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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1906.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT PAUL LEWIS / MONTREAL CRJ700s to receive avionics update Bombardier is also to begin modifications to increase production-line commonality with stretched CRJ900 Bombardier is to embark on a year long programme of post-produc tion modifications to its new CRJ700 to update avionics, improve crew cautions and remove nuisance messages. The Canadian manufacturer at the same time is continuing to evaluate structural and component changes to the 70- seat regional jet to simplify produc tion and increase commonality with the new larger CRJ900. The engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) 5 package of modifications includes a new software update for the CRJ700's avionics to solve a number of prob lems that have hindered the air craft's introduction into service. There are also improvements in crew cautions as a result of feed back from Transport Canada, such as aural low-fuel alert and more precise fire-warning messages. Bombardier has delivered around 40 CRJ700s to six cus tomers and is poised to hand over the first of 20 to Mesa Air Group. Mesa's aircraft, the first to be con figured in a two-class layout (58 in economy and six in business), will be operated by Freedom Air, its new feeder arm for America West. With final assembly of the first production example of the 86-seat CRJ900 due to start shortly, the company continues to look for cost savings on the CRJ700. "There are opportunities to further improve manufacturing capabilities and these could be brought down to the CRJ700. We're looking at putting the same wing on the CRJ700 as the CRJ900 to reduce Bombardier foots the bill for upgrade to early-build aircraft A total of 45 CRJ700s already completed will receive the EICAS 5 update at Bombardier's cost. The work will last around two weeks per aircraft and entail the swapping out of some line replaceable units for software updates, says Les Porkhardt from Bombardier's CRJ700 product planning office. Several early-build aircraft require wiring changes, including additional switch inputs to the aircraft's General Electric CF34- 8C1 full authority digital engine controls. Other changes include altering aircraft ducting to reduce air velocity and cabin noise. Bombardier hopes the EICAS 5 update will help bring the air craft's dispatch reliability in line with that of the earlier CRJ200. costs," says Pierre Alegre, director of CRJ700 programme manage ment for product development. While overall wing dimensions for the two aircraft are identical, the CRJ900 wing has a thicker skin gauge which would permit an increase in the CRJ700's maximum take-off weight and, with the extra fuel, up to a 370km (200nm) range improvement. Bombardier is also looking at standardising the Goodrich main landing gear and may use the CRJ900's higher speed tyre on the CRJ700 to improve hot and high field performance. The idea of incorporating some of the CRJ700 design changes into an update of the 50-seat CRJ200 has been shelved. "The decision has been made to carry on with the current product for the foreseeable future," says Jean Guy Blondin, CRJ 700/900 Mesa's CRJ700s will be operated by its feeder arm Freedom Air for America West and will have a two-class layout programme director. LOW-COST CARRIERS TOM GILL / LONDON Germania and Preussag consider budget airline German regional carrier Germania and German tour operator group Preussag are considering the launch of a low-cost carrier to chal lenge low-fare competitors in the German market. A senior source close to the talks between the two companies con firms a recent report in German magazine Der Spiegel that they will form a low-fares carrier in which Germania chairman and managing director Hinrich Bischoff will hold an 80% stake and Preussag will take 20%. Preussag's existing airline group includes German charter airline Hapag-Lloyd and Britannia Airways of the UK. Germania launched a low-fares service in November from Frankfurt to Berlin and Cologne to Berlin. According to the report, the joint company would take on these services and five of Germania's eight-strong Boeing 737 fleet, expanding its routes and increasing the fleet to 50 aircraft in the next three years. "The news is true," says the source. Preussag, shortly to be rebranded TU1, says "no decision has been made yet" on the final shape of the venture, or whether or not it would enter the budget market at all, and says a decision will be announced in the "next couple of weeks". At Preussag's annual general meeting last week, executive board chairman Michael Frenzel confined his comments on the low-cost market to generalities. "In Europe in the next 10 years, an annual growth of over 10% is forecast for the low-cost carriers. We want a share in this and are evalu ating our potential entry in this market," he said. Besides the budget fares service, Germania operates charter flights for Preussag's German tour opera tor TUI as well as charter flights for other German and Turkish tour companies. German airlines are gearing themselves up to face the threat of foreign no-frills carriers. Ryanair is opening up domestic services in Germany, while in May, Easyjet secured an option to buy Deutsche BA, the British Airways' German subsidiary that has rebranded itself as a low-fares domestic German airline. 12 2-8 JULY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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