Flight International - 3-9 December 2013.pdf

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

SWARM LIFTS OFFWE JOIN ESA FOR LATEST LAUNCH IN MISSION CONTROL SPACEFLIGHT P25

BEAT THE FREEZEBoeing to modify 737s to guard against icing of elevator systems following Norwegian near-stall 15

SEOUL SURVIVORSouth Korea selects F-35 after abandoning ghter contest in which F-15 was victorious 19

PROPULSION

REVERSAL OF ROLLSCould Emirates spring a surprise over who will power its new A380s?

ightglobal.com

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3-9 DECEMBER 2013

INSIDE

WORLD AIRLINER

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PART 2

FIN_031213_301.indd 1 28/11/2013 10:17

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3-9 December 2013 | Flight International | 5ightglobal.com

FL IG HTIN TE RN AT IO NA L

3-9 DECEMBER 2013

Sikorsky set to receive contract for USAF combat rescue helicopter subject to budet approval P20. Iceland could become hub for Arctic airship freight operations P14

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20 Budget review could crash rescue helicopter contract. US military asks for unmanned endurance lift

BUSINESS AVIATION 22 China relaxes restrictions for private ight

operators. PrivatAir seeks to double its managed eet

23 Prots take off at Hangar8. Dassault poised for rst Indian delivery of 2000S

GENERAL AVIATION 24 Crash prompts rule change for helicopter

night ights. UK police poised for xed-wing trial

SPACEFLIGHT 25 Mission controls calm before Swarm

BUSINESS 26 Making global work locally

REGULARS9 Comment 37 Straight & Level38 Letters40 Classied 43 Jobs 47 Working Week

NEWS THIS WEEK 10 SNP shopping list following independence

includes Typhoon11 FAA issues engine icing warning for

GEnx-powered Boeing 747 and 787s

AIR TRANSPORT 14 Bouncing MD-11F suffers tail-strike.

Aeros, Icelandair plan Arctic airships15 Norwegian near-stall incident leads to

modications for 737 eet16 MTU targets savings to fund growth.

Monarch MRO arm opens new hangar17 Neo orders hit new heights following Dubai

air show. De-rated Trent 700 engine for regional A330

DEFENCE 18 Alenia closes deal for two C-27J Spartans

with Peru. Grizzly end as Airbus Military retires two A400Ms from its ight-test eet. Israel weighs up lease option for KC-46A tankers

19 F-35 selection brings end to South Korean wrangling. Poland opens bids in cut-price trainer contest

COVER STORY12 Contest Rolls-Royce pushes enhanced

Trent 900 powerplant in hope of displacing Engine Alliance as engine provider of choice on A380s

FEATURES28 WORLD AIRLINERS SPECIAL REPORT

Regional Rivalries ATR, Bombardier and Embraer remain the biggest airframers in the regional segment, but new competitors from China, Japan and Russia are developing aircraft that will alter the competitive landscape in future

VOLUME 184 NUMBER 5418

PIC OF THE WEEK YOUR PHOTOGRAPH HEREThanks to BOC Aviation for this shot of the fth A330-300 it has delivered to Iberia named after Spains King Juan Carlos, and the rst ever to feature the carriers new livery. Three more will be delivered by April 2014. The Bank of Chinas aircraft leasing arm has 234 owned and managed aircraft operated by more than 50 airlines worldwide, and another 102 on rm order.

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COVER IMAGEGet this close to any Emirates A380 and theres no mistaking its Engine Alliance powerplants. But will the carrier shift gears and give Rolls-Royce a look-in on its next batch of superjumbos? P12-13

NEXT WEEK WORLD AIR FORCESOur annual World Air Forces directory provides the denitive in-service aircraft inventory and orders summary for the globes militaries large and small.

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THE WEEK ON THE WEBightglobal.com

ightglobal.com6 | Flight International | 3-9 December 2013

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Find all these items at ightglobal.com/wotw

Flightglobal reaches up to 1.3 million visitors from 220 countries viewing 7.1 million pages each month

CONTENTS

Vote at ightglobal.com/poll

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

38%62%Total votes: 2,683This week, we ask: What engine will Emirates choose for its latest A380s? Engine Alliance GP7200 Rolls-Royce Trent 900 A combination

Great if youre a Gulf carrierAn airliner for the world

Last week, we asked: 777X?: You said:

For a full list of reader services, editorial and advertising contacts see P39

EDITORIAL +44 20 8652 3842 [email protected] DISPLAY ADVERTISING +44 20 8652 3315 [email protected] CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING +44 20 8652 4897 [email protected] RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING +44 20 8652 4900 [email protected] WEBMASTER [email protected] +44 1444 475 682 [email protected] REPRINTS +44 20 8652 [email protected] FLIGHT DAILY NEWS +44 20 8652 [email protected]

HIGH FLIERSThe top ve stories for the week just gone:1 Norwegian near-stall to spur 737 modication2 South Korea to obtain 40 F-35As3 Rolls-Royce unveils Trent variant for regional A3304 GEnx icing issue prompts 747-8, 787 restriction, route withdrawals5 A-10 Thunderbolt debate continues amid potential budget cuts

The DEW Line wasnt surprised to see the Dubai air show (pictured) come and go without a United Arab Emirates order for the Euroghter Typhoon; $99 billion-worth of

deals for A380s and 777Xs to help make the UAE a transport super-hub is probably more important than acquiring combat aircraft in the face of no immediate threat, though they risk falling behind the Saudis,

whose Typhoon eet is growing nicely. And, just to heat up the region, consider this from Ariel View: Almost 50% of the operational ight hours performed by the Israeli air force are of unmanned air systems, and systems made by Israel Aerospace Industries have accumulated more than one million operational ight hours worldwide.

Seeing a rocket launch takes more than booking a ight; delays can make for wasted trips or extra nights in hotels. But Dan Thisdell got lucky when a delay for work on the rocket moved Swarms lift-off into a travel win-dow in his diary for viewing not from the chill of the Arctic launch site but from ESAs mission con-trol centre at Darmstadt (P25). Murdo Morrison was in the UAE to interview senior executives at Emirates and Etihad about their pilot recruitment plans for next year and beyond for our interac-tive Emerging Markets Careers Guide (P10).

IN THIS ISSUECompanies listedAeros ...........................................................14AeroVironment .............................................20Aertec .........................................................26AgustaWestland ...............................20, 22, 26Alenia Aermacchi ...................................18, 19Airborne Technologies ..................................24Airbus ................................. 16, 17, 18, 22, 26Aircelle ........................................................27Air France Industries KLM E&M ....................27Alaska Air Group ..........................................27Allco Finance ...............................................27Alstom .........................................................27American Legend Aircraft .............................24Aurora Capital ..............................................27Austrian Airlines ...........................................26BAE Systems ...............................................19Belair ...........................................................16Bell Helicopter .......................................24, 27British Airways ..............................................27Britten-Norman ............................................24Boeing .............. 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 26Bombardier .....................................22, 23, 27Cessna ........................................................27CFM International ........................................16Chromalloy ..................................................27Dassault ................................................22, 23DC Aviation ..................................................22Embraer .......................................................26Emirates ......................................................17Engine Alliance ................................12, 13, 17Etihad Airways ..............................................17Eurocopter .............................................20, 24Euroghter ...................................................19ESA .............................................................25Falcon Aviation Services ..............................22Flydubai .......................................................17General Dynamics........................................22General Electric ...........................................16Hangar8 ......................................................27Hawker Pacic .............................................24Hlice ..........................................................27International Bureau of Aviation ...................27Jet Aviation ..................................................22Korea Aerospace Industries ..........................19Lockheed Martin ....................................19, 20Lord .............................................................27Lufthansa ..............................................14, 26Lycoming .....................................................24MD Helicopters ............................................24Mechtronix ...................................................27Monarch ......................................................16MTU .......................................................16, 26National Technical Systems ..........................27Northrop Grumman ......................................27Norwegian ...................................................15Opinicus ......................................................27Pratt & Whitney ......................................16, 23Pratt & Whitney Canada ...............................24PrivatAir .......................................................22Quest Aircraft ...............................................22Quest Aviation Solutions ..............................24Raytheon .....................................................19Rolls-Royce ................................12, 13, 17, 27Safran .........................................................27Samsung .....................................................19Siemens ......................................................27Sikorsky .......................................................20Snecma .......................................................27Textron ...................................................20, 27Thai Airways .................................................17Trac Group ...................................................27TsAGI ...........................................................17Turkish Airlines .............................................26Vulcanair .....................................................24Wesco Aircraft ..............................................27

Billy

pix

Flight_CFM_25x180.indd 1 19/07/2012 17:51

Download the new Commercial Engines Reportnow with enhanced data and in-depth market analysis

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COMMENT


See This Week P10

If only William Wallace the 14th century freedom ghter immortalised in the lm Braveheart could have called in an air strike. Wallaces successors in the Scottish National Party-led administration in Edin-burgh may not be planning a rerun of the Battle of Ban-nockburn with their southern neighbours, but they do want separate armed forces from the rest of the UK as part of their proposals for an independent Scotland.

