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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 1402.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Eurocopter plans sales push for Colibri helicopter EUROCOPTER PLANS to open a global network of 13 product support centres to pro mote sales of its EC120B Colibri light turbine helicopter to private customers. The production rate of the five-seat single-engined heli copter is also to be doubled, with the company recently handing over the 100th Colibri and aiming to deliver the 200th before the end of the year. While most sales have been to para-public organisations and the military, Eurocopter co-chairman Dr Siegfried Sobotta says there is increasing interest from the private sector in the $8 million machine. Supporting private operators will require improved access to ser vice in the form of a network of product support centres. Each of the 13 centres would handle sub sidiary service operations, aimed at reducing the time required for pri vate Colibri operators to reach the nearest service centre from lh to around lOmin. Eurocopter has sold 170 Colibris since the first aircraft was handed over in January 1998. To keep pace with the growing demand, the company plans to ramp up deliveries from 56 in 1999 to 110 this year. "We hope to get at least 50% of a market for around 400 units of this type of helicopter in the next five years," says Eurocopter chairman Patrick Gavin, who is to be replaced by Francois Bigay, returning from a stint as aeronautics vice-president at Aerospatiale Matra. Eurocopter claims a 40% market share in the USA in the Colibri's category. • NEWS IN BRIEF • RAYTHEON HAS EVERYTHING Raytheon has launched EverythingAircraft.com, a web site aimed at general avi ation buyers and suppliers. Initially, the site provides business-to-business ser vices, such as locating and purchasing aircraft parts. VisionAire aims to cut the cost of developing vantage KATE SARSFIELD/LONDON VISIONAIRE is seeking to drive down development costs of its $2.2 million Vantage single- engine business jet by more than 30% through a number of "money and time saving measures". The key initiative for the Chesterfield, Missouri-based com pany is to implement design changes into the proof of concept (PoC) aircraft. The changes result from last year's six-month design review to address the aircraft's han dling and weight characteristics. VisionAire is talking to Scaled Composites about die work. Mark Jones, VisionAire director of business development, says: "Until now we have been looking for investment of around $ 130 mil lion to fund the programme. By incorporating the design changes into the original [PoC] aircraft, we shall not have to build a second test article, which will reduce pro gramme costs. If everything goes ahead as planned, the projected funding costs could be less than $90 million." Details of terms under discussion with Mojave, California-based design and prototyping house Scaled Composites have not been disclosed. If an agreement is reached, Scaled Composites would incorporate structural modifica tions into the PoC. These will include stretching the fuselage by up to 150mm (5.9in), lowering the wing by 150mm and reducing the forward sweep from 10° to 6°, increasing die vertical tail size and shifting the horizontal tail. "We hope to have the existing flight test article modified so the exterior mould line matches the production aircraft," says Jones. The first of three conforming prototypes are to fly in the "second half of next year, with certification and first deliveries planned for late 2002 or early 2003. VisionAire plans to establish international service centres, including in Europe and Asia. • MD helicopters to be upgraded Iviprovements to the helicopter line-up will help to boost MDHVs order book MD HELICOPTERS (MDHI) has unveiled upgrades for its aircraft, with the improvements to be incorporated as standard on new-production helicopters by year end. The hot-and-high and single- engine performance of the MD Explorer light twin-turbine heli copter will be increased with the switch to uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207Eturboshafts.The first 207E-powered Explorer is earmarked for delivery to the UK's Police Aviation Services, says Mesa, Arizona-based MDHI. The tailrotorless MD 520N light single-turbine helicopter has also been uprated, with the switch to a more powerful Rolls-Royce 250-C20R+turboshaft. The MD 600N, a larger single- turbine helicopter derived from the MD 520N, is receiving a stabil ity augmentation system to reduce pilot workload. The final improvement applies to the conventional-tailrotor MD 500E and MD 530E, as well as the 520N and 600N, and involves use of thicker airframe skins to improve appearance by eliminating "oil can ning", the rippling sometimes visible on helicopter exteriors. • Lauda considers BBJ order for VIP work LAUDA EXECUTIVE is studying the possible purchase of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) to provide VIP transport for Austrian Government officials. The business aviation division of Austrian airline Lauda Air secured an exclusive contract to operate flights on behalf of the administra tion two years ago. Its current fleet comprises a Bombardier Challenger 601 and a pair of Learjet60s. Lauda Executive confirms: "We are evaluating entry into this mar ket, though we would need to have a major partner with us." It is understood this would require the government to guaran tee a minimum level of utilisation, while it is likely that the aircraft would also be made available to other clients. Lauda Air chairman, chief exec utive and part-owner Niki Lauda, who is handling the negotiations with BBJ, could not be reached for comment. Lauda has a close rela tionship with Boeing and has exclusively bought passenger aircraft from the Seattle-based manufacturer in the past. • 28 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 May 2000
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