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Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0737.PDF
FLIGHT International, 19 March 1977 693 LIGHT COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS l;M&.fe^ :, • • • •• •• . ,.;•-• Canadair's challenge CHALLENGER 600 is the name Canadair has given its long-range wide-bodied business jet, reports Warren Goodman from Montreal. The project will no longer bear the name of its originator, Bill Lear, who re mains as a consultant to Canadair. "Bill Lear," says the company's technical executive vice-president Harry Halton, "is usually thinking be yond what we are doing and often beyond what we want to be doing." A suggestion that the first three Chal lengers would be assembled and tested at Lear's Reno facility is firmly denied by Canadair, which neverthe less admits that it is negotiating for this work to be done somewhere along the US West Coast. Benefits are said to include predictable good weather and a regional FAA office with "superior know-how" of certificating new aircraft. The Challenger 600 now sports a T-tail and has grown considerably over the last published Learstar specification. Fuselage length is up by four feet to 67ft 9in; span is 61ft lOin and height 20ft 3in. Canadair is guaranteeing cruising speeds vary ing from a maximum Mach 0-88 to a range-stretching Mach 0-80. When flying for maximum range of 4,000 n.m., the Challenger will carry a pay- load of 9401b; Halton admits that this load may need to be increased and that the present 32,5001b gross weight may rise by 5001b with a penalty of some 110 n.m. range. Another small erosion of range will arise if certifi cation limits the cruising altitude to 45,000ft instead of the 49,000ft for which Canadair is looking. The first of the three pre-production Challengers is to fly in January 1978 and certification is planned for the second quarter of 1979, with the first delivery (to engine manufacturer Avco) following almost immediately. Canadair is already guaranteeing de livery dates to within 60 days. Of the three test aircraft the first will de velop systems and controls, the second will do performance measurement and the third will be in freighter con figuration representative of the air- :^S;5|:i craft to be delivered to Federal Express. Of the first 50 Chal lengers 15 will be windowless and strengthened to Federal Express requirements. Firm orders cover 70 machines, and there are 10 more "first refusal" buyers. Of the 70 Europe will take four, South America two and the Far East one, all the rest going to the American market. Buyers of aircraft beyond No 80—and Canadair is con fident of producing at least 250 Chal lengers—can expect to pay about $5,675,000. Eagle takes over THE Eagle Aircraft Group has taken over Aeronautical and Commercial Instrumentation, a CAA - approved company specialising in the repair and overhaul of instruments, autopilots and oxygen equipment. ACI is at 143a London Road, Apsley, Hemel Hemp stead, Herts. Collaborative Bolkow project KAWASAKI has signed an agreement with MBB for joint development of the Bolkow BO 107, a twelve-seat derivative of the BO105. The new model, to be powered by either Lycoming LTS101 or Allison 250-C28 turboshafts of 650 h.p., will use a 36ft, llm-diameter hingeless rotor. Gross weight is planned as 6,1801b, 2,800kg and cruising speed 164 m.p.h., 264 km/hr. Dash 7 nears certification PRODUCTION - standard PT6A-50 engines have been installed in the second prototype DHC Dash 7, a modi fication which will allow the aircraft to complete outstanding performance and noise-certification flight-tests. DHC says that the two prototypes have flown l,406hr and that the third air craft will be rolled out on April 2 (a static-test airframe will leave the line in the meantime). The first aircraft, now largely engaged on de-icing trials, w ...» will appear at the Paris Air Show in June. • Canadian Industry Minister Jean Chretien told a Government finance committee earlier this month that DHC had spent $120 million on the Dash 7 programme and had one con firmed sale. A major sales drive would follow certification, he said. Battersea Heliport wins time WESTLAND HELIPORT, the riverside pad at Battersea which is London's only licensed helicopter landing site, will continue in operation for at least another five years if the Greater London Council accepts a recom mendation of its Planning Committee. Planning approval for the use of the site expired on June 30, 1975, since which date the council has been attempting to define and negotiate the terms for continued use. Heli copters have been categorised into those whose noise signature lies below or above 81dBA when overfly ing at 500ft. The Council plans to per mit 10,500 movements by the quieter types during 1977, but only 1,500 by the second category. Bristow buys Pumas BRISTOW Helicopters has ordered two Aerospatiale SA.330J Pumas for delivery during the summer, increas ing its fleet to 176 helicopters. "The Puma fills a niche between the Bell 212 and Sikorsky S-61N," Bristow managing director Russell Fry tells Flight, "and we see one or two possi bilities for which it would be ideal." Mr Fry would not say where the Pumas would fit into his company's worldwide operation. A lot of the necessary work for UK certification has already been done, but many Bristow helicopters are locally registered in the country where they work and CAA certifica tion would not be necessary in many cases. The Puma is regarded by operators as being particularly suit able for use in the tropics because of its good single-engined hovering performance.
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