FLUG REVUE update: Week ending August 13, 2000

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UPDATE

Week ending August 13, 2000

+++ Fairchild Dornier cancels 428JET +++ Lift off for second pair of Cluster IIs +++ Metal strip 'burst' Concorde tyre +++ Lockheed and Airbus explore JSF support network +++ C-5 upgrade gets CF6 engines +++ NASA plans two new Mars rovers +++News in brief +++

Fairchild Dornier cancels 428JET
428JET-Programm wird gestoppt

On August 8, Fairchild Dornier announced that it has determined that, due to changing market conditions, a viable business case cannot be made for continuing the 428JET programme. "Immediately following the infusion of new equity, we launched a 100 days effort to ground all programs in reality. We evaluated all of our businesses with the aim of absolutely meeting our customers' schedule and service commitments, as well as our financial objectives," CEO Charles Pieper said. "It became clear that the 428JET program, while technically on track, was not viable commercially." Similar evaluations of the 328JET, 728JET and 928JET were favorable, and the company is fully committed to these programs, Pieper said. "We intend no lay-offs, and all available resources will be redirected to support our 328JET and turboprop customers and 728JET and 928JET development programs," he said.
Fairchild Dornier has three 428JET customers -- ACA, Skyway and KLM Air Alps. "We have discussed our decision with these customers," Pieper said. According to Pieper, several developments influenced the decision to terminate the program. "The market has changed in the last year. There is consolidation in the US airline industry, which is resulting in very large volume purchases by a small number of carriers. Furthermore, recent pilot scope clause developments now include 50-seat aircraft, indicating the 428JET has more overlap with these existing successful products. This not only puts us at a disadvantage in the market when scarce slot capacity favors 50 seaters but also puts additional pressure on pricing. The combination of these factors has resulted in a substantial lowering of the expected margins, even though the airplane itself attracted market interest," he said.
"We gave it our best shot," Pieper said. "Even at the beginning of the program, over a year ago, the team knew it stretched our resources. As a result, we depended on a higher than normal share of the non-recurring and recurring work to be done by suppliers. However, with the lower average selling prices there is not enough margin in the product sales to accommodate all the players. With this not being a risk or revenue sharing program, Fairchild Dornier assumed most of the development costs. Tougher competition means margin pressure, and a business has to have enough contributed value added to make a difference. We have that on the 328JET, 728JET and 928JET. We didn't on the 428JET. It was a good product that complemented our high-wing product line, but the structure in a more competitive market just didn't allow for a positive cash picture," he said.

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Lift off for second pair of Cluster IIs
Cluster II: Zweites Paar gestartet

The second pair of Cluster satellites are now safely in separation orbit around the Earth after a successful launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. At 13.13 CEST, (17.13 Baikonur Time - 13.13 CEST) ) a Soyuz-Fregat launch vehicle provided by the French-Russian Starsem consortium lifted off with Cluster satellites FM 5 (Rumba) and FM 8 (Tango). Approximately 75 minutes into the mission, the Fregat transfer module fired for a second time to insert the spacecraft into a 250 km x 18,000 km separation orbit. About 20 minutes later, the ground station in Kiruna, Sweden, confirmed that the satellites had successfully separated from the Fregat and were now flying in good health. Over the next week, Rumba and Tango will participate in a complex series of orbital manoeuvres in order to rendezvous with the other spacecraft in the Cluster flotilla (Salsa and Samba). The quartet will then undergo three months of instrument and system commissioning before beginning their two-year scientific mission.

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Metal strip 'burst' Concorde tyre
Zerstörte Metallteil den Concorde-Reifen ?

