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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 3285.PDF
HEADLINES B-2 range is 26% better than B-1B BY JULIAN MOXON IN WASHINGTON The Northrop B-2 has between 20 and 26 per cent more range than the Rockwell B-1B, the US Air Force reveals. The stealth bomber's fuel efficiency ESA threatens Freedom plan European Space Agency (ESA) officials are threatening to withdraw from NASA's inter national Space Station effort after the US space agency unilaterally adjusted the Freedom assembly schedule. An internal NASA review has delayed the launch of ESA's Columbus attached pressurised module by more than a year to July 1998 at the earliest (see "Analysis", p 28). With a $400 million budget cut this year and further reduc tions expected over the next five years, NASA says that it made the changes to hold the first Freedom assembly launch to May 1995, leading to permanent manning in July 1997 and full operation in 1999, 18 months behind schedule. , • NEWS IN BRIEF HONDURAN 727 CRASHES More than 100 people died, but about 15 survived, when a Boeing 727-200 crashed near the Honduran capital, Teguciyalpa, on October 21. The aircraft was operated by Honduran airline TAN (Trans- portes Aereos Nationales). AZERBAIJAN CRASH A Soviet Ilyushin 11-76 mili tary transport aircraft carrying troops in the Azerbaijan region crashed three minutes after take-off from ah airfield at Nasosnaya. is "almost 50 per cent" better. A chart released to the US Congress last week compared the range of the two strategic bombers with identical payloads. For an all-high-altitude mission, a B-1B with an extra bomb bay fuel tank can carry up to eight short-range attack missiles (SRAMs), and eight B83 nuclear gravity bombs a distance of 5,500 n.m. The B-2s.says the USAF, can fly the same payload up to 6,300 n.m. With lighter B61 nuclear bombs replacing the B83s, B-2 range goes up to 6,600 n.m. The USAF does not reveal if the 37,3001b SRAM/B83 payload represents the maximum B-2 payload capability: "We're just comparing like with like," the Air Force says. EC challenges Air France/Air Inter deal The European Commission (EC) has challenged Air France and Air Inter over the legality of joint route operations arranged since April 1988. The arrangement at first consisted of three "route swaps", whereby Air France allowed major French domestic carrier Air Inter to operate two of AF's shorter international routes, and AF gained domestic access to Marseille; both airlines operate the swapped routes under each other's flight numbers. Since March this year, four more routes have been swapped. State-owned Air France owns 36-53 per cent of Air Inter. The two airlines argue that the arrangement improves effi ciency, and that the benefits are passed on to the consumer. It was under this claim that the Government waived the Euro pean competition laws. The commission says that the airlines must now prove that the deal benefits the consumer. Q STRATEGIC BOMBER RANGE MATRIX Aircraft B-1B with bay tank B-1B w/o bay tank B-1B with bay tank B-1B w/o bay tank B-2 B-2 Fuel (lb) 214,600 196,600 214,600 196,600 > 160,000 > 160,000 TOGW* (lb) 444,900 424,900 431,600 411,600 371,330 358,000 Weapons load (lb) 8 SRAM/8 B83 37,300 8 SRAM/8 B83 37,300 8 SRAM/8 B61 24,000 8 SRAM/8 B61 24,000 8 SRAM/8 B83 37,300 8 SRAM/8 B61 24,000 Unrefuelled range All-high (1 5,500 5,070 5,600 5,200 6,300 6,600 Hi-lo-hi (n.m.) Hi-lo-hi ,000 n.m. low) (optimised) 4,000 3,570 4,200 3,770 4,400 4,500 4,680 4,500 4,740 4,560 5,300 5,400 • Take-off gross weight For a 37,3001b payload on an all-high mission, the B-1B needs 214,0001b of fuel to fly the 5,500 n.m., against the B-2's 160,0001b. This reflects almost entirely on the better aero dynamics of the B-2, with its flying-wing design, since the two bombers are both powered by similar General Electric engines. Release of B-2 range data was unexpected, apparently being prompted by press reports that the bomber had less range than the B-1B "The fact is that the B-2 needs less than half the air refuelling support of the B-1B to carry out its principal mission," the USAF says. New data released by USAF show that the internal carriage capacity of the B-2 is up to 50,0001b of either nuclear or conventional weapons. Using rotary launchers, the B-2 can carry nuclear SRAMs as well as gravity-dropped weapons like the B61 and B83. Its load can vary from up to 16 large nuclear or 20 smaller devices. Using con ventional bomb racks, the B-2 can carry up to 80 conventional 227kg munitions as well as vary ing numbers of other conven tional weapons, including sea mines. Q •••: - "--A ft 11 *5-5S£==__ •jpgH^ I ,-"••'• f*. ~ -j- '***&&lt;$'" Hr —* =~ —^H :.:« 1&i%Hi&-"^~ • -'"St '',™*' ; x~ wafekiil r* jUj^nii^, ^ M^^'%8s.V$<f\ - LL^.-:^^^ i iqp. %?__ (- The sale of Dan-Air's A300s will counter package-tour losses Dan-Air sells A300s to offset losses Dan-Air, the UK charter and scheduled carrier, is selling its two Airbus A300B4s in a bid to cushion heavy losses incurred from its package-tour charters. The first-half pretax deficit of parent Davies & Newman for 1989 soared to £7-66 million from £1-39 million in 1988. Dan-Air contributes around 99 per cent by turnover. Turnover rose 15 per cent to £163-86 million. Dan-Air shares, which, passed 900 pence in February, dipped below 600p on the news. She airline operates a fleet of Boeing 727s, 737s, BAe 146s, and One-Elevens on scheduled and charter services in Europe. One of the A300s is to be leased back for mid-1990 and is due to accept its third Boeing 737-400 earlier in the year. Continuing high UK interest rates are expected to depress the holiday market again in 1990. Finance director Wilf Jones warns of a "very difficult" 1990, but chairman Fred Newman says that the disposal of the A300s and minor shipping interests will keep the group in profit in 1989. Analyst Ian Wild of London stockbroker BZW says: "The position can't be too clever for any company to be selling assets to bolster the figures, but this time last year the tour operators were looking for 20 per cent demand growth and ended up with it 20 per cent down because of late cancellations. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 28 October 1989 5
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