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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 2182.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Airbus uses A340 for A330 ETOPS approval BY JOHN BAILEY IN JOHANNESBURG Airbus Industrie is relying on in-service experience with the four-engined A340 for early approval of extended- range twinjet operations (ETOPS) with the new A330. The manufacturer has started a 13-month programme, with A340 customers Air France and Lufthansa, to monitor the oper ational performance and relia bility of key airframe systems common to both aircraft. The three engine manufac turers on the A330 also have separate programmes to gain ETOPS credits, based on com monality with earlier genera tions of each powerplant. Airbus sent a specialist to each airline in June, to monitor and collate data on items which would be critical for an A340 opera tor Lufthansa helps A330 ETOPS effort to take-off A330 ETOPS despatch. They will monitor about 4,000 oper ating cycles, or up to 15,000 flight hours, on the A340 — considerably more than Boeing intends to fly with its dedicated ETOPS validation aircraft dur ing 777 certification. Data produced by Boeing to support its arguments for early 777 ETOPS show that most in-flight engine shut downs and diversions are systems-related, rather than propulsion failures. Airbus says that most ETOPS-critical items on the A330, such as the fuel and maintenance computers, hy draulics and electrical systems, can be validated on the A340. Airbus engineering test pilot Capt Claude Lelaie says: "The computers have the same black boxes, but there are software MAS plans to be first with A330 ETOPS Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is planning to become the first carrier to use the new Airbus A330 under extended- range twinjet operations (ETOPS) conditions. The airline, which takes de livery of the first of ten Pratt & Whitney-powered A330s in August 1994, will operate the aircraft on at least two ETOPS routes — from Kuala Lumpur to Perth in Australia and Ma dras in India — which require 90min diversion times from the nearest airfield. It is also considering a third ETOPS service, from Kuala Lumpur to Johannesburg, South Africa, although this would be more economical under 120min rules. Airbus does not need ETOPS clearance until mid-1994, as the first A330 operator will be the French domestic carrier Air Inter, which has selected Gen eral Electric engines. Airbus is hopeful of achieving 120min- ETOPS approval for the P&W- powered A330 from entry into service, although MAS is un likely to receive initial operat ing approval beyond 90min. ETOPS clearance beyond 60min must be obtained by individual airlines, based on operating experience with a given engine/airframe combina tion. MAS project development pilot Capt Ritzerwan says that the airline is working with the Malaysian civil aviation depart ment to define criteria, which includes finalising minimum equipment lists for an ETOPS departure, and qualifying engi neers and despatchers. Ritzerwan says that 120min ETOPS clearance will probably be allowed after 20,000h of fleet time at the 90min limit, or about one year of in-service experience with the A330. The once-a-week Kuala Lum pur-Johannesburg service is op erated with McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s, but MAS intends to replace all its DC-10s and Air bus A300-B4s with A330s. The route could not support a Boe ing 747-400, so MAS is evaluat ing an A330 service which would be non-stop westbound, with a technical stop in Mauri tius on the return. At 90min diversion time, a twinjet must be flown north of the Great Circle route from Kuala Lumpur to Mauritius, adding another 165km (90nm) to the 5,400km optimum track. The remaining 3,000km sector from Mauritius to Johan nesburg can be flown direct, thanks to the alternate field at Antananarivo, Madagascar. MAS is also receiving politi cal "encouragement" to look at onward services from Johan nesburg, to at least three points in South America — Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and San tiago. These could probably be operated under 120min rules, but would fall into the range bracket where the economics of the A330 are overtaken by those of the four-engined A340. MAS has six options on A330s, but these could be con-- verted to A340s. Airbus is plan ning to obtain 180min ETOPS clearance for the A330, but this is mainly to allow operators to bypass airfields which would be designated as alternates under 120min rules, when those are affected by weather. • differences, which can be tested an other way. For the electrical system, it is the same, except on the A340 the buses are split on each side between two small genera tors, instead of one big generator on the A330. All the reconfiguration logic is the same, and the distribution is the same." For every A340 flight of over six hours, Airbus is monitoring the aircraft minimum equip ment list before departure, and recording whether despatch would have been allowed under ETOPS rules. While airborne, any equipment malfunctions or systems warnings are logged and analysed, to determine the consequences had they oc curred in an ETOPS sector. Lelaie, who is leading the A330 ETOPS approval effort, says: "It is exactly like a big route-proving programme, be cause [during route-proving] every time we have a snag, or something goes wrong, we put it in the flight report." Some ETOPS-specific tests are also being performed, for example, starting the auxiliary power unit 30min before des cent, after a long cold soak. Airbus has also demonstrated A330 ETOPS diversion proce dures, by simulating various systems failures during a flight over the North Atlantic (Flight International, 1-8 September). Airbus has so far registered "events" on 2% of the flights monitored — for example, spu rious warnings on the flight- management computer, and a faulty flow-control valve on an air-conditioning pack. Airbus expects to receive ETOPS clearance for the Pratt & Whitney-powered A330 in rriid-1994, in time for launch customer Malaysia Airlines (MAS), although Lelaie says: "I am not sure if we will get 120min immediately." MAS is aiming for 90min clearance ini tially, extending to 120min after one year in service. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 September, 1993 17
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