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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 0014.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION QUICKER COMANCHE LoPresti Speed Merchants has in troduced an engine-cowling and propeller-spinner modification for the Piper twin Comanche, which increases the turhocharged pis ton-twin's cruise speed by more than 7kt (13km/h). Gulfstream plans plant expansion Gulfstream Aerospace has an nounced a two-stage expan sion of its Savannah, Georgia, plant. With deliveries of the improved Gulfstream IV-SP to begin in June 1993 and produc tion of the long-range Gulfstream V in 1995, the com pany will be building two busi ness-jet types for the first time. The first phase of construc tion, to begin in the latter half of 1993, will increase floorspace by 50%. About 4,650m2 will be used to build GV wings (G1V wings are built by Textron Aer- ostructures). The Gulfstream service centre will be doubled in size, with the addition of 25,100m2, to site the larger GV alongside existing Gulfstreams. The construction of a 20,500m2 marketing, training and administration site com pletes the first expansion phase. A second phase is planned for 1995 and would add 27,4002 to the completion centre to accommodate the GV. Gulfstream plans to freeze the GV design early in 1993. The 11,650km (6,300nm)-range air craft is some 2.5m longer than the GIV-SP, with a 4m-longer wingspan. Certification and first deliveries are due in 1996. The GV cabin mockup will be shipped to Europe early in 1993 for a five-city tour. D MD 900 Explorer tests begin BY GUY NORMS JN LOS ANGELES Twenty-three months of flight testing of the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter (MDH) MD 900 Explorer has begun, fol lowing its maiden flight at the company's headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, on 18 December. The eight-seat helicopter, dis tinguished by its no-tail rotor (NOTAR) anti-torque system, was flown for 20min. Simple hover manoeuvres and slow- speed forward, sideward and rearward flights were conducted. MDH is due to begin deliver ing production helicopters after October 1994, when it expects to receive US Federal Aviation Administra tion certification, al most a year later than planned originally. De spite this, the company says that it still holds letters of interest with non-refundable depos its for more than 250 Explorers, represent ing a full production rate until 1997/8. Key aspects of the flight-test programme will include verification of the anti-torque system in the first purpose-built NOTAR-equipped helicopter. MDH has already gained considerable experience with the tail-rotorless directional control and anti-torque system through its development of the MD 520N helicopter — a devel opment of the MD 500 series. The company has delivered 34 MD 520Ns since its introduction in October 1991. A variable-pitch, engine- driven fan provides pressurisa- tion for the tail-boom, enabling the NOTAR system to operate. The company says that the fan, like the hub and main rotor blades, will be maintained "on condition", rather than replaced arbitrarily after a set number of flying hours. Another main area of scrutiny during the programme will be the all-composite five-blade main rotor and its bearingless flex-beam blade retention and pitch case. The system is lubri cation-free and is integrated with a tuned, fixed rotor mast and mounting truss, which MDH will evaluate to assess vibration reduction. The first Explorer and 99 sub sequent production craft will be powered by two 450kW (600shp) Pratt & Whitney Can ada PW206As, with later models offered with 470kW Turbomeca TM319 Arrius 2Cs as The Explorer gets ojj the ground and heads J or flight tests Major participants include Australia's Hawker de Havilland, which became a fully- fledged partner in 1989 to design and manufac ture the airframe; Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries pro duces the transmission; and Canadian Marconi provides integrated in strument displays. • BAe studies Prestwick training options British Aerospace's flying-training subsidiary, now called Flying College, based at Prestwick, Scotland, is studying options which could provide more work and reduce individ ual training costs. The options include splitting contracts be tween the UK and Australia and providing* 'conversion to Euro pean standards following train ing overseas. The operation was set up pri marily to provide sponsored pilot training for airlines, but, in the face of a severe downturn in business, it has switched up to 25% of its resources to training self-funding students at a cost of around £60,000 each. Even though airline business is show ing signs of recovery, BAe has undertaken a broad re-assess ment of its activities. A new managing director has been named. Most senior execu tives are moving to Prestwick from the present site at Farn- borough, or are retiring. The new managing director is David Moss, who previously rep resented BAe in Saudi Arabia. Former managing director John Denney, Capt Graham Jenkins, operations vice-president, and Peter Fontes, former vice- president of business devel opment, retired at the end of 1992. Marketing vice-president Capt David Martin continues to work from the south of England. BAe is competing with rival organisations for a Malaysia Air lines training contract. The com pany is proposing the use of Prestwick and the BAe-Ansett Flying College at Tamworth, Australia (in which BAe has a 50% stake). The Malaysian car rier requires 240 pilots a year for the next five years, and has already placed some students at Tamworth, as well as in the UK, Indonesia and the USA. The company is also consider ing the provision of tuition under Canadian or other non- Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) standards, with subsequent con version to meet those require ments once they become law. It believes that, under new laws now in draft form, the JAA may not approve flying training pro vided exclusively outside the JAA area and then rubber- stamped in Europe. Gulf Air students have begun training at Prestwick and BAe hopes to start pilot and management training for another Middle East operator in early 1993. D 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6 - 12 January, 1993
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