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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0018.PDF
DEFENCE US Navy awards commercial inflight refuelling contract PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC THE CONCEPT of commer cially outsourcing inflight refuelling is finally set to get off the ground with the US Navy (USN) awarding die first such contract to Flight International Inc and part ner Omega Air. The Royal Air Force, in the meantime, has opened negotiations with up to four shortlisted contenders for its proposed privately funded Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) requirement. Virginia-based Flight Internati onal is to be awarded an initial con tract for commercial air refuelling covering the remaining nine months of this US fiscal year (to October 2001). It is subcontracting Omega, in turn, to supply its two- point probe-and-drogue-equip- ped tanker, the multi-purpose Boeing 707-320. The company is expected to receive a follow-on contract for next year, renewable for up to five years. The contract covers support for target towing, electronic warfare training, air intercept control, ferry and for utility missions to supple ment aerial refuelling performed by the US Air Force (USAF) on behalf of the USN. "This is available for anyone who needs air refuelling and we can do it at half the price by using best commercial practices. We're talk ing to the USAF and have done a survey of where we might fit in." says UlickMcEvaddy a director at Omega Air. The company is to consider adding a modified Doug las KDC- 10-40 to die programme. Omega acquired 20 Pratt & Whitney JT-9D-powered DC-10s from Japan Airlines and has so far converted three to freighters for Challenge Air Cargo. Two options were dropped following UPS' take-over of die carrier and one of diese will be converted to a tanker equipped widi a redundant centre line hose drum unit. The USN contract has been nominally valued at $6.6 million based on a projected utilisation of 600h over die remainder of die year. After several mondis of delay, die UK has issued its four short listed FSTA contenders with invitations to negotiate. Specul ation has linked Rolls-Royce with a reversal of its earlier decision to bid its own Air Reach proposal and it has rejoined the Eurotanker consortium. It is offering a Rolls- Royce Trent 700-powered A3 30. Other contenders include BAE teamed widi Raydieon, proposing the A310, and the Serco/Spectrum Capital venture offering ex-British Airways 767s. Afinal decision on whether to go ahead with a Private Finance Initiative deal is expected next year. In the meantime the con tenders have been asked to provide fully costed bids for a contract which would run for 25 years and be worth around £9 billion ($13 billion). • Aircraft carrier version of JSF X-35 gets aloft test flying by February, including field carrier ianding practice. The X-32A has clocked up 75h of CVand CTOL flying including probe-and-drogue refuelling from a Boeing KC-10 tanker. The final X-32B and X-3SB short take-off and landing demonstrators are being readied for first flights around March. Boeing's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) X-32A concept demonstra tor aircraft broke the sound barrier on 21 December during "up and away" tests at Edwards AFB. The milestone was achieved at 30,000ft on the aircraft's 49th flight since its first on 18 September. The same day, Boeing also began critical engine tests on its X-32B short take-off and vertical landing dem onstrator at nearby Palmdale. The aircraft has also completed its initial inflight refuelling. • Boeing's X-32A has completed initial inflight refuelling tests FLIGHT TESTING of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) air craft has accelerated with die first flightofLockheedMartin'sX-35C aircraft carrier (CV) version. The second X-35 demonstrator made its maiden flight on 16 December from Palmdale to the Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, test centre, with test pilot Joe Sweeney reporting that its "flying qualities were as good if not better than the simulator". The 27min flight reached 10,000ft (3,000m), 270kt (500km/h) and included a 14° angle of attack. The X-35C is heavier than the X-32A conventional take-off and landing version (CTOL) and fea tures enlarged wing and ailerons for CV approaches. The company hopes to complete 30-40 hours of Germany is launch customer for A310 tanker-transport ANDREW DOYLE/MUNICH GERMANY IS TO become the first operator of Airbus A310s in the multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) configuration, having placed a DM250 million ($114 million) order for four conversions with an EADS Airbus (Germany)/Lufthansa Technik (LHT) consortium. The German air force already operates a pair of A310 multi-role transports (MRTs) converted by the A310 MRTT Air Force Consortium, set up by EADS and LHT in 1996. It is due to take delivery of another two by the end of this year. The four aircraft destined for Germany will be converted to the full MRTT specification in Hamburg between 2002 and 2004 dirough the installation of lower- deck fuel tanks and of wing- mounted, extendible refuelling hoses. The work will also involve fitting an operator's station behind the cockpit. The first delivery of an MRTT to Germany will be late 2003. EADS and LHT hope the contract will kickstart potential export sales of the A310 MRT and MRTT versions, which they believe could be a cost-effective option for many air forces. Maintenance support provision for the four German air force A310 MRTTs and the additional three unmodified A310s operated by the military is being outsourced to LHT. Airbus signed an exclusive agreement with Raydieon in June 1999 to develop jointly and market the tanker version of the A310 MRTT which Raytheon has designated KC-310. The company's Aircraft In tegration Systems unit became the design authority for the modifica tion and has responsibility for development and certification. The US company will either perform the conversions itself or provide kits to third parties. The KC-310 has already been bid to meet a Japanese tanker requirement. • 16 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 January 2001
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