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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 1821.PDF
HEADLINES Germany reviews Eurof ighter quota The German air force is considering replacing some of its Panavia Tornado interdictor-strike aircraft with the Eurofighter 2000, in an effort to shore up its dwin dling orders and maintain Germany's work share. The air force entered the programme with a require ment of up to 250 Eurofighter 2000s for the air-defence role, giving German industry a 33% share of the work. Since then, the numbers have fallen to 120-140 through budget cuts, without a change in the work arrangements. Despite this, German industry is fighting to main tain its production work- share. Replacing some Torna dos after 2005 with the Euro fighter 2000 would increase the German share of the planned production run and also avert a potential dispute within the four-nation con sortium over work-share, al though it could raise new public opposition in Germany to the programme. German political and industry sources confirm that the air force has a study under way, although the serv ice declines to comment. Some officials are con cerned that the study may be aimed at deflecting pressure to rejig the work-share by casting doubt over exactly how many Eurofighter 2000s the air force will receive. • Enhanced-vision team seeks new ARPA funds BY GRAHAM WARWICK IN ATLANTA An alliance led by Lear As-tronics is seeking US de fence-conversion funding to develop an enhanced-vision au tonomous landing-guidance (ALG) system for airliners and military transports. The team, which includes United and Northwest Airlines, NASA and the US Air Force, has submitted a proposal to the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) for funding under the Clinton Administra tion's $472 million technology re-investment project (TRP). The TRP has been launched to stimulate the transition of defence-related technology to commercial and dual-use prod ucts. The programmes are structured to create employ ment and enhance US competi tiveness. Bids were solicited in May, with a deadline for re sponses of 23 July. Contracts will be awarded in September-October and win ning contractors will be re quired to provide at least 50% of the funding. The ALG alli ance is proposing a three-year programme to develop an inte grated, production-ready, head- up display (HUD)-based Thais keep helicopter options open Thailand is edging closer to approving a deal for around 20 utility helicopters, although no selection has been made yet between the Bell 212 and the Russian Mil Mi-17V. Although press reports in Thailand indicate that the Thai army favours the Bell proposal, sources say that no formal de cision has been made. One official says: "Despite the newspaper reports, it is not a done deal yet, by any stretch of the imagination." The Bangkok Post quotes an unnamed army general as say ing that Bell had been selected and a member of the parlia mentary committee for military affairs, Attasith Trapyasith, says that army chief of staff Gen Wimol Wongwanich had notified the committee of his decision on 8 July. "The house committee has technically ap proved it," Attasith says. The Thais need the helicop ters as replacements for attri tion losses. • enhanced-vision system (EVS). The alliance includes prime contractor Lear Astronics, pro viding the 94GHz runway- imaging millimetre-wave radar and image-fusion processor; FLIR Systems, supplying the dual-band forward-looking infra-red sensor; AlliedSignal Air Transport Avionics, fur nishing the windshear-detect- ing weather radar with a common-aperture antenna and Norton Plastics X/W-band ra- dome; and Interstate Electron ics, providing the global positioning-system receiver. United, Northwest and the USAF will form an operational- requirements board to ensure that the system satisfies civil- certification and military- qualification requirements. The ALG system will be flight- tested in the Maryland Ad vanced Development Labora tory's Cessna 402 EVS testbed before it is flown in a United Boeing 727 and USAF Lock heed C-130. Northwest will conduct an in-service test of the system, using a Boeing 747. Flight-testing is planned for the first two years, at the end of which the airlines hope to have US Federal Aviation Ad ministration approval for the system, says Mike Frank, United's HUD/EVS programme manager. The third year would be used to develop a produc tion-standard system. The ALG system would allow landings in Category Ilia low-visibility conditions at un modified Cat I-capable run- ways, saving US airlines $1 billion a year in operating losses resulting from weather- and volume-caused delays. Low-visibility taxiing and take off would also be possible. Frank says that the ALG programme is not dependent on TRP funding. The airlines have separate HUD/EVS pro grammes, although they are working together to define a system for widebody airliners. Northwest's chosen EVS com prises a Sextant HUD, Loral infra-red sensor and Lear mil limetre-wave radar. • See feature P40. AIRBUS FACES DELAY ON PAL A340s Philippine Air Lines (PAL) may try to defer delivery of some of its six Airbus A340s, to avoid a clash with the arrival of its first Boeing 747-400 in November. PAL feels that the introduction of two new types within six months will over-stretch its training resources for pilots and mechanics. The airline may incur financial penalties if it tries to put off early deliveries, however, as its first A340, due in April 1994, is already in production. Airbus says that it is "looking at solutions" to the problem, but also that it has had no formal request for deferrals. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 28 July - 3 August, 1993
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