flight international nov 4-10, 2014

8/10/2019 Flight International Nov 4-10, 2014

1/56

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

A350 BATTERIES

Airbus reveals details ofwidebodys lithium-ionunits, but chemistry stillunder wraps 25

SUPERJET COUP

VLM to be Europes rstcustomer of Russian-builtairliner as it plots returnto scheduled services 19

EURONAVAL 2014

WE SEARCH OUT

THE LATEST IN AIR

SURVEILLANCE

DEFENCE P24

4-10 NOVEMBER 2014

ZHUHAI PREVIEW

CHINA INTHEIR HANDSBig two have all to play for in growing market

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 6 6

4 5

3.40


2/56

Over 100reasons forcommercialsuccess

airbus.com

A fi rm favourite with passengers, the A330 remains the

preferred choice for over 100 airlines worldwide who

continue to benefit from its proven unrivalled low operating

costs. From 30 minutes to 14 hour flights, the A330 offers

the most effi cient option in the 250-300 seat category

while being one of the most reliable aircraft ever with 99.4%dispatch reliability. Passengers enjoy more personal space

in the A330, even in economy with 18-inch wide seats as

standard. The new A330 Regional is no exception, it is the

only widebody which beats the economics of the most

effi cient single-aisle aircraft.

Airbus Widebody Family, our numbers will convince you.

Airbus Widebody Family


3/56


4/56

class, is designed to prevent harmful sand and

dust from reaching critical engine components.

engine that literally stays newer, longer.

CFM gives you more to believe in.

Go to cfmaeroengines.com

CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.

What doesnt gointo our engineis as importantas what does

MORE TO BELIEVE INPERFORMANCE | EXECUTION | TECHNOLOGY


5/56

4-10 November 2014 |Flight International|5ightglobal.com

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

4-10 NOVEMBER 2014

NEXT WEEK ITALYFor our annual country focus,we visit aerostructures rmDema, GE subsidiary Avioand AgustaWestland (above)

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

A350BATTERIESAirbusrevealsdetailsofwidebodyslithium-ionunits,butchemistrystillunderwraps 25

SUPERJETCOUPVLMtobe EuropesrstcustomerofRussian-builtairlinerasit plotsreturntoscheduledservices 19

EURONAVAL2014

WESEARCHOUTTHELATESTINAIR

SURVEILLANCE

DEFENCEP24

4-10NOVEMBER2014

ZHUHAIPREVIEW

CHINA INTHEIR HANDSBigtwohaveallto playforingrowingmarket

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 6 6

4 5

3.40

VOLUME 186 NUMBER 5463

French navy to deploy Searchmaster radar P24

Ryanairs chief OLeary commits until 2019 P21. Norwegian permit to be discussed by EU-US committeeP18

RexFeatures/AirTeamImages

DassaultAviation

NEWS

THIS WEEK

10 Explosion puts NASA on red alert

11 P&W powers A321neo to go further.Launch of Qatars Saudi subsidiary slips to 2015

12 Insitu reveals ScanEagle 2.Airbus, Tata bid for India transport replacement.Terrorist threat spreading says intelligence chief

15 Israel contract takes F-35 eet to 44.Hainan targets international network expansion

AIR TRANSPORT

18 Transatlantic summit set to debate Norwegianimpasse.Aeroot claims victory as carrier is relaunched

19 Breakthrough for Superjet.R-R and Safran link up for drive train production

20 Virgin Atlantic set to boost 787 eet

21 OLeary signs on for ve more years.Exit concern over A320 Recaro seat.

SF sizes up with P2F 777-300ER

DEFENCE

22 UK feels Afnity with new xed-wing trainers eet.HATS off as Boeing-Thales team bags deal.Auto ejection grounds Indias Su-30s

23 Gripen deal airborne as Saab and Brazilianpartners seal contract.Enter the Challenger as Cobham wins in Australia.Elbit points way with UAV laser

24 Searchmaster locates rst customer.Camcopter on duty over Ukrainian conict zone

BUSINESS AVIATION

26

Chinese plan aviation cities to give sector room

to grow.GE and Sierra team up for Citation engine retrot.Trio of investors launch fund for large-jet leasing

NEWS FOCUS

25 A350 battery details emerge

27 Watching them watching you

COVER STORY32 Cracking ChinaAirbus and Boeing are expecting

signicant demand growth in the country over 20years, but local challenges and potentialcompetition will keep them on their toes

FEATURES

28 CHINA COUNTRY SPECIALComacs big test isstill to come The Chinese airframer is pulling outall the stops to hit its end-2015 rst ight target forthe C919, but questions linger over its certicationin the West and wider market acceptance

36 Hidden powerZhuhai offers a peak into Chinasguarded military air capabilities, with observerswatching out for a J-20 or J-31 appearance thatmay provide clues to its ghter expertise

40 Chinas major airlinesOur infographic showswhere carriers are based, and their eet details

43 Chinas aerospace industryMap shows whataircraft types and equipment are built and where

REGULARS

9 Comment44 Straight & Level

45 Letters

48 Classified

52 Jobs

55 Working Week

BEHIND THE HEADLINESAirline BusinesseditorMax Kingsley-Jones(left)chaired Flightglobals Aviation

Partnership Summit inMadridwhere Akbar Al Baker,chief executive of QatarAirways group, outlined hisplans for Saudi domesticairline Al Maha (P11).

AirTeamImages

COVER IMAGE

Hainan Airlines will use its

new Boeing 787s to open

new routes to North

America as part of an ambi-

tious expansion drive.China special reportP32


6/56

ightglobal.com6 |Flight International|4-10 November 2014

CONTENTS

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Vote at flightglobal.com/poll

flightglobal.com/flight-international

Last week, we asked: Is Embraers KC-390 a genuine rivalfor the C-130?You said:

This week, we ask: Following its acquisition by Belgian airline VLM,is Superjet 100 set for?

Flurry of orders Modest uplift in demand Continued indifference from Western carriers

Flightglobals premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with proles

and schedules, as well as eet, nancial and trafc information at flightglobal.com/dashboard

Flightglobal dashboard

Flightglobal dashboard

New York Stock Exchange

The number of routes Ryanair will run from Copenhagen

when the airline starts operations there in March 2015

13

The debt impact of the two-week French pilots strike at Air

France-KLM in September, over terms at a low-cost unit

400m

The Orbital Sciences share price slump when trading

opened on 29 October, after its ISS launch failure

18.1%

THE WEEK IN NUMBERS

Ne

w

ZealandDefenceForce

IMAGE OFTHE WEEKThe Royal New ZealandAir Force officially tookownership of the first fourof its new Beechcraft T-6CTexan II trainers in a 31October handover ceremonyat Base Ohakea. Seven moreof the Wichita, Kansas-builtaircraft will be delivered bymid-2015, replacing theservices CT-4E Airtrainers

View more great aviation shotsonline and in our weekly tabletedition:

Yes, it willeat intoHerculesorders

27%

50%Will besold, butnot involume

23%No, jetengineswill restricttactical

utility

TOTAL

VOTES:

1,238

Download The Engine Directory.

flightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory

Download the new Commercial Engines Reportnow updated for 2014 with enhanced data and in-depth market analysis


7/56

THINK

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Airbus Helicopters equips the best police pilots with an elite range ofhomeland security helicopters. Serving communities for protection,

surveillance and interception duties. Outpacing criminals and patrolling

the highways.

Issue an EC145 T2.


8/56

COLT CHRONOGRAPH

CONGRATULATIONSTO THE

BREITLING RACING TEAM AND NIGEL LAMB,

2014 RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPION.


9/56

COMMENT


Read our archive of Flight

Internationalcomments on

editor Murdo Morrisons blog at

flightglobal.com/comment

UAVs need light touchTo safely integrate unmanned air systems with ordinary aircraft in controlled airspace is a

daunting challenge, except in one very congested country where the rules are sensibly exible

No slowing down in ChinaA

usterity-gripped European countries would loveChinas problems. As Beijing turns down the infla-

tionary heat, Asias biggest economy will grow about7% this year much less than the double-digit rates ofrecent years, but eye-watering by Western standards.

Yet, as the Zhuhai air show approaches, slowing in-dustrial output and consumer demand have promptedconcerns that the big two manufacturers may be over-stating predictions of the number of aircraft they hopeto sell there and that could have a telling impact ontheir 20-year production plans.

Chinese customers represent just 3% of the almost

11,400-strong Airbus and Boeing backlog the UK,Malaysia and Ireland each have more aircraft on order.

However, Toulouse and Seattle believe the country is amassive potential market, which will burgeon as air-lines and infrastructure catch up with demand for airtravel from its 1.4 billion citizens.

We agree. Competition remains king in the skies ofthis Communist country, and the arrival of dynamicand hungry new carriers should keep prices keen andensure the double-digit increase of traffic continues.

While there are aspirant aviation giants all over Asia,China represents the most stable long-term model, withthe government likely to keep a close eye on airlinesfinancial health and unsustainable growth ambitions.

Airbus and Boeing are right to expect big things.See China Special Report P32

With rapid advances in unmanned air vehicle capa-bility have naturally come demands from public

and private operators to realise the benefits of this newtechnology by flying in national airspace.

The challenges of safely mixing ordinary mannedwith unmanned aircraft in controlled airspace are well-documented, but the US Federal Aviation Administra-tion is gradually making progress towards its Congress-mandated goal of UAV airspace integration, allowingsome flights in Alaska and establishing six test sites.

