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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 0023.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 January 1978 31 ALFA ROMEO (Italy) Alfa Romeo Aviazione, Alfa Romeo SpA. Divisional head quarters: Azienda di Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples. Tel: 884. 13. 44. Subsidiary (51 per cent stake) of Finmeccanica, holding company of engineering division of IRI (Instituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale) State-controlled industrial hold ing group, which has 49 per cent stake. Alfa Romeo engages in motor-vehicle and! aero-engine, manufacture, overhaul and repair. Company assets LI, 172,000 million (£758 million) and employees 44,800. Company turnover in 1976 up to L960,000 million (£621 million), of which aero engine work represented around 5 per cent. The Aviation Division has approximately 1,200 employees. Alfa Romeo Aviazione, second largest of Italy's aero engine companies, constitutes a relatively small cog in the Alfa Romeo corporation, which during a strike-torn 1976 made a loss of L48,400 million (£31 • 3 million) on a 28 per cent increase in sales. Even worse, IRI (Alfa Romeo's state- owned holding company) in the same year suffered greatly increased losses of L670,000 million (£433-4 million) and early in 1977 warned that several of its major subsidiaries, including Alfa Romeo, would1 go bankrupt unless speedy action was taken to reconstruct their capital bases. Later in the year it was proposed that Alfa's losses would be fully covered by a major capital write-down coupled with a large-scale rights issue to be subscribed for almost entirely by IRI. With the continuing labour unrest at the company, however, more drastic measures were being con sidered. Alfa Romeo aero-engine work is more or less equally divided between licensed manufacture of British and American engines and components, and the overhaul and repair of a wide variety of civil and military turbines. In particular, the company specialises in engine hot-end sections. Current manufacturing activities cover a wide range of engines, including the J85-AR-13A version of the GE J85 turbojet (Aeritalia G91Y, now out of production), for which Alfa Romeo is prime contractor, with Fiat and Motoravia Sud supplying some components; hot-end parts for the J79-GE-19 turbojet (Aeritalia F-104S) and GE T64/ P4D turboshaft (Aeritalia G222), also in collaboration with Fiat (as prime contractor) and Motoravia Sud; components for the T58-G-3, -5 and -10 and R-R Gnome H.1000, H.1200 and H.1400 turboshafts (Agusta-Bell AB.204B and AB.205, Agusta-Sikorsky SH-3D and HH-3F); components for and assembly and test of P&W PT6T Twin Pac turboshafts (Agusta-Bell AB.212); and combustors for GE CF6 turbo- fans (McDonnell Douglas DG-10). Alfa Romeo is also col laborating with Fiat on hot-end component development and manufacture for the Turbo-Union RB.199 (Panavia Tornado) and P&WA JT10D turbofans. During 1976 the company entered into an agreement with R-R covering development of a small turboshaft/turboprop, the 600 s.h.p. RB.318 (see page 61). The Italian state financing organi sation, Instituto Mobiliare Italiano, is supporting Alfa Romeo's proposed 35 per cent share in this project with a L1,000 million (£650,000) development subsidy. Alfa Romeo also has a 33 per cent holding in Turbomotori Internazionale. AMES INDUSTRIAL (UK) Ames Industrial Ltd. Fort Wallington, Fareham, Hants. Tel: 03292 88551. Associate company of Microturbo' SA, engaged in manu facture and support of selected Microturbo gas-turbine units. Ames manufactures and provides service support for the Microturbo Jaguar gas-turbine starter system for the Adour turbofan, which powers the Anglo-French Jaguar and HS Hawk. The company also undertakes assembly, test, overhaul and repair of other Microturbo turbines. AMES INDUSTRIAL (USA) Ames Industrial Corporation. 55 Orville Drive, Bohemia, New York 11716. Tel: (516) 567-3780. Associate company of Microturbo SA, operating as FAA- approved small gas-turbine repair station. Ames holds a licence to build the small Microturbo TRS 18 Micro-Jet turbojet, which powers the Bede BD-5J ultra-light single-seater and various self-launching sail planes. An intriguing potential application of the TRS 18- 046 is as a reserve engine in the Spitfire Mk 4 helicopter, in which it would allow a level speed of 75 m.p.h. in autorotation in the event of a main engine failure. The company has also proposed the TRS 18 for use in US drones and RPVs. Ames' other activities include the repair of Microturbo APUs operated in the United States. ARAB ORGANISATION FOR INDUSTRIALISATION (Egypt) Arab Organisation for Industrialisation. Cairo. Multi-national pan-Arab state corporation (earlier known as the Arab Military Industries Organisation) with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt as shareholders. Established to engage in licensed manufac ture/assembly and marketing of wide range of Western defence products, including fixed-wing and rotary-wing air craft, aero-engines, missiles, electronic equipment and vehicles. Capital $1,043 million (£594 million). AIO was established in May 1975 and is now preparing to set up production facilities for the licensed manufacture and assembly of Western military equipment. Egypt's con tribution to the share equity will be the provision of six factories and their workforces; this constitutes the first phase of the AIO programme. Following intensive market ing studies, the initial aim is to' meet the military equip ment needs of consortium members, with any surplus output being exported to other Moslem countries, Pakistan in particular. The longer-term intention is that Egypt shall become a major international producer of arms. In May last year it was decided to initiate co-operative agreements with the US and European companies, leading to consor tium manufacture of aircraft, engines, missiles and other products. American participation seems likely to1 be limited to non-combat equipment. Negotiations are well under way with a number of aeroengine manufacturers, including Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca on licences for the Adour turbofan and Gem turboshaft (for possible Egyptian-built Jaguars, Hawks and Lynxes) and Snecma for the Atar turbojet and M53 and Larzac turbofans (for possible Egyptian-built Mirage F.ls and/or 2000s, and Alpha Jets). The total of aircraft involved will reportedly run to several hundred. It is intended that AIO will this year start to assemble aircraft and engines, using Western-supplied parts before eventually gearing up for full-scale, indigenous manufacture. Arab personnel will be trained by the licensor companies. In view of the aero-engine work carried out by the former Egyptian General Aero Organisation at Helwan on the development of the E-300 turbojet in the 1960s, it is probable that AIO's aerospace plants will be based on this establishment. Joint-venture programmes with Western companies are expected to be financed 60:40, with AIO having the larger responsibility. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce engineers are assisting with the overhaul and repair of the Tumanski turbojets which power Egypt's force of Soviet-supplied MiG-21 fighters. ATLAS (South Africa) Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Headquarters: PO Box 11, Atlas Road, Kempton Park, Transvaal. Tel: Kempton Park 975-9111. Subsidiary of State-owned Armaments Development and Production Corporation of South Africa Ltd. Atlas engages in aircraft and aero-engine licensed manufacture. As South Africa's sole aero-engine concern, Atlas has manufactured Rolls-Royce Viper 540 turbojets under sub licence from Piaggio for Atlas-built Aermacchi MB.326M trainer/light attack aircraft. More recently the company may also have beem sub-licensed by Fiat to build the higher- thrust Viper 632-43 for the MB.326K close-support/trainer. AVCO LYCOMING (USA) Avco Lycoming Engine Group, Avco Corporation. Group headquarters: 550 South Main Street, Stratford, Connecti cut 06497. Tel: (203) 378-8211.
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