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UPDATE 
Week ending December 6, 1998
+++ European restructuring squabbles continue +++ Third NH90 flies +++ EH101 Merlin helicopter deliveries start +++ Boeing to cut production, fire 48000 +++ Space Shuttle launched with second ISS element +++ Dasa receives Contracts for spaceborne "Traffic Controllers" +++ Aerospace trophy for Dr. Norbert Lammert +++ News in brief +++

European restructuring squabbles continue
Weiter Diskussion um Fusionspläne der europäischen Industrie

The discussions and disputes on how to proceed with the much-needed consolidation of Europes aerospace industrie continued apace during the week. Here are just some of the comments and claims made by the parties involved and the ever rumour-happy press:
  • German weekly Der Spiegel once again repeated that a merger between DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and British Aerospace will be announced in the next few weeks, despite consistent denials. It said that now top-boss Jürgen Schrempp is loosing patience with the slow process and is getting involved personally.
  • On Monday Aerospatiale Deputy Chairman Jean-Francois Bigay urged BAe and Dasa to decide quickly on any merger move to end the present uncertainty. "If BAe and Dasa have 57.9 percent in Airbus, we will have to redefine the relations with Casa and Matra High Technology/Aerospatiale," Bigay said. Aerospatiale is merging with Matra, a unit of the Lagardere consortium.
  • At the French/German summit at Potsdam, it seems that Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has made it clear to French President Jacques Chirac that an Anglo-German deal as a first step in the restructuring process could go ahead between DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and British Aerospace if the door was left open for Aerospatiale to join later and create a so-called trilateral solution. The German side also reitereated ist wish for a private industry, and pledged to support French efforts towards privatising its industry."
  • On Friday, after a Franco-British summit in Paris, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin confirmed that France would accept an Anglo-German merger in the European aerospace industry. But he also indicated that Paris would prefer a three-way partnership from the start, arguing its expertise and assets were indispensible to the creation of a viable European defence and aerospace company to compete with U.S. giants.
  • At an Airbus supervisory board meeting, France seems to have demanded a fifty per cent share in the yet to be formed single company.
  • Dasa chairman Manfred Bischoff has said that his company only wanted to enter a European aerospace and defence industry merger in the future if the partners had equal positions in such a deal. "We will pay attention to the German side having an equal role to play," Bischoff said. Dasa was in "trilateral as well as bilateral" talks with British Aerospace and Aerospatiale about a merger, he added.
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Third NH90 flies
Erstflug des dritten NH90

The maiden flight of the third prototype of the NH Industries NH90 took place successfully on 27 November at Marignane. The trial started at 17.05, and during 30 minutes the PT3 was flown by Philippe Boutry, Denis Trivier and Jean-Claude Rabany. The PT3 is completely fitted with the basic Avionic Core System, consisting of fly-by-wire controls with automatic flight control, navigation, communication and identification, full glass cockpit etc. All systems are fully representative of teh final serial configuration. PT3 will be dedicated to the qualification of the avionic systems. In addition, specific lightning strike electromagnetic interferance tests will be conducted.
In the meantime, PT1 and PT2 have opened the flight envelope to 20000 ft altitude, at speeds up to 190 kts, at extreme centres of gravity, at maximum gross weiht of 10000 kgs, 12 deg slope landings, and rolling landings at speeds exceeding 50 kts. The Ground Test Vehicle achieved a total of 424 running test hours. PT4 and PT5 final assembly is well progressing, NH Industries says.