But Congress wants US airspace open to unmanned

flight by 2015 a target that seems far-fetched in light ofthe difficulty the FAA and Department of Transportationhad in merely establishing a legal framework to author-ise the test sites, which are small areas of airspace.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority, on the other hand,oversees what is by definition already open airspace,with the authority in control of awarding certificatesfor UAV flight that would impact the general public orother aircraft. UAVs under 20kg (40lb) are largely

exempt from regulations, and operators need only in-form the CAA of a flight if they are making commercialgains or planning to fly in a congested public area. Ex-emptions on aircraft up to 150kg can be authorisedunder the current laws, as long as certain criteria aremet in terms of speed and public risk.

The UK is taking a balanced and logical approach tothe integration challenge; the CAA acknowledges that

model aircraft were flown long before the proliferationof UAV technology, and general law covers the use oflow-altitude systems. Some prosecutions have beenmade against small system users when the CAA feltflights were made dangerously close to infrastructureor the public.

The UK is also fitting its regulations into a widerEuropean framework without attempting to achieve aone-size-fits-all regime as the UK is unique in Europein the density of its lower level airspace, where UAVs

typically fly.Ultimately, the UK isnt policing everything and it

does not expect UAVs to be fully integrated straightaway. Rather, the UK is taking a systematic, logicalstance that is evolving with demand, circumstancesand technology.

The CAAs approach should be a model for its inter-national peers. If a nation with such a busy airspacecan embrace this technology, countries with relativelyopen skies should follow suit.

The UK is taking a systematic,

logical stance that is evolving

with demand and technology

RexFeatures

News Focus P27

Looks even better from below


10/56

THIS WEEK


Read Flightglobals recent archive

of spaceight coverage at

flightglobal.com/spaceflight

ETIHAD, ALITALIA OFFER UP SLOTS FOR MERGER

COMPETITIONEtihad Airways and Alitalia have offered to give up

several airport slots on the Rome-Belgrade route in a bid to winEuropean Commission approval for merger plans that would see

Etihad acquire a 49% share of Italys national carrier. Brussels could

rule on the matter as soon as 17 November.

BOMBARDIER ORDERS, DELIVERIES RISE IN Q3

MANUFACTURINGBombardiers third quarter net orders nearly

trebled year-on-year to 76 aircraft, including 40 CS300s for a division

of Macquarie AirFinance. Deliveries of 71 commercial aircraft

marked an increase of 26. Aerospace revenues rose by 29% to $2.6

billion, though EBIT dipped 14% to $74 million. Bombardier contin-

ues to target CS100 service entry for the second half of 2015.

HSBC JOINS VIRGIN-LANZATECH CLEAN FUEL PACT

INVESTMENTUK bank HSBC is to bankroll the ramp-up to demon-stration scale of a three-year old Virgin Atlantic-LanzaTech waste

gas-to-jet fuel project. Virgin boss Richard Branson says he foresees

at least one plane ying in 2015 on 50% LanzaTech fuel, which is

made of waste gases from steel and aluminium production.

MEXICO BOLSTERS C295 FLEET

NAVAL AVIATIONMexico has agreed to buy two additional Airbus

C295s for its navy, which already ies four of the medium transports.

The Mexican air force operates six, and with smaller CN235s and

C212s there will be 22 Airbus Defence & Space aircraft operating in

Mexico, the companys largest customer in Latin America.

AIRLINES NOT INTERESTED IN MISSILE PROTECTION

SAFETYDemand from operators of aerial refuelling, cargo and VIPaircraft for an Israeli-developed system for protection against

shoulder-red missiles is growing signicantly but its maker, Elbit

Systems, sees no real demand from airlines. So far, Israeli airlines

are the only carriers to use the C-MUSIC directed infrared system.

SLOVAKS LIKE SPARTAN APPROACH TO TRANSPORT

MILITARY AIRCRAFTAlenia Aermacchi has contracted with

Slovakia to supply two C-27J Spartan twin turboprop military

transports, including logistic support and the training of pilots and

maintenance personnel. According to Flightglobals Ascend data-

base, there are 51 of the type in service and 15 on order.

VEGA DELAY TO BETTER PLOT NEW PATH TO SPACE

SPACEFLIGHTThe European Space Agency has postponed the 18November launch of its Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), to

further study the trajectory of the Vega rocket. Vega, which has own

successfully three times, normally launches to the north to reach

polar orbits, but will y east with IXV to release the spaceplane

demonstrator on a 100min suborbital path to the Pacic Ocean.

UK MILITARY ATM TO GET FUTURE-PROOFED

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENTA NATS and Thales team has been

awarded a 1.5 billion ($2.4 billion), 22-year UK Ministry of Defence

contract to upgrade a fragmented military air trafc management

system with a exible service that is future-proofed to handle

regulatory and technological change. This Aquila joint venture will

from 1 April 2015 support some 100 domestic and international air

trafc management installations, including 60 airelds and ranges.

BRIEFING

NASA got a stern reminder ofthe hazards of spaceflight

when an International SpaceStation resupply mission endedin spectacular failure on 28 Octo-ber, just metres above the launchpad at Wallops Island, Virginia.

Seconds after lift-off, the An-tares rocket developed and op-

erated by Orbital Sciences underthe private sector partnershipscheme NASA has relied on forcargo flights since it retired itsSpace Shuttle fleet in 2011 ex-ploded in a fireball, made all themore spectacular for being anight-time launch.

No-one was hurt on the groundand the six ISS crew in orbit arein no immediate danger ofrunning short of provisions.However, at a post-incident pressconference NASA acknowl-

edged Congressional critics of itsprivate sector launch partner-ships, which will see Boeing andSpaceX ferry US astronauts to theISS from 2017 a service current-ly bought from the Russians.

Noting that the rockets whichwill carry US astronauts will notuse the Antaress AJ-26 main en-gines one of which appears tohave exploded in the Wallops in-cident associate administratorWilliam Gerstenmaier empha-sised that space launches are a

tough business. As for upcom-ing human launches by private

contractors, he says that he andNASA have been pretty openwith our Congressional friends inWashington, explaining how dif-ficult our launch business is.

He went on: The importantthing is we dont overreact to thisfailure. That we really under-stand what occurred and fix it,

and fix it with some confidence.But Gerstenmaier, in a further

remark clearly aimed at everyoneassociated with launches insideNASA and at its contractors,says: Dont get over-confident.Cargo flights, he says, are a learn-ing opportunity where we canafford to have some failures.

Two previous flights of Antaresand Orbitals Cygnus spacecraftwere successful. The cause offailure is not yet known, butvideo shows the steady burn of

the rockets main engine becomea violent explosion at the base ofthe vehicle.

AJ-26 engines are supplied byAerojet Rocketdyne, whichacquired from Russia a number ofSoviet-era NK-33s, originallydesigned in the 1960s for theSoviet Moon programme. Refur-bished and Americanised, theengines are tough and robust,says Orbital vice-president FrankCulbertson. And, he adds, each isthoroughly tested so there is as

yet no cause to connect Wallopsto a May 2014 testbed failure.

SPACEFLIGHTDAN THISDELL LONDON

Explosion puts

NASA on red alertAgency vows to x source of spectacular cargo launch failureand warns against complacency as human ights approach

The mission ended

shortly after launch in

a spectacular fireball

RexFeatures


11/56

THIS WEEK


Insitu reveals

ScanEagle 2

THIS WEEK P12

A2% fuel efficiency improve-ment promised by Pratt &Whitney last July helped Airbussecure approval to test the marketfor a longer-range version of theA321neo aimed at replacing theBoeing 757 on transatlanticroutes, says president of AirbusAmericas Barry Eccleston.

So far, CFM International hasnot offered a similar range-improving reduction in fuel con-sumption on the rival Leap-1Aengine, leaving the PW1100G-JM

geared turbofan as the only engineoption offered to airlines,Eccleston told Flightglobal on thesidelines of the British AmericanBusiness Council aerospace con-ference on 28 October.

We have not had that proposalyet from [CFM], Eccleston says.

CFM, however, is confidentthat fuel efficiency improvementswill become available on the Leapengine family over time. Therewill absolutely be Leap up-grades, CFM says, noting tech-

nology in development for theGE9X engine. However, we arenot ready to provide specifics interms of what these upgrades willbe, what value we expect them toadd, or a timeline at this time.

P&W unveiled the 2% fuel ef-ficiency improvement for theA320neo family at Farnboroughin July. That pledge came twomonths after P&W announcedthat a 35,000lb-thrust version ofthe PW1100G-JM will be availa-ble for the A321neo.

The launch of Qatar AirwaysSaudi domestic carrier Al

Maha has slipped to early nextyear as the local regulatory pro-cess is still ongoing. The Doha-based carrier had planned to startservices at the end of 2014.

Speaking at Flightglobals

Aviation Partnership Summit inMadrid, Qatar Airways chief ex-

ecutive Akbar Al Baker said thatwhile the first A320 for the newairline has just entered the Airbuspaint shop, it may initially beoperated by the parent carrier dueto a slip in the launch schedule.

There is a possibility that aswe are going to receive those air-

craft before we have finished allthe regulatory requirements, that

we will start flying the aircrafton Qatar Airways networkinstead of parking them in Tou-louse, he says.

He describes the division asan independent full-service air-line bordering on low-coststructure that will serve the

Saudi domestic route network.Although it is 100% Qatar

Airways-owned, Al Baker sayshe would be very open to in-terest from Saudi investors.

Al Maha will launch opera-tions with a fleet of Airbus single-aisle aircraft but Al Baker says amove to larger aircraft on Sauditrunk routes is an option: We are

showing interest to Airbus inA330neos for this project.

