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FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL
MOM AND ON
Boeing and Airbus tradeblows over replacementneed for 757 in middleof market segment 16
DEALS APLENTY
Commercial successes,and the trends behindthem, as detailed in ourexclusive order tracker 9
FLYING AHEAD
THIRTY PAGES OF
THE BIG MOMENTS
AND BEST IMAGES
SHOW REPORT P8
23-29 JUNE 2015
PARIS REPORT
IS C-INGBELIEVING?Swiss role for CSeries at Le Bourget, butBombardier struggles to add customers
9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 7 3
2 6
3.50
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MORE TO BELIEVE INPERFORMANCE | EXECUTION | TECHNOLOGY
The architectureof reliabilityOur next-generation LEAP engine is built on solid
foundations. Drawing on the legendary architecture
of the CFM56, we have expanded our technology and
innovation even further. Delivering a new standard in
fuel efciency for CFM customers worldwide.
cfmaeroengines.com/paris
CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.
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23-29 June 2015 |Flight International|3flightglobal.com
FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL
23-29 JUNE 2015VOLUME 187 NUMBER 5494
FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL
MOMANDON
BoeingandAirbustradeblowsoverreplacementneedfor757 inmiddleofmarketsegment16
DEALSAPLENTY
Commercialsuccesses,andthetrends behindthem,asdetailedin ourexclusiveordertracker9
FLYINGAHEAD
THIRTYPAGESOF
THEBIGMOMENTSANDBESTIMAGES
SHOWREPORTP8
23-29JUNE2015
PARISREPORT
IS C-INGBELIEVING?SwissroleforCSeriesatLe Bourget,butBombardierstrugglestoaddcustomers
9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 7 3
2 6
3.50
FIN_ 0 6 5 _ 0 .i n d d 8 /0 6 /0 5 0 :
BillyPix
COVER IMAGE
They may have secured no
new orders at Paris, but
Bombardiers CSeries jets
were a static park draw.
The Swiss-liveried CS100is our cover star P13
BEHIND THE HEADLINESThe Flightglobal news teamwas at Le Bourget to bringyou unrivalled print, digitaland video coverage of the2015 Paris air show
NEXT WEEK ENVIRONMENTAs regulators look closely atthe emissions produced byaviation, we examine how thesector is planning to clean up Bil
lyPix
New name gives Wolverine more bite P42. Export deal for JF-17 struck with unnamed Asian nationP19
DominicPerry/Flightglobal
Boeing mulls middle of the market concept P16
COVER STORY12
CSeries: More to comeAirframer hints at furtherpackage of improvements after revealing types
brochure-beating performance statistics
FEATURES44 Buoyant Le BourgetWhile the daily flying display
lacked the volume of previous Paris shows, thequality of hardware still caught the eye
46 Static fantasticLe Bourget gave visitors theopportunity to pause beside a wide range ofvisiting aircraft, from the cutting-edge of currenttechnology to classic types
48 We showed youWhether you were at the Parisair show or following the airborne action from afar,Flightglobal had it covered
REGULARS7 Comment
51 Straight & Level
53 Letters
56 Classified
59 Jobs
63 Working Week
NEWS
PARIS 2015: SHOW REPORT
8 Final hours Wizz buy for Toulouse
9 Launch confirms the only way is X6
10 Paris order bonanza pips Farnborough
16 Boeing mulls middle of the market concept fornew jet
18 GTF eyed by Turkish regional jet firm
19 Export deal for JF-17 struck with unnamed Asia nation.Positive tales put Scorpion under order spotlight
20 NH Industries seeking new orders as backlogstablilises.Boeing looks to fill empty Chinook production slots
22 Reborn A320 P2F scheme adopts pragmaticstrategy
24 French faith lifts weight from Atlas.Antonov quietly details new transport
26 F-35 ramping up as milestone nears
27 Airbuss motoring mindset for E-Fan
28 ATRs enhancements spur order glut.Bombardier renews regional efforts
30 Mitsubishi builds decimal place for MRJ production.More commitments come despite delay to C919
31 Superjet lessor out to break China
33 Partners wait on German UAV tender.Honeywell wants Global Hawk for avoidance trials
36 UTC takes steps for Sikorsky divorce.Airbus Helicopters lifted by debut as H160 flighttests get off the ground
37 L-39NG upgrade has takers amid prototypepreparation.Mali strengthens with Super Tucano
39 Net Ray on display as Portugal testing continues.Shadow M2 put through paces for France UAV bid
40 Boeing grows BBJ range with launch of Max 9 variant.Ex-demo Dassault for Chinese medevac missions
41 Metal Master starts family planning after Flaris is ahit
42 Thrush comes back with a vengeance as Archangel.New name gives Wolverine more bite
43 Dordain legacy a bigger, stronger ESA
BillyPix
RexFeatures
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flightglobal.com4 |Flight International|23-29 June 2015
CONTENTS
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
flightglobal.com/flight-international
Vote at flightglobal.com
Flightglobals premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with
profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard
THE WEEK IN NUMBERS
Morethan 30
One to 30
Last week, we asked: How many firm orderswill the CSeries gain at Paris:You said:
This week, we ask: As it spars with Airbusover 757 replacement, will Boeing
Launch MOM product Wait for demand to rise Park the concept
46%
36%None
18%
Airbus Group
The number of girls Airbus welcomed to its Paris air show
static display as part of a gender balance initiative
150
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres
Value of Dunlops three-year deal to support Garudas fleet
of 15 Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen regional jets
$3m
SITA IT trends survey
The vast majority of airlines surveyed expect the internet
of things to deliver clear benefits in the next three years
86%
BillyPix
IMAGE OFTHE WEEKDuring the Paris air showat Le Bourget, Boeingdisplayed this 777-300ERin the colours of TaiwansChina Airlines. The carrieroperates five 777-300ERsas part of its 79-strongfleet and has orders foranother five of the type,Flightglobals AscendFleets database shows
View more great aviationshots online and in ourweekly tablet edition:
ownload The Engine Directory.
ightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory
wnload the new Commercial Engines Directorywith enhanced data and in-depth market analysis
ht lobal.com/commen ines13
Download the latest Commercial Engines Reportnow with further enhanced data and in-depth market analysis
fightglobal.com/commengines
TOTAL
VOTES:
2,270
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COMMENT
23-29 June 2015 |Flight International|7flightglobal.com
See Show Report P22
Since Airbus handed over the last A300-600F in2007 its freighter strategy has been far more miss
than hit.It scrubbed its high-profile A380F programme in the
same year, effectively handing a lifeline to Boeings 747 a strategic decision which chief salesman JohnLeahy, at this years Paris air show, admitted healways regretted.
Airbus turned to the A330 as a new-build freighterplatform but, with sales of barely 40 aircraft in eightyears, and a shift in the cargo market away from dedi-cated freighters, the type has not replicated the runa-
way success of its passenger sister. The subsequentfailed venture with Russia to develop an A320 conver-
sion programme appeared to cap off Airbuss miserablerun in the cargo game.
But down isnt quite out, and Airbus is regroupingunder a different battle flag by handing leadership toST Aerospace.
That the strategy includes surrendering majorityownership of EFW underlines the significance of thechange of tack one which will give Airbus the chanceto offer a family of freighters, from the A320 to theA330-300, with fewer burdens on its resources.
If Airbuss freighter efforts have been off-target, theST partnership might just provide the steady hand nec-
essary to improve its aim.
Cargo converts
It was supposed to be the industrialisation air showat Le Bourget this year.For the first time since 2009, neither Airbus or Boe-
ing came to Paris with a new product launch either im-minent or scheduled for the show. Meanwhile, sold-out backlogs and lower fuel prices should haveconstrained the usual flurry of order announcements.The message everywhere was on the challenge of actu-ally producing all of the aircraft and new modelslaunched and ordered over the past five years.
But if that was the script, there was a lot of improvis-
ing going on.The pace and number of order announcements came
more slowly, but still built steadily over the week.Other surprises came in more subtle ways such as
an absence of activity. Bombardier gained a wealth ofdeservedly good publicity with the debut of the CS100and the graceful flying display of the CS300, but failedto attract any new orders.
A completely revamped commercial aircraft execu-tive and sales team have had only weeks on the job toprepare, but they need to move quickly. Bombardierneeds to sell 57 aircraft within the next six months tomeet its 300-order goal at entry into service.
By the end of the week, it became clear that Boeingspursuit of a middle of the market concept within abouta decade is no smokescreen, despite barbed commentsfrom Toulouse. Whether Boeings new product devel-opment team develop a robust business case is still
open to question, but something must be done to re-spond to Airbuss potentially dominating A321neo LRand A330-800neo.
In that sense, the air show served Boeings interestsquite well. After both flooding suppliers with work andsqueezing on price, it may need their financial andtechnical support if a new product is launched.
