GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Rivals Pemco and Israel Aircraft Industries press ahead with their programmes
Boeing is near to changing its teaming agreement with Goodrich and Inter-Continental Aircraft Services (ICAS) in a bid to cut cost out of its delayed 737 'Classic' and "quick-change" passenger-to-freighter conversion programmes.
Negotations to restructure the team began before the recent dissolution of Boeing Airplane Services (BAS), but are still on-going.
Although no details of the talks have been revealed, the deal is believed to reduce Boeing's role, while increasing the participation of the other team members. Under the original December 2000 agreement, BAS provided design data, engineering expertise and planned to hold the supplemental type certificates (STC), while conversions would be done by Goodrich at its Everett, Washington site, and by ICAS, an alliance of Taiwan-based Aerospace Industrial Development, Air Asia, China Airlines and Evergreen Aviation Technologies.
Boeing hopes the move will help kick-start its sluggish programme despite competition from Pemco and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). Boeing confirms that all three partners will remain in the restructured group, adding: "We are still trying to find a launch customer." Under the original plan the first conversion was due to be undertaken by Goodrich and delivered in mid-2002, but a slow market and the $3.5 million cost has held things up.
Alabama-based Pemco, meanwhile, plans to complete a service bulletin by late June that will allow operators of its previously converted 737-300s to comply with revised certification requirements for the 3.5m x 2.3m (140in x 90in) cargo door. The bulletin is based on an STC awarded in April by the US Federal Aviation Administration on a strengthened design developed for new conversions. The first of these, a 737-300 for Icelandic operator Bluebird/Islandsflug, is due for delivery in July. The STC, and modifications for the retrofit of the previous 34 completed conversions, was developed on another Bluebird 737 inducted to Pemco last year. This aircraft will also require some retrofit, says Pemco, which originally hoped for the STC last year.
The modifications include strengthening fuselage frames and structure in the upper jam area around the freight door, as well as using stronger bolts and changing fasteners. Despite a small weight penalty, Pemco says the converted and retrofitted aircraft will maintain a useful load of around 18,160kg (40,000lb).
IAI's Bedek division is, meanwhile, starting work on the first of 15 737-300/400 passenger-to-freight conversions for GE Capital Aviation Services. The first aircraft are due for delivery in mid-2003.
Source: Flight International
