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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2024.PDF
HEADLINES DEFENCE PAUL LEWIS / ORLANDO UCAV-N demonstration put on hold Disagreement between DARPA and navy over unmanned air vehicle programme direction leaves contractors in limbo The flight demonstration phase of the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle-Naval (UCAV-N) has been put on hold as the US Navy and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) try to resolve differences over the joint programme's direction. At issue is whether it is possible to downselect to a single demonstrator and main tain a competitive industrial base. Boeing and Northrop Grumman have been waiting since March for DARPA and the USN to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the UCAV-N Phase 2B flight demon stration. The USN is holding off signing a memorandum of under standing with DARPA to approve release of the RFP after senior offi cials questioned the sense of select ing a contractor when the navy plans to re-open tendering in 2004 for an operational UCAV-N. In May, both companies were awarded $10 million Phase 2A operational study contracts. The navy would like the Boeing X-45 and Northrop Grumman X-47 to proceed into Phase 2B and ensure the companies remain viable future UCAV bidders. DARPA, however, wants to stick with the original plan, saying the $100 million bud get is sufficient to fly only one demonstrator. This is seen as a test of whether the programme is USN or DARPA-led, says a senior Department of Defense official. A third option is to scrap the demonstration, which the USN and DARPA are reluctant to do. Before launching the development and acquisition programme, the USN is keen to reduce risk - the most critical risk reduction is prov ing that a low-observable, tailless unmanned vehicle can land on an aircraft carrier deck. The US Air Force, with DARPA, plans to move the X-45 demonstra tor directly into the system devel opment and demonstration (SDD) phase, and field an operational vehicle by 2008. The USN will begin funding UCAV-N pre-devel- opment in 2004-05, with the inten tion of holding a new competition and selecting a winner in 2007 to enter SDD in the same year. BUSINESS United fails in pay talks United Airlines' financial restruc turing was put further in doubt last week after it failed to secure pay concessions from its major unions. US Airways, meanwhile, has won conditional approval for a $900 million government loan guarantee, but needs to secure wage concessions from unions to satisfy the Air Transportation Stabilization Board's (ATSB) loan guarantee conditions. United's latest setback saw the International Association of Machinists (1AM) vetoing a pro posed 10% pay cut for its 36,000 United members. The decision, after an earlier agreement to defer $498 million of back pay, followed a rejection by the Association of Flight Attendants. United has agreed $430 mil lion of pay cuts from employees and another $520 million in a tentative agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association. Meanwhile, US Airways is seeking around $950 million in pay cuts. Last week it neared agreement with pilots on $465 million in pay concessions, after tentative deals with flight atten dants and two out of three branches of the Transport Workers Union. But the IAM and the Communications Workers of America have yet to agree deals. AIR TRANSPORT MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / LONDON Boeing beats Airbus in first half sales but production cuts hit deliveries Boeing has edged out Airbus in air liner sales during the first half of this year, as order intake fell almost 40% to 273 aircraft, compared to the same period last year. But deliveries dropped 10%, as Boeing's output cuts took effect - although Airbus maintained 2001 production levels. Helped by strong sales of 737s, Boeing won 166 orders, compared to 107 for its rival. Boeing's 32 order cancellations reduced its net orders to 134 aircraft. Airbus's orders were spread more evenly across its product range, and included the reallocation of JET AIRLINER ORDERS, DELIVERIES AND BACKLOG - FIRST HALF 2002 January - June 2002 Airbus Deliveries Orders A300-600 6 0 A310-300 0 0 A318 0 0 A319 46 19 A320 65 54 A321 22 0 A330 16 6 A340 5 28 A380 0 0 Total .160 107 Cancelled Net orders Backlog 0 0 69 0 0 5 -6 -6 108 +6 25 266 +2 56 524 -5 -5 167 0 6 188 0 28 107 0 0 85 -3 104 1.519 Boeing 717 737-6/7/8/900 747 757 767 777 Total 8 130 13 19 22 30 222 GRAND TOTAL 382 32 117 2 0 5 10 166 273 -7 -21 0 0 -4 0 -32 -35 25 96 2 0 1 10 134 238 61 868 51 38 55 196 1,269 2,788 NOTES: Cancellations may be "positive" where an order has been converted from one aircraft to another, but no "new" order has taken place. Source: Airbus/Boeing A340-600s originally ordered by the now defunct Swissair. No A380 new sales were recorded. Having had a clear-out from its order back log at the end of last year, Airbus has kept cancellations to a net total of three aircraft. As Airbus maintained the 160 aircraft delivery tally of the first half of 2001, Boeing's output fell from 263 aircraft to 220 - a 16% drop. Total deliveries this year are expected to reach around 680 air craft (300 Airbuses and 380 Boeings), down from 850 last year. Next year the two companies out put will be around 300 aircraft each Flight International, 9-15 July). The bulk of Boeing cuts so far have affected the 717 and 737, with deliveries down 67% and 10% respectively. Output across the widebody lines in Everett, Wash ington (747, 767 and 777) was down 10%, while 757 deliveries were at a similar level to a year ago. The total backlog has fallen by 144 aircraft (5%) since the end of last year, to 2,788 aircraft, with Airbus holding the majority share (55%). Airbus has predicted indus try orders of around 400-500 for the year. Key orders expected soon include the 100-plus aircraft deal for low-cost carrier Easyjet. 8 16-22 JULY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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