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Week ending September 5, 1999
+++ Luftwaffe sells Alpha Jets +++ Boeing 717-200 achieves certification +++ Last Mir crew leaves station +++ NASA selects revolutionary aircraft concepts +++ News in brief +++
Luftwaffe sells Alpha Jets
Alpha Jets für DERA und Thailand
Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, a division of Fairchild Aerospace, has won two contracts to update Alpha Jet Light Attack/Trainer aircraft for Great Britain and Thailand, and to provide ongoing technical support over the next three years. The contracts are worth more than $53.7 million (100 million DM). Under the contracts, Dornier will upgrade and maintain six aircraft for the U.K.'s Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), and 20 aircraft for the Thai Air Force. In addition to updating and refurbishing the former German Air Force aircraft, Dornier will provide technical documents and ongoing technical support. Dornier has been working closely with the German Ministry of Defense to place these surplus aircraft into the international marketplace. In addition to the contracts with the U.K. and Thailand, Dornier is in negotiations with a third country for a similar program. All of these countries have requirements for the aircraft with upgraded capabilities.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Boeing 717-200 achieves certification
Zulassung für die 717-200
On September 1, the new Boeing 717-200 jetliner received joint certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities for the airplane's type design. In addition, the FAA granted production certification. "The 717 certification was conducted under an unprecedented FAA/JAA program called Concurrent and Cooperative Certification," said Phillips. "This is the first airplane to have a single basis of certification, which was developed and implemented jointly by a FAA/JAA team." The 717 also has a single FAA/JAA build standard, he said, which "allows the seamless transfer of airplanes" between U.S. and European registry.The 717 completed a yearlong flight-test and certification program in August. Five 717 airplanes accumulated more than 2,000 hours and more than 1,900 flights. This included a route-proving operation with launch customer AirTran Airways, and demonstration flights at the Paris Air Show in June and subsequent 10-day, 14-city European sales tour. Customers in the United States and Europe have placed 115 firm orders and 110 options for the 717-200. AirTran Airways, based in Orlando, Fla., will receive its first 717 later this month. The other customers are Trans World Airlines, based in St. Louis, Mo.; Bavaria International Aircraft Leasing Co., Munich, Germany; and Pembroke Capital, Ltd. in Dublin, Ireland - both of which are leasing 717s to carriers in Europe.
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Last Mir crew leaves station
Letze Besatzung velässt Mir-Station
The final full-time crew of Russia's Mir space station landed safely in in Kazakstan. "With grief in our soul .... we're abandoning a piece of Russia, abandoning something we constructed in space, and it's unclear what we'll build next," crew commander Viktor Afanasyev said in a televised communications session from the Mir. The other two crew members were cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev and French astronaut Jean-Paul Haignere. Mission Control will soon switch off most of the Mir's systems, including the central computer that keeps the station's solar panels facing the sun. Next spring, the Mir is scheduled to leave outer space, frying up in the atmosphere and scattering some remnants in the Pacific Ocean.The crew's departure marked a sad day for the Russian space program, which put the first satellite, first man and first woman in the cosmos -- and now has no cash, no new projects entirely its own and a dim view of the future. The Mir's is by far the world's longest-serving space station, which has circled the earth more than 77,000 times, hosted more than 100 people -- and survived more than 1,600 breakdowns, including a near-fatal collision with a supply ship in 1997. But the Mir is also costing the cash-poor Russian government more than it can handle -- some estimates put it at $250 million a year -- prompting the decision to abandon it.
