FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2000
2000-1 - 0356.PDF
FARNBOROUGH FIRST NEWS I A RNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL F124 engine turns Yak-130 into the Aermacchi 346 The opening of Farnborough 2000 on 24 July ushered in a new era for the air show as it moved from its traditional September date to the end of July. The date may have changed, but little else has. It was business as usual for the industry as companies such as Airbus and Bombardier used the show to launch new projects and Honeywell secured a deal with Aermacchi to put its F124 engine on a new jet trainer. AERMACCHI and Yakovlev are to push ahead with devel oping a "Westernised" version of the Yak/AEM-130 advanced/lead- in fighter trainer programme. The companies are expected to an nounce their selection of the Honeywell F124 engine at the show for an aircraft renamed the Aermacchi 346. The Italian company has 50% of the Yak/AEM-130 programme, with Russian design bureau Yakov lev and production complex Sokol each holding 25%. More partners may join the project. The twin-engined Aermacchi 346 will be assembled in Italy. A launch order for up to 15 of the trainer aircraft for the Italian air force is a possibility. Last year, Aermacchi said it would take responsibility for the design and manufacture of the air craft's wing, empennage, cockpit, canopy, nose section and avionics, plus weapon systems integration for non-CIS customers. The Russian partners are expected to handle the fuselage work, powerplant integration, fuel system, ejection seats and flight control actuators, as well as weapons system integration for die CIS market. Honeywell, which is to supply the 36-150 auxiliary power unit, is also expected to provide avionics equipment for the Aermacchi 346. Also participating is BAE Systems, which will supply the flight control computers for the fly-by-wire system. The F124 is used by Taiwan on its Ching-Kuo fighter and by Aero Vodochody on the new L-159 trainer. The joint venture partners had planned to power the aircraft with the Povazske Strojarne D V-2 S, but funding problems have stalled development of the engine. The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour had also been under consideration. Flight testing of a prototype equipped with a Russian engine has been under way for about two years, but the programme was hit by wrangling over development funding from the partners. The problems were alleviated after an inter-governmental agreement was signed between Italy and Russia last year. Other versions of die aircraft are expected to be offered, including the basic Russian version and a "hybrid" variant, incorporating some of die Western updates, but with a lower acquisition cost. The Aermacchi 346 will face competition from the BAE Sys tems Hawk and L-159. • Airbus to pep up A340-300 with improved version of CFM56 AIRBUS is expected to reveal plans to revitalise die A340- 300 with a newly configured, hybrid version of die CFM International CFM56-5C4. The new engine promises to reduce the four-engined airliner's fuel con sumption and maintenance costs, boosting the 295-seat A340 model's competitiveness against the rival Boeing 777-200. Airbus and CFMI have been considering the move since late last year and have reached a firm agree ment to develop the engine for die upgraded aircraft, which will be dubbed the A340-300 Enhanced. The hybrid engine will combine the low-pressure spool of the A340's -5C4 with the advanced compressor and high-pressure tur bine of the CFM56-5B/P power ing die A3 20 family. If die programme is launched with firm orders this year, CFMI is expected to take die first engine to test by late 2001, with aircraft cer tification and entry into service by Airbus is displaying a Lufthansa A340, as an enhanced -300 is revealed 2003. The plan also includes offer ing the kit as an upgrade for retrofit. The hybrid CFM56-5C4 is expected to offer a 1 % improve ment in specific fuel consumption compared to the current version, as well as a 10°C improvement in exhaust gas temperature margin (EGT). CFMI has admitted that the A340 would benefit from increased EGT margin, which could see reduced maintenance costs of up to 10% if the proposed modifications are made. These include the addition of a new stage one low-pressure turbine nozzle to the existing turbine module. Although Airbus is developing the larger and longer-range A340- 500/600 models powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 500, the com pany has pledged to continue developing die -300 model. There are 180 CFM56-powered A340s in service, 2 5 CFM56-pow- ered A3 40s were ordered in 1999 and a further 11 have been ordered so far this year. By contrast, orders for die A3 40- 500/600 have grown to 129. • 8 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 25 - 31 July 2000
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
