FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2224.PDF
PARIS FIRST NEWS ENGINE DEVELOPMENT Aqilis takes the covers off higher-thrust engine Market newcomer has raised the capability of its powerplant to improve its versatility Agilis Engines unveiled a full-scale mockup of its TF-1000 general-avi ation turbofan at the air show, but remains tight-lipped about plans for the engine. TF-1000 is the new designation for the engine selected by Satire Aircraft for its planned S-26 per sonal jet. Last March, Safire ordered 8001b-thrust (3.6kN) TF-800 turbofans, but will now receive TF-lOOOs, says Paul Gardner, Agilis business development manager. The change in engine designa tion reflects the increased 1,0001b thrust capability available for other applications, he says. Weighing in at under 105kg (2301b) including accessories, the TF-1000 has a thrust-to-weight ratio of 4:1. Cruise fuel consumption at 35,000ft (11,000m) is 951itres/h (25USgal/h), which is competitive with piston engines, Agilis says. The TF-1000 will be the first full engine developed and certificated by Agilis, an engineering services company set up by former Pratt & Whitney employees and based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The company remains cagey about its schedule for the programme. Core testing is to begin late this year, and sea-level testing of the first engine is due to begin soon after. "Substantial completion of the core and engine tests will allow flight testing to support customer aircraft certification schedules," Agilis says. Safire is still planning to certifi cate its S-26 in 2003, but has yet to secure financing to complete the programme. Agilis is funding the engine programme independently, says Gardner. "Our goal is to be certificated ahead of Safire and the engine will be available to others in the same timescale," he says. "We are actively marketing the engine for other applications, and have talked to several airframers, but have nothing to disclose." The TF-1000 is being offered in competition against the Williams International FJ22, a version of which will power Eclipse Aviation's Eclipse 500 personal jet. Agilis says use of proven technologies will reduce development lead-time, minimise the probability of parts failing during test, allow fewer design iterations as well as faster accumulation of run time, and pro duce a reliable and robust engine. ELECTRONIC WARFARE Contract win for EuroDASS The BAE Systems-led Euro DASS consortium has received a £300 million ($414 million) production contract for the Eurofighter Defensive Aids Subsystem (DASS). EuroDASS will provide 103 DASS suites for Italian, Spanish and UK Eurofighters, deliveries starting in the first quarter 2002. At present there is no German partner in EuroDASS as the country opted for a less expensive system in the mid- 1990s. Following recent German parliamentary approval, EADS is expected to join the pro gramme and the order expand ed to include German air force Eurofighters. Germany's invest ment for rejoining DASS will be used to develop the system. The internally-installed DASS provides 360° threat warning coverage and includes missile warners, countermeasures dis pensers, electronic support measures and a towed decoy. 757 HUD Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics says larger deals to fit its HGS 4000 Head-up Guidance System on Boeing 757-200s are expected later this year. This follows the signing of an agreement with American Trans Air (ATA) to install the device on its aircraft, making it the first carrier to order any type of head-up display for the 757. P&W SUPPORT DEAL United Airlines has concluded a series of multi-year contracts with Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket Services to provide support for some 400 of its engines. The $400 million, five-year deal cov ers maintenance for the carrier's JT8D powering the Boeing 727 and 737. Three separate four year contracts cover the JT9D on the 767, its International Aero Engine V2500s on the Airbus A319/320sandtheCFM56 on the 737. UPGRADE Hawkeye glass cockpit adds AEW Northrop Grumman has unveiled a proposed glass cockpit upgrade for the E-2C Hawkeye in a move that would effectively add an airborne early warning (AEW) tactical operator, while simultaneously addressing the growing problem of instrument obsolescence. The company has integrated a future cockpit concept into its Hawkeye 2000 display demonstra tor, which simulates the real-time AEW data feed to the pilot and co-pilot. Using window partition ing, radar data, together with pri mary flight, navigation and engine displays, is screened on three notional 300x360mm (12xl4in) liquid crystal displays supplied by L3 Communications. "Over the last six to nine months, we've had a lot of discus sions with customers. What they want is a more advanced cockpit," says Gary O'Loughlin, Northrop Grumman director international business development. Large displays would allow presentation of AEW data in the cockpit The displays would replace the E-2C's conventional dial instru mentation, which is essentially unchanged since 1968 and mostly no longer produced. The introduc tion of AEW data into the flight deck also effectively adds a fourth operator, supplementing the three tactical console positions. Northrop Grumman has demon strated the upgrade to the US Navy, which is considering making the new tactical cockpit part of the baseline Advanced Hawkeye devel opment, planned to start in 2003. The company is also looking at retrofit opportunities and at offer ing a simpler two 150x200mm display suite for E-2C operators not requiring tactical data and the C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery aircraft. 16 19-25 JUNE 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