The plans revealed in the White Paper Scotlands Future are ambitious, to say the least. As well as in-heriting a pro rata share of the UKs assets including helicopters, Lockheed Martin C-130Js and a quick-reac-tion alert squadron of 12 Euroghter Typhoons the SNP wants within ve years to add four Typhoons to

allow the country to contribute to NATO operations overseas, and acquire four maritime patrol aircraft.

This on a modest defence budget (albeit bolstered by rejecting a successor to the Trident nuclear deterrent) and when the impetus among Europes cash-strapped armed forces is for consolidation and working more closely together. The sums and logic just do not add up.

Scotlands destiny is for its voters to decide in the 2014 poll. But the SNPs desire to create a standalone, agile, multirole defence force from a rump of the UKs military assets, with its own command structure and the ability to play an independent role within NATO, is little more than Ruritanian fantasy.

Braveheart defence plan will never y

No contestSeouls choice of the Lockheed Martin F-35A for its F-X III requirement despite a brief irtation with the F-15 shows the Joint Strike Fighters appeal in the Asia-Pacic region

See Defence P19

Best keep the neighbours in check

Rex

Feat

ures

Read our DEW Line blog for the latest news and comment on global military aviation mattersightglobal.com/dewline

South Koreas decision to obtain 40 Lockheed Martin F-35As brings a degree of closure to F-X III one of the most hard-fought ghter competitions in recent years. Leaving the door open to a possible buy of 20 additional ghters, Seoul has even given a hint of a consolation prize for the contests losers, the Boeing F-15 and Euroghter Typhoon.

The deal is a happy ending for the South Korean air force, as it will get the stealth ghter it wanted all along. It also provides a major boost for Lockheed Martin, eager to lock in more customers for the F-35 and further drive down the programmes unit costs.

Following Japans order for 42 examples of the Joint Strike Fighter in 2011, the South Korean acquisition all but guarantees the stealthy type as the ghter of the future for the Asia Pacics regions big powers. Singapore, which possesses Southeast Asias best air force, is certain to order the type in the next few years,

possibly taking a mixed buy of the conventional A-model and the short take-off vertical landing F-35B.

And although Australia irted with a follow-on order of F/A-18F Super Hornets earlier this year eventually opting for just 12 of the Growler electronic warfare variant Canberra has never backed away from its plan to buy up to 100 F-35s. Its future orders for ghters are all likely to be with Lockheed Martin too.

When looked at from a historical perspective, Seouls F-35 decision could well mark the end of the

Seouls decision could markthe end of the great ghtercompetitions in the region

great ghter competitions of the Asia-Pacic region. Aside from relatively minor requirements for combat aircraft among second-tier services, the major contests of recent years have been settled.

Asia-Pacic will, however, remain a vibrant arena for ghter upgrades. BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin are caught up in an intense duel to enhance the regions F-16 eets with new avionics. And Raytheon and Northrop Grumman will continue their no-holds-barred rivalry to sell active electronically scanned array radars for the regions Fighting Falcons.

Nonetheless, history is, nally, on the side of Lock-heed Martins occasionally troubled programme in the region. While fourth-generation types will continue to be potent platforms, it is impossible to escape the sense that these are the ghters of yesteryear in a new era where stealth is king.

The F-35 promises to be all ghters to all air forces. A risky bet indeed, but one that Asia-Pacic air forces seem willing to take.

FIN_031213_009.indd 9 2013-11-28 19:15

THIS WEEK


For a round-up of our latest online news, feature and multimedia content visit ightglobal.com/wotw

An independent Scotland would have an air force equipped with up to 16 air de-fence aircraft, plus tactical airlift-ers, utility rotorcraft and mari-time patrol aircraft, and be capable of contributing excel-lent conventional capabilities to NATO, according to a White Paper published by the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Outlining its ambition to estab-lish an air force with an eventual 2,000 uniformed personnel and 300 reservists, the SNP says it would initially be equipped with a minimum of 12 [Euroghter] Typhoon jets based at Lossie-mouth, a tactical air transport squadron, including around six [Lockheed Martin] C-130J Hercu-les, and a helicopter squadron.

According to the document, it will initially rely on assets negoti-ated from its share of the UKs in-ventory to secure core tasks, principally the ability to police Scotlands airspace, within NATO. An in-country air com-mand and control capability would be established within ve years, it adds, with staff to be em-bedded within NATO structures.

Still stung by the 2010 cancel-lation of the Royal Air Forces BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft, which were to have been based in Scot-

DEFENCE CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

SNP shopping list includes TyphoonWhite Paper outlines potential Scottish air force that would eld ghters, transport aircraft and maritime patrol assets

Pete

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An independent Scotland would operate six C-130J transports

EL AL UNVEILS BRAND FOR BUDGET SPIN-OFFLOW-COST Israeli ag-carrier El Al is branding its new budget opera-tion Up, and has disclosed the initial ve routes it will y. Up will operate to Kiev, Larnaca, Budapest, Berlin and Prague using a eet of Boeing 737-800s. El Al says ights will begin on 30 March. The carrier will offer a basic fare package, it says, with an option to add additional services, or a smart fare offering more exibility and a broader service range. Its aircraft will be tted with economy-class seats but will also feature an economy-class-plus section.

INTERSKY SETS RECORD FOR LONGEST ATR 72 FLIGHTOPERATIONS Austrian carrier InterSky has completed the longest commercial ATR 72-600 trip with a charter service for St Gallens football team from its German base in Friedrichshafen to Krasnodar in Russia. The 70-seat turboprop completed the nearly 1,550nm (2,500km) journey in 5h 23min with 44 passengers, ve crew mem-bers and 880kg (1,940lb) of luggage on 27 November. With full pay-load, the aircraft has a range of 830nm, says ATR. From Lake Constance, the route crossed seven countries via Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Cluj, Odessa and Simferopol.

SCORPION READY TO GET AIRBORNEDEBUT Textron AirLand expects the demonstrator of its Scorpion tactical strike aircraft to make its debut ight on 5 December, from the US Air Forces McConnell AFB site in Wichita. The joint venture company performed its rst taxi trials with the twin turbofan-powered design at the site on 25 November.

ISRAEL HOSTS FIRST BLUE FLAG EXERCISETRAINING Fifty combat aircraft from the Greek, Israeli, Italian and US air forces are participating in a rst Blue Flag exercise, being staged using a large block of closed airspace over the south of Israel. Participating types include the AMX ground-attack aircraft, Boeing F-15, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Panavia Tornado IDS, while observers from 20 other countries are also involved.

RYANAIR SET TO VENTURE INTO RUSSIANETWORK Ryanair seems set to open services from Ireland to Russia from March despite previous expressions of reluctance. It has applied to Russias federal air transport authority for permission to operate from Dublin to Moscow and St Petersburg, according to an Irish government communication. Earlier this year, Ryanair seemed to dismiss Russian routes, citing regulatory barriers.

EMIRATES SEEKS RECRUITS FROM BUDGET AIRLINES JOBS The Gulfs airlines will be recruiting hundreds of pilots next year to ll growing eets, according to interviews carried out for Flightglobals interactive magazine on careers in emerging markets. We spoke to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways executives about re-cruitment plans for 2012 and beyond. Emirates will take on 250 ight-crew next year, the vast majority as rst ofcers. Although most will end up ying Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, pilots with Europes low-cost airlines are proving a fertile recruiting ground. The experi-ence of these pilots is exactly what we want, says Alan Stealey, the air-lines senior vice-president ight operations. They undertake a huge number of take-offs, have lots of experience of different types of weather. They tend to be very good at handling the aircraft. The inter-active can be found at ightglobal.com/careers13 or on the iPad on the Flight International container app.

BRIEFING

land, the SNP says it plans to pri-oritise the procurement of a re-placement capability within the same period, with a potential ac-quisition of four aircraft.

Scotland would make en-hanced contributions to interna-tional partnership operations, with air involvement to be con-tingent on the receipt of up to 16 Typhoons. No provision is in-cluded for military pilot training, however and Scotland will seek joint arrangements with allies.

An independent Scotland would spend 2.5 billion ($4 bil-lion) per year on defence and se-curity, according to the SNP; down from a current 3.3 billion contribution to the UKs annual military spending.

The RAF has two frontline Ty-phoon squadrons based at Leuchars in Scotland. These are due to relocate to Lossiemouth next year, with a third unit to also be established at the site in 2015. Service sources say no alternative plan is being considered, despite next years vote on independence.

In evidence submitted to the House of Commons Defence Committee earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence said it was condent that the people of Scotland will choose to remain part of the UK, and is not plan-ning for any other outcome.

