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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 1454.PDF
HEADLINES DASA chief proposes BAe stake in Fokker BY ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI Deutsche Aerospace (DASA) chief executive Jurgen Schrempp has said that British Aerospace, Aerospatiale and Alenia could be offered a min ority stake in DASA group member Fokker, as a step towards forming a Euro pean regional- jet consortium. "British Aerospace has shown great interest in work ing together in the regional-jet field," according to Schrempp, who adds that BAe makes it clear that such a grouping of re gional-jet manufacturers "...must not depend on existing products". He wants to avoid conflict between BAe's Avro regional jets and the Fokker 100 and 70 and focus on future programmes such as the 110- seat Future Advanced Small Airliner (FASA). At the same time, Schrempp Schrempp: wants leading role in jet has told the German media that DASA would be content with "the role of a junior partner" in a European regional-turboprop consortium to include Franco- Italian regional manufacturer ATR, formed by Aerospatiale and Alenia. DASA is push ing, however, for Fokker to maintain the lead in upcom ing projects such as FASA (Flight Inter national, 18-24 May). Long-term strategies for DASA's product divisions are under consider ation by Daimler Benz study groups now active in Future plans for Helicopter TCAS AlliedSignal's traffic-alert and collision-avoidance system (TCAS I) has been cer tificated for installation on two Sikorsky S-76s, becoming the first such system for use on helicopters. The use of TCAS on heli copters has proved difficult, partly because of signal inter ference from the rotor blades. A passive TCAS has been con sidered, but the AlliedSignal CAS 66A is an active system. The first two TCAS sys tems have been installed on an S-76B owned by DuPont and an AMC-owned S-76A. • Stuttgart. DASA's military-aircraft group, beyond the immediate intention to centre all military activities at the corporation's Manching site, are also under discussion. DASA declines to give details of these discussions. Senior Daimler Benz officials admit, however, that one option being reviewed is to spin off the military-aircraft group as part of a joint venture, effectively stripping DASA down to a civil core of DASA Airbus and the regional-aircraft business, led by Fokker. The German company is already involved in negotia tions with Siemens over the creation of a joint venture for their defence-electronic busi nesses and is well advanced in talks with Aerospatiale to merge its missile and space activities. A missile deal could be concluded by the end of the year. DASA and Aerospatiale have already merged their helicopter businesses into Eurocopter. • See Business, P13. EC backs 'wise men' proposals The European Commission (EC) has backed a series of actions to upgrade air-transport infrastructure and safeguard competition, in its official response to the Comite des Sages report on the health of the region's airline industry. A significant, but unspeci fied, funding boost is proposed for accelerating improvements to the air-traffic-control sys tem, which are now being implemented by Eurocontrol. Extra money is also proposed for developing European tech nologies for a global-satellite- based navigation system, as well as for an Inmarsat-based European complement to the existing satellite system. The EC wants to speed up the creation of a single European safety authority. It will be responsible for monitor ing the way national adminis trations apply common regula tions now being established by the Joint Aviation Authorities. An immediate study will be launched on the most efficient way to carry out certification. Brussels also wants to take a much stronger line on conduct ing negotiations on air agree ments with countries outside the European Union. It will table a range of proposals in July. These will include replac ing certain clauses in existing national bilateral agreements with "European" clauses. Priority will be given to agreements with Central European countries which already have air-transport accords with the European Union, although the ultimate aim is to strengthen the negoti ating position with the USA and Japan. The EC also says that it will produce "updated" guidelines on state aid at the end of June, aimed at clarifying the Comite's recom mendations that aid be given only on a "one-time, last-time" basis. Rules on airport-slot allocation will be "closely monitored" and the EC may take "an initiative" before the planned review date of the start of 1996. • R-R to decide on launch of RB.411 Rolls-Royce expects to com plete a study into the possible launch of a new, mid-range engine, labelled the RB.411, by the end of this year. Launch of the 180-220kN (40,000- 50,0001b)-thrust engine could be made in 1995, with an in-service date at the end of the decade. The UK aero-engine manu facturer is carrying out a tech nology and market assessment for the engine, which would fill the thrust gap between the 178- 192kN RB.211-535E4 and the 258-270kN RB.211-524G/H. Development of the RB.411 would meet an emerging and potentially highly lucrative market. R-R says: "The engine being studied would be suit able for longer-ranged and stretched A340s and a number of other applications." Other candidate aircraft include Boeing 757 develop ments and 200-250 seat Boeing 767 and Airbus A300 replace ments which are expected early next century. The company says that, technologically, the RB.411 will be an "extremely well- developed -535E4, utilising Trent-derived technology". The latter is likely to include the Trent's electronic-control system, materials technology and low nitrous-oxide emis sions combustor. • RB.411 would be Trent-derived 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15-21June, 1994
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