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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 0015.PDF
IAE studies options for V2500 applications beyond A320 GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL Aero Engines (IAE) is studying options on longer-term potential developments of the V2 500 engine to power a new generation of air craft to replace die Airbus Industrie A320 and Boeing 737 families.The move comes after the Pratt & Whitney/Rolls-Royce-led consor tium dropped its initial "-A7" growth plans. Despite failing to develop a strong enough business case to grow die V2500 for hot-and-high performance on the heavier, longer-range Airbus A321-200, (Flight International, 10-16 November), the engine consor tium says customer and partner interest in the new product devel opment strategy remains high. "When we kicked off the -A7, die enthusiasm for investment was very impressive," says IAE presi dent Mike Terrett. This enthus iasm remains, he adds, and he says that the studies are "more generic", becoming fixed on a longer-term successor. "We are considering configura tion options that take it beyond the 10-year horizon," says Terrett. "We are positioning ourselves to be ready to go beyond the current A320 family and its competition." Refanning, with a scaled swept fan, based on the Trent 500 design, is among options included in the study. "Increasing die diameter of the fan is an option," says Terrett. "It is a question of timing and mar ket needs." Meanwhile, production of the current models continues to reach record highs as IAE matches the growth in A320 family production. Engine deliveries will exceed 200 units in 1999 and are expected to reach almost 300 a year by 2001 despite the drop-off in Boeing MD-90 deliveries as production of the aircraft ceases within two niondis. New engine orders, which have fallen back from 1998's record tally of 444 to just over 270 in 1999, are expected to be "pretty similar" in 2000, says Terrett, who adds that the stronger-than-expected recov ery of the Asian economies is fuelling new optimism. Overall, IAE has delivered more than 1,200 engines and has an order backlog of about 3,000. Q SAS Commuter's first Dash 8 Q400 prepares to enter service THE FIRST of at least 19 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s is poised to enter service widi SAS Commuter. Certification by Europe's Joint Aviation Au thorities has cleared the way for deliveries of die high-speed 70- seater to begin (Flight Inter national, 15-21 December, P8). The Q400s will operate from Copenhagen and Stockholm. Russia plans manual Y2K override ALEX VELOVICH/MOSCOW RUSSIA'S Federal Service of Air Transport (FSVT) will have extra staff on 31 December/1 January to take over air traffic con trol and other procedures manual ly if necessary, says FSVT director Vladimir Andreyev. Although the FSVT is predict ing a smooth Y2K transition for Russian commercial aviation, only half of the 2,470 computers that needed adjustment have been upgraded. Andreyev says diat pos sible malfunctions in the rest will be covered using "special organisa tional and technical measures", but primarily by backup manual proce dures that require additional duty personnel to turn off die problem computer systems. Manual proce dures will be needed mostly for communication systems, says Andreyev. The FSVT has checked 14,000 air traffic computers and others providing aviation services. The backup measures will be in force between 27 December and 7 Jan uary, says Andreyev. He acknowl edges that Russia was late in sub mitting its Y2K readiness report to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), but now, he says, ICAO and the International Air Transport Association are satisfied with the arrangements. Andreyev estimated Russia needed to spend 450 million rou bles ($18 million) on Y2K mea sures. Aeroflot-Russian Internat ional Airlines alone says it has spent Si2 million on buying new com puters and network equipment. J WORKSHOP ++ FLS Aerospace (FLSA) and Rockwell Collins Aviation Ser vices have joined forces to pursue and provide nose-to-tail mainte nance and support in Europe. Meanwhile. FLSA has received a €5.1 million ($5.09 million), three- year contract from the UK arm of Maersk Air, covering heavy main tenance of five Boeing 737-500s based at Birmingham, UK. ++ General Electric has set up an on-wing support facility at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near Kuala Lumpur. Another is due to open in South Korea this month. ++ European Aviation has signed a contract for spares and technical support with Pakistani BAC One- Eleven operator Aero Asia. ++ Guangzhou Aircraft Mainten ance Engineering Company (GAMECO) has secured a con tract from China South West Airlines' Chongqing branch to per form D-checks and end-of-lease checks for up to six Boeing 737s. GAMECO will also perform its first Airbus A321 C-check in a contract with Sichuan Airlines. ++ Luft hansa Technik is setting up an air craft-painting facility in Shannon, Ireland, capable of handling types up to and including the Boeing 767 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The plant is due to become opera tional in January. ++ Storm Avia tion has gained European JAR145 certification. Its line maintenance operations have begun at Gatwick and will expand to Manchester and other European cities. ++ Ground handling company Servisair is providing aircraft maintenance at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly through its JAR145-approved subsidiary GSA. ++ UK Total En gine Support has signed a five- year engine fleet management agreement with British Airways subsidiary Go to control the off- wing maintenance management of the CFM56-3 engines powering its 13 737-300S. ++ CASA-Asia has opened a maintenance centre at Madrid-Barajas Airport. ++ A J Walter Aviation has bought the British Airways Lockheed TriStar spares inventory. ++ MTU Main tenance Hanover has been con tracted by US cargo wet-lease spe cialist Atlas Air to overhaul 43 GE CF6-50E2 engines. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 22 December 1999 - 3 January 2000
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