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UPDATE

Week ending November 17, 1996

German budget: No money for Eurofighter - yet +++ Lufthansa board member calls for joint European research +++ Successful Ariane Flight 92 +++ Bavarian police signs up for Eurocopter EC 135 +++ Aérospatiale still works hard on FLA launch +++ ASL Lemwerder is privatised +++ Mars 96 launch fails +++ Boeing 757-300 definition complete +++ Matra Marconi Space successfuly fired Ion Thruster +++ First F-16 production upgrade kits delivered +++ News in brief +++ FLUG REVUE trip to US Air Force 50th air show +++

German budget: No money for Eurofighter - yet
Vorerst noch kein Geld für Eurofighter

Budget talks in Bonn ended November 14 without money for the Eurofighter production investment phase being made available. There is just an "empty line" in the defence ministries books, but how to find funds for it is far from clear as new cuts loom to keep state borrowings under control.
According to parliamentary sources, defence minister Volker Rühe has now promised to come up with detailed proposals in the first quarter of next year, way beyond the much talked-about deadline of January 1 for the start of the next phase in the four-nation programme. It will be interesting to see how industry reacts to the latest events. In the last weeks, Dasa and BDLI have lobbied hard for a quick decision, predicting rising programme costs, job losses and even the danger of bankruptcies in the equipment industry.
The defence ministry meanwhile comments that there will be no go-ahead unless a solid financial plan can be worked out not just for 1997 but for the following years as well. How this will be achieved is unclear, like the repecussions of further wavering on the relations to the other partners. Talks are necessary there as well as with industry to reach a good price, the ministry says. There were speculations that Dasa is prepared to cut around ten per cent in exchange for explicit payment guarantees.

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Lufthansa board member calls for joint European research and development policy
Nittinger fordert Harmonisierung der Forschungspolitik

On the occasion of FLUG REVUE'S 40th anniversary reception on November 14 in Bonn, Dr. Klaus Nittinger, Lufthansa member of the board responsible for operations, called for harmonisation of the European research and development policy. Potential and ressources should be pooled in order to reduce overlapping activities. The commercial aspect should always be kept in mind. Only a joint European research and development policy could lead to market-orientated products.
On the same occasion, Nittinger commented on the liberalisation in European air traffic that will be completed in April, 1997. In order to be competitive in future, Lufthansa has again to reduce its costs by an additional 20 to 25 percent. Nittinger strictly condemned subsidies for ailing European carriers. Day by day, ailing carriers owned by the state receive an amount of 10 million DM from the taxpayer. In the last years, five Airlines have been payed an amount of 17 billion DM in total.

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Successful Ariane Flight 92
Ariane-Flug 92 erfolgreich

Two satellites, ARABSAT 2B and MEAST 2, were sucessfully launchedt by an Ariane 44L in the night between November 13th and 14th.
ARABSAT 2B was built by Aérospatiale for the ARABSAT organization. Co-located with with ARABSAT 2A it will cover all the Arab League countries and provide a direct-to home TV service. MEASAT 2 was built by Hughes Space & Communications for BINARIANG (Malaysia,. The satellite will provide a high quality telecommunications service.

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Bavarian police signs up for Eurocopter EC 135
EC 135 für die Polizeihubschrauberstaffel Bayern

EC 135On November 13, the Bavarian government officially signed a contract for the lease of nine Eurocopter EC 135 helicopters. The helicopters will be delivered between the end of 1997 and mid 1998 to replace older Bo 105s and Bk 117s now in use. Their equipment will include night-vision-goggle compatible CRTs in the cockpit, GPS navigation system, infra-red cameras, loudspeakers and searchlights. In an emergency, stretchers can be fitted in the cabin.
The Bavarian police is the largest single customer so far for the EC 135, and Eurocopter hopes that this deal will show the suitability of the new design for state operations. With good sales in recent weeks, Eurocopter plans to increase production of EC 135s next year from a planned 20 to 30.

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Aérospatiale still works hard on FLA launch
FLA-Programmstart 1998?

Despite tight budgets everythere, Aérospatiale is still working hard to convice governments to sign up to a single-phase development/production programme for the FLA (Future Large Aircraft). After pre-launch activities funded by industry, firm orders, including penalty clauses, are expected in 1998 to achieve first deliveries of the new airlifter in 2004. With these orders in hand, Airbus Military Aircraft would raise the money necessary for development work from the banks. It is unclear, however, whether this novel approach can be brought in line with budget laws in various countries.
Meanwhile, at Istres, a simulator of the CEV flight-test center is used to work on the cockpit layout of FLA. Service pilots are invited to fly the simulator and give their feedback to refine the design, which features five large flat-panel displays, sidesticks and laptop-like input-devices in front of the pilots. Head-up-displays are also fitted to ease pilot workload in tactical flight situations.

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ASL Lemwerder is privatised
Privatinvestoren übernehmen ASL

The state of Lower-Saxony has sold the Aircraft Services Lemwerder (ASL) to three private investors. They will pay a symbolic price, but will have to invest ten million DM to strengthen the balance sheet of the repair and overhaul facility, which once was owned by Dasa.
According to the economics ministry in Hannover, Jürgen Großmann, Hendrik Napp and Wlater Klosterfelde are experienced managers, although they have no experience in the aircraft business. They intend to keep the current management of ASL and continue with the restructuring efforts, it is said. Sceptics fear that the deal is just a step to sell ASL to other interested parties later on.

