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Week ending June 6, 1999
+++ Fourth NH90 takes off +++ Discovery completes successful Space Station mission +++ Bombardier CRJ700 Series takes first flight +++ BR710 for Nimrod completes endurance tests +++ Airline profits for 1998 despite flat traffic +++ IATA pushes to avoiding future air crises +++ Lufthansa Technik increases its sales and profit +++ News in brief +++
Fourth NH90 takes off
Vierter Prototyp des NH90 fliegt
The maiden flight of the fourth prototpye of the NH90 (PT4) took place successfully on 31 May at Eurocopter Deutschlands test facility in Ottobrunn near Munich. The trial started at 16.33 pm, lasting 1 hour and 5 minutes, and attaining 140 kts max. speed at 5000 ft altutude. The NH90 was flown by Herbert Graser and Andrew Warner, accompanied by flight-test engineeer Denis Hamel. The PT4 is respresentative of the Tactical Tansport Version (TTH) of the NH90 and features, apart from the standard NH90 full glass cockpit, fly-by-wire controls and dual bus core avionics the dedicated mission systems. This includes FLIR, helmet mounted sight, digital map generator, weather radar, ECM system, and tactical communications system. The PT4 is powered by Turboméca RTM322-01/9 engines. It will be dedicated to the qualification of the mission systems. In addition, the rear ramp will be evaluated. Total NH90 flight tests now stand at some 420 hours with PT1, PT2 and PT3. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Discovery completes successful Space Station mission
Discovery beendet erfolgreich Aufbauflug der Raumstation
Discovery's astronauts closed the hatches leading into the International Space Station on the morning of Thursday, June 3, and boosted the station into a higher orbit to set the stage for a planned arrival of the Russian-built Zvezda Service Module later this year. After moving the last items from Discovery into the station, the crew closed the final hatch on the orbiting outpost at 3:44 a.m. CDT. The astronauts spent a total of 79 hours, 30 minutes inside the station during this flight. Combined with the 28 hours, 30 minutes the STS-88 astronauts spent on board during the first ISS assembly flight last December, the total human occupation time for the new station stands at 108 hours. During four days of transfer work, the astronauts moved more than 4,500 pounds of equipment, hardware and supplies intended for the station's first resident crew. Of that total weight, 3,567 pounds of material, including 686 pounds of water, were transferred from Discovery to the station; 18 items weighing 197 pounds were moved from the station to Discovery for a return to Earth; and 662 pounds of supplies were mounted to the station during a spacewalk by astronauts Tammy Jernigan and Dan Barry. Discovery and its multi-national crew of seven astronauts had launched from the Kennedy Space Center on May 27. It returned with a safe night landing on June 6.
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Bombardier CRJ700 Series takes first flight
Erstflug für Bombardiers CRJ700
The first 70-passenger Bombardier CRJ700 Series airliner made its successful first flight on May 27, marking the start of the flight test program and a major program milestone on the way to first deliveries and service entry in the first quarter of the year 2001. The first Bombardier Aerospace CRJ700 Series aircraft (serial number 10001) departed from Montréal International Airport (Dorval) under clearing skies at 6:18 pm, ET, and returned two hours and eight minutes later. Craig Tylski, CRJ700 project pilot was in command, assisted by co-pilot Chuck Ellis. During the 128-minute flight, the aircraft reached an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) and a speed of 230 knots (426 kilometres per hour). The aircraft's maximum cruising altitude is 41,000 feet (12,496 metres) and maximum cruise speed is Mach 0.81 (534 miles per hour, or 860 kilometres per hour).To date, the CRJ700 has attracted firm orders for 96 aircraft, from six airlines, and options on a further 140 aircraft. Announced customers for the CRJ700 Series include: Brit Air, Morlaix, France; American Eagle, Dallas-Fort Worth; Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Atlanta; Lufthansa CityLine, Frankfurt; Comair, Cincinnati; and, Horizon Air, Seattle.
