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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 2416.PDF
FARNBOROUGH REPORT Boeing launches 757 stretch... BOEING IS going ahead with its long-awaited 757-300 stretch variant after negotiating "a proposal" forup to 24 aircraft with the German charter airline, Condor Flugdienst. The deal covers firm orders worth $875 million for 12 aircraft (formerly designated the -300X) and 12 options. Boeing says: "The order is subject to final documenta tion and approval by die board of directors of Condor and Lufthansa." Deliveries will begin in 1999. The -300 will be stretched by 7.1m to increase seating from a maximum of 22 5 to 289, some 20% greater than that for the basic 757- 2 00. Condor will configure each of its aircraft for 252 seats. The stretch raises lower-cargo-hold capacity by 40%, and overall pro duces 10% lower seat-kilometre operating costs than those for the -200. With its 6,430km (3,500nm) range, the -300 is expected to attract interest from other charter operators, particularly European- based carriers which now operate more tlian 100 of the type on char ter routes. The 757-300 sales form part of a group of orders announced by Boeing worth $8.1 billion. The order for 7 5 aircraft includes a pur chase of 25 from Ansett World wide, the Australian leasing com pany. Ansett has ordered 16 737s, ten -700s and six -300s. The bal ance is made up by nine 767- 300ERs. International Lease Finance has ordered 15 aircraft — five 737s, five 7 5 7-2 00s and five 767-300ERs. British Airways has ordered four 747-400s, three 777- 200IGWs and three 7 5 7-2 00s, as well as accelerating its deliveries of other -400s to replace first-genera tion "Classics." Other orders have been announced by LOT Polish Airlines (which will take two 737- 400s and a 767-300ER), Maersk Air of Denmark (which will take three 737-500s), Airtours of the UK (one 737-400) and Air Berlin (one 737-400). The US company also conclud ed the long-awaited deal with Philippine Airlines for the delivery of seven General Electric CF6- 80C powered 747-400s. The $1.8 billion contract will see the first air craft delivered in mid-1998. While agreeing the 757 deal on the one hand Condor says it has also signed a MoU witli Airbus for the purchase of A3 2 0s and A3 21 s. A decision on whether to go ahead with the deal is expected in November. • SnecmaandP&Wtie the knot over SPW14 SNECMA AND Pratt & Whit ney Canada have formally signed a collaborative deal to devel op, manufacture, market and sup port die SPW14 turbofan engine family in the 53-70kN (12,000- 16,0001b)-thrast range. Develop ment will be performed by a new joint-venture company to be creat ed for the task. The planned engine was first revealed earlier this year and will be offered with a guarantee of 10,000h interval between major overhaul and inspection "...out of the box; we believe that's a first for the industry", says P&WC chairman and chief executive, David Caplan. The engine is one of several "would-be" competitors in the emerging regional-aircraft market and faces an uncertain future with no launch order and no airframe. P&WC and Snecma are nonethe less apparently committed to the engine development. • NEWS IN BRIEF • AVIANCA DEAL Columbian flag carrier Avia- nca has signed with Pratt & Whitney to provide mainte nance for the PW405 and 4060 engines on its Boeing 767-200s and-300s. ... reveals details of 747-look' -700X FIRST DETAILS of Boeing's proposed 747-700X design reveal a "747-look" concept with the first change in the fuselage cross-section since the baseline 747 was designed in the 1960s (Flight International, 4-10 September). Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Ron Woodard says: "The design of our 747-600X will allow for a larger derivative, which we refer to as the 747-700X. We would "re-body" the -600X with a wider fuselage while retain ing the existing wing, systems, engines, struts and landing gear." The -700X, although likely to be redesignated with a new model number if ultimately launched, fol lows the overall look of the 747 design with a raised, stretched upper deck. It does not, however, follow the trend of Airbus, McDonnell Douglas and even Boeing studies in having a continu ous double-deck. "We get nervous about double deckers: we believe this is a certifiable configuration," says Woodard. The preliminary design has the same 77m span as that of the -600X, but an overall length of 85m. The tail height has been raised to 23m. The aircraft would carry up to 650 passengers across ranges similar to those achieved by the -400. The fuselage width would be increased by roughly one seat per side (about 1.5m). 747-700 design originated from 1993 studies The relatively sudden appear ance of the -700X is being widely interpreted as a Boeing counter attack against the recent Airbus an nouncements of the A3 XX family. The "747-look" outline design was one of several produced in 1993 as a result of New Large Airplane and 747X design studies. Woodard stresses that the -700X is part of a long-term plan. "We do not see a market requirement that would permit a financially viable programme for an aircraft this size. This is why our development efforts are clearly focused on the - 500Xand-600X,"hesays. Boeing, in the meantime, has secured its first commitments from Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Thai Airways International to order up tol8 747-500/600Xs. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 11 - 17 September 1996
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