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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 1922.PDF
WORLD NEWS Shuttle boosters delay Spacelab 1 HUNTSVILLE Launch of Spacelab 1 is likely to be delayed at least a month because of a problem with Space Shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Excessive erosion in the throat of an SRB nozzle was found after STS 8 in September. Failure to pinpoint the cause of wear has forced Nasa to postpone its ninth Shuttle flight until the problem is resolved or a different set of SRBs can be substituted. Spacelab 1 was due to lift off inside Shuttle on October 28, having already suffered several postponements in the past year or two (see feature on page 1106, which was pressed before the delay was announced). If Spacelab 1 is flown in late November, some of its experiments will be compromised by unfavourable observation conditions unless Nasa drops one of its trans atlantic abort constraints. Launches in December or January would be unac ceptable to the European Space Agency because of the loss of data. Only one of STS 8's two SRBs was eroded, the damage appearing as several pockets in the carbon-carbon throat lining. The largest pocket was about 25mm in diameter, and its lining eroded to a thickness of just 5mm. This remaining layer, plus its glassfibre and metal backing, would have been good for about another 14sec of booster operation. Total burn time of an SRB is 122sec, so there was a safety margin — though a smaller one than is acceptable to Nasa, given the possibly cata strophic consequences. Nasa believes that spalling occurred in the char-layer of the throat material, giving rise to "flaking" instead of steady erosion. The carbon material, or the processes by which it and the nozzle were made, are suspect. Another possibility is physical damage after manufacture. Morton Thiokel, builder of the solid rocket motors, has confirmed Agusta's A.129 Mongoose prototype had completed seven flights as we go to press, and is now painted in Italian' Army colours. The second aircraft is in final assembly and will fly before Christmas. The round panels on the. cockpit sides are knock-out crash escape panels for the prototype programme only that the lining was the first use of a particular batch of material, but has so far failed to blame it or the process. The company confirms that the metal casing of the nozzles was new, rather than a part which has previously flown. Nasa has begun stacking a new set of SRBs at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, from elements that already exist (the nozzle material is from a different batch). This preserves the option of returning Columbia to the Vehicle Assembly Building from the launch pad, removing it and the External Tank, and reassembling the combination with the new set of boosters. Bell plans composite TwinRanger FORT WORTH Bell Helicopter Textron plans to develop a composite heli copter in its new Model 400 series of light twin-engined machines. Designated 440, the aircraft is expected to become available around 1989. It will be one of the three models to be manufactured in Canada at a new facility to be set up near Montreal. Bell has been chosen by Canada to establish a new helicopter manufacturing centre, follow ing a competition among the leading builders. The 440 variant of the Model 400 TwinRanger might even feature an all-composite airframe, says Bell. Also avail able in 1989 will be the first examples of the 400A, for which Pratt & Whitney is developing a new 500 h.p. powerplant under a "Small Turbine Engine Programme". Initial Bell 400s will be powered by Allison 250-C20Ps. The Canadian Government and Quebec provincial authorities are making a large investment in the new Bell facility and research pro grammes. This will be recouped from the helicopter and engine manufacturers through a levy on sales (see full story on page 1084). US carriers resist default plan WASHINGTON D.C. ~ While Continental Airlines' striking pilots were petition ing the Federal bankruptcy judge in Houston last week, to deny the carrier protection from its creditors and employ ees, the Civil Aeronautics Board was looking into how it could help the airline's ticket holders. Although Continental is operating again, it is flying much-reduced services. Other US airlines have stated that if the CAB requires them to honour Continental's de faulted tickets then the Government should pay. Announcing its investi-' gation into the matter, the CAB said that the so-called "Default Protection Plan" • was originally submitted to the Board for approval by the airlines. This was done because of the anti-trust implications of such an agree ment, and was not presented as a "discretionary" plan which could be invoked or - not, as the airlines pleased, the CAB said. American Airlines filed an objection to the CAB's view point, stating that its premise - "That competitors : should be required to honour tickets written by carriers who are still operating while reorganising under the bank ruptcy laws" — was unsound. "If the free enterprise system is to work in the air trans portation system as it does in all other unregulated indus tries, the Board simplj^ cannot intercede... to re quire airlines to shield either their competitors or the public from normal business risks," American added. The Air Traffic Conference of America, which adminis ters the Default Protection Plan, told the CAB "To the extent the Board might attempt to require non- defaulting carriers to provide transportation for passengers holding defaulting carrier tickets, such action would clearly be an unconstitutional deprivation of property unless the Government compensated the non-defaulting carriers for providing the service." 1074 FLIGHT International, 22 October 1983
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