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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 1419.PDF
(MLfflxnr NAT I O N A L +44 (81) 652 3842 +44 (81) 652 3840 +44 (81) 652 3315 +44 (81) 652 8981 +44 (81) 661 6373 +44 (81) 642 4431 INTER Editorial Enquiries Editorial Fax Display Advertising Display Advertising Fax Classified Advertising Classified Advertising Fax Telex 892084 REEDBP G Subscriptions +44 (81) 649 7271 fax: +44 (81) 681 0753 Back issues (recent copies only) +44 (81) 652 3335 Picture Library +44 (81) 652 3427 Flight Directories +44 (707) 46952 USA Newstrade Sales Enquiries +1 (718) 392 7477 LONDON Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, UK Editor Allan Winn Editor's PA Barbara Raine Deputy Editor Forbes Mutch News Editor Andrew Chuter Features Editor David Learmount Business Editor Kevin 0 Toole Military Editor Mike Gaines Air Transport Editor Ian Goold +44 (81) 652 3882 +44 (81) 652 3882 +44 (81) 652 3852 +44 (81) 652 3843 +44 (81) 652 3845 +44 (81) 652 3835 +44 (81) 652 8809 +44 (81) 652 3834 Technology/Industry Editor Simon Elliott +44 (81) 652 3838 Databases Editor Tom Hamill Editorial Assistant Kate Sarsfield Design Editor Mike Wells Layout Sub-editor Annabel Goddard Layout Sub-editor Jenny Long Technical Artist Tim Hall Technical Artist David Hatchard Technical Artist John Marsden Spaceflight Correspondent Tim Furniss Photographer (Europe) Mark Wagner +44 (81) 652 3096 +44 (81) 652 3842 +44 (81) 652 3828 +44 (81) 652 3848 +44 (81) 652 3847 +44 (81) 652 8047 +44 (81) 652 8047 +44 (81) 652 8054 +44 (237) 451756 Fax +44 (237) 451600 +44 (272) 358200 Fax +44 (272) 358290 Display Advertisement Sales Sales Manager dive Richardson +44 (81) 652 3315 Assistant Sales Manager Nick Wilcox +44 (81) 652 3892 Regional Manager Northern and Eastern Europe Mark Janaway+44 (81) 652 3317 Regional Manager UK and Scandinavia Janice Lowe +44 (81) 652 3316 Advertisement production Howard Mason +44 (81) 652 3267 EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST European Editor (Brussels) Julian Moxon +32 (2) 657 9689 Fax +32 (2) 657 5260 Munich Correspondent Douglas Paris Correspondent Gilbert Sedbon Israel Correspondent Arie Egozi Moscow Correspondent Alexander Velovich +7 (095) 393 4717 Fax +7 (095) 450 0828 +49 (89) 689 1041 Fax +49 (89) 689 1045 +33 (1) 4825 5261 +972 (3) 967 1155 Sales Director (France) Pierre Mussard +33 (1) 46 Representative (Italy) Romano Ferrario +39 (2) 29 46 29 58084 302 AMERICAS American Editor Graham Warwick +1 (404) Fax +1 (404) Washington Correspondent Kieran Daly +1 (703) Fax +1 (703) USA West Coast Correspondent (Los Angeles) Guy Norris +1 (714) Fax +1 (714) Photographer (USA) Craig Schmilman +1 (310) Fax +1 (310) President RBP (USA) Ray Barnes +1 (212) Traffic Manager JoAnn Lapp +1 (212) Fax +1 (212) Vice President US Sales John Tidy +1 (714) Fax +1 (714) Sales Director (Mid West and Canada) Gene Glendinning +1 (708) Fax +1 (708) Sales Director (East Coast) Robert Hancock +1 (703) Fax +1 (703) Business Development Director Sheena Robbins +1 (703) Fax +1 (703) 587 2927 594 1534 836 7443 252 8971 252 8972 452 4464 452 3515 867 2080 867 2080 687 6604 756 1057 756 2514 635 9920 635 0602 836 7444 836 7446 836 7444 836 7446 ASIA/PACIFIC Asian Editor (Singapore) John E Australian Correspondent Paul I Sales Director Mike Hancock (Singapore) Account Manager Fiona Bartholomeusz Regional Representative (Japan) Shoichi Maruyama +65 226 3188 Fax +65 227 1769 +61 (70) 532 791 Fax +61 (70) 532 791 +65 226 3188 +65 226 3188 Fax +65 223 6960 +81 (3) 3234 2161 Fax +81 (3) 3234 1143 Publisher Les Edwards +44 (81) 652 3436 For full advertisement information see page 112. COMMENT BERLIN PALL Berlin's ILA '92 air show could well end up as more of a wake than a celebration of German aerospace aspirations. Ger many's resurgent aerospace industry (and, in particular, the pivotal Deutsche Aero space) is having to face lean times, with critical programmes deferred, delayed or cancelled. Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) has to deal with the changing priorities of a Bonn Government totally ^preoccupied with the costs of Ger man unification. While eastern Germany may not turn out to be an albatross dangling from Bonn's neck, it may stop DASA from spreading its wings. The most visible of Bonn's and DASA's problems is the Euro pean Fighter Aircraft (EFA) programme. When Daimler-Benz, DASA's parent com pany, took on the crea tion of a German aerospace group, it be lieved it could look to the production of 250 EFA aircraft as security to fund further devel opments. Nor could it have envisaged the trough into which the civil market also was about to nosedive. The security of an assured EFA production run has evaporated, leaving DASA fighting a rearguard action to try to ensure the survival of a curtailed and delayed programme. At this late stage in the EFA debacle, even a German order for 140 aircraft, delayed by a year or more and with production strung out, would be consid ered a miracle by those within DASA manage ment; a German decision to delay a decision for a year would be seen by many as a positive outcome from the Government vote on June 23. The ascension of Volker Ruhe to the defence minster's position lies at the heart of the programme's struggle to survive. Ruhe has acquired the image of Britain's notorious defence axe-man of 30 years ago, Duncan Sandys. He, pandering to "green" populism, seems intent on bringing the EFA down for ideological rather than defence, industrial or economic reasons. German vacillation over the EFA has, sadly Crerman withdrawal from the EFA would set an unhealthy precedent for future collaborative programmes involving Germany." but predictably, brought about some jingoistic tub-thumping and name-calling from British politicians. None of that, however, will help to rescue the project. Instead, considered but forthright pressure is needed, reminding Ger many of the importance of its involvement in EFA as a part of its role within the framework of European defence. If Germany wants a role as one of the political hubs of Europe, then it must understand that that role entails accept ing defence responsibili ties on both an alliance and industrial basis. Perhaps even more important, German with drawal from the EFA would set an unhealthy precedent for future col laborative programmes involving Germany, in both defence and civil sectors. Given the inter- nationalisation of aero space developments it would not, however, make Germany the aero space pariah of Europe. The UK, Spain and Italy need to remember that even were Germany to pull out of EFA, it would continue to play a major role in other European projects. For DASA, however (despite the brave faces at its recent annual results conference), German withdrawal from the EFA would be a disaster. Its bold plans to launch a collaborative "Regio- liner" are, if not faltering, then slipping quietly into the next decade, while sales of the Dornier 328 have failed to pick up from an initial flutter. Its aspirations in space are being stunted by a rapidly shrinking European Space Agency budget for crucial programmes such as the Hermes manned vehicle. Within its Eurocopter joint venture with Aerospatiale, key programmes such as the Tiger anti-tank helicopter and NH.90 medium-lift helicopter are still under threat. Only Deutsche Airbus, the German partner, in Airbus Industrie, is performing in a healthy fashion, flagging the value of interna tional collaboration. One major successful pro gramme is not enough to sustain any national aerospace industry, however, far less one with ambitions of growth. Take note, Herr Ruhe. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 June, 1992
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