Dubai
Airshow News
NOV. 10, 2015
®
DAVID McINTOSH
TUESDAY
AINONLINE.COM
UNIFORM VARIETY
The varied clothing of visitors to the Dubai Airshow mirrors the wide range of activity at the show: from military, to business to tradtional culture.
Airlines looking on; defense stirs Saab lands UAE AEW deal by Ian Sheppard
by David Donald
A lack of civil aircraft orders from the local airlines characterized the 2015 Dubai Airshow, in marked contrast to the 2013 event, where Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways notched huge orders
for 777Xs and A380s. The quiet commercial showing resulted in a greater emphasis on the defense sector, which has contracted markedly in recent years Continued on page 29 u
Saab has won a contract to deliver two Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft equipped with its Swing-Role Surveillance System (SRSS) to the UAE Air Force and Air Defense. Worth 10.2
billion SEK ($1.27 billion), the contract was signed on Sunday, and was announced yesterday by Major General Abdulla Al Sayed Al Hashemi, executive Continued on page 29 u
UAVs
Latest Technologies
Russian Aerospace
Airbus A330neo Update
Military Aviation
Helicopter Pilots Are Optional
UAVs Meet 3-D Printing
Sukhoi Superjet Sales
First Metal Cut For New Jet
Boeing’s Next-Gen Apache
AgustaWestland converted a singleturbine-engine helicopter to allow remotepiloted operation. Page 6
Stratasys developed a 3-D-printed, jet-powered UAV using existing, commercial materials. Page 8
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Superjet International hope recent deals will open other markets to the SSJ100. Page 13
Airbus said its program to update the A330 with new engines is proceeding and the first components are complete. Page 14
The attack helicopter’s advanced features include a better-performing drive train and lighter rotor blades. Page 26
LONG RANGE FORECAST Tr FR 14 ial EE /1 Un 1/ ti 15 l AIN_7.75x1.25.indd 1
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Wraps come off new multirole Piaggio MPA
Airshow News
TM
FOUNDED IN 1972 JAMES HOLAHAN (1921-2015), FOUNDING EDITOR WILSON S. LEACH, MANAGING DIRECTOR
by David Donald Piaggio Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of the UAE’s Mubadala, has unveiled the engineering test cabin for its Multirole Patrol Aircraft, while the prototype was rolled out at Genoa yesterday. The MPA is a derivative of the company’s P.180 Avanti turboprop-powered business aircraft, much-modified for the patrol mission. Tawazun’s ADASI is overseeing the project, with Piaggio developing the aircraft with Saab’s Albatros mission system. The Swedish company has based the MPA’s system on that offered in its own maritime surveillance/patrol projects, and is undertaking the integration. The Piaggio project introduces a GMTI (ground-moving target indicator) capability that allows the aircraft to undertake overland surveillance missions, as well as maritime search. The fuselage section on show at the Dubai Airshow is a complete systems demonstrator/test vehicle, with full integration of the two forward-facing operator consoles (one for the sensor
Piaggio rolled out the prototype of its P.180 multirole patrol aircraft (MPA) yesterday at the company’s Genoa, Italy, plant. Inset: CEOs of the MPA partners celebrate unveiling the cabin demonstrator at the Dubai Airshow (from left): Håkan Buskhe (Saab), Ali Al Yafei (ADASI), Carlo Logli (Piaggio).
