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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 1945.PDF
Romanio plans military jet upgrades but the Yak-52's days may be numbered been few. There have been gliders, motor gliders and light aircraft, but the only major programme has been the IAR-99 Soim (Hawk) advanced jet trainer and ground-attack air craft powered by a licence-built Viper. Pintilie claims that parts of Romania's in dustry are on the same technological level as Israel, but admits that major changes must be made if it is to play a part in Western programmes. He says: "We must destroy ex isting structures and the industry must re build itself as a commercial system with shares. We will form autonomous companies and decentralise the economics of each firm. We will also introduce limited competition". Those shares will initially be held only by the state. Later on, however, Western firms will be invited to buy into Romanian firms, being allowed to take sizeable, although proba bly non-controlling, shareholdings. Western analysts will be brought in to audit the firms' assets and evaluate share capital. Legislation is being introduced to support joint ventures and already factories have been freed to bypass the Ministry and negotiate directly with Western firms for business. The monopoly on exporting held by the state- owned trader Technoimportexport is likely to go, say industrialists. Pintilie says that, fundamentally, the indus try must be redirected from the small home market to the world market. That is likely to mean focussing on fewer products and per haps taking on work outside aviation, be lieves FERA's Galusca. A logical starting point, in Pintilie's view, is subcontracting for West ern firms with joint programmes following. SEVEN DAY WEEK There will be an assault on productivity. Factor)' managers will be able to fire lazy workers and the Government is introducing unemployment benefit. George Popescu says, however, that since the aviation workforce is already relatively small, if Romania is to become a force in aviation productivity must be boosted by raising output rather than by cutting staff. IMRA is targetting a three- to four-fold productivity boost and is looking to Western technology for much of the that. Until the revolution Romanian workers could not be fired and worked seven days a week. Only since last December have they been given weekends off - their wages re maining the same. Investment to modernise the industry is estimated by Pintilie at $150 million. Up to 25% of equipment needs replacing. Romanian industrialists are optimistic about finding Western business partners. Western firms to have had recent talks with Romania include Dowty, Israel Aircraft Industries, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Pilatus, Quiet Nacelle and Jaffe, say Romanian industry officials. "Since the revolution there have been serious proposals for co-opef ation from foreign firms," says Pintilie. IMRA's Popescu was in Hannover for the air show there in May in an attempt to renew contact with Western firms. (Romania's last appearance at a major show had been in Paris in 1985 when it showed an attack helicopter cancelled soon after by Ceaucescu). Neculai Banea, general manager of the large Bacau factory is proposing to perform final assembly of the Pilatus PC-12 turbine- single. He plans to meet Pilatus this month. Under Banea's plan, the Bacau factory would become a risk-sharing partner. Banea says that he can raise up to $35 million from a foreign investor. The PC-12 programme would replace the Yak-52, although Banea expects that IAv Bacau will make another light aircraft for the Soviets. Banea is assessing reorganisation of the Bacau complex to improve productivity and hopes to pay workers in part in hard cur rency obtained from export sales. He plans to introduce a new management structure mod elled along Western lines, with marketing an important element. Victor Cristinariu, director of the heli copter factory at Brasov, is hoping to find work with Eurocopter, the Aerospatiale/MBB tie-up. The Romanian armed forces are con sidering purchasing more than 50 military helicopters from Eurocopter and industry wants offsets, says Cristinariu. He is also looking for co-operation in light aircraft. Also seeking work for Western firms is avionics factory FERA. The factory, which last month still bore scars from the recent FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 July 1990
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