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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0860.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Stop-over rule bars Aer Lingus growth Aer Lingus intends to replace its long-haul fleet of three Boeing 747s with up to six Boeing 767s or similar aircraft and to operate extra North American flights, but only if the Irish Government relaxes the present compulsory stop-over requirements at Shannon for transatlantic flights. In a leaked internal memo, written in late 1991, Cathal Mul- lan, the airline's group chief executive, warns that without change, the loss-making flag- carrier may have to abandon its transatlantic services altogether. All scheduled transatlantic FAA approves digital Textron Lycoming engine The US Federal Aviation Administration has certifi cated Textron Lycoming's dig itally-controlled LF507-1F engine for the British Aero space 146. The turbofan is equipped with a Chandler Evans full-authority digital en gine control (FADEC) system. Lycoming has shipped four LF507-lFs to British Aero space to support flight-testing of the Category Ill-capable BAe 146-200, which flew in late March, with certification planned for early 1993. The FADEC-equipped engine is flat-rated at 31kN (7,0001b) thrust to 23.3°C, providing 6% more hot-day take-off power and 11% more climb and cruise thrust than the 146's current ALF502 turbofan. Launch customer Crossair of Switzerland will receive the first of four LF507-lF-pow- ered BAe 146-200s early in 1993, while US regional air line Business Express will re ceive the first of 20 LF507-1F- powered BAe RJ70s later the same year. • flights must touch down at Shannon when entering or leav ing the Republic of Ireland, under a regime similar to the recently abolished requirement for Scottish transatlantic flights to touch down at Prestwick. Aer Lingus says its passengers are forsaking airlines serving Ire land for airlines operating from UK airports, particularly if their transatlantic destinations are not served directly. Aer Lingus and Delta are the only two airlines now linking the USA and Ireland. Half of all transatlantic travellers now fly to and from Ireland via a UK or European airport, compared with just 36% five years ago. The Aer Lingus proposal to the Irish Government includes a mixture of new and revised ex isting services. The plans in clude a direct Dublin/New York link to replace the present Dub lin/Shannon/New York service, and a new Dublin/Los Angeles route. Boston and Chicago route frequency would be increased, and would continue to pass through Shannon. A Shannon/ New York service would be guaranteed by the state-owned airline. Delta Air Lines has also indicated that it would start a direct New York/Dublin service. The move is being resisted strenuously by a strong aviation workers' lobby at Shannon. Aer Lingus says its plans will mean more rather than fewer jobs at Shannon for catering, servicing and cabin crew, because half of the airline's much-increased long-haul services will be turned arovlnd there. Aer Lingus leased a Boeing 767 from GPA for a new route to Los Angeles in 1991, but cancelled the route when the Irish Government refused to relax the stopover rule. That aircraft, along with a second 767 bought for the Chi cago route, have been sub-leased to Aeromexico since they were delivered. A decision by the Irish Government is expected to be made within weeks. • Structural checks on Concorde were stepped up after 1989 incident Concorde rudder checks increased British Airways is undertaking extensive structural checks on Aerospatiale/British Aero space Concordes before each departure from London Heathrow Airport. The move follows the loss of most of an upper rudder section from a New York-bound Con corde on 21 March, while the aircraft was flying at Mach 2 and a height of 56,000ft (17,000m). The crew was unaware of the rudder problem until after land ing at John F Kennedy Airport, having attributed vibrations cor rected in flight to engine trouble, say sources close to the incident inquiry. Three checks are now being made on each Concorde rudder before every Heathrow depar ture. The first is a visual inspec tion, the second a "tap" test over the whole rudder surface, and the third an ultrasonic test over selected areas. Additionally, an ultrasonic test over the whole rudder surface is being carried out every seven days. The checks will continue until the cause of the problem has been identified and rectified. The latest incident is the third involving the loss of sections from the Concorde rudder, which is a two-piece structure. In 1989, most of an upper sec tion was lost from a Concorde on a charter flight between Australia and New Zealand. This was followed in 1991 by a simi lar incident involving the lower section on a New York-bound flight. These incidents may have been attributed to delamination of the composite rudder units caused by the ingress of water following the degradation of the surfaces by paint stripper. Before the latest incident, an ultrasonic test was being carried out on the rudder every l,500h or 15 months with a tap test every 520h or seven months. Air France carries out similar tests on its Concordes but has not had any problems. • Inverisa wins LTV subcontract work LTV Aerospace and Defense of the USA is to subcontract commercial sub-assembly work to Inverisa of Spain. Inverisa subsidiaries HTC and HTM manufacture aircraft com ponents and assemblies, and will work on LTV's commercial- aircraft programmes for Boeing and Canadair. Initial work includes ma chined parts and bonded and riveted assemblies worth more than $40 million. The Spanish company has been given a large Government grant to help strengthen its international aero space business. LTV will also provide man agement assistance, to bring the Spanish company's manufactur ing capability up to world stan dards. The two companies then expect to compete jointly "for selected opportunities for pro ducing aircraft subassemblies", says LTV, which plans to in crease its international presence through teaming. • See Industry, P 37. 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 - 7 April, 1992
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