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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 1308.PDF
REGIONAL AIRCRAFT jg£_. • f Continental Express is retrofitting revised passenger doors to improve jetwdy compatibility ' Embraer's own suppliers have been struggling ! to keep up with the combination of spares re- \ quirements and rapidly accelerating production demands. Spares are now pooled at centres in Brazil, Fort Lauderdale in Florida, and Paris, France. Embraer is working to build up its Paris spares stock and has reached about 60% of its $18 million target, says Liddiard. Church adds that the high demand for new aircraft has meant that certain spares have to be ordered horn sup pliers well in advance to guarantee availability. Most of BRAL's crews have been transferred from its turboprop fleets, with some pilots hav ing no previous jet experience moving up from the 29-seatJ41. Although the ERJ-145's han dling qualities are described as "docile" by BRAL operations director Norman Brewitt, the airline's turboprop pilots were checked out on a Boeing 727 simulator to assess their aptitude for jets before being streamed for conversion. Turboprop pilots have found the transition fairly straightforward, and the similarity of die Honeywell Primus 1000 electronic flight instrument system to those in the J41 has helped. "The higher performance of the jet means you have to keep well 'ahead of the game'...everything happens a lot faster between nought and 10,000ft [3,500m]," says one pilot, talking about the switch to the ERJ- 145. Another pilot, accustomed to having to step-climb larger jet aircraft at their maximum weights, is impressed by the ERJ-145 S ability to climb with a full load of passengers and fuel straight to the maximum altitude of 37,000ft. The aircraft's cruise performance has been as good as, or better than, promised, with a maxi mum operating speed of Mach 0.78, greater than (irst expected. Brewitt says that, at a typical cruise speed of 440kt/M0.76 at 35,000ft, total fuel flow is about 1,000-1,1 OOkg/h. The aircraft typically crosses the threshold (Vgro) at about 124kt, and touches down at about 117kt. Unlike some operators, BRAL did not take its aircraft equipped with the Hurel Dubois- developed thrust reversers. "We don't really need them for our operations, and they would add unnecessary extra weight [130kg per engine] and complexity," says Brewitt. BRAL's operations were initially restricted by the JAA's requirements to reduce rudder deflection by 5°. "This affected the \\K-(•. [min imum control speed on the ground], and in turn increased Vj [decision speed], restricting field performance from short runways such as Southampton," says Brewitt. "Embraer quickly developed a modification which provides us with 15" of rudder travel on the ground [through undercarriage microswitches], and the JAAs required 10° once airborne," he says. Embraer is also developing an intermedi ate 18° take-off flap setting as an alternative to the 9° and 24" already available. BRAL says that the new flap setting should boost the aircraft's payload performance, which has been "significantly lower than originally promised". JAA FRUSTRATION The new flap setting typifies Embraer's enthu siasm to support and develop the aircraft, says Brewitt, but he echoes Regional's frustrations that the JAA has struggled to keep pace with the manufacturer's developments. This, and the delays in the certification process, are partly attributed to the cultural differences between the European authorities and the South American manufacturer. Other niggles suffered by BRAL have been minor. There was a spate of false engine oil pres sure and temperature warnings (one of which nearly led to an engine shut-down) because of faulty connectors on the wiring. Brake temper ature sensors have also been unreliable. Like Regional, BRAL has been disappointed with the cabin interior's lack of robustness. Some trim items, such as the overhead locker lids, have been replaced after breakages, says BRAL, while Regional says that the sliding door to the toilet has proved too weak, and is prone to jam ming if passengers force it by attempting to push it open as if it were hinged. This has also necessitated new larger operating instruction notices for die lavatory door after a passenger on another airline apparently became trapped in the toilet after using the wrong opening tech nique and it became jammed. Despite the various teething problems, the airlines are generally satisfied with their new jet's first workingyear. "Four years ago, this was a paper aircraft," says Regional's Cereti. "A lot of people didn't believe Embraerwould succeed in putting it into the marketplace. The fact is that they did succeed. Globally, this is a good aircraft. We think Embraer has a lot to gain from developing the range, and we will be watching what they do very closely." • M'li'lllMrtll'WI'MW'lM GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON DC CONTINENTAL EXPRESS' order for 25 firm plus 50 option 37-seat ERJ- 135s validates Embraer's decision to derive a family of regional jets following the successful introduction of the 50- seat ERJ-145. The Brazilian manufac turer hopes that other airlines will be attracted by the "substantial" savings in training, maintenance and spares costs that it calculates will result from the 90% commonality between the two aircraft. Embraer, meanwhile, continues to study a 70-seater, the ERJ-170, although the changes will be greater than those required to derive the ERJ-135 from the original design. The ERJ-145's success has powered the resurgence of Embraer after privati sation and subsequent recapitalisation by- its new investors, which have pumped more tJian $530 million into die company since January 1995. The Brazilian manu facturer expects to become profitable this year, after narrowing losses to just over Si3 million in 1997, on record revenues of almost $767 million. The estimated $300 million develop ment cost for the ERJ-145 was borne in part by risk-sharing partners, as is the $ 100 million cost of developing the ERJ- 135. Embraer predicated the ERJ-145 programme on sales of 400 aircraft; introducing the ERJ-135 has boosted the combined sales projection to 1,000 air craft and allowed substantial cost reduc tions to be secured from suppliers. Changes to produce the ERJ-135 are limited essentially to reducing fuselage length by 3.54m. The engines, avionics and systems are basically unchanged. Embraer, in fact, has converted the ERJ- 145 prototype to perform the same role on the ERJ-135 programme, and the same flight-test engines will be re-used - Allison simply supplying new engine software to derate them. The two aircraft will be built on the same line, and Embraer says it will need only three months' advance notice to change a customer's order from an ERJ- 145 to an ERJ-135, and vice vena. The manufacturer is increasing ERJ- 145 production to six a month, and plans to reach seven a month by October. When ERJ-135 deliveries begin in the second half of 1999, Embraer will be pro ducing 12 regional jets a month - seven 50-seaters and five 37-seaters. In addi tion, the company will still be producing two EMB-120 Brasilia 30-seat regional turboprops a month. 42 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 13 - 19 May 1998
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