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UPDATE 
Week ending August 9, 1998
+++ Boeing 757-300 flies +++ ITP thrust-vectoring nozzle on test +++ Fairchild Aerospace selects GE's CF34-8D for the 728JET +++ LFK sells AFDS stand-off weapon to Greece +++ SOHO contact reestablished +++ Bombardier Global Express certified +++ Major U.S. airlines report record earnings +++ News in brief +++

Boeing 757-300 flies
Erstflug der Boeing 757-300

On August 2, the first Boeing 757-300 took to the skies for the first time. At 10:08 a.m. PDT, the airplane - painted in Boeing red, white and blue livery - took off from Renton Municipal Airport at Renton, Wash. Boeing employees cheered and video crews shot footage that was webcast live on the Boeing home page on the worldwide web. After heading north above Lake Washington, Boeing Capts. Leon Robert and Jerry Whites flew the newest member of the Boeing 757/767 family west toward Port Angeles, Wash. The airplane then flew south to Astoria, Ore., and back and forth over Washington state's Olympic Peninsula before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle. During the 2 hour 25 minute flight, Robert and Whites conducted a series of tests on the airplane's systems and structures. Flight-test equipment on board recorded and transmitted data; the pilots transmitted verbal data back to Flight Test personnel working in a control room at Boeing Field.
The 757-300 is a derivative of the 757-200 and is designed to complement the 757-200, not replace it. The 757-300 flight-test program will pack more flight-test hours into a shorter amount of time than any other major Boeing airplane derivative in recent times. The tight schedule will help Boeing keep to its aggressive goal of seeing the first 757-300 enter service just 27 months after firm configuration - the point at which engineers have defined the specific features of the airplane. Three 757-300 airplanes will carry out flight testing required by regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Europe.

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ITP thrust-vectoring nozzle on test
Erste Tests für europäische Schubvektordüse

On July 30, the thrust-vectoring nozzle developed by Spanish engine maker ITP was running for the first time on the test stand. The nozzle, which is fitted to the EJ200 powerplant of the Eurofighter EF2000, has an electronic control contributed by MTU. According to the companies, the design is very simple and effective. Thrust-vectoring is possible in any direction, to increase the agility of future or retrofitted fighters. After the ground-tests, ITP and MTU hope that flight tests will be possible as well. A candidate aircraft would be the X-31, which is to be reactivated for the trinational VECTOR-programme with contributions from US, Germany, and Sweden.

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Fairchild Aerospace selects GE's CF34-8D for the 728JET
General Electric-Triebwerk für Dornier 728JET

On August 3, Fairchild Aerospace and GE jointly announced that GE's CF34-8D turbofan engine will power Fairchild Dorniers new 728JET. The CF34-8D incorporates the service-proven reliability, environmental and operational characteristics of current CF34 models. The -8D has 100-percent common turbomachinery, a common FADEC (full authority digital electronic control), and 87 percent overall parts commonality with GE's CF34-8C1 engine, which is in an advanced stage of development. The CF34-8D propulsion system will incorporate a new nacelle/installation design specifically tailored to the 728JET.
Development of the 728 family of aircraft began in July 1997. The new family will enter airline service in sequence, with the 728JET model first, followed by the 528JET and then the 928JET. GE also will provide the powerplants for the 528JET and 928JET, to ensure the highest commonality within the family and the thrust capability to meet future growth requirements. Other major vendor selection continues.

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LFK sells AFDS stand-off weapon to Greece
Griechenland bestellt AFDS-Abstandsflugkörper

In an important export success, which, according to managing director Ulf Wossagk "underlines our international competitiveness and technological competence", Lenkflugkörpersysteme GmbH has sold its AFDS (Autonomous Freeflight Dispenser System) to the Greek Air Force. AFDS is based on the DWS 39 system already introduced in Sweden. Improvements include a new GPS/INS navigation system of improved accuracy and the possibility to launch the glide-vehicle from high altitudes as well, which of course boosts range. AFDS can be filled with various submunitions, depending on the target characteristics. It has been adapted to various aircraft, like the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

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SOHO contact reestablished
Wieder Verbindung mit der SOHO-Sonde