Launch of Qatars Saudi subsidiary slips to 2015START-UP

PRODUCTION

Mobile still mobile despite the floodsTwo rainstorms last April ooded

Airbus partially-built factory in

Mobile, Alabama, but will not delay

the start of production in less than

12 months, says Airbus Americas

president Barry Eccleston.

The storms transformed the

A320 nal assembly hall at Brookley

Field into a large swimming pool,

Eccleston says.

Despite the ooding, Airbus still

plans to inaugurate Station 40 in the

nal assembly hall in slightly less

than a year, he says. Station 40 is

the assembly position where Airbus

mates the wings to the fuselage.

The rst A321 assembled at the

factory will be delivered in 2016,

with production rising to four aircraft

per month in 2017.

Construction of the Mobile com-

plex began in July 2013 as the nal

piece of a decade-long industry ex-

pansion by Airbus in the USA.

PROPULSION

P&W powers A321neo to go furtherMore efcient PW1100G engines give Airbus condence to take on 757 on transatlantic with longer-range narrowbody

Eccleston describes the engineimprovement as one of a handfulof critical factors that convergedin recent weeks to allow Airbusto test the market for a transatlan-tic A321neo. Airbus engineersreleased from development of theA350-900 and early design workon the A330neo family also de-termined that it was possible toachieve extra range on theA321neo by strengthening thewing and the landing gear,

Eccleston says.Airbus met one US airline that

operates the 757 on transatlanticroutes during the week of 20October, Eccleston says. The cur-rent US operators are AmericanAirlines, Delta Air Lines, UnitedAirlines and US Airways.

Airbus received a terrificresponse from the US airline,Eccleston adds. That doesntmean to say theyre going to buyit. We havent made a formal offeryet anyway.

The manufacturer is still onlytesting the market for the transat-lantic routes now operated by757s only, he says. Airbus is notyet ready to offer the aircraft onanother popular 757 route be-tween Hawaii and the westernthird of the USA.

Hawaiian Airlines and USAirways both A321 customers

now use 757s on those routes withdense seating configurations.

The longer-range A321neoconcept could connect Hawaii tothe mainline. However, it is notclear if the proposed aircraftwould have the ability to land onshort runways on the islands inhigh temperatures with a fullpassenger load.

The type can gain extra range with

strengthened wings and landing gear


12/56

THIS WEEK


For more coverage of the burgeoning

unmanned air system sector log on to

flightglobal.com/UAV

MILESTONE

Emirates 100th 777-300ER arrivesEmirates has taken delivery of its 100th Boeing 777-300ER, more

than two decades after the Dubai-based airline ordered its rst 777.

The carrier has 142 777s in its eet and 51 of the -300ER variant

on order, and is the only airline to operate all variants of the twinjet.

Boeing

SAFETY JON HEMMERDINGERWASHINGTON DC

Terrorist threatspreading says

intelligence chief

Airbus Defence & Space is

teaming up with Tata Ad-vanced Systems to offer theAirbus C295 medium airlifter asa replacement for the Indian airforces ageing fleet of small tacti-cal transports. The main competi-tor is Alenia Aermacchi, with itsC-27J Spartan.

If the C295 is chosen Tatawould be Indian production part-ner for the project, which entailsreplacing 56 British AerospaceAvro 748s. Airbus says it wouldsupply the first 16 aircraft in flya-

way condition from its own finalassembly line, and the remaining

40 would be manufactured and

assembled by Tata in India.Domingo Urea Raso, Airbus

Defence & Space executive vice-president for military aircraft,says: We firmly believe that inthe C295 we have clearly the bestaircraft to replace the IAF Avrofleet, and in Tata AdvancedSystems we have secured thecream of the Indian privateaerospace sector.

Tata chairman S Ramadoraidescribes the partnership as alandmark for the development of

aircraft manufacturing capabili-ty in the country.

Threats posed by terrorism tocivilian aviation are on the rise

despite the improvements in secu-rity and intelligence that followed9/11, says US director of nationalintelligence James Clapper.

In a speech on 27 October tothe AVSEC World aviation safetyconference in Washington DC,Clapper said aviation faces newthreats as terrorist groups haveevolved. The threat really isntdiminishing. Its spreading glob-

ally and it is morphing, he says.Clapper, whose job involves en-

suring US intelligence agenciescollaborate to counter threats,notes that additional terroristfranchises have sprung up since2001, including groups likeal-Qaeda in the Arabia Peninsula,which has tried to attack civilianaviation three times since 2009.

Clapper adds that Russias re-sponse to the crash of MalaysiaAirlines flight MH17 over Ukrainein July reminded him of the Soviet

Unions response following the1983 destruction of a Korean AirBoeing 747. He says the incidentproves terrorism is not the onlythreat facing civil aviation.

Insitu has introduced a newversion of its ScanEagle un-manned air vehicle with a new-build engine that could facilitatefurther business in the commer-cial market.

The company has taskedOrbital with building a new en-gine to increase the reliability ofthe UAV, a feature that will ap-peal to commercial customers asit ensures a safer system for inte-gration into national airspace.

The ScanEagle has been opera-

tional for 10 years, during whichtime it has amassed some 800,000flight hours with the US Navy,among other operators. The newiteration allows the type to keepup with technology that has de-veloped over the past decade.

There are obviously many les-sons learned, and there are lots ofareas that we identified for con-stant improvement of the sys-tem, Ryan Hartman, presidentand chief executive of Insitu saidat the Euronaval exhibition in

Paris. Technology has maturedto a point where we can do aquantum leap...in a few areas.

The type will boast the first re-ciprocating internal combustion

CONTEST DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

Airbus, Tata bid for Indiatransport replacement

Insitu

Orbital designed the

internal combustion

propulsion system

propulsion system designed andmanufactured specifically for aUAV, the company adds.

Insitu is assessing how an up-grade package will be offered toexisting ScanEagle operators, butsays it expects ConocoPhilips,which operates the ScanEagle inUS airspace in Alaska, to opt forthe upgraded system.

Hartman says the commercialmarket, unlike its military coun-terpart, is not just looking for astandard intelligence, surveil-

lance and reconnaissance capa-bility. The new UAV, with an en-hanced payload capacity andbetter reliability, will facilitategrowth in this market.

Integration into national air-space requires reliability andconfidence in a system that isbeing operated alongsidemanned aircraft, he says.

Insitu has received the first ofthe new Orbital powerplants,which will shortly undergo test-ing ahead of new orders forScanEagle 2, that will be takenstarting in 2015.

The ScanEagle 2 also has a big-ger nose that will provide a multi-intelligence sensor capability, so

the UAV can carry day and nightcameras simultaneously. On theoriginal ScanEagle the differentsensors had to be swapped outwhen required.

UNMANNED SYSTEMS BETH STEVENSON PARIS

Insitu reveals ScanEagle 2Airframer targets civil UAV market with improved payload and reliable new-build engine


13/56

Pilots love this airplane for its quietness

and superb handling characteristics

its larger flight deck makes pilots feel more comfortable,

especially on long routes.

Boeing offers great support for the 787,

making its operation smoother and smoother.

Captain Pu Ming

VP of Operations

Hainan Airlines

THE DREAMLINER EFFECT.

HAINAN AIRLINES SUCCESS.

www.newairplane.com/787/dreamliner-effect


14/56


15/56

THIS WEEK


EU-US committee todiscuss Norwegianair carrier permitAIR TRANSPORT P18

PROCUREMENT DAN PARSONS WASHINGTON DC

Israel contract takes F-35 fleet to 44IAI gears up for wing production with countrys rst batch of 19 Lightning II ghters due to arrive between 2017 and 2018

Hainan targets international network expansionSTRATEGYMAVIS TOH SINGAPORE

Lockheed

Martin

The country already

purchased 19 of the type

at a cost of $2.75 billion

AirTeamImages

The airline will operate eight Boeing 787s by the end of the year

Israel has decided to increase itsacquisition of Lockheed Martin

F-35 Lightning II fighters by 25aircraft, bringing its fleet to 44 ofthe fifth-generation type.

The countrys second contract,which is not yet finalised, wasapproved in principle whenIsraeli Defense Minister MosheYaalon recently met with his UScounterpart, Defense SecretaryChuck Hagel, in Washington DC.

Israel has already purchased19 of the aircraft at a cost of $2.75

billion. The first two F-35s aredue to arrive in Israel by early2017, and the rest should be de-livered by 2018. The Israeli airforce (IAF) plans to base the air-craft at Nevatim air base in thesouthern region of the country.

The F-35s wings will be builtin Israel by Israel AerospaceIndustries (IAI), and Lt GenChristopher Bogdan, the Penta-gons F-35 programme chief,plans to visit Israel this week forthe official inauguration of the

wing production line. IAI willbegin delivery of F-35 wings toLockheed Martin in mid-2015.

The decade-long contract forF-35 wing production is part ofLockheeds plan to share manu-facturing costs and responsibili-

Hainan Airlines wants to dou-

ble its international businesswithin three years.

The Chinese carriers interna-tional network now accounts forabout 15% of its total revenues,and the aim is to grow the figureto 30% over the next two to threeyears, vice general manager ofmarketing Liu Jichun says.

He believes the airlines do-mestic business will likely belimited by congestion at thecountrys main airports, coupledwith competition which will lead

to a capacity increase. Chinasgrowing high-speed rail network

will also put more pressure on

the domestic air travel market.The carrier, which features on

Flight Internationals cover thisweek, aims to launch services to atleast two new North Americandestinations using its Boeing 787snext year, and has plans to enterthe Spain, Italy and UK markets.