A metal strip found on the runway where the doomed Air France Concorde took off probably slashed a tyre, French accident investigators have said. Pieces of tyre were also found on the runway at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport, following the crash on 25 July which killed 113 people. It is likely that the strip "is what caused the split in the tyre," the French Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA) said in a statement. Investigators believe shreds of the split tyre could have pierced a fuel tank on the aircraft or damaged one of its engines. The 40cm (16 inch) metal strip fitted the shape of a cut in one of the tyres, the BEA said. It said the plane was travelling at 315km an hour (195mph) when the tyre burst. "According to a process which has yet to be determined, one or several fuel tanks on the left wing were very rapidly damaged, causing a major fuel leak and the fire," the statement said. It was not yet clear where the metal strip had come from, the investigators said. Captain Xavier Mulot, heading the inquiry by France's air transport police, told a press conference that about 20 objects had been found on and around the runway following the accident. "I cannot say today if the metal strip found on the runway was part of the Concorde or not," he said, although the BEA said last week the metal strip did not come from the crashed plane.

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Lockheed and Airbus explore JSF support network
JSF-Unterstützung durch Airbus

Airbus Industrie and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on a number of aeronautical initiatives, including support systems and process development for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). "We are creating a multirole fighter with unprecedented supportability," said Frank J. Cappuccio, vice president and program manager for the Lockheed Martin JSF. "The type of international support network Airbus Industrie uses for its commercial aircraft also would benefit our JSF as it is deployed around the world." The agreement marks the first link between Lockheed Martin and the Toulouse, France-based commercial jet consortium. Airbus Industrie officials say the new relationship has the potential for bringing a welcome infusion of technology. Cappuccio said the agreement signals a change in defense-related business practices. As we enter the new acquisition-reform era of products and services for the United States and its allies, customized commercial practices will need to be adopted. Our partnership with Airbus Industrie provides unique commercial expertise on the Lockheed Martin team at a critical time in the JSF's development," Cappuccio said.

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C-5 upgrade gets CF6 engines
Galaxy-Transporter erhält neue Triebwerke

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company has selected the GeneralElectric CF6-80C2 powerplant for the Air Force Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) for the C-5 Galaxy. Procurement of the powerplant package will include the engine, nacelle and thrust reverser. The GE proposal also includes provision for maintenance of the powerplant by contractor logistics support. A contract to General Electric will be issued following a U.S. Air Force contract award to Lockheed Martin for the C-5 RERP Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, anticipated to occur in the first quarter of 2001. The General Electric proposal provides for the procurement of up to 504 powerplants plus spares with a potential value in excess of $2.6 billion. The GE CF6-80C2 powerplant will have significantly lower operating cost than the current powerplant, while at the same time greatly increasing time on wing between removals. As a side benefit of the new engine, the C-5 will be FAR 36, Stage III noise compliant. The GE CF6-80C2 engine is nominally rated at 60,000 lbs. of thrust but will be de-rated to 50,000 lbs., up from the current TF-39 rating of 41,100 lbs. The increased thrust not only improves takeoff performance, but also climb performance and initial cruise altitude, which allows the aircraft to fly in the organized track system after a maximum takeoff weight of 840,000 lbs.

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NASA plans two new Mars rovers
Neue Marsfahrzeuge geplant

NASA announced plans to launch two large scientific rovers to the red planet in 2003, rather than the original plan for just one, said Dr. Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator for Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. Both Mars rovers currently are planned for launch on Delta II rockets from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. The first mission is targeted for May 22, with the second launch slated for June 4. After a seven-and-a-half month cruise, the first rover should enter Mars' atmosphere January 2, 2004, with the second rover bouncing to a stop on the Martian surface January 20. The rovers will be exact duplicates, but that's where the similarities end. Relatives of the highly successful 1997 Soujourner rover, these 300-pound mobile laboratories may look and act alike, but they're going to decidedly different locations. Scott Hubbard, Mars Program Director at NASA Headquarters said, "For the past few weeks NASA has been undertaking an extensive study of a two-lander option. Hubbard added, "The scientific appeal of using the excellent launch opportunity in 2003 for two missions was weighed carefully against the resource requirements and schedule constraints." During the next two to three years, engineers and scientists will conduct an intensive search for potential touchdown sites. The Mars 2003 Rover project will be managed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, for the Office of Space Science. Firouz Naderi is the Mars Program Manager at JPL, which is a division of Caltech.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