Having succeeded in receiving a response from the SOHO spacecraft late on Monday night (August 3), controllers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA have continued to coax information from the spacecraft concerning its on-board status. By the end of the week, the spacecraft has responded to the attempts to activate the on-board telemetry data system only by sending a simple carrier signal with bursts of 10 second duration. This signal has been tracked consistently since the satellite was contacted on Monday night and has been received at ESA ground stations in Perth, Australia and Redu, Belgium, as well as by NASA Deep Space Network stations worldwide.
For the time being, the bursts of carrier signal are too short to allow the sensitive ground station receivers to 'lock-on' to the signal and ESA engineers are currently assessing the steps necessary to obtain a more continuous signal from the spacecraft. The intermittent nature of the signal is caused by the cyclic variation of the on-board power supply as the solar arrays are shadowed due to the spacecraft's unintentional spin motion. Attempts will be made to charge the on-board batteries sufficiently to ensure that more continuous power availability to the spacecraft transmitter system. "Recovery will be a slow and careful operation" said ESA's Head of Science Projects, John Credland.

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Bombardier Global Express certified
Global Express erhält Zulassung

The ultra long-range Bombardier Global Express business jet was awarded type certification by Transport Canada on July 31. "This is a historic moment for both Bombardier and the entire business aviation community," stated John Holding, executive vice-president, engineering and product development, Bombardier Aerospace. Transport Canada granted the Global Express type certification following flight and ground testing programs conducted in full cooperation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). The program, which began following first flight in October 1996, involved four flight test aircraft plus two full-sized static test articles, one for static testing and one for damage tolerance and fatigue testing.
"The aircraft's performance has met our objectives and has shown that the Global Express meets the highest standards in business aviation without any compromises," said Mr. Holding. These are Canadian Airworthiness Manual Chapter 525, at Change 6 and U.S. FAR Part 25 (up to Amendments 25-97) and European JAR Part 25 Change 14 including OP 96/1. Since the Global Express certification program was carried out concurrently with Transport Canada, the FAA and JAA, type certificates from these two latter agencies are expected to be obtained shortly.

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Major U.S. airlines report record earnings
Rekordgewinne für die US-Fluggesellschaften

The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that 11 of the 13 major U.S. airlines reported an operating and net profit for the first quarter of 1998, and the combined group attained an all-time high for any first quarter in both operating and net results. The group also recorded their best financial performance ever for any 12-month period, the department said. The 13 carriers as a group reported a combined operating profit during the first quarter of $1.61 billion, up nearly $193 million from the first quarter of 1997, and a combined net profit of $852 million, an improvement of $107 million. "Our nation's airlines continue to prosper, despite the problems in Asia, because President Clinton's economic policies have promoted a strong domestic economy," Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said. "In addition, the industry has benefited greatly from declining fuel costs, and the airlines' own efforts to cut operating expenses. We expect these trends to continue."
The industry greatly benefited from a sharp 22 percent drop in unit fuel prices, reducing total fuel expenses during the quarter by over $600 million from the first quarter of 1997. Every major airline, except for Trans World Airlines, reported an operating profit during the quarter, while every major airline, except for Trans World Airlines and United Parcel Service (UPS), reported a net profit. Six majors (Alaska, America West, American, DHL Airways, Northwest, and Southwest) reported all-time first quarter company records in both operating and net results. US Airways reported a record first quarter operating profit, and Delta reported a record first quarter net income. Every major carrier attained an operating profit for the 12 months ending March 1998, and all but Trans World Airlines recorded a net profit. Except for DHL Airways, United and UPS, all major carriers experienced year-to-year improvements in both operating and net results. For the 12 months ended March 1998, the major carriers combined to achieve operating revenues of nearly $100 billion, and attained an operating profit of $8.75 billion, $1.63 billion higher than the previous 12 months.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

