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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 0428.PDF
MIR TRANSPORT ATR 12 takes KC-135 water-spray icing test on the nose. Now other turboprops face similar investigation FAA to run icing tests on major turboprop models RAMON LOPEZ/WASHINGTON DC THE US FEDERAL Aviation Administration is to examine how a range of turbo prop airliners behaves in icing conditions, following its new directives relating to the ATR 42 and 72 Flight International, 18- 24January). Extensive testing of ATR air craft in die wake of the fatal crash of an American Eagle ATR 72 in Roselawn, Indiana, on 31 October, 1994, show that they comply with icing-certification regulations. An abnormal icing condition not covered by any certification requirement may have occurred, however, and the FAA wants to see if overall icing-certification criteria should be toughened. FAA associate administrator for regulation and certification Tony Broderick says: "This is the first time these types of extensive testing for icing problems have ever been done. We feel it's nec essary to put all similar aircraft to the test. If more defects are found, we will change our certifi cation rules accordingly." ATR president and chief execu tive Henri-Paul Puel says: "In a field so poorly understood, these tests will produce an evolution of the existing certification rules." The company earlier claimed that it reproduced the aileron- lock problem which worried the FAA on three other twin-turbo- props. The data, on the Saab 340, Fokker 50 and Embraer EMB- 120 Brasilia, have been provided to the FAA. FAA administrator David Hinson says: "There have been no problems with icing on any other turboprops that we are aware of. There have been no reports, inci dents or accidents caused by icing. But as a matter of course, when we are finished with the ATR issue, we will look at tiie same sort of issue for other turboprops. That just makes sense." 3 P&W and MTU name engine project chiefs PRATT & WHITNEY and MTU have named former PW4084 programme manager Tom Davenport as head of the new Mid Thrust Family Engine (MTFE) project, marking the for mal start of the joint initiative. MTU's Rainer Schwab has also been named deputy manager of the project, which aims to design and build a family of engines in the 65-1 lOkN (15,000-24,0001b)- thrust range for new 75- to 100- seat passenger aircraft. The MTFE will be aimed at BMW Rolls-Royce products, par ticularly its BR700-series of turbofans, now under develop ment. The project will save some time by using experimental hard ware which was developed for the RTF180 — an earlier attempt by the two partners to build a rival to the BR700. More recently, the two compa nies had joined Snecma and General Electric in the now defunct Project Blue. A baseline demonstration core, using the high-pressure spool developed for the RTF 180, will run in the second quarter of 1995 at P& W's Connecticut site. "We are beginning the develop ment effort in order to have an engine ready by 1999, providing there is an aircraft ready to put it on," says P&W — which now has a 51% share of the MTFE. "The end of the century is when we think the airframe con sortia will have something ready, but we can speed it up or slow it down. The entire programme will be paced to keep up with the air frames, but it is a formal pro gramme," adds the company. Several 75-100 seater projects are under study in Asia, Europe and the USA. The MTFE partners are in dis cussion with other potential team members. "We're working out all that right now and we're talking to several other traditional, and some non-traditional partners," says P&W. • Zambia troubles spark regional- airline hopes THE COLLAPSE OF Zambia's flag carrier is prov ing the catalyst for the probable creation of a new domestic carrier and the possible formation of a network of southern African regional airlines. South Africa's SA Express (SAX) has told Zambia that it is willing to fund 40% of the equity — repre senting S7-10 million — of a Lusaka-based regional airline mod elled on its existing operation. SAX financial director Michael Gray says that Zambian demand could support a carrier initially operating two 50-seat aircraft and, later, as many as four. He says that SAX, which will shortly accept the last two of 12 de Havilland Dash 8s, would acquire further aircraft of the same type for the operation. "We would run it almost as a second base using Zambian pilots and most other staff. We would supply training, maintenance, infrastructure generally and man agement expertise", says Gray. He does not dispute that SAX has also shown interest in a Kenyan operation and says: "If other areas open up, we could see a system opening through south ern Africa widi linked airlines." In Zambia, SAX is discussing co-operation with "tertiary opera tors", which Gray would like to see operating on some routes. Meanwhile, newly formed Alliance, owned by South African Airways, Uganda Airlines and Air Tanzania, remains the most likely candidate to take over Zambia Airways' long-haul operations. • NEWS IN BRIEF • EXPRESSLY ALABAMA Alabama Express Airways is to provide daily short-haul flights within Alabama, USA, using five British Aerospace Jetstream 31s. The new regional carrier will be based in Tuskegee, Alabama, but will centre operations on Montgomery and Mobile until Tuskegee's municipal airport is expanded. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 25 - 31 January 1995
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