By the end of the year, Hainanwill have a fleet of 27 widebod-ies: 16 Airbus A330s, eight 787sand three Boeing 767s, Liu says.

Flightglobals Ascend Fleetsdatabase shows that Hainan has a

fleet of 124 aircraft in service, com-prised mostly of Boeing 737s.

ties among its partner nations, al-though Israel is technically aforeign military sales customerunder US law. The contract isworth up to $2.5 billion.

IAI has invested substantiallyin the advanced systems andtechnologies required to producethe wings since signing the con-tract in April 2013.

Lockheed recently reached an

agreement with the US govern-ment for the eighth lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP),which comprises 43 aircraft.This represents 29 of the type forthe USA and the remaining 14for international customers, in-

cluding four for the UK, two forNorway, two for Italy, four forJapan and two of Israels initialpurchase of 19 aircraft.

As international partner pur-chases begin to be made, theprice per aircraft a perpetualconcern is meant to decline.Neither Lockheed nor the USgovernment has released a figurefor the LRIP 8 contract, because it

has not yet been finalised.Cost details will be released

once the contract is finalised;however, in general, the averageunit price for all three variants ofthe airframe in LRIP 8 is approxi-mately 3.6% lower than the pre-

vious contract, Lorraine Martin,Lockheeds F-35 chief, says.

LRIP 7, with conventionaltake-off and landing engines bought under a separate contractfrom Pratt & Whitney wasworth $115 million per aircraft,so the 3.6% figure would meanlot eight should have unit costs ofaround $110.6 million.

The US Navy was set to begin

testing its carrier-based LightningII, the F-35C, aboard the USSNimitzon November 3, when anexample was due to land aboardthe vessel in the Pacific Ocean.Additional reporting by Arie

Egozi in Tel Aviv


16/56

Business ClassSoar to a place where productivity is the law of the land.

Qaar Airways was awarded he ile o Bes Business Classby Skyrax in 2013 and 2014, and on our A380, Business Class

coninues o se a new benchmark. Geting work done happens

efforlessly inside our A380 Business Class cabin. The cabins

1-2-1 seaing configuraion provides easy aisle access or every

cusomer and generous space all round, so you can work in comor

and privacy. Wih Wi-Fi, SMS service, and power oules or your

personal devices a your fingerips, you have all he necessiiesyou need o bring an idea o lie.

The Firs Class cabin eaures eigh ulra-wide seas ailored in

he sofes abric and wih signaure design elemens. Each sea

can recline o 180 degrees o creae an 81-inch long, ully-fla bed.

Cenral and aisle dividers can be raised o afford more privacy and

lowered o provide a eeling o exra spaciousness when ravellingwih a companion. We believe he secre o unorgetable flying is

simple. Is all in he deail.

First ClassYour Space

Overall Length: .m

Height: .

Cabin Length:

Main Deck Upper Deck

Wing Span: . m

Track: . m

Wheelbase: . m

Worlds 5-sar airline. qatarairways.com

Welcome to our A.Its all in the detail.


17/56

Economy ClassEscape the ordinary and

enjoy the flight in style.

The LoungeSanctuary in the sky

80 lounge is the ideal place for First and Business Classrs to relax, read a favourite magazine, or simply enjoy the

e. This unique, spacious area is a sanctuary in the sky.

ge has a curved central bar, adorned with fresh flowers. A

g chandelier inspired by contemporary Arabian design and

in gold hangs above to give you an added sense of luxury.

Enjoy a new level of comfort and entertainment in our A380

Economy Class. The cabin is designed with passenger comfort

at the forefront. Delicious cuisine and the latest generation of

in-flight entertainment makes flying enjoyable for all.


18/56


For up-to-the-minute air transport news,

network and eet information sign up at:

flightglobal.com/dashboard

AIR TRANSPORT

European Commission and USofficials will meet in Wash-ington DC next month to discussNorwegian Air Internationals(NAI) controversial application

for a foreign air carrier permitfrom US authorities, say sources.

We understand that theunprecedented extraordinarymeeting of the EU-US joint com-mittee that oversees the EU-USopen skies agreement will takeplace on 25 November.

APPLICATION

EU officials had requested an ur-gent meeting after the USDepartment of Transportation(DOT) in September rejected

NAIs application for exemptionauthority to operate to the USA,saying it was not in the public in-terest to approve the request.

DOT said in September it wasstill reviewing NAIs applicationfor a foreign air carrier permit.

EU officials plan to clarifyand resolve questions relating tothe application of the EU-US AirTransport Agreement as regardsthe application of Norwegian AirInternational for an exemptionand its request for a foreign air

carrier permit, said EuropeanCommission acting director for

aviation and international trans-port affairs Olivier Onidi in a 9October letter to US Departmentof State deputy assistant secre-tary for transportation affairs

Thomas Engle.Onidi had proposed in the

letter, a copy of which has beenseen by Flightglobal, for themeeting to take place in Brussels

on either 11 or 20 November. It isnot immediately clear why themeeting is now taking place inWashington instead.

NAI is an Ireland-based sub-sidiary of Norwegian, whichplans to transfer its long-haul op-erations to NAI. Norwegian al-ready serves the USA non-stopthrough its Oslo-based subsidiaryNorwegian Long Haul. These

flights are not affected by theDOTs decision in September.

Norwegian had planned forNAI to take over the flights, butthe airlines plans in the USAattracted a firestorm of protestfrom several airlines and labour

groups, which have accusedNorwegian of basing NAI in Ire-land to escape stricter labourlaws in Norway.

NAIs critics also say that thecarrier will benefit from lowerlabour costs by using crew basedin Asia.

REPRESENTATIVES

Norwegian chief executive BjornKjos is scheduled to speak inWashington on 20 November atan industry event, where he is

expected to make a case forNorwegians plans to anaudience that will include repre-sentatives from the US govern-ment, airlines, labour and lobby-ing groups.

On 23 October, Kjos said thatNorwegian is not planning toopen any further transatlanticroutes until it can secure an op-erating permit for its Irish low-cost subsidiary.

Kjos said during an investorbriefing that we will stick to the

[existing] transatlantic routesuntil then.

In what is believed to be an in-dustry first, Qatar Airways hasaccepted four Boeing widebodieson the same day.

On Monday [27 October], wetook delivery of four Boeing air-

craft three 787s and a 777,said Qatar Airways group chiefexecutive Akbar Al Baker atFlightglobals Aviation Partner-ship Summit in Madrid. Eachwas on their way to Doha at15min intervals.

Never in the history of an air-line have so many aircraft beentaken in just one day, he adds.

Qatar Airways holds orders for94 777s and 30 787s. Later thisyear, the Oneworld carrier will be-come the first customer to receive

the Airbus A350, with deliveriesdue to start in December.

Aeroflot is to brand its newlow-cost carrier Pobeda,meaning Victory, after its previ-ous budget operation, Dobrolet,was forced to halt services.

The airline will use Boeing737-800s and largely retainDobrolets livery, although thefleet will carry the revised name.

Aeroflot had launched budgetservices with Dobrolet in June butthe carriers controversial initialroute to Crimea, the Ukrainian ter-ritory annexed by Russia earlier

this year, made the airline a targetof European Union sanctions.

Dobrolet was forced to suspendservices in August but Aeroflotvowed to resurrect its budgetstrategy. Aeroflots selection ofPobeda illustrates its defiance.

Next year, on 9 May, Russiawill celebrate the 70th anniversa-ry of victory in the Second WorldWar. Aeroflot chief Vitaly Save-liev says that the name also sym-bolises victory over externalchallenges faced by Russia this

year.

AirTeamImages

REGULATIONSGHIM-LAY YEO

WASHINGTON DC

Transatlantic summit set todebate Norwegian impasseUS and EC ofcials will hold talks over airlines controversial plans for Irish-based permit

EU officials will

clarify the EU-US Air

Transport Agreement

as regards Norwegian

Air InternationalOLIVIER ONIDI

Acting director for aviation affairs, EC

LOW-COST

Aeroot claimsvictory as carrieris relaunched

DELIVERIES

Four Boeings ina day for Qatar




Opposition to a planned

budget operation flying to

the USA has been strong


19/56


Rolls-Royce and Safran Groupdivision Hispano-Suiza havefinalised their plans for a drive-train joint venture for civil air-craft engines.

The two sides had disclosed atentative agreement for theventure in July. It will be basedinitially on an exclusive 25-yearcontract covering a range of civilaircraft, including the AirbusA330neo, to be powered byRolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

Production facilities will bebuilt in a competitive country,says Safran, beginning next year.

The facility is expected to startoperating in late 2016 or early2017. The venture will employabout 180 staff.

Hispano-Suizas site atColombes, outside Paris, willserve as the ventures headquar-ters. It will also have a presenceat Rolls-Royces plants at Derbyand Dahlewitz.

AIR TRANSPORTVirgin Atlantic setto boost 787 eetAIR TRANSPORT P20

Belgian carrier VLM is tobecome the first EuropeanUnion operator of the SukhoiSuperjet 100 following a dealwith Ilyushin Finance to leasetwo of the regional aircraft.

It has options for a further pairand purchase rights on 10 more.Lease periods on the first two jets,which are subject to a letter of in-tent, will run for 12 years.

The airline which is complet-ing a management buy-out fromIntro Aviation will use the Rus-

sian-built twinjets to return toscheduled services from its Ant-werp base in April next year.

Since becoming part of AirFrance-KLMs CityJet business in2009, VLM has operated charterand wet-lease services for Euro-pean airlines, including CityJet,using a fleet of 12 Fokker 50s.

