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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1553.PDF
Cessna may axe AlliedSignal as sole-source supplier DAVE HIGDON/WICHITA CESSNA AIRCRAFT is re viewing AlliedSignaPs sole- source avionics contract for its single piston aircraft. Neither company will comment, but it is believed that Cessna told the avionics manufacturer recently that its contract to supply its Bendix/King products, standard in in Cessna's Skyhawks, Skylanes and Stationairs, was under review. The Wichita-based company is understood to be considering Garmin International and UPS Aviation Technologies (formerly II Morrow) as likely replacements. Garmin and UPS Aviation Technologies confirm their execu tives, at the aircraft manufacturer's request, have made extensive prod uct presentations to Cessna. Sources claim that Cessna's deci sion is prompted by problems with the initial quality of the avionics delivered to Cessna in Inde pendence, Kansas. A growing gap between the capabilities of Bendix/ King products and the capabilities of odier avionics was also a factor. "Between the problems on the newer boxes and the inability to meet customer demands with AlliedSignal equipment, Cessna thought it was wordi taking a look at a change," says a source. Changing suppliers would incur considerable expense for Cessna, given the need to certificate new equipment in its 172 Skyhawks, 182 Skylanes and 206 Stationairs. In addition, the manufacturer has spent considerable sums cover ing the cost of a long series of air worthiness directives and service bulletins issued against the aircraft over the last two years. Cessna is expected to announce its avionics decision at the forth coming Experimental Aircraft Association convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from 28 July-3 August. "The current lean ing is toward keeping just one avionics supplier, regardless of which company that may be," con cedes a source. Meanwhile, Cessna has issued a service bulletin for the Stationair models 206H and T206H after the manufacturer found that the aileron stop bolts on some of the aircraft had been installed incor rectly. The service bulletin orders die inspection of more dian 50 air craft delivered to date. The US Federal Aviation Administration is also expected to publish an airworthiness directive that will require the work before any furdier flights. • Mission 212 prototype poised for assembly LAMBERT AIRCRAFT En gineering plans to start build ing the proof of concept Mission M212-100 prototype this month. It is also awaiting certification of the air-cooled Zoche ZO 01A engine to kick-start flight testing next year. The manufacturer, based in Kortrijk, Belgium, has completed destructive wing tests on the sin- gle-engined Mission M212-100 aircraft at its factory in Geluveld, Western Belgium, under the supervision of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Lambert is aiming to receive both US and UK approval for die two-seat aircraft, which has been designed around the Zoche diesel engine. The German-built HOkW (150hp) Zoche powerplant, which is scheduled for certification in the fourth quarter of the year, is designed to run on low-cost jet and diesel fuel and offer a cost-efficient alternative to existing engines. • Future 609 tiltrotors will include Kawasaki-made components Kawasaki partners on civil tiltrotor K AWASAKI Heavy Industries (KHI) has signed an agree- mentwith Aerostructures of Nash ville, Tennessee, to manufacture components forme Bell Agusta BA 609 civil tiltrotor aircraft. Aerostructures is responsible for die aircraft's fuselage development. KHI says it will develop the cabin doors and fuselage tailcone under subcontract. KHI is the first Japanese manufacturer to partici pate in the programme, which will lead to the first civilian tiltrotor. The aircraft will be powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67As, and will have a gross takeoff weight of 7.31, carrying up to nine passengers. US Federal Aviation Admini stration certification is targeted for mid-2002. • NEWS IN BRIEF • SJ30-2 TOOLS UP Sino Swearingen has installed the assembly mate tool for the SJ30-2 business jet. The tool is the precision fixture where the SJ30-facto- ry 2 wings and fuselage will be attached. The empennage will be joined to the aircraft in the mate jig, which will ini tially be used to assemble three SJ30-2s for certifica tion flight testing, as well as two airframes - one static and one fatigue. The tool will then be relocated to Sino's production base in Martin- sburg, Virginia, USA. The manufacturer has 140 orders for the seven-seat SJ30, which is scheduled for certifi cation in late 2000. • RVSM ALLIANCE A US team specialising in certificating business aircraft for reduced vertical separa tion mimima (RVSM) opera tion has joined forces with a German company to offer its services to European corpo rate operators. Kohlman Sys tems Research and Aero- Mech, which formed an alliance in 1997 to provide turnkey RVSM solutions to US business aircraft opera tors, have teamed with Aeroflight Service, a flight in spection specialist based in Braunschweig, to tackle the European market. RVSM procedures will be imple mented in European airspace in January 2002, after which only appropriately certificat ed aircraft will be allowed in RVSM airspace above 29,000ft (8,850m). • AASI SELLS PUNT Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures (AASI) has com pleted the sale and lease back of its manufacturing facility for $9.8 million. The compa ny plans to use die proceeds to complete development and begin production of the sin gle turboprop JetCruzer 500. AASI says it has orders for 172 of the business aircraft. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 June 1999 29
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