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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 0700.PDF
HEADLINES Grumman joins Piaggio on P.180 t>\ram\otTnn i\rrrciit hac hppn tVip cp^An/1 lml;nvi ,-.»-.« f^»- tlio ESA/Aerospatiale plan manned capsule ioin evacuation aircraft has been discussed for the Army Na tional Guard. Since 1993, Piaggo has tried to interest the US Army Na tional Guard in the Avanti, which it billed in advertise ments as a new-generation air craft for the operational- support aircraft mission. The Italian company says that the aircraft "...meets Army National Guard personnel/logistic trans port requirements". The Italian company is in deep financial trouble. Earlier this month, its in ability to meet the monthly wages bill led to strikes and the blockading of some company plants. Development of the Avanti began in 1982, with US certification in 1990. Its twin-pusher Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 turboprop en gines are located aft of the rear pressure bulkhead to minimise engine noise levels in the cabin. The Piaggio collaboration is the second Italian one for the US company. Grumman and Agusta are offering the S.211A two-place, stepped-tandem jet trainer in the USAF/USN's multi-billion dollar Joint Pri mary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition. • P.180: attacking North American market tial Grumman is out of V-22 Osprey Textron Aerostructures has replaced Grumman as the principal subcontractor provid ing the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor's empennage, says US Marine Corps Col Bob Garner, the V-22 programme manager. The move results from the need to reduce the cost and weight of the military tilt-rotor aircraft. Bell Helicopter Tex tron and Boeing Helicopters, teamed on the V-22 Osprey project, are trying to shave 900kg off the V-22's maximum gross weight. They also hope to slash the the aircraft's flyaway cost to $29.4 million from the $32 million estimate. The Government estimates only a 40kg saving below the weight target following the change, says Garner. The V-22 contractors report, however, that "...Grumman came in way over the weight target which was 6501b [300kg]. They came in at over 9001b". Garner adds: "What it all boils down to is that it will be cheaper by several hundred thousand dollars per aircraft." He says that the cost of re- qualifying the V-22 empennage subcontractor "...will be gained back by about the 25th aircraft in production." • BY RAMON LOPEZ IN WASHINGTON DC Grumman has formed a partnership with Piaggio to investigate possible co operation in the manufacture and sale of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti in North America. Sources say that the compa nies will seek civil and military customers for the Avanti, de veloped as a corporate turbo prop aircraft. Success in finding North American cus tomers would lead to Grumann manufacturing aircraft compo nents and performing final as sembly of Avantis destined for North American customers. The alliance was formed partly to pursue an emerging US Army National Guard re quirement for as many as 50 replacement operational- sup port turboprop aircraft. Mean while, the US Army is considering procurement of more than 100 new multi purpose fixed-wing aircraft for air ambulance, cargo-transport and electronic-warfare mis sions. A fixed-wing medical BY JULIAN MOXON IN PARIS The European Space Agency (ESA) and Aerospatiale are proposing to fly a prototype version of a future manned capsule on the second launch of the new Ariane 5 rocket scheduled for 1996. The prototype would be a scaled-down version of the cap sule and would be used to test re-entry technology which has already been developed for the cancelled Hermes spaceplane programme. Guidance and con trol systems for the landing would also be tested. The Ariane 5 is due to have its first launch in October 1995, with the Cluster scien tific satellites on board. The second launch, sceheduled for April 1996, had been reserved for the Artemis satellite, but that mission has now been delayed. ESA has been looking at several possible payloads for the mission, which is the final launch before the launcher is handed over to Arianespace for commercial missions. The capsule would precede the European Crew Transfer Vehicle being proposed as part of Europe's contribution to the revised Freedom International Space Station. ESA says that the capsule idea is being seen by the organ isation as a "very interesting possibility". Funding would have to be approved "...so we will need an industrial pro posal from Aerospatiale". A decision could be made by the middle of this year, leading, if the programme is approved, to what Aerospatiale describes as a "crash programme" to meet the launch deadline. • Contracts for nine launches of Russia's Proton booster and one by China's Long March have been agreed. The Lockheed-Khrunichev- Energia consortium has se cured $600 million in contracts with Space Systems/Loral and Societe Europeene des Satellites for the Proton. The first launch is planned to take place in 1995. Options exist for a fur ther eight launches. The Intelsat organisation has chosen a Chinese Long March 3A/3B launch for an Intelsat 8-F5 satellite. Intelsat has also ordered a sixth Intelsat 8 from Martin Marietta Astro Space and announced the joint own ership with China of the Chi- nasat 5 and the modified Intelsat 8-F5 satellites. The first option to own and operate a Russian Express satellite has also been placed. • Russia ups import tax Russia has slapped a 50% import tax on Western business jets. The move is seen as an attempt to protect the Russian market from growing penetration by Western manufacturers. The Russian Government unveiled various import taxes on 15 March — only pure-alcohol imports attract a higher tax. The move is not expected to affect leasing agreements on Western commercial air craft, but it is expected to have a significant influence on the business-jet market. About 100 business air craft are being operated in Russia in VIP configuration, mostly Yakovlev Yak-40s and Tupolev Tu-134s. • 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 23 - 29 March, 1994
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