operator and one for the mission commander) and the two-pilot flight deck. The cabin also incorporates a new Becker intercom system from Germany, a third seat, and a small galley. Extra tanks and a toilet are added in the rear of the cabin. Sensors for the MPA comprise a Telephonics RDR-1700G2 radar with GMTI and SAR (synthetic aperture radar) mapping modes, an electro-optical turret, AIS (automatic identification system) and IFF. Piaggio (Stand 1200, Chalet P3, Static S6) has adapted the Avanti airframe with longer wings and increased-span horizontal tail surfaces to increase patrol endurance. The wings also hold additional fuel and the MPA is designed to fly for around
Boeing and Eurofighter await Kuwaiti fighter-buy decision In the Gulf region there are a number of fighter requirements that remain to be resolved. One that is believed to be nearing fruition is that of Kuwait, where both Boeing (F/A-18E/F Super Hornet) and Eurofighter (Typhoon) are awaiting decisions. In September, an announcement was made that Kuwait had agreed on a deal to purchase 28 Typhoons, with Italy leading the sale on behalf of the four Eurofighter partner nations. Little has been released about subsequent negotiations, but UK defense procurement minister Philip Dunne said yesterday at the Dubai Airshow that the UK government was, “looking forward to a contract being signed soon.” Eurofighter is not discussing details of the Kuwaiti deal while negotiations are ongoing, preferring to highlight recent developments in increasing
the Typhoon’s operational effectiveness with new weapon options. Last Friday, a Storm Shadow standoff weapon was released from a Typhoon for the first time, while trials with the MBDA Marte-ER anti-ship missile are beginning. Both weapons will significantly add to the Typhoon’s repertoire. If the deal is concluded, Kuwait’s Typhoons are expected to be delivered with AESA radar. Meanwhile, Boeing has been discussing the supply of a number of Super Hornets–possibly 28–to Kuwait, which currently operates the F/A-18C/D “legacy” versions of the Hornet. It is likely that Kuwait will proceed with both Typhoon and Super Hornet deals. “We understand it’s a split buy,” remarked Jeff Kohler, v-p International Sales for Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS).
Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet already has Harpoon missile capability for the allimportant anti-ship mission while Eurofighter’s Typhoon undergoes trials of the MBDA Marte-ER, seen here.
4 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
9 hours at a typical 5,000-ft search altitude. However, it can reach 41,000 ft and a top speed of 350 knots if required. The higher takeoff weight of 16,500 pounds has dictated stronger undercarriage. Piaggio is currently completing the aerodynamic prototype, which was rolled out yesterday, leading to an expected first flight early next year. This will be followed by a second aircraft that will be completed to the full production specification with mission system installed. It is understood that the UAE is planning to acquire between 12 and 20 MPAs for surveillance duties. The MPA partners also see a strong requirement in the wider market for a multi-role and affordable patrol platform. o Holding up Boeing’s bid to conclude a deal with Kuwait–and those with other nations in the region–is a delay in obtaining U.S. Congressional approval. “We’re a little frustrated,” admitted Kohler, “but it all seems to be moving in the right direction. We’re just waiting for the Congressional approval so we can get the program moving.” Meanwhile Paul Oliver, BDS’s v-p international business development for the Middle East and Africa, added, “We think we will see some movement early next year.” –D.D.
THALES INKS DUAL HUD DEAL WITH ETIHAD Thales (Stand 624) announced here that Etihad has selected its dual-configuration head-up displays (HUD) for the first 12 Airbus A350 XWBs of the operator’s future fleet. In addition to the long-recognized benefit of a HUD for improved situational awareness, the dual configuration gives both pilot and copilot the same level of eyes-out instrument visibility during critical phases of the flight. This is especially important in low visibility, adverse weather conditions, Thales emphasized. Etihad will have the first dual-configuration HUD in the Middle East. The airline has ordered a total 62 A350 XWBs, scheduled to be delivered beginning in December 2017. –T.D.
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Grzegorz Rzekos
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Pilots are optional for SW-4 RUAS missions First announced in 2010, the SW-4 RUAS/OPH project was developed to evaluate a range of unmanned technologies. It integrates a flight management system, flight control system and digital autopilot with precision navigation. The system incorporates numerous automatic safety features to cover issues such as engine failure, autorotation, vortex ring state, terrain avoidance and lost datalink. A ground control system provides flight planning and mission management functions, including inflight reprogramming, and is equipped with three datalinks. There is a narrow-band line-of-sight link for platform command and control, plus a back-up. A wide-band line-of-sight link transmits sensor payload imagery and data. Trials Underway
UK BIPLANE TO OZ, VIA DUBAI British female aviator Tracey Curtis-Taylor will stay in Dubai for the duration of the air show after having flown about a third of the distance between the UK and Australia aboard her 1942 Boeing Stearman biplane. She landed on November 5 at Al-Bateen airport in Abu Dhabi, approximately two months after her takeoff from Farnborough and targeting January 6 for her arrival in Sydney. “From nasty European weather to the beauty of flying at 100 feet over the desert, every moment is an extraordinary experience,” she said. Boeing sponsors the stick-and-rudder, open-cockpit flying adventure and Execujet is a partner for refueling and maintenance. At the Dubai air show, CurtisTaylor is to address 450 students, before taking the stage as the keynote speaker at the International Aviation Women’s Association conference. She flies aboard the Spirit of Artemis in memory of Amy Johnson, a pioneering British aviatrix who flew solo from Britain to Australia in 1930. The 11,000-nm journey will take her across 23 countries. –T.D.
