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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0291.PDF
HEADLINES ,17 future, twinjets filling the fOO- to 240-seat mar ket now covered by the 737 and 757. Few details have been re vealed but it is known that it looks at single-aisle, low-wing- configuration powered by ad vanced ducted-propulsor pow- erplants. "Twin-aisle develop ments cannot be economically justified," says Baseler. "Our studies show this market is driven by schedules. It's not what you fly, it's when." Fresh impetus for Boeing's look at the future of the 737 has come from "changing market conditions" which have forced the company to cut production by a third to 14 a month from October 1992. Boeing's Renton division intends to deliver 223 737s in 1992 and Renton's vice- CFM International (CFMI) and International Aero Engines (IAE) are working closely with Boeing on the study. CFMI, which powers the 737 family exclusively, is anxious to hold on to its lead. CFMI market development manager Richard Schaffer says: "The CFM56-3X is a generic term we use as we work with Boeing for an improved aircraft if Boeing decides to go ahead with it." The engine will be targeted at the 81-104kN (18,000-23,5001b) thrust range and "...will have a solid 10% growth margin in thrust." (Flight International, 20-26 November, 1991)." "We are also having ongoing discus sions with Boeing on a whole potpourri of engine types for a brand-new family of aircraft. These are more exotic types like propfans and ducted props," he adds. IAE says it is in "...regular discussions with Boeing on ap plying the V2500 on their 737 derivative products. We are packaging together a group of responses one of which is an 89-97kN-thrust variant with a reduced fan diameter for a block change 737. For the pos sible future family we are offer ing the V2500 range." IAE adds: "We are looking at it on a business case with Boeing in which we share mar ket studies." • president and general manager, Ron Woodard says: "We remain optimistic about demand for the 737 over the long term. Even at the 14-a-month rate, the 737 twinjet has the highest produc tion rate of any commercial jet." The company had intended to cut the rate from 21 to 17 a month. The order backlog for the type stands at 745. D Boeing considers how to bridge the 737 technology gap US industry pleas for policy change US industry leaders are urg ing the Department of De fense (DoD) to change its new policy of prototyping weapons but not putting them into pro duction. They advocate low-rate production as an alternative. Electronics Industry Associa tion president Peter McCloskey, testifying to Congress, warns that the defence industrial base, once converted to commercial technology, might not be able to reconstitute its weapons-produc tion workforce in time to meet a military threat. Aerospace In dustries Association president Don Fuqua says that low-rate production of new weapons would allow the maintenance of a cadre of skilled professionals around which a surge capability could be built. D See News Analysis P 20 ANTI-TANK PLANS UK Defence Procurement Minis ter Alan Clark is expected to receive the results of a review of plans to buy two major anti-tank weapons in the next few days. The Ministry of Defence will have to choose between the Brit ish Army's multi-launch rocket system (MLRS) updated with a terminally guided munition and the Royal Air Forces recently rewritten Staff Requirement (Air) 1238 air-launched anti- armour weapon. Turkey revises its helicopter needs The Turkish Government is asking bidders for the na tion's lucrative utility helicopter contract to resubmit their offers. The five bidders had expected one contractor to be invited to further negotiations, following the election of new prime minis ter Suleyman Demirel in Novem ber 1991. A US industry source says the Government now wants options involving the procurement of completed machines followed by co-production. Previously, the contract, worth some $1.5 billion initially, envisaged only co-produced air craft. It is not certain why there is a new request but it could stem from the heightened -ten sion in the area since negotia tions and flight tests began. Aerospatiale's Super Puma and Sikorsky's Black Hawk are seen as the leading candidates. • French deliver UK ASRAAM ace BY SIMON ELLIOTT ' The French Government is set to fund 20% of the development costs of the Matra/GEC Marconi MI- CASRAAM short-range air-to- air missile if it is selected for the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) advanced short range air-to-air missile (ASRAAM) requirement. The French defence minis try has expressed interest in MICASRAAM for what offi cials describe as certain spe cific missions for the French air force. Officials in Paris say that a UK Government deci sion in favour of MI CASRAAM would most likely see the French air force follow suit — providing up to 20% of the development. France is already buying the medium- range Matra Mica. Matra/GEC are bidding their missile for the UK's ASRAAM requirement in competition with British Aer ospace/ Hughes with a system also designated ASRAAM, and Germany's BGT with a Side winder variant. Best and final offers were submitted by 31 January. Potential French funding of some MICASRAAM develop ment costs could have a pro nounced effect on the UK competition. If selected for the UK MoD, MICASRAAM would be built by the UK companies' new missile division, expected to be called GEC Marconi Dy namics (Flight International, 5-11 February). The announcement of the winning contractor, is ex pected by the end of March. Meanwhile, BAe Dynamics has highlighted that, if the ASRAAM decision goes in fa vour of its competitors, the ability of the company to bid for major contracts would be damaged. Dynamics added emphasis to its problems on 6 February by announcing that the division is to lose 450 jobs by May. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 12 - 18 February, 1992 5
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