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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0075.PDF
TECHNICAL: AIR TRANSPORT FAA demands ATR42 structural changes Changes to ATR42 centre on wing centre - box structure The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is demanding major modifications to almost 150 ATR42 aircraft in a final ruling which took effect on 12 January. The wing centre-box structure on 149 aircraft from aircraft number three will have to be replaced and attachment holes in the wing skin and wing/fuselage junction fitting on many of them will have to have a "cold expan sion". Further changes called for include the reinforcement of sev eral fuselage frames on many of the aircraft. The FAA airworthiness direc tive says that operators of US- registered aircraft must have the work done before 10,000 land ings or within 300 landings from 12 January, whichever occurs later. Aircraft not modified could suffer a structural failure in the wing or fuselage, the FAA believes. The changes were prompted by the discovery of cracks in an ATR42 airframe being tested for fatigue. The FAA, which pro posed an airworthiness directive last August, turned down a re quest for amendment it received from Aerospatiale, a partner in ATR with Aeritalia, which wanted wing centre-box replace ment to cover one additional aircraft. Aerospatiale issued ser vice bulletins last July. The FAA says that 50 US air craft are affected. • QNC gets approval for 707 hushkit The Federal Aviation Admin istration has granted a supplemental type certificate (STC) for a Boeing 707-300 hushkit, meeting stage two of Federal Aviation Regulation Part 36 noise requirements. The kit is installed by Quiet Nacelle (QNC) of the USA through Universal Aircraft Leasing (UAL). Most hushkits consist of a funnel strapped on to the back of the engine, but UAL insists that the QNC kits modify the engine completely to comply with stage two. Nose cowls are modified, the central ejector ring on the 707 is similarly altered and a sleeve is put around the rear cowls. "Hushkits heard on the BAC One-Eleven, for example, are not true stage-two kits," says Ken Fazakerley, president of market ing, UAL. "QNC have done the research and development for stage three, which is not law yet, and so could even meet that if it came in." The company has also ob tained STCs for the DC-8-50 and -61 series and the Boeing 707- 100 and -300 series. With the kit, the 707 will have a maximum take off weight of 152,090kg at 25° flap and a maximum landing weight of 112,365kg. • US ATC problem increases costs Delays and cost overruns on the US air traffic control upgrade programme have forced software producer Computer Sciences (CSC) to revalue its 13- year $134 million subcontract with IBM for the advanced automation system (AAS) by a factor of four. The company says that the value has increased to more than $700 million to the year 2010 and comes on the back of IBM delays. CSC is providing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with software design, develop ment and testing services for the initial sector suite system, the terminal advanced automation system and the area control com puter set-up. IBM is a year behind schedule on the second phase of the com puter re-equipment operation for US air traffic control and blames changing software requirements as being partly to blame along with unforeseen initial diffi culties. Full delivery of operating software could be delayed until next year. IBM and Unisys are principal prime contractors to the FAA on more than 90 projects under the $27 billion national airspace system plan that includes the upgrade and replacement of a wide variety of equipment. When the project was started in 1981, the FAA estimated the cost to be $11.7 billion over ten years with completion at the year 2000. The programme is more than three years behind schedule and more than 130% over authorised programme costs. • Westland wins Airbus safety deal Westland eases the pressure on A330/340 tyre safety Airbus Industrie has ordered a xVtyre pressure indicating system (TPLS) for the A330 and A340 from Westland Aerospace. As existing airline commitments for these aircraft are between 360 and 400, Westland estimates that the total value of the contract will be around £20 million. The deal is a move away from the orders for torquerrieters for the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor air craft and Sea King helicopter, which have been the mainstay of Westland Aerospace's control systems technology so far. The company calls it a breakthrough into the air transport market. Techniphone, part of the French Mors Group, will supply the computer hardware and software as well as the pressure cell for the TP1S system. The system is an "on demand" instrument that informs flight crews of undercarriage wheels' tyre pressure through a display fed via the aircraft's computer databus. Reliable performance in temperatures of between — 55°C and 4-160°C is demanded by Airbus for the A330/340 system. Sudden tyre depressurisation is most likely to occur at landing, or during taxi on fully laden aircraft as there is a greater chance of debris being present on taxiways than on runways. Boeing has the system in stalled on its 747-400 fleet, al though the company stresses that it is not a Federal Aviation Administration mandatory requirement. • FUGHT INTERNATIONAL 17-23 January 1990
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