New VLM chief executive andmajority shareholder ArthurWhite says the airline will try outthe scheduled market with two

Airbus

ROLLOUT

Vietnam Airlines A350-900 emergesVietnam Airlines rst A350-900 aircraft has rolled out of the Toulouse

assembly hall, and is set to begin ground tests.

The aircraft, which the carrier will lease from AerCap, is on track for

delivery in mid-2015, making Vietnam Airlines the rst carrier in the

Asia-Pacic to receive the new type. Airbus says that some of the

major airframe assembly has been completed, and the aircrafts

electrical power has also been turned on. The aircrafts cabin installa-

tion will also continue a process that started in station 40.

Vietnam Airlines has orders for 10 A350s, with an additional four

aircraft to be provided by lessors.

The airline hopes to announce its destinations soonVLM

or three routes. If successful in its

bids for traffic rights, it should beflying four Superjets and two Fok-ker 50s on scheduled routes bythe end of the year, he says. VLMhopes to announce its new desti-nations in the coming weeks.

VLM has opted for the long-range version of the Russian-builtaircraft, the Superjet 100LR.White says the airline considereda number of types, includingEmbraers E-Jets and the Boeing737, before committing.

The advantage the Superjet

has in terms of comfort, with itswide cabin was a real driver, hesays. The performance of thelong-range model also suits Ant-werps short runway.

Sukhoi has a total of 166 or-ders for the Superjet 50 ofwhich have been delivered,Flightglobals Ascend Fleets data-base shows. However, MexicosInterjet is so far the only Westerncustomer, with 11 aircraft and or-ders for nine more.

ORDERMURDO MORRISON LONDON

Breakthrough for SuperjetBelgiums VLM to relaunch scheduled services as rst European operator of Sukhoi type

ENGINES

R-R and Safranlink up for drivetrain production

Passenger Convenience Shorten Aircraft Turns

Saving

Non Productive Hour www.komy.com

Wide eld of view with at surfacethe rst in the world! !

Komy Co., Ltd.


20/56


AIR TRANSPORTFor up-to-the-minute air transport news,



Virgin Atlantic intends to exer-cise its Boeing 787-9 optionsand is looking at the -10 variant asa potential replacement for leasedLondon Gatwick-based 747s.

Firming of the airlines four -9options would bring its 787 fleetto 21 aircraft by the end of 2018,notes chief executive CraigKreeger. We have not exercisedthose last four options but we arecommunicating very clearly thatwe plan to, he says.

Speaking on a chartered 787

flight to Atlanta for media, guestsand company executives on 23October, Kreeger also disclosedthat a follow-on order for the larg-est 787 variant, the -10, is beingconsidered as the airline moves toa decision on how to adapt its fleetafter leases on seven Gatwick-based 747s expire in 2019.

While the -10, with 323 seats,is smaller than other candidateaircraft the 777 and AirbusA350 it offers the advantage offleet commonality and the atten-

dant efficiency in pilot trainingamong other areas, he notes.

Virgin put its first 787-9 intorevenue service on 28 October,flying the aircraft to Boston. Theairline is the first in Europe to op-erate the variant.

The second of the 17 firmlyordered 787s which are replac-ing A340s and London Heath-row-based 747s will enter ser-vice with Virgin by year-end.

Washington DC, Newark andNew York JFK have been ear-marked as the carriers next 787

destinations after Boston. Kreegersays the plan is to stay on theEast Coast in the early days as webuild up our number of pilotswho have done many landingson that airplane.

But while the 787 is flying to

places that are shorter-haul forVirgin Atlantic for the first sev-eral months, Kreeger stresses thatit will move, noting that its agreat airplane for places like HongKong, places like Johannesburg.

He adds: The aircraft is a greatairplane from an economic per-

spective in any route that we fly it;its a particularly good airplanethe longer you fly it, where thebenefits and fuel savings get big-ger. So the West Coast of the USand Asia are two great examples.

Virgins 787s will make up

almost 60% of its aircraft invento-ry by the end of 2018. Today, thein-service long-haul fleet compris-es 10 A330s, 15 A340s, 12 747sand one 787, Flightglobals As-cend Fleets database shows.

Meanwhile, the airline is toturn its attention to deciding how

to replace its Gatwick-based Boe-ing 747s. Virgin has a dozen 747-400s 11 of them leased, Flight-globals Ascend Fleets databaseshows. Seven of the jumbos arebased at Gatwick and five atHeathrow.

INVENTORY NIALL OKEEFFE ATLANTA

Virgin Atlantic set to boost 787 fleetAirline to exercise options on four examples of -9 variant and weighs follow-on order for -10 to replace Gatwick-based 747s

RECRUITMENT DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

Cadet scheme will be first MPL to put graduates straight into right-hand seat

Virgin Atlantic has announced its

rst ab initiopilot training pro-

gramme aimed at attracting youngcadets into a commercial airline

career. Also, in a European rst,

Virgin will be using the multi-crew

pilot licence (MPL) system to deliver

graduates straight into the co-pilots

seat of widebody airliners.

The Virgin Atlantic future yers

programme, operated by Virgin in

conjunction with UK ight training

organisation CTC Aviation, will offer

about 12 aspiring pilots with no previ-

ous ying experience the chance to

train for a career with the airline. The

airline explains that the programme

is the only one in Europe to see new

recruits training on long-haul aircraft

once they receive their licence.

Applications opened on 30 Octoberon the CTC Aviation website.

David Kistruck, general manager

ight operations at Virgin Atlantic,

says the trainee pilots will be the

only ones in Europe to y straight on

to long-haul aircraft once qualied.

The 18-month programme com-

prises ground school, ight training in

Phoenix, Arizona, and full motion

ightdeck simulation at CTCs train-

ing centre in Southampton. The

course leads towards the UK Civil

Aviation Authoritys MPL and a posi-

tion as a Virgin Atlantic rst ofcer

operating the Airbus A330-300.

CTC

The multi-crew licence system will deliver graduates into cockpits

RexFeatures

Virgins 787 flew to Atlanta, but Boston is the first scheduled US destination for the type


21/56


Auto ejectiongrounds IndiasSu-30s

DEFENCE P22

AIR TRANSPORT

Ryanair chief executive Mi-chael OLeary has signalledhis intent to remain at the helm ofthe Irish budget carrier by signinga new five-year contract.

OLeary had been workingunder a rolling 12-month contractbut has now signed a new five-year deal which commits him tothe airline until September 2019.

He has been the very publicface of Ryanair for more than 20years and drove its transition

into a low-cost carrier and theexplosive growth that followed.

The airline now ranks as the fifthlargest in the world by passengernumber carrying 81.7 millionin 2013/14 and recorded netprofits in all but one of the last10 years.

As long ago as 2007 OLearysaid he thought he was probablyentering his last two or threeyears in the role as the airlinecontinued to mature.

RexFeatures

OLeary: 20 years at the helm

Chinese express cargo carrier

SF Airlines has ordered anundisclosed number of Boeing767-300ER passenger-to-freight-er conversions.

The carrier, a unit of Chinesedelivery firm SF Express, willtake its first converted 767 in thesecond half of 2015, says Boeing.

The announcement marks SFExpresss entrance into the wide-body freighter market. Flightglob-als Ascend Fleets database showsthat SF Express operates four737-300SFs, three 737-400SFs,

and eight 757-200SFs. It is alsoscheduled to add an additional737-300SF in January 2015.

FREIGHTERS

GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

SF sizes up withP2F 777-300ER

Europes safety authority is in-tending to order a reinforce-ment of certain Recaro passengerseats after concluding that theycould hinder evacuation.

Analysis of the design of par-ticular type 3510 seats shows thatthe pan is insufficiently stableto sustain loads imposed by pas-sengers using the seat to helpthem climb through overwingexits on Airbus A320s, says theEuropean Aviation Safety Agency.

The authority is concerned thatpassengers limbs could slidethrough the seat structure and be-

come trapped, potentially block-ing the exit. EASA is proposing toorder a modification of the affect-

Exit concern over A320 Recaro seatSAFETYDAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

RexFeat

ures

ed seats, within nine months, ifthey are installed in an overwing

emergency exit row.Recaro says it is aware of the

proposed directive and says is italready implementing an

optimised technical solution forthe relevant seat pans.

It adds that it is continuouslysupporting EASA with theprovision of the necessaryservice bulletins.

Seats need to enable passengers to exit through overwing doors

MANAGEMENTGRAHAM DUNN LONDON

OLeary signs on for five more yearsRyanairs colourful chief executive commits to budget airline until 2019, despite earlier suggestions that he plans to quit

But he has remained in placeand oversaw the development of

a new senior management teamat Ryanair after the departures oflong-time deputies Michael Caw-ley and Howard Millar.

That team is now leading boththe carriers attempts to transitionitself into a more business andcustomer-friendly carrier and aachieve a return to growth aftersecuring a new long-term fleetdeal with Boeing.


22/56

DEFENCE


Follow more defence topics and keep up

with the latest news from the sector:

flightglobal.com/defence

TRAINING

ANDREW MCLAUGHLINNOWRA

HATS off asBoeing-Thales

team bags dealAustralian defence ministerSenator David Johnston hasformally declared a BoeingDefence Australia and Thales Aus-tralia team as the winning tenderfor the Australian Defence ForcesProject Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicop-ter Aircrew Training System(HATS).

The requirement calls for the re-placement of the Royal AustralianNavy and Australian Armys cur-rent training rotorcraft with 15 new

Airbus Helicopters EC135s, plusthree full-motion simulators andsynthetic training devices.

