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UPDATE
Week ending September 29, 1996
German industry seeks production launch for big military programmes +++ Lufthansa: Privatisation postponed to 1997 +++ Next Ariane 5 to fly in April 1997 +++ Dasa to build life-support system for Columbus module +++ Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht first to introduce EC 135 +++ Berlin seeks advisors for Schönefeld airport financing +++ Eurocopter celebrates 50 years of Donauwörth factory +++ Schott delivers mirror for new ESO telescope +++ News in Brief +++
German industry seeks production launch for big military programmes
BDLI drängt auf schnellen Produktionsstart der großen Militärprogramme
Werner Heinzman, member of the Dasa board of directors and chairman of the defence technology forum of the German Aerospace Industries Association, has called for speedy production decisions on the main programmes under way. "Thousands of high-quality jobs are at stake, as well as production sites. Also, there is the danger of loosing precious know-how forever", he said at a press conference in Bonn.
- "For Eurofighter, a production investment decision this year is essential. Everything else would be catastrophic", Heinzman commented. Price increases and further slippage of in-service dates would be among the consequences. Ideas that industry itself should step in with bridge-financing was characterised as "difficult due to German budget laws" by Heinzmann.
- German participation in the Helios and Horus recce satellites also can´t wait, asserted Heinzmann, because the French are eager to go ahead. These programmes are essential not only for European independence in the collection and dissemination of sensitive recce data, but also on an industrial level. Without them, the proposed merger of the satellite activities of Daimler-Benz Aerospace and Aérospatiale will not happen.
- Deep cuts in the production figures of Tiger and NH90 helicopters will increase prices and will cost jobs, warned Heinzmann.
- Concerning the FLA transporter, Heinzmann conceded that the need of the German Luftwaffe is not that pressing, but for a European to come about an early start is necessary. Industry now tries to minimise funding needs in the critical 1997 timeframe.
- Meads in necessary to keep the US-European cooperation channels open.
- In the missiles field, the situation is very complicated right now, with the merger of British Aerospace Dynamics and Matra and the desire of the Luftwaffe to change from Apache to Taurus/KEPD 350 standoff-missiles. With no real future programmes, a merger of the missile divisions of Dasa and Aérospatiale is out of the question, say observers. Instead, national consolidation may become the alternative route.
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Lufthansa: Privatisation postponed to 1997
Lufthansa-Privatisierung auf 1997 verschoben
After privatisation, Lufthansa German airlines should remain a German company with the majority of its shareholdings controlled by German citizens and shareholding companies, a Lufthansa spokesman was quoted on Wednesday. He added that completion of the privatisation process, which has been awaited for 1996, is now scheduled for the first half of 1997. At the moment, 35,68 percent of the partly-privatized German carrier's capital is owned by the German state. 10,05 percent are controlled by a bank consortium consisting of Bayerische Landesbank Girozentrale, Dresdner Bank and Bayerische Landesanstalt für Aufbaufinanzierung. The remaining 49,3 percent is being publicly held.According to Lufthansa, at least 50 percent of ist capital will be kept under German control. Very complex air transport agreements with other states officially are regarded as reasons for the regulation giving foreigners limited access. In common sense, only German airlines should profit from traffic agreements negotiated by the German government. Some special kind of registration processes for shareholders are under investigation in Bonn as well as in Brussels.
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Next Ariane 5 to fly in April 1997
Nächster Ariane 5-Start für April 1997 geplant
The next Ariane 5 launch is scheduled for mid-April next year, ESA Director General Jean-Marie Luton told a news conference on September 26. It will carry two dummy satellites an one 500 kg AMSAT. If all goes well, another test launch is planned for September 1997. The first commercial launch could then follow early in 1998, about a year later than originally planned.Luton explained that the explosion of the launcher soon after its first lift-off in June will cost around 400 million US-Dollars. This additional burden is to be shared by the member states of ESA, Arianespace and other companies involved in the programme.
Meanwhile, Arianespace says that it will brobably order five or six additional Ariane 4 launchers to meet demand until Ariane 5 finally comes on line.
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Dasa to build life-support system for Columbus module
Dasa erhält Auftrag für Lebenserhaltungssystem des Columbus-Moduls
The Daimler Benz Aerospace division for space infrastructure at Friedrichshafen has been contracted to build the life-support system for Columbus, the European module of the International Space Station. The order was placed by Alenia Spacio. It has a value of DM 108 million over four years. Besides Dasa, other German companies will contribute to the ECLSS (Environmental Control + Life Support Subsystem), with subcontracts worth around DM 24 million.Dasa´s Friedrichshafen facilities are working on other parts of the European contribution to the Space Station, including three pressure systems for the MPLM (Mini Pressurised Logistic Module), which have a value of DM 65 million. They are to be delivered by May 1998.
