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Aviation History
1974
1974 - 0288.PDF
258 AIR TRANSPORT FLIGHT International, 28 February 1974 French decisions on Concorde, Airbus and Mercure FRENCH PROPOSALS on the future of Concorde, and plans for Airbus and Mercure, became clearer last week at a press conference given by Minister of Transport M Yves Guena, in Paris. After many dismal prognostications in the press, sup posedly based on the condemnation of Concorde in the con fidential Bloch report (see Flight for February 14, page 192), M Guena made it quite clear that France means to continue the programme, to produce the aircraft as it stands and, having received British Government agreement, to introduce, at the tenth or later aircraft, the so-called Al fuel stretch (see table right). This offers airlines like Japan Air Lines an attractive range increase without en gine or wing modifications. The French would like to see authority given for the assembly of three more Concordes (numbers 17, 18 and 19) keeping production about two years ahead of orders. Long-lead items for 22 aircraft are already in the pipeline. The rate of production should, said M Guena, be stabil ised at four to five per year rather than the eight hitherto desired. It was hoped that the necessary reduction in the French labour force could be achieved by wastage and not by dismissals. The fifth production Concorde—which will be the first to enter service with Air France—has now completed pressure testing and has now rejoined the production line at Aerospatiale's Toulouse factory The production rate at present is about four aircraft per year, and the reason for the planned meeting between M Guena and the British Aerospace Minister, Mr Michael Heseltine, was to have considered increasing the produc tion rate to eight per year. France was against proceeding, for the present at least, to the more elaborate and costly modifications of the B version, entailing an eight per cent larger wing, eight per cent more thrust and consequent range and payload in creases. At his press conference M Guena also referred to a weak ness in Concorde programme management and indicated that representatives of the French Ministry of Armed Forces and of the Ministry of Finance would be appointed to the management committee. This would strengthen the Armed Forces Ministry's interest in Concorde and allow the Finance Ministry to assist in the financial aspects of sales and cost control. French aircraft construction is the responsibility of the Ministry of Armed Forces, but until now Concorde has been guided largely by the Ministry of Transport. Concerning Mercure, which is commercially somewhat insecure, the French Government has evidently decided to let Dassault-Breguet and Air Inter, the only Mercure customer, sink or swim by their own efforts, offering only French Government financial assistance to ensure that ex port customers receive the same financing advantages en joyed by American manufacturers. This is a fairly harsh decision in view of the French Government's part in the original formulation of the Mer cure programme. It throws any decision on cancellation squarely on to the shoulders of Dassault-Breguet and takes no step to compensate Air Inter for being the only Mercure operator. Airbus was offered the same financing assistance, and M Guena said that long lead-time materials for a further 16 Airbus would be authorised to follow the 32 aircraft now being built. Right up to the moment of M Guena's press conference the British Department of Trade and Industry and BAC refused any comment on the initiatives known to be coming from France, even to the extent of refusing to confirm or deny that a range of optional modifications had been proposed. Immediately following the press conference, British Aerospace Minister Mr Heseltine issued a statement which pointed out that a review of the Concorde programme had been requested last year from the manufacturers and very recently received, (The Bloch report in France was de signed to provide, alongside this review, an independent assessment of the options open for Concorde.) Mr Heseltine stated that he was ready to discuss the French proposals when the current elections were over and that he would carefully take British interests into account. • Reports from Paris last week indicated that Saudi Arabia was close to making a decision on whether to buy two Concordes as the basis of a Pan-Arab airline. It is reported that the French Foreign Minister, M Michel Jobert, is to visit Jeddah next month, on board a Concorde, but as we go to press no Concordes have been allocated for this task. Concorde proposals in detail IN THE review of the Concorde programme submitted to the British and French Governments, Aerospatiale and BAC stress the need to put the aircraft into service as soon as possible. The review, which is backed up by data from the engine manufacturers, covers the costs and perform ance advantages of combinations of five modifications: increased tankage, uprated Olympus Mk 622 engines, leading-edge changes, lighter-material structural com ponents, and wing-tip extensions. The primary objective of the wing modifications is to improve the lift/drag ratio. The cost of the various options is believed to be between £40 million for tanks alone up to £150 million for the complete package. Although the French Government has proposed that the increased fuel capacity should be incorporated from air craft number 10 onwards, this may not be possible because of production lead times. The manufacturers recommend, in fact, that modifications should not be incorporated into the first nine aircraft on order for Air France and British Airways. The tankage modifications would bring the aircraft up to Al standard (see table). The additional tank would be located in the forward centre-section freight area but would not upset the centre of gravity position or introduce trim problems. The extra 10,0001b, 4,500kg of fuel would increase range by about 175 miles, 280km. Structural testing has indicated that the maximum gross weight can be pushed above the present 393,0001b, 178,000kg. The conservative indications are that the weight could rise at least to 397,0001b, 180,000kg. The Al aircraft would meet Japan Air Lines' requirement on the Anchorage-Tokyo
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