FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1983
1983 - 2193.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Fokker hopes for early break-even AMSTERDAM Fokker chairman Frans Swart- touw believes that both of the company's new airliner pro jects (Flight, December 3, page 1455) should make money fairly quickly. "We will have a very modest break-even on both products," he says. Deputy chairman Dan Krook adds that, although Fokker is fully expecting competition in both markets, "with our historic position we can easily exceed break-even". Krook predicts a 750-aircraft market in the Fokker 100's class, and a 1,250-unit market for the Fokker 50 and its near est competitors. Krook sees the ATR 42 as the Fokker 50's nearest competitor, and the BAe 146-200 as the main competition for the 100. At the same time as the Dutch manufacturer makes these confident break-even statements, it reveals that it is only a few aircraft short of break-even on the F.28 programme. It has now sold nearly 215 F.28s, and expects to break even early next year. The imminent approach of financial security on the F.28 programme was one of the reasons which promp ted Fokker to make definite commitments for the medium- term future. The Dutch manufacturer is now tying up production contracts and looking for avionics suppliers for its new aircraft. According to Fokker technology board member Frank Nel, Dassault is being offered the contract to manu facture the Fokker 50's fuse lage; the French company is the subcontractor for F.27 fuselages. Fokker has reached agree ment in principle with Shorts and MBB on production contracts for the 100. If the agreements are ratified, Shorts will build the wing for the 107-seater, while MBB will make the empennage and parts of the fuselage. The two companies already build these parts for the F.28. Design of the two aircraft is now frozen, and windtunnel testing should be completed by February. Fokker is not yet cutting metal for either but, says Nel, "We have some heavy commitments". Fokker has decided to launch the two programmes FLIGHT International, 10 December 1983 Windtunnel testing of the Fokker 100 and the Fokker 50 should be completed by February without any firm airline commitments. The closest thing to an order it has so far received is an option on three Fokker 50s placed by Missis sippi Valley Airlines, which Flight understands is about to take delivery of a second (used) F.27 on lease from Fokker. The company originally planned to offer much-less- advanced derivatives of the F.27 and the F.28 to see it through the next decade. But when it went to the market last year it was told in no uncertain terms that the airlines wanted more. In the case of the 50-seater, they wanted much greater "airport compatibility", passenger comfort, and cabin interior flexibility, as well as better fuel-economy and lower gen eral running costs. Those airlines which were interested in a 100-seater wanted above all fuel economy and low oper ating noise levels. Fokker's own market research indicated ever- tightening and more competi tive markets throughout the developed world. It predicted more direct services linking smaller domestic destinations inside European countries, and more direct cross-border flying. Inside North America, particularly the USA, more sub-hubbing will take place. So Fokker reasoned that its new aircraft must be not only much more economical than its existing machines over short sectors, but must offer increased levels of passenger comfort and must be designed to allow quick turn-rounds for maximum utilisation. Certain of these objectives could be achieved in the same way for both aircraft. For instance, the use of large over head bins in the cabins of both the Fokker 50 and the 100 will allow much more baggage to be carried on board, cutting down on check-in times and (hopefully) passenger loading times. Both aircraft have been designed to allow more cabin- configuration flexibility, and both provide for a bigger seat pitch. Standard seat pitch on both aircraft is 32in, whereas on the F.27 and F.28 it is 30in. Cabin interior noise levels were an important consid eration in the Fokker 50. Use of new engines, slower- turning six-bladed propellers, a digital propeller speed and synchronisation unit, and acoustically improved cabin interior linings is intended to produce cabin noise levels lower than those of some contemporary twinjets. What Fokker calls "airport compatibility" has been im proved in the 50 by relocation of doors and hatches so that ground handling functions can be carried out without interference from or to passenger transfer. The main passenger door has been moved from the rear (in the F.27) to the front, allowing galley and toilet servicing through the port rear door. The two cargo doors double as emergency exits, allowing Fokker to dispense with the underwing emergency exits of the F.27 and thus increase cabin interior flexibility. More reliable and easily serviced systems and an improved pressure-fuelling system will also help turn-round times. In the Fokker 100, im proved noise performance and fuel-economy will be achieved by a new wing aerofoil and use of the Rolls-Royce Tay engine. This uses the highly reliable Spey core with a straightforward scale-down of the RB.211-535E4's fan and a new three-stage intermediate- pressure compressor. Running temperatures will be similar to those of the Spey 555. As with the Fokker 50, the manufacturer has paid careful attention to airport compati bility. It claims that careful grouping of service points will enable all turn-round tasks to be carried out simultaneously without hindering passenger transfer or baggage handling. Fokker envisages three other possible variants of the 50: a version with a large forward cargo door; a multi purpose aircraft with the large cargo door and an enlarged port hatch at the rear; and a stretched aircraft which would seat 66 at 32in pitch. Probably the most likely development for the Fokker 100 would be to give the basic aircraft more range. Re- certification of the existing structure to 95,0001b MTOW would allow a range increase from 1,200 n.m. to 1,510 n.m. But, according to Fokker's engineering vice-president Jo Cornells, there is space in the wings for at least another 300 n.m.-worth of fuel. The extra weight could be handled structurally by a minimal increase in skin thickness. 1513
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
