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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2086.PDF
PARIS 2001 OBJECT LESSON AVRO RJ FAMILY Rejuvenation on a shoe string MAX KINGSLEY-JONES While the likes of Embraer and Fairchild Dornier have taken the big budget, clean sheet approach to developing their new 70 to 100 regional jets, BAE Systems and its partners (principally Honeywell) have spent no more than $100 million on bringing the Avro RJ family into the 21st century. On paper at least, their low-budget rejuvenation effort for what is effectively the 30-year-old BAe 146 airliner, dubbed the RJX, seems to have been quite effective. 'The Honeywell AS977 provides a 10-15% fuel consumption improve ment over the earlier [Honeywell] LF507. That, combined with an empty weight reduction, equates to a 17% improvement in range," says BAE Systems Regional Aircraft vice president marketing Nick Godwin. The RJX's take-off weight is 2t lower for a given mission compared to the current RJ, and it has a 15% lower noise footprint, adds Godwin. The RJX family is offered in three sizes: the 70-seat RJX-70, the 85- seat RJX-85 and the 100-seat RJX-100. "We offer three models, but expect the 100-seater to be the prime seller," says Godwin. As well as providing the range, per formance and noise improvements, the AS977-powered Avro is more competitive on cost compared to its predecessors. While even BAE would admit privately that the 146 and Avro RJ is hardly the strongest operating cost yardstick, it is nevertheless impressive that the new RJX is, on a power by the hour cost basis, 30% cheaper to operate than the former and 20% better than the latter. So who will buy this third re- embodiment of the ubiquitous BAe 146? Godwin says that the prime target markets are existing 146/RJ operators in Europe, Australasia and North America. Although so far the only RJX customers - British European and Druk Air - are within the 146 operator group, Godwin expects that over 50% of the 200 sales target for the RJX over the next 10 years will come from new operators. Although the 200 sales forecast sounds impressive, it equates to just 20 aircraft a year through to 2010, and BAE will only entertain "cash" or low financial recourse deals. Sales should be proportionally greater dur ing the first five years, Godwin adds. The first RJX, a - 85, entered flight- test in April and should be followed by the -100 prototype next month. The first customer aircraft, for launch car rier British European, will fly in late September and deliveries are expected to begin in the second quar ter of 2002. By then Godwin and his colleagues will be hoping that the order book has grown substantially beyond the current 14 firm sales. The ERJ-170 is the small est of the all-new Embraer family of 70-108 seat regional jets ing and manufacturing an aircraft we briri to final assembly those major elemeni that require the least amount of labour." The result is a 728JET wing and horizor tal/vertical stabilisers built and pre-stuffe by EADS Casa, wingbox from Ogma, nos from Sabca, skins from Sonaca and frame from Israel Aircraft Industries. Honeywe has overall responsibility for the aircraft avionics and GE the aircraft's powerplan with Hurel Hispano supplying the nacell and reverser and Aermacchi the inlet fc the 728JET's CF34-8D, For the 928JET! larger diameter CF34-10D engine, Gooc rich will supply the entire package. Industrial investment Involving overseas partners has mad the use of CATIA 3D digital design tool indispensable. Fairchild has constructed digital mock-up to visualise design change and parts interaction. Embraer went a ste further and added an ERJ-170/190 virtu, reality centre as part of a $80 million oul lay on information technology over th last two years. "Virtual prototyping i essential now. You can't waste time an money building physical mock-ups. Th biggest power is making things visible I 3D to a team of people who are designin and discussing solutions and to look a solutions as if they were on a physic; mock-up," says Yokota. Digital design has in turn opened th door to digitised manufacturing, includin factory floor layout and 3D simulation c assembly actions to validate processes an the man/machine interface. Bombardie Embraer and Fairchild Dornier are eacl constructing new, purpose-designe assembly buildings for the new aircrafi but are employing different methods 1 optimise output and ensure? maximur flexibility when switching between vei sions. The centrepiece of Embraer operation will be a new 16,000m2 hanga housing seven assembly docks. Embraer plans to initially build up I five ERJ-170/190s per month, but want the margin for growth, having ramped-u ERJ-135/140/145 output from four to 2 aircraft a month in only a few years an within a plant originally designed to buil 19-seat EMB-110 Bandeirantes. Yokot explains: "The dock system is ver adaptive in terms of rate. Production ca be increased without changes in process.' Bombardier's new CRJ700/900 plat at Mirabel will employ a moving lim while Fairchild Dornier has opted for similar approach for final assembly and dock for customisation. Besides two nei assembly and customisation buildings, th company has invested DM67 million ($3 million) in outfitting a former Secon World War hangar with the latest mam 70 12-18 JUNE 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.coi
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