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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 2188.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Learjet 45 passes 500h mark FLIGHT-TESTING OF THE BOMBARDIER LEARJET 45 light business jet has passed the 500h mark. By mid-August, Learjet had accumulated almost 540h in some 270 flights with three aircraft. Fuel-system testing is under way on the fourth flight-test aircraft, scheduled to be flown soon, and final assem bly of aircraft number 11 is already under way. Certification is planned for early 1997. Gulfstream V meets long-range target GRAHAM WARWICK/SAVANNAH THE GULFSTREAM V business jet is meeting its spe cific-range guarantee and is "on track" to achieve its 12,000km (6,500nm) design range at Mach 0.8, despite being overweight, the manufacturer says. Senior vice- president, GV programme, Pres Henne, says that the aircraft has sufficient margin to accommodate the weight growth and achieve its design range, but adds that weight- reduction efforts are under way. The GVs BMW Rolls-Royce BR710-48 engines are beating their specific fuel-consumption guarantee by about 1%, Henne says, but the powerplant is the major contributor to the aircraft's overweight, exceedingits 17,250kg manufacturer's empty-weight guarantee, he admits. BMW R-R has identified ways to reduce the engine and nacelle weights, Henne says, but initial aircraft will be delivered to customers with empty weights exceeding the guarantee. "There is a lot of margin in the aircraft. We may use some of that to accommodate the weight growth and will achieve 6,500nm at Mach 0.8," he says. Empty weight is "improving", Henne says, although the exact weight growth has yet to be determined. The company has so far built four flight-test aircraft and a demon strator. Some 275 flights have been accomplished with three aircraft, completing more than610hofthe planned 1,2 OOh certification flight- test programme. The fourth aircraft is undergo ing high-intensity radiated-field and lightning-strike testing and is scheduled to be flown shortly. It will be used for function and relia bility testing. US certification is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 1996. The fifth aircraft is being completed as the company demon strator, having been used for proof- load testing, and will be displayed at the US National Business Aircraft Association convention in November. First deliveries begin in the fourth quarter. Gulfstream has firm orders for 63 GVs. The aircraft is meeting its cruise-speed guarantee of M0.87 and beating its field-performance guarantees, Henne says. Test pilots praise the GVs high-altitude manoeuvre margin and its low- speed performance, both of which are better than expected, he says.Q NASA advances GA engine design NEWS IN BRIEF • HELICOPTER FIRST Japan's first indigenously developed civil helicopter, the Mitsubishi MH2000, had its first flight on 29 July at the company's Komaki plant in Nagoya. The twin-engine prototype's maiden flight is reported to have been limited to a hover at a height of 13ft (4m). A second flying proto type is planned. • BUSINESS-JET MISHAPS On 8 August a Dassault Falcon 10 operated by Burda Holding crashed on a poor- visibility visual flight-rules approach to Offenburg Air port, Germany, killing two crew and two passengers. A Falck Air Learjet 55 appears to have blown its main-gear tyres during landing at Copenhagen Airport on 13 August and over-run the runway, says UK-based avia tion consultancy Airclaims. NASA PLANS TO AWARD contracts in October under its general-aviation propulsion (GAP) programme to develop powerplant technology for next- generation light aircraft. The GAP programme aims to reduce the price of "intermittent combustion" (IC) engines by half and small tur bine engines by a factor often. The IC element of the GAP pro gramme will demonstrate a propulsion system for a single- engine, four-seat aircraft capable of less than 300kt (550km/h). Under consideration are: two- and four- stroke diesel and two- and four- stroke spark-ignition recipro cating; and rotary engines. Aims include increased reliabili ty and maintainability; meeting future emission and noise require ments; running on fuels free of lead or other toxic additives; simpler engine controls; easier cold-weath er starting; and reduced cockpit noise and vibration. The IC engine will have a low parts count,integrat- ed subsystems and drive advanced low-speed propellers. The turbine element of the GAP project will demonstrate a propul sion system for a higher-perfor mance light aircraft — single- engined, with six or fewer seats and capable of more than 200kt. Goals include engine simplification and a reduction in parts count; operating temperatures low enough to avoid expensive materials and cooling techniques; and the minimum number of bearings and stages. The GAP turbine engine is ex pected to have foil and magnetic bearings to reduce or eliminate the need for foil systems; direct-drive generators and all-electric acces- . sories to eliminate the need for accessory drives; and high-speed machining and near-net or net- shape casting and forging to reduce manufacturing costs. NASA's Advanced General Aviation Transportation Experi ments (AGATE) programme, meanwhile, plans to demonstrate single-lever control of current light-aircraft powerplants at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association convention in San Jose, California, in October. Teledyne Continental and Tex tron Lycoming are modifying en gines with full-authority digital engine-controls (FADEC) for flight demonstrations in a Cirrus SR20 and Cessna 182RG, respec tively. First tests runs of a Lycoming engine with single-lever power control were conducted in late June. The FADEC replaces five controllers with one and ten gauges with one integrated engine- information display. The programme is developing an electronic-engine-control arch itecture for new and existing GA aircraft. AGATE officials forecast a retrofit market exceeding $15 million by 2006, with FADEC "paying its way" on to existing air craft with a 25% increase in engine-overhaul interval and a cut in fuel consumption of over 10%.G FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 28 August - 3 September 1996
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