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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 2863.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Boeing and Executive Jet set up fractional-ownership venture RAMON LOPEZ/NEW YORK EXECUTIVE JET Aviation (EJA) and Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) have formed a joint ven ture which will introduce Boeing's $34 million corporate aircraft into \ EJAs pioneering Netjets fraction- • al-ownership programme. Acquiring the BBJ, which com- | bines the fuselage of the Boeing J 737-700 with the strengthened i wing of the larger -800, will take EJA to the next level of fractional ownership, and die Montvale, New Jersey-based firm says that it will help it to expand internationally. Richard Santulli, Executive Jet's chairman and chief executive, calls die BBJ "a natural complement" to die existing Netjets fleet, which now includes 104 aircraft in service and 170 on order. "It provides die necessary space, range and utility. The BBJ broadens the Netjets fleet and allows us to provide Netjet owners widi a full range of airplane sizes to meet their global business transportation needs," he adds. Financial terms of the venture BBJ will represent the next level of fractional ownership for EJA have not been disclosed, and specifics of the deal, including its structure and the initial aircraft order, will not be finalised for anodier 30-60 days, says Santulli. He sees a "core" fleet of between four and five BBJs owned by the joint venture. According to EJA, the number of aircraft would grow as owners sign up for flight hours. EJA is responsible for die sale of fraction al interests and aircraft manage ment. Boeing will provide the service support. Santulli makes it clear that the deal does not affect the planned purchases of Gulfstream IVSPs and Vs. He says it is a "rather good assumption" that formation of the joint venture precludes future pur chase of the rival Airbus A319CJ corporate jet. BBJ, a company established in 1996 by Boeing and General Electric, now holds more than 25 orders from 21 customers. The first BBJ rolls out of the fac tory in June 1998. GE, the launch customer with two aircraft, will take delivery of the initial aircraft later diat year. EJA will receive its Rolls-Royce wins Gulfstream service contracts ROLLS-ROYCE'S Canadian maintenance arm has clinched four service contracts with US Gulfstream operators, including a deal to support engines for the air craft manufacturer itself. Gulfstream has signed a deal for R-R to repair and overhaul Spey, Tay and BMW R-R BR710 engines under a contract believed to total around $10 million over a seven-year period. Under anodier order widi New- York-based Pfizer, worth around $2 million, R-R will be required to maintain the company's Tay 611-8 engines, which power its fleet of Gulfstream IV business jets. A contract with Mobil Business Resources of Fairfax, Virginia, also valued at around $2 million, is for the maintenance of the oil-giant subsidiary's Tay 611-8 GIV power- plants. The final contract, worth $2.5 million, with California, Van Nuys-based Petersen Aviation, is for the maintenance of the Spey 511-8 and Tay 611-8, which power its Gulfstream Ills and IVs. • Hughes HISAR is used to monitor German traffic HUGHES AIRCRAFT HAS teamed with German com pany Traffic 2000 to market the Hughes Integrated Surveillance and Reconnaissance System (HISAR) for applications in ground surveillance and environ mental monitoring in Europe. The synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) was demonstrated in Ger many in July during a sales tour witii a HISAR-equipped Raytheon Beech King Air 200. Hughes says that more than 20h flying over Germany demonstrated the HISAR's ability to monitor road traffic on autobahns and detect oil spills on open seas. The HISAR radar has four modes: wide-area moving-target indication (MTI); combined SAR/MTI strip mode, with 6m resolution; SAR spot mode, with 2m resolution, and sea-surveil lance mode. Hughes is offering the HISAR with complementary electro-opti cal and infra-red sensors suitable for missions ranging from remote sensing to border surveillance. J American Blimp lines up A-150 production AMERICAN BLIMP, of Se-verna Park, Maryland, has launched production of the nine- passenger Lightship A-l 50 having "...clearly identified" customers for the first five airships. The A-150 was awarded US certification in September, and the first airship has been deliv ered to The Lightship Group, a joint venture set up between American Blimp and Virgin Lightships, for use on a long-term advertising contract. The company is aiming the nine-passenger, single-pilot A-150 at what it describes as "growing interest" from the air-tour indus try, and expects the Lightship to "...re-open airship passenger ser vice". The craft is powered by two Tectron Lycoming IO-360 piston engines driving five-blade MT propellers. The A-150 has a 4,200m' (150,000ft') translucent envelope, but the Lightship series is available with 3,200m' and 4,800m' envelopes. Under the name Spector, the airships are being marketed for surveillance missions, including border and maritime patrol and law enforcement. • NEWS IN BRIEF • LEARJET 20 HUSHKIT Tracor Flight Systems is awaiting certification of its Stage 3 hushkit for Learjet 20-series business jets, pow ered by General Electric CJ610 turbojets. Marketed by Ottendorf Aviation, the "double-daisy" hushkit re duces sideline noise by more than 8dB, to around 95dB. • WINGLETS PROGRESS Seattle, Washington-based Aviation Partners has so far sold 55 blended-winglet per formance-enhancement kits for the Gulfstream II and plans to retrofit the remain der of the Gil fleet over the next two years. The $457,000 modification increases range by 7%. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 29 October - 4 November 1997 23
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