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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1054.PDF
IN BRIEF RVSM MODIFICATION Jet Aviation Singapore is to modify Bombardier Learjets in the Asia Pacific region for reduced vertical separation min ima (RVSM) operations. RVSM is to be extended to Australian, Indonesian and South China Sea airspace this year. FLEET ADDITIONS Los Angeles-based aircraft man agement company Air Group has added 10 business jets to its charter fleet, including six Gulf- streams, two Cessna Citations, a Bombardier Challenger and an Israel Aircraft Industries West- wind. Air Group now offers charters using 50 aircraft based in 10 US locations. KITPLANE COVER Some US kitplane owners have been left without cover after Avemco Insurance imposed a moratorium on new policies for several types of homebuilt air craft as a result of analysing loss data. The US Experimental Aircraft Association has asked Avemco for details of any prob lems with homebuilt models. PROPELLER KIT Hartzell has produced a conver sion kit for its Top Prop three-bladed propeller for the Cessna 208, 208A Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan. The 2.7m (106in) diameter aluminium pro peller has a supplementary type certificate for both seaplane and land operation. SYSTEM FIRST Lufthansa Technik is to install a CCT Systems Zonal Comfort moisture management system in a Boeing Business Jet 2 for an unnamed customer. It is the first BBJ2 to be fitted with a system from Nykdping, Sweden-based CTT Systems. HELICOPTER CASH The UK's interior ministry, the Home Office, has released details of this year's allocation of £4 million ($5.7 million) for the replacement of helicopters for four police forces. Essex will receive £1.2 million, Lancashire £1 million, Merseyside in north west England £1.4 million, and South Yorkshire £400,000. BUSINESS AND GENERAL AVIATION AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT GRAHAM WARWICK / WICHITA Cessna goes for gold with Citation Sovereign tests Aims to complete certification 45 months after project go-ahead The Cessna Citation Sovereign prototype was complete when it first flew on 27 February Cessna's Citation Sovereign test programme has passed the 15- flight mark within five weeks of the mid-size business jet's maiden flight. Tests so far have included airspeed calibration, stalls, auto pilot engagement and thrust- reverser deployment. Cessna is aiming for certification of the Sovereign in the third quar ter of next year, 45 months after project go-ahead. This compares with 60 months for the Citation X high-speed business jet. "The Sovereign is our biggest all-new design since the X," says pro gramme manager Brad Thress. Thress says that as well as more early testing, there are now 14 sys tem test and 12 structural test arti cles, which is "many more" than previous programmes. The first completed airframe is being used for early fatigue testing and has already passed the 3,000- cycle mark. Cessna's goal was to start flight tests with as mature an aircraft as possible. "There is a correlation between the immaturity of the aircraft and the length of the programme," Thress says. Consequently, there is a lot of emphasis on offline test articles and on parallel tests in the Sovereign programme, he says. The prototype was complete when it first flew on 27 February, uled to fly in the fourth quarter. While the Sovereign's fuselage is based on that of the Citation X, the moderately swept supercritical- section wing is all-new, as is the cruciform tail, which is supplied by risk-sharing partner Fokker Aero- structures. The original tail design was based on that of the straight-wing Citations, but elimination of the tailplane dihedral and removal of the dorsal fairing have given the Sovereign a new look as well as improving stability and rudder effectiveness. with a handful of unconformed parts that were due to be replaced before the end of the month, Thress says. The aircraft is powered by certificated Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306C turbofans and equipped with the Honeywell Primus Epic integrated avionics planned for production Sovereigns. The second aircraft is scheduled to fly in the third quarter and will be fitted with an interior for the Sovereign's public debut at the Nat ional Business Aviation Association convention in September. The third and final test aircraft is sched- RE-ENGINING Supplemental certification for Sierra Industries Eagle II Sierra Industries has received US supplemental type certification for its FJ44 Eagle II, a Cessna Citation I business jet re-engined with Williams-Rolls FJ44 turbofans. The first two aircraft were delivered to customers last month. The $1.75 million re-engining applies to 501SP-series single-pilot Citations and requires Sierra's Eagle performance-enhancement modifica tion, which increases gross weight and altitude capability. The 2,300lb-thrust (10kN) FJ44-2A provides lower fuel consumption and better hot-and-high performance than the original Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1 A. Re-engin ing increases maximum speed by more than 50kt (90km/h), to over400kt, and maximum range by more than 550km (300nm), to over 3,700km, says Uvalde, Texas-based Sierra. The company has orders for 21 FJ44 Eagle lis and is aiming to re-engine 12 aircraft a year. At least 100 of the 350-370 candidates for conversion are based outside the USA, and sales and marketing director Tom Canavera says Sierra is looking at overseas outlets for the modification. "That could be through a licence or a distributor agreement," he says. 30 2-8 APRIL 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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