FIN_031213_010-011.indd 10 28/11/2013 18:50

THIS WEEK


Enhanced Trent 900 pushed for new Emirates A380 dealCOVER STORY P12

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered operators of GE Aviation-powered Boeing 747-8s and 787s to avoid ying into ice crystal icing conditions.

The move formalises a warning previously issued by Boeing on the GEnx-1B engine that powers the 787 and the GEnx-2B engine onboard the 747-8. Japan Airlines withdrew the 787 from a pair of routes to Vietnam and India as a result of the warning.

GEnx engine operators have reported nine instances of thrust loss at high altitude due to ice crystals forming inside the en-gines. In two cases, the engines recovered only to idle speed, and could not produce more power, according to the FAA rulemaking issued on 28 November.

In other cases, the engines decelerated for about 20s, but re-covered to provide normal thrust, the FAA says. The ice crystals form inside the engines during convective thunder-storms at high altitude, which occur rarely but almost always at tropical latitudes.

They can damage the interior of the engine, which can reduce thrust and can lead to a forced landing, according to the FAA. FAA also orders GEnx engine op-erators to inspect any engines in

case the pilots inadvertently y through ice crystal icing condi-tions. Such convective weather patterns are not detectable on air-craft radar, the agency says.

GE Aviation, meanwhile, plans to introduce software changes to the engines full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system in the rst quarter of next year. The new software should detect the ice crystals as they move to-wards the core of the engine.

At the entrance to the high pressure compressor, the FADEC will order variable bleed valve doors to open, which should di-vert the ice into the airow that bypasses the engine core.

Boeing is disappointed in any impact this situation may have on our customers, as is the GE team, says Boeing.

Though JAL has withdrawn the 787 on two routes, most GEnx operators will continue operating the aircraft as planned, Boeing says.

Lufthansa, meanwhile, from 1 December will restrict the maxi-mum altitude of its Boeing 747-8 eet to 30,000ft (9,100m) in icing conditions and may change the aircraft assigned to individual ights if required.

MBDAs Storm Shadow cruise missile has been own with a Euroghter Typhoon for the rst time, with the combination getting airborne from Deci-momannu air base in Sardinia on 27 November. Two of the roughly 1.3t weapons were carried by Alenia Aermacchis instrument-ed production aircraft 2, using hardpoints usually occupied by

external fuel tanks. The rst airborne carriage trial marks the latest stage in a process to clear the more than 460nm (250km)-range weapon for use with the Euroghter from 2015. The work falls within a Phase 2 enhancement programme being conducted for core nations Ger-many, Italy, Spain and the UK.

Storm Shadow is a major step

forward, signicantly increasing the air-to-ground capabilities of the Typhoon, says Euroghter chief executive Alberto Gutier-rez. Its integration with the type will maintain the stand-off-range strike capabilities of the Italian air force and UK Royal Air Force after they retire their Panavia Tornado IDS and GR4 eets from late this decade.

SAFETY STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON

FAA issues engine icing warning for GEnx-powered Boeing 747 and 787sRuling follows nine instances of aircraft operators reporting loss of thrust at high altitude during tropical thunderstorms

Storm Shadow trial continues Euroghter upgradeMUNITIONS CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

The most serious high-prole incident involving GEnx power-plants occurred in July this year when a 747-8 Freighter sus-tained damage to three engine and lost thrust in two.

Operated by AirBridge Cargo, the 747-8F (VQ-BGZ), had been ying between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Hong Kong on 31 July, and was cruising at 41,000ft. The jumbo deviated from its intended ight path around 1.5h before landing to avoid a thunderstorm and en-tered a veil of cloud not displayed on the weather radar.

Some 22min after the cloud encounter the aircrafts inboard left-hand engine underwent a surge and automatic restart. Two minutes later the neigh-bouring outboard engine experi-enced a speed reduction to 70% of N1, while the inboard remained at idle thrust.

Russian federal air transport authority Rosaviatsia reported that a post-landing inspection found damage to the rst-stage high-pressure compressor blades of both left-hand engines as well as the out-board right-hand powerplant.

Icing damaged AirBridge Cargo 747

In-depth features, exclusive videos and much more ightglobal.com/fgclub

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FIN_031213_010-011.indd 11 28/11/2013 19:22


For a round-up of our latest online news, feature and multimedia content visit ightglobal.com/wotw

COVER STORY

Enhanced Trent 900 pushed for new Emirates A380 dealRolls-Royce hopes to unseat Engine Alliance as powerplant provider on airlines superjumbos

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce sees an opportunity to unseat Engine Alliances position as the sole powerplant supplier for Emirates Airbus A380s, as it ne-tunes its latest upgrade to the Trent 900.

Emirates has ordered 50 more A380s, to complement the 90 already allocated to the Dubai-based carrier.

But although Engine Alliances GP7200 will power the initial 90 aircraft, the engine contest for the add-on order has yet to be decid-ed and R-R believes there is an opening for its own powerplant.

The Trent 900 is already pro-duced to a new enhanced-perfor-mance standard, the 900EP, and R-R is developing this further as the Trent 900EP2 beneting from technology evolved through the Trent XWB programme for the Airbus A350.

The upgraded powerplant on 26 November passed a type test with the EASA, bringing it closer to certication.

CONTEST DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Engine Alliance GP720045%

Rolls-Royce Trent 90034% Unannounced

21%

SOURCE: Flightglobal Ascend Online

A380 ENGINE SHARE

The enhanced engine will enter service in mid-2014 and in-cludes such features as improved turbine case cooling through modulated tip-clearance control, and internal aerodynamic opti-misation. R-R also says the air-ow system in the powerplant has been improved.

The Trent 900EP2 will deliver up to 0.8% fuel-burn improve-ment and is set to become the standard-build version of the engine for the double-deck type in 2014.

Well listen to Emirates requirements and seek to dem-onstrate to them that the Trent 900 is now the most reliable, capable and suitable engine for A380 operators, says the manu-facturer.

To illustrate the reliability point, R-R states that Thai Airways which took delivery of its rst A380 in September last year completed a year in service with the type with no engine- related issues of any sort. Thai has ordered six Trent-powered A380s of which ve had been de-livered by the end of October.

Flightglobals Ascend Online Fleets database records that 11 of

the 20 A380 customers have selected the Trent 900, covering a total of 104 aircraft.

Seven customers have so far chosen the GP7200 across 139 A380s, while two others Hong Kong Airlines and grounded Indian carier Kingsher have yet to make a selection on

Well seek todemonstrate that theTrent is the mostsuitable engine forA380 operatorsROLLS-ROYCE

The Engine Alliance GP7200 powerplant has reached the 2 million ight-hour milestone, ve years since the rst engines began revenue operations.

However, the rival engine, Rolls-Royces Trent 900 (pictured), had logged 2.5 million hours as of August this year.

Engine Alliance claims an average dispatch reliability of 99.9% since entry into service in August 2008 with its biggest customer, Emirates. Fellow Gulf carriers Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways will also take de-livery of their initial GP7200-powered superjumbos next year,.

We are delighted with the GP7200s demonstrated perfor-

Despite milestone GP7200 lags Trent 900 ightsOPERATIONS

mance and reliability for such a young engine program, says Engine Alliance president Dean Athans. This is the result of not only an exceptionally rigorous engine development program, but also a robust product support

program designed to continuous-ly identify and implement ways to enhance reliability.

A total of 224 of GP7200s are in service with three customers. The engine produces thrust in the range of 70,000-81,500lb (311-

362kN), utilises a 298cm (116in) fan and a nine-stage high-pres-sure compressor.

The Trent 900, however, uses R-Rs three-shaft design and features 24 highly swept fan blades, with a fan diameter of 298cm. The manufacturer claims lower NOx emissions than its rival and is certicated at four thrust ratings: 70,000lb, 72,000lb, 77,000lb and 80,000lb.

The Trent 900 is the only en-gine certied at both 70,000lb and 72,000lb for the Airbus A380. The higher two ratings demonstrate the growth capabili-ty embedded in the engine, should further aircraft develop-ment be required, it says. Roll

s-Ro

yce

FIN_031213_012-013.indd 12 28/11/2013 19:04

THIS WEEK


Bouncing MD-11F suffers tail-strikeAIR TRANSPORT P14

While large airframes such as the Boeing 777- 300ER, the new 777X and the Airbus A350 have moved to sole-source powerplants, the A380 remains a competitive ring for its two heavyweight engine contenders, Rolls-Royce and Engine Alliance.

The contest has its roots in the Boeing 747-500X and -600X stretch proposal, for which both manufactur-ers drew up options in 1996. Rolls-Royce of-fered an evolution of the Trent 800, the Trent 900, while General Electric and Pratt & Whitney tying up as Engine Alliance of-fered the GP7176.