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EH101 Merlin helicopter deliveries start
Erster EH101 an Royal Navy übergeben

On December 1, the Royal Navy officialy took delivery of its first EH101 Merlin HM Mk.1, the most advanced Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare helicopter in the world. 700M Naval Air Squadron commissioned at the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, in the presence of His Royal Highness The Duke of York.
The Royal Navy's first new design helicopter for 20 years, Merlin is being delivered by Prime Contractor Lockheed Martin ASIC (LMA). The Merlin HM Mk1 is a maritime derivative of the EH101 which has been developed by European Helicopter Industries (EHI) and is assembled by Yeovil based GKN Westland Helicopters in collaboration with the Italian company Agusta. Forty four Merlin HM Mk1 aircraft have been ordered and will replace the Royal Navy's Sea King HAS Mk6 helicopters during the next five years.
700M Squadron, the Intensive Flying Trials Unit for Merlin, will be equipped with four aircraft and their primary task will be to establish the in service operating procedures and practices, together with training and assessing future development potential. The delivery of the twelfth Merlin to the Royal Navy by 31 March 99 will mark the official In Service date. Currently, the first front line Merlin Squadron is planned to deploy in the latter half of 2001.

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Boeing to cut production, fire 48000
Produktionskürzungen bei Boeing lassen Aktienkurs abstürzen

Due to the impact of the Asian crisis, Boeing will reduce production rates for some of its commercial airplane programs. The revised production plans will result in further employment decreases. The company expects to reduce employment, from the June 1998 high point of 238,000, by as many as 38,000 by year-end 1999, and an additional 10,000 in the year 2000. Current plans are:
  • Production on the 747 now to decrease from 3.5 to 2 airplanes per month in late 1999, and subsequently to 1 per month in early 2000.
  • The 757 program will be reduced from 5 to 4 airplanes per month
  • The 767 program will be reduced from 4 to 3.5 airplanes per month in early 2000.
  • The 777 program, currently scheduled for a rate reduction from 7 to 5 airplanes per month in the fourth quarter of 1999, is now projected to continue at the lower rate in 2000.
  • The 737 Next Generation is scheduled to increase to 24 airplanes per month early next year, as previously announced, and is projected to remain at that rate until late 2000, when the rate is planned to decrease to 21 airplanes per month.
  • Announced 1999 rates for the Boeing 737 Classic, MD-80/-90 and MD-11 programs are unchanged. The company plans to establish a formal production rate for the 717 after deliveries begin mid-next year.
Based on current schedules and plans, which include approximately 550, 620 and 490 commercial aircraft deliveries for the full years 1998, 1999 and 2000, consolidated revenue is expected to be in the range of $56 billion, $58 billion and $50 billion, respectively. The net earnings projection for 1998 continues to be slightly above $1 billion. Because of the impact of the production rate reductions on the commercial aircraft margins, net earnings for 1999 are now projected to be in the range of $1.5 -- 1.8 billion. The operating margins for the year 2000 are expected to be somewhat lower when compared to 1999 due to the commercial aircraft delivery mix. Commercial aircraft deliveries in the year 2000 will be predominantly newer aircraft programs, which have lower initial operating margins than established aircraft programs.

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Space Shuttle launched with second ISS element
Zweites Teil der Raumstation im All

On Friday morning (December 4), the Space Shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six took off from the Kennedy Space Center in the early morning darkness at 3:35 a.m. The shuttle shone like a bright star and was visible for more than seven minutes as it sped out over the Atlantic and up the East Coast. Endeavour is carrying Part 2, an American-built connecting passageway that the astronauts will attach to the Russan-built Zarya module already in orbit. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was among the dignitaries from around the world who returned for Endeavour's second launch attempt. The first, on Thursday, was scrapped when the master alarm in the shuttle cockpit went off with just 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the countdown.
Forty-three more U.S. and Russian launches will be needed over the next five years to haul up space station parts. And 162 spacewalks will be required to put all the pieces together and keep them maintained; the first three are slated for Endeavour's flight. Astronauts won't be back to the fledgling station, once it's released from Endeavour, until May 1999.