A contract for developing and building a test version of a Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) has been awarded to the McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing. The PDE flight research project will combine the efforts of McDonnell with those of NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. McDonnell Douglas Corp. will provide the engine to validate PDE inlet and integrated system performance. Ground tests of the integrated PDE system will be conducted at NASA Glenn. Flight tests will be conducted at NASA Dryden. The PDE flight research project is funded through the Revolutionary Concepts in Aeronautics (RevCon) project of the NASA Flight Research Base Research and Technology program led by NASA Dryden. The performance-based contract provides for a base period of 27 months and optional tasks extending the potential full contract life to approximately 36 months. The total contract value, including optional tasks, is estimated to be $7.5 million.
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American Airlines has placed a firm order for six Boeing 777-200ER and three Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes. These orders represent exercised options from a 1996 contract announcement for more than 100 Boeing airplanes and more than 500 options over the next 20 years. American Airlines will use the additional airplanes for planned route expansions and fleet replacement.
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MD Helicopters has finalized the purchase of the facilities it now occupies, as well as a 40,000-square-foot hangar currently used for pilot training by the U.S. Army. The Boeing Company previously owned all of the facilities. "We are here to stay," said Henk Schaeken, Chairman and CEO of MDHI. "Mesa is a great location, and we're very happy to have a permanent home in Arizona." MDHI employs 300 people at its Falcon Field site in Mesa, Arizona. Included in the purchase are five buildings that house MDHI's assembly, completion and delivery, paint, warranty and repair, and administrative functions. Additionally, construction will begin soon on a new 35,000-square-foot warehouse that will be capable of storing more than two million individual parts. The warehouse is scheduled to open in October and will help ensure that customers are able to get the spare parts they need, when they need them.
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Bombardier Aerospace has announced an agreement for three firm and 27 conditional 50-passenger CRJ Series 200 aircraft with Dulles, Virginia-based Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc. Value of the three firm aircraft deal is estimated at approximately $66 million U.S. ($92 million Cdn.). Atlantic Coast initially ordered 12 firm and 36 optioned CRJ200 aircraft from Bombardier in January 1997 and has since constantly expanded its commitment to the aircraft type. Excluding today's agreement, Atlantic Coast has ordered a total of 66 CRJ200 aircraft, 30 of which are delivered and in service.
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The European Commission has cleared the creation of the B2B joint venture MyAircraft.com. MyAircraft.com is intended to provide 'one-stop shopping' and supply management services to businesses involved in the aerospace sector. The joint venture was set up by Honeywell International Inc. and United Technologies Corp, two US-based companies involved in manufacturing and selling of aerospace products and services. This is the first B2B exchange to have been reviewed by the Commission where the businesses setting up the exchange have up to now been direct competitors. Richard Shaw, a competition lawyer at City firm Berwin Leighton commented: "Industry has been waiting for this decision. With B2B exchanges being established in many industry sectors, the green light from the Commission to MyAircraft.com has given an initial vote of confidence to this new way of doing business. However, it is not a carte-blanche for businesses to ignore competition law when setting up and operating B2B marketplaces. If an exchange is shown to have anti-competitive effects, for example operating as a 'disguised cartel' or dominating an industry, the Commission may yet intervene under EU competition rules."
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The BAE SYSTEMS CANADA Global Positioning System (GPS)-based Flight Management System, known as the CMA-3000, has been selected by Eurocopter Germany for two major EC-145 contracts. The Corporation will supply a quantity of 64 systems for a total of 32 aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in August 2000. The Corporation's GPS-based CMA-3000 Flight Management System is installed on the Swiss Army Super Puma Mk1 and Bavarian Police EC-135 helicopters. In addition, Sextant chose the CMA-3000 for the CASA C-295 military transport program. The high-reliability CMA-3000 features a sunlight readable colour active matrix liquid crystal display. The system interfaces with the on-board navigation radios and sensors, communications radios and digital moving map displays. It is designed for operation in the en route, terminal and approach air traffic control environment.
