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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 1317.PDF
HEADLINES AIR TRANSPORT GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES & PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC Qatar plans to split spoils at Paris Second Middle East flag carrier poised to announce major Airbus and Boeing purchase at Le Bourget show Qatar Airways is expected to unveil an order for 14 Airbus A330- 200/300s and possibly a smaller number of Boeing 777-300ER wide- body aircraft at the Paris air show, making it the second Middle Eastern carrier planning to announce a major split deal with the rival manufacturers. The Qatar deal, if confirmed, fol lows on the heels of an order from neighbouring Emirates for 23 Airbus A380s, 10 A340-60US and 26 777-300ERs, also expected to be Engine manufacturer General Electric expects to receive US Federal Aviation Administration certification for the Boeing 777-300ER's GE90-115B power- plant by the end of June, later than originally scheduled because of an FAA request to re-run up to 63 h of endurance "block test" runs at hot operating conditions. The delay is not expected to affect the 777 effort, which is scheduled for certification around March 2004. The additional 63h tests will ver ify the endurance of the produc tion configuration engine at "hot time" or "double redline" condi tions. These include both maxi mum continuous redline and sim ulated take-off exhaust gas temperature redline conditions, and form the most rigorous part of the 150h block test. The evaluation will complete testing of the modified cooling sys tem on the second-stage high-pres- announced at the show (Flight International, 27 May-2 June). Qatar is planning a smaller pur chase of 14 A330-200/300S, includ ing one configured as a VIP trans port, plus six options, and two 777-300ERs, plus eight options. Of the two deals, the A330 pur chase is understood to be the clos est to being concluded, with the General Electric CF6-80E1 expected to be the engine of choice. The air line already operates three CF6- powered A330-300s and is thought sure turbine, which failed towards the tail-end of the original block test in late 2002. Boeing has, meanwhile, set a new maximum take-off weight (MTOW) record for a twin-engined aircraft with the first 777-300ER, WD501, which lifted off from Edwards AFB, California on 20 May at a weight of 351,300kg (773,8001b). Tests on the second aircraft, WD502, have also con firmed a 1% fuel consumption improvement over original predic tions, leading Boeing to offer gains of up to 1,090kg in payload or an extra 140km (75nm) in range beyond nominal performance specifications. Despite the additional weight capability demonstrated on 20 May, Boeing says it has no plans to certificate the 777-300ER at weights beyond 344,900kg. However, the tests support Boeing's recent deci sion to raise the target MTOW of to favour the GE/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance GP7200 for the four A380 orders and options it holds. With the first aircraft not due for delivery until 2008, a final decision is further off. The 777-300ER deal is believed to involve International Lease Finance, but is not as solid as the A330 order, say sources. The air craft would be the first new Boeing ordered by Qatar, which until now has operated only Airbus equip ment. The GE90-115B-powered the ultra long-range -200LR version to 347,800kg. "The test data will allow our engineering to fine tune the projec tions for the 777-200LR, but the reasons for the heavier take-off weight is primarily down to facili tating repetitive take-offs for these tests," says 777-300ER programme manager Lars Andersen. The recent tests of abused and aggressive take-offs have also proved the viability of the enhanced tail strike protection sys tem which is integrated with the flight control system to monitor take-off angle. "This is intended to reduce tail skid contact, and during these take-off performance evalua tions we generally expect to get contacts," says 777 chief pilot Frank Santoni. As many as 13 tail strikes were recorded during the original 777- 300 test effort in 1997 and "we got none on this", says Santoni. 777-300ER faces strong competi tion from the rival Rolls-Royce Trent 500-powered A340-600. Although Boeing declines to comment, the airline's chief execu tive Akbar Al Baker earlier this year confirmed that negotiations were under way with Airbus and Boeing for a "large number" of new wide- bodies. Doha-based Qatar operates a mix of 21 Airbus aircraft on 38 routes, but plans to expand to serve 50 routes by 2005 with up to 45 aircraft. DEFENCE Rafael adds more Spice Rafael is adapting the Spice stand-off precision guidance kit for smaller weapons than the ini tial 2,0001b (900kg) Mk84 bomb application, production of which has just started for the Israeli air force. Spice's range is exceeding 60km (32nm), while its accuracy is "better than" the 3m (10ft) specified, claims an official. Haifa-based Rafael has cleared Spice for the BLU-109 penetrator warhead and is modifying the kit for the smaller 1,0001b (450kg) Mk83 bomb. The forward element, which contains the electro-optical (EO) seeker and a combined inertial/GPS satellite navigation system, will be unchanged. The rear element - comprising wings, moveable tail surfaces to steer the weapon and the power sup ply-will be modified to match the Mk83's smaller diameter. According to a senior pro gramme official, no systems will be changed as the existing line- replaceable units will fit the new profile. To keep costs down sys tems such as a datalink have not been incorporated. Spice guides the bomb ini tially using inertial guidance before switching to a wide-angle field-of-view EO sensor and scene matching to determine its target. A new maximum take-off weight record was achieved by the first Boeing 777-300ER at Edwards AFB on 20 May COVER STORY GUY NORRIS /LOS ANGELES GE powers 777 to MTOW record www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3-9 JUNE 2003 7
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