Commercial Aircraft Sales

Another European manufacturer planning to reduce its production rate is Airbus. Its A320 twinjet is currently being produced at a rate of 10 per month but this could drop to 7. 5 per month from May next year due to a general decline in orders. A320 production peaked at 11 25 per month in 1990-94 largely to counter the 1989 British Aerospace strike (where the wings are built) which resulted in a delivery lag of 31 aircraft.

Dsto Crack Patching for Civilian Airlines:

Bonded repair technology or ‘crack patching’ developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation to prolong the life of RAAP aircraft will soon be used by civilian airlines in Australia after successful testing by Qantas Nine demonstration patches were attached to a Qantas Boeing 747 in 1990 to assess their durability, the effects of frequent temperature and pressure changes and general wear and tear. “Qantas staff have regularly inspected the demonstration patches and to date, after more than five thousand flying hours which subjected the patches to a range of weather conditions, no faults in the patches have been detected,” said Melbourne based DSTO scientist Dr Alan Baker. An agreement has been signed between DSTO and an Australian company, Helitech Pty Ltd, to exploit the bonded repair technology on a world wide basis with participation from Textron Speciality Materials, USA, a supplier of advanced composite materials. Following the success of the DSTO demonstration patches, the CAA has granted a Supplemental Type Certificate to Helitech for a specific repair to Boeing 767 aircraft. A similar certificate is expected from the US Federal Aviation Administration by the end of May.

The certification will pave the way for this Australian technology to be used by civilian aviation companies in Australia and by other airlines worldwide. Crack patching is a method of applying adhesively bonded composite materials to restore the stiffness and strength of damaged structural components in aircraft. The patches can be used to repair stress corrosion cracks, fatigue cracks and damage caused by lightning strike or foreign objects. “The bonded reinforcement can be applied rapidly. It typically takes about half a day to attach a patch compared to the six days it takes for a conventional mechanical repair,” said Dr Baker. “The DSTO repairs have proved to be longer lasting, stronger and more effective. ” DSTO’s bonded repair technology has already generated huge cost savings for the RAAF-about $66 million for the Hercules repair programme alone. The patches have also been used on the RAAF’s Macchi, Mirage, Orion and F-111 aircraft.

Civilian aviation companies in Australia are expected to begin using the technology to repair actual damaged components within six months. The crack patching technology will generate millions of dollars in cost savings for civilian aircraft users, prolonging the life of airline fleets. As well the technology is expected to earn Australia valuable export dollars. DSTO is one of Australia’s leading research and development organisations and employs more than 1,100 of the countries top scientists, researchers and engineers. (A full report on DSTO’s current projects begins on pêl of this issue).

Anglo-Russian Company Formed:

A new joint Anglo-Russian company has been formed to handle production and sales of the RollsRoyce powered Tupolev Tu-204 twinjet airliner.

Called BRAVIA (British Russian Avia- tion Company) the new operation is owned by Flemings, a British Merchant bank, and Aviastar, which operates the Tu-204 production plant. Powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211-535 turbofans, the Tu-204 is of similar configuration to the Boeing 757 and will be the first Russian airliner with western engines to achieve international certification. First flight of the Rolls-Royce engined Tu-204 is scheduled to take place next month while the first prototype (with Soloviev engines) recorded its maiden flight in January 1989.

Closer to home and still on the subject of Rolls-Royce engines, Cathay Pacific’s recent order for 11 Boeing 777s (plus 11 options) includes the choice of the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 turbofans. Cathay’s fleet is entirely Rolls-Royce powered and the Trent (with thrust ratings of 70-90,000lb) has now been selected by six customers for their 777s and Airbus A330s.

Embraer Looks Offshore:

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is looking for an investor in Europe or North America to purchase a major interest in the company when 80% of its stock is sold off later this year.

Embraer is being privatised to resolve its financial problems which include a large debt. Of the company’s stock, 40% will be offered to foreign investors, 40% to employees and local investors and the remainder will be retained by the Brazilian government.

ASTA Beats Recession:

Melbourne’s Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA), the former Government Aircraft Factories, is currently going against the tide of the economy and turning in reasonable profits.

Last year, the company (a private enterprise organisation though still 71% owned by the government), recorded a $18m profit. Five years ago, it lost $40m.

ASTA’s net assets have doubled since 1988 and hundreds of extra staff have been hired, many of them workers who had been retrenched from Ford’s Geelong plant. The company has secured major Boeing 747 overhaul contracts for its Avalon based subsidiary, ASTA Aircraft Services, the latest being one from British Airways. In addition, the company’s recent aircraft programmes include part manufacture and assembly of the RAAF’s F/A-18 Hor nets, the assembly of Sikorsky Seahawk helicopters for the RAN and the manufacture of major fuselage components for the Pilatus PC-9. ASTA also plans to develop Avalon Airfield into a major domestic and international airport.

 Aerospatiale Profitable:

France’s Aerospatiale has recorded a net profit of about $US38m for 1991, despite a continuing decline in military contracts. The group recorded a loss of $US48m in 1990.

The company’s civil programmes were responsible for the turnaround due to high delivery levels of Airbus and ATR aircraft. Overall sales increased by 16% over 1990, the proportion of exports increased to account for 65% of sales and helicopters accounted for just under 20% of turnover. Civil activities made up 60% of overall sales. On the debit side was a 20% slump in missile sales (traditionally Aerospatiale’s strong suit) and a massive (and worrying) 50% drop in orders received during the year.

Concorde’s New Rudder:

Following the loss of a large part of the upper section of the two piece rudder on a British Airways Concorde whilst in supersonic flight over the Atlantic in March, it is expected that new rudders for the world’s only supersonic transport will be manufactured.

The most recent incident is the third in the past three years. In 1989 a Concorde lost its rudder upper section over the Tasman Sea whilst en route to Sydney and the same aircraft had its lower rudder section depart over the Atlantic in 1991. All three incidents occurred whilst the aircraft was in supersonic cruise and all three landed safely without further drama. Interestingly, only BA’s Concorde’s have been affected-Air France has reported no samilar incidents.

Us Pilot Glut:

The United States now has many more airline pilots than it has jobs for, due largely to the large number of airline bankruptcies and failures since the late eighties.

Airlines are receiving up to 1,000 applications for a single job and American Airlines alone received no fewer than 43,000 applications for the 880 pilot posttions it filled during 1991.

Allison for Sale:

Aero engine manufacturer Allison is being offered for sale by its parent company, General Motors.

The manufacturer of the successful T56/Model 501 large turboprop (as fitted to the Orion and Hercules) and Model 250 light turboshaft/turboprop (JetRanger, Agusta 109, Twin Squirrel, Nomad etc) is having talks with an as yet unnamed potential buyer, believed to be another engine manufacturer. It has been noted that Allison’s product line would nicely complement that of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. • NEW FOR OLD: An apparent discrepancy between planned deliveries of new airliners and projected traffic growth over the next decade may be countered by the retirement of as many as 4,000 older aircraft, according to a recent US study.

The major airliner manufacturers have projected that 6. 5% of the world’s fleet will be replaced annually but traffic is expected to grow by only 5. 2% annually. The difference could be made up by the retirement of about 400 old airliners each year as Stage 3 noise requirements are enforced. Two potential spanners in the works of this scenario might occur if the economic situation forces delayed retirement or if large numbers of airlines decide to hush-kit their older aircraft rather than replace them.