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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 1814.PDF
Chinese Boeing deal signals relaxation in Sino-US relations IN A SIGN OF gradual thawing of relations between Washing ton and Beijing, Air China has ordered three Boeing 747-400s, while McDonnell Douglas (MDC) has agreed to deliver its first MD-90 TrunkLiner to China Northern. The three new Boeing 747-400s are scheduled for delivery in May and August 1997 and July 1998. The aircraft join eight other 747- 400s already operated by the Chinese flag carrier and will be used on routes to Europe and the USA. Boeing had planned to sign a larger deal with Air China, to in clude ten Boeing 777s and 15 737s, but that was put on ice by a deterio ration in relations between the USA and China. The three 747- 400s are urgently needed by the air line, which brought the order forward. In the meantime, MDC has reached an agreement allowing the first of 11 MD-90 twinjets to be delivered to China Northern on 1 August. The MD-90 forms part of an order for 20 aircraft, for which China has not yet signed or paid, because of the state of political rela tions with the USA (Flight Inter national, 20-26 March, P5). It is unclear what agreement has been reached with China to allow the first delivery to proceed. • Starsem deal signed ARIANESPACE and Aero spatiale have finalised an agreement with Russia's Samara to market the Soyuz and Molniya satellite launchers, under a joint venture called Starsem. The Russian boosters will be used to place satellites weighing as much as 5,000kg, into low-Earth orbit and will complement the Ariane 4 and 5 geostationary laun chers, says Arianespace. Launches will be from Plestesk in Russia and Baikonur in Kazhakstan. Other Russian launchers being marketed with Western companies include the Proton by a Lockheed Martin- led venture, the Zenit as part of the Boeing-led Sea Launch venture, and the Cosmos by both Rockwell and Daimler-Benz Aerospace. • RAF projects ensnared in UK Treasury battle DOUGLAS BARRIE/LONDON KEY PROCUREMENT pro grammes for the Royal Air Force have become embroiled in an internal battle within the UK Government, with the Treasury advocating delays or cuts. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) was pushing for decisions on two air-launched missile programmes and a replacement maritime-patrol aircraft (RMPA) for the British Aerospace Nimrod MR2, before the UK Parliament breaks for its summer recess on 2 5 July. Decisions have been repeatedly delayed on a series of other pro grammes, including a conventional stand-off missile and an air- launched anti-armour weapon. As Flight International went to press there was considerable specu lation that an announcement could be made on 23 July, although some industry sources warned that the package could slip beyond the UK Parliament's summer break. In what is described by sources as a "political battle", defence minis ter Michael Portillo and Chan cellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke are at loggerheads over the orders. Clarke is looking for sav ings, while Portillo is determined to push the decisions through. British Aerospace and Boeing are understood to have been selected to meet the RMPA requirement with their Nimrod 2000 offer in prefer ence to Lockheed Martin and GEC-Marconi. Several industry sources, howev er, have suggested that the MoD will direct BAe to include GEC mission-system avionics on the Nimrod 2000. Informal discussions between BAe and GEC senior management have already taken place. GEC- Marconi is likely to win Staff Requirement (Air) 12 3 6 for an anti- armour missile with its Brimstone offer, if the procurement survives being axed. If Portillo is forced into a com promise by Clarke, industry sou rces say that SR(A) 12 3 8 is the most likely victim of a delay or cancella tion. That would harm the RAF's BAe Harrier GR7 fleet, effectively leaving the aircraft without stand off anti-armour weapons. BAe and Matra are favoured to win the RAF competition for a stand-off cruise missile with the Storm Shadow derivative of the Matra Apache, despite the missile being more expensive than either the Daimler-Benz Aerospace/- Bofors KEPD-350 or the Mc Donnell Douglas Grand Slam Plus. The Treasury, however, could also object to a decision which goes in favour of BAe. Q Firemen survey the remains of the burned-out C-130 32 people are killed in Belgian air force C-130 accident ABELGIAN AIR force Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules crashed with 41 on board at Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands on 15 July, killing its crew of four and 28 passengers. Nine others were badly injured. All passengers were members of the Dutch Royal Army Brass Band. The crash is the first involving a Belgian air force C-13 OH since the type entered service 25 years ago. The crew was making a visual flight-rules landing, with the air craft seen to be flown on a steep turning approach at 5 00ft (15 0m) in almost ideal weather conditions. When the aircraft flared, the port wing hit the runway, the outer wing broke off, the aircraft swung around violently and left the runway. Fire broke out, destroying the forward section of the fuselage and the cockpit. • 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 24 - 30 July 1996
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