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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2491.PDF
DEFENCE FUNDING PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC US Army weighs engine options Efforts being made to reinstate seed money for the Common Engine Programme following approval problems Uncertainties about future funding and rotorcraft performance require ments have left the US Army's planned Common Engine Prog ramme (CEP) in a state of flux. While the US Department of Defense tries to resolve these issues, Rolls-Royce is pushing its proposal for an RTM322-powered Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, as the army considers nearer-term solutions for additional hot-and-high power. The US Army and its Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) are working to reinstate seed money for CEP in the final 2003 defence bill after the programme failed to impress the US Con gressional appropriations commit tees. AATD was seeking funding to kick-start CEP as part of a $40 mil lion venture with industry over the next four years. "It looks like it will slip until 2004," says Sandy Hoff, AATD power systems chief, who was unsurprised by the decision. The army is re-evaluating its criteria for the Future Utility Rotorcraft (FUR) as it considers the size and weight of equipment making up the future objective force, which will include the new Future Combat System. CEP is earmarked for what was referred to as the UH-60X improved Black Hawk - but the army has said it might look at larger aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92 or EH Industries US101. The 2,235kW (3,000shp) CEP would enable a future Black Hawk to lift a 4,300kg (9,4701b) load over 135km (75nm) at 4,000ft (1,220m) on a 35°C (95°F) day - twice the payload/range capability of the current UH-60L. An army official says its external lift requirements could rise to 6,800kg, which would boost the The US Army is considering solutions for hot-and-high turbine power power requirement to 2,980kW. While the FUR is not due to be fielded until 2013, "there is an immediate need for hot-and-high performance," says Stuart Mullan, R-R North America president heli copters. R-R says the RTM322, uprated to 2,235kW, would meet the 4,300kg lift requirement, but admits it would fall short of specific fuel consumption target and the FUR's payload range goal. DEVELOPMENT VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW RSK MiG wants new chance to develop fifth-generation fighter RSK MiG is pressing the Russian defence ministry to revisit its choice of Sukhoi as lead developer of the fifth-generation LFI lightweight frontline fighter. Sukhoi was selected over MiG as programme leader this year, and is due to complete a proposal and development schedule by year-end (Flight International, 7-13 May). RSK MiG general director and general designer Nikolai Nikitin says his company has a different approach to Sukhoi. "We are focusing on eco nomic issues and do not see our task as designing the world's most powerful and best aircraft," he says. RSK MiG believes its offer of "a mul tifunctional combat aircraft" for the armed forces is the most attractive and cost-effective solution. RSK MiG's proposed aircraft is smaller than Sukhoi's and would be a more suitable replacement for the large fleets of earlier lightweight fighters. Russian defence budget constraints could be eased by mak ing the aircraft attractive to foreign customers, providing funds for research and development. RSK MiG is promising 35-40% cost savings, and up to four times greater export potential. Foreign funding is critical to pro gramme success and RSK MiG believes it has a greater knowledge of the fighter market. "Last year, we won five foreign contracts for deliv ery of aircraft, and four to mod ernise in-service aircraft," Nikitin says. This year RSK has extended "the geography of military-indus trial co-operation" from 11 to 17 countries. The programme should start once the air force finalises its speci fication, based on the economic outlook until 2020, says MiG. "Now we should continue compet itive development of fifth-genera tion fighter proposals using RSK MiG's and OKB Sukhoi's own funds, while the budgetary money should go for development of criti cal technologies, weapons and avionics," Nikitin says. « PZL-SWIDNIK SA Producer of helicopters: • PZL W-3A SokoJ • PZLKania • Mi-2 • PZLSW-4 Al. Lotnikdw Polskich 1, 21-045$widnik POLAND lei. +48 (81) 751 35 05 fax +48 (81), 468 09 18 http://www.pzl.swidnik.pl; e-mail: hem@pzl.swidnik.pl www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20-26 AUGUST 2002 15
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