAA certification now complete, United will fly the two TCAS equipped airliners in regular service for 6 months to evaluate flight crew interaction with the system. It is hoped that TCAS will be capable of being certified as mandatory equipment on all transport and corporate aircraft by the mid nineties, a move that will certainly help reduce the incidence of near misses in an ever crowded sky.

 Airbus A300-600R Achieves Certification:

Airbus Industrie’s A300-600R, the extended range version of the world’s largest twin-aisle twinjet airliner – has been awarded European certification. Certification followed a flight test programme involving two aircraft which flew a total of 57 flights in 99 hours. The aircraft first flew in December last year.

The A300-600R achieves its extended range of 4,200nm (7,800km) essentially through a fuel saving tailplane trim tank, already in service on the Airbus A310-300, plus a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 170. 5 tonnes (375,900lb). A 4,350nm (8,050km) option is also offered.

First deliveries of the General Electric CF6-80C2 powered A300-600R to launch customer American Airlines began in April. Other A300-600R customers included Emirates, Korean Air and Thai Airways International. Total sales of Airbus A300s and A310s stand at 472 10 62 airlines.

Meanwhile, the A320 receives its joint European certification on the 26th February following a twelve month fight test programme involving up to 4 aircraft flying a total of more than 1,200 hours in 530 flights.

 Fokker Evaluating Stretched F50 and F100 Airliners:

Fokker is evaluating the feasibility of developing stretched versions of both its Fokker 50 propjet and Fokker 100 twinget The turboprop F50 would be stretched to accommodate 62 passengers at a standard 32in pitch. The stretched F50 would use more powerful PW100 series engines, strengthened flaps and undercarnage though the basic wing design would remain unchanged. The more powerful engine will also be available from 1990 on the standard fuselage aircraft for hot high operations. The stretched F50, to be designated as the -200, would be available around 1992 and could possibly be launched at this year’s Farnborough air show Meanwhile the Fokker 100 twinjet, which is now in service with Swissair, would be stretched by up to four seat rows to provide increased seating for up to 20 additional passengers or a maximum of 127 in an all economy configuration. The basic F100 has to date exceeded all its performance parameters with less aerodynamic drag, reduced fuel burn and enhanced overall performance figures achieved over that originally offered to airline customers. Rolls Royce are also developing enhanced versions of the Tay offering up to 16,000lb thrust, which would also offer a max payload range capability of 2,000nm. Fokker are also evaluating an all cargo and specialised package freighter version and foresee sub- stantial long-term growth in the basic Fokker 100 series twinjet.

The Blooper of the Year Award!:

In publishing a magazine featuring hundreds of thousands of words each year, you are bound to make the odd mistake. For this we certainly apologise though one recent example was so great in its magnitude, and was missed by all of us in proofreading (and has since fortunately been missed by most people when being asked to find it!) in proofreading that we have decided to let you find it for a prize.

Interested, then turn to page 58 of the March issue. Our Farnborough/UK Tour advert features a very ‘grande’ blooper. With that hint you should be able to find it fairly easily! When you do, tell us what it is and send it off to Blooper, Australian Aviation, PO Box 105, Weston Creek, ACT, 2611. We will collect all entries and on June 10 will select the first five people to have got it right and duly reward their Investigatory efforts with a one year’s free subscription of AA, valued at $25. So go to it, you shouldn’t find it hard to find!

Airbus and McDonnell Douglas Studying Joint MD-11 Derivative:

Airbus Industrie and McDonnell Douglas are studying a possible teaming on development of a new airliner to directly challenge Boeing’s 747 market.

The new jet would essentially comprise a stretched MD-11 fuselage while using the wings, pylons and engines from the A330. The trijet would be able to uplift between 370 and 450 passengers, dependant upon configuration, over a max payload range of 4,400nm. An option also being developed by MDC for both the standard MD-11 and the AI/MDC hybrid is an underfloor passenger compartment situated in the forward freight hold. This would accommodate between 60 and 94 passengers in five or six abreast seating in a similar fashion to that achieved by Boeing with the upper deck of the 747. The 70ft long compartment would be accessible via its own dedicated passenger door and would feature standard aircraft windows arrayed along the lower fuselage forward of the wing. In some early build US airline DC-10s a special bar/lounge was installed in this area with Continental using this configuration for a time in their early services to Australia.

The talks between Airbus and McDonnell Douglas have been borne out of US corporate and governmental criticism of the manner in which Al aircraft are financed by their respective European governments in addition to Airbus’ projected lack of production capacity as annual production is set to quadruple by 1994. Meanwhile, several US manufacturers have surplus capacity and are in a situation to team with Airbus on collaborative programmes of mutual interest. A decision on whether or not to proceed with the MD-11/A330 hybrid will be made before mid year and both companies have stated that the project will not have any bearing upon the future of either the present MD-11 or A330/340 projects. Airbus presently holds 68 firm orders and 35 options on the A340 with another 12 firm and 29 options on the twin engined A330. MDC MD-11 total firm orders and options stand at 93 aircraft.

Airbus is also actively talking with Lockheed about production within the US of a stretched version of the hot selling A320. Lockheed pres- ently has excess capacity coming up at its large Marietta, Georgia facility with the winding down of the C-5B and C-130 programmes and would like to get aboard a stretched A320 programme. Another all new joint programme being discussed by the two is a 100/120 seat propfan airliner that would be positioned to enter service around 1996.

India to Buy Awa Aerospace Technology:

AWA has received a letter of intent to supply air navigation equipment worth $2. 3 million to India and has signed a five-year technological exchange agreement which will open up the Indian aviation equipment market to still more Australian high-tech products.

It is the second export order for Australian air navigation technology in recent months. Late in February AWA delivered advanced Doppler VOR (DVOR) equipment to New Guinea under a $400,000 contract.

Initial sales will be to the Indian National Airports Authority and will comprise three sets each of AWA DVOR equipment and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). A DVOR unit acts as an omnidirectional radio lighthouse for homing in aircraft to airports where buildings, trees or mountains cause interference to the signals from conventional VOR (CVOR) installations. DME sets give the pilot a precise reading on his distance from fixed ground stations. Used together, they give pilots an exact fix on position and direction.

The Indian agreement could well be extended to cover conventional VOR units, for which the demand in India is expected to exceed 15 sets over the next five years, worth some $3. 5 million. AWA is now completing the development of its own CVOR design to meet this.