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NASA selects revolutionary aircraft concepts
Studien für ausgefallene Flugzeugkonzepte
NASA has selected three advanced aeronautical concepts as quick starts in its Revolutionary Concepts (REVCON) project, which encourages the development of ideas that could lead to revolutionary experimental planes. The selected concepts are AeroCraft, a piloted, partially buoyant airship; the Blended Wing Body, a powered, remotely piloted, flying wing configuration; and the Pulse Detonation Engine, a design geared toward lower maintenance and operations costs.AeroCraft could dramatically improve cargo transportation. It is designed to serve the market that requires transportation faster than ocean freight but cheaper than airfreight. Proposed flight experiments will be conducted on a scale model of AeroCraft at Dryden in 2001. Total funding is $10 million. The Blended Wing Body research aircraft may improve fuel efficiency, maximum takeoff weight and direct operating costs for commercial carriers, which in turn could translate into lower costs for airline customers. First
flight at Dryden is scheduled for 2002. Total funding is $1.5 million. The Pulse Detonation Engine is a revolutionary approach for future high-speed jet propulsion. This engine design will provide higher propulsion efficiency and simplicity using significantly fewer parts, resulting in lower maintenance and direct operating costs. The engine will be tested in a wind tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KUZMELDUNGEN
Boeing has delivered the first of 59 WAH-64 Apache Longbow helicopter kits to GKN Westland Helicopters Ltd., of Yeovil, England. The helicopter kit was delivered to the United Kingdom from the Boeing rotorcraft facility in Mesa, Ariz. GKN Westland will assemble, flight test and deliver the aircraft to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The United Kingdom has ordered 67 Apache Longbow helicopters and will receive all of its aircraft by the end of 2003. As the major subcontractor, Boeing is responsible for completing, flight testing and delivering eight WAH-64s to GKN Westland, in addition to producing the 59 helicopter kits. All of the Apache Longbows will undergo flight testing and validation by GKN Westland prior to delivery to the Minister of Defense.+++
Contraves Space has won a contract to develop and produce a payload fairing for Lockheed Martin Astronautics' Atlas V launch vehicle.The first phase with a contract volume of 50 million Swiss francs ($32.64 million) covers the development and will be followed by the production of a first lot of 20 payload fairings until 2005. Contraves will lead a team of subcontractors on the project. Its own share of the project is around 50 percent. The contract calls for Contraves Space to design and build payload fairings -- shrouds that protect a rocket's satellite payload during its flight through the atmosphere -- in three different lengths to accommodate all payloads to be launched with the new family of Atlas V Series 500 launch vehicles.
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Lockheed Martin has cleared its Atlas II launch vehicle family to resume its 1999 launch schedule, starting with the launch of EchoStar V on an Atlas IIAS on September 10. This will be followed by an Atlas IIA launch of the UHF Follow-On F10 satellite from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on September 30 and the EOS Terra-1 spacecraft on an Atlas IIAS from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. in October. Atlas launch operations had been on hold since early May following a Delta III launch failure. That failure investigation focused on Delta's RL10B-2 upper stage engine, which is similar to the RL10A-4 version used on Atlas' Centaur upper stage.
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A German government spokewoman has confirmed that there were discussions with Paris on a potential partnership between Dasa and Aerospatiale Matra. The issue has been an "important topic" recent talks between government aerospace sector coordinator Siegmar Mosdorf and French officials. The spokeswoman suggested a wideranging link-up rather than a full merger was, however, being mooted at the moment. "I wouldn't say a merger but rather (a partnership) based on strong structures," she said.
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Sabena has taken delivery of its first Airbus Industrie A320 out of an order for 34 A320 Family aircraft. With this delivery, the Belgian carrier will now operate all the current Airbus Industrie fly-by-wire aircraft types, both single aisle and long-range widebodies. To date, Sabena has two A319s and three A321 single-aisle aircraft, as well as two A330-200s and four A330-300s, plus two A340-200s and two A340-300s in its fleet. Thanks to the unmatched level of operational commonality existing between these fly-by-wire airliner families, Sabena already benefits from a wide range of advantages, such as reduction in training times, enhanced flight crew flexibility through Mixed Fleet Flying (MFF), and streamlined maintenance procedures.
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On September 1, ATR announced that Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for seven additional ATR 72-210 aircraft, increasing to 19 the ATR fleet operated by ASA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc. These seven aircraft are currently operated by Air New Zealaland Mount Cook, who is replacing them with seven new ATR 72-500s.
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Fairchild Aerospace has delivered the third production 328JET to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) following the recent delivery of the first two to Skyway Airlines. SPDC will use the aircraft to transport its personnel within Nigeria. The 328JET is the first of a new family of regional jets and airliners from Fairchild Aerospace.
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Eurocopter plans to offer its Tiger attack helicopter to the Polish armed forces upon receipt of an official Request for Proposals. The company thinks that in view of the "Triangle of Weimar (France /Germany/Poland) cooperation, the Tiger offers advantages in interoperability, joint training and logistics opportunities. Eurocopter has the full support of the German and French governments in its Tiger bid for Poland. Also, industrial cooperation with the Polish industry will be a key factor in the Eurocopter bid.
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Adrian Hunt, Chief Operating Officer of the Deutsche BA has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Carl Michel will move to London to take up a position with parent British Airways as Commercial Director.
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