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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0150.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION ASSEMBLY SSAC begins new factory Chinese joint venture company Shanghai Sikorsky Aircraft (SSAC) has begun constructing a 3,000m2 (32,290ft2) assembly plant and aims to move into the new factory in September. SSAC has been using the government-owned Gaodong Heliport to assemble Schweizer- produced helicopters since it began operations one year ago. The new factory will initially assemble Schweizer 300 pistons and Schweizer 333 turbines and manufacture helicopter compo nents. SSAC plans to later apply for a production certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and has the capacity to double the size of its plant to support aircraft manufacturing. SSAC has already applied for preferred parts supplier certifica tion from the US Federal Aviation Administration. With this, Schweizer will be able to source parts from SSAC without re- inspecting them. SSAC is bidding to initially supply aluminium sheet metal air duct assemblies for the Schweizer 300. The new plant near Shanghai is designed to assemble up to 24 helicopters a year. SSAC so far has sold nine helicopters, includ ing two 300Cs that will be delivered next month to Pianjin Aviation University. MODIFICATIONS JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON Re-enqined Piper PA-31P goes into production Intracom signs manufacturing deal after completing flight tests of turboprop GM-17 Viper Swiss modifications specialist Intracom is to start serial produc tion of its re-engined Piper PA-31P Navajo and is targeting sales at the lower end of the general avia tion market. Geneva-based Intracom has completed flight tests of the GM-17 Viper and has signed a manufactur ing deal with component supplier Aerotech Slovakia ahead of planned serial production this year. The GM-17 replaces Navajo's two wing-mounted 425hp (317kW) Lycoming TIO-540 turbocharged piston engines with a single 750hp Walter M 60IE turboprop installed in the nose section of the fuselage. The modifications, which have reduced the maximum take-off weight by 400kg (8801b), also include new navigational equip ment, hydraulics and landing gear. Structural components will be manufactured by the Smolensk aircraft plant in Russia and final assembly and completion will be carried out in Geneva. Intracom is aiming to produce one aircraft a month from the second half of this year. Intracom president Nick Schmidt says the company has received 32 orders for the six-seat, $650,000 Viper, mainly from Russian and Australian owner-fly ers. "There are two possibilities: either we can modify existing Navajo owners' aircraft or source secondhand aircraft for new cus tomers," he says. The aircraft flies under an exper imental category and Schmidt says certification is unlikely "without the co-operation of New Piper Aircraft", which owns the design GM-17 VIPER rights. "We have held talks with Piper about ultimately producing a certificated version, but it would be double the price and thus lose its competitive edge," says Schmidt. The GM-17 Viper has a maxi mum range of 2,500km (l,350nm) and a top speed of 233kt (430km/h) at an altitude of 25,000ft (7,500m). Intracom is also developing a stretched version of the Viper, incorporating a 760mm (2.5ft) fuselage plug, which it intends to start testing in 2006. REPLACEMENT AgustaBell and Sikorsky bid in Japan coastguard contest Japan's coastguard is looking to acquire three helicopters to replace its fleet of three Eurocopter AS332 Super Pumas. AgustaBell is pitching the AB139 and Sikorsky the S-76 for the new requirement. Manufacturers expect the coastguard to define the requirement this year and then begin a competition, but warn a purchase could be delayed by a couple of years because of budget constraints. The coastguard's limited budget has been drained over the last three years by the acquisi tion of three missionised Gulfstream GVs. Manufacturers are hoping the helicopter acquisition will ultimately extend beyond the three replacement aircraft because the coastguard is planning a fleet expansion with a mix of ship-based and land-based heli copters. Japanese-assembled Mitsubishi/Sikorsky UH-60s are not a possibility because the coastguard can only acquire civilian aircraft. Japan's National Police Agency is expected to issue a tender in April or May for three light helicopters to replace Bell 206s with either AgustaBell 109s, Bell 427s, Eurocopter EC135s or Eurocopter/Kawasaki BK117s. LAUNCH Two new kitplanes set to take off Lancair has launched two new kit- planes and says there are signs that consumer confidence is returning to the owner-flyer market. Both new types, the $94,900 ES-P (pressurised) and $77,800 ES-2 (two door) models are variants of the existing one-door ES Fastbuild kit. The ES-P is powered by the 310hp (230kW) Teledyne Continental TSIO-550C which offers a cruise speed of 255kt (470km/h) at 24,000ft (7,320m) and a range of 1,930km (l,045nm). Fuel capacity is up by 38 litres (lOUSgal) to 400 litres and the gross weight by 90kg to 1,600kg. The Redmond, Oregon-based manufacturer expects deliveries of its kitplane family, which also includes the Legacy, Propjet, Sentry and IV/IVP types, to rise this year from 75 to 85 aircraft. Kim Loren- tzen, Lancair sales manager, says a marketing effort is planned with the aircraft set to be pushed at major general avation shows, including next month's Experimental Aircraft Association's Sun 'n Fun fly-in in Lakeland, Florida. Lorentzen says Lancair is also eyeing new markets for its kitplanes such as homeland security, and hopes to build on its contract with the Mexican navy, which operates nine Lancair types as trainers. 28 23-29 MARCH 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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