Initial trials were conducted under a contract to the Italian defense ministry, and ran from September 2013 and May 2014. Undertaken in Poland and Italy, the trials were flown in OPH mode with a safety pilot on board. The tests began with the unmanned control systems and ended with the remote execution of mission profiles. In 2013, AgustaWestland was awarded a CCD (capability concept demonstration) by the UK MoD to outline future Royal Navy options regarding unmanned and optionally piloted helicopters. As part of the CCD AgustaWestland and industry partners evaluated a range of
Automation advances in helicopters are being highlighted in the static display area, with an SD-150 Hero RUAS from Sistemi Dinamici S.p.A. in the foreground and a PZL-Swidnik SW-4 Solo behind it. A pilot is optional aboard the SW-4 while the SD-150, the product of a joint venture between IDS and AgustaWestland, can fly autonomous, preprogrammed missions.
helicopter sizes in long-endurance maritime roles such as mine hunting, hydrographic survey and surveillance. An important element of the CCD was a campaign of OPH trials using the SW-4. In May this year, the demonstrator operated from Llanbedr, Wales on a series of trials that included 27 flight hours. The first phase covered launch and recovery, mission management and compatibility with a ship combat management system. In the second phase, the RUAS conducted simulated deck recovery trials, landing 22 times on a simulated ship’s landing deck being towed behind a vehicle. In the final phase, the helicopter conducted simulated maritime security and littoral reconnaissance missions.
Upgraded SW-4 to be Unveiled at Heli-Expo 2016 An improved SW-4, with enhanced capabilities, will be introduced at the Heli-Expo show in March 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, AgustaWestland’s senior v-p for marketing James Wand hinted on Sunday. Answering a remark about AgustaWestland no longer producing the SW-4 at its PZL-Swidnik factory, he said the company is counting on synergy between the manned and unmanned platforms. The SW-4 is a five-seater and can be seen as a competitor to the Airbus Helicopters H120 and the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. –T.D.
Also this year the SW-4 was operated successfully during the European Defence Agency’s Italian Blade exercise, demonstrating ISTAR capabilities, manned-unmanned teaming and data dissemination. Hero Spares Pilot
The SD-150 HERO is a 400-pound-mtow unmanned helicopter that can carry 44 pounds of payload on its nose and 154 pounds under its belly. Just like the SW-4, it has a six-hour endurance. It is well suited for “dirty, dangerous and dull” missions and can carry sensors that are comparable to the SW-4 Solo’s,
AgustaWestland’s senior v-p for marketing James Wand said here at the show. The smaller payload may translate into lower resolution images. Extensive flight testing has taken place and a simulated ship deck landing is the next step, Wang said. The SD-150 shares a common control console with the SW-4 Solo. It has a triple redundant GPS, inertial navigation system and flight control system. It is powered by a 50-hp diesel engine and has a threemeter-diameter rotor. Another Italian company, IDS, was involved in the design through a joint venture with AgustaWestland. o
Middle East key to UK defense industry by David Donald Increased international cooperation will be a major part of the forthcoming UK Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the country’s Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne, told reporters here at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. Dunne is here in Dubai leading a delegation of around 100 British companies exhibiting at the show, many of which are eagerly awaiting the contents of the SDSR, which is expected to be released two weeks from now, on Monday, November 23. While Dunne gave no details
of what the review might contain, he commented: “We have a theme running through that document about the importance of international relations. Strengthening allies and partnerships are at the core of our mission, and the Gulf plays an important part in that.” UK forces have played an increasingly important role in the theater since the Gulf War, and recently the Royal Navy announced a new base in Bahrain, the UK’s first permanent military installation “east of Suez” since 1971. Dunne would not be
