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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1493.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT AERODYNAMICS GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES 737 kit cuts drag and fuel burn Classic modification set to enter service in September AVAERO BOEING 737 INBOARD FLAP MODIFICATION Normal configuration in retracted, in-flight position Modified configuration in retracted, in-flight position An aerodynamic modification kit for Boeing 737 Classics that offers fuel savings of between $130,000 and $150,000 per aircraft per year is set to enter service in September with operators in Canada, New Zealand and the USA. Developed by Florida-based AvAero, the FuelMizer kit involves a minor adjustment to the inboard and outboard flap zero setting that increases trailing-edge droop by just 20mm (0.8in). The modification, which includes new cam tracks and cable drum assemblies on the inboard flaps, increases both effective cam ber and wing area. Together with a 1% aileron droop, which can be rigged within current Boeing set tings, this results in a 5° reduction in cruise angle-of-attack, and a con sequent reduction in induced drag. The modification takes effect only when flaps are retracted after take-off, after which the reduced drag decreases time-to-climb, cuts power requirement for a given alti tude and airspeed and conse quently increases range. Air New Zealand, America West Airlines and an unidentified Canadian operator are expected to be the first to modify aircraft with the kit, which sells for around $120,000. "At current fuel prices, you are looking at a return on investment of about one year," says AvAero president Bob Finn, who is confident of picking up over the next two to three years "at least 1,500" of the almost 3,000 737 Classic models still in service. The modification has been awarded a US Federal Aviation Administration supplemental type certificate (STC) for 737-200/300s and is scheduled to be expanded in early September to include the -400/500 variants. Certification has also been granted by the European Aviation Safety Agency, as well as by author ities in Australia and New Zealand, and Transport Canada was poised to sign off the package last week. "The reaction is basically that airlines think it's too good to be true," says Finn, adding that inter est is particularly high among 737- FLIGHT 200 users, most of which are out side the USA. "The people with JT8D-powered 737s are even more interested because those models are fuel goats." The modification was flight- tested intensively over a six-month period on a 737 based at Mojave, California, says Finn, who adds that the adjustments were fine- tuned. "If we tweaked it too much the economy fell way off, we had to find the sweet spot," he says. AvAero stresses that the modifi cation does not limit the flaps in normal operation or travel. "All flap settings in the cockpit still read what they always did," says Finn. STRATEGY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW / LONDON Gulf Air rethinks on regional jet policy Gulf Air has shelved plans to introduce regional jets in the near future follow ing a detailed assessment of the market. The airline's commercial and strategic division has spent a year analysing the economics of regional jet operations and the potential impact on the car rier's operations. The addition of high-frequency services within the Gulf using regional jets has been a key departure from previous strategies under evaluation by chief executive James Hogan, who was appointed in 2002 to oversee the restruc turing of Gulf Air Until recently he had forecast a requirement for up to 15 regional jets, with the 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 and Embraer 170 seen as the frontrunners, but the smallest offerings from Airbus and Boeing also being considered. In an advisory to manufacturers with which it had been in discussions, Gulf Air says the market is volatile and it should put off the acquisition of smaller types to a later date. "The result of such extensive analysis reveals the level of risk and costs proposed by this project make it financially unattractive in the short term," says the carrier. "In the context of the regional aviation market-which is characterised by aggressive airline expansion and the introduction of new entrants - it is likely that the financial risks will outweigh the benefits." The airline says it has decided the "implementation of smaller aircraft should be deferred till a more expedient time", but adds that "there are clearly benefits from a network and customer service point of view It is our intention to re-evaluate the smaller aircraft/high-frequency strategy on an ongoing basis as the Gulf aviation markets mature." ORDER VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Slovak signs for Tu-214s Slovak Airlines has signed a letter of intent with Kazan production plant KAPO to acquire two Tupolev Tu-214s in a deal reportedly worth $60 million. Delivery of the two 168-seaters to the Bratislava-based airline will offset outstanding Soviet Union state debts to Slovakia, says KAPO deputy general director Ildar Mingaleev. In what is believed to be an unprecedented move, Russian-built airliners will replace Western types - Slovak Airlines deputy general director Robert Domchek says the Tu-214s will replace a Boeing 737- 300 and a 757-200 that are now operated. The two Boeings are due to be phased out by the end of next year when the Tu-214s arrive, says Domchek, who adds the airline has also dropped plans to acquire two Fokker 100s. A higher-weight, longer-range version of the Aviastar-built Tu- 204, the Tu-214 entered service in 2001 and seven aircraft have already been delivered to airlines. The Slovak carrier was launched in 1997 using three Tupolev Tu-154Ms provided by the Slovak government in exchange for an 89.5% stake. This stake has been for sale since earlier this year, and Slovak transport minister Pavol Prokopovic is reported to have said the privatisation could be com pleted before November. Domchek says the airline plans to create its own maintenance base for the Tu-214s. It could also cater for the 100-seat Tu-334, with Slovak considering acquiring four aircraft. Meanwhile, KAPO general direc tor Nail Khairullin says the Russian government is preparing a state rul ing to designate the plant as pro ject leader for the Tu-334, the sta tus now held by RSK MiG. "We need a government decree to start production of the Tu-334," he says. "The government of Tatarstan is ready to fund this, having earlier funded Tu-214 certification and production preparation." 10 17-23 AUGUST 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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