Newsdesk – Commercial Aviation

After 1995, however, the market is expected to move away from narrowbody airliner orders. The narrowbody replacement period is considered the early 1990s, after which time larger aircraft such as the A300/310 and A330/340, 767, 747, 777 and MD-11/12 will be more in demand. There may well also be demand for even larger capacity aircraft, most noticeably from the Asia/ Pacific region, and Airbus is currently conducting studies into the proposed 600 seat A350, which would ideally be available for entry into service early next decade.

 Airliner Boneyards Springing Up:

Av Week reports that aircraft ‘boneyards’ are growing in size across the USA as unneeded airliners put to pasture for the duration of the current recession.

The main occupants of the new storage areas appear to be former Eastern Airlines aircraft which are now dispersed over several sites. Mojave airport, in the California desert near Edwards Air Force Base, has had a new 60 acre storage area established to hold about 50 Eastern TriStars, DC-9s and 7278, all of which are difficult to sell at this time. USAir is also considering parking 18 BAe 1468 at Mojave, which just adds to the bonanza for the airport’s owners, who expect over 100 jetliners to be stored at the site by year end, each generating $US150-250 per month in revenue. Other similar “boneyards’ are also springing up and include those at Pinal Air Park at Marana, Arizona and McCarran International in Las Vegas.

BMW Rolls-Royce Modifies BR700 Thrust Range:

BMW Rolls-Royce has reduced the thrust range for its BR700 regional jet engine.

The BR700 was originally expected to have a thrust range spanning 8,000lb to 22,000lb. This has now been changed to a thrust range of between 13,000lb and 22,000lb, the range having been reduced after studies indicated that it would not in fact be feasible to develop a single engine core to operate efficiently over the larger 8,000-22,000lb thrust range. It was also decided to do away with the lower end of the thrust range because demand for such a rated engine is less.

Originally the BR700 was to be developed in three basic variants, one covering the 8-14,000lb thrust range, the next 14-18,000lb and the third 18-22,000lb. It is now envisaged that four engine types will share the same core, these engines being rated at 13,500lb thrust with a 40inch diameter, 16,000lb with a 44 inch fan diameter, 16,300lb with a 53 inch fan diameter and 19,300-20,000lb+ thrust rating with a 55 inch fan diameter. The two engines at the lower end of the thrust range would share a common two stage low pressure turbine. while the two others would use a common three stage low pressure turbine with a two stage fan booster. Testing of the new engine family should commence in early 1993.

Battle for Dhc Funding:

Aerospatiale (France) and Alenia (Italy), the two ATR consortium members, are seeking $C500m from the Canadian Federal Government and the Ontario State Government as part of the deal to purchase De Havilland Canada from Boeing.

The financial assistance is being sought in the form of grants, contracts and other aid over the next decade, and represents 50% of the investment expected to be made in DHC over that period. The funding is considered essential to both modernise the DHC production line and also to develop new aircraft to diversity DHC’s product line, which in airframe terms consists at present of the Dash 8 only. The ATR consortium wants DHC to continue production of the proven Dash 8 and to become a partner in the development of a new family of regional jets.

In the battle for financial assistance, however, the ATR consortium is making little progress. The Canadian Government has signalled that it will not make available special aid, though assistance from existing assistance programs can be applied for. The Ontario Government’s stance is even firmer, the state’s premier stating that his government will not make available any funds unless a Canadian partner is signed up and firm assurances are made that DHC’s product line will in fact be expanded.

Boeing Hoping for Early 777 Etops Approval:

Boeing is hoping to obtain US Federal Aviation Administration approval by December to certificate the new 777 for 180 minutes ETOPS (extended range twin operations) very soon after, or possibly even before, entry into service.

The company has been actively pushing for early ETOPS certification so as to maximise early sales from airlines interested in ETOPS performance. It has been working with the FAA, airlines, engine manufacturers and major systems suppliers to determine the criteria needed for early certification. The ultimate aim is to have the 777 the first twinjet approved for 180 minutes overwater ETOPS from its initial entry into service. In this way it will be able to fulfil the role of DC-10 and Tristar replacement from the commencement of scheduled services.

Current ETOPS criteria calls for individual airframe/engine combinations to demonstrate an inflight shutdown rate of 0. 05 per 1,000 flights in order to fly 120 minutes ETOPS, and then 12 additional months of operations at this level to demonstrate a 0. 02 per 1,000 flights inflight shutdown rate to obtain 180 minutes ETOPS approval. Boeing aims to bypass this criteria if possible, despite the 777 being an all new airframe with new engine variants. The fourth pro- totype 777 will in any case be a dedicated ETOPS aircraft.

Airbus Develops New Voice Warning System:

Airbus Industrie has designed a new aural warning system to alert pilots if their aircraft enters the low energy crash-possible flight regime.

The voice warning system will be offered on all A320s and included as a feature on all future fly-by-wire Airbus airliners, such as the A321 and A330/340. The warning will be activated if the aircraft decelerates to a dangerously low speed with insufficient thrust, as was the case in both A320 accidents to date, including that at Bangalore, India. Data used to activate the warning are the aircraft’s speed, angle of attack, deceleration rate and engine thrust. If need be, the warning will be activated and the flightcrew will be alerted by an electronic voice calling out “Speed. . . Speed. . . ” Development of the voice warning system follows the modification of the A320 auto-throttle, so that it will automatically revert to its speed control mode to provide additional engine power if need be.

Embraer Seeking Emb-145 Risk Sharing Partner:

Faced with escalating costs, a slipping design schedule and a shortage of ready cash, Embraer is hoping for Brazilian Government permission to obtain a risk sharing partner for the EMB-145 regional jet project.

Embraer is partly Government owned and therefore needs to gain official permission to seek a risk sharing partner, which would in effect be part of a desperate rescue package for the troubled project. The company has been actively seeking a project partner for the troubled EMB-145 since last year, when work on the project had to be temporarily suspended due to a shortage of funds and the realisation that the design needed some radical changes for it to become a marketable aircraft.

The primary change to the aircraft’s design involved the wing, which was both redesigned and had the two GMA3007 tur- bofan engines moved from above the wing to below to make the aircraft quieter and also make the engines easier to maintain in service. The wing was given a 22. 3 deg sweep-back, which wind tunnel tests by Boeing Technologies in Seattle have indicated will allow the aircraft to better its target cruise speed of 432kt (800km/h). Further testing of the new EMB-145 design has pleased the Embraer design team, however to keep the project alive and on track a risk sharing partner must be found. Extended