Newsdesk — Commercial Aviation

Truncated Trunkliner Programme

McDonnell Douglas is negotiating with Shanghai Aviation Industrial (Saic) to halve the number of Md-80/90 “Trunkliners” to be built in China to just 20 examples. Instead, Mdc and Saic are now discussing the possibility of building only the Md-90 in China for delivery from 1998 with the remaining 20 aircraft (Md-80s) coming from Douglas’ Us production line. To keep its factory occupied until manufacture of the first Md-90 starts in 1996, Saic is planning to build up two aircraft from kits in the meantime. It has a long association with McDonnell Douglas, having previously assembled 35 Md-80s, the last of which was rolled out in August this year. Chinese companies currently build many Md-80 components for Us assembly including a large proportion of the nose structure. Boeing and Airbus parts are also built in China, the former since 1980 with major assemblies and parts for the 737 and 757.

Fokker Restructures To Counter Losses

A predicted 1994 loss of $Us 290 million has prompted Fokker to instigate a restructuring programme. The prediction includes a large write-off as a hedge against future losses. Fokker reported a $Us 114 million loss in the first half of 1994, bringing the shortfall for the last 18 months to about $Us 460 million. Deutsche Aerospace (Dasa) owns Fokker and has pumped some $Us 580 million into the Dutch company over the same period. Some analysts say that Dasa might withdraw from Fokker if the losses continue although others doubt this as Dasa has a great deal of work tied up with Fokker.

The restructure involves improving Fokker’s equity base, borrowing $Us 348 million, establishing a sale and leaseback agreement with Rabobank and setting up a separate leasing company which will acquire aircraft currently leased by Fokker directly. The company received orders for 35 new aircraft — 14 Fokker 50s, four Fokker 60s (a stretched military variant of the Fokker 50), seven Fokker 70s and 10 Fokker 100s — in the first six months of 1994, a not inconsiderable achievement and worthy testimony to the philosophy of building your marketing base upon a family of aircraft. The company has forecast a loss of about $Us 99 million in 1995 and a modest profit for 1996.

More Range For Avroliners

British Aerospace subsidiary Avro has announced increased range performance and other improvements for its series of Rj Avroliner regional jets. The improvements result from empty weight reductions, planned increases in operating weights and reduced fuel burn achieved by decreasing drag thanks to a new fin/tailplane fairing, deletion of the tail bumper and improved gap sealing. The result will be a full passenger load range increase of up to 600 nm (1110 km) for the Rj 70 and 200 nm (370 km) for the larger Rj 100 and Rj 115. Other improvements include a 10% increase in brake energy limits and an ongoing programme to reduce maintenance costs by 25% over the next five years. The 146/Rj worldwide fleet has achieved an overall dispatch reliability rate of 99.3% and Avro aims to increase this to a minimum 99.5%.

Since British Aerospace improved the Bae 146 family and marketed them as the Rj series under its separate Avro International subsidiary, sales of the four-engined airliner have picked up considerably, with 53 firm orders placed thus far.

Preston Group Wins Boeing Contract

Melbourne-based software company, The Preston Group, has been awarded a contract by Boeing for the supply of its unique Total Airspace and Airport Modeller (Taam) advanced airspace simulation software. Boeing is using Taam in the preparation of a study for a major civil aviation authority in Asia aimed to increase airspace and airport capacity, improve safety and assist in the introduction of modern air traffic management methods and facilities.

Taam is already used by civil aviation authorities in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, the Uk and by FedEx. Preston’s other simulation and scheduling software products have been purchased by Qantas, British Airways, Ansett, London Heathrow, Manchester, Sydney, Schipol and Brussels airports plus Anl, Ford and Gmh. Quite an achievement and another feather in the cap for Aussie ingenuity.

Md-11 Twin A Possibility

Responding to airline interest in a medium-range version of the Md-11 long-range trijet, McDonnell Douglas is studying a twin-engined variant of the aircraft. If built, the aircraft would be powered by two 70,000–75,000 lb (315 to 335 kN) thrust engines of the types already developed for the Airbus A330, and an Md-11 twin would be contesting the same market.

Because of the high degree of commonality between the existing Md-11 and a twin-engined version, the aircraft could be available within 40 months of go-ahead. Apart from needing a new tail unit, a medium-range Md-11 twin would be very similar to the existing aircraft, retaining its fuselage cross-section and wing, albeit with thinner wing skins. Mdc has also launched a new version of the trijet, the Md-11Er with a range (with 298 passengers) of 7,300 nm (13,500 km), 540 nm (1,000 km) greater than the current version. The first Md-11Er will be delivered to an as-yet-unnamed customer in March 1996.

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Roller Ruslan?

Rolls-Royce has been approached by Russian cargo operator Volga-Dnepr about re-engining its six Antonov An-124 Ruslan freighters with Rb211-524G engines in place of the standard Lotarev D-18T turbofans. Volga-Dnepr is concerned about the low overhaul life and poor fuel consumption of the original engines and says they need a borescope inspection every 300 flying hours. In order to make the plan more financially viable, Volga-Dnepr is proposing the Ruslans operated by Antonov, Air Foyle and the Russian Presidential Flight also be re-engined, which would result in a programme covering 12–15 aircraft. The conversion is expected to cost $Us 30 million per aircraft, and the Rb211 has been selected because of earlier studies carried out by Rolls-Royce and the manufacturer.

