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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1829.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT FREIGHTERS Precision STC back on track Precision Conversions has blamed difficulties with suppliers and vendors for the six-month slip in US Federal Aviation Administration supplemental type certification (STC) of its Boeing 757-200 passenger-to- freighter modification. Approval had been expected in the first quarter of this year, but is now scheduled for early November. The company says issues with staffing, availability and parts have led to a delay in the freight conversion specialist gain ing its STC. "We're past all that now - the aircraft began engine runs on 20 September and it's ready to fly," says Precision. Test flying is due to take place at the end of September. "Generally, the STC is granted 30 to 45 days after the test flight, so we're looking at early November," it adds. Precision has five firm orders for its Boeing 757-200 modifica tion. Work is underway on a Bouilloun Aviation Services- owned 757 and two aircraft owned by AWAS. Precision is also converting two 757s owned by International Lease Finance and leased by Shanghai Airlines. POWERPLANTS GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Bombardier adds CFMI to CSeries supplier mix Engine manufacturer reluctant to confirm formal involvement in airliner project Bombardier says CFM Internation al is now being considered along side International Aero Engines as a potential engine supplier for its proposed CSeries 110- to 135-seat airliner family. The revelation, from Bombar dier's new commercial aircraft pro gramme president Gary Scott, appears to have emerged prema turely for CFMI, which at the moment is downplaying any for mal ties to the project. CFMI confirms "there have been negotiations and conversations", but adds: "There has not been a competition or any sort of techni cal evaluation." Stressing the common view of the CFMI joint venture partners, it says: "Neither General Electric nor Snecma has been engaged in any technical discussions." Informally, CFMI is thought to have discussed possible baseline CFM56 configurations with specific elements incorporated from the group's Tech56 technology devel opment effort. Meanwhile, CFMI has made no secret of its main longer-term prior ity - its plan to develop a new cen treline engine family in the 23,000- 35,OO01b thrust (102-lS6kN) range for the next generation of Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies, with a possible launch in 2008. However, Bombardier's planned CSeries timescale calls for a launch in 2005 and is narrowing on a lower-thrust range between 22,0001b and 25,0001b. In addition, the project is aimed at ambitious performance- improvement targets of operating costs up to 15% lower than for cur rent 100-seat aircraft and Scott reit erates that the company is "look ing at a new engine, an engine that they don't make currently - that's where we're starting". Meanwhile, IAE is believed to be progressing in its talks with Bombardier, particularly since July, when principal partners Rolls- Royce and Pratt & Whitney jointly announced plans to focus competi tive efforts for the CSeries through IAE rather than pursue separate courses. This move is believed to have caught Bombardier off guard when it was first announced because it had anticipated a strong competi tion between R-R and P&W rather than a joint effort through the IAE consortium. IAE appears keen to use the CSeries as a chance to launch a new-generation engine, although it is still believed to be deciding inter nally on the exact configuration of its proposed engine. The choice is thought to be between an advanced two-shaft P&W design with some PW6000 features, and a new Rolls-Royce- based two-shaft design, which is dubbed the RB255. IAE says it is currently "working with Bombardier and discussing the technical requirements as well as the business case". A formal request for proposals is widely expected to be issued around the end of October or early November. ONBOARD SYSTEMS AIMEE TURNER / HAMBURG Air Berlin fits fleet with Airtrack moving map Air Berlin has begun a €1.5 million ($1.8 million) programme to retro fit its entire fleet of 38 Boeing air craft with Airtrack. The system is Lufthansa Technik's challenge to Airshow's dominance in the cabin moving-map display market. After several months of tests, the airline will equip its entire fleet with Airtrack in November, becom ing launch customer for a system that was jointly developed by LHT and TEAC Aerospace Technologies. AirTrack provides 2D and 3D topo graphical maps and satellite imagery, using a terrain image database with 30m (98ft) per pixel as standard - although more detailed images are available. It also provides simulations of the view from the cockpit and from win dows on either side of the fuselage. TEAC Aerospace is a private US company spun off from Japan's TEAC this year and is providing the software for Airtrack, while LHT is providing the hardware, and han dling certification and product instal lation. It has been designed so only the existing mov ing-map system control unit needs to be replaced. "The advantage with this system is that we have control over the programming of the unit, which was not the case with the existing sys tem," says Siegfried Olivo, technical director at Air Berlin. "The flow time between creating customised material and introduc ing it on to the screen often took a couple of months and this, of course, was not acceptable." Olivo says Air Berlin is planning to introduce advertisements as a revenue-generating opportunity and it will take full advantage of airline promotional opportunities that the flexible system allows. Several of the Airtrack displays are based on topographical maps and satellite imagery 10 28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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