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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 0030.PDF
38 million), of which a high proportion represented aerospace equipment sales. Dowty Rotol is one of the three participants in the 10,0001b Rolls-Royce/Snecma/British Government M45SD-02 (RB.410D-2) geared, high-bypass turbofan (see page 60), which embodies a Dowty 58in^diameter, 38-blade variable- pitch fan. Testing of the M45SD-02 started in April 1975 at the Government engine testbed at Aston Down, Gloucester shire, following eight years' development work by Dowty on variable-pitch fans, using Astazou and Gnome core engines. Dowty, which has some 4,000 variable-pitch propellers currently in service, has also done extensive work on ducted propulsors for piston-engine installations. A Britten-Norman Islander is being used as a flight demonstrator for this unit. Other projected M45/Dowty v-p fan variants include the 14,3701b M45S-11 (RB.410-11), and the 16,0001b RB.433 for the US Navy's V/Stol A assault helicopter replacement. Designed for Q/Stol civil aircraft and V/Stol military aircraft, the v-p turbofan offers reduced fan noise, better cruise: efficiency, more rapid thrust response, and full reverse thrust down to zero forward speed. Thrust modulation in flight is also possible. DREHER (USA) Dreher Engineering Co. Headquarters: 933 5th Street, Santa Monica, California 90403. Tel: (213) 395-6510. Private company engaged in manufacture of aero engines. Dreher specialises in the development of ultra-small turbojets for drones and self-launching sailplanes. A series of these engines has been built, including the 551b- thrust TJD-76A and TJD-76C Baby Mamba; 551b TJD-76C Jet Pack for sailplane installations; the low-cost, short-life TJD-76D and -76E for drones and expendable RPVs; and the 1201b TJD-79A Baby Python and 1101b TJD-81A Baby Boa for sailplanes. The Baby Mamba has flown in a Prue 215A all-metal sailplane. TJD-79A Baby Python Single-stage axial turbine. Take-off 1201b, pressure ratio 3:1, length 25-6in, diameter llin, weight 361b. FABRIQUE NATIONALE (Belgium) Division Moteurs, Fabrique Nationale Herstal SA. Head quarters: B-4400 Herstal. Tel: (04) 64 08 00. Division of a private company, itself an affiliate of Societe Generate de Belgique, Belgium's major holding company. FN has a wide variety of corporate activities, comprising firearms and cartridge manufacture, aero and non-aero gas-turbine manufacture and overhaul, and pre cision engineering. Corporate sales during 1976-77, of which the Division Moteurs contributed about a quarter, rose 26 per cent to BFrl0,400 million (£166-5 million). Corporate employees 9,600, of which 1,500 are in Division Moteurs. FN's financial performance has shown a marked turn- round from the loss-making years of 1972-73 and 1973-74. From net earnings of BFrSO million (£480,000) in 1974-75, the results for 1976-77 showed net earnings of BFrl97 million (£3-15 million), corresponding to a more than sixfold rise over only two years. Two major events during 1976 and 1977 suggest that even further gains in perform ance are likely. In August 1976 FN signed an $836 million (£476 million) contract with Pratt & Whitney covering the manufacture of 438 F100 augmented turbofans for the 348 General Dynamics F-16 fighters ordered by Belgium, Denmark, Holland and Norway. Production deliveries of FlOOs are planned to run from September this year through to "November 1984, and spare parts and maintenance/ overhaul work will continue until 1990 at least. FN will manufacture F100 components and, as the sole aero-engine builder in the Benelux countries, assemble and test all Nato FlOOs. Under the F-16 offset deal FN will participate in co-production of FlOOs both for the USAF's initial order for 650 F-16s, and for any third-country F-16 sales. FN's share of USAF FlOOs will amount to 10 per cent of the engine order, increasing to 15 per cent for third-country sales. FN may also receive a share in the remainder of FLIGHT International, 7 January 1978 the USAF's expected total procurement of 1,388 F-16s. Belgium will thus get offset work valued at much more