The 23 October announcementcomes after 10 months of negotia-tions, following the teams selec-tion as the preferred tender last De-cember. A contract signature wasexpected by the end of October.

The navys current training fleetcomprises 15 Airbus HelicoptersAS350BA Squirrels with 723 Sqnat NAS Nowra in New SouthWales, which entered service in

1984. The army operates around30 Bell Helicopter 206B-1 Kiowas,which have been in use since theearly 1970s. The aircraft are basedat Holsworthy Barracks near Syd-ney with 173 Aviation Squadron,and with the Army Aviation Train-ing Centre at Oakey, west ofBrisbane.

The new aircraft and training fa-cilities for both services will basedat Nowra, with the system expect-ed to commence training in late2016.

This will deliver a fully-inte-grated training environment oncontemporary twin-engined heli-copters, Johnston says. Crews willtransition from the EC135 to theAirbus Helicopters Tiger, BoeingCH-47F, Lockheed Martin/Sikor-sky MH-60R and NH IndustriesMRH90, he notes.

The Boeing/Thales team forHATS was selected ahead of a di-rect bid by Australian Aerospace now part of Airbus Group Aus-tralia Pacific with the EC135, and

the team of Raytheon Australia andBell with the Bell 429.

Auto ejection grounds Indias Su-30sSAFETYATUL CHANDRA BENGALURU

Indias air force has temporarilysuspended flying on its entire

fleet of an estimated 200 SukhoiSu-30MKIs, following an uncom-manded ejection on 21 October.

Both crew members from theair forces 30 Sqn escaped injurywhen their aircraft tail numberSB 050 came down 11nm(20km) short of the runway atLohegaon air base in Pune, withits airframe largely intact. Bothejection seats had fired whilst theaircraft was coming in to land,the Indian defence ministry con-firms, adding that a court of in-

quiry is in progress and certainspecific checks are being con-ducted on the aircraft.

The latest mishap was the fifthcrash to involved the multiroletype in Indian service, and hascalled into question the safety of

PROCUREMENT CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

UK feels Affinity with new

fixed-wing trainers fleetKBR/Elbit Systems joint venture to supply Military Flying Training System for RAF and NavyT

he UK Ministry of Defence isto replace the bulk of its

current fixed-wing training aircraftwith three new types, followingthe selection of a Military FlyingTraining System (MFTS) pro-gramme bid by KBR/Elbit Systemsjoint venture Affinity.

Confirming Affinity as pre-ferred bidder for the requirement

USA

irForce

the fighters Zvezda K-36D ejec-tion seats. The nationsSu-30MKIs have also beendogged by trouble with the typesNPO Saturn AL-31FP enginesand a poor serviceability rate, ac-cording to informed sources.

Counting the latest crash, theair force has lost 20 combat air-craft since August 2011, includingtwo other Su-30s, eight MikoyanMiG-21s, three MiG-29s, threeSepecat Jaguars, two DassaultMirage 2000s and one MiG-27.

The nations fleet boasts around 200 of the Sukhoi combat fighter

on 24 October, the MoDs trainingsystem partner for MFTS, AscentFlight Training, says: This is akey milestone along the route to amajor investment decision.

New fleets of Grob AircraftG120TP, Beechcraft T-6C andEmbraer Phenom 100 aircraft aredue to be introduced, to respec-tively deliver elementary, basic

and multi-engine training for theRoyal Air Force and Royal Navy.

An undisclosed number ofeach type will replace in-serviceGrob G115 Tutors, Shorts TucanoT1s and leased Beechcraft KingAir 200s under the arrangement,which is expected to run throughto 2033. Flightglobals MiliCASdatabase records a respective

119, 38 and eight of these asbeing in current active duty, withthe G115s provided by Babcock.

Ascent says instruction usingthe new aircraft will be deliveredat the RAFs Barkston Heath andCranwell air bases with theG120TP, at RAF Valley with theT-6C and at Cranwell with thePhenom 100. The RAF alreadyoperates a fleet of 28 BAESystems Hawk 128s from its Val-ley base in Anglesey, northWales, which deliver the ad-

vanced jet training element of theUK MFTS programme.Be

echcraf

t

New types

to include

BeechcraftT-6C


23/56

DEFENCE


Searchmaster

locates rst

customer

DEFENCE P24

Cobham has won a A$640 mil-lion ($564 million) contract toprovide search and rescue (SAR)services to the Australian govern-ment between 2016 and 2028.

Under the deal, won in an openbidding process, the companywill provide four BombardierChallenger 604 aircraft specifical-ly equipped for the SAR mission.

Much of the modification workon the General Electric CF34-powered aircraft which will re-ceive a new sensor suite, observa-

tion windows and air operabledoors will be undertaken at

Cobhams facilities in Adelaidestarting later this year.

From August 2016, Cobhamaircraft will operate from Perth,and will add Cairns and Mel-bourne by the end of that year.

Mick Kinley, chief executive ofthe Australian Maritime SafetyAuthority, says the faster andlonger range Challenger jets willprovide a similar level of capabil-ity to the five Dornier 328 turbo-props currently in service.

AeroRescue, the present con-

tractor, will continue in placeuntil August 2016.

IsraelDefenceForces

Small enough for Skylark

TECHNOLOGY ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV

Elbit points waywith UAV laser

Promising to slash sensor to

shooter times, Elbit Systemshas unveiled a 100g (0.22lb) laserdesignator small enough to becarried by mini-unmanned airvehicles like its Skylark.

Dan Slasky, the companysvice-president for electro-opticsand laser systems, says: When amini-UAS carries an electro-opti-cal payload that includes thislaser designator, a target simplycannot get away.

And, he adds, a fighter aircraftflying above clouds could deploy

its laser-guided weapons in col-laboration with such a hand-launched air vehicle.

Elbits miniature designator issmall enough to fit in a 10cm-di-ameter (4in) electro-optical turret.The Skylark has a maximumtake-off weight of 7.5kg, includ-ing a 1.1kg payload.

Cob

ham

Cobham is adapting Bombardier Challenger 604s for the mission

Enter the Challenger as Cobham wins in AustraliaSEARCH AND RESCUE GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

FIGHTERS DAN THISDELL LONDON

Gripen deal airborne asSaab, Brazil seal contractTechnology transfer pact sees local partners collaborate in engineering of two-seat variant

Saab and industrial partnersincluding Embraer are to startwork on 36 Gripen NG fightersformally ordered by Brazil withthe signing on 27 October of aSKr39.3 billion ($5.4 billion) con-tract for delivery over five years,starting in 2019.

The deal under negotiationsince December 2013, when Brazilselected the Gripen over Dassaults

Rafale and the Boeing F/A-18E/FSuper Hornet for its F-X2 require-ment is for 28 single-seat andeight two-seat aircraft, and makesBrazil the export launch customerfor the NG model.

About 15 aircraft will be assem-bled in Brazil and the rest in Swe-den, although 150 Brazilian engi-neers and a number of technicianswill soon be arriving in Swedenfor training and to help assemblesome of the Swedish-built aircraft.

Lennart Sindahl, who heads

Saabs aeronautics business, saysthe single-seaters will be similar tothe E-model Gripens under devel-opment for the Swedish air force.As part of a technology transferplan, the two-seaters will includesome Brazil-specific design fea-tures and will be developed with

the help of the engineers beingdispatched to Sweden.

The two-seaters will therefore,adds Sindahl, be delivered laterin the five-year delivery cycle.

The Gripens will replaceDassault Mirage 2000C fightersoperated by Brazils 1st Air De-fence Group and a number ofmodernised Northrop F-5EMs in

four other air force squadrons.Co-design with Saab of some

aspects of the two-seaters willopen a new phase of develop-ment of Brazils especially Em-braers military aircraft capabili-ties. Sindahl, speaking bytelephone after the contract sign-

ing, did not detail whether Brazil-ian final assembly work wouldinclude some or all of the two-seaters. However, in July, Em-braer chief executive FredericoCurado said Brazils assemblypoint would be Embraers mili-tary factory and flight test centrein Gavio Peixoto.

Citing commercial confidenti-

ality, Sindahl declined to com-ment on the apparent increase toabout $5.4 billion in the price ofa contract that was announcedas some $4.5 billion when theGripen was selected. However,he did underscore Saabs reputa-tion for efficiency.

Saab

Braslia chose Gripen over Dassault Rafale and Boeing F/A-18


24/56

DEFENCE


Follow more defence topics and keep up

with the latest news on The DEW Line:

flightglobal.com/dewline

AVIONICSBETH STEVENSON PARIS

Searchmaster locates first customerThales latest maritime radar marks sea change for French navys Atlantique 2 eet as part of upgrade programme

Camcopter on duty over Ukrainian conict zoneUNMANNEDBETH STEVENSON PARIS

French navy Atlantique 2(ATL2) maritime patrol air-craft can expect better detectionof small targets in high seas andimproved coastal surveillancefrom a radar upgrade to be sup-plied by Thales.

The new Searchmaster airbornemultirole surveillance radar is anactive electronically scannedarray system that will be integrat-ed into 15 of the Dassault-builtaircraft, as part of an upgrade pro-gramme announced in October

2013 that aims to extend the life ofthe twin-engined aircraft out tothe 2030s.

Speaking during the Euronavalexhibition in Paris last week, ar-mament chief engineer and mis-sion aircraft managing officer Pat-rick Aufort of French defenceprocurement agency DGA saidSearchmaster benefits from re-search studies funded partly bythe DGA and partly by Thales.Searchmaster shows that studiescan become real and relevant

equipment, he adds.

