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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0057.PDF
HEADLINES Additional Black Hawks may block utility replacement plans US Army reconsiders Iroquois replacement BY KIERAN DALY IN WASHINGTON DC The US Army is unlikely to purchase any new utility he licopter types over the next five years, according to a service acquisition chief. Assistant secretary for procu rement Stephen Conver has told at least two meetings of Army aviation specialists that the serv ice will look to additional Sikorsky Black Hawks and mini mally upgraded Bell UH-1 "Huey" Iroquois to fill its utility requirement. The remarks come as a blow 10 would-be Huey replacement contenders such as Westland, LTV/Aerospatiale and McDon nell Douglas. A number of contenders are seeking clarification of Conver's comments but company officials concede that their chances of selling helicopters in the near future are slim. Charles Cole, manager pro gramme development for LTV, which is offering the LHTEC T800-powered Panther with Aerospatiale and IBM, says: "It is our hope that there is still time to encourage an examination of the cost of continued Black Hawks as a singular solution to the overall need. "We think we have an overall cost advantage of 2:1 over Black Hawk, and 4.5:1 in operational and support costs." Cole, whose candidate aircraft is expected to fly next month, adds: "We are looking at a Fiscal Year 1994 timeframe, so we think there is still time enough to impact that through the sec ond-quarter period." A senior official with another company says: "What we think they have come up with is a lot more Black Hawks. My assump tion is that they will just extend the five years [of planned Black Hawk production] so they don't have to do anything right now and there is no charge on this year's budget. "Then they are talking about doing a minimum upgrade on the best of the Huey fleet — maybe 500 aircraft — perhaps to put new navigation and commu nications equipment in them." The Army says the extended Utility Aircraft Requirements Study (UTARS) (Flight Interna tional, 4-10 September, 1991) is taking on new importance as the service seeks an appropriately- balanced fleet. An official for the United States Army says: "The re quirement is not clearly defined right now. There may not be funding for a Huey replacement, so UTARS becomes much more important. That will lay out what options are available." D MDC/Taiwan deal delayed The 31 January deadline set for reaching a definitive agreement on McDonnell Douglas' (MDC's) equity sale in its civil aircraft business to Tai wan Aerospace (TAC) will not be met, according to the US company. The statement comes amid growing opposition to the move from the USA and Taiwan. MDC declines to explain the causes behind the delay, saying only: "The evaluation process is expected to extend beyond the previously announced date of January 31, 1992." No new date has been set, and the company warns it could be "several months" before the final assembly site for the MD-12 is announced and the equity agree ment ratified. Under the proposed deal, TAC may take a stake of up to 40% in the civil division of MDC's Douglas Aircraft company, in return for capital that would be used by the new joint venture company to launch new aircraft such as the MD-12 trijet. Aerospace workers unions at MDC's Long Beach factory have teamed with unions at General Dynamics Convair division in San Diego, where large fuselage sub-sections of the MD-11 are built, to block the deal and force MDC to seek an "American al ternative". MDC has responded by saying that an ail-American alternative is not viable, "...partly because access to the market — and that means Asia — depends largely on Asian-Pacific partners". Boeing chairman Frank Shrontz has also entered the fray by writing to senior US Govern ment officials, stressing the com pany's fears of "another highly- subsidised competitor" in the air transport business should the deal go ahead. Boeing says pub licly that it does not object to the partnership as long as it is founded "on a sound commer cial basis". Unexpectedly, opposition is also growing in Taiwan, where the ruling party and opposition members of the national legisla ture are threatening to delay the sanctioning of Government spending on the deal. The Gov ernment owns 29% of TAC and is expected to fund a majority of the $2 billion required for the equity stake. MDC believes the Taiwanese objections are "premature", as the Taiwan evaluation team began its assessment of the com pany's commercial aircraft busi ness only last week. D China looks West as exports rise China won export orders worth $100 million for 32 passenger aircraft last year. Wang Dawei, vice-president of China National Aero-Technol ogy Export & Import (CATIC), says this brings the total of passenger aircraft exported by the country to 54. No detailed breakdown of 1991 orders was given. Chinese aircraft operate in Laos, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Orders have been received from Singapore, Malaysia, Sudan, Peru, Fiji, Pakistan, Nepal and Mongolia, says Wang. . •;• Of the total sold abroad, 42 have been Y-12s, which ^ have type certification from thel UK Civil Aviation Authority. The other 12 were Yun-7s and Yun- 8s. Nepal ordered two Y-12s late last year, immediately after a demonstration flight, says Wang. They are expected to replace Twin Otters. Demonstration flights are being planned this year for a dozen unnamed countries. CATIC is hoping to break into North American and western European markets. • China took delivery on 4 January of the first of six Yak- 42 turobfans ordered by China Aviation Supplies in 1990. They are valued at just under $70 million, and will be paid for through barter. The 120-seat aircraft will be used by the Shanzi-based com pany General Aviation (for merly Chinese Industrial Aviation). Its current fleet con sists of three Yun-7s. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 January, 1992 7
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