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Dasa receives Contracts for spaceborne "Traffic Controllers"
EGNOS-Auftrag für die Dasa

With the award of industry contracts by the European Space Agency ESA, Europe has now taken the decisive steps towards the implementation of a new system for precise position finding. The first contract covers the implementation (Phase C/D) of the "European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, EGNOS." Dornier Satellitensysteme (DSS, Friedrichshafen), a corporate entity of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa, Munich), will develop and build important earth stations and is thus responsible for the operational heart of the entire system. The second contract involves a study which will analyze the macroeconomic benefits that Europe can reap from a civil navigation satellite system. Additionally, it will develop an optimized technical concept and proposals for an international cooperation for the installation of the system. DSS is leading an industry consortium which until the summer of 1999 is tasked to submit a proposal that is economically, technically and politically viable and has been agreed between industry, ESA and the European Commission.
Satellite navigation is to provide a uniform navigation infrastructure for all types of traffic - on land, at sea and in the air - and to replace the existing different ground-based navigation aids in the long term. Only in this way will it be possible to meet the increasing requirements for mobility.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

In recent air services negotiations, New Zealand and Germany have agreed that flight frequencies for the airlines of each side, when using their own aircraft, can increase from three services per week to five services per week with immediate effect. A further increase to seven services per week will be effective from October next year. Also, there are now no restrictions on the number of code-share flights that can be provided, nor on the number of cargo-only services that can be operated. Access for New Zealand airlines to more destinations in Germany was also agreed. Three destinations in Germany are now available for own-aircraft services, with all other destination points available through code-shared services.
+++
Icelandair, the flag carrier of Iceland, will purchase two 757-200s, Boeing has confirmed. The order is valued at an estimated $131 million. The purchase is in addition to three 757s currently on order. The airline announced its purchase of four 757s at the 1997 Paris Air Show and took delivery of its first 757 earlier this year. The initial order, two 757-200s and two 757-300s, made Icelandair one of the launch customers for the 757-300.
+++
Lufthansa Cargo AG is reporting declining turnover for the first nine months of the year, with 2,78 billion DM representing a 1,2 per cent slip on the record figure of 1997. Profits declined to 77,2 million DM. The Asian crisis is to blame, as LH Cargo increased its capacity by 3,8 per cent, with demand rising only 1,2 percent. Load factor went down to 66,2 per cent.
+++
The Bombardier Learjet 45 business aircraft has established a new transcontinental speed record in its class. On Monday, Nov. 23, departing San Diego, California's historic Lindbergh Field at 3:10 a.m. with four passengers and a crew of two, a Learjet 45 (N456LJ) landed at Washington D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport at 10:28 a.m., local time. The aircraft, Learjet 45-006, completed the 2,021-nautical-mile trip in just four hours, 18 minutes and one second.
+++
On December 1, the New Zealand government opted to acquire 28 used Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons from the United States, saying it would make a huge savings by leasing planes unwanted by the Pentagon. It was said that the 10-year lease for the F-16A/Bs would cost a total of about NZ$200 million ($105 million), a bargain the fiscally pressured government could not turn down.
+++
Euralair International Airlines will add two Next-Generation Boeing 737-800s to its fleet. The French-based airline will operate the new airplanes under a lease agreement with GATX B737-800 Partners, an aircraft-leasing partnership managed in San Francisco. Euralair will take deliveries of the 737-800s in December 1998 and January 1999. The 737-800 - a new, stretched version of the current 737-400 - will allow Euralair to carry up to 189 passengers in a single-class configuration.
+++
The Sikorsky S-92 Helibus is undergoing preparation for its first flight at the West Palm Beach test center in Florida. Prototype No. 2 was brought down from Stratford in a trailer and is now conducting its gound runs prior to lift off, scheduled for December.
+++
Boullioun Aviation Services Inc. has ordered three Boeing 737-300s, scheduled for delivery in 1999.The announcement comes four months after the leasing company signed an agreement to purchase 60 Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes, including 30 firm orders and 30 options. Founded in 1986 by aviation industry veteran E.H. "Tex" Boullioun, Boullioun Aviation Services, Inc. is a global leader among commercial aircraft leasing companies. The company leases aircraft to airlines around the world for itself and Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise, in which Boullioun has a 35.5 percent stake.
+++
A delegation from Canadas aerospace industries association was touring Europe recently in search for new business to lessen its dependence on US work. In Germany, 15 potential partners have been identified and a MoU with the BDLI is being prepared.
+++
On December 2, the Boeing Joint Strike Fighter Program has reached a significant milestone by completing a Final Design Review of its X-32 concept demonstration aircraft with the U.S. Defense Department's JSF Joint Program Office. "We met all design requirements and closure criteria for the X-32," said Frank Statkus, Boeing vice president and JSF program manager. "We are clearly continuing down a path of strong performance." Details of the airframe, propulsion, subsystems and support systems, and flight testing plans are now being finalized. Boeing is building two X-32s, each of which will fly in 2000 as part of a Joint Program Office demonstration focused on critical design characteristics.
+++
The Sino No-1, the first commercial telecommunications satellite managed by the Sino Satellite Communications Company Ltd of China, which is engaged in the leasing of satellite transponders and other aspects of the satellite telecommunications business, became operational on December 4. The satellite, manufactured by Aerospatiale of France, carries 24 C-band transponders which cover the entire Asia-Pacific region, and 14 KU-band transponders which cover China and its neighboring countries. Users of the satellite include the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the People's Bank of China and the Shanghai Satellite TV Station. Sino-1 is the first European-made satellite launched by a Chinese rocket, and the first foreign satellite monitored and managed by China.
+++
Fourteen airlines from seven countries attended the first BRJ-X Airline Advisory Council convened in Montreal recently by Bombardier Aerospace. The council is an integral part of the market evaluation process for Bombardier's proposed five-abreast, 90-seat class, BRJ-X Series of regional jet aircraft. The proposed BRJ-X would be the largest offering in Bombardier's stable of commercial regional aircraft currently comprised of the 37-78 seat Q Series Dash 8 turboprop family and the 50-70 seat family of Canadair Regional Jet aircraft. The formal Airline Advisory Council consultation process could lead to a decision to proceed with the new class of aircraft next year. The council will continue to meet throughout the full development cycle of the aircraft. Type certification and first delivery would be late 2003.
+++
On December 2, Space Imaging announced that the launch of the world's first commercial one-meter resolution satellite, IKONOS 1, will occur by June 1999. The launch was previously scheduled for 1998. The delay is a result of a technical problem discovered during the satellite's final verification testing. The problem lies in a satellite sub-system and is being corrected. IKONOS 1 is being built by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space in Sunnyvale, California. It will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aboard an Athena II rocket.
+++