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BR710 for Nimrod completes endurance tests
BMW Rolls-Royce-Triebwerk beendet Tests
The BMW Rolls-Royce BR710 Mk 101 has met an important stage of its qualification programme for the Nimrod MRA4, the Royal Air Force's next generation maritime reconnaissance aircraft, by successfully completing a 150-hour endurance test. The run took place at the BMW Rolls-Royce test facility at Dahlewitz, near Berlin, in Germany, paving the way for the next phase of qualification testing - a 1,200-hour corrosion test which is due to begin later this year at the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) test site at Pyestock in Hampshire, England. Rolls-Royce plc, the aerospace, defence and energy group - as supplier to Nimrod MRA4 prime contractor British Aerospace - is responsible for the complete powerplant, embodying the BMW Rolls-Royce engine and Rolls-Royce designed jetpipe. The latest milestone follows earlier engine intake compatibility work in the UK, functional tests in Germany and altitude testing at Pyestock, as part of the qualification programme of the Mk101 engine - a modified version of the BR710 engine that powers the Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express long-range executive jets. All engine certification testing is scheduled for the end of the year. New materials and coatings will be applied to some components to protect them from the effects of salt when Nimrod operates in specific maritime roles. Minor changes are required to the engine's electronic control, to align with MRA4's systems, and new mixer and tailcone designs have been incorporated to accommodate the Nimrod's distinctive in-wing installation.
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Airline profits for 1998 despite flat traffic
ICAO: Fluggesellschaften machen auch 1998 Gewinne
In 1998 the world's scheduled airlines as a whole experienced an operating profit of 5.5 per cent of operating revenues, according to preliminary estimates released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The operating revenues of scheduled airlines for ICAO's Contracting States (excluding operations within the Commonwealth of Independent States) are tentatively estimated at U.S. $298 500 million in 1998 and operating expenses for the same airlines at U.S. $282 000 million. Operating revenues and operating expenses both rose by 3 per cent over 1997. Expressed in United States currency, operating revenues per tonne-kilometre performed increased from 80.8 cents in 1997 to an estimated 81.6 cents in 1998 and operating expenses per tonne-kilometre performed increased from 76.3 U.S. cents in 1997 to an estimated 77.1 U.S. cents in 1998. The net result for 1998 (after inclusion of non-operating items such as interest and subsidies, and deduction of income taxes) is expected to be better than in 1997 (when it was 2.9 per cent of operating revenues). The operating and net results for 1998 reflect a generally healthy world economy. However, setbacks in several major economies, notably in Asia , resulted in a substantial slowdown in traffic growth. There was an increase of only 1 per cent over 1997 in total scheduled traffic of the world's airlines, as measured in tonne-kilometres performed, and a 2 per cent increase in international scheduled traffic (see Table attached). Capacity increases for passenger services continued to be kept in check and hence the average passenger load factor remained at 69 per cent for total services. Despite a decline in yields (revenues per tonne-kilometre) in the Asia/Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean regions, total world yield increased by 1 per cent. Low aviation fuel prices and the continuing efforts by airlines around the world to reduce their costs contributed to keep operating expenses per tonne-kilometre performed in check.
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IATA pushes to avoiding future air crises
Problem-Strategien der IATA
During its 55th Annual General Meeting IATA has called for "early recognition of crises, providing lead time to avoid them - or at leastmitigate their effects." Airline delegates passed three important Resolutions:- Airlines noted that ATC flight delays have again reached unacceptable levels in Europe. They called on ECAC Ministers to empower EUROCONTROL to impose solutions. Each Member State should have a forward-looking capacity plan, backed up by the necessary capital expenditure, with all plans integrated into one European system.
- As part of a larger strategy aimed at halving the air accident rate by 2004, airlines decided that all new Members joining IATA from next year shall demonstrate that they operate to an existing set of recognised international operational quality standards or their equivalent.
- Recent decisions taken in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to share radio frequency spectrum previously allocated exclusively to aviation for safety of life services will adversely affect the future growth and safety of air navigation. Airline CEOs decided to intervene with their Ministers of Transport to ensure that air transport needs are respected at the ITU World Radio Conference in June 2000.
