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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0657.PDF
HEADLINES DEFENCE PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC P-3C hybrid floated for MMA bid Lockheed Martin says combining new assemblies with existing airframes would deliver required cost savings Lockheed Martin is considering a hybrid approach of focused pro duction to meet the US Navy's requirement for a Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), which would retain some of the P-3C Orion airframe, combined with new-build structural assemblies and modern avionics. Under the ongoing component advanced development contracts, "we've been asked to focus on a broad range of solutions and every thing is up for evaluation", says Jack Crisler, Lockheed Martin mar itime patrol aircraft campaign The hybrid concept would feature new wings, cockpit and mission systems director. The focused production concept under consideration falls half way between the all-new Orion 21 and a service life exten sion of the P-3C/EP-3 fleet. "New wings, cockpit and mis sion systems are a starting point," says Crisler, while other areas such as the fuselage, empennage, bomb bay doors and landing gear would be subject to trade studies. The wing, although new and possibly incorporating more corrosion-resis tant materials, would be based on the current design. Unlike the rival Boeing 737-based concept, the P-3 has already been fitted for weapons with underwing hardpoints. The aircraft would feature new mission systems leveraging off the current avionics improvement programme architecture and incor porating additional features such as unmanned air vehicle connec tivity. Whether the aircraft would retain the Rolls-Royce T56 turbo prop or switch to an all-new engine, such as the R-R AE2100 or Pratt & Whitney Canada PWC150, is the subject of afford- ability studies. Focused production's chief attrac tion is cost, with many industry observers questioning whether the projected $3 billion MMA develop ment budget is enough to produce a new aircraft. The other main advan tage would be having an aircraft available for service by 2010, two years ahead of the latest projected initial operational capability and by which time a significant proportion of the Orion fleet will have exceeded their fatigue lives. Cristler says the aircraft already meets the USN's requirements for range, time on station and weapons carriage and that focused production could appeal to other P-3C operators unable to afford new replacements such as Australia, Canada and Italy. GENERAL AVIATION JUSTIN WASTNAGE / NEUBRANDENBURG OMF gets in tune for Canadian Symphony German general aviation manufac turer Ostmecklenburgische Flug- zeugbau (OMF Aircraft) is to open a production facility in Canada as a lengthy legal dispute is settled. The company is to start construction this month of the first of five 2,500m2 (26,900ft2) production hangars in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, to meet North American demand for its OMF-160 Symphony two- seat trainer. OMF Aircraft has now accepted "an amicable settlement" to its legal dispute with New Glasair & New GlaStar over the value of the design rights of the GlaStar kit- plane, on which the certificated Symphony is based Flight International, 18-25 June 2002). OMF managing director Derek Stinnes says that while the court case did not specifically rule out North American sales, venture cap ital firm Societe Generale de Financement du Quebec had been "uneasy" about its C$25 million ($16.8 million) investment in the Trois-Rivieres facility before the case was resolved. OMF aims to build the first OMF-160 in Canada by the end of the year and expects to assemble 300 of the metal and glass-rein forced plastic aircraft a year by 2008 when all five units are opera tional. Czech-made aluminium fly ing surfaces and German compos ite half shells will be transported for final assembly from OMF's facil ities at Neubrandenburg-Trollen- hagen Airport, 200km (125 miles) north of Berlin. The new Canadian facility will also provide essential spare parts and maintenance support for the aircraft. OMF has 36 aircraft deliv ered and 34 firm orders. BUSINESS AVIATION LHT has designs on VIP A380 as Airbus weighs up demand Supplier interest in a corporate-configured Airbus A380 is increasing as potential customers evaluate a VIP version of the ultra-large aircraft. There are more than 20 Boeing 747s - including six -400s - operating in the VIP role. Airbus does not formally offer a Corporate Jetliner (CJ) ver sion of the A380 as with the A319, but sees opportunities for the double-deck airliner in the sector. "We are serious about A380s being used in this part of the market. There certainly is a market," it says. Lufthansa Technik (LHT), which has a major VIP aircraft modification business, has begun work on a plan to offer a conversion for the A380. "We are convinced that there will be a requirement for an 'A380CJ', and have been playing around with some basic ideas for interior concepts," says LHT chairman August Wilhelm Henningsen. "We want to be in a position to offer the service from day one," he adds. Waco, Texas-based L3 Communications, Integrated Systems is another possible contender for a private A380 conversion, having estab lished itself during the 1990s as a specialist in head-of-stateA/IP aircraft integration, interiors and modernisation work. The company has under taken conversion work on two "JVIP" 747-400s for the Japanese government in 1991 and 1994, and between 1991 and 1998 delivered seven modified aircraft to Brunei, including three Airbus A340s. It has also completed a VIP 747SR delivered in December 1996, as well as a head- of-state Airbus A310 and two VIP Boeing MD-11s delivered to the Middle East in 1998. It is completing work on a private Boeing 777-200. The company says it has "two proposals in, and should know in two to three months" if it has been successful. It declines to identify the propos als, but one at least is believed to be for a head-of-state 747-400. 4 1-7 APRIL 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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