6 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
drawn out on whether further UK forces would be based in the Gulf, but suggested that the SDSR might include elements that would underline the UK’s “reassurance” to its Middle East allies. In terms of industry, the Gulf region, and the UAE in particular, offers significant potential for partnerships. “We are looking to find opportunities in the defense and security sector to work with Emirati companies,” remarked Dunne. “We see the [United Arab] Emirates as one of the leading nations in developing indigenous capability in this field.” o
DAVID McINTOSH
AgustaWestland is showing off its RUAS (rotary-wing unmanned air system) technology demonstrator for the first time at Dubai. Based on the EASA-certified, single-engined PZL-Swidnik (AgustaWestland Poland) SW-4 Solo helicopter that entered service with the Polish armed forces in 2002, the RUAS is being used for a number of demonstrations and is configured for OPH (optionally piloted helicopter) operations. Although the SW-4 RUAS itself is capable of ISR and cargo transport missions, with or without a pilot, the technology could also be applied to other AgustaWestland types. Also on display is the smaller SD-150 HERO, which the company is marketing it as a lowercost platform for similar missions.
MARK WAGNER
by David Donald & Thierry Dubois
The UK’s Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne yesterday briefed journalists at the Dubai Airshow about his view of emerging Gulf markets.
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Stratasys develops, prints, flies its jet-powered UAV concept by Ian Sheppard
LR Systems’ robots automate costly aircraft stripping, painting by Thierry Dubois LR Systems (Stand 642) is here promoting its aircraft stripping and painting robots. The stripper version is to enter service in 2016. The technology will help cut costs, eliminate some dangerous tasks and save weight on the aircraft, according to the Netherlands-based company. “Our 20-kilowatt laser makes stripping twice as fast as the current process,” program director Peter Boeijink told AIN. A widebody may thus be stripped in two and a half days. The system also eliminates chemicals and sanding, used for metal and composites, respectively. Because the laser needs cooling, the heat is reusable for other purposes, such as hangar heating. After five years of development, LR’s first stripping robot is being put together and will enter service with Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SIAEC) next year. Meanwhile, the automatic painting
robot is in development and may be ready in 2017, Boeijink went on. Thanks to its combined 10 degrees of freedom and inkjet printer-like system, it will be able to cope with complex liveries and logos. For plain painting on large surfaces, one stroke can be 30 feet long and 1.6 feet wide. Boeijink said the robot will make a more efficient use of paint and estimates the paint’s weight on the aircraft will be cut by 25 percent–220 pounds on an Airbus A380. To strip and aircraft, two robots are needed. For painting, the number depends on aircraft size–two robots for a narrowbody, four for a widebody. Full return on investment can be expected within two years for the stripping robot and three years for the painting one. “It makes a lot sense for a UAE-based company to use our robots, as it permits self-sufficiency, as opposed to resorting to foreign workers,” LR CEO Paul van Ijsseltein emphasized. o
ADCOM’S UAV LINE SOON MAY FLY OVER WALES
MARK WAGNER
The eagle-eyed will have noticed a Welsh flag on the rear fuselage of Adcom Systems’ new Yabhon Flash-20 UAV. The Emirati company has partnered with DO Systems to construct and test-fly UAVs in the UK, initially at the QinetiQ airfield at Llanbedr in north Wales. Yabhon Flash-20 and its larger sibling Hazim-15 are both making their public debut at the show. Both share the unique tandem-wing and serpentine fuselage layout with previously unveiled Adcom Systems UAVs such as the United-40 and Global Yabhon. –D.D.
