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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 2864.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION NEWS IN BRIEF • UK SALE FOR VANTAGE VisionAire has now sold its Vantage single-turbine busi ness jet in ten countries out side the USA, with the first sale to a UK customer. Firm orders for the all-composite aircraft exceed 100, die St Louis-based company says. • EXPLORER COSTS Boeing says that direct oper ating costs for new-produc tion MD Explorer helicopt ers have been reduced to $394/h, from$430/h original ly, through longer-life parts and a 22% cut in spares costs. • JET MANAGES GV Jet Aviation has become the first business-aircraft man agement company to take on a long-range Gulfstream V, which will be operated on behalf of its owner. The air craft is the second delivered to a customer. • INNOVATIVE FBO Mercury Air Centers is to build a $5 million, art deco, "Hollywood-themed" fixed- base operation (FBO), com plete with screening room, at Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport in California. The FBO, which is Mercury's fif teenth, is to open in late 1998. • FLEXJET PASSES 150 Bombardier Business Jet- Solutions' Flexjet fractional- ownership programme, launched in May 1995, has passed the 150-owner mark. The Flexjet fleet of Bom bardier Learjet 31 As, Learjet 60s and Canadair Challenger 604s, now totalling 34 air craft, is expected to approach 40 by year-end. • CHINA'S FIRST VIP CRJ Bombardier has delivered the first of five Canadair Corporate JetLiners to Chi na under a $116 million deal signed in January. Three air craft will be delivered this year and two next, replacing VIP Challenger 600s. France requires diesel testing JULIAN MOXON/PARIS THE FIRST FLIGHT of the four-cylinder MR250 diesel engine, under development by Socata and Renault Sport, has been delayed until the beginning of December to allow time for an endurance test demanded by the French certification authorities. Trials of the engine in various configurations have been progress ing "extremely well", says pro gramme manager Luc Pelon, with engines on test benches for pro peller testing and power measure ments. A total of almost 200h has been accumulated, and Pelon expects the endurance tests to prove "uneventful". The trial will be carried out using either the 150kW(200hp)or 190kWversions running for a total of 60h over a ten-day period, each cycle taking the engine through the full flight regime. This requirement, and longer- dian-anticipated bench testing, has pushed back by "several months" the first flight (on a Socata TB20), and the originally planned second- quarter 1998 certification date. A new company, Societe de Motorisations Aeronautiques (SMA) has been formed to devel op, market and support the planned range of 135-225kW engines, which are aimed at both retrofit and new-aircraft markets. SMA is still studying where to pitch the engine in terms of price and production volume. "There are trade-offs in both cases. If we choose the high-volume option, we have to invest more in tiie pro duction system, sales network and so on," says Pelon, adding that, depending on the decision, the engines will cost "between $40,000 and $75,000". Tests to date have demonstrated a specific fuel consumption of 52ug/] (0.31 lb/shp/h) which Pelon says is 28% less than that of an equivalent four-cylinder petrol engine. "We expect to see even bet ter performance when it is installed in an aircraft," he adds. Vibration levels are "very low", while SMAjs also "very satisfied" with the low noise levels resulting from the slower propeller speed inherent in the diesel, he says. Other advantages claimed for the engine are a 3,000h time between overhauls and better power reten tion at altitude. In production, the powerplants will be built from the same com mon components, reducing main tenance costs. The 185kW and 225kWversionshave90% of parts in common, while the figure for the 135kW model, which lacks the reduction gearing of the larger engines and has a smaller turbo- charger, is around 75%. Certification of the first engine variant, the MR250, is now planned for June 1998, the smaller version following at the end of die year. Up to three engines will then be installed in aircraft owned by a "professional fleet" to demonstrate endurance and maintenance capa bilities, leading to first delivery a year later. • Alberta goes into Phoenix sales negotiations ALBERTA AEROSPACE is in "serious negotiations" with three major flight-training opera tions, two in the USA and one in the UK, to sell die Phoenix Fanjet turbofan-powered trainer. The Phoenix, formerly the Pro- mavia Jet Squalus military trainer, is being certificated by the Canadian company for die airline- pilot-training market. Calgary- based Alberta Aerospace says that flight schools are attracted by the promise of training students more quickly using a jet-powered air craft. The firm adds that three potential customers are interested in "half a dozen aircraft each". The company demonstrated die Phoenix to airlines and training companies, including FlightSafety International, in early September. The company plans to begin deliv eries in the first quarter of 1999 and aims to produce two a month for the first two years, then to increase the rate to four a month. Alberta Aerospace says tJiat it is evaluating bids from four suppliers to fabri cate airframes for assembly at a new plant near Calgary, until it can tool up for full production itself. The company claims that it has reached agreement with Honey well to certificate the Phoenix Fanjet in mid-1998 with the US manufacturer's Primus 1000 inte grated avionics installed, including flat-panel displays. The likely price with this equipment will be around $2.2 million. • See feature, P34. EC135 orders on the up EUROCOPTER IS TO STEP UP production of its EC135 light twin. The Franco-German helicopter manu facturer claims to be picking up orders for the eight-seat helicopter "at record speed", with 85 sales confirmed to date. To meet market demand, the production schedule of around 20-30 units for 1997 will be increased to 50 machines in 1998. The first helicopter was delivered in August 1996. 24 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 29 October - 4 November 1997
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