FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0859.PDF
FLIGHT International, 2 April 1977 money in it for AEW; Defence Minister Orla Moeller has asked for more time to consider the problem. Germany likewise has no Awacs money earmarked, and considers that she is being asked to pay too much while remaining uncertain both of the need for AEW in this form and of the ability of the E-3A to do the job. The general feeling in Brussels is that Britain will now go ahead with AEW Nimrod development, leaving 807 the other Nato countries to find the extra money from somewhere else (extremely unlikely) or to continue to do without an AEW aircraft. The pos sibility of "buying time" on USAF E-3As deployed to Europe is also being ruled out by US Defence Secretary Harold Brown. "If the European countries are not willing to pay to give themselves an airborne early warning system, the United States will not give it to them," he tells Flight. and for European F-16 THE DEFINITIVE contract for the purchase by four Nato countries of 348 General Dynamics F-16s will not now be signed before early May, according to Belgian Defence Minis ter Paul vanden Boeynants. At a press conference held only hours before a meeting on March 24 of the four European defence ministers con cerned, vanden Boeynants said that Denmark had requested that signing be delayed beyond April 1. The meeting was called by Danish Defence Minister Orla Moeller to clarify the question of industrial compensation for European industry in the F-16 deal. Denmark is con cerned that it may not achieve an adequate share in co-production. Moel ler is therefore seeking assurances from the other three nations that his country will get extra work from any future "third-country" sales. According to vanden Boeynants, Belgium is to receive an acceptable amount of work, and it seems that the Netherlands and Norway are also satisfied. If Denmark were to obtain a disproportionate share of any future work, it felt in Brussels that it would largely be at the expense of Belgium, which has the lion's share of the major F-16 airframe and engine con tracts. Denmark's main potential con tribution to the F-16 lies in the elec tronics field. Blackwell on the future of aerospace THE tradition of building "high monastic walls separating R&D from the world of production, sales and pro duct support, in both industry and establishments, needs reversing, and it might even be timely to embark on some dissolution of the monasteries." This is one of five recommendations by Basil Blackwell, chief executive of Westland Aircraft, in his Barnwell memorial lecture to the Royal Aero nautical Society. His four other points are prefaced by "concern for the many responsible engineers and craftsmen, not only in Great Britain but also in France and the United States, who, having given of their best to the mainstream of technological development, find them selves in complete confusion, criticised as wasters of taxpayers' money, their industrial future the plaything of politicians and the butt of journalists. In the case of Britain, the final in dignity is the accusation of national irresponsibility." Blackwell recommends (1) "A tremendous effort to analyse and then meet world market needs in styling, quality, delivery, spares." (In answer to questions, he told his Bristol audience: "I think air transport is going to be a derivative business from now on, like ships and locomotives.") (2) "The poorer countries can only develop and become bigger markets for our products if they are helped to establish appropriate indigenous manufacturing capabilities." (3) To get away from what he calls "10° tech nology" towards 10* or 106 technology —"n" signifying the extent of produc tion and marketing costs as a propor tion of launch (the 106 Ford Fiesta cost about the same as the launch of Concorde, he says.) (4) "Finally, it is not the fault of the accountant, any more than it is of the stressman, that a technologist abandons a project on the accountant's say-so. In short, a technologist who cannot prepare a proper financial evaluation of a project must go back to school until this is remedied". Other points: • "Knowledge workers who keep the expensive machines working, and who ensure that the work arrives at the work station on time, are key labour. • "The creation of a technological commonwealth of people educated and trained in Britain, ready to play a key role in appropriate technology transfer in support of our market-development plans, can bring great advantages both to us and the nation". AS MR halted? REPORTS from Paris suggest that the termination or indefinite freezing of the Franco-US ASMR (Advanced Short/Medium Range) airliner project is to be announced on Thursday, March 31. The parties concerned have not confirmed the reports. McDonnell Douglas, the prospective US partner in the project, tells Flight that it is "talking to the French about increas ing the marketing appeal" of the ASMR. This would involve changes to the aircraft. Dassault, which would have led the programme to develop a new version Sensor New evidence is being presented to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey about Concorde noise in time for its next meeting on April 14. This includes not only en route refiling of Gander and Shannon as technical stops worth several tons of take-off weight—but also longer-term technical mods including lowering and cutting back of intake lips by an inch or two. This could save 4,000lb of en route fuel, with a 2,000lb saving coming from improvements to the fineness ratios of the elevons and fin. BAC and Aerospatiale are trying to get the UK Civil Aviation Authority to explain why, in its most recent report on Concorde noise (the "Dora" report showing the SST to be the noisiest aircraft operating out of Heathrow), only two of the noisiest subsonic types during the same period were included. Accord ing to the manufacturers' analysis of the regularly monitored Heath row readings (rather than the CAA's selected half-hours before and after a Concorde take-off) only four Concordes were noisier than the noisiest subsonic aircraft. In five monthly periods 747s were noisier than the noisiest Concordes, and in two months 707s touched the highest Concorde peak (124PNdB). The manufacturers are incensed at what they regard as the unpro- fessionalism of the "Dora" report ("Flight," March 12, page 626), which, they believe, was deliberately leaked to the New York authorities. US Navy policy continues to shift towards V/Stol, both for combat and multi-mission duties from small "air-capable" ships. Manu facturers have until May 31 to respond to an RFI (Request for Information) for two types, "V/Stol A" and "V/Stol B." One manufac turer is proposing for "A" a ten- seat subsonic COD (Carrier on Deck) aircraft powered by two swivelling aft-mounted or vectoring variable-pitch-fan M45 derivatives designated RB.433-04 and driving a fan in the nose through a clutch and gearbox. "B" is a supersonic combat aircraft, phased about two years later. "A" should become an RFP (Request For Proposals) at the end of 1977. In-service date is loosely fixed for the mid-1980s. Whatever happens, the US Navy is unlikely to allow V/Stol to encroach on F-18 funding. The Olympus in service with British Airways and Air France continues to operate after more than a year without a single service cancella tion due to engine trouble and without a single engine-change away from base. This is un precedented in air transport opera tions.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
