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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0774.PDF
rJ. &UNES Breakthrough nears on burn-through AIRLINE PASSENGERS will soon have dramatically im proved post-accident fire-protec tion if an Airbus Industrie-led group of European companies can win a European Commission (EC) research grant. Research has already established that the use of different cabin-insulation materi als at manufacture could increase tenfold the time it takes for external fire to burn through to the cabin, providing more evacuation time. The research followed the British Airtours Boeing 737-200 take-off abort on 22 August,1985, at Manchester, UK, after an uncontained engine failure. The incident resulted in the death of 55 people from noxious-fumes poi soning when the external fire burned through into the cabin. Research commissioned by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (and also by the US Federal Aviation Administration) has revealed that the use of polyimide covering and Orcon FB-300 fibre in the ther mal/ acoustic insulation between the fuselage skin and cabin wall can increase the time taken for fuselage burn-through between two- and tenfold, with a minimal effect on materials costs. Now, says Nick Povey, head of the CAAs Safety Regulation Group Change Team, it is up to industry to research the implementation. At the UK Royal Aeronautical Society's Cabin Safety Conference on 20-21 March, he revealed that a team including Airbus, German organisations Dasa Aerospace Air bus and DLR, French companies Aerospatiale and SEAT, the UK- based Faverdale Technology Centre and the CAA, and the Dutch Delft University have bid for EC research funding. The EC says that it is "working on" the issue. J NEWS IN BRIEF • NEW AGENCY CHIEF Antonio Rodota has been ap pointed director-general of the European Space Agency, to succeed Jean-Marie Lu ton. Rodota is director ofFin- meccanica's space division. GE is first to agree MoU for 777-200X/300X powerplant GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES GENERAL ELECTRIC has become the first engine com pany to sign a formal agreement with Boeing to offer a high-thrust engine for the airframe company's heavyweight long-range 777- 200X and -300X twins. The move comes as Boeing applies continu ing pressure on the big-three engine makers to commit to devel op the 445kN (100,0001b)-thrust engines needed for the aircraft. Boeing is believed to have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GE on 11 March. The agreement, which GE declines to confirm or deny, comes just over two weeks after the Boeing board approved authority to offer the new 777 variants. "We are in seri ous discussions with Boeing," is all that the engine manufacturer will say. The airframe builder is aggres sively pursuing its sales efforts in the run-up to a potential double launch at the Paris air show in June. The MoU is understood to cover the development outline of a 445kNGE90-100B, for first deliv eries from September 2000 on wards, and for a higher-thrust, 456kN, GE90-102B, for deliveries from June 2 002. GE's official posi tion remains that "...we're doing development studies, but we haven't launched a 100,0001b- thrust engine". Boeing also declines to com ment on the existence of the MoU, which is a sensitive issue with all parties because of the enormous costs and low returns on the cur rent 777 engines. The commitment to higher- thrust engines is urgently needed to bolster Boeing's campaigns to launch the ultra-long-range -200X, for which Malaysia Airlines (MAS) signed an MoU on 4March. MAS plans to order 15 -200Xs, while others to express interest include Emirates Airlines, Korean Air and Singapore Airlines (SIA). Initial -200X deliveries are aimed for September 2000, the same month for which GE is com mitted in its MoU with Boeing. Three of the four potential -200X launch airlines are already Rolls-Royce-powered-777 cus tomers, putting additional pressure on the UK engine maker to sign a similar MoU. Although R-R has so far announced developments only to 436kN, it is known to be study ing versions of more than 445kN, with the designations Trent "8100" and "8102" being applied to the studies internally. R-R confirms that it is in discus sion with Boeing and the airlines on a higher-thrust engine. While Emirates, MAS and SIA are all Trent customers, Korean Air is a Pratt & Whitney user and is believed to be putting intense pres sure on the US engine maker to develop an even higher-thrust ver sion of the PW4000 beyond the engine now being run in tests for the 777-300. P&W says, however, that it has "... no plans at the moment to push above 98,0001b thrust". P&W officials were expected to discuss future engine-growth pos sibilities with Boeing and Korean Air around 21 March. • US carriers hunt for new twin families CONTINENTAL Airlines is negotiating with Boeing and Airbus Industrie over the purchase of 40 long-range commercial air craft worth as much as $2.5 billion, says the airline. Continental expects to decide within two months whether to buy the Boeing 767-400 or 777, or, instead, purchase the Airbus A3 3 0- 200. The carrier is aiming to retire its McDonnell Douglas DC-10- 30s used for international flights. Another US carrier, Northwest Airlines, is expected by mid-April to announce orders and options for up to 40 A3 30s worth as much as $4.2 billion. Northwest confirms that company officials are talking to Airbus about buying additional aircraft, but declines to comment on talks with Boeing. • Embraer commits to Erieye for EMB-145 ERICSSON MICROWAVE SYSTEMS of Sweden has signed a $145 million deal with Embraer to supply five Erieye airborne- early-warning (AEW) and control systems for installation on the Brazilian aircraft builder's EMB-145 regional jet. The aircraft is part of the equipment for a wider surveillance scheme being managed for the Brazilian Government by Embraer and US con tractor Raytheon. Known as the SWAM, the air- and ground- based surveillance system is primarily for observing suspected drug shipments across the Amazon. Embraer will flight-test an EMB-145 with a dummy installation early in 1998, and the Swedish electronics company plans to begin delivery of the AEW system the following year. 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 March - 1 April 1997
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