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Aviation History
1975
1975 - 0003.PDF
FLIGHT International. 2 January I97S the responsibility of Tunbameca/ Snecma subsidiary CGTM. The Arriel will power the Aerospatiale SA.350 and twin-engined SA.365 Dauphin helicopters. Europe closer together? Since Farnborough, when six leading'* European airframe manufac turers agreed to work together, sufficient progress has been made for the group to agree that a prime ob jective must be to make best use of existing products and to promote them on a non-competitive basis. Co-operation is not yet at the stage, however, where presentations of each other's aircraft and joint sales efforts will be made or common offices will be opened. In a memorandum to the four interested Governments, France, Germany, the Netherlands and UK, the six manufacturers have expressed a common concern that the A300 Airbus must be a success. The six— Aerospatiale, BAC, Dornier, Hawker , S^ddeley, MBB and VFW-Fokker— have already held a number of meetings at three different levels: principals, executive board and technical committee. There is as yet no legally constituted framework for collaboration. Plans to design and build a new 200-seat aircraft, rather smaller than the A300, to meet airline requirements of the 1980s are seen as a long-term objective. SBAC fears for 1975 Fears for the economy and nationalisation are the keynotes of a New Year message issued by Sir - Richard Smeeton, director of the Society of British Aerospace Com panies. This is the text of the message: / i When our industry's earnings in export markets have climbed to a new level of £2 million for each working day—nearly twice that of only three years ago—it is perhaps an excusable sardonic reflection that Government intervention in our affairs poses the prospect of general uncertainty about investment and consequent unrest in aerospace employment throughout 1975. The election is over and the elected Government is committed to further extension of Government ownership in the aerospace industry. What public ownership of the larger groups can First flight of the Turbomeca Arriel in a modified Aerospatiale Gazelle took place on December 5 achieve in improving our performance and exporting ability has yet to be demonstrated. It is in the interest of the taxpayer as much as of the industry that there must be the fullest possible public discussion of the issues before irrevocable and damaging action is taken. Equally, every company in our industry has the right to express an opinion. Debate with the Government must be frank and far-reaching, not a hasty consultation period on some evasive document prior to legislation. Certainly, we would not argue against the benefits that could spring from some mutually accepted and well thought-out reorganisation of our industry and of the terms of its relationship with Government. In particular we recognise the need for public accountability for which ade quate machinery exists in the Ministry of Defence contracts branches and the review board for Government contracts. When the final figures are presented British aerospace expects to achieve record exports for 1974 of £600 million. This is an important achievement. Nevertheless, there are major clouds on our horizon. There is the alarming lack of important new air craft projects to preserve our airframe design and production capability. The lack of dynamism in the Nato Govern ments for European weapon systems built by Europeans to defend Europe is frightening. Political attitudes which are barring our salesmen from potentially rewarding markets over seas are not helpful. The fuel crisis will continue to affect demand for new equipment and will inevitably slow down programmes. We can be sure that our customers will be watching the nationalisation debate with avid interest. It is vital that we get the structure right first time in order to hold their confidence. If we do not they will shop elsewhere. This is not a time for weakness. We need the courage to put sloppy think ing behind us and be determined that an industry that is serving the country well should be encouraged and not carelessly destroyed, f W SENSOR North Korea's order for Tridents is still being negotiated and could run to as many as 14 Trident 2Es. A Hawker Siddeley team is shortly to leave for North Korea to discuss contractual details. Hawker Siddeley is also exploring reports that CAAC, the Chinese airline for which 25 Trident 2Es and three 3Bs are in production, is suffering from the world economic squeeze and would welcome a slight stretch-out of the delivery programme. The trade unions are still refusing to accept any decision by the British Government to shelve the HS.146. Representatives of the Hatfield workers are determined to continue the fight until the project is re vived. Meanwhile senior Hawker Siddeley executives point at the way the company maintained full employment after shelving the HS.146 while the engine supplier, Avco Lycoming, has recently sacked 800 people, apparently without any industrial trouble. Hawker Siddeley policy on the 146 continues to be that the company will build the aircraft but will on no account put any of its own money into it. Senior officials are now con vinced that the Government will own the company by the end of 1975. No major decisions involving investment can be expected until Mr Benn's intentions are clarified. Now cleared in principle by the air worthiness authorities is one of the most sensitive technical areas of Concorde, the automatic intake con trol system (AICS). Snecma has also at last concluded a satisfactory contractual arrangement with the American supplier of the stainless- steel honeycomb thrust reversers, though at a cost much higher than forecast. The whole nozzle I reverser system is almost as costly as the intake system. No name has yet been chosen for the new One-Eleven charter airline being formed at Gatwick by the former managing director of British Caledonian, Mr Guinane, and the former sales director, Mr Bates. The airline proposes to take advantage of the fact that there will be three- quarters of a million fewer seats on the "IT" market in 1975 compared with 1974 and that there is scope for a small, low-overhead, efficient operator offering up to 300,000 one way seats to the prime Mediter ranean markets. The company pro poses to lease up to three One- Eleven 500s from BCAL and to con tract maintenance, ramp-handling and catering ta that airline. Advertisements for flying and cabin staff and engineers and inspectors will start this month, and the air line is applying to the CAA for an Air Operators' Certificate and com mercial licences.
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