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Aviation History
1987
1987 - 2021.PDF
COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT OF THE WORLD participation both as a subcontractor and as a risk-sharing partner. It is already indirectly linked to Airbus through the Future Inter national Military Airlifter (FIMA) project involving BAe, Aerospatiale, and MBB. L-100 Commercial Hercules. The Commer cial Hercules is the only propeller-driven aircraft in the Survey. Lockheed-Georgia has looked at more distinct civil derivatives of the C-130, but so far at least the rather specialised market is satisfied with the current L-100-30. The original civil model, the L-100, was certif icated in October 1965. In October 1968 the L-100-20, which featured a lOOin (2-54m) fuse lage stretch over the basic military C-130 and Commercial L-100, was certificated. The latest model, the L-100-30, was certificated in Octo ber 1970 and has a further 80in (2 • 03m) stretch to better match its volume and lift capability to the typical densities of civil air freight. The largest operators of L-100 are Safair Freighters (8), and Southern Air Transport (16). L-lOOs are in service with 33 operators, including 16 airlines. Programme status: Some 1,847 Hercules of all marks have been ordered and 1,816 5 delivered. 106 are L-100 Commercial models. Lockheed-California PO Box 551, 2555 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank California 91520 «? (818) 847-5730 A decision to wind-up the TriStar programme was taken in late 1981. Lockheed is believed to have lost $2-5 billion on the project ($10 million for each aircraft delivered). The prod uction rate only exceeded 25 per year, consid ered the minimum under US conditions to make a profit, during 1973-75 and 1981. The company says it will continue to support in-service TriStars, and this policy will extend to modifications of -1 aircraft to the -50, -100, -150, -200, and -250 specification. TriStar. In February, Lockheed received a $10 million contract from First Chicago Leasing for the supply of four kits to modify early model -1 TriStars into a new sub-type, the -150. The kits will be available by mid-1988. The new -150 will have a range of 3,600 n.m. (5,800km), compared with 2,800 n.m. (4,500km) for the -1 and a maximum take-off weight of 470,0001b (213,000kg), compared with 430,0001b (195,000kg). Unlike the -250 (see below), the -150 will not involve an engine change from the original 42,0001b-thrust RB.211-22B. About 50 -Is are potential candidates for the -150 conversion. The more extensive conversion of the -1 into the -250 was certificated in February. Created from the basic 430,0001b L-101M, the ,510,0001b -250 has new RB.211- 524B engines, additional fuel capacity, and a series of modifications to increase the strength of the wings, landing gear, and fuselage. Range is boosted from 3,060 n.m. to 5,085 n.m. Delta is the only customer so far, but other airlines may well follow, given the present shortage of used TriStar -500s and DC-10-30s. A more modest conversion than the -150 and -250, known as the -50, creates a 450,0001b gross weight aircraft from the -1. More than 15 aircraft have been converted to this model. There is still a strong possibility that the TriStar will find a role as a civil freighter, especially now that Marshall of Cambridge, with Lockheed support, has engineered and flown a military tanker/freighter based on the -500 for the RAF. The type made its first flight in November 1970. The L-1011-1 entered service in April 1972, followed by the L-1011-100 in June 1975, the -200 in May 1977, and the cut-back -500 in May 1979. Commercial Hercules are flown by 16 airlines Of the 249 orders, 161 were for L-1011-ls, 14 for -100s, 24 for -200s, and 50 for -500s. In addition, 11 -100s were created by conversion from -1 standard, as were six -200s. Programme status: Orders, 249. Options, 0. Delivered, 249. Production complete. One aircraft built as a company development aircraft and retained. McDonnell Douglas 3855 Lakewood Boulevard, Long Beach, California 90846 «Sf (213) 593-5511 or (213) 774-1560 Given the sensitivity and accuracy of the aero space grapevine, McDonnell Douglas may not have been completely surprised when Boeing decided to delay the 7J7 by 15 months. Like Airbus, it must have been pleased that the airlines are - not convinced that an all-new UDF/propfan airliner is overwhelmingly attractive. Unlike Airbus, however, MDC already has a rear-engined 150-seater in volume production, and is able to offer an MD-80 derivative with new ultra-high-bypass-ratio engines at relatively short notice should a less adventurous project than the 7J7 prove attrac tive. The big news from MDC has been the launch of the MD-11. Official company go-ahead was given on December 30, with the announcement that 12 customers had placed orders and taken options on 92 aircraft—a total that has now been increased. This decision ends any doubts that the company plans to be delivering wide- bodied airliners throughout the 1990s. Subsequent policy statements also indicate that further developments on the current family of MD-lls are in prospect. The launch of the MD- 11 has effectively ruled out any co-operation with Airbus on the design and production of widebodied airliners, although it is an outside possibility that a deal may be struck covering a stretched A320 and an MD-80 with ultra-high- bypass-ratio engines. Another milestone was the first flight of a Chinese assembled MD-80 on August 4 this year. The new short-bodied MD-87 made its maiden flight on December 4 last year, and this type looks set to become an important addition to the MD-80 series. It is larger and heavier than the recently launched Boeing 737-500. Of all the US manufacturers, MDC appears to be the most enthusiastic about the X-30 National Aerospaceplane, forerunner of the so- called Orient Express. The latter is aimed at the target of flying Los Angeles-Tokyo in two hours. In the meantime, however, MDC has the more prosaic problem of managing an increase in the rate of MD-80 deliveries despite parts shortages and industrial relations problems among its production staff. MD-87 Because it is 17ft 5in (5-3m) shorter than the other MD-80s, the MD-87 can be considered a distinctly different model. It employs a high degree of commonality, never theless, with its larger brothers, and has a common type-rating for cockpit crew. The programme was launched in early 1985. First flight followed in December last year, and deliv eries of certificated aircraft began last month. In the year since the last Survey, the MD-87 has built on the bridgehead of the 26 sales it had already achieved. These new deals have been with Aerolloyd (2), CTA (4), and Transwede (2), to executive operator Ginji Yasuda, and to Midway in the form of a letter of intent signed in May covering eight aircraft and options on 28 more. Midway says it chose the MD-87 as a hedge against higher fuel prices and the launch of the MD-91/92X. It has the option to trade-in the MD-87s to MDC against the purchase of propfan-powered derivatives if and when they go ahead. Powered either by the P&W JT8D-217C or -219, the MD-87 can carry 139 passengers. The Transwede aircraft have an auxiliary fuel tank to boost range to 2,840 n.m. (5,300km). Programme Status: Orders, 43. First deliv eries under way. Production rate, all MD-80 models, 8 per month. MD-80 New orders for the long-bodied MD-80 series were relatively modest when compared with those for the A320 and 737, but McDonnell Douglas has been working to fulfil large orders from trend-setting airlines such as TWA, Delta, and American. Announcements of new orders such as Minerve (2), Alitalia (10), and Alisarda (2) disguised the fact that, as a consequence of deals made over 12 months ago, American is planning to have a fleet of up to 200 and Delta a fleet of up to 110 MD-80s. The conversion of options into orders by the latter two customers has been a behind-the-scenes feature of 1986-87. The development of the MD-80 family provides a case study of the way new technology can be applied retrospectively to an existing design. The basic DC-9 made its maiden flight in February 1965. The DC-9-80 (renamed the MD-80) entered service in 1980. All the MD-80 family use the same wing and are available with any of the P&W JT8D-200 series of engines. MDC used keen pricing and a series of "sweetheart" leases during the depth of the economic recession to establish the type as the FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 10 October 1987 .5/
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