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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 0226.PDF
HEADLINES Rising costs hit Japanese FS-X The Japan Defence Agency (JDA) estimates that de velopment of the country's FS-X fighter, based on the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, will cost ¥250 billion ($1.9 billion) compared with the ori ginal estimate of ¥160.5 billion. The FS-X development pro gramme has been delayed by nearly two years — leading the JDA late last year to request revised costings from prime contractor Mitsubishi Heavy In dustries and main subcontractor General Dynamics. The two companies first esti mated that the new cost would be ¥330 billion. JDA then stud ied cost reductions, together with the contractors, bringing the cost down to ¥250 billion. The JDA is confident that the original workshare between the two countries can be main tained, with Japan having 60% and the USA 40%. • Germans cancel Tiger roll-out Worries about German pub lic opinion have forced the country's Ministry of De fence to cancel the roll-out next week of the Eurocopter Tiger anti-tank helicopter. The aircraft, in which the French have a 50% share, was due to be presented at MBB's Munich plant on 4 March. It will not now be seen in public until the first flight in April — which takes place at Aerospatiale's Marignane plant in southern France. Eurocopter says that it would have been considered a serious mistake to reveal a major new weapons system at a time when anti-war sentiment in Germany is so strong. Aerospatiale says it is "disappointed" that the rol lout has been cancelled. Produc tion plans for tiger cover 212 PAH-2 anti-tank variants for Germany and 140 HAC anti tank variants and 75 HAP escort and support variants for the French. • Libyan Hercules grounded BY ALAN GEORGE Belgian authorities have grounded a Libyan Lock heed L-100-1 transport aircraft at Ostend, after the US Govern ment claimed that work on the Hercules broke its trade sanc tions. The development could have implications for the safety of Belgian nationals in the Mid dle East. The aircraft, belonging to Lib yan Arab Airlines, has been undergoing refurbishment by Ostend-based company Flanders Aircraft Maintenance and Engi neering (FAME). It was success fully test-flown for 2h on 13 January and was to have re turned to Libya on 22 January (.Flight International, 3-9 Octo ber, 1990). FAME had applied for an export licence and was visited recently by Belgian Government officials. The company was in formed on 18 January that a licence would be issued. That evening, however, the US authorities approached the Belgian Justice Ministry request ing that action be taken to prevent the Hercules from de parting because US-origin com ponents for the aircraft had allegedly been shipped to Bel gium under false documents. The Justice Ministry says the US interest centred on "sophis ticated American equipment", the export of which to Libya would violate trade sanctions against Colonel Qadafi. It is believed that the equipment in question is a dual-Omega long- range navigation system. In mid-afternoon on 19 Janu ary, police swooped on Ostend airport. They raided FAME'S premises, seizing documents re lating to the Hercules, and im pounded the Omega system. FAME undertook the refur bishment on behalf of a Luxem bourg-based German entre preneur, Harry Foerster, who holds the main contract with Libya, and the Ostend company subcontracted much of the work to other European compa nies. It is believed the Libyan authorities have paid for the work in full. Foerster has also been instru mental in arranging the over haul of two Libyan L-lOOs by Royal Air Maroc, the Moroccan national carrier. The first of these returned to Tripoli in mid-November and work on the second is near completion. Neither Harry Foerster nor Claude Rose, FAME's chief ex ecutive, have been unavailable for comment. There are fears that the inci dent could have serious political ramifications since the Hercules contract is believed to have formed part of a deal for the release of Belgian hostages held by a Libyan-backed Palestinian terrorist group. In early April 1990, within days of the aircraft's arrival in Ostend, the group freed a Bel gian hostage. This month, within days of the Hercules' scheduled return to Libya, the group freed a Belgian family it held since 1987. • Libyan Hercules waits in FAME hangar for next move by authorities US general aviation market recovers Slightly increased sales at the top end of the market in 1990 brought US general- aviation manufacturers their highest income in real terms for nine years, even though deliver ies slumped by 25%, according to figures released by the US General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). GAMA president James Gormley says the value of sales rose by 11.3% compared with 1989's billings to just over $2 billion. Deliveries dropped to 1,144 aircraft — only 59 more than the lowest annual total (recorded in 1987). Sales of piston singles plum meted by 40.6% from more than 1,000 in 1989 to just 608 air craft — the lowest ever figure — partly reflecting production difficulties at Piper (which shipped more than 500 singles in the previous year). GAMA continues to attribute low sales of small aircraft to the continuing product-liability cri sis which it says "...has been a major industry depressant for many years." Multi-engine piston deliveries were steady at 87, despite a poor final quarter which saw- shipments 67% down on 1989's last quarter. A slightly higher number of turboprop aircraft were shipped last year, an in crease of 4.9% to 281. Jet deliv eries also rose, by 7%, to 168 aircraft. Exports of all categories dropped by 22% to 442, but export billings soared by 44% to $844 million. Overseas sales ac counted for more than 38% of deliveries, an all-time high. • 4 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 January - 5 February. 1991
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