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Arianespace's Flight 130 is back on track following a launcher hardware change-out decision to ensure the highest level of reliability for the upcoming Ariane 5 mission. The replacement of six thrusters in the Ariane 5's attitude control system for Flight 130 was decided after another thruster failed during a test-bench firing in Europe. The firing was a long-duration test for the future "Versatile" version of Ariane 5's EPS upper stage. An investigation revealed a problem in the brazing of two pieces inside the failed thruster, which resulted in Arianespace's postponement of Flight 130 from the original July 25 launch date. The replacement thrusters will be test fired, and will be shipped to French Guiana for installation on the Ariane 5. Flight 130 will carry the dual payload of the SES Astra 2B and GE Americom GE-7 satellites. The mission's new launch date is set for September 14.
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BAE SYSTEMS has announced Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Marietta, Ga., United States, has awarded the company a contract to design and build a suite of training devices for U.S. Air Force C-130J transport aircraft. Lockheed Martin recently won the contract to design, develop, and operate a comprehensive C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System for the U.S. Air Force. BAE SYSTEMS Flight Simulation and Training is part of the Lockheed Martin team and will be responsible for the design and manufacture of the training devices. The first training device to be built by BAE SYSTEMS will be a C-130J weapon systems trainer (WST). This WST will be delivered to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi and ready for training by October 2002. The contract includes options to build other C-130J training devices, including an integrated cockpit systems trainer, avionics systems management trainer, and additional WSTs. In addition, BAE SYSTEMS will provide a variety of training support services, including contractor logistics support and aircrew instruction.
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Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Systems Sector (ISS) dedicated a facility today at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale the production center for its unmanned systems business. U.S. Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon of California's 25th Congressional District and other local dignitaries participated in the ceremony. The 294,000 square foot facility, with about 45 employees, houses operations, assembly and integration testing. Northrop Grumman has worked on the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at its adjacent Site 4 facility since 1986, initially for final assembly and currently for programmed depot maintenance of the B-2.
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Baroness Symons, Minister for Defence Procurement, has announced that Raytheon Systems Ltd has been selected as preferred supplier for a new sophisticated system to allow the Armed Forces to distinguish between friendly and potentially hostile forces. A contract worth approximately #100m will be placed, subject to satisfactory contract negotiations, and is expected to secure at least 200 jobs over 5 years at Harlow in Essex. The new system, which will update existing equipment, will include additional features compatible with civil air traffic control systems to further reduce any potential for mid-air collisions between aircraft. The system, known as Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF), will be used by all three Armed Forces and fitted to over 1000 equipments across some 40 different types, including warships, submarines, helicopters, missile systems, fighter and transport aircraft. Due to the complexity of installing the system on such a diverse and extensive range of equipment types, different contracting routes have been adopted. Under the main contract, Raytheon Systems Ltd will manage the installation of the systems on some 25 equipment types. The installation programme for the system on Armed Forces Equipment will commence in late 2001 and complete in 2009. To ensure cost savings, the Tornado F3 is already being fitted with the system as part of the aircraft's upgrade programme.
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The International Space Station (ISS) grew in size and capability once again on August 9 with the picture-perfect docking of its first Progress supply craft at 3:13 p.m. Central Time. The Russian Progress M1 was launched Sunday afternoon and spent the last two days executing rendezvous burns that eventually placed it in close proximity to the station. Over Russian communications stations, Progress used its automated KURS docking system to hone in on the aft docking port of the newly arrived Zvezda Service Module, enabling the linkup to occur on time as the two craft flew over Kazakhstan. At the time of docking, Progress approached Zvezda at a rate of about two-tenths of a meter per second. Shortly after contact between the two vehicles, hooks and latches began to engage, forming a tight seal between the two craft. The supply ship is carrying 1,356 pounds of supplies, including clothing, food, computers and other equipment that will be unloaded by seven astronauts and cosmonauts who will arrive at the ISS in September on the STS-106 mission aboard the Shuttle Atlantis. The Progress also carried a load of fuel which will be automatically transferred through propellent lines to refill the tanks on both the Zvezda and Zarya modules.
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