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Dr. Lammert receives Aerospace Trophy
Aerospace Trophäe an Dr. Lammert übergeben

In a ceremony on December 3 in Bonn, FLUG REVUEs publisher P. P. Pietsch presented the 1998 Aerospace Trophy to Dr. Norbert Lammert, until recently state secretary charged with the coordination of German aerospace policies. Prof. Dr. Walter Kröll, chairman of the DLR research center, lauded Lamments many achievements in supporting much-needed steps on the way to a European consolidation of the industry as well as not neglecting the small and medium-sized companies during his four years in office.
Dr. Lammert, a CDU parlamentarian now on the opposition side in the German parliament and member of the economic affairs council, looked back with pleasure that many developments are now irreversible, but unfortunately not yet fully concluded. He reminded the packed audience to keep in mind that aerospace is a very complex system, in which the end-user like airlines and airports must be included. He urged industry to put the universal conviction that European consolidation is necessary into reality. An optimisation of structures would in the end benefit all. He also made it clear that in his view a Fench/German understanding is the prerequisite for any Europe-wide solution. To much pressure on the French government on privatisation would be counter-productive.

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

*November 29, 1998 *November 22, 1998 *November 15, 1998 *November 8, 1998 *November 1, 1998

*October 25, 1998 *October 18, 1998

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

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Last updated December 4, 1998
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