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UPDATE 
Week ending January 23, 2000
+++ Tiger order boosts Eurocopter in 1999 +++ Dasa gets award for laser welding +++ Klaus Steffens to become new MTU President +++ Matra Marconi Space selected by INTELSAT +++ Boeing earnings up for 1999 +++ Israel signs F-16 order +++ News in brief +++


Tiger order boosts Eurocopter in 1999
Eurocopter bleibt Nummer 1

Eurocopter enjoyed an excellent year in 1999, with the sale of 382 helicopters. 40 per cent of this figure is attributable for the one-off contract for 160 Tiger attack helicopteres, which also provided two thirds of the new-helicopter sales volume of 4,553 billion DM. Other orders were for 46 EC 120s, 95 Ecureuil/Fennec, 30 EC 135s, 3 BK 117, 8 EC 145, 10 Dauphin/Panther, 8 EC 155 and 22 Super Puma/Cougar. Total sales were 6,18 billion DM, with military sales dominating this time (71 per cent).
Turnover for 1999 was 3,416 billion DM, a small rise compared to 1998. 241 new helicotpters were delivered, 20 per cent more than the year before. Turnover-wise, civil and military sectors are nearly in a 50:50 balance . Exports accounted for 62 per cent - much less than usual due to the Tiger effect. According to Eurocopter, the helicopter market grew five per cent in 1999, and the company could now clinch 45 per cent of all deliveries. Even in the US, the company got a 48 per cent share and thus grabbed number one position for the first time.
Main aims for 2000 will be to clinch the NH90 series production contract as well as to further improve after-sales support.

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Dasa gets award for laser welding
Innovationspreis für die Dasa

DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa, Munich) will be receiving the 1999 German Business Innovation Award, the 20th award given, for its development of laser welding for use in the aerospace industry. "This innovation of ours means a significant technological leap forward for the aerospace industry and will enhance the position of Airbus in the global marketplace," said Dr. Gustav Humbert, the Dasa Board member in charge of the Commercial Aircraft Division at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG. The planned use of this innovative process is a clear indication of the progress being made at the aeronautic and aerospace giant. According to Dr. Humbert, the innovation which has received the award will make it possible, for the first time anywhere in the world, to attach up the so-called stringers (the longitudinal reinforcements) of an aircraft fuselage shell using laser welds instead of the numerous rivets now used. And laser welding also offers several significant advantages over rivets. Airbus boss Humbert says, "this new process allows us to reduce the manufacturing costs of a fuselage by about 20%. The major reason for this is that laser welding is much faster than conventional riveting. In addition, there is also a potential weight reduction of up to 10%."
Laser welding will be used first in 2001 in the manufacture of the smaller sized Airbus A318, though it will also find uses in all the group's newly developed products, one example being the A3XX. At present, a prototype of this special laser welding unit for aircraft structures already exists at the Airbus plant in Nordenham and will soon go into series production. Then, around 300 fuselage shells will be manufactured at the Nordenham plant every month. The development of laser welding was initiated in 1995 under the leadership of Dasa as part of the project entitled "New Technology Fuselages". It was also backed by funds from the German government's Aerospace Research Program. Many companies such as Hoogovens Aluminum Rolled Products and several research institutes including, among others, the Laser Center in Hanover and the Institute for Applied Radiation Technology in Bremen all took part in the project.

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Klaus Steffens to become new MTU President
Neuer Chef für MTU

Dr. Klaus Steffens will be the new President and CEO MTU München. The Supervisory Board of MTU München, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa, Munich), have named Dr. Steffens as the successor to Rainer Hertrich, who has been nominated one of the two Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of the European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company (EADS). As Dasa announced, the change will become effective as soon as Hertrich officially takes over his new task. With immediate effect, Steffens will replace Hertrich. Dr. Ing. Klaus Steffens, born in 1950, studied Physics and Mechanical Engineering at the RWTH (Technical University) Aachen with the focus on aircraft and gas turbine construction and gained a doctorate cum laudae in 1982. He started his professional career in 1983 at the Chair for the Technology of Manufacturing Processes at the Institute for Machine Tools in Aachen.

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Matra Marconi Space selected by INTELSAT
INTELSAT wählt MMS für neuen Satelliten

After an international competitive procurement process, the INTELSAT Board of Governors of has awarded Matra Marconi Space the contract to build the largest and most powerful satellite ever procured by INTELSAT. This spacecraft will be located in the West Atlantic Ocean Region, at 310* East longitude, to provide a variety of communications services. This spacecraft, INTELSAT NI-Alpha, will have a launch mass of 5,000 Kg. 36 C-band transponders will be dedicated to cover the North, Central, and South American continent, as well as Western Europe. It will also have 20 Ku-band transponders for services in Latin America. The power of its payload will be in the order of 8 kW. The satellite, which is compatible with launch by Ariane, Proton, and Sea Launch. will be delivered in the summer of 2002 and will have a 13-year orbital design life. The NI-Alpha spacecraft will use the new high powered version of Matra Marconi Space's Eurostar series; the Eurostar 3000, to t provide operators with a large number of transponders.