Dash 8-400 Closer

The oft-delayed decision to proceed with a stretched 70-seat version of the Bombardier/de Havilland Dash 8 regional turboprop (the -400) seems closer to reality, with board approval expected by the end of this year if sufficient firm orders can be booked. The company is also looking to launch a stretched version of its Rj regional jet early in 1995, the Crj-X. This will also be a 70-seater, and Bombardier is aiming to have both aircraft available by 1998 in time for the rapid growth expected in this market either at or before the turn of the century.

Launch of both aircraft will depend on 40–50 firm orders being placed for each. Preliminary design of the Dash 8-400 is complete while that of the Crj-X is described by the company as being well advanced. Negotiations with engine suppliers for both aircraft are underway, the Dash 8-400 requiring a 4,100 shp (3,060 kW) turboprop and the Crj-X a turbofan in the 13,000 lb (58 kN) thrust class.

Tu-144 For Nasa

Nasa is to use a Russian Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic transport as a research testbed for the High Speed Research (Hsr) programme designed to provide data for an eventual new-generation American Sst. The Tu-144 stole some of Concorde’s thunder by recording its first flight in December 1968, three months before the Anglo-French Sst got off the ground.

Dubbed ‘Concordski’ by the west, the Tu-144 was not a great technical success and the type never entered regular passenger service. The Tu-144 is probably best known for the crash of one example during a display at the 1973 Paris Air Show, and none were still flying by the early 1980s. Nasa’s aircraft is a late-model Tu-144D built in 1982 and it will be modified by Tupolev at a cost of $Us 8 million, modifications including changing the original Nk-144 engines with more powerful 55,000 lb (246 kN) thrust Nk-25s as fitted to the Tu-22M Backfire bomber. The initial test programme will comprise up to 35 flights from mid-1995.

Australia-Indonesia Joint Industry Study

Australia and Indonesia will conduct a study to identify the potential for marketing Australia’s capabilities in aircraft structural testing, fatigue management and related technology. The study was announced during the recent Australia-Indonesia Aerospace Seminar in Jakarta. Called ‘Perspectives for the Future: Aerospace Industry Venture Development Management, Maintenance and Training’, the seminar was organised by Indonesia’s Agency for Strategic Industries and the Victorian Department of Business and Employment.

Astaas Wins Extended Japanese Approval

Avalon-based maintenance organisation Asta Aircraft Services (Astaas) has achieved a major milestone by having its Certificate of Approval by Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (Jcb) extended. The extension means that Asta has become the first maintenance organisation in the world licensed to provide maintenance and modification services to all Japanese-registered aircraft.

Sydney Radar Contract Let

AlliedSignal has been awarded the $10 million contract to supply a Parallel Approach Radar Monitor (Parm) for Sydney Airport. The radar system is a vital element in the efficient control of Sydney’s new parallel runways, which provisionally came into operation with the expected opening of the third runway in late October. The Parm at Sydney will maintain safety and separation standards and at the same time provide the capability to conduct simultaneous landings under instrument conditions on the parallel runways.

Saab Operators Save

Operators of the Saab 340 regional turboprop must be happy with news that the manufacturer has documented up to $Us 150,000 in maintenance cost savings for each aircraft in the worldwide fleet, translating to a 50% reduction in scheduled operator maintenance inspection costs and increased aircraft availability. The maintenance cost reduction programme covers the decade of Saab 340 revenue service from 1984 during which time Saab has introduced increased maintenance inspection intervals, reduced maintenance requirements, and engineered many component improvements. The latest maintenance reductions came when Saab increased the threshold for structural inspection of the 340 from 16,000 to 30,000 cycles.

Pw4084 Tops Power Stakes

The Pratt & Whitney Pw4084 turbofan engine for the Boeing 777 has become the most powerful engine to be installed in a commercial aircraft. During test flying, a pair of Pw4084s each achieved more than 90,000 lb (403 kN) thrust, although in service the engine will initially be rated at between 74,000 and 77,000 lb (330 & 345 kN) thrust. The engine is certified at 84,000 lb (376 kN) thrust, and certification at 90,000 lb (403 kN) as the Pw4090 for the planned 777B and 777 ‘stretch’ models is scheduled to take place in mid-1996.

Dc-9 Simulator For Nasma

A Douglas Dc-9 airliner flight simulator has been donated to the forthcoming National Air and Space Museum (Nasma) at Point Cook by Qantas. The mid-1960s vintage Taa simulator has been overhauled and is fully operational and is expected to be a major drawcard at Nasma where patrons will be able to ‘fly’ it. Current plans call for Nasma to be opened in late 1996 and now that a $6 million donation has been promised by the Victorian government, definite plans as to its design and exhibits can be made.