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Aviation History
2004
2004-04 - 0025.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION RELOCATION CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS EADS Socata set to transfer sales operations to cut costs Company also aims to earn more euros and spend more dollars to trim exchange losses EADS Socata is to transfer its sales and marketing operations in March from Paris to its manufacturing site in Tarbes in south-west France to cut costs. Chief executive Stephane Mayer says the company also aims to increase its income in euros and its spending in dollars to reduce exchange-rate losses. "Two-thirds of our sales of the TBM700 are in the USA," Mayer says. "Although the hedging poli cies of our parent EADS cover us until the end of 2005, we do need to take some action ourselves." The French company delivered 74 aircraft in 2003. While ship ments of TBM700s remained static at 34 aircraft, deliveries of the TB GT piston single line fell sharply, to 40 aircraft compared with 70 the previous year. This, Mayer says, was due to "a drop in orders and the cancellation of three contracts", and as a result the TB GT line will now be built to order. Mayer suggests the ongoing bat tle to gain European certification for the TBM700C2 "lost the company at least two sales" last year. The C2 has a higher maximum take-off weight, increasing stall speed from 61kt (112km/h) to 65kt. However, the European authorities have so far refused to approve the variant's strengthened pilot and pas senger seats. It has already gained approval in Australia and the USA. Aircraft manufacturing accoun ted for 57% of EADS Socata's reven ues in 2003, down from 60% in 2002, with the rest provided by the aerostructures business that makes parts for Airbus, ATR, Eurocopter, Dassault and Embraer aircraft. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Bell increases JetRanger weight Bell Helicopter has increased the maximum gross weight of its Model 206B-3 JetRanger to make it more competitive in the light helicopter market. The company has received supplemental type certification for a 70kg (1501b) increase in gross weight with internal load. Take-off at the higher, 1,520kg gross weight requires an initial red uction in airspeed until 70kg of fuel has been consumed. Bell says the upgrade is applicable to most of the 1,700-plus JetRangers in service and consists of a flight manual supple ment and revised airspeed placard. The rise in useful load to 745kg closes the gap between the 206B-3 and Eurocopter's EC120B light heli copter, which has a 755kg useful load. Bell says the higher capability will allow law-enforcement opera tors to carry an extra person or more equipment without reducing fuel load. Other markets to benefit could include power/ pipeline patrol, air tours and firefighting. • Bell has delivered a fourth Model 407 light single-turbine helicopter to the Delaware State Police. ABC Air, an affiliate of Miami-based Prestige Builders Group, has acquired a Bell 407. EXPANSION Sky Star eyes sport plane Kitplane manufacturer SkyStar Aircraft is preparing for the US sport pilot rule by creating a divi sion to manufacture and market a light-sport aircraft based on its Kitfox Series 7 two-seater Caldwell, Idaho-based Sky- Star has split into two parts, with the Experimental/Manufacturing division responsible for making aircraft kits as well as parts for the factory-produced aircraft that will be assembled by the new Sport Plane division. SkyStar will still make the Series 7, Classic 4 and Kitfox Lite kitplanes. Ed Downs, president of the Sport Plane division, says a ver sion of the Series 7 certificated to the consensus standards for light-sport aircraft agreed by industry could be available within 12 months of the Sport Pilot rule taking effect. The two-seat air craft is expected to cost around $60,000-65,000, he says. The sport pilot rule is intended to stimulate recreational flying by making it easier to get a licence and more affordable to buy an aircraft, leading a predicted boom in general aviation. Downs says a survey of Experimental Aircraft Association members indicated that 58,000 intended to buy a light sport aircraft within three years of the rule. RE-ENGINING KATE SARSFIELD / VIENNA Diamond waits to offer ab initio DA42 to USA Austria's Diamond Aircraft Indus tries is evaluating the market for a Textron Lycoming-powered version of its DA42 Twin Star as it heads toward European certification of the four-seat diesel twin in April. "We will make a decision in September on whether to proceed with the Lycoming version," says Diamond Aircraft managing direc tor Michael Feinig. The company, based in Weiner Neustadt near Vienna, says the 180hp (135kW) Lycoming IO 360-powered aircraft would be targeted at the US ab initio training market, which is accus tomed to traditional engine controls and opposed to the single lever of the FADEC-equipped Theilert Cen turion 1.7-powered Twin Star. Diamond has installed the Lyc oming engines on a proof-of-con- cept Twin Star, but the company will not offer the variant until it has received at least 50 orders. "We have had a great response to the Twin Star in the USA from both the training and private flyer mar kets," Feinig says. If a niche exists in the twin trainer market, Diamond Certification of the Diamond DA42 Twin Star is scheduled for April aims to fill it. US approval is due in the fourth quarter. Diamond has clinched 262 orders for the $360,000 DA42 Twin Star and says production is sold out until September 2006. Meanwhile, the company has recorded 235 aircraft deliveries for 2003 from its bases in London in Ontario, Canada and Weiner Neustadt, namely: 12 HK36 Super Dimonas; 15 DA20s; 57 DA20-Cls; 91 DA40-180s and 60 DA40 TDIs. Around 350 shipments are planned this year. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3-9 FEBRUARY 2004 23
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