Schiebels Camcopter S-100unmanned air vehicle is now

flying above Ukraine, operatingsome 12h daily ahead of the de-ployment of a second system thatwill ramp surveillance coverageup to 24h.

Two systems consisting of fouraircraft will be provided under aservices contract signed on 13 Au-gust in support of the Organisa-tion for Security and Co-operationin Europe (OSCE) special moni-toring mission to Ukraine, forwhich Schiebel will provide 24hcoverage to survey the region.

The vertical take-off and land-ing (VTOL) UAVs will supportthe OSCEs work in monitoringthe conflict zone in easternUkraine, and will be provided

under an indefinite lengthmonth-by-month contract.

The OSCE realised that theVTOL system brings a lot of ad-vantages to the operation, Schie-bel chief executive Hannes Hech-er told Flightglobal at theEuronaval exhibition in Paris.

A fixed-wing aircraft cannot

hover over an area for a longperiod of time, but Camcoptercan stop at an altitude of some3,280ft out of sight so it canwatch activity below.

Hecher says there werehurdles to overcome in deploy-ing the Camcopter to the regionas protocol and authorisationshave to be in place but the capa-bility has so far been delivered ontime. In normal airspace itwould be far more difficult to getthe authorisation to fly, says

Hans Georg Schiebel, chairmanof the company.

DassaultAviation

The system will be integrated into 15 of the Dassault-built aircraft

France requires the radome forthe ATL2 upgrade have the sameform factor as the previous me-chanical radar used on the air-craft, as well as having the abilityto carry out multiple roles. TheSearchmaster has a 360 viewand a 200nm (370km) range.

Thales was the only one to meet

our goal, Aufort says. In addi-tion to the radar, the ATL2 up-grade also includes an electro-optic modification and computerand console modernisation.

Flight testing is expected tobegin in 2016, with deliveries in2018. The International Traffic in

Arms Regulations-free radar will

be available for export deliveriesin 2017.

The 5-in-1 X-band radar pro-vides capabilities in five keyareas: anti-submarine warfare,anti-surface warfare, maritimesurveillance, ground surveillanceand mapping and tactical air sup-port. The technology derivesfrom that developed for theDassault Rafale combat fighter.

Thales director of strategy,intelligence, surveillance andreconnaissance, Pierrick Lerey,

says the company is also activelypursuing applications on medi-um altitude, long-endurance un-manned systems.

We are already having discus-sions with UAS providers,Lerey says. We can see this fly-ing on a [Elbit Sytems] Hermes900, for example.

The radar would also be suitedto lighter-than-air systems, headds. The company hopes to an-nounce further contracts formanned or unmanned aircraft by

the end of this year.

Schiebel

Schiebel will provide four aircraft for the OSCE monitoring mission

Meanwhile, in order to furtherpotential usage of the Camcopterin commercial markets such as ag-riculture, the company is workingto facilitate the integration of thesystem into unrestricted airspace.

The company envisages

spending some 8 million ($10million) to gain EASA certifica-

tion for the UAV to fly in openEuropean airspace.

My vision is that there will bepatches of airspacewhere youcan operate manned and un-manned aircraft in the samespace, Schiebel adds. At some

point we will see cargo planeswithout pilots.


25/56

NEWS FOCUS


Airbus reveals plans for how lithium-ion power packs will be used on widebody, but remains coy on internal chemistry

A350 battery details emergeAUXILLIARY POWER STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

The voltage of the A350 bat-tery appears to rule out lithiumiron phosphate, which is theleast volatile lithium-basedchemistry, says Cosmin Laslau, abattery industry analyst for LuxResearch. But Airbus could stillbe using other chemistries con-sidered safer than lithium cobaltoxide, such as lithium nickelmanganese oxide.

Boeings original installationfor the 787 batteries consisted ofdensely packed cells with nothermal shielding planked intoan aluminium box. Theredesigned installation addedceramic tiles for thermal shield-ing between the cells, a stainlesssteel box and new ductwork tovent fumes and smoke directlyoff board the aircraft in case a bat-tery caught fire.

These features of the new in-

stallation worked as designedwhen a single cell vented in aJapan Airlines 787 parked on theground at Tokyos Narita Inter-national Airport last January.

The A350 installation always in-cluded an overboard ventingsystem, Airbus says.

That system is now beingreviewed by the EuropeanAviation Safety Agency and theUS Federal Aviation Administra-tion.

We are progressing well withEASA and FAA also consider-ing recommendations from theUS National TransportationSafety Board to certify the li-ionmain batteries in order to offer

them to our customers at a laterstage, Airbus says.

Airbus and supplier Saft haveconfirmed several key

details of the A350-900srechargeable lithium-ion batter-ies, which are soon to becomethe production standard.

Though incomplete, thedetails show Airbus and Saftdesigned the batteries with moreconservative power output andenergy levels than found on the

787 batteries that caused a four-month grounding in 2013.

The grounding was lifted inMay 2013 only after Boeingrevised the installation design,although the architecture of theGS Yuasa-designed system re-mained the same.

The 787 uses two rechargea-ble lithium-ion batteries to startthe auxiliary power unit andprovide temporary, back-uppower to the avionics, with eachbattery consisting of eight cells

storing 72Ah of electrical powerand running at 3.7V.

COMPONENTS

Though much heavier than theBoeing design, the Airbusapproach is more cautious.Instead of the 787s two batter-ies, Airbus will install fourSaft-made lithium-ion batteriesin each A350-900. Each of theSaft batteries consists of 14 cells

GE and Sierra teamup for Citationengine retrot

BUSINESS AVIATION P26

Airbus and Safthave confirmed the

number of cells inside

the battery and the

voltage of each cell

The twinjet will carry four rechargeable packs to provide back-up power

Saft displayed a mock-up of its solution at NBAA in October

storing a combined 45Ah ofenergy and running at 3.6V.

One of the four batteries is dedi-cated to starting the APU, and thethree others will provide power to

other components in the A350electrical system, Airbus says.

Details of the A350s lithium-ion batteries have been a closelyheld secret since Saft was identi-fied as the supplier six years ago.As the 787 entered the battery-in-duced grounding, Airbus said theA350 would first be certificatedwith more traditional nickel-cad-mium batteries, which producesignificantly less power for the

same weight as a lithium-ion bat-tery. In early October, however,Airbus said the nickel-cadmiumbatteries would be replaced bythe Saft lithium-ion batteries by

early next year.Unlike GS Yuasa, which has

released a specification sheet onthe 787 batteries, Saft had neverrevealed the technical character-istics of the A350-900 batteryuntil recently to Flightglobal.

The company displayed amock-up of the A350-900slithium-ion batteries at theNBAA convention in Orlando on21 October. The units powerlevels were displayed on the box.

Airbus and Saft then confirmed

the number of cells inside the bat-tery and the voltage of each cellafter being contacted by Flight-global with pictures of the batterymock-up. Despite repeated re-quests, however, both companieshave refused to identify the chem-istry of the positive electrode, orcathode, in the A350 battery.

The chemistry is a significantfeature in the design. The 787 bat-tery, says GS Yuasa, uses a lithiumcobalt oxide chemistry which isconsidered the most reactive and

inherently volatile electrolytes inlithium ion-based systems.

Billy

Pix

Airbus


26/56

BUSINESS AVIATION





Two Chinese companies havelaunched a pair of projects to

build airport-based greenfieldbusiness aviation industrial andservice developments, to servethe countrys expanding businessand general aviation sector.

The so-called aerotropolisclusters will be near Beijing andin Ordos in inner Mongolia.

Superior Aviation Group the

firm that unsuccessfully tried tobuy Hawker Beechcraft in 2012 is preparing to build a 800ha(1,980 acre) town 20km (12miles) from Beijing.

Tim Archer, Superior Aviationgroup chief executive, says theproject is a response to the frus-tration felt by many Westernmanufacturers and businessesover the slow pace of investmentin the countrys infrastructure tosupport business aviation.

When completed, this will be

the only town in China to be cen-tred around a modern executiveairport with a 2,400m [7,870ft]runway and designed to meetthe needs of general and business

aviation aircraft manufacturers,maintenance providers, owners,sellers and pilots, Archer says.

Superior is in talks with threeundisclosed manufacturing com-panies with the aim of encourag-ing them to locate new facilitiesin the town. The community will

also feature a training school andcompletion centre as well as ahospital, housing and hotels.

Superior says it is vital thatChina creates a modern aviationinfrastructure to support the in-dustry. The project is being fund-ed by Superior and other un-named private investors, and isexpected to cost around $3.2 bil-lion. Construction is scheduled to

begin next year, once all the [gov-ernment] approvals have been re-ceived, and should be completedaround two years later.

Meanwhile, a joint project be-tween the city of Ordos andChina Aviation InvestmentGroup plans to construct WorldAviation City, which will featurethe largest pilot aviation trainingcentre in the Asia-Pacific, manu-facturing facilities and a fixed-base operation with parking forbetween 500 and 1,000 jets.

GE Honda is partnering withSierra Industries to retrofit

Cessna CitationJet, CJ1 and CJ1+models with its newly developedHF120 turbofan engine.

The project, Sapphire Jet, is de-signed to boost the performanceand productivity of the jets, all of

which are out of production. Si-erra primarily provides mainte-nance, repair and overhaul ser-vices to business jet operators.

We at GE Honda are pleased toadd Sierra Sapphire as an applica-tion of the 120 engine, says Ma-sahiko Izumi, executive vice-pres-ident of GE Honda Aero Engines.Our goal is to make both air-planes the HondaJet and theSapphire a great success in theirrespective market segments.