Lufthansa Technik increases sales and profits
Mehr Umsatz und Gewinn bei Lufthansa Technik
Lufthansa Technik AG (LHT) increased its sales and profit once again in fiscal year 1998. LHT continues to receive a growing proportion of its orders from customers outside the group. In 1998 those outside sales rose to 1.5 billion marks. Its total sales were up by 182 million marks (a gain of six percent) to 3.2 billion marks. "The increasing percentage of our sales being made to international customers outside the Lufthansa Group reflects a continuing trend," emphasized Dr. Gerald Gallus, member of the LHT Executive Board, at the company's annual press conference held on June 2nd in Hamburg. Having reached 47 percent of the total, the volume of LHT's outside sales now nearly equals of its sales to companies within the group.Pretax corporate profit rose by 18 million to 112.1 million marks (a gain of 19.1 percent). Gross receipts were up by almost 350 million (or 11 percent) to more than 3.5 billion marks. Operating expenses increased to 3.4 billion marks, roughly in proportion to the increase in gross receipts. Happily, at just under 9 million marks the financial results were in the black for the first time, thanks to increased income from profit-transfer agreements and to markedly lower interest expenses.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Despite Yugoslaw agreement in principle to the NATO demands for a peacefull settlement of the Kosovo crisis, air operations were continuing over the weekend of June5/6. Missions flown were about half of the nearly 800 achieved in recent days, but ammunition depots and other strategic targets were hit as well as Yugoslav ground troops in Kosovo. NATO spokesmen have made it clear that the air attacks will be suspended only after concrete signs on the withdrawal are detected. Negotiations on the details were cunducted by military delegations in Mazedonia.+++
Eurofighter and Lockheed Martin presented their formal bids for the Norwegian fighter competition on June 1. Eurofighter officials said that the consortium could provide Norway with industrial contracts worth more than twice the price of the cost of the fighters. Norway seeks 20 aircraft worth 1,35 billion US-Dollars, to be delivered between 2003 and 2010.
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Aerospatiale Matra shares climbed nearly 15 per cent to 22,5 Euros in the first hour of trading on the Paris stock market on June 4. Brokers were seeing a target of 26 Euros in the medium to long term.
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Romanian newspapers are reporting that a Dasa delegation will start talks on possible investment in the IAR Brasow company. The aircraft maker is seeking new partners as a 1997 agreement with Bell Helicopter will lapse on June 30.
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Air France has published the results of its 1998/99 financial year to the end of March. It has flown 35,6 million passengers (+ 3,5 per cent), had revenues of 9,1 billion Euros and a pre tax income of 227 million Euros, up 17 per cent. Net income was down 11 per cent to 249 million Euros.
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The first WAH-64 Apache Longbow for the United Kingdom has arrived at the GKN Westland Helicopters facility in Yeovil, England. The WAH-64, one of 67 ordered by the United Kingdom, is the third of eight WAH-64s that will be produced by The Boeing Company in Mesa. Boeing will ship the remaining 59 aircraft as kits to Westland where they will be completed, flight tested and delivered from Westland's Yeovil rotorcraft facility through 2003. GKN Westland will use the first WAH-64 in England over the next several months for a variety of logistics demonstrations that will validate maintenance procedures and manuals for the world's only fourth-generation combat helicopter. GKN Westland will deliver the aircraft to the British Ministry of Defence in March 2000.
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Bombardier Aerospace has signed an agreement for the sale of 10 additional Canadair Regional Jet Series 200ER aircraft plus 10 options with Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) of Dulles, Virginia. The $210 million U.S. ($324 million Cdn.) transaction calls for deliveries to commence in July 2000 and be completed in September 2001 and represents the conversion of 10 existing options. ACA's firm CRJ orders now total 43 aircraft, 14 of which are delivered and in service. The airline also holds options for 27 additional CRJ aircraft.
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Boeing has successfully completed the third in a series of four full-mission simulations of its operational concept for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Pilots from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy and Air Force, were on site to evaluate the integration of Boeing JSF avionics, mission-system software and the pilot-vehicle interface (PVI). "We demonstrated how our overall JSF weapon system will perform in a variety of threat environments and combat situations," said Dennis Muilenburg, director of the JSF weapon system. "This was the ultimate simulation of our preferred weapon system concept. It reduces JSF program risk by combining avionics, cockpit, weapons, aero-propulsion, signature and supportability technologies in an integrated demonstration."
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Victims of international air accidents will be better protected and compensated following a historic air law agreement concluded today among the Contracting States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "We have succeeded in modernizing and consolidating a seventy-year old system of international instruments of private international law into one legal instrument that will provide, for years to come, an adequate level of compensation for those involved in international air accidents," according to Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the Council of ICAO. The new liability rules were developed during an International Air Law Conference called by ICAO to modernize the Warsaw Convention System dating back to 1929 which, as amended and supplemented over the years, still sets compensation levels for victims of air accidents, as well as liability for damage, delay or loss of baggage and cargo in accidents. A major feature of the new legal instrument is the concept of unlimited liability. Whereas the Warsaw Convention set a limit of 125,000 Gold Francs (approximately US$8,300) in case of death or injury to passengers, the Montreal Convention introduces a two-tier system. The first tier includes strict liability up to 100,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) (approximately US$135,000), irrespective of a carrier's fault. The second tier is based on presumption of fault of a carrier and has no limit of liability.
