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UPDATE
Week ending April 13, 1997
+++ F-22 Raptor next-generation fighter unveiled +++ Saab and Finavitec sign A3XX memorandum +++ 777 breaks world distance record +++ Learjet 45 progressing towards certification +++ Europe frees its skies +++ Chaos at Paris-Orly airport caused by striking Air Inter employees +++ Air traffic 1996 with almost 2,5 billion passengers +++ Airlines: new alliance in Northern Europe +++ Ariane Flight 502 delayed +++ Experts demand more action against space debris +++ METOP gets the green light +++ News in brief +++

F-22 Raptor next-generation fighter unveiled
Roll out der F-22 bei Lockheed Martin

The first production F-22 air dominance fighter aircraft for the U.S. Air Force was unveiled in ceremonies at Lockheed Martins Marietta facilities on April 9. The aircraft displayed at the rollout is the first of nine flyable F-22As to be built under the current Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract. The contract also calls for two additional airframes to be built for ground-based static and fatigue testing. First flight is expected for late May.
The F-22 is widely regarded as the most advanced tactical fighter in the world, combining a revolutionary leap in technology and capability with reduced support requirements and maintenance costs. It will replace the aging F-15 as America's front-line air dominance fighter, with deliveries beginning in 2002. Its combination of stealth, integrated avionics, maneuverability, and supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburner) will give the Raptor "first-look, first-shot, first-kill" capability against any potential enemy aircraft. The F-22 is designed to provide not just air superiority but air dominance, winning quickly and decisively with few U.S. casualties.

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Saab and Finavitec sign A3XX memorandum
Neue Partner für Airbus A3XX-Entwicklung

On April 8 Saab of Sweden and Finavitec of Finland have each signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus Industrie for the study phase of the A3XX large aircraft project with a view of becoming risk-sharing partners in the program. Engineers from the two companies will be integrated in the A3XX design team. Participation in this phase will allow SAAB and Finavitec to evaluate the extent of their involvement in future phases of the A3XX program. This will enable Airbus Industrie to benefit from the latest technologies developed by each company in research, design and manufacturing.
Airbus Industrie already signed a similar agreement with Belairbus of Belgium and Fokker Aviation (Stork) of the Netherlands in January this year. Discussions continue with other aerospace companies around the world, with the aim of placing a total of up to 40 percent of the A3XX work content with risk sharing partners. Airbus Industrie plans to launch the A3XX in time for an entry into service in 2003.

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777 breaks world distance record
Rekordflug mit der Boeing 777

Malaysia Airline's first Rolls-Royce Trent powered Boeing 777 has completed 10823 nm non-stop - setting a new record for the world's longest flight by a commercial aircraft. On March 31 at 2100 hrs the new 777-200IGW (Increased Gross Weight) took off from the Boeing Headuqarters in Seattle and landed in Kuala Lumpur 21 hrs and 23 min later at 1015 hrs on April 2. Flying back from Kuala Lumpur to Seattle the next day, the Triple-Seven set a second record for "speed around the world eastbound" by adding another 18 hrs and 39 Minutes to the final record time of 40 hrs and 2 min covering the total distance at an average speed of 481 kts (890 km/h).
The previous record set in this category was reached 1993 by an Airbus A340-211 completing a Paris Airshow - Auckland - Paris Airshow Trip of 10267 nm at an average speed of 426 kts (790 km/h). Malaysia will be the first airline in South-East Asia to receive the long range 777-200IGW version and is scheduled to take delivery of the first aircraft later this month.

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Learjet 45 progressing towards certification
Zulassung des Learjet 45 rückt näher

Bombardier Aerospace is gaining momentum in ist final push towards certification of the ne Learjet 45 business. "Performance has shown dramatic improvements with all five aircraft participating daily in the flight test program which totals over 1100 hrs to date", stated John Holding, group executive vice-resident engineering and product development, Bombardier Aerospace.
During the week of March 10, flutter testing was successfully achieved at Mach 0.66 (702 km/h) at low altitude (11000 ft/3353 m) and at speed up to Mach 0.87 (925 km/h) at 36600 ft (11156 m). With the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) participating activley in the flight test efforts, the definition of stall characteristics is now 90 percent complete with approximately 4000 maneuvers done. Natural icing testing was also completed recently.
The Learjet 45 is a twin-turbofan corporate jet capable of flying a maximum range of 1710 nm (3167 km) at Mach 0.81 (858 km/h). Maximum payload is nine passengers and it is designed with a maximum operating ceiling of 51000 ft (15545 m). Customer deliveries should follow certification this summer. Originaly certification was planned for 1996.

