Singapore Airshow News
Posted 03/02/2010
Boeing concedes 787-3 all but canceled
Singapore Airlines 747-400 completes first multi-sector ASPIRE flight
Embraer sees slow recovery in 2010; cautious on new programs
Mitsubishi: MRJ design freeze by end of summer
IAE wins $300 million V2500 engine order from Sichuan Airlines
Additional stories
On display: Garuda Indonesia 737-800 and the A330-200F, which just completed its cold soak tests.
Boeing concedes 787-3 all but canceled
Boeing appears set to scrap the 787-3 in the wake of cancellations of the type by Japan Airlines and ANA. The latter last month converted its order for 28 of the shorter-range Dreamliner variants to the standard 787-8, leaving no -3s in the manufacturer's backlog (ATWOnline, Jan. 11).
Speaking to media yesterday at the Singapore Airshow, Boeing VP-Marketing Randy Tinseth said that while the manufacturer has not formally made the decision to cancel the -3, "I can't imagine us building it." He added, however, that there could be a market for a medium-range 787 that likely would be used to operate, for example, US transcontinental flights. Such an aircraft "would be under consideration going forward," he said.
Commenting on the Dreamliner flight test program, Tinseth said the first two flight test aircraft have completed 19 flights totaling 70 hr. They have been flown to an altitude of 31,000 ft. and the top speed achieved so far is Mach 0.62.
He said two more 787s will fly this month. The first will be aircraft No. 4, which will be used to test performance. Aircraft No. 3, being fitted to simulate a passenger environment, is scheduled to fly by the end of February. The final two flight test aircraft, powered by the GEnx engine, will be used to test aircraft performance and service readiness, he said.
Separately, he said that regarding all aircraft types, Boeing has seen "a steady reduction in deferrals in the past two quarters."
by Geoffrey Thomas
Singapore Airlines 747-400 completes first multi-sector ASPIRE flight
A Singapore Airlines 747-400 yesterday completed the fifth ASPIRE (Asia Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions) demonstration flight and the first multi-sector flight in the program, flying a Los Angeles-Tokyo Narita-Singapore routing and achieving about a 5%-6% fuel/carbon dioxide emissions savings compared to a usual SIA flight on the route.
The airline said total fuel savings were calculated at 10,868 kg. while CO2 reduction was 33,769 kg., both exceeding the goals for the flight. Flight time was lowered by about 30 min. The flight was achieved through a collaboration among SIA, US FAA, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which Monday became the fifth air services provider to enlist as an ASPIRE signatory.
SIA Senior VP-Flight Operations Gerard Yeap, briefing reporters at the show, explained that the 747-400 operated a "red carpet flight" in which every conceivable measure was taken to allow it to fly as efficiently as possible. "Look at it as an aspiration of what we'd like to achieve in a green flight," he said. "It shows it can be done."
Ground electrical supply was used instead of the APU to power the aircraft at all three airports. The amount of fuel onboard "was fine-tuned half-an-hour before flight, ensuring a better match with the actual aircraft takeoff weight," SIA said. The 747-400 was allowed to make an "unrestricted climb" following takeoff and used a continuous descent approach at SIN. The airline said that "the bulk of the fuel savings. . .came from using a User Preferred Route generated from the flight planning system Lido/Flight from Lufthansa Systems." Yeap explained, "Based on the latest weather at hand, the UPR is the most efficient route for the aircraft to fly compared to an existing predetermined route."
The -400 used the FreeFlight module of the Lido/Flight solution, which Lufthansa Systems noted "opens up almost unlimited options to calculate the most-efficient routing," adding that the system uses a "highly complex procedure of calculating the most efficient trajectory in terms of distance, flight altitude, wind direction and speed."
Yeap said FreeFlight meant the aircraft was "not bound by traditional airways. . .[or] ground-based routes." He said he hoped the success of the ASPIRE flights will encourage governments, airports and air service providers to invest in modernizing infrastructure. "Many airports in use today were designed in the days of the 707 and meanwhile aircraft technology has advanced by leaps and bounds," he said. "There are regions in the world where, for one 1-hr. flight, you have to do 10 heading changes." Relying more on satellite-based navigation and using the procedures employed in the ASPIRE flights "easily" could increase system efficiency significantly, he declared.
by Aaron Karp
Embraer sees slow recovery in 2010; cautious on new programs
Embraer believes it is starting to "see signs of recovery" in the airline industry but the market is still weak, Executive VP-Airline Market Mauro Kern told ATWOnline here yesterday. Like other airframe OEMs, the Brazilian plane-maker endured its share of aircraft deferrals last year, a period during which deliveries of commercial transports dropped from 162 in 2008 to 122 (seven ERJ-145s, 22 E-170s, 11 E-175s, 62 E-190s and 20 E-195s).
