FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1985
1985 - 2477.PDF
WORLD NEWS GIV racing for NBAA Gulfstream Aerospace plans to roll out the first Gulfstream IV business aircraft on September 8. The company is aiming for a first flight by September 20—in time to take the aircraft to the National Business Aircraft Association convention in New Orleans on September 23. The wing will be joined to the fuselage this week. The tail is already in place and Rolls-Royce has delivered two Tay turbofans. BAe applies for Hotel funding LONDON British Aerospace has lodged -. an application with the UK Department of Trade and Industry for funds to continue development of the Hotol reuseable satellite launcher. The company wants £2 million for a proof-of-concept study, so that the project can continue to the point at which a decision on a full-scale programme can be taken. BAe has still to convince the European Space Agency that Hotol, with its yet unproved hybrid rocket engine, is a project worth funding. It says that the craft would be the most cost- effective launch vehicle for the late 1990s and the next century, capable of halving the present Shuttle launch cost. It is lobbying ESA to accept Hotol as a better solu tion to future European launch requirements than Ariane 5 which would launch satellites conventionally, a point which BAe considers will make the system uncom petitive with future US reuseable launch vehicles. Full-scale development of -^fHotol's airframe and engine toould cost around " £500 million, taking the project up to 1997 with a single oper ational vehicle. The currently FLIGHT International, 24 August 1985 4 requested funding covers the next two years, and would be matched by contributions from BAe and Rolls-Royce, which holds the patent on the engine. The DTI's decision is expected in the autumn. New pad at Kourou KOUROU ~ The second Kourou launch site, ELA 2, has been handed over to the European Space Agency (ESA) and has been made available to Ariane - space, the private company responsible for selling Ariane launches. The first launch from the pad is set for Decem ber, when an Ariane 3 is scheduled to orbit Brasilsat and Gstar II. The pad, which cost $122 million, will be capable of launching Ariane 4, due for its maiden flight next summer. It considerably increases the flexibility of the Kourou oper ation, since two launch campaigns can be carried out in parallel. • Local sources have confirmed a French television report that troops of the French Foreign Legion rampaged through the streets of Kourou, looting shops, houses, and hotels. Residents were forced to open fire, kill ing one legionnaire and wounding several more. ESA personnel were reportedly unaffected by the incident. Time runs out for Sir Freddie LONDON ~ In a last-ditch attempt to prevent the approval of a £35 million out-of-court settle ment in his anti-trust case, Sir Freddie Laker is appealing to the Royal Court of Jersey, where Laker Airways was registered. Flight understands he will also request the removal of the liquidator, Christopher Morris. His action follows his fail ure to block the settlement in a London High Court on August 17. In doing so, however, he jeopardises £5 • 7 million of his own, offered as personal compensation by British Airways and the 11 other defendants. The offer will be withdrawn this week if Sir Freddie pursues his legal steps to hold up the deal. The out-of-court settle ment provides for outstanding payments owing to Laker Airways' creditors (including former airline staff), the 16,000 small creditors and ticketholders, and larger creditors—who stand to gain £500,000, plus 20 per cent of the balance they are owed. The £35-million sum, agreed in the US courts, was approved by liquidator Chris topher Morris as being a sound basis for Sir Freddie to give up his civil action. Sir Freddie Laker's counsel, John Beveridge, rejects the offer as "pitifully inadequate". FLIGHT UiTERNAnONAl NEXT WEEK John Farley of British Aerospace suggests some improvements to protec tive clothing and safety equipment that could reduce the hazards of fast- jet flying. The European Space Agency's retrievable car rier, Eureca, can fly a single payload or a large number of smaller payloads, offering users a versatile Shuttle-borne space platform for re search. Tim Furniss looks at Eureca's development and potential. Robin Blech reports on the growing international role of UK charter brokers, who offer a unique service to business aircraft users.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