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Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht first to introduce EC 135
Feierstunde: DRF stellt EC 135 offiziell in Dienst
On September 20, DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht) formally introduced the new Eurocopter EC 135 into its EMS operations. DRF is the first customer to take delivery of the EC 135 and had used two machines for pilot training in the last few weeks. To get experience and allow a comparison, one is fitted with the Pratt + Whitney PW206, the other with the Turboméca Arrius engines.During ceremonies right in front of the Neues Schloß (new castle) in the city-center of Stuttgart, DRF chairman Siegfried Steiger described the EC 135 buy as a first step to renew the DRF fleet to meet forthcoming European regulations, which especially demand better single-engine performance. Also, the new helicopters will be much easier to maintain than the Bo 105s used for over 20 years. Speed is another important asset: "Emergency sites five kilometres away can now be reached in 2,75 minutes, 44 percent faster than before", said Steiger. On longer routes of 50 to 70 km, the advantage is over four minutes - crucial time differences when it comes to save severely injured people.
According to DRF, the EC 135 comes with a price tag of DM 4,8 million (3,2 million US-Dollars), on top of which there is the medical equipment (330000 US-Dollars) and expensive navigation and communications gear (300000 US-Dollars). With the EC 135s, DRF, which has its main base at Stuttgart-Echterdingen airport, now has 21 EMS helicopters and three air ambulance machines in its fleet. The organisation, which mainly lives on donations and membership fees, is operating eleven EMS stations around Germany.
Meanwhile, McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems has announced an improved version of its Explorer, the main rival of the EC 135. Designated the MD 902, it will be phased into production next year to replace the current MD 900. It will feature Pratt + Whitney Canada PW206E engines with more power to allow Category A certification. According to the McDonnell Douglas statement of September 23, the MD 802 will have seven percent more range and 240 lbs mor payload. Top speed is claimed as 137 kts (253 km/h), range is up to 312 NM, and endurance is 3,34 hrs.
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Berlin seeks advisors for Schönefeld airport financing
Berlin sucht Berater für den Ausbau von Schönefeld
The Berlin Brandenburg Airport Holding is seeking "financial and legal advisors to assist in the privatisation/private financing of Berlin Brandenburg International Airport" at Schönefeld. The project is estimated to cost DM 8.0 billion. Interested parties, "who might act as a consortia under the leadership of an international Investment Bank", are expected to
- develop a privatisation strategy, including any required restructuring measures
- develop a preliminary valuation of Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen Holding GmbH -
- formulate the framework and risk allocation and mitigation programme for the private financing of Berlin Brandenburg International
- prepare and implement a public tender for the actual construction work.
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Eurocopter celebrates 50 years of Donauwörth factory
Werk Donauwörth wird 50
Eurocopter Deutschland has celebrated the 50th anniversary of its main production plant at Donauwörth on an optimistic note. President Siegfried Sobotta expects that "at least one of the two large military programmes (Tiger and NH90) will be realised with the original production quantities". Although no formal decision is expected before the next Franco-German government meeting on December 9, "France is just trying to clarify how procurement can be stretched out", according to Sobotta. Final assembly of the 215 Tigers for France and 212 for Germany could be concentrated at Donauwörth, he said.With 2200 employees, the Donauwörth is the most important industrial company of the region. Besides production of the Bo 105, BK 117 and now the EC 135, roughly half of the turnover is generated by subcontract work for Airbus Industrie. Repair and support services for the German armed forces helicopter fleet are also important business. In 1995 work was performed on 16 Sikorsky CH-53G, five Sea King, four Sea Lynx, and 112 BO 105s VBH/PAH-1.
Donauwörths history is not all helicopters though. The facilities first belonged to Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH, which specialised in lightweight railcars. It later entered the aviation field with the Siebel Werke, and in 1972 was integrated into Messerschmitt Bölkow Blohm. Only then the helicopter acitivies of the company were concentrated there. Since 1992, Donauwörth is part of Eurocopter.
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Schott delivers mirror for new ESO telescope
Schott-Spiegel für ESO-Teleskop
Despite the big success stories of space telescopes like the US Hubble, earthbound astronomical facilities are not redundant. The European observatory on the southern hemisphere in Chile (ESO) has thus ordered four new telescopes with mirror diameters of 8,2 metres. One of these mirrors has now been delivered by Schott Glaswerke at Mainz. It is made of the very stable Zerodour glass-ceramic and was produced using a special centrifugal casting technology to achieve the desired concave form. Weight of the mirror is 45 tons.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite.
