Commercial Aircraft Sales

Aust Company Secures Noise Recording Contract

: A small Australian firm, Lochard Environment Services has been awarded a major contract to install an integrated environment and flight track monitoring system at Madrid.

Valued at $1. 5m, on site work at Madrid’s Barajas International is expected to commence in October. The Madrid contract is the latest of four major European airports to select Lochard ahead of competing German, US and Danish firms, the others being Manchester, Zurich and Schiphol. The company also has systems installed at Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Lochard’s airport environment management systems measure aircraft and environmental noise, correlate noise data with flight tracks from the airport’s radar system, identifles specific aircraft, stores the flight track of all aircraft within a specified radius and produces reports and statistics. As well as comprehensive monitoring capabilities, the system has predictive modelling capabilties, enabling airports to expand while taking into account environmental concerns.

Caa Cuts Charges by $109M:

As part of further cost restructuring, the Civil Aviation Authority has revealed massive cuts to its airways charges, cutting them by $109m in real terms for the 1993/94 financial year.

The cuts will be most beneficial to domestic airlines, although international airlines will suffer, while a yet to be decided method of charging will be introduced to raise $4. 5m to partially fund safety regulation.

Cuts include 23% for enroute air traffic control; 18% to landing, approach and departure air services; a5. 2% cut in charges for the Rescue and Fire Fighting Service; a reduction in the avgas excise; and an exemption for light aircraft of Rescue and Fire Fighting Service charges.

International airlines which do not fly internal sectors in Australia will however face increases in charges, as it was found that while they use relatively few CAA facilities, they do however use the most expensive services.

The $109m net saving to industry follows a $93m saving in 1992/93. The CAA in fact says that it has cut costs to the air travel industry by almost half a billion dollars since its creation, if original charges had increased in line with inflation.

 First Western Order for П1-96:

Partners, a Dutch-based aircraft trading and leasing firm has become the first western company to order the D-96.

The order covers five firm plus five option D-96Ts, the freighter version of the westernised D-96M, with deliveries commencing in 1996. Potentially, the sale is valued at approximately $US700m, which covers the aircraft, engines (including spares) and an aircraft spares package, with the value of engines being $US280m. This reflects a far higher engine/airframe cost ratio than is the norm with western airliners, where engines typically represent about a quarter of the total price as against nearly 40% for the Partnair D1-96M.

In approximate figures the I-96 has a unit cost of $US70m, which compares very favourably to the A340-300 (approx $US!5m) and MD-11 ($US98m). On a cost basis even, with Collins avionics and Pratt & Whitney engines, it is a highly competitive aircraft.

Partners’ I-96T’s will carry approximately 81 tonnes over 3500nm (6485km), while the I-96M, which the company has expressed its intention to purchase will carry up to 318 passengers over 6000nm (11,120km). The aircraft is due to receive its CIS certification in 1995, withthe FAA granting in 1996though only after a revised interior is fitted as the Russian cabin fitout doesn’t meet FAA fire and toxic gas requirements. Consequently, it appears the freighter will receive Western certification first.

The Dutch leasing company was founded in 1988 and has a 23 aircraft fleet comprising Lockheed Tristars, 747s, 737s, A300s and A310s

Ducted Fan for A340:

The International Aero Engines consortium has announced that it is studying an ultra high bypass ducted fan engine for growth versions of the Airbus A340.

Ducted fansare regarded as the next major technological advance in engine design, and IAE says its engine for the A340 would offer a 12-14% fuel burn improvement, utilising a bypass ratio of 14:1. Based on the V2500 core, the new ducted fan will be in the 40,000lb thrust class, somewhat lower than LAE partner Pratt & Whitney’s similarly con- figured ADP powerplant (refer p8 Mar 93 AA). Other uses for the ducted fan would include McDonnell Douglas’s proposed MD-XX200 seater, and other future 757 type aircraft.

Meanwhile IAE has revealed that it is highly unlikely that it will compete to power Boeing’s 737-X, stating that the incumbent CFM56 is so entrenched with 737 operators that it would be extremely difficult to make an IAE competitor viable.

 PNG Spaceport Proposal:

The Papua New Guinea Government has given the go ahead for a feasibility study of a commercial spaceport near Port Moresby. The study will be undertaken by an lead group, Space Transportation Systems, which was originally involved in the Cape York spaceport project. Port Moresby is a favoured location for a space launching base due to its proximity to the equator, but is expected to be hampered by a lack of investment, as is the case with the Cape York proposal.

