Total Aircraft Services received upgraded authorization from FAA at its Van Nuys (Calif.) Airport facility. The company now possesses Class 3 and Class 4 unlimited airframe ratings for metallic aircraft and updated Limited powerplant ratings to include Pratt&Whitney JT15Ds, Rolls-Royce Speys and Tays, GE CJ610s and CF700s, Honeywell TFE-731s and TPE-331s.
FLS Aerospace expects to receive a contract worth $130 million from the Irish government to convert Sikorsky S-92 helicopters from passenger to freighter configurations. FLS expects to receive that contract either this year or early 2003. The work would be done at FLS's Dublin facility.
Delta Air Lines accelerated the planned retirement of its Boeing 727s from early 2005 to late 2003. To replace those aircraft, the airline received 11 new aircraft in late 2001 and plans to take delivery of 13 additional aircraft in 2002 and 2003.
What do Elvis Presley, country music and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore have in common? They all have roots in Tennessee, and the same increasingly is true of regional jet maintenance.
Boeing completed installation of a 737 Next Generation glass cockpit in the first of 16 U.S. Navy E-6B 707 communications aircraft. Under a $123 million contract, Boeing will replace the fleet's analog cockpit instruments with flat-panel digital displays and dual flight management systems. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in the second quarter, with delivery to the Navy scheduled for the third quarter. Retrofit of the fleet is expected to be completed in 2005.
Watch for a draft screw thread/ fastener specification that will supercede the inactive Mil-S-8879C. The Fastener Improvement Team, recently renamed the Aerospace Industry Screw Thread Conformity Task Force to promote broader industry participation, expects to release the draft this month (O&M, December 2001). The group already has resolved several key issues, including provision for clearance between mating threads to prevent assembly issues for non-standard lengths.
DynCorp received a $281 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide maintenance, engineering, software development and operations testing support to select Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division facilities at Patuxent River, Md. The company has held this contract since 1978.
Deliveries of the first five fully-equipped Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role fighters to the Indian air force (IAF) finally started in the latter part of 2001. In addition to the prototype Su-30MKI (s/n 01), built by the Sukhoi Design Bureau (OKB) in Moscow, IAF deliveries in 2001 included the first four Stage I production aircraft (from s/n 02) from the Irkutsk Aviation Production Association (IAPO) factory.
Operators want improved performance and lower maintenance costs from their aircraft engines, both new and old. This tricky equation is complicated by the fact that engines are running hotter and hotter, so traditional materials and repairs are becoming obsolete. OEMs, third-party maintainers and research labs are developing advanced repairs, upgrades, coatings and inspection techniques to maximize on-wing performance. But it's a balancing act. How much can operators afford and what makes operational sense?
Japan Air System awarded a 10-year contract to Pratt&Whitney Aftermarket Services to provide a fleet management program for the airline's PW4074-powered Boeing 777-200s. The $204 million agreement covers 18 engines.
CFM's new 68-inch, hollow swept wide chord fan just completed a series of tests that verified the new fan is exceeding design and efficiency goals. This fan is part of the CFM Project TECH 56 undertaken by GE Aircraft Engines and Snecma to create and validate advanced technology for use in new CFM56 models and in engine upgrades. Snecma designed the fan that has completed 50 hours of testing, including initial acoustic and bird ingestion tests. CFM plans to conduct a full-scale blade test at Snecma's Villaroche, France, facility in late 2002.
EADS Socata launched the TBM 700B Freighter, which is a freighter version of its TBM 700 turboprop. Customers can purchase either a freighter conversion kit from EADS for existing models, or receive a freighter version that will start rolling off EADS' assembly line. The upgrade comes in the form of a two-part kit: one from EADS Socata and one from Oxford Aviation in Maine. Quest Diagnostics, the launch customer, purchased three converted freighters and will receive three new ones in the beginning of this year.
Standard Aero promoted Rob Stone to vice president CF34 engine program. Stone joined Standard Aero in 1979 and most recently was vice president of helicopter programs for the company.
Kaiser Electronics delivered the first of 150 head-up display cameras to Warner Robins Air Logistics Center for installation on a U.S. Air Force F-15E.
Airbus has appointed six outfitters for its Airbus Corporate Jetliner: Air France Industries, Associated Air Center (Dallas), Jet Aviation (Basle), EADS Sogerma (Toulouse and Lake Charles, La.), Lufthansa Technik, and Ozark Aircraft Systems.
Bombardier reorganized its customer service and support operations by combining its customer support and Business Aircraft Services (BAS) service organizations with its spares group and training to form one organization for all aftersales support functions, George Gonzalez, new vice president and general manager of BAS, explained to O&M. Gonzalez said Bombardier supports 2,700 aircraft in this pool. The new combined organization focuses on providing seamless, integrated customer support, he said.
Turbine Overhaul Services (TOS) arguably is one of the world's premier models for successful joint venture operations. Though the airfoil repair company has been around since the 1980s -- formed by TRW in 1982, and then sold to the joint venture of Pratt&Whitney (51%) and Singapore Technologies Aerospace (49%) in 1986 -- it only has been in the last few years that Pratt's commitment to Six Sigma and other quality measures has begun to pay off in revenues.
Lufthansa Technik plans to deliver the first Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ2) with a customized VIP cabin interior in the beginning of the first quarter. Lufthansa Technik's Hamburg facility designed and produced the interior for an unidentified customer. August Henningsen, Lufthansa Technik chairman, revealed at NBAA that the company is capable of completing 10 XXL-class jets per year on four lines in Hamburg. NetJets alone has placed 11 firm orders and 20 options for BBJ completions, each of which takes four to five months to complete.
OGMA-Industria Aeronautica de Portugal is a new authorized Rolls-Royce maintenance center for the AE2100D3 engine. The AE2100D3 powers the C-130J Hercules. OGMA now is authorized to maintain the whole range of Rolls-Royce AE commercial and military engines.
Alan McDonald, who started working with British Airways as an apprentice engineer in 1966, became director of engineering for the airline in September. He now leads a team of 7,200 staff and directs the entire BA Engineering operation worldwide. Recently, McDonald spoke with O&M European Editor (Commercial) Bill Burchell about BA Engineering and its plans for the future. Edited for length and clarity. O&M: What changes do you hope to make in your new position as BA's director of engineering?
Device Technologies released its Spring-Fast Flexi-Grommet edging material that fits around metal frames or housing to protect wires or cables from chafing. The company designed the grommet to be easy to install, endure over time, not become brittle and not require glue to install. Mechanics apply it with finger pressure only. The grommet is made of stainless steel bonded with a polymer resin that provides a smooth, non-conductive surface. The company says the product features a high grip strength and should stay in place indefinitely.
Airbus subsidiary KID-Systeme and Lufthansa Technik developed a power supply for laptops at each aircraft cabin seat. The product, called SkyPower, consists of a central distributor of power via master control unit and boxes built into the seat. The system and seats are protected against overload and manipulations. The system received applicable JAR and FAR certifications. KID-Systeme is marketing and producing SkyPower. KID-Systeme GmbH, Lueneburger Schanze 30, 21614 Buxtehude, Germany.
GE Aircraft Engines promoted Roger Seager to vice president of marketing and sales. He previously was general manager of the CF6 engine program. Rick Stanley replaces Seager in the GM role.
