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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 2481.PDF
FLIGHT International, IS November IV/I COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT SURVEY lent passenger load (of 178) if it also dispensed with a galley. As it is, a thrift-class configuration could mean 164 pas sengers; tourist-class or a mixed arrangement could permit perhaps 128. Announced in the spring of 1966, this three-turbofan- powered aircraft first flew on October 4, 1968. It is powered by three Kuznetsov NK-8-2s of 21,0001b, 93-5kN thrust, simi lar to those fitted to the 11-62. Triple-slotted trailing-edge flaps, leading-edge slats and six-wheel main bogies enable operation from packed earth and gravel. An APU is standard, and Icao Cat 2 automatic approaches can be made. The Tu-154 has an excellent airfield performance derived from a high thrust-to-weight ratio. It might be speculated that Soloviev D-30K turbofans could later replace the Kuznetsov NK-8s which are at present fitted. The type has, however, been under development for a considerable time, and the Russians "must now be anxious to put it into large-scale service as quickly as possible. Tupolev Tu-154 orders: Aeroflot is believed to have five in service, with another 15 of the initial batch to come; Avio- genex, 2; CSA, 7. Total, 29 plus. Short-range jet • • The first A-300B fuselage is structurally complete * at Toulouse. First flight is set for August 1972. \ Casa of Spain is almost certain to build 4 per cent of production airframes. Air France has ordered six, with a further ten on option. • Dassault has completed initial flight trials with the prototype Mercure. A 20,000lb, 89kN powerplant— possibly the Snecma M56—may be fitted to a ' stretched variant. ,. • llyushin has an airbus project (II-86) based on the II-62. J • Boeing 727-200 sales have taken an upturn. >> • The BAC One-Eleven 475 is in airline service. r • The Fokker-VFWF.28Mk2000 has completed flight ' tests. Certification is expected shortly. • VFW-Fokker is flying the 614 feederliner. • The Soviet Yak-40 has gained a sales foothold in Europe, selling at under ££ million. LARGE CAPACITY Airbus Industrie A-300B The first airline order for the A-300B came on November 3 this year when Air France confirmed its intention of buying six aircraft, with options on a further ten, a full month earlier than had been expected by French observers. . As a member of the Atlas group of airlines, Air France . has been involved in the preparation of the detailed type f specification of the A-300B-1; the airline has, however, called for an 8ft 6in increase in fuselage length to allow the inclusion of three extra rows of seats (up to 290 passengers) and this slightly stretched variant is designated the -2. The unit cost of the A-300B is £5-2 million and the Air y France order, including spares, is valued at £45 million, of which £7 million will be accounted for by British components. Prior to this order Hawker Siddeley was contracted to produce six sets of wings, two of which are for structural 815 TURBOPROPS Lockheed L-100-20/-30 The Hercules dates from a 1961 US military requirement for a medium-range freighter, With more than 1,200 now delivered to commercial operators and US and overseas military forces, the type has found application in the civil market by virtue of its ability to carry the standard 8ft X 8ft road/rail container. The first -20, a lOOin, 254cm-longer version of the standard L-100, entered service during 1968. The -30 Super Hercules now in commercial opera tion has an 80in, 203cm-longer fuselage. Rear side doors, ramp and ramp door controls can be operated from outside the aircraft, while provision for Jato has been deleted. First flight was in September 1970 and the -30 is now in operation with Saturn and Southern Air Transport. L-100 orders: International Aerodyne, 6; Flying W Airways, 5; Delta, 3; Pacific Western, 1; Interior Airways, 3; Airlift Inter national, 3; PIA, 1; Alaska Airlines, 2; Southern Air Trans port, 2; Saturn, 6 (including 3 -30s); Kuwait, 2; Peru, 2; Safair, 1. test. The company had received authority to make long-lead purchases towards more wing-sets before the French order was confirmed. Air France will take delivery of three aircraft in 1974 and three more in 1975, and considers that there will be a seat- mile cost saving of 20 per cent compared with short-haul types now in service, such as the 727-200. Prospects for further orders for the A-300B appear to be good, following the Air France decision, and the other mem bers of Atlas (Lufthansa, Alitalia, Sabena and, by looser association, Iberia) are all thought to be close to placing their first orders. The requirements of this group alone account for potential sales of 100 aircraft, and the chance of a comparable breakthrough into the KSSU group is thought to be good, particularly in view of the A-300B's CF6 engines which are common with those of the DC-lOs already on order by that consortium. The first A-300Bs are now taking shape at the beginning of the final-assembly line at Toulouse. The programme remains on schedule, with first flight anticipated in the autumn of 1972. Certification is expected a year later at the end of 1973. First A-300 studies were begun by Aerospatiale, Hawker Siddeley and Deutsche Airbus in 1968, under the auspices of the three Governments and based on earlier work which the companies had carried out individually. In December 1968 the size of the aircraft was scaled down, both in res ponse to airline demand and to match the 50,0001b thrust available from the RB.211-50 series and the CF6-50 which were being proposed at the time for the long-range versions of the TriStar and DC-10. With the announcement of a go- ahead for the DC-10-30, the CF6-50 was adopted as the standard powerplant. Final go-ahead for the A-300B was given in June 1969 when Air France has ordered six A-300Bs and taken an option on ten more
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