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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 2002.PDF
TECHNICAL: G ENERAL A VIATION Three-engined SSBJ revealed The Gulfstream/Sukhoi SSBJ supersonic businessjet will be a three-engined aircraft cap able of Mach 2.2 and 4,350nm (7,400km) range and weighing 45t, according to new data from Gulfstream. Drawings released following meetings between the USA and the Soviet firm Sukhoi at Gulfstream's factory in Savan nah, Georgia, indicate a shift from two engines to three, the additional power unit to be installed over the rear fuselage and extending well to the rear of the wing-mounted engines. The modified design also fea tures a large central fin in addi tion to the two wing-mounted tipsails and a simplified cranked delta wing instead of the com plex double-cranked wing first envisaged. Foreplanes are sig nificantly enlarged and there are now small tailplane halves at tached to the wing-mounted engine pods immediately be hind the wing trailing edge. Gulfstream appears to have abandoned the idea of stairs under the fuselage to the rear of the passenger cabin in favour of a conventional forward fuselage side-door. The US/Soviet team sees an aircraft with a cabin similar in size to the Gulfstream II at just under 24m3 in volume accom modating 8-19 passengers. The SSBJ would meet all na tional and international noise and environmental regulations and be expected to operate from all airports at present used by business jets, says Gulfstream. The SSBJ would cost up to $1 billion to develop and would cost $50 million a copy. Gulfstream is jointly respon sible for design with Sukhoi and solely responible for avionics and interiors. Sukhoi would manufacture the airframe. Lyulka and Rolls-Royce are jointly responsible for engine design and production. Sukhoi has established a new company called Aeroconversion to assist technology transfer from military to civil products such as the SSBJ. A proof-of concept SSBJ could be flying in 1994 and produc tion aircraft could be delivered in 1997, says the US firm. Gulfstream and Sukhoi also envisage an airliner version seat- 50-60 passengers and which would weigh 90t. • Flight-test development of MD-530N on schedule McDonnell Douglas Heli copter has started certifica tion flight-tests of the MD- 530N tail-rotorless helicopter following 25h of initial tests that included aerobatics and flight to maximum internal gross weight. Experimental test pilot Chan Morse flew the prototype through loops, rolls, hammer heads and split "S" manoeuvres with the Notar anti-torque sys tem without a problem, says McDonnell Douglas. The lest team has also ex panded the helicopters enve lope to a maximum internal gross weight of 1,520kg, which is 113kg more than the certifi cated weight of the MD-530F, the most capable MD-500 series helicopter. Deliveries of the MD-530N and the MD-520N, also being flight-tested and using the Notar anti-torque system, are scheduled for the first quarter of next year. Orders or letters of intent cover 165 helicopters. • Japan approves Fuji Bell 205A The Japan Civil Aviation Bu reau has certificated a Bell 205A-1 helicopter modified jointly with Fuji Heavy Indus tries and featuring an uprated engine and transmission and new rotor. Fuji aims to begin immediate customer demonstrations of the helicopter, which has signif icantly improved hot and high performance. The turboshaft is uprated to l,340k\V (l,800shp) from l,040kW and the transmission uprated to 960kW. Bell 212 blades are fitted. The helicopter retains performance in hot- and-high conditions. Aside from civil orders, Fuji is seeking a purchase by the Jap anese Defence Agency. Fuji would fit armour protection, infra-red suppressors and jam ming equipment and make the helicopter compatible with night-vision goggles. n First TBM.700 rolls out S ocata, the Aerospatiale sub sidiary, has rolled out the first production TBM.700 tur bine-single business aircraft from its factory in Tarbes. The company plans to build one TBM.700 a month over the next six months. Subsequent production, to be shared by Socata and TBM's Texas-based partner Mooney, is scheduled to reach six a month by 1992 on two assembly lines. Socata will manufacture cabins, tailplanes, fins, ailerons and flaps. Mooney will build rear fuselages. Its factory is in Kerrville, Texas. Socata expects US certifica tion mid-year: the French au thorities certificated the aircraft on 31 January. The three prototypes have logged l,100h since July 1988 and the third aircraft is now conducting a US sales tour. TBM has orders for 70 aircraft worth $77 million. About 600 aircraft of this type will be bought over 10-15 years worldwide, says Socata. The French firm developed the TBM.700 with Mooney. Q FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18- 24July 1990
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