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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1167.PDF
A320 Stretch key changes 24% more seats -186 (two-class) Modified wing trailing-edge 40% more hold volume-10 LD3-46(W) ' with double-slotted flaps Range 2,400 n.m. ^.Structural reinforcement Uprated landing gear Uprated engines-CFM56 and V2500 /ff ij 2.67m /M /J />5^ Sv. 4.27m ^^^Q^Q eS^\ 0_ \^_) Stretched, the Airbus A320 stays essentially the same not seen as a direct competitor (it is larger, more expensive, and has a longer range), it is available during the next five years, when the A320 Stretch is not, and the 757 and the 737-400 are eating at both edges of the A320 Stretch's niche. Airbus insists an additional assembly line for the A 3 20 Stretch will not be necessary. The decision on a second line will depend on the total number of A320 orders. According to Jennings, A320 sales are approaching the point where the ten-a-month prod uction rate will be entirely sold out for five years ahead. To set up a second line needs not just a small production capacity short fall, however, Jennings says. I ORDERBOOK ' D Sabena buys Airbuses Belgian national airline Sabena has agreed to buy four Airbus A340 long-range, four- engined airliners, and to take options on a further five, taking its total commitment to . ten. Sabena is an A340 launch customer, and expects its first aircraft in 1992. D Asiana adds Boeings New South Korean airline Asiana has ordered five Boeing 737-400s for delivery between July 1992 and June 1993, and taken options on five more. The Seoul-based carrier operates six -400s leased from GPA. Asiana has signed letters of intent to con vert two 767-300 options to firm orders, and to secure its first four 747-400s. The airline has two 767-300s on order for delivery in 1990, and will receive the first 747-400 in 1991. Northwest Airlines, the fourth- largest US air-carrier, says it will respond to a take-over offer by oil tycoon Marvin Davis by putting itself up for the auction to the highest bidder. At the same time, NWA's board of directors rejected the Davis offer of $2-7 billion for all of the airline's outstanding shares as "inadequate". Davis's offer is $90 a share for NWA stock. On the board's announce- Control over the fate of Eastern Airlines is gradually shifting from its present management, including Frank Lorenzo, Eastern's owner and board chairman, to the creditors' committee being consulted by Federal Bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland. "Eastern has remained too long in the emergency room and is hemorrhaging $1 million a day," Judge Lifland said, as he nevertheless granted a creditors' committee request for a further delay in considering the various plans and proposals being proposed to get the airline flying again. D More MDs for Korean Korean Air Lines has ordered two McDonnell Douglas MD- 82 twinjets and one MD-11 trijet, together worth $250 million, with an option on two more MD-82s. KAL ordered six MD-82s in 1985. The latest pair will be delivered in late 1993, and the option aircraft in late 1994. The Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered MD-11, Korean's fifth, will arrive in July 1991. The air line has options on three more. D Dash 8 adds sales Boeing Canada's de Havilland division has sold five more Dash 8 twin-turboprops. GPA Jetprop has exercised two Dash 8-100 options, taking total firm orders to 49 -100s and -300s, with three more -100s on option. Australian Airlines has ordered two- 100s, bringing its total to four. Hamburg Airlines has ordered one -100, taking its total to three -100s and one -300. ment, share prices jumped to nearly $100 on the expectation that other interested buyers would push the price up. One investment group which is expected to enter the bidding already holds nearly 5 per cent of NWA's outstanding shares. This group, which includes former NWA director Gary Wilson, has not said what price it was prepared to pay for the airline's remaining shares. By rejecting an offer to buy the airline after Eastern's unions had accepted deep pay cuts and workrule concessions, Lorenzo lost some of his credi bility with Judge Lifland. Lorenzo now says he will propose a plan to sell off parts of the airline, keeping about half of its pre-bankruptcy routes, employees, and aircraft. The creditors committee is made up of everyone owed money by Eastern. This in cludes caterers, equipment sup pliers including fuel companies, banks, and Eastern's employees, whose pension funds are tied up in the proceedings. outgrow the CFM56-5C1 launch engine, requiring the RW2000or RB.211-535.) The -A5 is intended to be the same weight as the -Al, with a core flow increase of 7 to 9 per cent and a bypass ratio reduced from 5-42 to 5-06. Us overall pressure ratio is 30-8, against 29-4 for the -Al. IAE says that the engine noise-level differ ence is insignificant. A320-300s fitted with the -A5 are intended to have a maximum take-off gross weight 9 tonnes greater than that of the A320-200. As with the -Al, the -A5 will be available with special thrust ratings to meet "critical airport operations". IAE is already running a continuous product-improve ment (CPI) programme on the -Al, aimed at cutting fuel burn by 3 per cent. The -A5 fuel burn will be further reduced, but by less than one percentage point. Targets of the two-phase CPI are a 751b weight reduction and 1 per cent fuel-efficiency increase by January 1991, and a Compressor problems overcome, lAE's V2500 begins to grow total weight reduction of 1501b and efficiency increase of 3 per cent by June 1992. The fan blades will be recambered. Rig testing of the revised fan is due to start in the third quarter of 1989, and engine tests in the first quarter of next year. The fan-duct exit guide vanes are being moved forward and the strut wall contours revised. These changes are already under going engine test. Also under test are aero dynamic changes to the low- pressure turbine and deletion of the front bearing- compartment buffer air. Rig tests confirmed performance gains from the latter, and the modification is to be incorpo rated in production engines. Engine tests showed improved efficiency from redesign of low-pressure compressor stator One, which is being incorporated from production engine 51. Construction of the first -A 5 is likely to start towards the end of 1989, ready for engine test in early 1991 and first flight in 1993. N W A puts itself on auction block Eastern creditors elbow Lorenzo aside FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 29 April 1989 9
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