Jetstream 41 Rollout Heralds Improved BAe Fortunes

Seven United Kingdom facilities are operated at the moment, some of them the most famous names in the British aviation industry. Hatfield, near London, is of course associated with the old De Havilland company and is used today as company headquarters, for project management of the 146 program, for design and production of the 146’s nose assemblies, doors and fuselage drums. One of the two 146 final assembly and flight test centres is at Hatfield.

The other is at Woodford in Manchester. Woodford is an old Avro name, and as well as assembling 146s, also acts as Commercial Aircraft’s engineering and experimental flight test centre. Another former Avro facility in Manchester, Chadderton, manufactures ATP major assemblies, 146 rear fuselages and Airbus components.

The former Scottish Aviation factory at Prestwick in southwest Scotland is the centre of all Jetstream development, manufacture, design, assembly and flight testing activity. In terms of the number of new aircraft rolling out of the factory door per annum, Prestwick is BAe’s most prolific factory. Other BAe activities at Prestwick include the manufacture of 146 engine pylons and tailplanes, a 146 maintenance facility and the British Aerospace Flying College.

The Airbus Division keeps two facilities occupied, Filton (the old Bristol factory) and Chester, near the Welsh border, another De Havilland name from the past. Filton is responsible for the design of all Airbus wings and the manufacture of various components. In addition, 146 centre fuselages are produced at Filton and a long-running project has been the refurbishing of all USAF General Dynamics F-111s based in Europe. Other work includes the conversion of Vickers VC10 airliners into tankers for the RAF. As Filton was the British home of Concorde, it’s appropriate that its design offices are now undertaking preliminary studies into a second generation supersonic transport.

Chester is responsible for the assembly of allAirbuswings and production of the very successful 125 series of corporate jets. The Corporate Division is based at Chester and its facilities include a completion centre mainly for non-US 125s but also for any other executive aircraft up to the size of a 146.

Changes In The Wind

That status quo is going to change somewhat during the course of this year with the Commercial Aircraft and Dynamics (the missile manufacturing division) companies between them losing nearly 6,000 or 13% of their workforces. This is in addition to the 16,000 jobs which have been lost over the past five years and excludes some 5,000 more scheduled to be cut from BAe’s Military Aircraft operation by the end of 1993.

Of the job cuts planned for this year, 2,500 will be from the Commercial Aircraft facilities. Hatfield will be the worst hit, losing 1,470 of its current 4,870 employees along with its 146 assembly operation which will be conducted entirely at Manchester. Even ‘so, the two Manchester factories will lose just over 1,000 of their current 7,300 strong workforce. Another 60 jobs at Filton are scheduled to go, but at this stage there are no plans to reduce the workforce at Prestwick. To use a company spokesman’s words, BAe must improve operating efficiency by being “lean and mean” if it is to flourish into the next century and survive the uncertainties and cuts of the final decade of this one.

Programs and Projects

Flagship of BAE’s current commercial aircraft activities is the 146 four engined short to medium rangejet, an aircraft set to surpass the BAC One-Eleven as Britain’s best selling jet airliner. Available in three different fuselage lengths and in freighter (‘Quiet Trader’ ), QC, and VIP (‘Statesman’) variants, the 146 has received just under 300 orders and options. New variants have been announced for delivery from next year powered by a flatrated version of the current Textron Lycoming ALF502 fanjets. Designated the AL F507, the new engine delivers similar thrust to the original but offers much improved ‘hot and high’ performance which, in combination with higher operating weights, will allow the new 146s to operate over longer stages from a given airfield length, carry a greater payload and offer more flexible non-refuelling stages capability. New mid cabin emergency exits allow greater maximum seating in the 6 abreast versions and for the first time, a Combi option. The specialised ‘RJ’ (regional jet) derivative of the short fuselage 146-100 has received its first order commitment, ten (plus ten options) from US operator Comair. Comair has opted for the five abreast RJ70 variant with 70 seats; also available is the six abreast RJ80. The RJs have derated engines and reduced weights and are being marketed for sale in minimum batches of ten and at an attractive price. An interesting 146 development which may or may not see the light of day is the twin engined 146-NRA (new regional aircraft).

Combining a stretched, 125-139 passenger 146 fuselage with a new wing and a pair of 22,000lb thrust underwing engines (CFM56s or V2500s), the NRA is planned to cruise at between Mach 0. 77 and Mach 0. 82 (the current 146s are Mach 0. 7 aeroplanes) over ranges of up to 1,800 nautical miles (3,334km) initially, increasing to 2,280nm (4,223km) in developed versions. The NRA is interesting because as it fits into the potentially large 130 seat market, it faces opposition from the proposed 130 seat Airbus ‘A319’ shortened version of the A320, an aircraft in which BAe would have a substantial interest as a full partner in Airbuslndustrie. Other manufacturers (including Deutsche Aerospace, another Airbus partner) have also presented designs for this market. British Aerospace has already stated that if the ‘A319’ goes ahead the NRA will not, but if a launch decision were made by the end of this year the NRA could be in service by 1996. Meanwhile, the Jetstream goes from strength to strength. Sales of the original 18/19 seat 31 and Super 31 are now well in excess of 400, while the new Jetstream 41 had attracted 114 orders and commitments by the time of its rollout. First flight of the J41 is scheduled to take place soon after these words are read and initial deliveries will be made in the first quarter of 1993. Another winner is the long running 125 corporate jet, sales of which are approaching the 800 mark. The current 125-800 will shortly be joined by the slightly larger and longer ranging 1000 model, the prototype of which flew for the first time in June last year. A second prototype joined the testing program last November. Both prototypes were converted from -800s on the production line and the first true 1000 will fly in July with deliveries beginning at the end of this year. ( The Jetstream 41 and BAe 1000 were subject to feature articles in the January and March 1990, respectively, issues of AA. )

The ATP 64 passenger twin turboprop regional airliner is in many ways the ‘sleeper’ of BAe’s commercial aircraft range. Sales have been sluggish thus far, with 39 on firm order and another 15 on option. Deliveries are now 31 or 32. No ATPs have been sold since 1989 and a recently completed 50,000 kilometre tour of the Asia/Pacific Region will hopefully stimulate some activity for the aircraft. (A full report on the Australasian sector of this tour will follow in our next issue. ) A series of detail improvements to the quiet and fuel efficient ATP will also add to the appeal of an aircraft which may have been just slightly ahead of its time when launched in 1984. BAe is confident, however, that its “time will come” and the ATP will join the ranks of the company’s other successful commercial aircraft programs.