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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 1091.PDF
H EADLINES • './... : V-: ~"i: • > : : : WSil Boeing 757 Ji/ts off from Lhasa; is Douglas' MD-90 on finals for China's Trunkliner order? China: Boeing argues MDC lead BY JOHN BAILEY IN LOS ANGELES The McDonnell Douglas (MDC) MD-90 appears to have been chosen for China's $5 billion, 150-aircraft Trunkliner programme, although the ver dict is disputed by competitor Boeing and denied officially by Douglas itself. MDC said in late April that the company had been chosen to proceed with "detailed nego tiations", but admits this did not mean that it had clinched the contract. Chairman John McDonnell says: "We have been notified by the Chinese that they want to proceed with detailed negotia tions... and so we expect in the near future that we will in fact proceed with them". Although McDonnell's state ment implies that MDC has won the hard-fought contest, Gareth Chang, president of McDonnell Douglas Pacific and Asia, declines to claim victory and John Wolf, Douglas vice- president and general manager for twinjets points out that the Chinese "...reserve the right during the process of these ne gotiations to go back and nego tiate with another supplier". Other industry officials close to the programme claim that MDC has been chosen to supply the MD-90. The Chinese "...have told the other guys to go home", one official claims. He adds that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has made no formal announcement because it wants to maintain a strong negotiating position with MDC. The official points to CAAC's recent decision to proceed with joint development of the dual- tandem landing gear for the MD-90. The new gear design Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca uprate Adour Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca have begun development of an uprated, 28kN (6,8001b- thrust), version of their Adour non-afterburning turbofan. The Mk881 promises 17% more power in hot conditions than the latest production Adours, the Mk871 for the Brit ish Aerospace Hawk and F405 for the McDonnell Douglas T-45A, says Rolls-Royce's Adour head of project, Steve Smith. The T-45's F405-401 is rated at 26kN. The UK and French engine manufacturers have begun a demonstrator programme that calls for a test run at the higher thrust level, under full-author ity digital engine control (FADEC), at Rolls-Royce Bristol before the year's end. Adour Mk881 design im provements include thermal barrier coatings to increase combustion-chamber life, higher-capacity, longer-life low- pressure (LP) and high-pressure (HP) compressors, and in- creased-capacity LP and HP nozzle-guide vanes. Single- crystal HP and LP turbine blades increase life at higher thrust and FADEC offers the advantage of optimising engine response around the aircraft's flight envelope. D will only be used on the MD-90 version proposed for China, the MD-90T, and is necessary be cause the aircraft's relatively high maximum landing weight makes it unsuitable for most of the country's landing strips. The initial design will cost $2 million, to be shared between McDonnell Douglas and the China National Aero-Technol ogy Import/Export Corporation (CAT1C). CATIC's share will be paid in hard foreign currency, an unlikely move if the MD-90 is not chosen as the Trunkliner. The winner of the 150- aircraft contract will supply short- to medium-range twinjets for use on domestic services within China. Boeing, which has proposed its 737-300, and Douglas have both offered co-production deals, with most of the manu facturing and all of final assem bly to be in China. Boeing's Larry Clarkson, sen ior vice-president for inter national affairs says: "We have not received any indication from the authorities in China that we are not still in the running. In fact, we are confi dent that what we are proposing is better for China's airlines and its aircraft industry, and that the programme merits a favourable decision". Boeing says that a CAAC evaluation team will visit Seattle in May, and adds: "There are a lot of complications with the MD-90, not least of which is the engine [International Aero En gines' V2500]. The Chinese have indicated they prefer the CFM56 [The turbofan which powers Boeing's competing 737-300]". • TWA route sale casts confusion The US Department of Trans portation (DoT) has cleared the sale of three out of six Trans World Airlines (TWA) London routes to American Airlines. The TWA/American London route transfer deal has been cleared only for New York, Bos ton and Los Angeles services. The DoT told TWA to keep Baltimore, Philadelphia and St Louis, the show-cause order having originally suggested that TWA would keep St Louis and hand over the other two to the DoT for reallocation. DoT Secretary Sam Skinner believes he has left TWA free to choose its future. He has voiced the opinion that nothing in TWA's contract with American, which now needs to be renego tiated since only three routes are saleable, prevents TWA from negotiating a takeover by Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Cor poration with or without the three London routes. American's chief, Bob Cran- dall, disagrees: "Our contract with TWA remains in effect and binds TWA to sell these routes to American. Moreover, it bars TWA from entering into any transaction with Kerkorian or anyone else, which will ad versely impact TWA's ability to make that contract." Tracinda says there are "... unanswered questions about the status of the American/TWA contract", and that it is still looking for a way to buy TWA. • ROTHR ABANDONED The UK Ministry of Defence (.MoD) has abandoned a £.60 million projcii to set up a relocatable over-trie-liorizon radar (ROTHRi close l<> RAH Brawdy in Wales. The ROTHR. which was to hi a joint UK/US Navy project would have been used to track aircraft and ships in the Norwegian Sea region. The cancellation is partly due to the USA's own programme having been %ut back, and because of tht L K MoD's own budgetary pressures. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 - 7 May, 1991 5
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