NEWS IN BRIEF - KURZMELDUNGEN
Luftwaffe: Effective October 1, Generalleutnant Hubert Marquitan will retire as commanding general of Luftwaffenkommando Süd at Meßstetten. He will be replaced by Generalmajor Dirk Böcker, recently deputy commanding general of Luftwaffenkommando Nord (Kalkar). His post in turn will be filled by Brigadegeneral Gunter Lange, who is leading the military attachée staff at Moscow.+++
Tyrolean Airways, the fast-growing Austrian regional airline, has ordered three more aircraft, a news release revealed on September 23. Two additional Canadair RegionalJets and one more Fokker 70 are to join Tyrolean until spring next year, bringing their jet aircraft fleet to eleven. For 1996, Tyrolean expects 1,45 million passengers, which would mean an eleven percent increase compared to 1995.
+++
Federal Express, the leading express carrier, is going to acquire 36 used McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft, formerly owned by United Airlines. In all of these aircraft, FedEx will install a digital two-crew-cockpit, thus making the widebodies compatible to its successor version MD-11. The modified variant will be called MD-10. As part of the deal, United Airlines acquires 59 heavyweight engine hushkits for ist Boeing 727-fleet from FedEx.
+++
Heavy resistance to increased noise around airports is not an exclusive German phenomenon, it seems. After protests from local residents, which were quickly supported by politicians, Straßburg-Entzheim airport will be unable to host a freigth centre of US package carrier DHL Woldwide Express. This would have entailed up to 34 movements a night. Meanwhile, Nancy-Metz is keen to take advantage of the new situation, promising to treat the potential investor much better. In any case, investments of 500 million Francs and 1000 new jobs are at stake.
+++
Eurocopter is to streamline its operations in France. According to recently revealed plans, Eurocopter France, Eurocopter International and Eurocopter Participations will be merged into the existing Eurocopter SA. Eurocopter SA, led by the co-chairmen Jean-Francois Bigay and Siegfried Sobotta, will retain its existing steering functions for Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH. Shareholdings also remain unchanged: Dasa (40 %) and Aérospatiale (60 %) form the Eurocopter Holding SA, which in turn owns 75 percent of Eurocopter SA, with the remaining 25 percent contributed directly by Aérospatiale.
+++
Arianespace has clinched the order to launch Skynet 4F, the last of a series of six Brtish military comsats, in the second half of 1999. The conctract with Matra Marconi Space was announced on September 25. Skynet 4F has a weight of 1500 kg and will have a design life of seven years. Arianespace now has orders for 42 satellites still to be launched, among them Skynet 4E in 1998.
+++
Aerospace Power Transmissions (APT), a joint subsidiary of Hispano-Suiza and the German company ZF Luftfahrttechnik GmbH, has delivered the first accessory gearbox for the Gulfstream version of the BR710 enigne to BMW Rolls-Royce in Berlin Dahlewitz. Accrdong to APT, this is an outstanding performance, given the extremely tight schedule the companies were facing. ZFL and Hispano-Suiza were selected as the suppliers of the BR700 engine accessories gearboxes late in 1995, the contract was signed on February 14, 1996. ZF Luftfahrttechnik designed and manufactures the casing, part of the gear train and the bearings, final assembly is carried out by Hispano-Suiza.
+++
The German cabinet has approved participation in the development of the new METOP-series of polar orbiting weather satellites. It will allocate around one billion DM for the programme, which will require DM 4,2 billion in total. METOP will be built and used by ESA and EUMETSAT. A first launch is expected by 2002.
+++
Norbert Lammert, coordinator for aerospace affairs in the German government, has repeated his plea for a merger of MTU and BMW Rolls-Royce. "Long term, the aero-engine industry in Germany can only survive the international competitive pressures if it consolidates its strenghts on a national level and seeks European cooperation" he said during a visit of the MTU plant at Munich. To reduce fuel consumption and pollution levels from jet engines, Lammers promised continued emphasis on these aspects in the German aerospace research programmes.
+++
In its monthly statistics, the accident investigation department of the German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) lists 28 aircraft accidents and six helicopter crashes of D-registered machines for August. 22 people were killed and 10 injured. To this has to be added 27 sailplane mishaps with 2 deaths plus seven motorglider accidents, also with two people killed.
+++
UFO, the independent German flight attendant organisation, has criticised plans of charter airline LTU to reduce cabin personnel on its flights to the bare minimum allowed by safety rules, that is one per 50 passengers. They said that this will diminish service standards and could even lead to more expenses, as passengers have to be left behind of one of the stewards/stewardess get ill.
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Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated September 29, 1996