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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2383.PDF
Directory: world airliners stiff competition from the 7E7 if Boeing meets its promises of extra range and better economics. In 2000, Airbus proposed a shrink derivative of the A330 - the -500 - but this failed to get off the ground. As well as widebody designs, further stretches of the A320 family - the so-called "A322' - have also been studied to meet fill the void between the single aisle models and the A330/A340. A380 Production got underway this year of the most eagerly anticipated aircraft since the Boeing 747 - the A380. This $10.7 billion programme was formally launched in December 2000, but the aircraft had been under development since April 1996 under the "A3XX" designation. According to EADS, there is a market for 750 A380s through to 2015. Break-even will be around 250 aircraft. EADS is confident that the programme will be in the black by 2011. The baseline 555-seat passenger version is desig nated the A380-800, and an -800 Freighter is also being developed. Future planned models include a longer-range version, the -800R, as well as a 650- seat stretch, the -900, and a 465-seat shrink, the -700. The four-engined A380 is available with a choice of powerplants in the 70,000-78,000lb-thrust bracket, with the GE-P&W Engine Alliance offering the GP7200 and R-R the Trent 900. The latter is the lead certification engine, and will power the A380 on its first flight in early 2005. The first flight target slipped earlier this year from the original late 2004 schedule set when at programme launch. The R-R version will enter service with SIA in March 2006. Emirates will receive the first GP7200-powered A380 in October 2006. R-R made the first run of the Trent 900 in March, the engine being one of seven in the test pro gramme which will end with certification around October 2004. The engine will begin flight tests on an A340-300 testbed in May 2004. The engine will be certificated at 80,000lb thrust, although it will enter service de-rated to 70,000lb. The first full GP7200 engine test is due in mid- February - two months earlier than first planned. P&W has already begun testing a 94%-scale hollow titanium swept fan-blade design for the GP7200 on a PW4098. In 2005, the GP7200 will be certificated concurrently at take-off thrust ratings of 76,600lb and 81,500lb, although the basic architecture is able to accommodate future A380 growth with ratings up to 84,0001b. Lufthansa Technik, which has a major VIP air craft modification business, has begun work on a plan to offer a corporate conversion for the A380. Waco, Texas-based L-3 Communications Integrat ed Systems is another possible contender for a private A380 conversion. Airbus does not formally offer a Corporate Jetliner (CJ) version, but sees opportunities for in the sector. Airbus is studying possible design and engine modifications to optimise the A380-800 for the Japanese domestic market. It is evaluating simpli fied internal layouts and other possible modifications to help meet the target turnaround time of 40min. Japan Air Lines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways are believed to have an eventual combined requirement for around 90 aircraft, two-thirds of which would be for JAL. Engine changes being studied include significant thrust derates to optimise the powerplant for the reduced take-off power demands of the domestic aircraft which will operate at lower weights. "Smart' engine and airframe health monitoring systems may also be adapted to compensate for the shorter cycles of the Japanese market. The freighter is due to enter service in June 2008 with Emirates. FedEx will also receive its first aircraft that year. The A380-800F will have strengthened structure and increased weights, giving it a standard payload of 150t. Airbus is offering various weight options which provide increased range and/or pay- load. These include a 10t MTOW increase and 8t more payload. A centre fuel tank is also being offered. The freighter's strengthened airframe will provide the basis for the stretched A380-900 model. For full technical details on the A380 see, Flight International supplement Europe's Giant, published on 20-26 May. Production Final-assembly by Airbus France is at its new Aeroconstellation complex in Toulouse. Airbus Deutschland will have responsibility for interior installation and painting in Hamburg, as well as delivery of aircraft to customers in Europe and the Middle East. Government refundable loans account for 33% of the programme's cost, the rest being funded by the two Airbus partners. About $2.1 billion of the costs are being covered by risk-sharing partners on the air frame, and $900 million by equipment vendors. Manufacturing of A380 components began early last year, and the first sub-assemblies began to come together this year. The the first A380 forward and aft subassemblies are being constructed in the major component assembly (MCA) hall at Hamburg Finkenwerder. Meanwhile, the first wing is being assembled at at Airbus UK's Broughton site while the centre wing box has been completed at the Nantes plant and delivered to St Nazaire. Final assembly of the first A380 is due to begin in Toulouse in the second quarter of 2004. A pilot run of the surface transport system, which will involve ships, barges and road haulage to trans fer assemblies to the final assembly line, is due to be undertaken in this month (October). The roll-on/roll- off vessel that will ship Airbus A380 subassemblies to Bordeaux for transport to Toulouse was launched at the Jinling shipyard in Nanjing, China, in August, and is due to be delivered in March. During the the programme's early years, the pro duction of a maximum of four A380s a month is envisaged. However, all the sub-assembly sites have expansion options that will enable the rate to double to eight a month. Orders: 116 Deliveries: 0 Aeronautical Scientific-Technical Complex, 1 Tupolev St, Kiev 252062, Ukraine Tel: +380 (44) 4425 7098 Fax: +380 (44) 4495 9996 Telex: 131048,132792 OZON An-70T Although designed as a military transport, this four- engined propfan-powered airlifter has also been proposed as a commercial version. After its first flight in December 1994, the programme was thrown into turmoil after the fatal crash of the single prototype in February 1995, following a mid-air colli sion with an An-72 chase aircraft. The second, static-test prototype was brought up to flight status and flown in April 1997. An expected firm order from the Russian air force has still not been confirmed. There have been discus sions between Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr and the design bureau's Antonov Airlines to introduce the An-70 as a commercial freighter The first A380 sub-assemblies are coming together at plants across Europe www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21-27 OCTOBER 2003 57
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