Engine companies undoubtedly would have thehardest decision to make. The crop of new derivativesin development by Airbus and Boeing mostly preserve
the original airframe, with new winglets and compositewings added in some cases. But the engine manufac-turers have the task of developing several all-new en-gines for the derivative models, while meeting thesame ramp-up commitments shared by Airbus andBoeing for both clean-sheet and existing aircraft.
Not surprisingly, the executives of engine manufac-turers are less enthusiastic about taking on any morework until they can prove they can deliver on promisesalready made.See Show Report P8
BillyPix
Presence, but no gift-wrapped orders
Engine makers are not keen
to take on more work until they
can deliver current promises
This years Paris air show was supposed to be a departure from the order frenzies seen in
previous editions, but while the numbers were lower, the surprises still came thick and fast
Same again?
To access more coverage from
the Paris air show, visit our
dedicated landing page:
flightglobal.com/paris
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SHOWREPORT
flightglobal.com8 |Flight International|23-29 June 2015
Missed the Paris air show? Catch up with
the latest news and information by visiting:
flightglobal.com/paris
Dassault could increase its pro-
duction rate for the Rafalefighter if a proposed 36-unit pur-chase by India is confirmed, andremains optimistic about theprospects of eventually sellingmany more to the nation.
Asked how Dassault can satis-fy the Indian government andmeet its demands, chief execu-tive Eric Trappier says: We havebeen there for 50 years and arenot very good at appeasing them.We are still trying.
Trappier says the companys
Make in India plans are still ac-tive and that it has leadership of
the supply chain for manufactur-
ing to be carried out in India.But I am cautious. Indias needis much greater than the 36. 120is more like it.
Dassault currently produces acombined 11 Rafales per year for
the French air force and navy.
The first three of 24 aircraft re-cently ordered by Egypt will bedelivered this year. With Qataralso having confirmed an orderfor 24, the production line willswitch from completing aircraftfor the French defence forces andwill instead produce for the twoMiddle Eastern nations.
Dassault is still heavily in-volved in the fighter contest inKuwait and still has hopes for theUnited Arab Emirates, he says.
Also at the show, Sagem an-
nounced its receipt of an order toequip Egypts fighters with its
AASM Hammer air-to-surface
weapon. Deliveries of the morethan 32nm-range (60km) designwill commence next year, it says.
Meanwhile, Trappier highlight-ed the UKs current lack of a mari-time patrol aircraft capability.
The British will want to rein-troduce the patrols and my per-sonal view is they will buy Amer-ican. They have done that beforeand made mistakes. Look at theselection of the [LockheedMartin] F-35 for the aircraft carri-ers. They should have bought Ra-
fale. I hope they will look at theother options, he says.
While some familiar names such as BAE Systems andFinmeccanica were absent from the chalet rows at theParis air show, a steady flow of commercial orders meant
there was still much to enjoy as the aerospace industrymassed in Le Bourget. Clear skies aided the modestnumber of participants in the daily flying display, includingBombardiers debutante CS300, which impressed visitorsbut failed to secure fresh orders. New project launcheswere few, but notable in the case of Airbus Helicopters X6.Our global reporting team was out in force to cover everyangle of the sectors must-attend event of the year
PARIS 2015
Airbus saved its biggest dealuntil the last business day of
the show, announcing that centralEuropean budget carrier Wizz Airhas tentatively agreed to take 110A321neos in a high-density, 239-
seat Cabin Flex configuration.Airbus says the aircraft, fitted
with 18in seats, would be deliv-ered between 2019 and 2024.
The memorandum of under-standing also covers 90 purchaserights. Flightglobals Ascend Fleets
database shows that Wizz operates61 current generation A320ceos andhas another 23 plus 27 A321ceos on order. It is preparing to receive thelatter of these from later this year,with a layout of 230 seats.
The airlines A321neo deal isthe biggest single order to date forthe variant and pushes A320neo-family orders and commitmentsbeyond 4,000, Airbus indicates.
Hungarian-based Wizz oper-ates 380 routes from 22 sites.
ting to a cabin reconfiguration.Varadi says that the airline is ex-amining several options, includ-ing 186-seat, 188-seat and 189-seat layouts.
It has yet to select an engine
type for the A321neos, whichwill begin arriving in 2019, butsays the decision will be madeover the next year or so, follow-ing a market contest between theCFM International Leap-1A andPratt & Whitney PW1100G.
ORDER
Final hours Wizzbuy for ToulouseAirbus bags its biggest deal on last day of show as low-costairline agrees to take 110 A321neos in high-density format
Meanwhile, the carrier is stillexamining whether there is acase to increase the seat densityin its A320s.
Chief executive Jozsef Varadisays the carrier hasnt made a
decision on whether to take thestep, following the developmentof higher-density options.
Keep in mind that we leaseour current fleet, he says, add-ing that the airline is looking atthe business case for commit-
Indian deal key to Dassaults Rafale rate ramp-upPRODUCTION
AirbusThe carrier has yet to select an engine type for its twinjets
Qatar has ordered 24 fighters
Billy
Pix
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23-29 June 2015 |Flight International|9flightglobal.com
PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
Airbus Helicopters has an-nounced further renewal of
its product line with the launchat Paris of a two-year concept de-velopment phase for a new heavyhelicopter provisionally calledthe X6.
Destined to ultimately replacethe 11t-class H225, the new rotor-craft will seat 19 passengers and
feature next-generation enginesand fly-by-wire controls. Imagesdisplayed at the air show indicatean aircraft with five-bladed mainand tail rotors.
Service entry is provisionallyanticipated in the 2022-2023timeframe, says the airframerschief executive Guillaume Faury,and it will set the standard forthe heavy segment when it reach-es the market.
The airframer intends to workwith a customer advisory panel
to ensure the configuration of theX6 is designed by customers, forcustomers, says Faury, but theexact positioning of the heli-copter will be the outcome ofthe concept phase.
It will be pitched initially at
the oil and gas, search and res-cue and commercial transportmarkets, but a military variantwill subsequently be developed,says Faury.
Customers are increasinglydemanding aircraft that can flyfurther and are safer and morecapable, he says, and the X6 willmatch those levels ofexpectation.
No engine has yet been select-ed, but several manufacturers aredeveloping new high-power tur-
boshafts for future programmeswhich will be considered during
the concept phase. Turbomeca is
already working on its 3,000shp(2,240kW) Tech 3000 demonstra-tor, with a first engine run duelater this year.
One feature that has been de-cided on is a fly-by-wire controlsystem a first on an Airbus Heli-copters civil model. This was se-lected after an 18-month study,looking at the experience of simi-lar equipment on the NH Indus-tries NH90 military type and Air-bus fixed-wing aircraft.
We came to the conclusion
that fly-by-wire controls makesense for a heavy helicopter for
the future as it helps to drive
capability and safety, saysFaury.
It will also evaluate differentmaterials for the X6, says Faury,and it is not unlikely that it willhave a significant amount of[composite] in the airframe. Hedid, however, rule out the use ofan electric tail rotor, citing powerand reliability requirements. Itis not a realistic option at thistime, he says.
Production of the X6 is likelyto be in parallel with the H225,
which will continue at least forthe next decade and a half.
BillyPix
ROTORCRAFT
Launch confirms the only way is X6New fly-by-wire heavy rotorcraft to arrive next decade will eventually replace the Airbus Helicopters H225 Super Puma
We came to the
conclusion that
fly-by-wire controls
make sense for a
heavy helicopterGUILLAUME FAURYChief executive, Airbus Helicopters
Chief executive Guillaume Faury says the X6 will be designed by customers, for customers.
BillyPix
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flightglobal.com10 |Flight International|23-29 June 2015
PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
531
371
902
294
476
770
55
77
132
For up-to-the-minute air transport news,
network and fleet information sign up at:
flightglobal.com/dashboard
Airbuss big final-day deal withWizz Air, combined with
Boeing adding orders for 17737-800s and four 737-900ERsfor unidentified customers, tooktotal order commitments duringthe air show both firm and ten-tative to 1,017.
Despite pre-Paris suggestionsthat there would be less businessannounced during the show, thetotal is 11 more orders than thenumber announced at the Farn-borough air show last year. Themanufacturers also secured 206options during Paris two morethan at Farnborough.
Flightglobals Ascend consul-tancy equates this to over $69 bil-lion in business.
The Wizz deal pushed Airbusahead during the week for orders
and options although Boeingmaintains it does not play the airshow numbers game having se-cured 421 commitments and 110tentative deals. Boeing disclosed371 orders during Le Bourget, ofwhich 40 were options.
HOLDING SWAY
Airbus held sway with aroundtwo-thirds of the narrowbodydeals, while Boeing took 77widebody commitments to 55from Airbus over the week.