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Airbus has started flight trials to test the extra fuel tanks in the cargo hold of the A319 Corporate Jet, and of operations at a cruising altitude of 41,000 feet. The trials began with a 5-hr., 55-minute flight on May 31, during with the normal operation of the additional six tanks was verified. The flight from Hamburg, Germany, where the aircraft was assembled, to Toulouse in France, where flight testing is based, included legs up and down the west coast of France. Typical cruise speed during the flight was Mach 0.8, with the maximum permitted altitude of up to 41,000 ft. being reached. The aircraft being used for the flight trial is powered by International Aero Engines V2500s (ACJs will be delivered with either this engine or CFM International CFM56-5Bs). Some 70 hours of flight trials are planned with the Airbus Corporate Jetliner, which has been fitted with about 2,500 kg. of flight test instrumentation capable of measuring approximately 2,000 parameters.
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Embraer has rolled-out its advanced Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft in the configuration defined to comply with the SIVAM Project requirements. Merging Embraer's highly successful ERJ-145 platform with the Ericsson Erieye AEW Radar and Command and Control System, the EMB-145 SA also relies on a number of other sensors that give it true multi-role capability. Besides AEW&C tasks the EMB-145 SA can also execute missions such as border surveillance and control, sea surveillance, search and rescue coordination, airspace management and signals/communications intelligence. The aircraft will be fully capable to integrate data in real-time with ground stations and other airborne elements. Performing its maiden flight on the morning of May 22nd 1999, the first EMB-145 SA was crewed by Embraer test pilots Jeirgen Prust and José Mauro Fernandes Calheiros, both accompanied by Embraer flight test engineers Mauro Cesar Mezzacappa and Paulo Bartolomeu Mensch. During the 2 hour and 30 minute flight, various segments of the EMB-145 SA's flight envelope were explored.
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Besides the EMB-145 SA, Embraer also unveiled the ALX, a developed version of Embraer's Super Tucano aircraft. The ALX fulfills a Brazilian Air Force requirement for a light strike aircraft, for counter-insurgency missions and border surveillance. The ALX will be used for operational missions in the Amazon Region as a part of the SIVAM Program and also for advanced training. Development of the ALX was contracted in August 1995 and current Brazilian Air Force planning foresees an order for 99 units of this light strike aircraft, which comprehends both single and twin-seat version.
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On May 27, Embraer and Brymon Airways announced a purchase contract of 21 ERJ-145 regional jetliner, of which 7 are firm orders and 14 options. These options include the potential for upgrading to the planned 70-seat ERJ-170. The deal is valued at US$ 420 million and includes spare parts. The ERJ-145 will be used on new and existing routes across Brymon Airways'rapidly expanding network of British Airways scheduled services to destinations throughout the UK and Europe, including flights from Brymon's main base at Bristol.
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Swissair continues to expand its route network. On June 10 the Swiss airline will begin services to Benghazi, Libya. This will give Swissair a total of 163 destinations in 78 countries. Benghazi is the second-largest city in Libya and will be served by two flights per week. An Airbus A320, under flight number SR 226, will depart Zurich on Thursday and on Sunday evenings. The return leg, SR227, arrives back in Zurich the following morning. Swissair also resumed scheduled services to Libya's capital on May 2 and now flies to Tripoli thrice weekly.
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On May 24, Embraer announced that British Regional Airlines, the largest British Airways' franchise, acquired another 5 new 50-seat ERJ-145, bringing that company's total to 20 firm orders and 5 options. Prior to this announcement British Regional had held an order for 15 ERJ-145s with 5 aircraft on option. The announcement was made during the delivery ceremony of British Regional's 10th ERJ-145 aircraft. With this new order British Regional Airlines becomes Embraer's largest ERJ-145 customer in Europe.
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Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen sind weiter abrufbar:
May 30, 1999
May 23, 1999
May 16, 1999
May 9, 1999
May 2, 1999
April 25, 1999
April 18, 1999
April 11, 1999
April 4, 1999
March 28, 1999
March 21, 1999
March 14, 1999
March 7, 1999
February 21, 1999
February 14, 1999
February 7, 1999
January 31, 1999
January 24, 1999
January 17, 1999
January 10, 1999
January to December 1998
January to December 1997
September to December 1996
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Last updated June 6, 1999
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