A new joint venture between Boeing and GKN Westland Helicopters Ltd. has been formally established, concurrent with the award of a contract from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, to provide aircrew and maintenance training services in support of the British Army WAH-64 helicopter program. The 30-year contract has a total potential value of $1 billion. The new joint venture, Aviation Training International Ltd., will provide state-of-the-art facilities to train operators and maintainers of the British Army's fleet of Apache attack helicopters. The joint venture uses commercial financing under the United Kingdom Public/Private Partnership program to cover the initial investment in equipment, infrastructure and personnel.
+++
Großenhain in East Germany has begun to turn its airfield, which was used by the Russian forces, into a so called Aero-Park to attract investors. Both aerospace related and other companies are welcome. The project is in part financed by the "Konver"-fund of the European Union.
+++
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and China Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a strategic alliance. The MOU also sets out general principles for the purchase by SIA of shares in China Airlines within six months. SIA Deputy Chairman and CEO Cheong Choong Kong said SIA was thinking of a stake of "between five and 10 per cent" in China Airlines. This may be increased over time, in accordance with general principles contained in the MOU. "We see China Airlines as a good investment," declared Dr Cheong. "It demonstrates our faith in the long-term future of the aviation industry in this region, notwithstanding the present economic difficulties".
+++
Northrop Grumman's AN/AAQ-24(V) Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system has successfully completed formal flight testing on a rotary wing platform at Netheravon Air Base in the United Kingdom. Initial flight testing of the first production DIRCM trial installation on a fixed-wing aircraft also has been accomplished. These achievements followed completion of live-fire tests in June at the White Sands, N.M., missile range, at which time the AN/AAQ-24(V) successfully defeated a variety of ground-to-air missiles. Northrop Grumman is under contract with the U.K. Ministry of Defence to outfit ten fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft models with DIRCM systems.
+++
On August 5, Rolls-Royce announced that it is to offer a more powerful derivative of the successful Trent engine family for the Boeing 777. The 95,000 lb. thrust Trent 895, which will be to the same production build as today's Trent 892, will be certificated in 1999, ready for entry into service in 2000. The engine will be capable of 180 minute ETOPS (extended-range twin-engined operations) from entry into service. Rolls-Royce is able to offer this additional thrust by increasing the temperature margins which are cleared in the current engine design. The Trent 895 offers operators of existing Trent-powered Boeing 777s the advantage of total commonality and builds on the excellent reliability record of the Trent 892 which has demonstrated industry leading levels of reliability since it entered into service in 1996.
+++
European Space Agency astronaut Claude Nicollier from Switzerland will be aboard the US Space Shuttle Columbia when it takes off from Cape Canaveral in May 2000, on flight STS-104, for the third servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Claude Nicollier has been selected as one of the four mission specialists for STS-104, together with three NASA astronauts - Steven L. Smith, Michael Foale and John M. Grunsfeld. The STS-104 crew will rendezvous with the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, which is the size of a city bus, capture it using the Shuttle's Canadian robot arm and secure it in Columbia's payload bay. Then, working in teams of two, the four astronauts will leave the Shuttle's pressurised cabin and venture into the payload bay, performing a variety of tasks that will improve the productivity and reliability of the telescope.
+++
SR Technics, the technical services company of the SAirGroup, is about to conduct the first-ever 4C and SY Check to be performed on an Airbus A330 anywhere in the world. The aircraft, a Sabena A330 300, will arrive at SR Technics' home base in Zurich in October. Two further aircraft will follow in early 1999. Sabena currently operates three Airbus A330-300s and four Airbus A340s. In addition, Sabena, Austrian Airlines and Swissair have Jointly ordered a total of 25 Airbus A330-200s, all powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4168 engines. SR Technics intends to develop the maintenance capabilities for this type of aircraft, in collaboration with its industry partners.
+++
The Airbus Super Transporter A300-600ST "Beluga" made its third trip ever to the United States on August 1 to help out NASA with efforts to complete the ISS (International Space Station) As a participant in a joint contract with NASA and Italy's Alenia Spazio, the Beluga transported a Mini Pressurized Logistic Module (MPLM) -- one of the first components of the International Space Station program, to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The MPLM is scheduled to be on board the Space Shuttle Discovery for its launch in the coming year.
The August 1 flight marks only the second time the Beluga has performed a charter in the U.S. since the fleet of three aircraft (with a fourth to enter service this summer) became available for charter operations in 1996. The Beluga transported the MPLM between Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy to KSC where it will be tested by NASA and then loaded onto the shuttle Discovery.
+++
As the first western airline, Austrian Airlines is now flying to new Kasachstan capital Astana. Every Friday, an A310 departs Vienna and returns on 6.00 am on Saturday morning. Austrian also continues to serve Almaty.
+++

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

*August 2, 1998

*July 26, 1998 *July 19, 1998 *July 12, 1998

*June 28, 1998 *June 21, 1998 *June 14, 1998 *June 7, 1998

*May 31, 1998 *May 24, 1998 *May 17, 1998 *May 10, 1998 *May 3, 1998

*April 26, 1998 *April 19, 1998 *April 5, 1998

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

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