Cheaper Tupolev:

Bravia is selling the fully westernised Tupolev Tu-204M for $US38m ($A55m), around 30% less than the similarly configured Boeing 757.

The low price is being achieved despite large amounts of western equipment, including Rolls-Royce RB211-536 engines, and a comprehensive Rockwell Collins avionics package. Low labour costs at Aviastar’s Ulyanovsk manufacturing plant, where the Tupolev is built is given as the main reason. Significantly lower labour costs than the west are expected to remain in Russia’s favour for at least a decade.

Bravia is aiming for CIS Tu-204M certification in March 1994, making it the first western engined aircraft to be certified in Russia, while European Joint Airworthiness Authorities’ approval is hoped to be achieved by early 1996 Two other versions of the aircraft, a shorter fuselage longer ranging- 300, and a stretched -400 are planned.

The as yet unordered Tu-204M is aimed at both western and civil airlines, with there reportedly being a number of interested potential customers. A realistic application in the west may be with charter and freight operators attracted by its low cost. Given the unproven nature of Russian aircraft in the eyes of major western airlines it is prob- ably unlikely that we will see the Tu-204M enter mainstream western commercial service in the near future.

The Tu-204M prototype exhibited at Paris featured a new western style interior, which is seen by many as a crucial factor in attracting orders from outside the CIS. Typical three class seating is for 190.

Boeing’s 747 Strut Mods:

Boeing has announced a plan to modify the engine struts on all Boeing 747s in service.

Two new corrosion resistant mountings will be installed on all engine struts, complementing the existing structure and protecting against inflight separation of the engine if any attachments fail. The modifications result from a Boeing request for 747 operators to conduct detailed inspections of their fleets, which has provided information on the effects of corrosion and cracking on 747 struts. Currently struts are attached to the wing in four places, and the two additional mountings will be bolted to a new attachment on the underside of the wing.

A total of 948 aircraft will be involved in the programme, which will affect every model except the 747-400 and will also involve replacing several mountings with stronger components. The modification is expected to take between two and three weeks per aircraft, with the costs shared between Boeing and its customers.

 Faster Atr 42:

ATR has launched an enhanced, higher speed version of its successful ATR 42 regional turboprop.

Launch orders for the ATR 42-500 have already been received from Continental, Eurowings of Germany and Aeromar of Mexico, with first deliveries to take place in the second quarter of 1995. Powered by more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127s of 2400shp, maximum cruise speed will increase from 270kt (500kmh) to 305kt (565kmh).

ATR is also developing the rear ramp loading ATR 42C, full scale work beginning when ATR concludes an agreement with a third unnamed risk sharing partner. Also on the drawing board is the 80 seat ATR 82. ATR plans to launch the stretched version of the ATR 72 in the first half of ’94. Interestingly it could be powered by two rear mounted turbofans.

 Iptn Skips N-250:

Indonesia’s IPTN has dropped its planned N-25050 seat turboprop, focusing its efforts instead on the larger 64 seat class N-250-100.

IPTN will continue with construction of the N-250 prototype, for which parts manufacture has already commenced, before building five N250-100 test aircraft. IPTN has found that there will be greater market demand for 60 to 70 seat class turboprops later in the decade than for the 50 seat class.

The 64seat N-250-100 (formerly knownas the N270) will be 1. 5m longer than its pro- genitor, although it will still be powered by the same Allison GMA2100 turboprops. Cer- tification for the aircraft is slated for 1997, following an early 1996 first flight.

IPTN says it already has orders for 160 aircraft, with first deliveries due to take place in late 1997 to the Indonesian carrier Merpati. The 28,000kg max takeoff airliner will feature a range of 800nm (1480km).

Comtran’s Stage 3 707:

Comtran, together with Quiet Nacelle and the Aviation Leasing Group have combined to offer an ICAO Stage 3 noise compliant hushkit for the JT3D powered Boeing 707.

The kit will upgrade both Stage 1 and hushkitted Stage 2 aircraft to be ICAOStage 3 compliant. Comtran hopes to begin flight testing a modified aircraft by the end of the year, and is aiming for FAA certification in November 1994 following a six month flight test programme. The hushkit features an acoustically treated inner inlet ring with three splitters, and acoustically treated ejector and a 24 lobe tail nozzle.

Comtran has already gained considerable practical experience with the 707, having already modified 174 707s to Stage 2, and it projects a potential market for at least 50 Stage 3 hushkitted aircraft. Despite its age