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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2053.PDF
HEADLINES AIR TRANSPORT JULIAN MOXON / TOULOUSE A350 poised for launch Airbus takes wraps off derivatives of A330-200 and -300 designed to rival 7E7 Airbus is close to launching two variants of its proposed A350 long- range twin to compete directly with the Boeing 7E7 family. It says it can fund the programme internally if necessary. "We're well on the way to confirming the market," says Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard. "We could move before year-end." The A350-800 and -900 would be derivatives of the current A330-200 and -300 twinjets, powered by the new General Electric and Rolls- Royce engines under development for the 7E7 and bringing in materi als and systems technology devel oped for the more recent A340- 500/600 and A380. However, the A350 will not use bleedless engines, whereas the 7E7 will. Each variant would offer around 1,850km (l,000nm) extra range compared with its forebear. The 250-seat A350-8O0 would therefore be capable of around 14,300km range, bringing London-Los Angeles within reach with a full payload, and would compete with the 220- passenger, 15,7O0km-range 7E7-8. The -900 answers the unlaunched, 257-passenger, 15,400km 7E7-9, and would have a range of around 12,300km with 295 passengers. "We're looking at the seating capac ity of the -900 and might stretch it by a couple of rows," says Airbus chief commercial officer John Leahy. "Some airlines want more range, others say add a few seats." Entry into service of the A3 50- 800 would be a year after the 7E7, in 2009. "We haven't found any air line which is worried about the extra year," says Leahy, adding: "I AIRBUS A350 PROPOSED CHANGES FROM A330 EygHX III** If MH.f If Latest 3D aerodynamic design technology Versions of 7E7's new General Electric/Rolls-Royce engines (incorporating air bleed systems) Advanced fly-by-wire flight control system and cockpit features haven't seen any great momentum for 7E7-8 sales to this point." Catalogue prices of the A350 would be "comparable to those of the 7E7", but Leahy claims the A350 has the advantage of 8-10% lower seat-kilometre costs. He concedes that trip costs "are about the same". Forgeard puts A350 develop ment costs at about a third those of the 7E7, at €2-3 billion ($2.5-3.7 billion). Under the 1992 Europe-US agreement for subsidies Airbus can fund a third of new programmes through refundable government loans, so would be looking to bor row around €700 million. "As long as launch aid is available we'll apply for it," he says. "But we can self-finance if we want to." The A350 will, says Leahy, stand "side by side" with the A330- 200/300. "We don't want to shoot ourselves in both feet to replace the -200/300, which between them have 80% of this element of the market. Their Achilles' heel is range. We solve that with the A350." The A350 will feature more com posites - in the rear pressure bulk head, floor beams and keel and cen tre wing box, and will use the new Glare metal/composite material developed for the A380 for parts of the fuselage. The wing will benefit from three-dimensional aerody namic design technology, and advanced fly-by-wire flight control system and cockpit features devel oped since the A330-300, launched in 1987, will be incorporated. AIR TRANSPORT China delays A380 deals Airbus failed to secure an A380 order from China as hoped for during an official visit by French president Jacques Chirac on 9 October, but two Chinese air lines are still seeking government approval to order around 10 passenger variants. Airbus has been pushing for an A380 deal from China and was hoping to announce the first for the type from Chinese carriers during Chirac's visit (Flight International, 21-27 September). No deal was confirmed, but industry sources say Air China and China Southern Airlines will order A380s if government approval is secured. Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard, who accompanied Chirac to China, said after the visit last week that he had "very, very positive discussions" with the country's major airlines. He believes "one of them is going to buy five [A380s] and that is going to happen soon because they would want delivery before the Olympics [in Beijing] in 2008. This has been confirmed at the highest level during our trip." Some believe China's failure to approve the A380 deals is linked to efforts to have a European Union embargo on arms sales to the country lifted. Others believe China's lead ership felt it would be politically insensitive to announce a high- profile Airbus order before the US presidential election. SEE AIR TRANSPORT P11 DEFENCE STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC BAE chosen to protect US Army helicopters The US Army has signed a $484 million deal with BAE Systems to dramatically improve the surviv ability of its helicopters by adding updated missile warning and multi-band laser jamming systems. The five-year deal covers the delivery of 484 combined common missile warning system/advanced threat infrared countermeasures (CMWS/ATIRCM) systems. Upgrades are expected for the army's Boeing CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk trans ports, although details of the ser vice's survivability programme remain classified. The army plans to eventually purchase 1,076 CMWS/ATIRCM systems to protect its helicopter fleet, the target of numerous suc cessful shoulder-launched missile attacks in Iraq last year. In one case, a CH-47 was downed after its BAE ALQ-156 mis sile approach warners failed to operate properly, says the army. The upgrade is mostly funded via the February 2004 cancellation of the army's Boeing/Sikorsky RAH- 66 Comanche programme. As part of the deal, BAE plans to provide a multi-band laser capabil ity for ATIRCM years ahead of schedule, says business develop ment manager Christopher Ager. The army has encouraged BAE to use a multi-band laser already developed for the Northrop Grumman directional infrared countermeasures system. • The US Air Force intends to equip its 50 Lockheed C-5B Galaxy strategic transports with Northrop Grumman's large aircraft infrared countermeasures system, already mandated for its Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130 fleets. 4 19-25 OCTOBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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