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Aviation History
1986
1986 - 2735.PDF
COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT OF THE WORLD Airbus Industrie Avenue Lucien Servanty, BP No 33, 31700 Blagnac, France <gf 033 61 93 33 33 ^^AITO 530526F Airbus has had a slacker sales year this year than last year, as airlines reflect on the long lead times before A320s are available for new customers, and assess the Europeans' longer- term plans for the A330/A340. Lower fuel prices convince Airbus that the A320 is not threatened by the 7J7, and that the priority is to build up production of this new model so that a base of customers is rapidly established. The weaker dollar has, however, made pricing more difficult and, like Boeing, Airbus is aware of the need to contain production costs. The news that Airbus has been talking to McDonnell Douglas caused something of a stir, but most observers feel that the partnership will have to launch the A330 sooner or later to maintain a competitive position relative to the 767-300 and proposed 767-400. Although the A300-600R is on offer to customers, the new technology which could be deployed on the A330 will make a positive go-ahead decision on the A330 and A340 increasingly urgent. Apart from the talks with MDC, part of the reason for the delay has been doubts about the exact capacity of the aircraft, and the need to be assured that there will be sufficient power from the CFM56 or V.2500 to power the com plementary A340. Both of these issues now appear to be resolved. The remaining tasks are to generate a set of launch customers, and to persuade the partner governments to put up the launch finance. It seems virtually certain that both of these condi tions will have been met by this time next year. The A320 will then be flying, and the Airbus partners will be on to their next firm project. It is quite probable that additional companies will be involved in the A320/340, with Aefitalia tipped as the most likely. A300. Airbus Industrie has advanced the order-book for the A300 series by 11 during the year since the last Survey, with sales to Korean Air (two F4s), Continental (three B4s), Thai Airways International (four -600s), and Finnair (two B4s). All were significant in their own way. The Korean order was the first for a pure- freighter Airbus, although there have been a series of earlier orders for convertibles from several customers. This subtype was certifi cated in June this year immediately before delivery. With all passenger-related furnishings removed, this version has a maximum payload of some 45 tonnes. Continental's order for three new aircraft, to join three bought on the used market, added another US customer alongside Eastern and Pan Am—although it has to be recognised that Continental now controls Eastern. The Thai order was the only one this year for the latest model -600, and helped the carrier maintain its place with 20 aircraft as the fourth largest Airbus widebody customer behind Eastern, Lufthansa, and Air France. The decision by new buyer Finnair took the Airbus widebody customer base to 55 carriers. Firm orders for the -600 stand at 34. The basic prototype A300B1 flew in October 1972 and was followed by the initial production B2 and the heavier, longer-range B4. The latest A300-600 is a further development using tech nology from the A310. It incorporates the A310 rear fuselage, increasing passenger capacity by 18 seats with very little increase in overall length, the new two-crew cockpit and the lighter, smaller A310 tailplane. Empty weight and drag have been cut from B4 levels despite The A320 is on schedule for a maiden flight next March an increase in payload and range. Airbus Industrie claims that a series of improvements to the wing—re-cambered trailing edge, deletion of the outer aileron, use of electrically-signalled spoilers in roll, deletion of the slat fence, reshaped pylon and the use of A310 nacelles—bring it close to the aero dynamic standard of the A310. The A300-600 with its latest-technology GE CF6-80C2 or P&W JT9D-7R4H engines is therefore a major advance over the early model A300s. It will be available with the new PW4000 from mid-1987. The latest -600s have drag-reducing wing-tip fences, carbon brakes, and the so-called "New World" cockpit of the long-range A310-300. Airbus is now making firm proposals to the airlines of a further development of the A300, designated the -600R. It would make use of the tailplane trim tank of the A310-300 and could be available for service at the end of 1987. Programme Status: Total orders, 281. Deliv ered, 266. Production rate for A300-600/A310 currently two per month. A310. Having certificated the A310-300 powered by the P&W JT9D-7R4 last Decem ber, the GE CF6-80C2 version gained its airworthiness ticket in March. The A310-300 is now available at a maximum take-off weight of 337,3001b (153,000kg). Pan Am will be the first customer for the -300 powered by the new PW4000 engine, and this subtype will enter service in June 1987. A total of 15 A310s was sold during the last 12 months. Because the Libyan Arab order for four has been dropped from the official order list, total sales advanced by 11. All the 1985-86 customers, Kenya (2), Alia (6), CAAC (2), SIA (2), and THY (3), specified the long-range -300 version. This reflected the airline industry's present need for smaller widebodies with long- haul performance. Although the Kenyan Airways order was small it was significant in that this airline has now become the first African A310 operator, evening the score with Boeing, which signed up Ethiopian for the 767ER more than three years ago. Both competitors now have a toehold in Black Africa. A tough sales battle was fought with Boeing before Alia placed an order in May for six GE- powered A310-300s, with three options. The airline also ordered six A320s, with four options. Political considerations had a part to play in this deal. The A310-300 is the first production airliner with a tailplane trim-tank, and is also claimed to be the first to use carbonfibre reinforced plastic for a major structural element, in this case the fin. The tailplane is supplied by Casa and the composite fin by MBB. The A310-200 was certificated in March 1983 and was the first major derivative Of the A300. This model has been followed by the A310-300, launched in March 1983 with an order from Swissair, and flown for the first time in July 1985. The A310 has a new wing of reduced size, a shorter fuselage, a two-crew cockpit, and more advanced digital systems, but retains the basic eight-abreast twin-aisle fuselage cross-section of the A300. It contrasts in many ways with its principal competitor, the Boeing 767, which has a larger wing and a rather smaller diameter fuselage offering a seven-abreast layout in normal economy. Because of an extensive weight-saving programme, the A310-300 has an empty weight very similar to that of the A310-200, despite having a maximum take-off weight some 8 tonnes higher. It is able to carry the typical mixed-class load of 218 passengers 4,500 n.m. (8,350km), some 500 n.m. (930km) further than the A300-200. Programme Status: Total orders, 127. Deliv ered, 90. Production rate for A300-600/A310 currently two per month. A320. The maiden flight of the CFM56-5- powered A320 will take place next March so that deliveries of certificated aircraft to Air France and British Caledonian can begin in spring 1988. The first example of the all-new aircraft is virtually complete, and the partners are gearing up for a production rate of six and a half aircraft a month by the end of 1989. A proportion of these aircraft will be powered by the IAE V.2500 engine. This version will make its first flight in the summer of 1988 for service entry with Cyprus Airways in the spring of 1989. Initial models of the 150-seat A320, desig- FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 11 October 1986 37
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