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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1498.PDF
FLIGHT TEST MICHAEL GERZANICS/LONG BEACH initial launch customer. But Valujet lives on as developmental flight testing has been accom- AirTran Airways, and its 50 firm orders and 50 plished so far, and 50% of the combined US B OEING'S 717 is poised to be die newest options remain on Boeing's books. Federal Aviation Administration/European aircraft to enter die much anticipated 100- The second was the merger of McDonnell Joint Aviation Authorities certification points seat airliner market. With joint US and Douglas and Boeing in 1997. Boeing already have been demonstrated. Flight International European certification due in September, hadalOO-seaterin its product line, the 73 7-600, was given the opportunity to fly die aircraft at Boeing hopes to capture die lion's share of a pro- and industry analysts were sceptical that die Boeing's Long Beach, California, facility, jected 2,600-aircraft market through to 2017. company would offer two seemingly similar The goal of the 717 programme was to devel- Airbus Industrie's entry into the 100-seat arena products. Boeing rallied to die cause of the MD- op a 100-seat airliner optimised to provide die with its A318, however, has made attainment of 95, however, which it re-named the 717. The lowest total trip cost when operated at high fre- this goal far from certain. aircraft therefore became a symbol of the "new quency over about 500-900km stage lengths. Launched in October 1995 by McDonnell Boeing" and is being marketed as a low-cost air- Some would contend that the 717 is nothing Douglas as the MD-95, die 717 has faced sever- liner optimised for the short-haul market. more dian an updated DC-9-30, but diis is not al major programme hurdles during its devel- Since the 717's first flight in September, four diecase.Whilejustifiablyproudoftheaircraft's opment. The first and perhaps most aircraft have completed l,200h of a projected heritage, Boeing takes great pains to highlight challenging was die near demise of Valujet, its l,700h flight test programme. Over90% ofthe the many differences and improvements the 42 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 May - 1 June 1999
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