Garuda Indonesia contributedfirm orders for both, signing let-
TRACKER
Paris order bonanza pips FarnboroughDespite repeated predictions of slow going, Le Bourget commitments top 1,017 11 more than last years UK air show
ters of intent to order 30 787-9sand 30 A350s it is also takingup to 30 737 Max 8s. Likewise,Taiwanese carrier Eva Air addedlong-haul aircraft from both air-framers, with preliminary dealsfor five 777 Freighters and fouradditional A330s.
Boeings widebody businessincluded Volga-Dneprs tentativedeal to acquire another 20 747-8Freighters for its AirBridge Cargodivision a vital boost for theflagging programme.
The US manufacturer also dis-closed a follow-up order fromEthiopian Airlines for six 787s,previously attributed to an uni-dentified customer. Ethiopian isto take the six remaining early-
build Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-en-gined 787-8s, occasionally re-ferred to as the terrible teens.Ethiopian already operates 13787-8s powered by General Elec-tric GEnx-1B engines.
MORE FOR LESSORS
Qatar Airways was active again,placing follow-on orders for 10777-8Xs and four 777 Freighters.Korean Air also ordered a pair of777-300ERs.
Air Lease added a further Air-bus A350-900 the only lessorcommitment for widebodies dur-ing the show. However, leasefirms were again active players, ifat lower levels than at Farnbor-ough, where they signed for 576
26%
15%
14%8%
8%
29%
Hungary
Indonesia
South Korea
South Korea
Brazil
China
aircraft. At Paris they committedto 369 aircraft, predominantlycovering Airbus and Boeing nar-rowbodies.
AerCap signed for 100 Max 8s,having ordered A320neos atFarnborough. Another lessorwhich had ordered heavily at
Farnborough, SMBC AviationCapital, came back for more, add-ing a further 10 Max 8s to the 80it already had on order, andGECAS ordered another 60A320neo jets.
Asia was comfortably the mostactive region, accounting for halfthe airline orders during theshow. Chinese carrier Ruili Air-lines committed to 30 Max jetswith financial support from AVICInternational Leasing.
Korean Air placed matching
deals for 30 Max 8s and 30A321neos, taking options on afurther 20 of both.
Indonesian carrier Sriwijaya Airemerged as the customer behind atwo-unit unattributed 737-900ERorder already on the airframersbooks. VietJet Air took six moreA321s, while Peach signed forthree A320s the Japanese budg-et carriers first directly pur-chased aircraft.
Airbus also said an undis-closed Asian carrier has signed a
memorandum of understandingfor 60 A320neos.
Airbus Boeing
LEADING OPERATOR COUNTRIES
AIRBUS V BOEING
Total orders NarrowbodiesWidebodies
Flightglobal Ascend
Flightglobal Ascend
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flightglobal.com12 |Flight International|23-29 June 2015
PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
Missed the Paris air show? Catch up with
the latest news on our dedicated page:
flightglobal.com/Paris
Flight testing of the Bombardier
CSeries is entering the final phase,
with around two-thirds of the pro-
gramme now completed. The
Canadian manufacturer will run a
conservative CSeries service-readi-
ness schedule comprising 600 flight
hours ahead of the CS100s debutwith launch operator Swiss
International Air Lines in mid-2016.
Robert Dewar, CSeries vice-presi-
dent at Bombardiers commercial
aircraft division, says that over 70%
of the CS100s certification test pro-
gramme is completed. Its all on
track, he says.
There are currently five CS100s
and a single CS300 in the flight-test
programme. The former have com-
pleted over 1,700 flight hours, while
the latter has flown 150h.
The CS100 has completed over
65% of the planned flying hours,
says Bombardier. A sixth example
will join the programme in October,
equipped with a furnished cabin and
a light level of instrumentation. This
will be the first production airframe
and tasked with the function and
reliability (F&R) test programme
ahead of service entry next summer.
Weve successfully completed all
the significant deterministic and
higher-risk tests, says Dewar.
Testing of the CSeriess fly-by-wire
flight controls is progressing well,
with evaluation of the system in di-
rect mode now completed. Weve
done about 80% of the normal-mode
tests. We have about another six
weeks of validation tests to com-
plete, he says. In the test pro-
gramme we do software upgrades,
and were now loading the actual EIS
software that will be delivered.
Bombardier expects the CS100
to be certificated by year-end, with
the CS300 following approximately
six months later.The CS100 is set to make its
service debut with launch operator
Swiss around six months after certi-
fication, but the interval for the
CS300 should be shorter, says
Dewar. There will be less work to do
for example, it will not need to oper-
ate the same amount of F&R. The
time between certification and EIS
will be determined by the CS300
launch operator. This was confirmed
at the show as being Air Baltic.
Dewar says the F&R programme
will begin with Bombardier and then
transition into operations evaluation
Bombardier is aiming to buildon the better than brochure
CSeries performance disclosed atthe show by delivering a further4% gain in 2018 through a pack-age of improvements currently indevelopment.
With the CS100 and CS300making their air show debuts atParis, Bombardier confirms that,thanks to lower airframe drag, theCSeries has exceeded brochurepromises in terms of fuel burn.This has resulted in a 350nm(650km) increase in range for thelarger CS300 variant and a250nm improvement for theCS100. The improvements deliv-er a range of up to 3,300nm.
Fuel burn is already 1% bet-ter than brochure, and theres
more to come, says RobertDewar, CSeries vice-president at
provements that we dont want toshare, he adds. The objectiveis for most or all the package to beretrofitable, adds Dewar. It willbe a big percentage.
With regards to the initial air-craft being ahead of targets,
Dewar says the manufactureroriginally took a conservativeapproach to its CSeries perfor-mance claims, as there was a lotof technology risk at the
beginning of the developmentprogramme.
ANALYSIS
Bombardier saysmore to come onCSeries fuel burnAirframer hints at further package of improvements afterrevealing types brochure-beating performance metrics
Bombardiers commercial aircraftdivision. We have the opportu-nities to increase by another 4%through a combination of the en-gine and the aerodynamic air-frame side.
Dewar tellsFlight Internation-
al that the upgrade package isstill being planned and Bombar-dier needs to complete a mini-conceptual design phase withsuppliers before committing tothe exact gains it will deliver.
HALF AND HALF
The improvements will comeroughly half/half between theengine and the airframe a littlebit more on the aircraft side,Dewar says.
Its kinda normal things aero
clean-up, bigger winglets andsome other performance im-
EVALUATION
Development programme on track as certification testing passes 70% mark
Dewar: twinjet will be
put through 300h of
route-proving trialsBillyPix
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23-29 June 2015 |Flight International|13flightglobal.com
PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
Swiss consideringCSeries fleet mixSHOW REPORT P14
CSERIES FLIGHT-TEST FLEET STATUS
CS100 CS300
MSN 5001 5002 5003 5004 5005 Total 5501 Grand total
Flights 157 131 99 116 20 523 46 569
Hours 492 443 333 386 69 1,723 146 1,869
Tasks Flutter, handling,fly-by-wire
Powerplant,systems
Avionics,electrical
Performance Cabin Flutter, handling,systems
NOTES: Second CS300 MSN 5502 to fly performance and cabin tests. Data correct as of 13 June 2015. SOURCE: Bombardier
testing in the first quarter of 2016.
Swiss will participate along with the
three certificating authorities
Transport Canada, the US Federal
Aviation Administration and the
European Aviation Safety Agency.
For F&R were flying 150h, and
another 150h on the ops eval, says
Dewar. And weve decided to do
another 300h of route-proving andmaturing the aircraft so that any
learnings, we get ourselves [ahead
of entry into service].
The F&R programme will initially
be flown from Bombardiers Mirabel
plant in Montreal and will then move
to Europe in order to incorporate
route-proving efforts. Some route-
proving will be flown with Swiss so
we can shake it down with them,
adds Dewar.
Meanwhile, Bombardier will begin
CSeries ETOPS approval flights after
the F&R and operations evaluation
programme is completed in the first
quarter of 2016.
Were certifying at 90min ETOPS
out of the box, and 120min one year
after EIS, so we can build on matu-rity on the engines, the aircraft, etc,
he says. And the operator has
some work to do also to get their
own certification from an operational
point of view.
He points to its all-new design,carbonfibre wing and unprovenPW1500G geared turbofan en-gines from Pratt & Whitney.
Its a combination of structur-
al performance we have lots ofavailable fuel volume available in
the wing and lower drag, saysDewar. The engine is on specand the aircraft has around 1%lower drag.
Dewar declines to reveal the
CSeries empty weight, butdescribes the developmental
aircrafts weight as being ingood numbers.
He attributes the CS300s great-er range gain to the fact that itsdevelopment followed the
CS100, so there was some learn-ing in there we could use.
Weve successfully
completed all
the significant
deterministic and
higher-risk testsROBERT DEWARCSeries vice-president, Bombardier
Bombardier continues to con-sider developing a third, larg-
er member of the CSeries
family, though the Canadian
manufacturers prime focus
remains certification of the
CS100 and CS300 variants.
