FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0052.PDF
40 •MM 11111111 DEFENCE DEFINING MRCA THE DELICATE QUESTION OF MRCA design leadership looks like being re solved, following Germany's provisional acceptance of the British proposal (Sensor, December 26) for shared tech nical leadership under an international company based in Munich with a German managing director. BAC Warton would have design responsibility for the RAF two-seat ground-attack version of a common aircraft which is now the subject of project definition studies by Warton and Munich. The corporation would have full control of systems- integration, prototype construction and flight development. Likewise Messer- schmitt-Bolkow would have similar res ponsibility for the German, Dutch and Italian single-seat aircraft at Munich. These plans are provisional and many details still have to be worked out. Among the open MRCA questions are the form of .the proposed two variants (Flight, December 26, page 1048) and the powerplant. Although the four interested industrial concerns—BAC, Messerschmitt-Bolkow, Fokker and Fiat —agreed at their meeting in London on December 5 to the British compromise proposal (put forward to solve the design leadership problem) that the systems definition phase should proceed separately at Warton and Munich and that each company should build its own prototype, it has not yet been decided just what the two variants should look like. They would not necessarily be a twin-engine, two-seat version on the one Australian Mirages seen recently at RAAF Williamtown, showing different camoiflage and fin markings. From top to bottom, HID two-seat trainer of No 2(F)0CU; 1110(F) intercepter of 76 Sqn; and 1110(A) ground-attack aircraft of 3 Sqn issa ^#3i&- FLIGHT International, 2 January 1969 hand and a single-engine, single-seat model on the other. The whole engine question also appears to be still very much open, and all that can be learned at the moment is that a single-engine model might possibly, though not neces- sarilyv: use an American engine (the (P&W TF30 has been mentioned as one possibility, or perhaps the future FX engine for the MRCA, with its multi- engine version definitely would not: the most likely type for the -latter is given as the Rolls-Royce RB.199. Choice of engine for the MRCA, with its multi- mission role, will be the most critical decision in the project. As to Dutch and Italian co-operation with the main partners, Fokker and Fiat have been left free to decide for them selves, in agreement with their govern ments, which team they wish to join and how many personnel they wish to con tribute. In order to get this phase started on a firm basis, a joint BAC and MB systems integration team is to work in Munich for an estimated six to eight weeks, and close contact will be main tained between Warton and Munich at all times. At the end of this stage, joint reports by the two teams will be sub mitted via the international company in Munich to the international government- military organisation (still to be set up) for evaluation. The prototype phase would then require a good 36 months, so that at the most optimistic estimate the first flight could not be expected much before the end of 1972. During the systems definition stage, work will continue to be financed separately by the respective governments. The German Government has earmarked approximately DM60 million (rather over £6.31 million) for 1969, and the UK is expected to provide a similar amount. How much should be con tributed by Holland and Italy will de pend on the share they decide to take in the development work and on what modifications, if any, they may wish fo incorporate in the design. The ultimate unit cost of the aircraft, assuming a pro duction run of 1,000, is envisaged as in the region of DM10 million. Under its provisional organisation, agreed to in London on December 5, the international company to be estab lished in Munich will be headed by an international programme director appointed by Messersohmitt-Bolkow, with a BAC man as deputy. Each com pany will appoint a systems en gineering manager to head its own 'dievetppinent fcsam. Other responsibili ties in the international company have been provisionally allocated as follows, in each case with a deputy from one of the other companies: programme management, Fokker; marketing, sales and service, BAC; production, Fiat; finance and administration, MB. BAC and MB will each have one-third of the votes in the eight-man board of direc tors, and Fiat and Fokker one-sixth each (Flight, Sensor, December 26). These ratios may be modified later, when indi vidual contributions in the way of de velopment and production capacity and
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
