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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1662.PDF
HEADLINES BUSINESS & GENERAL AVIATION GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC United sues Gulfstream for $50m Carrier accuses manufacturer of reneging on deal to refund advance payments after demise of fractional arm'Avolar United Airlines is suing Gulfstream Aerospace for more than $50 mil lion in deposits paid for business jets. The orders were placed by its now defunct Avolar fractional own ership subsidiary, which shut down in March before taking delivery of any of the aircraft on firm order. United confirms it has filed a suit against Gulfstream in Chicago's Cook County Circuit Court. Local reports say parent company UAL is seeking the return of $39.5 million BUSINESS Oantas poised for ANZ stake Qantas Airways is in talks to buy a sizeable stake in Air New Zea land (ANZ), as it seeks to cement its status as Austral asia's dominant carrier. Last year, the Australian airline tried to buy a minority stake as the New Zealand flag carrier's finances deteriorated, but was rebuffed by ANZ's board and the New Zealand government, which later renationalised ANZ. Qantas and ANZ confirm they are dis cussing equity ties and co-operation. But Wellington has denied direct talks with Qantas. Local media reports last week suggested Qantas may take a 35% stake and management control, leaving the bulk of shares with the government, which owns more than 80%. The Star Alliance could see itself frozen out of the region aft er Australian member Ansett's collapse. Qantas is a Oneworld alliance co-founder, so ANZ would almost certainly have to give up its Star Alliance place. An NZ$885 million ($421 mil lion) state bail-out of ANZ was completed in January after the carrier failed to raise more cash from shareholders including Singapore Airlines, which then owned 25% but now holds 4%. Analysts say ANZ will need more public cash in the next few years. SEE AIR TRANSPORT P10 in advance payments on 36 firm orders and $11.4 million in dep osits on 63 options. Avolar had also placed orders and options with Dassault Aviation, but United says no other litigation is planned. Gulfstream parent General Dyn amics refuses to comment on pending litigation, but chairman Nick Chabraja told analysts earlier this year that the company in tended to hold on to $51 million in advance payments from Avolar - The Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey ret urned to flight on 29 May after an 18-month grounding following two fatal crashes. The flight is the start of a restructured development test programme that the US Navy Air Systems Command (Navair) hopes will culminate in the deliv ery of a first production configured Block A tiltrotor to the US Marine Corps by the end of next year. This follows an exhaustive app roval process to ensure flight safety deficiencies identified by several high-level investigations were add ressed before the V-22 flew again. "This has led to one of the most comprehensive reviews in recent times," says Col Dan Schultz, Nav air V-22 programme manager. Three independent reviews were conducted of the hydraulic system and flight control system (FCS), and four Navair/US Air Force reviews of electrical, fuel, digital engine control and drive systems. A total of 7,800h has been focused on the FCS, with l,700h in Boeing's triple integration labora tory for regression testing and developing emergency procedures. As well as new FCS software, over 500 changes have been made to the 345 bar (5,0001b/in-) hydraulic system, including the rerouting of pipes, separating lines at least until it had successfully remarketed the aircraft Flight Inter national, 30 April - 6 May). Gulf stream president Bill Boisture has since confirmed the company has no plans to return the money. United shut Avolar down in March, just three months after it began operations, blaming market conditions and its failure to secure outside investment. The company took a $52 million after-tax charge in the first quarter to cover the expected costs of shutting down the operation and including an "estimate of forfeitable advance payments" on aircraft purchases. According to local reports, UAL's lawsuit charges that Gulfstream, ra ther than assist with an orderly shutdown of Avolar, tried to cancel agreements requiring the manufac turer to return advances on orders and options. Gulfstream expects to sell the six aircraft it planned to deliver to Avolar this year. DEFENCE PAUL LEWIS / NAS PATUXENT RIVER Osprey returns to skies with 2003 delivery date targeted ATUXEN turn ver Osprey is back in the air following series of reviews from electrical bundles and imp roving clamps to prevent abrasion and rupture. Engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft 10 made the 1.5h first flight at Patu- xent River. It will also be used for aeromechanical testing, including the pitch-up sideslip and lateral role on deck. The first flight included helicopter mode operations and a transition to aircraft mode. Aircraft 8 will start a year of critical vortex ring-state testing in August, with the major chal lenge being the high rate of descent testing, says Schultz. The two EMD aircraft will be supplemented by five modified low rate initial production V-22s. The second pair of EMD tiltrotors, rep resentative of the USAF's planned CV-22 configuration, will begin fly ing in September at Edwards AFB and will be joined by two produc tion representative test vehicles. Testing will concentrate on Blocks 0 and 10 mission systems, such as the radar and defensive systems. The first fully modified Block A MV-22 is due to fly in the middle of next year and will be used for ini tial operational testing before the lead USMC squadron resumes fly ing. A second full operational eval uation and validation is planned for 2004 leading to an initial opera tional capability by 2005. 4 4-10 JUNE 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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