Lack of interest in the 747 led the A3XX, subsequently the A380, to overtake its rival. Boeing ditched the pro-posal in favour, initially, of the Sonic Cruiser before reviving a 747 advancement which

evolved into the 747-8 powered solely by GEs GEnx engine.

Rolls-Royce gained its rst Trent 900 com-mitment from lessor ILFC albeit the order was subsequently can-celled before picking up Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas. Engine Alliances offer for the A380, the GP7200, was launched by Air France but secured its most signicant deal when Emirates opted for the US-built powerplant.

This high proportion of Emirates aircraft gives Engine Alliance the larger share by num-bers of engines on or-der, around 57% of the total, although Rolls-Royce has the edge on the number of custom-ers. Flightglobals Ascend Online database records that of the 116 A380s in service, 60 have Trent 900s and 56 the GP7200.

AIRBUS A380 ENGINE SELECTION

Operator In service On order TotalEngine Alliance GP7200

Air Austral 0 2 2Air France 9 3 12Emirates 39 51 90Etihad Airways 0 10 10Korean Air 8 2 10Qatar Airways 0 10 10Transaero Airlines 0 4 4Total 56 82 138Rolls-Royce Trent 900

Asiana Airlines 0 6 6British Airways 3 9 12China Southern Airlines 5 0 5Lufthansa 10 4 14Malaysia Airlines 6 0 6Qantas 12 8 20Singapore Airlines 19 5 24Skymark Airlines 0 6 6Thai Airways International 5 1 6Virgin Atlantic Airways 0 6 6Total 60 45 105Unannounced

Emirates 0 50 50Hong Kong Airlines 0 10 10Kingsher Airlines 0 5 5Total 0 65 65GRAND TOTAL 116 192 308SOURCE: Flightglobal Ascend Online Fleets

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FIN_031213_012-013.indd 13 28/11/2013 19:05

AIR TRANSPORT


Check out our collection of online dynamic aircraft proles for the latest news, images and information on civil and military programmes at ightglobal.com/proles

Investigators are looking into a tail-strike incident involving a Lufthansa Cargo Boeing MD-11 freighter at So Paulos Campi-nas-Viracopos airport.

The pilots performed a go-around after the aircraft bounced during landing, at which point its tail struck the runway, says the carrier. None of the ightcrew were injured, but the trijet (D-ALCE) sustained substantial damage. It landed safely on its second attempt.

The freighter was arriving on runway 15 at 08:38 local time on 24 November after a transatlantic service from Dakar, Senegal.

Germanys air accident investi-gation authority BFU is more

Iceland could become a hub for Arctic airship freight opera-tions after Icelandair Cargo and California-based Aeros signed a memorandum of understanding to explore opportunities in the North Atlantic nation.

Aeros is developing a heavy-lift vertical take-off and landing airship, called the Aeroscraft, which could be utilised to trans-port heavy or oversized loads into the Arctic Circle, it says.

Because of [Icelandair Cargos] location and the fact that a great number of North Ameri-can and Eurasian air routes tran-sit through or over Iceland, [it] is extremely well-positioned to utilise the Aeroscraft and we are excited to see how we can service their network, says Aeros chief executive Igor Pasternak.

Aeros plans to introduce the rst of 22 Aeroscraft vehicles in 2016 and wet-lease the aircraft to operators. It will be available in two versions, the ML866, which

Aeronautical Engineers (AEI) has completed the prelimi-nary design review for its Bombardier CRJ200 special freighter conversion programme.

With the key features now de-ned, our engineering team is able to focus on the detail drawings as they quickly move towards the critical design review, which is ex-pected in March of 2014, says AEI president Roy Sandri.

More than ve customers from Mexico, Southeast Asia, Canada and the USA have put down de-posits for 24 conversion slots.

AEI will begin manufacturing parts for the rst CRJ200SF in January, Convey says, with repair station Commercial Jet to perform the conversion starting June.

It plans to submit certication papers to the US Federal Aviation Administration by end-2014 and expects approval by mid-2015.

cautious, however, saying that it is not yet clear whether the tail-strike happened before or after the go-around was initiated.

Both Lufthansa Cargo and BFU declined to comment on potential causes of the bounce on landing.

Meteorological data for the airport shows few clouds at 4,800ft (1,500m) with at least 10km (6nm) visibility and southeasterly winds of between 10kt and 12kt at the time of the incident.

Lufthansa Cargo aims to return the aircraft to service. Technicians from the airline and manufacturer are assessing how the damage can be repaired, the carrier says.

will have a 66t capacity and range of up to 3,100nm (5,740km), and the ML868, which can carry a maximum of 250t up to 6,000nm.

We are pleased to begin a partnership with Aeroscraft and jointly explore the expanding market opportunities in Green-land, Iceland and surrounding Northern territories, says Gun-

nar Sigurnnsson, managing director of Icelandair Cargo.

Aeros was granted approval to operate research ights of the Aeroscraft in September. Howev-er, progress was hampered a month later when the tail of the demonstration vehicle was damaged during a partial col-lapse of a hangar roof.

The aircraft was built in 1998 and delivered straight to Lufthan-sa Cargo. It had accumulated some 64,800 ight hours over 12,100 cycles by the end of September, Flightglobals Ascend Online database shows. Lufthan-sa Cargo has had a number of landing mishaps with its MD-11Fs. One aircraft (D-ALCQ) was destroyed in Riyadh in July 2010 when the widebody

bounced during landing, veered off the runway and broke apart.

In June 2011, a sister aircraft (D-ALCS) was involved in a tail-strike incident when it pitched up during a landing in Mumbai.

Another Lufthansa Cargo MD-11F (D-ALCO) sustained heavy damage to its nose gear during a hard landing in Mexico City in September 2009. It was subsequently repaired.

INCIDENT MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

Bouncing MD-11F suffers tail-strike Boeing trijet sustains substantial damage during landing at Brazils So Paulo airport following transatlantic ight

Aeros, Icelandair plan Arctic airshipsDIRIGIBLE KRISTIN MAJCHER WASHINGTON DC

Lufthansa Cargo has had several incidents with its MD-11Fs

Deliveries of the heavy-lift Aeroscraft are due to start in 2016

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AEI advances CRJ freighter design review

FIN_031213_014-015.indd 14 28/11/2013 17:30

AIR TRANSPORT

ightglobal.com

MTU targets savings to fund growthAIR TRANSPORT P16

3-9 December 2013 | Flight International | 15

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Norwegian near-stall spurs 737 tweakEntire operational eet of Boeing narrowbodies to receive modications to protect against risk of elevator system freezing

Boeing is to modify 737s to improve protection against potential freezing of elevator systems, after investigation into a near-stall by a Norwegian aircraft highlighted the risk of de-icing uid contaminating power control units for the horizontal stabiliser.

The investigation into the 737-800 incident, on approach to Kittila in Finland, has already re-sulted in Boeing changing de-ic-ing procedures on the type.

Under the new process the trim is set to take-off position, rather than fully-forward, and de-icing uid is applied at an angle, not directly from the side.

While the cause of the incident is still being explored, Norwegian investigation authority SHT dem-onstrated that de-icing uid was capable of entering the tail cone in quite considerable amounts.

Under certain circumstances it is possible that the input arms [to the power control units] may be exposed to uid which in turn freezes solid and blocks [them], says SHT, adding that Boeing was not aware of this potential problem before the investigation.

Examination of Norwegians eet revealed that there had been similar uid ingress into other 737-800, as well as 737-300, air-craft. Boeing has also simulated a comparable restriction of the power control unit arms, by de-icing uid, in a cold-chamber rig.

The aircraft (LN-DYM) involved in the Kittila incident had been de-livered new to the carrier in 2011.

It had been de-iced before the

Keep up with safety issues in aviation online at ightglobal.com/safety

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Deicing procedures have since been altered to boost safety

ight from Helsinki on 26 De-cember last year, in temperatures of -17C (1.4F).

At a height of 3,250ft (990m) during approach to Kittila run-way 34 with its autothrust and autopilot engaged the aircraft began to pitch up in line with a nose-up trim actuation.

AUTOPILOT ERRORTo counter the resulting loss of airspeed the autothrust com-manded full power, but this led the pitch to increase and the air-speed to bleed away rapidly.

Analysis shows that both the primary and secondary input arms on the right-hand power control unit were blocked when the auto-pilot unintentionally elevated

the nose of the aircraft, says SHT.When the 737 reached 20

nose-up the pilots began pushing with full force on their control columns, SHT states. Flight- data recorder information shows they applied a combined 207lb (920N) of force in a bid to stop the jet climbing.

The pitch increased to 38.5 and airspeed fell to 118kt (219km/h) activating the stick-shaker and gen-erating a stall warning. Although this was below the 121kt stall threshold, lower wing loading meant a stall was averted.