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Boeing earnings up for 1999
Höhere Gewinne für Boeing

Boeing reported earnings for 1999 of $2,309 million, or $2.49 per share, compared to $1,120 million, or $1.15 per share, for the full year of 1998. Revenues were $58 billion, up 3 percent when compared to the 12 months of 1998. Operating margins for 1999 were 5.5 percent compared with 2.8 percent for 1998 - a nearly 100 percent increase. The company generated significant free cash flow (operating cash flow less capital expenditures) of $2.4 billion for the fourth quarter and $4.7 billion for the 12 months, reflecting continued improved performance. Cash and short-term investments were $3.5 billion at the end of 1999, after repurchasing 69 million shares for $2.9 billion during the year. "Last year was all about performance. We stated our business goals, and we met them. We delivered on commitments to our customers. We teamed together and won significant new business. And, Boeing expanded into new business arenas as we energized our focus on growth," Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Phil Condit said.
Commercial Airplanes operating earnings for the full year were $2,016 million, compared to a loss of $266 million for 1998, based on the unit cost of airplanes delivered. Revenues for the 12-month period were $38.4 billion, up 4.1 percent when compared with 1998. Military Aircraft and Missiles operating earnings for 1999 were $1,193 million, including charges for inventory on the F-15 fighter and a favorable contract settlement, compared to $1,283 million for the full year of 1998. Revenues for the 12-month period were $12.2 billion, down 6 percent when compared to 1998. Space and Communications operating earnings for 1999 were $415 million, including the sale of Boeing Information Services (BIS) and a favorable contract settlement, compared to $248 million for the full year of 1998. Revenues for the 12-month period were $6.8 billion, down 1 percent when compared with 1998.

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Israel signs F-16 order
50 weitere F-16 für Israel