8 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
To showcase its aerospace expertise, Stratasys partnered with Aurora Flight Sciences to develop a 3D-printed UAV.
that the project was to be revealed for the first time here at the show. “We are debuting on our booth a large printed UAV,” he said, “We have worked with Aurora Flight Sciences…it’s about three meters [10 feet] in wing span and can fly at 150 mph [130 kts]. It has already flown, in August, from the salt flats in Utah. It’s big, fast and almost entirely printed.” He admitted the aircraft doesn’t have a name yet: “We just call it ‘The Printed Aircraft.’” There is no carbon-fiber layup used in the airframe construction and the control surfaces have been “printed” also, as has the landing gear and engine duct (both from metal). “It is about 80 percent printed, by weight,” said Sevcik. The structure/airframe was printed using an FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) process and some parts were created using laser sintering, he added. The latter include the fuel tank and winglets. Sevcik said that all the materials used are commercially available; for the Ultem, 1010 was used, and “several other” materials; while ASA (which is UV-resistant) makes up the fuselage elements. Lasersintered nylon was used for the fuel tank and Inconel for the engine duct. The project was started in the first quarter of 2015, said Sevcik. “We went
from a suggestion to flying in a little under eight months,” he said. It was a very small team–all in-house (everything was printed by Stratasys) though the engine, a small turbojet, and electronics came from third-party suppliers. Sevcik said “I don’t have hard numbers [for production costs] but the period concept-to-flight was well under a year,” which he said illustrated that significant costs could be saved on such a project. Design was carried out using Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks and GrabCAD at the collaborative platform, which Aurora used so the engineers could work together in design. Stratasys used its own internal software for the printing processes, including Insight.
MARK WAGNER
Much of the expense of aircraft painting stems from the labor involved. Now, LR Systems has a solution to automate the process, helping minimize costs.
U.S.-Israeli additive manufacturing specialist Stratasys will be exhibiting an allnew, one-off, “printed” UAV here at the Dubai Air Show this week, along with a video of the aircraft’s first flight. The only thing that isn’t printed using “additive manufacturing” technology is the small turbojet engine and its electronics and servos. Stratasys is exhibiting at “3D Printshow Dubai,” a dedicated pavilion here at the show. It is presenting alongside other exhibitors, including Ultimaker, BigRep and Stratasys Platinum Partner, D2M Solutions (Stand 206). Scott Sevcik, Stratasys senior manager business development, aerospace and defense, told AIN in late October
This prepares the CAD program’s STL output for 3D manufacturing on a Fortus machine “by automatically slicing and generating support structures and material extrusion paths,’ said the company. Sevcik said Stratasys also used a third-party U.S. company to help optimize the structure weight, based on loads. He said, “They used the loads to calculate how little material you can use,” with safety margins. So why is Stratasys at the Dubai Air Show? “We’re hoping to highlight it more as a capability to build lightweight structures of this class, and to really show the industry that the concepts are directly applicable to larger-scale vehicles. Sevcik said that the company has “quite a bit going on in aerospace,” for example United Launch Alliance is using Stratasys 3D printing technology (using FDM thermoplastic ULTEM 9085), for parts in environmental control system ducts, “slashing the system’s production cost by 57 percent and reducing the ECS assembly from over 140 to just 16 production parts.” Meanwhile Airbus has used Stratasys printed parts to swap out heavier, nonload-bearing parts in the Airbus A350. Sevcik said the UAV project demonstrated that 3D printing could be used to create load-bearing structures, too. o
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UAE eyes a trip to Mars by Peter Shaw-Smith The UAE Space Agency was set up in July 2014, and immediately announced plans to “launch a scientific voyage of discovery to Mars by 2021,” according to a white paper authored
by Dr. Khalifa Al Rumaithi, its chairman. One of his strategic objectives is that the agency’s services match “worldwide quality, efficiency and transparency standards.”
Like so many of the industrial and technological initiatives being launched by Abu Dhabi, space exploration is seen as a way to promote scientific research and innovation. It also advances knowledge and technology transfer, which will stand the nation in good stead in boosting GDP and diversifying away from oil and gas. In April, Jean-Yves Le Gall, left, president of French space agency CNES signed a memorandum of understanding on future cooperation with Dr. Khalifa Al Rumaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency. Rumaithi’s group has also reached out to several other national space agencies around the world.