SHT says the pilots efforts managed to bring the nose down. However, it notes that during the initial ascent there was no attempt to disengage the

autopilot and autothrust or man-ually adjust the stabiliser trim to nose-down.

One or more of these meas-ures would have improved the situation, SHT says, also sug-gesting that the control column force should have disengaged the autopilot automatically.

The aircraft subsequently landed safely after a 30min hold for the crew to conduct an on board systems check.

ERROR CODESExamination of the power control units found traces of dried de-ic-ing uid, although the units passed all function tests and met specications. There was no indi-cation of internal component ab-normalities.

SHT says it is looking into error codes, regarding automatic Mach trim, from one of the two ight control computers on the aircraft although it points out that the other computer had been engaged during the approach, and passed all function tests.

Boeing has informed the investigators that it plans to mod-ify all 737s to achieve better pro-tection against the risk of the el-evator system freezing solid, says SHT.

The authority says it plans to release a related safety recom-mendation, but stresses that it has yet to reach conclusions about the incident.

Passenger Convenience Quicker Aircraft Turns

737NG Stowage Bin

FIN_031213_014-015.indd 15 28/11/2013 17:37

AIR TRANSPORT


Check out our collection of online dynamic aircraft proles for the latest news, images and information on civil and military programmes at ightglobal.com/proles

UK-headquartered Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL) has ofcially opened its base maintenance facility at Birming-ham airport, after the greeneld project was launched a year ago.

The hangar was completed in October, and operations started earlier this month.

It can accommodate two wide-bodies up to the size of a Boeing 777-300ER or 10 single-aisle air-craft, and is MAELs third base-maintenance facility, after the Luton headquarters and a site at Manchester airport.

Some 150 staff will be immedi-ately employed at Birmingham, but this could double in future, the MRO provider says.

Aside from providing addi-tional capacity, the main objec-tive for the 10,200m (110,000ft) facility which includes a num-ber of workshops is to improve efciency across MAELs sites. The new hangar will allow allo-

cation of individual aircraft bays to certain operators.

MAEL plans to grow its third-party activities from the current 31% of turnover to nearly 40% during the next two years. In 2010, work for airlines other

than the parent leisure carrier accounted for 18% of business.

The MRO provider generated revenue of around 82 million ($133 million) in 2012.

This is expected to grow at least 50% by 2017.

STRATEGY MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

MTU targets savings to fund growthEngine manufacturer plans to offset required substantial investments for new programmes through efciency gains

Germanys MTU is expecting signicant growth for its civil aero engine production and maintenance activities in 2014, but aims to fund future pro-gramme investment through tens of millions of euros-worth of cost-savings.

The commercial engine subas-sembly manufacturing business is set to show the highest growth rate: revenues are expected to increase 15% year-on-year.

Last year, the division generat-ed a turnover of around 1.6 bil-lion ($2.2 billion), nearly half the groups total 3.3 billion revenue.

The spare-parts business should show a more moderate in-crease, at a medium single-digit rate, says the Munich-based group. Supplying spares is tradi-tionally more protable than the manufacture of subassemblies, because component production

lines are in place for the new en-gines and less labour is involved. However, airlines are increasingly using components from salvaged engines for the maintenance of their existing eets to save costs.

MTUs civil maintenance busi-ness is expected to expand at a high single-digit rate, after the units revenue increased nearly

17% to 1.3 billion in 2012. As work on new programmes begins to ramp up notably its contribu-tion to Pratt & Whitneys PW1000G family of geared turbo-fans for the Airbus A320neo and other in-development aircraft and the General Electric GEnx on the Boeing 787 substantial up-front investments into develop-

ment and production will be re-quired, says MTU.

As a result, the manufacturer will take additional measures to put a cap on the associated cost increase, it says. Around 100 ad-ministrative jobs will be cut, al-though this is to be achieved through natural staff attrition and retirements, it says.

A productivity improvement initiative will also be accelerated, which aims to cut costs by several tens of millions of euros, it says.

Greater focus is being placed on low-cost manufacturing, and the group is planning to concen-trate all low-pressure turbine as-sembly work at its Polish produc-tion plant, growing the Rzeszw plant by 50%.

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Swiss investigators are looking into an Airbus A320 incident in which the jet conducted a short-runway departure with set-tings for a full-runway take-off.

The aircraft, operated by Air Berlin subsidiary Belair, departed Portos runway 17 on 1 October 2013 on a ight to Palma. Swiss accident investigation authority SUST says the jet used full-run-way power settings despite de-parting from intersection F about halfway along runway 17.

The aircraft (HB-IOR) is a CFM International CFM56-powered airframe, according to Flightglob-als Ascend Online database. It was transporting 153 passengers and six crew. There were no inju-ries. Portuguese authorities dele-gated the investigation to their Swiss counterparts.

INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

A320 took off with incorrect runway setting

Monarch MRO arm opens new hangarEXPANSION MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

Read more news and analysis from the civil MRO industry: ightglobal.com/mro

FIN_031213_016-017.indd 16 28/11/2013 17:40

AIR TRANSPORT

ightglobal.com

Alenia closes Spartan deal with PeruDEFENCE P18

3-9 December 2013 | Flight International | 17

Russian aerodynamics re-search institute TsAGI is exploring new airframe congu-rations and wing shapes for an outline next-generation passen-ger aircraft.

The main focus areas of the re-search programme are extra high-aspect ratio wings, new wing-tip forms, close integration of the air-frame with highly efcient en-gines, noise reduction, and active and passive systems for reduc-tion in airframe loads, says Zhukovsky-based TsAGI.

Researchers are also looking into adaptive transonic wings, laminar-ow streamlining and new, non-traditional airliner congurations.

In October, the institute conducted windtunnel tests on a model of a narrowbody airliner with various wing congurations optimised for cruising speeds from Mach 0.78 to M0.8.

Also tested was a wing with a sweepback of less than 15 with natural laminar ow characteris-tics. Through the use of the latest supercritical wing sections, the cruising Mach numbers were kept practically the same as in earlier designs, which was previ-ously thought to be impossible, TsAGI says.

One of the new TsAGI wing models featured a high-aspect ratio and a new composite skin.

Following the test, TsAGI commended the new congura-tion to Russian design bureaux for further development.

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Wing design is a key focus

RESEARCH HOWARD GETHIN MOSCOW

TsAGI shapes future Russian airliner design

The new regional version of the A330 will be powered by a reduced-thrust version of the Rolls-Royce Trent 700, to be branded the Trent 700 Regional.

Rolls-Royce says the powerplant will incorporate the new EP2 engine-performance package, which becomes available in 2015. The manufac-turer says the engine will feature

De-rated Trent 700 for regional A330 DEVELOPMENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

a 1% efciency improvement and will save operators $1 mil-lion annually compared with competing engines.

Airbus is developing the re-gional variant of the A330 for short-haul markets that do not need the maximum take-off weight capabilities or the stand-ard thrust settings of the long-haul version.

Rolls-Royce conrmed the de-rated Trent 700 Regional en-gine during a symposium in China, which Airbus views as an important potential market for the twinjet.

By providing the right amount of thrust at the right time, engine part life is extended and maintenance costs signicantly reduced, says Rolls-Royce.

Airbus A320neo orders have passed the 2,500 mark fol-lowing the latest agreement sealed with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.

The airframer secured orders for 36 A320neo-family jets from Etihad including 10 destined for its partner Air Serbia during the recent Dubai air show.

Airbus puts its rm orders for the re-engined type at 2,527, ac-cording to a market forecast pres-entation during the show.

Given that its pre-show total was 2,487 this suggests that, alongside Etihads aircraft, the airframer has logged another four A320neo orders.

It is unclear whether the additional aircraft comprise a new agreement, the rming of a

previous commitment or a possi-ble further conversion from the baseline A320 backlog.

A tentative Airbus cutover schedule indicates some 1,623 slots were available, at the end of October 2013, for the regular A320 before the line fully switch-es to A320neo production.

Airbuss backlog data reveals that, at the same point, there were orders for 1,736 A320s an excess of 113.

Airbus senior vice-president and head of marketing Chris Em-erson says this is a nice problem to have, but adds: Our rst pri-ority is to have the most efcient transition. We dont want to build white-tails for the A320.

We know how to use over-booking to manage that type of

situation. The priority is to ll all of the [current A320] slots.

He points out that, during the post-2001 downturn, Airbus used lessors to help buffer de-ferrals and production changes.

Boeing had secured 1,609 orders for its rival 737 Max by the end of October, although Southwest Airlines has since opted to convert 20 orders to the re-engined type.

Middle Eastern carrier Flydubai is also intending to order up to 100 Max aircraft.

Airbus estimates that it still holds a 60:40 advantage in terms of total rm orders for the A320neo and 737 Max.