In a presentation at the
show, Bombardier disclosed
that the CSeries had
growth potential from
2020 and beyond. Colin
Bole, newly-appointed senior
vice-president of sales and
asset management at itscommercial aircraft division,
confirms that the company
is examining ways to devel-
op the family.
[A larger variant] is
something we will continue
to discuss, [and] when the
time is right, we will consider
the next opportunities, he
says. We are always looking
at opportunities to develop
the family.
Boles comments came
shortly after the Wall StreetJournalreported that
Bombardier had re-registered
the trademark CS500, which
would presumably be the
designation of a larger
variant. But while such a
model could eventually be on
the cards, Bole says
Bombardier must first com-
plete flight testing of its
CS100 and CS300, and en-
sure that those aircraft enter
service smoothly.
With CSeries firm ordersstanding at 243, Bombardier
has not yet reached a goal of
300 by service-entry, which is
due in the middle of 2016.
We are focused right
now on the development,
certification and entry into
service of the CS100 and
CS300, and that is taking a
significant amount of our
time, Bole says. We want
to make sure that is suc-
cessful and that we have a
proven platform.
Larger variantpossible whentime is right
The CS300
performed daily
flying displays
at Le Bourget
BillyPix
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as business class.We will have a flexible curtain
[to denote the premium cabin]with the next seat empty so everybusiness-class passenger is next toa free seat, says Hohmeister.
As it begins its CSeries readi-ness after disclosing that it hadagreed to become launch opera-tor earlier this year, the airlineconducted an initial pilot-famil-iarisation programme at the man-ufacturers facility in Montrealduring May with 12 pilots. Theactivity also included mainte-nance and operational staff.
The project comprised simula-tor flights and familiarisationwith CSeries systems in class-room-based training and on testaircraft in the production facility.
This has enabled Swiss to devel-op its own training programme at itsZurich base and design operatingmanuals for the twinjet. Aside froma full-flight simulator, the airlinewill employ a cabin-emergencytraining device at its base.
With certification of the CS100targeted by year-end, Swiss aims
to introduce the twinjet in mid-2016, says Hohmeister.
As CSeries CS100 launch oper-ator Swiss International AirLines prepares to introduce theBombardier twinjet in mid-2016,it has adapted its order to include10 of the larger CS300 variant.
The original 30-unit purchaseagreement for 30 CS100s plus 30options, signed by Swiss parentLufthansa, was disclosed in 2009following an initial commitmentwhen Bombardier launched theprogramme at the Farnboroughair show in July 2008.
Bombardier showcased its fifthflight-test aircraft in Swiss liveryat the show, ahead of a two-dayvisit to the airlines Zurich baseon 17 and 18 June.
The Swiss carrier will nowtake at least 10 of the orders as theCS300, with deliveries to begin in2017, chief executive HarryHohmeister disclosed at theshow. This will come after the de-livery of an initial 10 CS100sfrom the first half of next year.For the remaining 10 aircraft to
be delivered in 2018 Swiss isevaluating a mix of CS100s andCS300s, Hohmeister says.
With both versions of thenew CSeries family of aircraft inour ranks, we can be highly flex-
ible in tailoring capacity to de-mand on our European routes,
says Hohmeister.He indicates that there are no
plans currently to firm up Luf-thansa groups 30 options. Wewill stay with 30 confirmed or-ders, he says.
With initial Swiss deliveriesdue to start next year, the carrier
has disclosed that its CS100s willbe equipped with a 125-seat inte-rior with 25 rows of slimline, ZimFlugsitz-designed seats at 30in(76cm) pitch, five-abreast. How-ever, part of the cabin will be sold
AIRLINE
Swiss considering CSeries fleet mixLaunch operator to initially take equal number of both variants, but is still undecided on remaining 10 firm orders
MARKETS
Bombardier sees lessors as key to unlock Chinas potential
Bombardier sees Chinese lessors as
a good entry point into the nations
booming market, where the firm has
so far found limited success.Colin Bole, senior vice-president of
sales and asset management at
Bombardiers commercial aircraft
division, tells Flight International that
the airframer is in discussions with
various Chinese lessors, including
BOC Aviation, on the CSeries, and
that there has been genuine interest.
Chinese lessors have natural
advantages in terms of leasing to
China on withholding tax and using
the free-trade-zone opportunities,
he says. Chinese domestic lessors
have an advantage over non-Chi-
nese lessors.
Thats just talking about econom-
ics. Obviously there are synergies,
relationships between Chinese air-
lines and lessors which cannot beunderestimated.
Bole says Bombardier is aiming to
capture half of the demand on new
aircraft in the 60- to 150-seat seg-
ment globally. In its 20-year market
forecast, the firm predicts China will
be the second-largest driver for de-
mand for new aircraft in both the 60-
100 and 100-150 seat segments.
China having its own aircraft manu-
facturer, however, impacts how much
of the market Bombardier will be able
to capture with its range of products,
says Bole. Bombardier also sees a
need for more education on the po-
tential of turboprops in China, and to
promote large variants.
The Dash 8 Q400 can bring im-
provements in terms of efficiency andability to develop those regional air-
ports, particularly in western China.
We need to work on it, and its not
going to happen overnight, he adds.
Asked about the possibility of
setting up a local production line,
The Canadian airframer says a large
amount of manufacturing for the
Q400 and CSeries is already being
done in China.
I would say, to be very success-
ful in China, co-operation is key... but
does it necessarily mean setting up
a production line? Im not sure,
says Bole.
Bombardier
Bombardiers CS100 made its Paris debut before departing for an event in Zurich, Switzerland
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1,100+ E-JETS.
70 AIRLINES.50 COUNTRIES.
The E-Jets E2 program has moved from concept to reality. Were far beyond the milestone of
first-metal being cut, and are now busy assembling the first E2 prototype for first flight next
year. The entire E2 family is on schedule, on target, and on the way to affirming its position as
the worlds most preferred family of jets up to 130 seats. Our vision remains clear. And it is
taking shape today.
Our visionis taking shape.
E-JETS
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engine market. Sign in or register at:
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Boeings corporate ban on moon-
shot commercial projects still
leaves plenty of space for its aircraft
designers to innovate but not too
much.
That seemed to be the Paris air
show theme delivered by Mike
Sinnett, Boeings vice-president of
product development, as the air-
framer publicly muses over plans for
a new middle of the market air-
craft concept.
In May 2014, Boeing chief execu-
tive Jim McNerney famously banned
the commercial aircraft division from
pursuing moonshot projects like
the 787, a clean-sheet aircraft de-
sign that entered service 3.5 years
late and billions in the red.
But that does not mean the man-
ufacturer has lost its appetite for
launching all-new aircraft, Sinnett
says. Indeed, Sinnett displayed a
concept for a roughly 737-sized
truss-braced wing aircraft. Such a
design enables a step change in
aerodynamic efficiency. The 787
entered service with a wing aspect
ratio of 11, a record for a modern
airliner. A truss-braced wing can pro-
vide an aspect ratio of 15 or 16,
Sinnett says.
Just because an airplane is a
different configuration, that doesnt
necessarily make it a moonshot,
Sinnett says.
Its innovative, but its not nec-
essarily technologically risky.
That does not mean Boeing plans
to start developing a truss-braced
wing as the manufacturers next air-
craft-development project. When I
look at all the competing require-
ments right now, its not clear to me
that any configuration besides the
typical configuration that we all know
and love would meet the
combination of requirements from
the customers over the near term,
he says.
But the new development project
also cannot resemble what made
the 787 development strategy
qualify for McNerneys moonshot
putdown.
When I think of what made the
787 a moonshot, it was like this:
we were going for everything as
Having convinced itself thegap between the 737 Max
and the 787-8 is wide enough toone day launch a challenging,multi-billion dollar developmentprogramme, Boeing comman-deered the global stage at theshow partly in an effort to per-suade everyone else.
A nearly year-long canvas ofpotential customers produced a
set of basic characteristics for thenew aircraft. According to Boe-ing, the consensus view is for anaircraft with 20% more seats andrange than a 757-200, whichcombines the seat-mile costs ofthe 737 Max yet still offers great-er comfort in the passengercabin.
If looked upon as a replace-ment for all models of the 757and the 767-200, Boeings inter-nal analysis suggests such amiddle of the market aircraft
concept, or MOM, should out-sell both of them combined.
The growth of overall passen-ger traffic should add to the totalof nearly 1,200 sales achieved byboth programmes, according toan industry source familiar withBoeings analysis.
Its a relatively nice-sizedmarket, says Ray Conner, chiefexecutive and president of Boe-ing Commercial Aircraft. Nowits a matter of going back anddoing your homework and seeingif you can actually do that.
