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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 2143.PDF
a similar range. An extended range -1OOR, with the higher MTOW of the -200, has also been proposed. While these three variants are the most clear ly defined so far, Airbus is examining other models, including lighter, short-range models (-100S/-200S), a reduced capacity 480-seatver- sion (-50/50R), and a combi'(-lOOC) and freighter (-1 OOF) variant. The -200 will seat almost 1,000 people in a one-class, high-density layout. A 700-seat-plus (three-class) variant, the A3XX-300, has also been mentioned. A preliminary design freeze was made in January 1998, and a final configuration freeze is scheduled for the end of 1998. In the meantime, Airbus submitted an appli cation to the European Joint Aviation Authorities for A3XX type certification. Airbus plans to begin making firm offers to airlines during the first half of 1999, followed by a launch in the third quarter of that year (this had been scheduled for the end of 1998). Flight testing will start in mid-2003 with service entry due to follow- about 15 months later. The consortium, meanwhile, is seeking part ners to provide up to 40% of the estimated $8- 10 billion needed to develop its first very-high-capacity aircraft. Alenia, Belairbus, Fokker Aviation, Aerostructures, Furocopter, GKN Westland, Saab and Finavitec have already signed to participate in pre-launch development work. Airbus Industrie's 1998 long-range market forecast reduced the estimated size of the large aircraft market in which the A3XX will com pete, compared to 1997 predictions. This comes as a result of a slight downward shift in forecast annual passenger traffic growth to 5%, and Airbus' forecast for the market for aircraft above 400 seats was reduced by around 10%, from 1,442 to 1,295 units. Production Airbus has not yet decided on the location for the final-assembly line of the A3XX. The potential size of subassemblies which will be built to produce an aircraft, and the difficulties of moving them between facto ries, means that the whole Airbus production strategy has to be re-examined. Partners and suppliers are bidding for the various industrial production packages on die programme. These should be finalised before the end of 1998, along with issues of production method and assembly line location. WAliMiWl Aeronautical Scientific - Technical Complex, 1 Tupolev St, Kiev 252062, Ukraine; tel: +380 (44) 4425 7098; fax: +380 (44) 4495 9996; telex: 131048,132792 OZON. AN-70T The An-70T four-engined propfan-powered military airlifter (a commercial version is also planned) had its maiden flight in December 1994. The programme was thrown into tur moil, however, after the fatal crash of the single prototype on 10 February, 1995, following a mid-air collision with an An-72 chase aircraft. Antonov converted the second, static-test, prototype to flight status which was flown in April 1997. The Ukrainian company has raised virtually the entire funding required to build the new aircraft, mostly through commercial oper ation of its An-124 freighters as funds pledged by Russia and Ukraine failed to materialise. The Kiev Aviant plant in Ukraine has started to raise funds to finance a commercial version of- the An-70. Aviant is collaborating with the Aviacor plant in preparing the An-70 for series production. In a separate development, Antonov is also investigating a twin-engined variant, the An- 70T-100, powered with the same Progress D- 2 7 propfans, which would not have the standard An-70's short take-off capability, but would be lighter and dicrefore less expensive. Operating from a paved 2,500m-long runway, the twin- engined variant could carry 30t of cargo over a distance of 1,000km, or 20t over 4,300km. Production Series-production is planned to be undertaken by Aviacor in Samara, Russia. AN-124 RUSLAN The prototype An-124 Ruslan freighter was first flown in December 1982 and entered ser vice in January 1986. Although conceived orig inally for use by the Russian military, the An-124 has found a market niche with Western cargo operators as it can be used for very heavy, outsized loads. It is capable of carrying a pay- load of 150t a distance of 4,500km. In mid-1997 a hushkit was certificated for the An-124 which enables compliance with Stage3/ Chapter 3 noise legislation. The hushkit was Antonov is seeking help to reactivate the six-engined An-225, only one of which exists developed by the Progress Design Bureau, which designed the An-124's ZMKB Progress D-18T turbofan, in conjunction with Antonov. Volga-Dnepr could re-engine its seven An- 124s with Kuznetsov NK-93 ducted-propfan engines. Company technical specialists have visited engine-maker Dvigateli NK to evaluate the status of NK-93 development and the feasi bility of me re-engineing programme. Aviastar has been developing a "Western ised" An-124 at its Ulyanovsk factory. This is dubbed the -130 and it is expected to be equipped with GF CF6 engines and fitted with Western avionics. The An-124-130 will have a four-man flightdeck crew, instead of the usual six, with a Rockwell-CollinsTCAS, GPS, satel lite communications and ACARS airline- datalink system. The Antonov design bureau is not involved in the An-124-130 project, and the bureau is itself in the process of studying a "Westernised" ver sion of the An-124. Production Aviastar builds the An-124 at its Ulyanovsk factory. Delivered c50 AN-180 The An-180, envisaged as a 150/175-seat medi um-range airliner with two rear-mounted prop- fan engines installed on the tips of the horizontal tail, was unveiled at the 1991 Paris air show. No firm timetable for the project has been published, but studies of the airliner are continuing to be carried out. AN-218 Also announced at the 1991 Paris air show, die An-218 is similar to the Airbus A330, but die FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19 - 25 August 1998 45
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