But that has changed, Kern said: "Right now we are not talking about deferrals and cancellations any more. . .it looks like it is getting better." Pointing to the impact of the liquidity crunch, he noted that around 35 banks were involved in aircraft finance a few years ago and the number dwindled to a handful during the financial crisis. Now, "some banks are showing some interest in coming back." In December, Embraer signed an agreement with China Development Bank's CDB Leasing unit under which CDB will make available up to $2.2 billion to support Embraer deliveries in China and elsewhere.
Notwithstanding any green shoots, the manufacturer is taking a conservative outlook this year. "We don't see a strong recovery in 2010," Kern said. The company has not provided guidance on 2010 deliveries, but he does not see the figure exceeding the 2009 figure and likewise is cautious about new orders.
That caution also extends to any new programs on the commercial side, such as a possible stretch of the successful E-Jet. "We see there is a permanent market for 100/120-seaters," he said. "There is some stretch capability in the E-195" that could lead to a slightly larger aircraft. But he emphasized that Embraer is "not close to a launch decision" on any such program. "Now is not the time," he declared, adding that "maybe in the next 12-18 months we will make a decision."
Acknowledging that Bombardier already has committed to play in the over-100-seat market with the CSeries, Kern said, "We won't simply respond to what the competition does, we need to address market requirements. . .We were not the first [in the regional jet] market with the ERJ-145 and we were not the first in the 70-seat market" with the E170, both of which achieved strong sales success. Embraer has recorded orders for more than 600 E-Jets from 56 airlines.
by Perry Flint
Mitsubishi: MRJ design freeze by end of summer
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. Executive VP Junichi Miyakawa said that "major structures" for the MRJ have been "sized and defined" and the company is "on track" to "freeze the [aircraft] design by the end of this summer."
Addressing reporters here, he claimed that the company has engaged in "very detailed, serious talks" with "several customers" regarding new MRJ orders. The potential customers are in the US, Europe and Asia, he said.
Mitsubishi currently has 15 firm orders plus 10 options from launch customer ANA for the 90-seat variant with first delivery slated for 2014 and 50 firm orders plus 50 options from Trans States Airlines, though Miyakawa conceded that "the contract has not been signed" with the US carrier.
by Aaron Karp
IAE wins $300 million V2500 engine order from Sichuan Airlines
IAE said that Sichuan Airlines selected V2500 engines for 12 A320s on order for delivery between 2011 and 2015. The deal is valued at $300 million. Included is a long-term aftermarket services agreement. Sichuan's fleet comprises 61 A320s, all of which are powered by V2500s.
by Geoffrey Thomas
Rolls Royce won a long-term TotalCare services agreement with Malaysia Airlines covering its fleet of 17 777s powered by Trent 800s.
BOC Aviation inked a deal to lease two A320-200s to Air New Zealand. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Goodrich was selected by Russia's Irkut and Aviapribor to provide the flight control actuation system for the new Irkut MC-21. Goodrich said the system will become part of Aviapribor's complete integrated flight control system for the 150/212-seat aircraft family. It further said it "will contract with Aviapribor to design, develop and produce primary and secondary flight control actuation systems for all variants of the MC-21" and will provide complete actuation system integration.
Separately, Goodrich said it was selected by Sumitomo Precision Products to supply the integrated brake system "comprised of the main wheels and carbon brakes, the nose wheel, and the fully digital brake control and antiskid system" for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. Work will be performed by the Goodrich Aircraft Wheels and Brakes business. The system will become part of Sumitomo's complete landing gear system for the aircraft.
SR Technics announced that it is offering a 45-day turnaround time for engine maintenance on CFM56-5B, -5C and -7B powerplants. The company said this sets "a new best-in-class standard for the industry." Last month the first engine to receive the new maintenance offering was delivered to Hapag Lloyd Flug.
ST Aerospace Systems was appointed by Triumph Actuation Systems as an authorized service center for the repair and overhaul of A320 power transfer units. The agreement is for three years with an option for renewal for an additional three years.
Curtiss-Wright Controls said it has developed a solution for inadvertent aircraft slide deployment. The Integrated Sensing SmartHandle "is an audible alert system designed to fit any aircraft door and assist in the prevention of unintentional rollout of an emergency slide," the company said. It can be installed as a retrofit on existing aircraft or directly on the airframe on the production line.
Originally published 4 Feb 2010 at: http://feeds.atwonline.com/~r/AtwDailyNews/~3/dv8dBk9_T8Y/story.html