That step translating a mar-ket survey into a real businesscase involves several complica-tions. If Boeing ever launches adevelopment programme, it willneed to sell it to customers. Butfirst the company needs to sell itto a supply chain that likely willbe invited to invest billions ofdollars in risk-sharing deals tohelp develop the new aircraft.
Boeing also must overcome anew campaign by Airbus aimedat raising doubts about the needand feasibility of such a project.
Some would say that Boeingsannouncements are timed to de-flect the questions being askedabout the competitiveness of theircurrent products, Airbus says.
CAPABILITY SPACE
The capability space between the737 Max 9 and the 787-8 is al-ready occupied by two Airbus
types the re-engined A321neoLR and the A330neo.
Combined they dont leavemuch of a market between themin which to place a new product,and who would invest severalbillions to fill a market that mighthardly exist? asks Airbus.
The only 757 on
display at Paris
was Honeywells
flying testbed
OUTLOOK
Boeing mulls middle of themarket concept for new jetAirbus snubs sector that might hardly exist as rival details research into potential aircraft
Conner acknowledges that nodecisions have yet been made,but the companys interests in
pursuing the MOM concept aresincere. We havent said we aregoing to do it. But we know thereis a marketplace there. Now its amatter of executing, he says.
For Boeing, the industrysthree major engine manufactur-ers are the most critical audience
DEVELOPMENT
Designers still have room to manoeuvre despite ban on moonshot projects
We havent said we
are going to do it. But
we know there is a
marketplace thereRAY CONNERCEO, Boeing Commercial Aircraft
Just because an
airplane is a different
configuration, that
doesnt necessarily
make it a moonshotMIKE SINNETTVP product development, Boeing
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PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
GTF eyed by Turkishregional jet firmSHOW REPORT P18
to persuade. While a selectioncould mean billions of dollars ofsales on a new programme that
could last decades in production,it comes with a hefty upfront de-velopment bill to certificate anew engine.
Reusing an off-the-shelf enginewill not be possible. GE Aviationchief executive David Joyce sayssuch an aircraft would need a
new engine with a rating between40,000lb-thrust (178kN) and50,000lb-thrust, which his coun-
terpart at Pratt & Whitney, PaulAdams, does not dispute. Thatthrust range requires a new enginedevelopment programme with anat least billion-dollar price tag.
None of the three potential en-gine suppliers also includingRolls-Royce are ready to pass
he says, adding: Its not a deci-sion for today.
But commercial aircraft devel-opment timelines suggest thatBoeing must still move withinthe next few years to meet even
Woods forecast. It took Boeingeight years to introduce the com-panys last new clean-sheet de-sign with the 787-8. By thatstandard, a service entry in 2025would require a programmelaunch in 2017.
That timeline fits within a win-dow described by P&Ws Adams,who thinks such an aircraft couldbe introduced between 2023 and2028. I think its something thatwill evolve over the next year or18 months, he says.
ENGINE CHOICE
Another complication will be de-ciding whether Boeing shouldoffer customers a choice of en-gines for any future MOM air-craft. Adams says that decisionshould be a function of how bigthat market is. But Conner isopen to considering most air-lines preference for competitiveengine options. Boeing offeredonly one engine for the 737 Maxand 777X, partly because each
was a derivative of a single-en-gine product line.
Now as we look at new prod-ucts well probably maybe take adifferent approach, Conner says.
It has been 12 years since Boe-ing launched an all-new aircraft.In the interim, it and Airbus havebuilt a massive backlog of nearly12,000 orders, while launching ahost of development productswith new major derivatives. De-livering on all of those commit-ments over the next five years
represents a historic challenge forthe entire industry. As Boeing at-tempts to recruit a supply chainfor a possible new developmentprogramme, it may struggle tofind takers.
My focus is just executing anddelivering what we have alreadycommitted to, says GEs Joyce.We have a huge, huge, huge exe-cution challenge ahead of us. Wecertainly are working with bothcompanies to look at the middle ofthe market, but my primary focus
is just executing the engines werealready working on.
much possible fuel burn [reduction]
as we could get, as much mainte-
nance cost reduction as we could
get, as much comfort in the cabin
as we could get, trying to optimise
a production system and partners
in the world in ways weve never
done before, Sinnett recalls. We
even invented a new airplane to
carry the parts around the world,
and we did that in the middle of the
programme.
So when Jim says moonshots,
how I think about that and how I in-
still that into what I do on a daily ba-
sis is, its not dont innovate, he
adds, but dont innovate on the
critical path of the programme and
put the programme at risk.
judgment on Boeings confidenceabout the potential size of themarket for the possible aircraft.
I havent looked at it enough togive you an answer, Joyce says.
Tony Wood, president of R-Rsaerospace business, agrees. Isuspect between 2025 to 2030 isthe earliest that this aircraft re-quirement, whatever it will be,for a refreshment comes along,
The Dreamliner entered service 3.5
years late and billions in the red
Airbus
DominicPerry/Flightglobal
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P
lans for regional aircraft de-
velopment and productionin Turkey have been laid out by328 Group, including the likelyselection of engine suppliers anda first tentative order for 50 jets.
Disclosed in late May, the newprogrammes the 32-seat T328and TRJ328 are based, respec-tively, on the existing Dornier328 turboprop and jet aircraft, forwhich 328 Group holds the intel-lectual property. Delivery of thefirst modernised examples of thelegacy types is due in 2018.
One of two further clean-sheet,50-70-seat designs the jet-pow-ered TRJ628 and TR628 turbo-prop is scheduled to perform itsfirst flight in 2023.
The development is part of amemorandum of understandingsigned by 328s parent Sierra Ne-vada and the Turkish govern-ment, alongside local manufac-turing partner STM.
Speaking to Flight Interna-tional at the show, 328 Groupmanaging director Dave Jackson
confirmed talks with Pratt &Whitney Canada to supply its
2,500shp-class PW127 turbo-
prop and the latest variant of itsPW306B engines for the two up-dated aircraft. The new turbo-prop powerplants raise maxi-mum take-off weight by 1.5t to15.6t.
In addition, discussions areongoing with avionics suppliersHoneywell and Rockwell Collinsover the integration of a glasscockpit for the types.
The changes, says Jackson,will future-proof these aircraftfor the next 30-40 years.
An initial tentative commit-ment for 50 examples of the jetvariant has been struck with theTurkish government, he says.Talks are also ongoing with po-tential customers for the turbo-prop, he adds.
These will be assembled at aTurkish facility to be set up inthe next 18 to 24 months, with aproduction rate of around 30 air-craft per year.
Further ahead, it is hoping toselect Pratt & Whitney to provide
geared turbofan engines in asimilar thrust class to the
15,000lb-thrust PW1200Gs pow-
ering the Mitsubishi Regional Jet for the TRJ628 and PW127s forthe turboprop.
The latter models will featurean all-new, part-composite fuse-lage and optimised wing, withthe engines the only differencebetween them. This should sim-plify the production process,says Jackson.
Although the market for 50-seat types has dwindled in recentyears, Jackson points to the num-ber of aircraft in the segment thatare still in operation around5,000 as a sign that there is stilla requirement for models withthat seating capacity.
Those aircraft continue to be
operated because theres a needand a niche for them, but theres
not an obvious replacement
for airlines.When you see 50-seat jets
phased out, it is because theyhave reached the end of theirlives rather than because they areno longer required, he says.
All models will be certificatedby the US Federal Aviation Ad-ministration and European Avia-tion Safety Agency from the out-set, says Jackson.
However, he sees additionalmarkets in the developing worldor for special-mission operations,
where an ability to operate fromunpaved strips is key. The USSpecial Operations Command al-ready utilises a number of the 328turboprops, which it designatesas the C-146 Wolfhound.
We have already had some in-terest from the Turkish militaryfor different variants of the [new]aircraft, says Jackson.
Overall, Jackson believes or-ders can be secured for around250 examples of both the mod-ernised and clean-sheet develop-
ments, with a healthy mix ofturboprop and jet variants.
An initial tentative
commitment for 50
examples has beenplace by Ankara
STRATEGY
GTF eyed by Turkish regional jet firm328 Group suggests its clean-sheet platform could be next programme to utilise Pratt & Whitney geared-fan engines
BillyPix
Jackson believes
around 500 units
could be sold
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PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
NH Industries
seeking new orders
as backlog stabilises
SHOW REPORT P20
The Chengdu/Pakistan Aero-nautical Complex JF-17 Thun-der fighter has secured its firstexport deal.
A contract has been signedwith an Asian country, saysAir Cdre Khalid Mahmood, thePakistan air force officer wholeads sales and marketing ef-forts for the type. He declines toidentify the customer or thenumber of aircraft involved, butsays deliveries are due to startin 2017.
Pakistans air force broughtthree examples of the JF-17 to
Paris, with one participating inthe flying display.
Khalid says 11 countries arelooking at the type, which is alsomarketed by Chinese defence ex-port agency Catic.
