Newsdesk- Commercial Aviation

This is believed to be the first time competing airlines have attempted such an arrangement and each airline expects to specify about 600 changes to the standard aircraft. Cathay Pacific, and to a lesser extent, Air New Zea land, have also been involved in the formative stages of the project though at present a dual use of these assets is considered unlikely.

Qantas recently converted options on another two 747-400s for delivery in 1990 (increasing its fleet to 32 7478 in five versions) while BA currently operates 38 747s and has another 31 on order and under option.

Concorde’s Engines Reach Half Million Flying Hours:

Olympus 593 aero engines, the world’s only operational supersonic airliner powerplant, have achieved a combined total of half a million flying hours in Concorde. Half of this flying time has been at twice the speed of sound (Mach 2).

Olympus 593 engines have powered Concorde airliners since the first prototypes flew in 1969. Production aircraft entered airline service in 1976, since then Olympus 593s have accumulated more supersonic nying hours than all the Western world’s military aircraft powerplants combined.

 ATR72 Airborne:

The first Aerospatiale/ Aeritalia ATR72 turboprop regional airliner made its maiden flight from Toulouse during November. The second aircraft will have flown by the time these words are read and the third will join the flight test programme in February 1989, leading to certification in June and service entry in July. The ATR72 has logged nearly 80 orders and options and is the first airliner to feature a carbonfibre wing box. Thirty percent of the wing structure weight is made from composites.

Golden Oldie:

The world’s oldest DC-3 is presently for sale.

The aircraft is serial number 1997, registered N136PB and she was built in 1937. N136PB has flown some 91,380 hours and is int immaculate condition according to the October issue of Avmark. Formerly operated by defunct Provincetown Boston Airways, the DC-3 was part of a team that continued with scheduled DC-3 services up till the carner’s demise in recent times.

By comparison, our oldest DC-3 is the immaculately restored VH-ABR of Ansett. ABR has logged ‘only’ 67,609 hours or some 17. 7 million kilometres.

One thing is certain though, long after this writer has gone to see the great word processor in the sky, both these grand old ladies will still be flying and making misty eyed a population that was not thought of at the time of their entry to service.

BA Sticks With Boeing:

British Airways has continued its strong association with Boeing with the placement of a firm order for 21 new aircraft with a further 18 on option.

The $US1. 775bn Memorandum of Understanding covers 24 737s in-300,-400 and -500 forms (plus 11 on option), one 757 (plus one option) and six 767-300s with six more on option. The 737s will basically replace the 38 BAC One-Elevens already in service and the lone 757 adds to the 30 now in service (with a further four due for delivery this year from a previous order).

The 767 order was made after closely evaluating competing Airbus products, but commonality was cited as a major reason for selecting the Boeing. Its cockpit is identical to the 757’s as are its Rolls-Royce RB211-524H with those powering the 31747-400s the airline has on order or under option. Similarly, all three new 737 types will use the same CFM56-3 engine in BA service.

737 Structural Repairs:

In the wake of the Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 incident last April in which the roof peeled away at cruise altitude, the FAA has ordered that some 7,200 rivets in older 737s be replaced within the next three years.

The order applies only to those older aircraft assembled with a cold bonded adhesive which has since been found to be subject to premature ageing and failure. The FAA has also ordered that 737s with more than 70,000 flights logged must be repaired within six months and that electronic inspections of rivet holes on all affected aircraft must be completed within 1,500 flight cycles. Another inspection will have to be made at 4,500 cycles until the rivets are replaced. Until this is done, flights must be limited to 26,000 feet. The cost of the modification is expected to be about $US800,000 per aircraft.

Fokker Stretches 100:

Fokker is set to offer a stretched version of its Fokker 100 regional airliner following the launch of a higher thrust version of its powerplant, the Rolls-Royce Tay.

The Tay 670 will offer 18,000lb of thrust enabling the new version of the airliner to be stretched by six seat rows, increasing passenger capacity in standard configuration from 100 to 130. Other changes will include an increase in MTOW from 95,000lb to 114,000lb, a strengthened landing gear and generally beefed-up structure.

Deliveries of a stretched Fokker 100 could begin three years after a formal launch decision. Orders and options for the standard aircraft now exceed 200

146 Provesits Point:

A series of trials into and out of London City Airport (in the city’s docklands area) by a BAe 146-200 jet has resulted in only one out of six residents near the airport raising any objections to regular jet operations.

At present, only DHC Dash 7 turboprop operations are allowed. The positive results of the trials has resulted in the airport’s operators submitting a planning application for the runway to be extended slightly for regular 146 operations.

Local politicians should take note and realise just how quiet the current generation of jet airliners Is.

Boeing Developments:

planning new versions of the 747 and 767 with the go-ahead of each aircraft scheduled for this year if airline response is positive.

The first is a Short Range version of the 747-400 with substantially reduced operating weights (MTOW down from 870,000 to 600,000lb), structural strengthening of crucial parts of the structure to cater for the increase in the number of flight cycles associated with short-range operations and the deletion of the 747-400’s winglets.

The 767-X designation covers several possible developments of the existing aircraft Casa have made an important breakthrough into the regional market with the sale of two CN-235 aircraft to the NSCA. The NSCA was scheduled to confirm the order by Christmas and the two aircraft will enter service in mid 1989 in the multi purpose transport, medical transfer and SAR roles. They will replace a number of King Air aircraft presently used for these missions.

including a version with a 7,000 nautical mile transpacific range. Options Boeing is considering include a slightly stretched 767-300 which retains the current wing, a substantially stretched version with a new increased span wing and an advanced version using the existing wing with wingtip extensions and winglets.