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Europe frees its skies
Offener Himmel über Europa

On April 1st, liberalisation of the aviation market within the European Union was completed. From that day on, the last barriers on EU airlines operations within the EU have been removed. Now European carriers are free to operate domestic services in countries other than their own. However, experts say, that only a few companies are likely to start such kind of services. Sir Michael Bishop, chairman of British Midland, believes that anyone expecting significant change from the reform will be disappointed. The liberalisation process started eleven years ago, in 1986. At this time, there were 99 EU carriers operating scheduled services. Ten years later, this figure was 156. In the US, deregulation that started in the late 70s resulted in much lower fares, establishing low-cost carriers and the demise of well-known companies such as Pan American World Airways. Compared to Europe, air fares in the US are much cheaper.

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Chaos at Paris-Orly airport caused by striking Air Inter employees
Streikende Air-Inter-Mitarbeiter verursachen Chaos am Pariser Airport Orly

On April 1st, the day one of totally liberalized air traffic in the European Union, Air Inter staff members went on striking at Paris Orly Airport. Nearly all domestic flights had to be cancelled or took off with enormous delays. Strikes started the week before, causing tremendous chaos. Formerly independent Air Inter on April 1st was melted with Air France and re-named Air France Europe. Air Inter employees strike against cuts in salary and reductions of social benefits down to Air France level. Pilots of Air Inter are known to be the best-paid in the aviation industry. Management of Air France ist believed to reveal job cuts and ceasing of unprofitable routes soon. Last year, Air Inter transported 16 million passengers.

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Air traffic 1996 with almost 2,5 billion passengers
Luftverkehr 1996: fast 2,5 Milliarden Passagiere

Preliminary figures for 1996 just released by the Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI) show the annual growth rate for passenger traffic edging over the 6 percent mark. Total number of passengers was 2,489 billion. The regions Asia/Pacific (+ 6,9 percent), North America (+ 6,3 percent) and Europe (+ 6,2 percent) achieved a growth rate of over 6 percent. The annual rise in air cargo freight was slightly below 6 percent, with total aircraft movements rising 1,7 percent for the year as a whole. These preliminary 1996 results are based on data from 487 airports worldwide. Chicago O'Hare (69,1 million) was once again the top-ranked individual airport, followed by Atlanta (63,3 million). The biggest change in the top passenger rankings was Los Angeles, which jumped from 5th in 1995 to 3rd in 1996, swapping places with Dallas/Fort Worth. London Heathrow (56 million) retained its fourth position. Tokyo Haneda stayed at number six. San Francisco (39,2 million) now ranks at number seven, leaving Frankfurt am Main (38,7 million) at number eigth.

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Airlines: new alliance in Northern Europe
Neue Luftverkehrsallianz in Nordeuropa

Finnair, national carrier of Finland, Braathens Safe of Norways and Swedish carrier Transwede are going to lauch a strategic partnership. Cooperation will comprise coordination of schedules and frequent flyer programs. Beginning on May 1st, the alliance named Nordic Airline Partners (NAP) is going to compete with Lufthansa partner Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Neither equity exchange nor any other form of financial engagement is part of the agreement.

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Ariane Flight 502 delayed
Start für Ariane 5 verschoben

Necessary changes in the electronic and software-systems of Ariane 5 delay flight 502 into September. The begin of the launch campaign is now set for June. Engineers use the additional time to make Ariane 5 still more robust and safer to operate.
The software failures that led to the failure of flight 501 have been identified shortly after the mishap and have raised serious criticism in the way CNES and Aérospatiale had run the testing of guidance software for the Ariane 5. Hardware as well as software had been taken directly from the Ariane 4 without sufficient testing the subsystems with Ariane 5 parameters. ESA will be pay for flights 502 and 503 before Arianespace will be financially responsible for 504, the first commercial flight of Europe's new launch system, due for late 1998.

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Experts demand more action against space debris
Experten fordern Maßnahmen gegen Weltraum-Müll

More than 200 experts from 18 countries discussed issues on space debris at the Second European Conference on Space Debris at Darmstadt, Germany. The risc of collision for satellites and manned spacecraft is steadily increasing, only international measures can help. Radar and optical telescopes regularly track over 1000 man made objects in space, only 5 per cent of these trackable objects are operational and useful spacecraft. 8500 of these objects are catalogued.
In addition there are supposed to be 70000 to 150000 fragmented space objects, 1-10 cm in size. Especially satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEO) and manned spacecraft between 200 and 2000 km are endangered by these objects. The increasing number of objects make the currently used methods of prevention more and more useless. Putting satellites into graveyard orbits does not help much. So shielding for satellites and other spacecraft is required. The Comlumbus Orbital Facility, Europe's contribution to the International Space Station Alpha, for example will receive a shielding system to protect the space lab.