Pakistans air force has re-ceived 54 JF-17s so far, the first 50of which were originally in aBlock I configuration. These arein the process of being updated toa Block II standard, which fea-tures improved avionics and soft-ware, and adds a fixed air-to-air
refuelling probe.An additional 46 aircraft will
be delivered in this standard,while 50 more will be deliveredin a Block III configuration by theend of 2018.
Specifications for this standardare still being defined, but couldinclude a passive or active elec-tronically scanned array radar, aninfrared search and track sensor,additional precision-guidedweapons and the ability to carrysensor pods.
A two-seat variant of the Kli-mov RD-93-engined type is also
planned, which will serve main-ly as a trainer.
Textron AirLands Scorpionmade its debut Paris appear-
ance, as the company cites highpotential demand for the type.
Exhibited in a twin-payloadconfiguration combining an L-3Wescam MX-15 electro-optical/
infrared sensor and a recently-in-stalled Thales I-Master synthetic
aperture radar/ground movingtarget indicator, the Scorpionmade its appearance a little overa month after the multi-role de-sign was put through its paces foran undisclosed potential custom-er in Latin America.
We flew six experiencedcombat pilots, and they werevery impressed, says TextronAirLand president Bill Ander-son of the latter visit, which so-cial media postings indicate wasmade to Colombia.
The aircraft will be staying in
Europe after the show, before at-tending the Royal International
Air Tattoo in the UK in mid-July.Prior to this, the jet will visit sev-eral European nations to demon-strate its capabilities. Andersonconfirms this will include per-forming demonstrations for theUK Royal Navy, for applicationsranging from maritime patrol toadversary training.
Weapons testing is also ex-pected to get under way laterthis year.
Sales discussions also are on-going with several potential
buyers. Anderson says three na-
tions are beyond initial inter-est, while one in the Pacific
region is poised to issue a re-quest for proposals.
Anderson says work on a firstproduction-representative Scor-pion will start in the fall, withthe aircraft to fly early next year.We could start delivering air-planes in 2016 if we know soon,he adds.
More than 400 flight hourshave now been accumulatedwith the demonstrator. Thegood news is its hugely reliable,he says, citing an availability rate
of more than 98%.
Boeing is upbeat about thechances of F/A-18E/F Super
Hornet production continuingthrough 2019, with all four US
congressional defence committeeshaving approved the productionof an additional 12 aircraft.
I think the fact they all markedgives us some confidence therewill be another tranche of F/A-18sadded to the US Navy, says vice-president of business develop-ment and strategy ChristopherRaymond. We see the potentialfor an international order too, andthat should extend things outthrough to at least 2019.
Raymond says comments by the
US chief of naval operations thatthe service is two or three squad-rons short of fighter-attack aircraftdue to operational tempo suggest apotential requirement for at least24 or 36 airplanes. The Pentagonis also looking at its EA-18GGrowler mix, and whether itshould have five or eight aircraftper squadron for electronic attack.
The company also is antici-pating a decision by Denmarklater this year on whether to re-place its Lockheed Martin F-16s
with the F-35, Super Hornet orEurofighter Typhoon.
ORDERS
Export deal for JF-17 struckwith unnamed Asian nationThunder shows off capabilities in shows flying display as first overseas sale is secured
BillyPix
Pakistans air
force brought
three examples
to the show
BillyPix
Ready to strike with first deal?
Positive tales put Scorpion under order spotlightDEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
Super Hornetproduction stillhas years left
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NH Industries (NHI) believes itcould capture as many as 100
additional commitments for itsNH90 11t-class military rotor-craft, with France and Qatar lead-ing the charge for new orders.
If it secures deals for a full 100extra helicopters then it wouldpush the programme over the600-unit mark, with the currentorder total standing at 509.
That figure reflects for the firsttime a raft of recent contract mod-ifications which has seen Portu-gal cancel all 10 of the TTH trooptransport variants it had on order,Spain dramatically cut its45-strong commitment of TTHsto 22, and Germany in a changethat was finally ratified in therun-up to Paris cancel 40 trans-ports and placed a firm order for18 NFH naval models with op-tions for a further 22 examples.
Now Im in a situation where
509 is clearly the actual numberordered, says Vincent Dubrule,president of NHI, a joint venturebetween Airbus Helicopters,AgustaWestland and Fokker. Sonow I expect only plusses.
Boeing is searching for about35 CH-47F Chinook sales to
fill the open production slots re-maining on its second multi-yearprocurement contract with theUS Army.
Awarded in 2013, the deal se-cures 155 of the heavy-lift heli-copters for the service, and 60 op-tions were included to supportforeign military sales (FMS) deal.
Just 25 of those had been takenup by the end of May, and the USDepartment of Defenses displayof the latest F-model CH-47 atParis was clearly an attempt to
drum up more businessRandy Rotte, Boeings cargo
Bell Helicopter is confident
that production of the V-22Osprey tiltrotor will extend wellinto the mid-2020s, despite out-put falling this year to 21 aircraftfrom 2014s high of 37 units.
Produced in partnership withBoeing, the Osprey has so far se-cured only the US Marine Corpsand US Air Force as customers.The programme entered into itssecond multi-year contract withWashington late last year, guaran-teeing production until 2020.
However, Bell chief executive
John Garrison believes furtherdomestic deals the US Navy in-tends to buy up to 44 V-22s for itscarrier onboard delivery require-ment allied to export orders,will secure the programme wellinto the middle of next decade.
The USN order, which wouldbe contracted in the next 18months, and see deliveries run-ning from 2020 to 2025, shouldform the backbone of a third USmulti-year deal, says Garrison.
Japan is likely to be the initial
overseas customer, and plans toacquire up to 17 of the tilitrotorsvia the foreign military sales route.If confirmed, deliveries of the firsttranche of five would begin in2018.
He points out that the optionscould be used to fulfil overseas
sales or for the army. It could beFMS, it could be wartime
replacement aircraft, he says.Chinook production is currently
configured to build five aircraft permonth, and the final delivery to theservice under the present multi-year contract is scheduled for No-vember 2019. Thirty-six per yearis our lowest number if no othersales come in, Rotte says.
Boeing also manufactures theextended-range MH-47G for USspecial operations forces and ispresently working on the designof a Block II model. The airframeris also confident that the USArmy will sign for a third multi-
year purchase once the currentcontract expires.
Those additions are likely tocome from France, which hasgiven preliminary approval forsix more TTHs, and Qatar whichhas provisionally agreed to ac-quire 16 helicopters an equalsplit of both variants with sixmore on option which Dubrulehopes to finalise shortly.
Further ahead, NHI seesother current customers return-ing for top-up orders, such asNorway, which has issued a re-quest for information for nineaircraft for use by special forces
personnel, alongside new op-erators of the type.
However, Dubrule insists thathe is not solely focussed on freshbusiness. I have 13 current cus-tomers and I want to help themand support them. I want to helpthem deploying, which will thenhelp my future sales.
Dubrule says NHI is continuingto work through issues encoun-tered by its operator base corro-sion problems on the naval variant,for example in order to improvecustomer satisfaction.
helicopter business developmentdirector, says the lead time is
now around 36 months from aninitial contract award.
ROTORCRAFT
NH Industries seeking neworders as backlog stabilisesConsortium also pledges to raise level of operator support to drive helicopter availability
Boeing looks to fill empty Chinook production slotsORDERS
TILTROTOR
Bell sees plentyof life left in V-22
The US Department of Defense had the F-model CH-47 on display
France is looking to acquire additional troop transport NH90s
BillyPix
BillyPix
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PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
For more news about the Airbus A330
programme, visit our landing page at:
flightglobal.com/A330
Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia is
committing to 20 of the regional
version of the Airbus A330-300, be-
coming the first customer to emerge
for the variant nearly two years afterits unveiling.
The lower-weight model is aimed
at short routes up to 3,000nm
(5,560km). This range saving ena-
bles the maximum take-off weight to
be trimmed to 200t, while the pas-
senger cabin accommodation is in-
creased to a higher-density layout
capable of featuring 400 seats.
Saudia has not detailed the in-
tended configuration of the regional
A330. But director general Saleh bin
Nasser Al-Jasser says that the
unique flexibility of the aircraft, and
its high capacity, will allow the air-
line to expand its domestic and re-
gional network. Neither Airbus nor
Saudia has disclosed a delivery date.
Saudia is already an A330 cus-
tomer, having previously ordered
eight Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered
A330-300s in mid-2008 and an-
other four in mid-2011. No engineselections have been given for the
regional A330s.
The airline is preparing to in-
crease its fleet as part of a 2015-
2020 strategic plan, but has
released few details of the specific
types under consideration.
However, the airlines A330 com-
mitment also includes 30 more
A320s.
Airbus had expected the regional
A330 to enter service in 2015.