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Etihad has recently ordered 36 A320neo-

family twinjets

Read more news and analysis from the A320neo programme: ightglobal.com/Neo

MILESTONE DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Neo orders hit new heightsDubai air show deal pushes commitments for re-engined narrowbody past 2,500 aircraft

FIN_031213_016-017.indd 17 28/11/2013 16:47

DEFENCE


For free access to Flightglobals Defence e-newsletter visit ightglobal.com/ defencenewsletter

Airbus Military has trimmed the size of its Grizzly devel-opment eet of A400M tactical transports to three, after retiring its rst-ight example and placing another aircraft into storage.

First own on 11 December 2009, MSN1 or Grizzly 1 was the rst of ve test aircraft to be own in support of the eight-na-tion A400M programme. Regis-tered as F-WWMT, the aircraft performed its nal ight from Toulouse, France on 4 Novem-ber, with the 1h sortie intended to validate procedures for land-ing with the ramp door failed in the open position. This brought the lead aircrafts total usage to 475 ights and almost 1,450h, Airbus Military says.

Grizzly 1 will be preserved and put on public view, with Airbuss heritage department to decide on its nal display

location next year.Aircraft MSN3 has also been

placed into long-term storage. It is not intended to y again, but could be returned to ight-test duties if required, the company says.

Airbus Militarys remaining three development aircraft will

support the ongoing introduction of additional capabilities for cus-tomer nations Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the UK.

FLEET

Israel weighs up lease option for KC-46A tankersIsrael is evaluating a plan that could allow it to lease Boeing 767-based KC-46A tankers as re-placements for the eight convert-ed Boeing 707s currently own by its air force.

A leasing model for the KC-46A currently under devel-opment is being evaluated, but there are points to clarify be-fore a decision is made, an Israe-li source says.

A previous agreement which enabled the UK Royal Air Force to operate an initial eet of four C-17 strategic transports is being used as a possible template, the source adds.

The US government has al-ready offered to supply Israel with three surplus KC-135E tankers worth around $200 mil-lion, but the air force has indi-cated a preference for more capa-ble R-model examples.

TRANSPORTS CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

Grizzly end as Airbus Military retires two A400Ms from its ight-test eet

Peru is to become an operator of Alenia Aermacchis C-27J Spartan, once the parties have -nalised a roughly 100 million ($135 million) contract for two of the tactical airlifters.

Announced on 25 November, the deal will be signed as soon as the administrative procedures are completed, the Italian manufac-turer says. Also to cover the provi-sion of in-service support activi-ties, the win follows a competitive process lasting three years.

Alenia Aermacchi says the Spartan was selected by Lima fol-lowing a rigorous in-country as-sessment. This spanned tasks in-cluding personnel and cargo transport, airdrop and medical evacuation, and supporting search and rescue and humani-tarian assistance operations.

The requirement asked for an

aircraft able to operate in total safety in the most difcult condi-tions, as those found over the Andes, the airframer says. The air force found that the C-27J was the only aircraft in its class inter-operable with heavier airlifters al-

ready in service in Peru, it adds.Flightglobals Ascend Online

Fleets database records the Peru-vian air force as currently operat-ing three Antonov An-32s, one An-72 and two Lockheed L-100s.

Alenia Aermacchi has, mean-

while, completed the nal assem-bly of its rst of 10 C-27Js on order for the Royal Australian Air Force. L-3 Communications will install the aircrafts mission equipment in the USA from the rst quarter of 2014, with deliveries to con-clude by 2015.

In a further boost for the C-27J programme, the US Department of Defense is to transfer seven exam-ples to the US Special Operations Command from US Air Force ownership. Three have already been handed over, with the re-mainder to follow by April 2014. See next weeks issue of Flight International for our annual World Air Forces direc-tory, which details more than 52,000 aircraft in active use with militaries around the globe, plus more than 5,000 on-order examples

PROCUREMENT CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

Alenia closes Spartan deal with PeruItalian airframer nalises deal for two C-27Js with Lima and readies type for deliveries to Royal Australian Air Force next year

Read our full ight test of the new Airbus Military airlifter atightglobal.com/A400Might

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FIN_031213_018-019.indd 18 28/11/2013 17:47

DEFENCE


Budget review could crash rescue helicopter contractDEFENCE P20

Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems and Lockheed Mar-tin UK have submitted offers for the Polish air forces advanced jet trainer requirement, but only one of the rivals has come in below Warsaws revised price estimate for a purchase.

The Polish defence ministrys inspectorate of armament on 20 November opened bids submit-ted by the three companies, re-spectively for the M-346, Hawk and T-50.

An earlier programme value of Zl1.5 billion ($484 million) had been set, but defence ministry representatives now say that a sum of only Zl1.2 billion has been allocated for an acquisition.

Alenia Aermacchis bid values almost Zl1.17 billion, the defence ministry says, with the offers from BAE and Lockheed totalling just over Zl1.75 billion and Zl1.8 billion, respectively.

The remaining step in Polands acquisition process will be for the air force to assess whether the bidders have met the criteria stated in its tender documenta-tion. In addition to price, its evaluation will also include life cycle costs and other bonus parameters.

Warsaw, which has previously outlined a requirement for eight new aircraft, plus related ground-based training systems, plans to sign an agreement with the win-ning contender in the rst quarter of 2014.

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South Korea will obtain at least 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to satisfy its F-X III requirement, following a decision by the nations Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on 22 November.

Deliveries will begin in 2018, with the deal to be conducted through the US governments Foreign Military Sales mecha-nism. Seoul will also have the option to buy 20 more of the aircraft later.

The F-35A will be used as a strategic weapon to gain a com-petitive edge and defeat the enemy in the early stage of war, state news agency Yonhap quotes the JCS as saying. The South Korean military will also use the aircraft to effectively deal with provocations.

Welcoming the announce-ment, Lockheed says it will con-tinue to work closely with the US government to meet the Republic of Korea Air Forces ghter re-quirements. The company con-rms that it can supply aircraft in time to meet Seouls 2018 objec-tive, in the F-35s Block 3F software standard.

South Koreas original F-X III requirement called for the pur-chase of 60 ghters, but following

AVIONICS

Seoul nears launch for F-16 upgradeThe US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notied Congress of a plan to advance a BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services-led upgrade to 134 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D ghters for South Korea.

Worth an estimated $200 million, and to be conducted via the US gov-ernments Foreign Military Sales mechanism, the proposed phase one contract would enable BAE to create a detailed avionics upgrade plan, by dening elements such as

new computers, displays, sensors and weapons, and also to perform software development.

A subsequent deal will fund BAE to modify an initial two aircraft, and then implement the modications across the Republic of Korea Air Forces eet, in conjunction with ei-ther Korea Aerospace Industries or Samsung Techwin as its in-country modication partner. The work also will include the integration of the electronically-scanned Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar.

a competition also involving the Euroghter Typhoon, the only type to come in below its W8.3 trillion ($7.7 billion) budget was Boeings proposed F-15SE: an up-graded version of the older type with low observable features and other enhancements.

In September, however, the na-tion decided to re-tender the deal, following the air forces reitera-tion that it wants to introduce a stealthy aircraft. An industry source familiar with South Kore-an defence requirements says the F-35A selection stems from a 30-person team established by

the air force to push its case with the JCS, which has ultimate au-thority over force improvement decisions.

However, in a move which could offer some consolation to one of the defeated bidders, Seoul will also move to obtain an additional 20 ghters of an unspecied type.

While the expected timeframe and further details of this acquisi-tion are not yet clear, it is likely to allow repeat offers of the rebrand-ed Advanced F-15 and Typhoon.

The Republic of Korea Air Force already ies 60 F-15Ks.

ACQUISITIONS GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

F-35 selection brings end to South Korean wranglingNation to eld at least 40 Joint Strike Fighters from 2018, after controversial F-X III battle

REQUIREMENT BARTOSZ GLOWACKI WARSAW

Poland opens bids in cut-price trainer contest

FIN_031213_018-019.indd 19 28/11/2013 13:06

DEFENCE


For free access to Flightglobals Defence e-newsletter visit ightglobal.com/ defencenewsletter

Sikorsky could receive a contract early next year to build the US Air Forces next-generation combat rescue heli-copter (CRH) but only if the ser-vice receives adequate budget funding in the coming years.

According to the US govern-ments Federal Business Opportu-nities procurement website, the air force received only one proposal, from Sikorsky, to build the CRH aircraft, to replace its ageing HH-60G Pave Hawks, built by the same company. With Sikorsky having submitted an acceptable technical solution, the USAF says it is laying the groundwork to award the CRH contract in the sec-ond quarter of scal year 2014.

However, it adds: The award is contingent on the outcome of the presidents budget review process, where CRH would need to be funded across the future years defence programme.

The USAFs 22 November noti-cation comes amid reports that the service has created two sepa-rate budgets for FY2015, including one that prepares for the impact of continued sequestration cuts. This version does not provide for CRH funding, the reports suggest.

