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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0008.PDF
HEADLINES Rolls-Royce studies uprated Trent Ferranti seeks to join FAMS UK electronics firm Ferranti Computer Systems (FCS) is holding discussions with family of anti-air missile systems (FAMS) consortium member Selenia in an attempt to break into the FAMS programme. Dis cussions are centred on possible FCS involvement in radar sys tems for FAMS. FCS was left in the cold when the UK Government selected FAMS over the NATO anti-air warfare system (NAAWS) for the area defence anti-aircraft missile system on Royal Navy next- generation air-defence vessels (Flight, 13-19 December). Ferranti was a member of the McDonnell Douglas and Westinghouse-led UNISAMS consortium competing for NAAWS but had no involvement with FAMS, Other leading UK companies, such as British Aero space and Marconi Radar Sys tems, were involved in both FAMS and NAAWS, while Mar coni Defence Systems opted last year to support only FAMS. Other European FAMS industry members are Aerospatiale and Thomson of France, Selenia of Italy and Ibermisil of Spain. FAMS awaits the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to go into the 24-month project-definition phase which industry sources close to the pro gramme do not expect to be competitive. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) says that FAMS has ". . . not moved any further" than when the UK decision was announced on 8 December. Sign ing of the MoU may take up to eight months while member na tions, including the UK, examine national requirements. NAAWS has suffered a further setback with the West German decision to pull out of both this programme and the NATO frig ate replacement 90 (NFR90) project, the latter a prime can didate to deploy NAAWS. The West German MoD states that the NAAWS decision was prompted by cost, saying that NAAWS was expected to be a very good system but: "It is too costly and we would be able only to outfit a few of our ships". D Plans to increase the thrust rating of the Trent high- bypass turbofan 40,800kg (90,0001b) and beyond are being studied by Rolls-Royce. The engine is aimed at possible growth variants of aircraft like the proposed Boeing 777. Rolls-Royce deputy chairman Sir Ralph Robins says: "It is my view that while engines of much lower specific thrust will even tually come, the pressure for some years will be for engines such as the Trent. This pressure could easily take the Trent up to much higher thrusts of 90,0001b and above, when a fan of 120in [305cm] diameter with a short cowl might be considered." Such a fan blade would be up to 40cm bigger than those for 36,300kg-rated growth variants of high-bypass turbofans such as the Pratt & Whitney PW4000. The work is being undertaken because, says Rolls-Royce, it is aware that "... if the Boeing 767-X is launched [as the 777], Boeing have growth plans for it and the company [R-R] is carry ing out studies to show how the Trent family meets these requirements". Rolls-Royce is already offering the Trent 710 turbofan for the 777 with a thrust rating of 32,670kg and certification set for 1994. A follow-on Trent 760 has a thrust rating of 34,500kg. Thrust, ratings of up to 40,800Kg and beyond are thought to be aimed at growth variants such as the prospective trans-Atlantic 10,700km range Boeing 777. The 777 is a twin-aisle twin-jet rivalling the Airbus A330 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11. Pro visional characteristics of the 777 include a US transcontinental range of 7,800km. Pratt & Whitney says that it is not in a position to discuss developments of more than 36,300kg for the PW4000 as there is no requirement for this at present. General Electric (GE) is offer ing the GE90 high thrust, high- bypass turbofan under study for the 777 which will provide thrust levels of 36,300kg and beyond. GE says: "The GE90 is General Electric's study programme for a new high-thrust engine to power larger twin-engined widebody aircraft. The study is aimed at an engine with thrust ratings of 80,0001b 136,300kg] and above." For the Airbus Industrie A330 GE is offering the new CF6-80E1 high-bypass turbofan. The engine is scheduled for certifica tion at 30,600kg take-off thrust in late 1992 and for entry into service at a 29,700kg rating in 1993. Existing plans call for certification at 32,650kg take-off thrust in December 1994. • AGUSTA IN $200 MILLION HELICOPTER DEAL Asian Helicopter has ordered 65 Agusta A. 109 helicopters in a $200 million deal, which the Italian firm claims to be a record in the civil sector. Asian Helicopter, which signed the contract in association with the Okura and Kanematsu groups, was prompted to buy the twin-turbine helicopters by Japan's planned "heliport highway"—a network of heliports. SWISS SUPER PUMAS Switzerland has ordered 12 Aerospatiale AS.332-M1 Super Pumas for delivery between January 1991 and April 1992, joining three machines ordered by the Air Force in 1986. NON TO F-18 The French Government has awarded Dassault-Breguet a FFrl.8 billion contract to up grade French Navy F-8E Cru sader aircraft. Defence Min ister Jean-Pierre Chevenment told the navy it will not get the F-18 aircraft it wanted pend ing entry into service of the Dassault Rafale ACM in Ae late 1990s. NEWS IN BRIEF CAA INVESTIGATED The UK Monoplies and Merg ers Commission is to investi gate the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as part of the Government's programme of checks on national bodies. The Commission, which last exam ined the CAA in 1983, has been instructed to concentrate on "the supply of navigation and air traffic control services to' civil aircraft with emphasis on the effectiveness of its management and planning systems in respect of its major new investment programme". < i ] i i i < 1 1 i 1 i 1 1 « ( i -th SHANNON AEROSPACE Shannon Aerospace, the narrowbody overhaul base to be set up in Ireland, will be owned 30% by GPA and 33% each by Lufthansa and Swissair. Work v will start on the $122 million project in the second quarter of this year and begin operation on 737s and MD-80s in late 1992. AIRLINER CENSUS* Due to a computer disk error, the World Airliner Census published in the 13-19 Decem ber issue contained a number ofjnaccuracies. We apologise for this and will be making the necessary corrections shortly. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3-9 January 1990
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