In battling to win the contest to power the new family of 737s, CFM engine partners General Electric and SNECMA drew on more than 20 years of combined experience to design an engine that promises improved fuel burn as well as dramatic increases in reliability and maintainability. The FADEC-equipped CFM56-7s combine the core and low-pressure turbine from the CFM56-5B, which powers the Airbus A321 and A320, with a new 61-inch fan that has solid titanium wide-chord blades.
Vietnam Sea Air offers complete ground handling and flight-planning services for corporate aircraft at all three of the country's international airports. Sea Air operates 24 hours a day at Hanoi (VVNB), Danang (VVDN) and Tan Sun Niut (VVTS) in Ho Chi Minh City. Sea Air is a division of Southeast Asia Air/Bangert Associates with U.S. offices at 11 Green St., Boston, MA 02130. Phone: (617) 522-7810; fax: (617) 524-7610. Or contact Sea Air's Vietnam office at 31 Mac Dinh St., Hanoi. Phone: +84 429-4441; fax: +84 423-9614.
The latest in a series of navigation management systems from Collins is the AVSAT 3000 (B/CA, November 1994, page 65). Navigation inputs in addition to GPS include: IRS/AHRS, VLF/Omega and VOR/DME. Contained in the AVSAT 3000 is a global database of flight-planning data. Among the system's capabilities are fuel management, direct routing and the ability to create 100 pilot-defined routes and 50 pilot-defined waypoints per flight plan. The unit can be integrated into a Collins Pro Line system or used as a stand-alone system.
Exhibitors from most of the countries in Europe, as well as further afield, were generally satisfied with results from the biennial Business and General Aviation Exhibition at the former Battle of Britain airfield of North Weald, England in early September.
A Windows-based maintenance library for Raytheon Beechjets is the latest CD-ROM product from Aircraft Technical Publishers of Brisbane, California. In addition to a maintenance manual, the library consists of an illustrated parts catalog, selected wiring diagram manuals, ADs and service bulletins. An annual subscription is priced at $3,000. Monthly revisions are included in the subscription price.
I hope you don't mind being called to arms (or pens) by this column more than once or twice a year, but we live in scary times and any inattention to what's happening on Capitol Hill could cost us all dearly. The case in point is Senate Bill 1232 (a.k.a. ``The McCain Bill''). Now Senator McCain (R-AZ) is not a bad guy, nor are the cosponsors of his bill. They are all on the right track in attempting to bring reform to the FAA, particularly in personnel and procurement matters.
Air Routing says Japan Aviation Services, its agent, has a new long-range VHF frequency (131.75) and can confirm arrival and service information for all major airports.
Fascinating Electronics Incorporated has introduced The Observer, a computerized weather station that displays local weather conditions on a PC or Mac. The station's features include real-time multicolor graphic displays of scrolling wind speed, dewpoint, wind chill, temperature, pressure and humidity. Data are stored for graphing and analysis. The customer can choose English, metric or navigational units of measure, and they will be consistent throughout. Price: $499.90 to $539.90 per kit, and $699.90 to $799.90 assembled.
Israel Aircraft Industries confirmed that construction of the first Galaxy business jet has shifted entirely from Russia to Israel. The Yakovlev Design Bureau will not build the first Galaxy fuselages because the initial plan to manufacture the aircraft in Russia was falling behind schedule (B/CA, September, page 24). The shift in plans will keep the Galaxy program on schedule, with first flight about a year from now and certification in fall 1997, said IAI officials.
Jerusalem 3000, a birthday celebration during 1996, is expected to fill hotel rooms countrywide and eliminate standard discounts. Contact your handler for update information.
The all-new Learjet 45 made its first flight on October 7-32 years to the day after the very first Learjet design-the Model 23-was test flown. In the course of the two-hour flight, the Learjet 45 reached an altitude of 26,000 feet and a speed of 300 knots. The first flight was used to evaluate the aircraft's handling under normal conditions. The flight-test program will involve five aircraft. Certification is scheduled for late 1996.
An all-composite, proof-of-concept aircraft powered by a piston engine in the nose and another in the tail made its public debut at the NBAA convention. Fort Scott, Kansas-based Star Kraft, which has been flying the eight-seat aircraft since February, is looking for additional financing to fund further development and certification. The target price is $1.3 million. Powering the concept vehicle is a pair of 350-hp Continental TCM-550A water-cooled piston engines, but Star Kraft hopes to fly the airplane with a pair of Orenda V-8s in early 1996.
In a move that some feel could drive a wedge in the unified strength of the general aviation industry, the International Business Aviation Council (which represents the NBAA, the European Business Aviation Association [EBAA] and other national business-aviation groups on an international basis) revised its definition of ``business aviation'' to remove any references to its being a part of general aviation.
Terra Corporation of Albuquerque, New Mexico now is marketing a cordless handset for airborne telephone systems. Currently, the handset works only with Terra's Jetfone 3000 or with the AlliedSignal Global Wulfsberg Flitefone VI, but more interfaces are expected to be added. The digital Model C-10 handset features 10 channels, one-touch redialing, muting, a noise-canceling microphone and a handset cradle for wall, shelf, table or armrest.
Here's something to consider adding to the reference library as a timesaver: Federal Aviation Decisions-case-by-case reports interpreting rules and decisions issued by the FAA. The publication also cites FAA civil penalty decisions.
You can sum up John Rahilly's strategy for KC Aviation in one word: growth. Rahilly was named president of the maintenance, completions and charter-services company in late July, succeeding Richard Emery, one of the longtime fixtures in the business. However, Rahilly is no stranger to KC. He's been with the company for 12 years, including a five-year stint as general manager of the Appleton, Wisconsin facility. Prior to assuming the post of president, Rahilly was vice president of marketing and sales.
AlliedSignal's General Aviation Avionics division introduced the GNS-Xls, a larger screen version of the GNS-X single-box flight management system family. The new FMS has a 5.5-inch, full-color, flat-panel liquid-crystal-display screen. Similar to the GNS-X, the Xls will have an internally mounted, eight-channel, GPS Xpress satellite navigation receiver that will enable the new FMS to earn TSO C129 A1/B1/C1 non-precision approach certification. The display, however, is limited to alphanumeric characters.
Embraer Aircraft Corporation (Fort Lauderdale, FL)-Samuel D. Hill is the new president of this U.S. subsidiary of Embraer, a Brazil-based manufacturer of regional aircraft.
There is a war in the skies over Europe, but it does not have to do with Fokkers and Sopwith Camels . . . well, maybe sort of. It does involve Fokkers, but the war is one of words and exactly who dominates the skies over Europe in terms of regional jets. ``In reaction to a gross misrepresentation in a recent press release issued by Avro International Aerospace, Fokker feels it necessary to set the record straight,'' the Dutch manufacturer said in recent press release of its own.
The NBAA chose this year's convention in late September as the venue to introduce its new Internet web site. Like many other businesses and organizations, the NBAA has joined the ``Internet Revolution'' and opened an electronic site, enabling its members and the public to contact the organization via personal computer. While anyone equipped with a PC, a modem and inexpensive Internet software (called a ``browser'') can visit the new ``home page,'' only NBAA members will be able to use all the features it provides.