than the total cost of the 116 F-16s which the country is scheduled to buy. The second major boost to FN's fortunes was the award last year, again under the F-16 offset deal, of a US Army contract for 10,000 FN MAG 58 machine guns, plus an option for a further 10,000. This is the first time this century that the US forces have bought firearms from abroad. Following this contract, FN International SA (a subsidiary of FN Herstal) last year acquired a 71 per cent holding in Browning, the American arms manufacturer, at a cost of around BFr720 million (£11-5 million). FN plans to spend around BFr4,000 million (£64 million) in support of the F100 manufacturing programme, including BFrl,150 million (£18-4 million) on building and equipping a new aero-engine manufacturing and test facility at Fort de Liers near Liege. A second new factory is also to be built at Haut Sarts, near Herstal, at a cost of BFrl,200 million (£19-2 million). This will take over some of the production activities at present concentrated at the rather old and overcrowded main Herstal works. FN is planning a massive BFr5,200 million (£83 million) corporate expan sion programme over the next three years. Other aero engine activities currently under way at FN include parts manufacture and engine assembly and test of the Larzac turbofans for Belgium's 16 Alpha Jet IB trainers. The company also has minor shares in Snecma's M53 and CFM56 turbofan programmes, and will be a participant in R-R Tyne turboprop licensed manufacture for the re-opened Transall C-160 production line. More Breguet Atlantic production, and a corresponding requirement for more Tynes, is also contemplated. FIAT (Italy) Fiat Aviazione SpA. Headquarters: Corso Ferrucci 122, Casella Ostale 345 Ferr, 10100 Turin. Tel: 332 022. Subsidiary of private holding company engaged in manufacture of motor vehicles, tractors, iron and steel, construction machinery, rolling stock and rail transporta tion systems, machine tools, and aero and non-aero gas turbines. Corporate assets L5,423,000 million (£3,508 million) and employees 328,872. Corporate sales in 1976 were down, at L9,270,000 million (£5,996 million), of which aero-engine sales represented less than one per cent. Aero engine workforce is 2,700. Ranking sixth largest in the West among non-US com panies in order of 1976-77 sales, Fiat achieved net profits of only L66,456 million (£43 million), ranking in this respect down at 71st. To diversify its activities and strengthen its financial performance, the company re organised itself in 1976 under the Fiat Holding Company. This comprises eleven main operating groups, none of which reflect Fiat's various aerospace activities in their titles. In October 19716 Fiat transferred the aero-engine operations of its Aviation Division to a new subsidiary, Fiat Aviazione SpA, which operates as an autonomous unit under the Fiat Holding Company. In terms of sales and workforce, Fiat Aviazione represents over 60 per cent of Italy's aero-engine industry. The company has four main lines of activity: military and civil aero-engines, helicopter transmissions, and marine and industrial gas turbines. Main military engine is the Turbo-Union RB.199 augmented turbofan (Panavia Tornado), in which Fiat and Alfa Romeo have a combined 20 per cent share. The companies are responsible for the 1-p turbine and main shaft, exhaust diffuser, bearing support and exhaust nozzle, plus assembly and testing of engines for Italian Air Force Tornados. The remainder of Fiat's military range comprises the GE T64/P4D turboprop (Aeritalia G-222), licence-manufactured in collaboration with Alfa Romeo, with Fiat as prime contractor; the GE J79-GE-19 turbojet (Aeritalia F-104S), also licence-manufactured in collaboration with Alfa Romeo; the GE J85-GE-13A turbojet (Aeritalia G.91Y), for which Fiat supplies 40 per cent of components to prime contractor Alfa Romeo; and R-R Viper Series 600 turbo- jets for military trainers and business aircraft. Fiat was originally sole Italian participant in the Viper 600 develop ment and production programme, with responsibility for
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