Saudias decision will give a
much-needed lift to A330 production
which is already due to undergo a
rate cut in the transition period to
delivery of the first re-engined
A330neo in 2017.
Four years after scrapping anAirbus A320 passenger-to-
freighter conversion programme,Airbus and ST Aerospace are res-urrecting the scheme with a sim-pler design.
The partnership aims topursue the Boeing 757 freighterreplacement market and believesthere is demand for some 600conversions to the A320P2F and
A321P2F over the next twodecades.
ST Aerospace will lead theprogramme and expects to deliv-er the first aircraft in 2018 al-
CARGO
Reborn A320 P2F schemeadopts pragmatic strategyAirbus and ST Aerospace resurrect mothballed narrowbody freighter conversion programme
though it has not confirmed alaunch customer.
Fitted with a Class E cargocompartment, the A321P2Fwould have a main-deck capacityfor 13.5 containers, with an over-all payload of 27t and a range of1,900nm (3,520km). TheA320P2F, with a range of2,100nm, will be able to take 10.5containers on the main deck and
carry 21t in total.The airframer, along with con-
version specialist EFW, had pre-viously developed a passenger-to-freighter programme with
Russias United Aircraft andIrkut. Lessor AerCap had been inline to provide a batch of A320sfor modification.
But after a series of delays theplan was cancelled in 2011 andthe joint venture broken up.Airbus attributed the decision todemand for the passenger versionand an absence of suitablefeed-stock.
Airbus and ST Aerospacesrevived effort will be founded ona simpler aircraft design, to avoidcomplications with the previousmodel.
The most notable change is therelocation of the 142in x 87in(360cm x 221cm) main cargodoor, previously located aft, tothe more conventional forwardfuselage position.
Modifications will also in-clude reinforcement of the floorgrid, deactivation of the rear pas-
senger doors, and fitting of a 9gcargo barrier.
OVER-DESIGNED
Airbus chief operating officerTom Williams says that the aban-doned A320P2F had been anover-designed solution.
If wed gone to completion, itwould have been the most won-derful P2F programme you couldhave imagined, he says, exceptin one crucial respect. Who wasgoing to buy it?
He says the attempt to developan aircraft to address everycorner point of the market thereason for placing the freightdoor in the rear fuselage was astrategic flaw.
While Airbus was con-vinced that the door needed tobe aft-mounted, Williams saysthe design had to account forstructural loading, particularlyfrom the empennage, in the rearfuselage section 18.
The door became a load-car-
rying member, he says, addingthat customers were expressing
concern over the risk of damageto the tail section from loadingvehicles.
Airbus has revised the strategyto adopt a more pragmatic ap-proach in co-operation with STAerospace.
Williams says the updatedA320P2F is not intended to ad-dress every market scenario such as carriage of unusually-
large equipment and, as aresult, can be developed as a sim-pler airframe.
Airbus will effectively becomea junior partner to ST Aero-space on the programme, he says,with the airframer concentratingon matters such as sourcing offeed-stock and using its resourcesto trace and assess the effect ofany prior modification of the air-craft during passenger service.
While a number of A320 con-version programmes have
emerged since the collapse of theRussian-backed venture, the ST
ORDERS
Saudia first in line for regional A330
Twinjets unique flexibility was key to deal, says airlines chief
ST Aerospaces Serh
Ghee Lim says the
company expects to
spend nine months
developing a prototype
Airb
us
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PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
French faith liftsweight from AtlasSHOW REPORT P24
Airbus pitches a little stretch for superjumbo to swell operator interestAirbus has strongly hinted that it
is considering a moderate stretch
of the A380 as part of a moderni-
sation package tied to a potential
engine upgrade on the type.
While the notion is only prelimi-
nary, the airframer has been gaug-
ing interest from possible
customers.
Airbus had originally intended
to stretch the A380-800 to a pro-
posed -900, a version which
would make better use of the
-800s wing, but with the A380
experiencing slack sales, and with
other aircraft programmes taking
priority, the -900 has long been
relegated only to a future initiative.
However, Airbus chief operating
officer for customers John Leahy
while unveiling the companys
global market forecast at the
show indicated that a revised
stretch proposal was being float-
ed to customers.
He says that the airframer is
discussing a little stretch with
some operators.
The possible dimensions of
such an aircraft have not yet been
disclosed, however.
REVISED
But Leahy tells Flight International
that while the A380-900 would
have raised the capacity of the
baseline A380 by some 100
seats, the revised stretch would
be about half that.
He says that the timeframe for
such a development would be
around 2020. If the proposal be-
came firmer, he says, wed prob-
ably still call it the -900.
Airbus chief executive Fabrice
Bregier cautions that the proposal
is still at an early stage, the sub-
ject of studies, and that it would
be premature to suggest it will
evolve into a formal programme.
While Emirates has strongly
backed a re-engining effort for the
A380, Leahy discloses that the
airframer is talking to at least
half-a-dozen possible customers
for such an initiative.
Aerospace scheme is the onlyone to have the airframers formalsupport.
Airbus is more confident overthe supply of affordable feed-stock. Williams says there areplenty of airframes slippinginto the conversion window.
Between 2017 and 2028, the air-framer estimates, the number ofsuitable aircraft those agedaround 15-20 years will trebleto some 1,700 A320s and 450A321s, providing a rich source ofpotential jets for modification.We think we come into the
sweet spot in terms of timing,says Williams.
ST Aerospace has access to fa-cilities in several locations in-cluding China, Singapore, Germa-ny and the USA and conversionswould ideally be carried outwhere the feed-stocks are.
Wed definitely accommodatethe customers preference, saysST president Serh Ghee Lim. Hesays the company expects tospend nine months developing aprototype but production aircraftwill be converted in three.
COLLABORATION
ST Aerospace is to increase its
shareholding in Dresden-basedconversion specialist EFW by20%, to a total of 55%, as part ofthe effort.
Lim says: ST Aerospace ispleased to include this new col-laboration which will extend ourconversion portfolio and en-hance our value-added proposi-tion to customers.
EFW chief Andreas Sperl in-sists there are a number of partiesinterested in the programme andthat, following the launch of the
scheme, the partners will startdiscussions to cement initialconversion agreements.
Sperl says the programme willcomplement Airbuss new-buildA330-200F as well as the partnersA330P2F conversion scheme,launched in 2012.
He adds: We think we have areal family, which gives us a bigimpact in the market.
ST Aerospace has
access to facilities
in several locations
including China,
Singapore, Germanyand the USA
Airbus
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France has demonstrated theload-carrying credentials ofits A400M tactical transport, as itprepares to take delivery of a sev-enth example from Airbus in thecoming days.
Weighing in at 29t, a VBCI ar-moured vehicle used every-where by the nations army was loaded on to the French airforces lead aircraft in the staticdisplay. A growth version tipping32t is to come soon.
Defence minister Jean-Yves Le
Drian opted to keep the nationsA400Ms in operational use fol-lowing a fatal accident involvingthe type in Spain on 9 May. Itsfleet has logged more than 150flight hours since then, in loca-tions including Africa and theMiddle East.
We have full confidence inthe aircraft, and the way we haveoperated since the accidentshows our faith, says Francesprogramme manager for theA400M, who declines to be
named. The acceptance processfor its next example has beencompleted, with the airlifterready to go, he adds.
During the show, the UK RoyalAir Force announced that it hadcleared its current two Atlas air-lifters to resume training flightswith immediate effect.
Having undertaken and com-pleted a series of thorough checkson the UKs A400M aircraft andhow it is operated, the RAF is sat-isfied that the additional process-es and procedures introducedmeans it is now safe to resumeflying, the service says. RAF useof the type had been paused since
the crash, which killed four Air-bus flight-test personnel.
Ground-based training andsimulator-based instruction hadbeen performed at its Brize Nor-ton base in Oxfordshire duringthis period.
Fellow operator the Germanair force says it expects to resumeoperations with its current oneA400M in the coming weeks,once it has performed softwarechecks on the aircraft.
Commenting in Flight Daily
News, Airbus Defence & Spacesexecutive vice-president for mili-tary aircraft Fernando Alonsonoted: Were encouraged by thereaction of our customers andprospects, who have reactedcalmly and are not tearing uptheir orders or their RFPs [re-quests for proposal].
Meanwhile, the company hasannounced a four-aircraft orderfrom Saudi Arabias interior min-istry for its C295W mediumtransport.
Ukraines Antonov has quietlylaunched a new programme
for a jet-powered military andcivil transport.
Speaking at the show, chief de-signer Dymitry Kiva identifiedthe new type as the An-188, andas being a turbofan-engined vari-
ant of the An-70 propfan. In sizeterms it will sit between the
Qatar is to boost its fleet of C-17strategic transports to a total
of eight aircraft, Boeing con-firmed at the show.
The Qatar Emiri Air Force al-
ready has four of the airlifters inservice.
