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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2216.PDF
FIGHTERS A Typhoon by any other name Eurofighters in UK Royal Air Force service have been formally named Typhoon. The fighter was branded Typhoon for export campaigns just before the 2000 Farnborough show, but until now aircraft for Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have kept the Eurofighter nomenclature. Meanwhile, the Typhoon mock-up at the show (left) has been fitted with conformal fuel tanks for the first time. Earlier this year BAE Systems concluded high-speed windtunnel tests of the tanks, which each increase fuel capacity by 1,500 litre (400USgal) and together would extend range by around 25%. ENGINE SELECTION FedEx to confirm GP7277 decision Expected order will bring Engine Alliance powerplant neck and neck with rival Rolls-Royce Trent 900 on order numbers The long-awaited confirmation that FedEx Express has selected the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7277 power- plant for its planned new fleet of Airbus A380-800 freighters is expected on 23 July at the Farnborough air show. The deal puts the GP7200 engine neck-and- neck with the rival Rolls-Royce Trent 900 in terms of orders. The engine deal comes after FedEx last week firmed up its mem orandum of understanding (MoU) for 10 A380-800Fs, plus options on another 10 freighters. The first three aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2008, followed by three more in both 2009 and 2010 and the final aircraft in 2011. Airbus now has 95 orders in hand from eight carriers and another 57 options, with just the MoU for two firm orders plus two options from Qatar Airways remaining to be firmed up from the original group of launch customers. Of the carriers that have so far selected an engine, R-R has a mar ginal lead with 43 Trent 900-pow- ered aircraft ordered by Lufthansa, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Engine Alliance has orders in hand for 42 GP7200-powered A380s from Air France, Emirates and FedEx. Neither Qatar nor International Lease Finance (ILFC), which has ordered 10 aircraft, have officially selected an engine. The higher gross weight A380- 800F will be powered by the GP7277, a 76,5001b-thrust (340kN) increased thrust version of the base line engine. The aircraft will be able to carry a freight load of 150t (330,0001b), occupying 1,250m3 (44,000ft3), over a distance of nearly 11,100km (6,000nm). The first A380-800F is to enter service in June 2008. FedEx is the second carrier to order the GP7277-pow- ered freighter version after Emirates, which has two -800F orders as part of its deal for 22 A380s. ILFC also has five freighters on order. • French President Jacques Chirac inaugurated the site of the A380 final assembly facility in Toulouse at a ceremony last week. The new 50Ha (120 acre) facility will house the A380's final assembly and static test halls, and is part of the 220Ha Aeroconstellation industrial com plex, which will be linked to Blagnac airport by two new taxi- ways. Work will be completed by the end of 2003. BRIEF GULF ALLIANCE Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Co (GAMCO) and Thales are form ing a joint venture company based in the United Arab Emirates. The company. GAMCO Thales Systems, aims to establish local expertise in electronic equipment, logistics support, and the maintenance and repair of electronic equip ment. It will initially target the local defence market. BOEING SAFETY Meggit Safety Systems (MSSI) has extended its long-term pur chase agreement with Boeing to supply its engine and auxiliary power unit fire/overheat detec tion equipment for Boeing's 737, 747,757 and 767 aircraft, and smoke detectors for the 717. SECURITY MMW system offers faster scanning Qinetiq has unveiled a millimetre wave (MMW) detection system able to find weapons, explosives and other items hidden in cloth ing. Unlike other security scanners, the MMW system does not rely on the concealed item being metallic. Dr Kevin Murphy, product leader MMW technology Qinetiq Sensors and Electronics, says the scanner detects the MMW energy that is naturally reflected by the body - the sensor is passive and does not transmit any radiation. Competing systems use X-ray and gamma-ray ionising radiation. Key technologies developed by the UK research and development company include the MMW optics, which allow real-time scans, while Qinetiq has also "learned to control the MMW environ ment indoors", says Murphy. The skin reflects 30-50% of MMW energy while clothing is transparent, says Murphy. Solid objects - metals, ceramics, plastics, explosives - reflect the energy in different ways so the device is able to produce an image of the body with any solid object on it also visi ble. The system also eliminates the need for physical "pat-down" searches, says Murphy. Murphy says the Qinetiq proto type allows a passenger to be scanned quickly enough, in less than 5s, to maintain throughput. A formal product launch is planned for next year, he adds. The system was evaluated by UK airports operator BAA and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions late last month and early this month at London Gatwick airport. The US Transportation Security Admini stration is due to trial the system in September. Qinetiq is also displaying a new aircraft cabin environment with a seat that monitors the occupant and adaptive lighting that reacts to the time of day and tasks such as the safety briefing. "Emotional walls" would allow the environ ment to interact with the passen ger's cultural and language require ments, says David Howells, Qinetiq business development manager aerospace programmes. Piezo-ceramic foam, which Qinetiq has developed, is used in the seats while another of its devel opments, flat-panel speakers, could also be used, says Howells. 16 23-29 JULY 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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