On January 14, Lockheed Martin received a contract to produce 50 F-16 aircraft for the government of Israel. The contract awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense completes negotiations that began after Israel's July 1999 selection of the advanced F-16 as its new fighter, and follows a letter of acceptance signed between the two countries in September. The total program, including the aircraft, mission equipment and a support package, is worth about $2.5 billion to Lockheed Martin and various suppliers. The agreement provides Israel an option to purchase 60 additional aircraft that would bring the total program value to $4.5 billion, if exercised for the full 110 aircraft. All of the 50 F-16s will be two-seat versions powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine. Deliveries of the new aircraft will begin in early 2003 and continue about three years. The term of aircraft deliveries will be extended until late in the next decade if Israel exercises the option for 60 additional F-16s.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems reached a milestone in its C-5 Avionics Modernization Program on January 10th in the skies over Georgia with the first flight of a C-5 aircraft equipped with the Traffic Collision Avoidance System. The TCAS is the first component of the C-5 AMP contract awarded to LMAS in January of 1999. It will integrate an advanced flight control and communications/navigation system, as well as new instrument displays into the existing 126 U. S. Air Force Galaxy transport aircraft. The next step in the modernization program for the Galaxy is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program. The RERP has a potential value of $4-$5 billion and the contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of this year.
+++
GE Aircraft Engines and Volvo Aero Corporation of Sweden have reached a long-term agreement under which Volvo will manufacture designated components for GEAE's F414-GE-400 fighter engine. The F414 powers the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, mainstay of the Navy's aircraft carrier fleet into the 21st century. GEAE is currently on contract to build 176 F414 engines, but production is anticipated to exceed 2,000 engines over the next 20 to 30 years. The agreement with Volvo covers structural and rotating components in the engine's fan and compressor area. Volvo's involvement in the F414 program also strengthens GE's position in the European fighter engine market. The F414 is being evaluated by Germany's DASA for its MAKO light fighter.
+++
The next Space Shuttle mission is planned for January 31. The 11-day Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) will employ a measurement technique called interferometry to gather images of a large majority of the Earth's surface for use by Earth scientists, military planners, civilian commercial aviation, weather forecasters and others. In order to gather these images, two antennae will be used, including one on a 197-foot mast that will be the largest fixed structure ever flown in space. Endeavour's Jan. 31 launch window opens at 12:47 p.m. EST and extends for 2 hours, 2 minutes. Landing is set to occur at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, FL, on Feb. 11 at about 4:55 p.m. EST.
+++
Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems and Rockwell Collins Government Systems, have signed a teaming agreement for the United States Air Force's upcoming C-130X modernization program. The program calls for more than 500 C-130 transport aircraft to be upgraded with new cockpit avionics. The teaming brings together two companies with a wealth of relevant experience applicable to this program. Lockheed Martin is the manufacturer of the C-130, and Rockwell Collins currently has several modernization programs, including the KC-135, that use technology directly applicable to the C-130X. Both companies are recognized leaders in aggressively managing cost and quality through the implementation of lean principles and six sigma quality. This agreement also provides a high degree of commonality between the KC-135 Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) program and C-130X.
+++
Raytheon has announced that, based on preliminary estimates, it expects earnings for the fourth quarter 1999 to be lower than consensus estimates. The company said it expects fourth quarter earnings per share to be between $0.20 - $0.25 and full year earnings per share to be in the range of $1.15 - $1.20, versus the $1.40 - $1.50 guidance given by the company last October. The company also revised its outlook for full year 2000 earnings per share from the $2.10 - $2.25 guidance provided last October to $1.60 - $1.75.
+++
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $108 million contract to The Boeing Company for modernization of the B-52H Offensive Avionics System under the Avionics Midlife Improvement, or AMI, program. The five-year contract for engineering and manufacturing development was awarded by the B-52 System Program Directorate at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. The AMI Program has been developed through a joint Boeing/Air Force team. Integrated product teams led by Boeing and the B-52 System Program Directorate will continue to be used throughout EMD.
+++
BAE SYSTEMS has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) for the manufacture of components for Eurofighter, regardless of whether Norway decides to buy the aircraft. The agreement is valued at approximately #14 million and will see KDA manufacture the carbon fibre rudder and flaperons for Eurofighter.The agreement means that KDA will become a strategic partner in the Eurofighter project, and it is the first in a series of potential contracts between KDA and the Eurofighter industrial partners. KDAs investments and the transfer of technology from BAE SYSTEMS will give KDA a leading position in the manufacture of carbon fibre composites.
+++
The US-based asset management arm of BAE SYSTEMS reduced its turboprop portfolio by 56 aircraft during 1999 while maximizing lease income revenue. A total of 102 transactions, including 42 lease retentions/extensions, 36 leases and 24 sales. The contracted idle fleet stands at a record low of 12 units with all non-BAE SYSTEMS aircraft removed from the Asset Management portfolio.During 1999, 24 units were sold, including 13 Jetstream 31s and 11 Metro IIIs. These deals included the sale of six Metro IIIs (AC-455, AC-671, AC-672, AC-673, AC-675, AC-677) to Ameriflight, a Burbank, California-based cargo operator; and brokerage agreements to remarket three Metro IIIs (AC-506, AC-696, AC-691) on behalf of US Bank and two Metro IIIs (AC-687, AC-693) for Bank of America. Additionally, the company reduced its Jetstream 31 portfolio by selling 13 units to nine customers.
+++
Fairchild Aerospace announced the delivery of a 328JET regional jet to Wanair of Tahiti to expand the charter carrier's operations to regular jet service throughout French Polynesia. Wanair, based in Papeete, plans to serve nearby islands such as Bora Bora, Huahine and Raiatea, as well as outer islands Les Marquises, Australes and Tuamotu. Wanair is currently a charter company operating Beech and Citation aircraft.
+++
Completing its first financial year as a newly merged company, Honeywell announced that 1999 earnings per share were a record $2.68, representing a 15% increase over 1998 earnings per share. Reported earnings per share, including gains on the sales of its Laminate Systems business and Tyco stock, and merger-related costs, repositioning and other charges, were $1.90. Sales in 1999 were $23.7 billion, up 1% from 1998. Sales were up 5%, excluding divestitures and a change in the reporting of a government contract. Leading the company's 1999 sales performance was strong growth in the aerospace aftermarket, turbochargers, home and building control products, truck brakes and electronic materials. Michael R. Bonsignore, Honeywell's Chief Executive Officer, said, "With the merger complete, the new Honeywell has the financial flexibility, Six Sigma productivity discipline and portfolio strength to increase its earnings per share by 20% in 2000. We are also confident that earnings will grow at a compounded annual rate of at least 18% over the next three years.
+++
Spanair is the 50th airline to choose Messier-Bugatti's Sepcarb III A319/A320 carbon brakes. Introduced in 1996, these brakes are still the most economica in the market for the Airbus single aisle types, the manufacruer claims. The "charge per landing" type contract with Spanair will be billed in Euros for the first time.

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Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen sind weiter abrufbar:

*January 16, 2000 *January 9, 2000

*December 19, 1999 *December 12, 1999 *December 5, 1999

*November 28, 1999 *November 21, 1999 *November 14, 1999 *November 7, 1999

*October 31, 1999 *October 24, 1999 *October 17, 1999 *October 10, 1999 *October 3, 1999

*January to September 1999 *January to December 1998 *January to December 1997 *September to December 1996

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