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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 2061.PDF
TECHNICAL: AIR TRANSPORT Amazon lines up The unveiling of Embraer's EMB-145 Amazon regional jet has set the scene for a head- to-head sales battle with Cana- dair's Regional Jet in the 50-seat market. Both companies see a 1,000-aircraft demand in this new market niche, and both are aiming for a 50 per cent market share. Fortunate for both is the cancellation of the Shorts FJX regional jet, following Shorts' take-over by Bombardier. Embraer believes that its model has distinct advantages over the Canadair RJ, especially on price. The RJ is selling for about $14 million to $15 million, but Embraer is offering the Amazon with an $11 million price tag for launch customers. The Amazon's development costs have been kept low by incorporating as much of the Brasilia airframe as possible. Up to 75 per cent of the Amazon will be made up from Brasilia parts and systems, the company says. "A further by-product of commonality is short develop ment time, which results in a product ready to enter revenue service in 1992," says Embraer. Canadair's RJ is also set to enter service in mid-1992. Two lift plugs are being added to the standard Brasilia fuselage, in front and behind the wing, to give a total length of 83ft 6in. The Amazon will seat 45 passengers at a 31 in seat pitch, or, without galley or wardrobe, 48 passengers at the same pitch. About 360ft3 of checked baggage space (8ft3 per passenger) is available in a rear compartment, as well as space in overhead luggage bins, under the seats, and in the 33ft3 forward wardrobe if the 45-seat configuration is chosen. Embraer says that the cabin noise will be equivalent to that of modern jets. The engines have a similar mount to that on the Brasilia, and will have low upper-surface blowing. This keeps wing modi fication costs to a minimum. An advantage is a lower ground- noise signature because of exhaust shielding by the wing. There is also low inlet airflow distortion, wing flutter attenua tion, and an improved wing lift:drag ratio with this config uration, Embraer says. However, the wing has been redesigned in Embraer Amazon data Wing span Overall length Height Wing area Max take-off weight Max fuel Payload Zero fuel weight Max landing weight Cabin length Aisle height Fuselage diameter 73ft 6in 87ft 6in 20ft 6in 538ft2 36,3751b 8,6001b 9,9251b 30,9701b 35,7001b 47ft 6in 5ft 6in 7ft 6in part, with slight leading edge sweepback and an increased aspect ratio, and winglets. The chord has also been extended at the leading edge, and a super critical airfoil with 14 per cent root thickness is being used. An engine choice is expected within the next two months. A thrust requirement of about 6,4001b is needed, and the General Electric/Garrett TFE738, Lycoming ALF 501/2, and Rolls- Royce/Allison RB.580 are poten tial powerplants. A thrust-to- weight ratio of more than 5:1 is aimed for, with a 30:1 compressor ratio. A cruise speed of about 400kt is planned. Any faster would increase development costs, says Embraer. The Amazon is designed for 500-600 n.m. stages, although a 1,400 n.m. sector can be flown with reduced payload, says Embraer. The manufacturer believes that the aircraft will have one of the lowest specific operating costs practically achievable in its size and range over 500 n.m. The first aircraft should fly in 1991, and the first six production aircraft are due to be delivered during 1992. Embraer plans to be building 60 units a year by 1995, and will reach break-even point in the twelfth year with the 400th model. • The EMB-145's unusual engine configuration is intended to keep development costs dovtn .•. Honeywell begins 328 avionics Honeywell plans to certificate its integrated avionics com puter (IAC) on the company Citation III testbed ahead of its use in the Dornier 328 regional airliner. The single-box IAC is at the heart of the Honeywell avionics system chosen for the twin- turboprop Do.328, which is to fly by about mid-1991 for certifica tion in late 1992 or early 1993. The half-ATR-size IAC replaces four similar-size boxes in the Gulfstream IV business jet, the avionics of which are the basis for the Do. 328 system. Flight management is available as an option on the Do.328 in the form of a single drop-in card for the IAC. The Do.328 will have two IACs, each capable of performing all functions and driving all five electronic flight displays. These displays are based on the 8in2 tubes supplied by Honeywell for the GIV and McDonnell Douglas MD-11 airliner, but made narrower so that five can be arranged side-by-side across smaller regional airliner cockpits. The resulting 8in x 7in displays present all the information avail able on the 8in2 tubes, says Honeywell. The Do. 328 cockpit has five displays, including the central engine indication and crew alert system (EICAS). Display controls are relocated from a dedicated panel on the GIV to a menu- driven keypad at the base of each CRT. This reduces cost, says Honeywell. The displays are completely interchangeable, and any format—primary flight, navi gation, or EICAS—can be presented on any display. Each display is driven at twice the picture refresh rate of the GIV units, improving picture quality. If one IAC is lost, the other can drive all five displays with a picture quality equal to that of the GIV's, says Honeywell. Other features of the Do.328 avionics system include use of the small radio-management system CRT displays as the standby engine and navigation instruments, so saving space and weight. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 July 1989 19
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