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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2335.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT ENGINE DEVELOPMENT GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES P&W completes first phase of PW6000 turbofan testing Engine maker cranks up the hours for certification of modified powerplant for A318 Pratt & Whitney has completed the first of a three-phase flight-test pro gramme of the final Block 4-config- ured PW6000 turbofan for the Airbus A318. It says certification of the 18,000-24,0001b thrust (80-106kN) engine is due for the fourth quarter of 2004, three years later than the original schedule. Fitted with the revised six-stage MTU high-pressure compressor (HPC) in place of the original (Block 2) standard five-stage design, P&W says the Block 4 test engine has per formed well since starting the pro gramme on its Boeing 720 testbed on 3 September. Despite some nuisance issues with accessory systems, the engine "is just cranking on, and we are run ning up an incredible amount of hours", says PW6000 programme manager Dennis Enos. P&W has completed simulated altitude tests on a modified PW6000 at the Arnold Engineering Develop ment Center in Tennessee, which "demonstrated the required specific fuel consumption [7% better than Block 2] and thrust performance". The tests were demonstrated "on an initial configuration out of the box", using an engine that had orig inally been fitted with the initial five-stage HPC. "We had perfor mance demonstrations scheduled for later this year and next, but now that this engine has demonstrated the final performance straight out of the box we will just complete the rest of the programme," adds Enos. There are now three of the seven planned engines running in the tests. These include the test engine on the flying testbed, one on gen eral development, higher-tempera ture endurance tests at West Palm Beach, Florida, and another which began build-up runs for a simulated block test at East Hartford, Conn ecticut in early October. On top of more than 350 flight test hours amassed during evalua tion of the original five-stage engine on the A318 development aircraft, which concluded in July, the Block 4 engine is scheduled to build an estimated 90h on the 720 flying testbed. This will conduct a second flight-test phase before year-end, and a third phase early in the sec ond quarter of 2004. P&W is using an aggressive pric ing policy in an effort to recover ground lost to CFM International's CFM56-5 on the A318. The first three A318 flight-test engines will be delivered in late 2004, with entry- into-service planned for a year later. • Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard says A318 deals from Mexicana and Romanian airline Tarom "should close in the coming months". Tarom has a memoran dum of understanding for four A318s, while Airbus says Mexicana is "still discussing precise num bers...we're talking tens rather than single digit units". The 5-stage PW6000 accrued 350h of flight testing on the A318 with Airbus AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT HILKA BIRNS / CAPE TOWN South Africa launches ATM system South Africa is to install a R228 million ($33 million) air traffic system that will comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards on comple tion in 2004. This follows the already completed $23.25 million radar replacement and improve ment project. The South African Advanced Air Traffic System (SAAATS) is being implemented by Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), the country's sole provider of air traffic services. The highlights include: • a complete restructuring of South African airspace; • separate disaster recovery sys tems at Johannesburg and Cape Town. Either can cope alone; • the installation of Thales ATM Eurocat X software in ATC centres. • the implementation of datalink technology to enable routine information and instructions to be exchanged by controller/pilot datalink communication. SAAATS will also enable a central airspace management unit to be set up, which will ultimately pro vide full flow management across the country. LOW-COST CARRIERS Airlines prepare for Singapore onslaught Singapore is poised to become the next low-fare battleground as several airlines from throughout South-East Asia prepare to pro vide the city-state its first low-fare service, write Leithen Francis and Brendan Sobie. Indonesian low-fare carrier Lion Airlines plans to expand into the Singapore market on 14 November with four daily flights from Jakarta. Malaysia's AirAsia has been offered slots at Singapore Changi and Seletar airports and local new-start ValuAir is about to select an air craft to support its planned mid-2004 launch. Singapore Airlines (SIA), meanwhile, is nearing a decision on establishing its own low-fare carrier to fend off the new com petition. "We have almost completed a study and hope to make a decision before the end of this year," says SIA senior executive vice-president com mercial Michael Tan. AirAsia is committed to adding 13 Boeing 737-300s over the next eight months, giving the car rier a 20-aircraft fleet by mid-2004. Lion says it plans to expand its Boeing MD-82 fleet from 18 to 23 aircraft by year-end and to 35 aircraft by the end of 2004, with several new interna tional routes being considered. AirAsia's network is limited to domestic services, but the car rier aims to launch flights to Bangkok in December and is studying Singapore to comple ment its new service to nearby Johor Bahru in Malaysia. Singapore is trying to woo AirAsia and has offered to extend Seletar Airport's runway to accommodate 737s. ValuAir is looking at acquiring new 737-700/800S or Airbus A320 family aircraft. Earlier this month SIA decided against launching a low-fare airline in Thailand. This could free SIA to launch quickly a low-fare carrier in its home market. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21-27 OCTOBER 2003 9
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