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METOP gets the green light
Grünes Licht für METOP

METOP-1, the first of a series of new operational weather satellites, will be launched at the end of 2000. Three satellites will provide the means for reliable weather forecasts. Planning and placing the system into operation will be conducted in close cooperation with the US, Bonn's Undersecretary of Transport, Hans Jochen Henke, declared in Bonn. EUMETSAT will operate one of two continously orbiting satellites and is planning a series of three satellites for this purpose: EPS, the EUMETSAT Polar System. Planning, developing and building the satellites as well as the necessary ground facilities, launch and operation will cost approx. DM4 billion.Germany will take a share of DM700 million.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

After 25 years of successful operation NASA Pioneer 10 now leaves the solar system. NASA ended the transmission of data because of cost as the nuclear power system of the probe is dying down. Only one of the original eleven eperiments would have operated until year's end. The transmitter will be down early next year. Pioneer 10 was launched on March 10, 1972, from Cape Canaveral. It was the first spaceprobe to penetrate the rocky asteroid belt and pass Jupiter. The Pioneer control center will now be used for training in NASA's upcoming Lunar Prospector project.
+++
As one the first effects of European air transport liberalisation, Münster/Osnabrück airport is adding two daily round trips to London Gatwick to its timetable. Base Airlines from the Netherlands is offering morning and afternoon flights, with a short stop at Eindhoven. The Eurowings mid-day flight remains a non-stop service.
+++
Arianespace has delayed the launch of flight 95 after slight anomalies occured while integrating Thaicom 3 satellite with Ariane 4. The new launch date is now set for April 16th at Kourou with a launch window 19.59 to 20.41 local time (April 17th, 00.59 to 1.41 EMT).
+++
On April 9 DHL Airways and Airbus Industrie announced that DHL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of seven A300B4 converted freighters powered by GE engines. DHL is the first operator to acquire converted A300B4 freighters from Airbus Industrie. Deliveries will begin in the second half of 1998 and will conclude by the end of 1999. A decision on which Airbus partner, Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus or British Aerospace Aviation Services, will carry out the conversions has not been made.
+++
Lauda Air has awarded to GE Engine Services Inc. a 10-year Maintenance Cost Per Hour (MCPH(SM)) contract covering maintenance, repair, and overhaul of GE90 engines powering Lauda's four Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The MCPH contract is valued at more than $50 million. Delivery of the first 777 to Lauda Air is scheduled for September 1997, with the remaining three aircraft to be delivered by the year 2001.
+++
ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH has opened a new bureau at Koblenz to optimise its contact with the German defence ministry and its procurement office BWB.
+++
Failure to decide on Eurofighter production investment soon will lead to a knock out of the German military aircraft industry and as a consequence to the weakening of the civil position also, says BDLI-president Dr. Manfred Bischoff. "We are on the road to loose our position in the yockeing for the Europeanisation of the industry", he warned in a statement published in the daily "Die Welt".
+++
UK aero engine maker Rolls-Royce will help the Moscow-based Lyulka-Saturn concern to adapt its jet engine powering the Su-27 into a generator for use in power plants. The 50:50 joint venture was established on April 8. Viktor Chepkin, chief of Lyulka-Saturn, hopes for further co-operation opportunities.
+++
South Korean Aerospace Industries has signed a memorandum of understanding with Aero International Regional for the development of a new 70seat regional jet. The consortium, which is likely to include Samsung, Korean Air, Deawoo and Hyundai, hopes to get a 30 to 40 per cent share of the programme. A final contract could be ready for signing by June.
+++
British Midland for the first time has decided to go for an Airbus order. Eight A321s and twelve A320 will join the fleet in a deal worth around one billion Dollars.
+++

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Previous updates are still available:

PunktMarch 23, 1997 PunktMarch 16, 1997 PunktMarch 9, 1997 PunktMarch 2, 1997

PunktFebruary 23, 1997 PunktFebruary 16, 1997

Punkt January 26, 1997 PunktJanuary 19, 1997 PunktJanuary 12, 1997 PunktJanuary 5, 1997

Punkt December 22, 1996 PunktDecember 15, 1996 PunktDecember 8, 1996 PunktDecember 1, 1996

PunktNovember 24, 1996 PunktNovember 17, 1996 PunktNovember 10, 1996 PunktNovember 3, 1996

PunktOctober 27, 1996 PunktOctober 20, 1996 PunktOctober 13, 1996 PunktOctober 6, 1996

PunktSeptember 29, 1996 PunktSeptember 22, 1996

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Copyright 1997 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated April 13, 1997