Sikorsky, which is partnering with Lockheed Martin on the project, has not released the

specications for its proposed CRH-60 rotorcraft, but conrms it will be a modied version of its UH-60M Black Hawk. It says it is encouraged that this vital pro-gramme appears to be moving for-ward, subject to budgetary deci-sions, and describes the in-service HH-60G Pave Hawk as worn and stressed after years of combat duty.

The USAF in October 2012 is-sued a request for proposals to build the CRH eet, seeking 112

new-build aircraft over a 14-year period. Capped at $6.8 billion, in-cluding training systems and product support, the project is a successor to the services failed CSAR-X combat search and res-cue programme. Boeing won an up to $15 billion deal with the HH-47 in 2006, before the effort was cancelled in 2009.

Flightglobals Ascend Online Fleets database records the air force as having a current active inventory of 92 HH-60Gs.

ROTORCRAFT JON HEMMERDINGER WASHINGTON DC

Budget review could crash rescue helicopter contractAward for Pave Hawk replacement to hinge on USAF securing long-term funding guarantee

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The airframers CRH-60 will be a modified UH-60M Black Hawk

UAS ERIK SCHECHTER NEW YORK

US military asks for unmanned endurance lift

The US Navy and US Marine Corps are soliciting industry bids for an all-environment small unmanned air system (SUAS) that weighs less than 13.6kg (30lb), but which can y for 8h, carrying both day and night video cameras.

Such a system would represent a signicant boost in capability over comparably sized Group 1 unmanned aircraft currently in service with the US military, such as the hand-launched AeroViron-ment RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20A Puma.

Most Group 1 SUASs y less than 2h, and not all are all-envi-ronment, the navys tactical air-craft programmes ofce says.

The services also specify that proposed aircraft must be easy to launch and recover.

The recovery method must be adequate to prevent system dam-age and allow for short turna-round times between same-day missions, the request states, with the added proviso that the SUAS be rugged enough to sur-vive landing on rough terrain.

So far, manufacturers of SUAS are keeping tight-lipped about the potential opportunity, with the programme ofce having set a 29 November deadline to receive re-sponses. AeroVironment declines to comment, while Textron Systems conrms it is evaluating the request.

Royal Air Force crews have started ying training sorties using the services newly-upgraded Eurocopter Puma HC2 transport helicopters.

Seven of an eventual 24 improved HC2s have been delivered to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire so far, the Ministry of Defence says, with crews from its 33 and 230 squadrons training on the type.

Modied from the UKs previous Puma HC1 conguration under a 260 million ($423 million) service life-extension deal, the new standard fea-tures more powerful engines and an extended range.

Meanwhile, Royal Navy crews are training on RAF AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin HC3 transports, which will enter use with the Fleet Air Arms 846 Naval Air Squadron from autumn 2014.

TRAINING

RAF puts upgraded Pumas to the test

Rick

Ingh

am

FIN_031213_020.indd 20 28/11/2013 12:59

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22 | Flight International | 3-9 December 2013

BUSINESS AVIATION

FALCON BUYS AW169AgustaWestland has formalised a two-year-old pre-liminary sales contract for two AW169s with Abu Dhabi-based charter operator Falcon Aviation Services. The 4.5t twin-engined helicopters will join Falcons existing AgustaWestland eet, which includes a mix of four light twins, including the Grand and GrandNew. The AW169 was launched in 2010 and is scheduled for certication in 2014. Four prototypes have logged more than 470h to date, says the airframer.

SMALL-AIRCRAFT BOOSTThe US general aviation indus-try is celebrating the passage into law of the Small Airplane Revitalization Act following its approval by President Barack Obama. The act sets a two-year deadline for the US Federal Aviation Administration to enact sweeping reforms of airworthi-ness certication rules for small aircraft. The changes are designed to cut costs for indus-try and government and in-crease safety.

JET AVIATION TRAININGJet Aviation has received ap-proval from the Saudi Arabian civil aviation authority to provide on-site training courses in air-craft/passenger safety and maintenance from its bases in Jeddah, Riyadh and Medina. The General Dynamics-owned company has also expanded and refurbished the engine and wheel maintenance facilities and non-destructive testing shop at its Basel, Switzerland, facility to increase efciency and production capability.

DC IN AT DWCGerman business aviation ser-vices provider DC Aviation has begun operations at its new facility at the Dubai World Central airport from where it will provide services including VIP aircraft and passenger handling and maintenance.

IN BRIEF

China has simplied approval procedures for some private-ly-operated business and general aviation ights, in a move that could eventually lead to operat-ing restrictions being lifted across the country for the majority of business and GA aircraft users.

Under the new rules which become effective on 1 December private operators of Chinese-regis-tered aircraft will no longer need to seek prior ight approval from the military, which controls the majority of the countrys airspace. However, a ight plan will need to be submitted to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Foreign operators and those ying near restricted areas, dis-

puted borders or territories or special events will need to seek approval from the CAAC.

This will be done in consulta-tion with relevant additional au-thorities, says the US General Aviation Manufacturers Associa-tion. [This includes] the mili-tary, depending on the type of ight approval being sought for.

These operators will also be re-quired to have a secondary radar transponder on board, GAMA says, to ensure Chinese air trafc controllers maintain contact with the aircraft.

Ed Bolen, chief executive of the National Business Aviation Asso-ciation, says the introduction of the new policy marks a good step

forward for promoting business and GA operations in China and throughout the Asia-Pacic.

We are pleased that Chinese of-cials have adopted these regula-tions, he says. This development is the latest in a series of encourag-ing signs that China is committed to the industrys growth.

These signs include the publi-cation in 2011 of a ve-year plan in which the government cites aviation reform as a key priority in the period to 2015,

We hope to see further easing of ight restrictions on GA opera-tions, as the government gains comfort with the industry and becomes more aware of its future growth potential, Bolen adds.

REGULATION KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

China relaxes restrictions for private ight operatorsChinese-registered business and general aviation aircraft no longer subject to military veto

DELIVERY

Venezuela gets its Kodiak momentQuest Aircraft has delivered the rst Kodiak single-engined turboprop to an unnamed Venezuelan customer following certica-tion of the high-wing aircraft by the countrys civil aviation authority in mid-November.

This aircraft is equipped with an external cargo compartment and features the VIP Timberline interior, says the Sandpoint, Idaho-based company, which has delivered more than 100 Kodiaks since the Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6-powered aircraft entered service six years ago.

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Swiss business aviation ser-vices provider PrivatAir has launched a marketing campaign to attract new management cus-tomers and has set its sights on doubling its 13-strong eet by 2015.

The Geneva-headquartered company has not actively promoted its management busi-ness since it changed ownership in 2009. This was a rather dif-cult year for business aviation, says PrivatAirs director of air-craft management and sales Yann Nado.

PrivatAir has launched a pro-motional campaign to woo new owners of mainly top-of-the-range types such as the Bombar-dier Global, Airbus ACJ and Boe-ing BBJ families. PrivatAirs current eet spans the spectrum- of high-end aircraft from the large cabin Dassault Falcon 2000 to a VIP-congured 757 airliner.

STRATEGY

PrivatAir seeks to double its managed eet

FIN_031213_022-023.indd 22 2013-11-28 13:44

BUSINESS AVIATION


UK police poised for xed-wing trialGENERAL AVIATION P24

NASJET SWELLS FLEETSaudi Arabian private aviation operator NasJet is set to take delivery of a Boeing BBJ 3, Gulfstream G650 and a G450, which it will manage on behalf of the aircrafts Middle East-based owners. NasJet already manages ve BBJ VIP airliners and has the largest eet of Gulfstreams in the region.

UPGRADE APPROVEDUS engineering company Blackhawk has received Brazilian certication for its XP42A performance upgrade for the Cessna 208A Caravan. The modication includes a new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A engine with a Hartzell four-blade propeller, a compos-ite cowling and a high-efciency inlet duct. Waco, Texas-based Blackhawk says the package increases climb rate by 24% and cruise speed by 9%.

MEDICAL MEASURESNetJets is adding a new medi-cal communications device to all its Signature Series Challenger 350, 605 and Global 5000 and 6000 busi-ness jets. Developed by Remote Diagnostic Technologies, a Tempus IC de-vice uses the aircrafts onboard satellite communication sys-tem to connect to a doctor on the ground in a medical emer-gency. The device enables med-ical experts to begin helping the crew and passengers via a real-time video and voice link within minutes of a medical incident occurring on board, says NetJets.

MEBA 2014 SELLS FASTThe Middle East Business Aviation Association is looking to expand its 2014 convention in Dubai by around 20%, follow-ing strong demand for the bien-nial show. MEBA organiser F&E Aerospace says with more than a year to go until the 8-10 December event, more than half of the exhibition space is al-ready booked or reserved.