The HF120 is scheduled to

enter service by the end of firstquarter 2015, he says. By that

time, production will have shift-ed from the companys Lynn,Massachusetts facility to a newfactory in Burlington, North Car-olina. Three engines have alreadybeen built at that facility and an-other three are in various stagesof production.

Weve been working on thisengine for a long time, obvious-ly, says Steven Shaknaitis, GEHonda Aero Engines chief execu-tive. We are really close. Wehave the facilities, the people, theorganisation and the tools to beready for when this engine goesinto service.

The HF120 powerplant re-ceived US Federal Aviation Ad-ministration certification in De-cember 2013, but still lacksEuropean approval. However,

Izumi says this should come byMarch 2015.

Honda

Air

craft

INFRASTRUCTURE KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

Chinese plan aviation citiesto give sector room to growCompany behind bid to buy Hawker Beechcraft backing one of two aerotropolis projects

GE and Sierra team up for Citation engine retrotPROGRAMMES DAN PARSONS ORLANDO

CORPORATE AIRCRAFT STEPHEN TRIMBLE ORLANDO

HondaJet duo to serve as staff shuttle

GE Aviation plans to acquire two

HA-420 HondaJets to launch an

internal shuttle service for non-

executive employees moving be-

tween the companys 42 US

manufacturing sites, says president

and chief executive Brad Mottier.

The move expands the companys

private eet of aircraft powered with

engines linked to GE, and creates a

new model of internal transport that

could be copied by other corporate

divisions if it proves successful,

Mottier adds.

The HondaJet is powered by

HF120 turbofans produced by GE

Honda Aero Engines. The light twin-

jet is scheduled for certication and

service entry in the rst quarter of

2015.

The type is powered by HF120 turbofans

Three global investment firmshave launched a new leasing

service Global Jet Capital withmore than $2 billion in availablefinancing catering to the large-cab-in, long-range business jet market.

The Boca Raton, Florida-basedfirm aims to fill a perceived gapin business jet financing services,as some traditional lendingsources have become less activeover the last three years, saysShawn Vick, chairman of Global

Jet Capitals executive committee.Global Jet Capital will offer a

broad range of services on newand used business jets, includingoperating and interim leases, fi-nance leases, mortgage loans andmezzanine financing.

In addition to uniting GSOCapital Partners, the CarlyleGroup and AE Industrial Part-ners, Global Jet Capital also willbring together ex-Gulfstream ex-ecutives Vick, Bill Boisture andDavid Rowe.

FINANCING STEPHEN TRIMBLEWASHINGTON DC

Trio of investorslaunch fund for

large-jet leasing

When completed,

this will be the only

town in China centred

around a modern

executive airportTIM ARCHERGroup chief executive, Superior Aviation


27/56

NEWS FOCUS


Comacs big testis still to comeFEATURE P28

British photographer

Peter Ayriss is licensed

to work up to 400ft

Military use of unmanned airvehicles is carried out in

segregated airspace by trainedpersonnel under strict rules of en-gagement. By contrast, while de-velopment of unmanned technol-ogy for the commercial sector isalso being realised, the rules sur-rounding the use of such systemsare comparatively unclear.

But with interest in UAVs for

commercial applications rangingfrom hobbyist use to potentiallyhigh-value applications in agri-culture and oil and gas, industrypressure to greatly expand UAVuse has led the UK government toconsider what proliferation couldmean, and how UAVs can fit intoboth British and European legalframeworks.

In the same week that the UKhosted the Commercial UAVShow in London, a parliamentarycommittee continued to hear evi-

dence regarding the civil use ofUAVs within the EU. Meanwhile,a University of Birmingham poli-cy commission released a paperon the security impact of UAVs.

PRIVACY

Policy commission chairmanDavid Omand, a former directorof the UKs GCHQ intelligenceagency, says UAVs are a wel-come and highly discriminatingtechnology. If used in accord-ance with domestic and interna-

tional law, they have much tooffer the UK military and civilsectors, he says.

But he adds that progresscould be held back by a lack ofcentral direction in UK policy, aswell as by real concerns overprivacy if the government doesnot establish sound policies andcommunicate them to the public.

Gerry Corbett, unmanned airsystem programme lead at theUK Civil Aviation Authority,speaking before both the parlia-

mentary committee and the com-mercial UAV conference, said it

was not the responsibility of theCAA to police hobbyist use.

He adds that there is a sliding

scale of regulation applicable toUAVs, ranging from almost noneto full control.

Corbett told the parliamentarycommittee that the safety agencyis concerned with just that safe-ty. If there is no third-party riskthen the CAA does not need to en-force to such an extent, he says.

We cant solve all of this withregulation, Corbett told theconference, claiming that the reli-ability of the systems has to playits part, including the develop-

ment of sufficient sense-and-avoid technology for use inunrestricted airspace.

Corbett says it is a matter ofpersonal responsibility to ensureunmanned systems are used safe-ly, but the CAA plans to assistwith a campaign to educate thepublic on the legal operation ofUAVs. This will include the pro-duction of leaflets and a video.

The CAA has prosecuted oper-ators who have not adhered tosafety regulations when using

UAVs, and Corbett says clearadvice is set out on the agencys

The UK is developing a exible approach to the legal and practical concerns of regulating unmanned civil aircraft

AIRSPACE BETH STEVENSON LONDON

Watching them watching you

website, although he acknowl-edges a need for more publicity.Some 90-95% of the public will

follow the law, he says, and mostoperators will recognise that legalrestrictions apply to UAVs.

Regulations for UAVs in the UKwill sit with ICAO, EASA and theJoint Authorities for Rulemakingon Unmanned Systems.

Im hoping we get to a pointwhere these are just aircraft andwe certify them that way, Corbettsays. Certification at all levelswill be at the European levellike every other facet of aviation.

He says that ultimately thiswill have to be implemented atthe national level, but that it will

all fit into a larger Europeanstructure. Corbett adds that the

density of UK airspace meanssome rulemaking will have to beUK-specific.

ICAO says that by 2018 therewill be initial UAV integrationinto air traffic in non-segregatedairspace. By 2028 there will befull integration, in which UAVswill be able to communicatewith air traffic control.

Although law enforcementagencies across the UK are usingUAVs for surveillance, the com-mercial systems they acquire canalso quite easily and legally be purchased by those who willnot abide by the law.

While the hazards presentedby inadvertent or accidental mis-use of RPA [remotely piloted air-craft], or the consequences of theirmalfunctioning are becoming bet-ter understood, more thoughtneeds to be given to their employ-ment for malign purposes in thedomestic environment, the Uni-versity of Birmingham policycommissions Omand says.

As a small number of caseshave demonstrated, RPA presenta potentially new and useful tool

to those of criminal, includingterrorist, intent.

RexFeatures

Im hoping we get

to a point where

[UAVs] are just aircraft

and we certify

them that wayGERRY CORBETT

UAS programme lead, UK CAA


28/56


CHINASPECIAL REPORT

Flight International, in an exclusive tour, thefirst C919 forward fuselage manufactured.The aluminium-lithium alloy structure is alsothe first major C919 structure to be delivered,and sits ready for final assembly.

This is a drastically different scene fromtwo years back. Then, Comac had no iron birdto speak of and first metal was months away

MAVIS TOH SHANGHAI

The Chinese airframer is pulling out all the stops to hit its end-2015 first flight target for theC919, but questions linger over its certification in the West and wider market acceptance

The iron bird rig at the Aircraft Research

and Design Institute is almost completeMavisToh/Flightglobal

Chinese airframer Comac has certain-ly been keeping busy. In a hangar atits Shanghai Aircraft Research andDesign Institute near the Pudong

New Area sits an almost complete C919 ironbird test bench.

In the past year, engineers have installedover 90% of the necessary structures and sys-tems onto the test rig, as the Chinese airframergears towards an end-2015 first flight targetfor the narrowbody programme.

At its final assembly centre near ShanghaisPudong International airport, Comac shows

The C919 programme

will definitely not be

smooth sailingCHEN YING CHUNC919 vice-chief engineer, Comac

from delivery. The ground where its final as-sembly centre now stands was no more than adusty construction site.

Today, things are visibly different. The bulkof the construction work on the assembly cen-tre has been completed and Comacs upbeatemployees are attired in crisp uniforms. Theyare under pressure, but excited about makingprogress with a high-profile patriotic endeav-our Chinas first modern narrowbody airliner.

It is important to remember that Comac isonly six years old. It was set up in May 2008with key businesses drawn from state-owned

AVIC, following a 2007 government decision todevelop Chinas first large commercial jet.

COMACS BIG TESTIS STILL TO COME


29/56


CHINAINDIGENOUS PROGRAMMES

The company has since grown to a staffstrength of over 9,000 employees, up from3,800 in 2008. These include over 800 experi-enced foreigners brought in specifically tohelp Comac in various aspects of the aircraftmanufacturing process.

In a rare interview, C919 vice-chief engi-neer Chen Ying Chun tells Flight Internation-althe programme is expected to complete adetailed design review this year. Initial pro-duction will soon follow.

To help Comac keep to its schedule andmeet its first flight target, Chen explains frank-ly that the airframer has two sets of require-ments for avionics and flight control suppli-ers: one set is gauged to meet the first flighttarget, the other to meet certification.

Were giving them some technical require-ments. The first stage is to make the aircraftfly, allow for some basic flights and tests and

three to five months later, give me the secondrequirement, he says. There are over 10 sys-tems on the airplane, we can test some sys-tems first, this will not affect our work.

It is not the first time Comac has had to taked

flight international nov 4-10, 2014

Documents