We are very pleased with theC-17s, and look forward to dou-bling our fleet to enhance world-wide operations, says deputycommander Gen Ahmed Al-Mal-ki. The service introduced its firstexample in 2009.
A purchase agreement was re-cently signed by Boeing and theQatar government, the manufac-turer says. Its last C-17 will soonroll off the assembly line in Long
Beach, California, ending a 279-unit production run.
AIRLIFTER
French faith lifts weight from AtlasTroubled tactical transport receives boost as lead customer re-affirms confidence in A400M with load-carrying demos
BillyPix
The 29t VBCI was loaded into the cargo hold on the static line
PROGRAMMES
Antonov quietly details new transportACQUISITIONS
Qatar doublesC-17 fleet withfour-unit deal
Ukrainian airframer displayed grey colour scheme on An-178
Billy
Pix
Lockheed Martin C-130J andBoeing C-17, he says, with amaximum take-off weight of 140tand a payload of 40t. It wouldalso be able to operate from un-paved airstrips, he says.
Images displayed at the eventshowed an aircraft with four jet
engines. These, along with thedevelopments avionics and sys-
tems, would be a mixture ofUkrainian and Western prod-ucts, says Kiva, without identi-fying which powerplants theAn-188 would use.
The company also has notdisclosed a potential date forservice entry.
Antonov, which brought itsnewest aircraft the An-178, firstflown in May and sporting a newgrey colour scheme to Le Bour-get, is also under new owner-ship, having been recently trans-ferred to the nations export salesagency Ukroboronprom.
This, says the latters directorgeneral Roman Romanov, will aidAntonovs ambition to become aworld leader in aerospace.
The business will now be splitinto two parts: the Antonov
design bureau and a manage-ment company.
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As the Lockheed Martin F-35Joint Strike Fighter pro-gramme anticipates the end of a16-year development effort, inter-national partners can expect tostart receiving their long-awaitedjets faster and in larger quantities.
With the US Marine Corps tostand up its first F-35B combatsquadron next month, produc-tion is rapidly scaling up withjust under two years of develop-mental testing remaining, andnearly 50% of aircraft deliveries
over the next five years will bemade to international customers.
Lockheed F-35 programmechief Lorraine Martin says thecompany is sticking to the revisedschedule and performance criteriaagreed to in 2010. There are no se-rious technical issues that keepme up at night, she adds.
The chunky things are behindus regarding development, shesays. We havent asked for moretime and we havent asked formore money.
On cost, Martin says a blue-print for affordability initiative is
paying off, and that an F-35A willcost less than $80 million per jetin the 2019/2020 time frame.
The company is also upbeatabout the potential for a three-year block buy in 2018 for 450 to500 aircraft that will combine US
and international orders. Thatwould allow it to reassure its sup-
ply base and make long-lead in-vestments in manufacturing ca-pacity. Lockheed hopes to startproducing upwards of 150 F-35sper year by the end of the decade.
Meanwhile, the last four F-35Bsthe USMC needs to declare initial
operational capability will be de-livered on 30 June, in time for an
operational readiness inspectionin the second week of July.
Theyll be ready, says Martin.Thats my goal. I watch it everyday. In support, the latest config-uration of the F-35s autonomiclogistics information system is
being installed and will also beready in the coming days.
Pratt & Whitney president Paul
Adams believes that more nations
will turn to Lockheed Martins F-35
for protection as the world be-
comes more dangerous.
The capabilities of the airplane
are just stunning, Adams says. I
think over the next couple of yearsthis will become very well-known
and well seen by militaries across
the globe. The more dangerous the
world that we live in, the more op-
portunities there are for sales.
Lockheed and the USA are cur-
rently promoting the F-35 to poten-
tial users including Canada and
Denmark, plus Belgium and Finland.
Adams says he is upbeat about
the F135 engines performance go-
ing into the final stages of develop-
ment. The operational F-35 fleets
average readiness rate for 2015
stands at 96.3%, which is substan-
tially above its target, he notes.
A 10-month accelerated mission
test of the F135 has demonstrated
its full-life capability after completing
5,200 engine cycles to replicate
seven years and 1,200 sorties.
P&W says the conventional take-
off and landing engine for the
F-35A was put through its paces at
the US Air Forces Arnold Engine
Development Center in Tennessee.
F135 propulsion system vice
president Mark Buongiorno ex-
pects the engine will meets itsmean time between failure and
engine removal targets. The en-
gine meets or exceeds its speci-
fications and the accelerated
mission testing shows a positive
level of robustness, he says.
P&W has delivered 228 F135
engines to date as well as 63 Rolls-
Royce lift fans for the F-35B.
Buongiorno also points to the
strong performance of the F135 dur-
ing recent embarked testing aboard
the US Marine Corps amphibious
assault ship USSWasp, which inv-
oled 100 vertical take-offs.
FIGHTERS
F-35 ramping up as milestone nearsLockheed programme chief says company is on track to deliver operational capabilty, as it anticipates multi-year order
SALES
More dangerous world could be boon for stunning aircraft
China could still become
Russias first export custom-
er for the Sukhoi Su-35 be-
fore the end of 2015.
Our position is we still
believe that we will sign thecontract to sell 24 aircraft [to
China] this year, United
Aircraft chairman Yuri Slyusar
said at the show on 15 June.
Moscow and Beijing have
been negotiating the deal for
the last several years.
The Su-35 represents the
latest version of Sukhois
series of thrust-vectoring
fighters. The new model
adds the Tikhomirov Irbis-E
passive phased array radar
and a modern cockpit.
Su-35 still ontable for China
Adams upbeat as F135 engine
development enters last stages
The USMC is close to
declaring F-35B initial
operating capability
BillyPix
USMarineCorps
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PARIS 2015SHOW REPORT
ATRs enhancementsspur order glut
SHOW REPORT P28
Airbus is driving ahead withits e-Fan all-electric trainer
project unveiling at the show afull-scale mock-up of the produc-tion 2.0 model that screams ofautomotive design influence inits sculpted fuselage and sportscar-style cockpit.
Group chief technology officerJean Botti and e-Fan chief design-
er Bruno Saint-Jalmes both tracetheir roots to careers at car makerRenault. But the e-Fan is no flyingcar; the battery-powered twin-fanpacks 137kg (302lb) of lithium-polymer batteries to generate60kW for its two motors, and the
prototype that joined the flyingdisplay will later this summer at-tempt to cross the English Chan-nel from Lydd to Calais, reversingaviation pioneer Louis Blriotshistoric feat.
Saint-Jalmes says the 2.0scharacter line along the fuselageis a first in aircraft styling. And, headds, the black nose and wind-
screen follow another motor in-dustry practice, emphasising afamily look, which for Airbus isthe distinctive black glasses onthe A350 airliner and H160 heli-copter which he also designed.
Saint-Jalmes also oversaw de-
sign of the 2.0s integrated cockpitwhich, with its hand-stitchedleather buckets, also looks like itbelongs in a high-end sports car.
The instrument panel makeseven a modern glass cockpit looklike the dials maze of a 1960s
fighter two Microsoft Surfacetablet computers click into thedashboard, allowing pilot and in-structor to work together insideand outside the aircraft.
The goal, says Botti, is partly torelieve pilot stress by simplifying
presentation of critical informa-tion related to the flight plan andavailable battery power.
But Botti is looking furtherahead, and wants todays smart-phone-savvy youth to find e-Fanquick, fast and easy: We are pre-
paring the aviation of tomorrow.Its a new way of flying.
The e-Fan prototype is a tan-dem-cockpit design, but the 2.0 which is on target to enter pro-duction around the end of 2017 isside-by-side, ideal for a trainer.
DESIGN
Airbuss motoringmindset for E-FanElectric trainer mock-up takes cues from automotive industry,but concept is still very much about finding new ways of flying
BillyPix
The black nose and windscreen reflect the Airbus family look
Swiss Excellencein Business Aviation
AMACAerospace Switzerland AG
Henric Petri-Strasse 35
4051 Basel, Switzerland
Telephone +41 58 310 31 31
www.amacaerospace.com
Corporate and private aircraft maintenance,
refurbishment and completion services, aircraft management
and charter operations.
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ATR is proceeding with a hostof enhancements to its pop-ular range of turboprops withre-engining now under activeconsideration as it continues totighten its stranglehold on theregional market.
In all, it netted some 46 firmorders at Paris, with a further 35options, including the first cus-tomers for its new high-densityand combi models, respectivelyfrom Philipine carrier Cebu Pa-cific and Papua New Guineas
Airlines PNG.Comparatively, Bombardier
managed just a single five-unitorder for its Q400 turboprop fromCanadas WestJet.
The Franco-Italian manufac-turer had previously unveiledplans for a high-density modelwith around 80 seats, but has yetto achieve that target. Cebu,which placed a firm order f