IN BRIEF

Booming demand for business aircraft management and char-tering from UK and international-based customers has helped to drive up Hangar8s prot by nearly 70% in the year to 30 June.

The Oxford-headquartered company operates a eet of 50 managed aircraft across its bases in Malta, Nigeria, Johannesburg and the UK.

During the year revenue climbed by 39% to 23.6m ($38.4 million), while gross prot climbed by 69% to 8.3m. We have seen a huge demand for

Dassault is preparing to deliver the rst Falcon 2000S to an Indian customer following certi-cation of the super-midsize busi-ness jet by the countrys civil avi-ation authority on 1 November. The aircraft will be handed over to an unnamed Bangalore-based customer in December.

The 10-seat twinjet has already been approved by the US, Euro-pean, Brazilian, Mexican and Turkish aviation authorities and Canadian validation is expected shortly, the French airframer says.

The 2000S was launched in May 2011 as a rival to Bombar-

Russian Helicopters Kazan fa-cility has produced the fourth and nal prototype of the Mil-38 helicopter for testing be-fore the heavy-twin enters series production. The company in-tends to certicate the design for the Russian market and start as-sembly by 2015, it says.

The fourth prototype differs from earlier airframes in having a French-made Aerazur crash-resist-ant fuel system and enlarged win-dows. The third prototype is being tested at Russian Helicopters To-milino facility near Moscow.

The Oboronprom subsidiary says it is focusing its efforts for the Mi-38 on markets where it tradi-tionally has a strong presence, such as Russia and other CIS countries, southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are currently talking to a number of potential customers, and will announce contracts in due course as they are signed.

It will consider obtaining a local certication if a foreign customer shows sufcient interest in the de-sign. The 15.6t Mi-38 is designed to undertake a variety of roles in-cluding VIP charter and offshore transportation.

diers Challenger 300 and Gulf-streams G280. It features in-board leading edge wing slats, high-Mach blended winglets, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C engines and an ap-proach speed of 107kt (198km/h), allowing it to land at airports with challenging, steep approaches and short runways such as London City.

The 2000S also sports a BMW Group DesignworksUSA interior and a redesigned cockpit incor-porating the EASy II ightdeck.

Dassault has delivered 10 ex-amples of the 2000S to date.

charter, particularly for our large cabin, long-range aircraft, says Hangar8 chief executive Dustin Dryden.

Flight activity for this seg-ment of our business doubled during the year ending 30 June.

Contract work for large corpo-rate clients in the oil, gas and mining industries mainly in Af-rica accounts for around 70% of Hangar8s business. This reg-ular work has given us stability in an otherwise volatile market-place, but ad hoc charter remains an important and lucrative part of

Super-midsize twin will be delivered to Bangalore buyer this month

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our business, says Dryden. The demand for long-distance

travel from Hangar8s growing customer base is behind the com-panys ambition to double its 11-strong eet of top-end jets seven Bombardier Global Ex-press/XRS, Global 5000s, three Gulfstream G450/G550s and a Boeing Business Jet over the next year. This will be done, Dryden says organically or through company acquisitions. There are good businesses out there that are lacking capital and direction, Dryden adds.

DEVELOPMENT KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

Dassault poised for rst Indian delivery of 2000S

ROTORCRAFT

Fourth Mi-38 prototype to begin tests

FINANCIAL KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

Prots take off at Hangar8Contract work from large corporate clients continues to generate majority of revenue

FIN_031213_022-023.indd 23 2013-11-28 13:48

GENERAL AVIATION


Explore 100 years of aviation history as it appeared in the original pages of Flight: ightglobal.com/archive

Australia is continuing the pro-cess of tightening the rules governing helicopter night ights in the wake of the fatal 18 August 2011 crash of a Eurocopter AS355F2 Twin Squirrel at Lake Eyre in South Australia.

The Australian Transport Safe-ty Board (ATSB) report says the single pilot became disorientated when ying under night visual ight rules (VFR) on a completely dark night. The aircraft (VH-NTV) entered an unintended de-scent during a right turn, and eventually impacted the ground at high speed with 90 bank. Nei-ther the two passengers nor the pilot survived the crash.

The ATSB notes that a night ight when there is no celestial or terrain light is effectively in in-strument meteorological condi-tions (IMC), and therefore should be conducted under instrument ight rules (IFR).

It advises operators planning night VFR ights to assess the po-tential for encountering dark night conditions, concluding: If

there is a likelihood of dark night conditions, the ight should be conducted as an IFR operation, or conducted by a pilot who has an IFR-equivalent level of instru-ment ying prociency in an air-craft equipped to a standard simi-lar to that required under IFR.

As a result of ATSB recom-mendations, Australias Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) advises it will require helicopter commercial air trans-port operations with passengers at night to be carried out either in a helicopter tted with an autopi-lot or with a two-pilot crew.

The ATSB determines that be-fore departure, the Twin Squirrel pilot had probably selected an incorrect destination on the air-crafts global positioning system. After levelling and initiating the right turn, the pilot became spa-tially disorientated.

Contributing factors were the dark night conditions, an attempt to correct the GPS input while levelling the aircraft for cruise ight, and the pilots

limited recent night and instru-ment ying experience. The heli-copter was not equipped with an autopilot, it adds.

The ATSB notes that existing rules on night VFR operations do not take into account dark night conditions that are effec-tively the same as IMC, but with-out the same level of safety pro-vided by IFR requirements.

New regulations being intro-duced either late this year or in early 2014 which do not come into force until 2015 will re-quire all air transport ights in helicopters with passengers oper-ating at night to be equipped with an autopilot or be own by a two-pilot crew, says CASA.

While this extends the range of operations required to have such risk controls, the ATSB notes it does not address the situation for other helicopter operations namely those not carrying pas-sengers. However, it says CASA should prioritise its efforts to address the safety risk associated with non-air transport ights.

UK investigators have deter-mined that a Britten-Norman Islander coastal search and res-cue aircraft was forced to crash-land at night in elds on the Channel Island of Jersey due to fuel starvation to the engines.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch Special Bulletin provides an initial factual report on the 3 November accident in which the aircraft (G-CIAS) was badly dam-aged but all ve people on board were uninjured.

The aircraft is equipped with air and marine communications and search and rescue equipment, op-erated by a charity and manned by volunteers.

The aircraft took off from Jer-sey in the evening darkness to offer assistance to a shing boat that was in trouble to the north-east of the island, but 15min after take-off one engine started to run intermittently, then the other did the same, and quickly they both stopped.

There was no moon, according to the AAIB, and a strong south-erly wind generating considera-ble turbulence. The pilot pre-pared for a forced landing in northern Jersey, and when he switched on the landing lights he saw he was lucky, according to the AAIB, to nd the aircraft was faced with a benign landing site in countryside that is mostly rocky and undulating. The land-ing roll was 140m, the main land-ing gear collapsed, and the air-craft came to rest against a tree.

Investigating why the engines had stopped delivering power, the AAIB notes that switches in-dicating which fuel tanks had been selected to supply the en-gines direct indicated selection of the wing-tip tanks, which had no fuel remaining in them.

The tip tanks had been select-ed on the previous ight and the setting had not been changed, according to the investigator. There was plenty of fuel in the main tanks.

SAFETY

Crash prompts rule change for helicopter night ightsAustralian regulator to tighten legislation for operations during hours of darkness

The UK National Police Air Service (NPAS) has awarded a contract to Austrias Airborne Technologies to deliver a role-equipped xed-wing surveil-lance aircraft for country-wide air support.

The platform a Vulcanair P68R piston twin will be equipped with a L-3 Wescam MX10 camera and Churchill Nav-igation Augmented Reality Sys-tem when it begins a six-month operational trial early next year.

If the evaluation is successful, Vulcanair says it could lead to the purchase of around six of the re-tractable undercarriage-equipped aircraft.

UK police poised for xed-wing trialAIR SUPPORT KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

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A six-month evaluation of the P68R will begin early next year

INVESTIGATION DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

Fuel tank mix-up behind Jersey forced landing

FIN_031213_024.indd 24 27/11/2013 16:38


Details make it go globalBUSINESS P26

ning their banks of screens, broke for lunch.

As ESAs head of mission operations Paolo Ferri observed about an hour before lift-off, the launch itself was not too much of a worry. Rockot, derived from the Soviet SS-19 ballistic missile, has been mostly reliable (though ESAs Cryosat was lost to a 2005 failure). The Breeze upper stage has caused a smattering of fail-ures. But the real worry, he said, was the payload separation from that upper stage, expected at T + 1:31:32, because Swarm is in fact three identical spacecraft, packed like sardines just centimetres apart inside the rockets fairing.

MULTIPLE LAUNCHNot only did Rockot/Breeze have to deliver them to orbit, they had to cleanly clear the upper stage and each other. Swarm marked the rst time ESA would try such a multiple launch; two or even one spacecraft could p

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