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Mars 96 launch fails
Fehlstart der Mars 96-Sonde

The launch of Mars 96 ended in failure on November 16 when contact with the spacecraft was lost within an hour after lift-off of the Proton. What happened is as yet unclear, but first indications pointed to failure of the fourth stage to ignite. Mars 96 is now in an Earth orbit and will re-enter the atmosphere in the next month or so. Many European nations were involved in the project.
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Boeing 757-300 definition complete
Entwurf der Boeing 757-300 steht

The Boeing 757-300, the newest and largest Boeing single-aisle airplane, has reached its firm design configuration milestone. Achieving the milestone means that Boeing engineers can begin releasing design information to Boeing factories and suppliers. This initiates fabrication of parts, tools and assemblies for the new derivative airplane.
The 757-300 was launched in September at the Farnborough Air Show based on an accepted proposal for up to 24 of the aircraft from the German holiday airline Condor Flugdienst. The 757-300 will have the shortest design to production and then delivery cycle time of any Boeing derivative airplane program. "There are only 27 months between firm configuration and the first delivery to Condor.
Although the 757-300 is a simple stretch of the Boeing 757-200, the airplane will look different. The most distinctive feature will be its long body. The extended fuselage allows the 757-300 to carry 20 percent more passengers and nearly 50 percent more cargo than the 757-200. As a result of the increased payload, the 757-300's wings, landing gear and certain body structures will be strengthened and the airplane will be outfitted with new wheels, tires and brakes. In addition, the newest 757's nose landing gear will be equipped with a spray deflector to divert away from the engines any spray kicked up by the nose wheel. Due to its increased length, the 757-300 will be equipped with a retractable tail skid.

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Matra Marconi Space successfuly fired Ion Thruster
Ionentriebwerk von Matra Marconi Space lief auf dem Prüfstand

Matra Marconi Space successfully completed the first test firing of its newly commissioned life test facility in Portsmouth. This is the culmination of a five year development program by the Portsmouth team and marks a major milestone, says the company.
The UK-10 Ion thruster can be used efficiently for missions other than geostationery communication satellites. Its wide range of steady thrust levels enables continous compensation for atmosheric drag, thus allowing satellites to be flown at very low altitudes. So called electric thrusters reduces the onboard propellant requirement significantly.

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First F-16 production upgrade kits delivered
Modernisierungs-Kits für europäische F-16 geliefert

The first Lockheed Martin Mid- Life Update (MLU) production kits have been delivered ahead of schedul, marking the start of the production phase of the MLU program. Under the MLU program, more than 300 early model F-16A/B aircraft will be modified to the most advanced, leading edge multirole capability. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway are the participating countries in the MLU program. In addition, the United States Air Force participated fully in the development phase.
The modification kits for the first five production aircraft contain almost 60,000 parts. The parts are accumulated at SABCA in Belgium and then shipped in 4x4x8-foot wooden containers to the various air force depots in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. The parts are for the first five of over 300 aircraft to receive the production kits.
Two more deliveries are scheduled this year -- five in November and four in December. Production kit deliveries currently on contract will end in May 2000. The first production aircraft will be flying in the spring of 1997. Currently, nine MLU development aircraft are flying as part of development test and evaluation at Edwards AFB, Calif., and operational test and evaluation at Leeuwarden AB, the Netherlands.

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NEWS IN BRIEF - KURZMELDUNGEN

Swiss tour operator Kuoni Reisen has increased its stake in charter airline Edelweiss Air from 33 to 62 per cent.
+++
Airline members of IATA have decided to apply to their Governments fo a three per cent increase of ticket prices to compensate for balooning fuel prices. The intended effective date for the proposed increase is 15 December 1996, IATA said. The average price of aviation fuel in the month of October was 73,2 US cents per gallon compared with 53,55 cents in June this year and 51.29 cents in October 1995, the organisation explains.
+++
Dasa's Information and Communications-system division in Friedrichshafen has won a contract form Mapindo of Indonesia for a programme to check the vast rainforests of the country. A Dornier SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) will be used from the end of this year for the exploration of 100 000 square kilometres.
+++
Swissair will invest 60 million Swiss francs to improve the comfort of its fleet. Leather seats will be fitted to the single-aisle Airbus, and the business class section on the MD-11 will offer 20 cm more space for the passengers, the company said.
+++
United Airlines is now offering a dedicated Internet presentation for its German customers. The address is http://www.ual.de.
+++
The German defence ministry has nominated the Heeresfliegerregiment 15 at Rheine as one of the units for the continuing IFOR mission in Bosnia-Herzegowina.
+++
Alenia Aerospazio has deliverd the 1000th wing of the Tornado aircraft to British Aerospace in its Turin plants. The British company is completing the ninth and final lot of aircraft for Saudi Arabia.

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FLUG REVUE trip to US Air Force 50th air show
Leserreise zum 50jährigen Jubiläum der USAF

As a special service for its readers, FLUG REVUE, in cooperation with the DER travel agency, has organised an exciting trip to the US Air Force 50th anniversary air show at Nellis Air Force base next April. You will fly from Germany to Las Vegas (via San Frncisco), stay at the Flamingo Hilton and get free transportation to Nellis for two days of action packed flying displays and an extensive static line-up of all aircraft in USAF service, plus visitors like eight? International air show teams. For detailed information, please contact DER: just klick here to visit the DER Internet site and send an E-Mail.

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Previous updates are still available:

LRI Fakten - News from the BDLI

The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI, Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V.) is publishing a monthly newsletter, which we are pleased to offer to our international readership online. Just klick here for the September/October issue of LRI Fakten.

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Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated November 17, 1996