Emerging markets with a bent towards space exploration are understood to include the UAE, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Cooperation and partnership-building are vital among developing nations, the UAE believes. A glance at the UAE Space Agency’s media page reveals this year alone it has consulted the Indian Space Research Organisation, attended the MAKS exhibition in Moscow, sent an official space delegation to Belarus, sought to cooperate with the Bahraini National Space Science Agency, a similar GCC initiative, and participated in the meetings of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) at the UN.
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The UAE has already spent $5.5 billion on satellite communications companies, and Dubai’s government chipped in with the establishment of the now 75-employee Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre this year, to prepare for the Emirates Mars Mission. Rumaithi’s vision is to prepare Emirati nationals to participate in the sector, so that in coming decades national talent is developed and space awareness increases in the country. With the funds at Abu Dhabi’s disposal, volition is half the road to success. “From an outsider’s perspective, the UAE’s extra-terrestrial ambitions might appear to be an example of grandiose national pride and a waste of money. I can assure you they are not,” he said. o
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Only one supersonic business jet will be flying in the 2020s.
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New supersonic jet age is coming, says Aerion by Chad Trautvetter Aerion chairman Brian Barents believes that we are now on the verge of a “new supersonic age” in air travel. In partnership with Airbus, Aerion (Chalet B12, S12) is developing the Mach 1.5+ AS2 supersonic business jet (SSBJ), which is now expected to be certified in 2023. Final assembly is likely to be conducted in the U.S., he revealed. Barents said of the nowretired Concorde that it was “truly an awesome technical accomplishment; but it was a financial failure that set back development of subsequent supersonic designs. No one could see an economically viable path forward for supersonic transports. Until Aerion, that is.” With Concorde as a “cautionary tale,” he pointed out that a new generation of supersonic jets must be both “practical and efficient,” which Barents believes is
possible with the AS2’s laminarflow wing technology. Because of its laminar-flow, the AS2 can cruise efficiently subsonic at Mach 0.95 as well as supersonic at Mach 1.4, allowing the aircraft to fly about 5,000 nm whether restricted to subsonic speeds over land or cruising supersonic over water. The company’s market studies suggest demand for 600 SSBJs over 20 years, even at the three-engine AS2’s $120 million price point and with a restriction that the aircraft be operated at subsonic speeds over land. “For the first 10 to 15 years, the supersonic market will consist of entrepreneurs, ultra-high-net-worth individuals and, over time, more corporate customers, as well as, perhaps, governments,” Barents said. “These will be the pioneers of the new supersonic age.” Speaking about the AS2’s
powerplant, Barents said that Aerion is looking for an engine that meets Stage 4 noise and emissions standards, as well as provides for growth. “We have had some fruitful discussions with the major engine suppliers,” Barents said, adding, “We hope to have more to say soon.” The company is expected to announce more on this front next week at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. He said the largest hurdle for Aerion is not sonic boom mitigation at cruise speeds, but rather, meeting airport noise standards. “Without a change to community noise regulations, a new generation of lowboom supersonic aircraft will literally not get off the ground,” Barents maintained. “That is why we are advocating in our discussions with NASA, the FAA and international bodies for new research aimed at the development of an appropriate noise standard for supersonic aircraft–one that provides an equivalent level of noise reduction to that required of subsonic aircraft.”
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Aerion anticipates that the market for its $120 million AS2 supersonic business jet will consist mostly of ultra-high-net-worth individual owners for the first 10 to 15 years.
This “physics-based” approach is consistent with the “equivalent technology” and “economic reasonableness” principles that the FAA has employed in the noise-reduction requirements in current rules. “A new standard would enable the development of supersonic aircraft that are aerodynamically efficient, fuel efficient and minimize community noise emissions consistent with maintaining
economic viability,” Barents said. Meanwhile, Airbus “will play a large role in the development of the AS2,” he noted, adding that the airframer is “our OEM partner” and is with Aerion “to the finish line.” Barents also pointed to Airbus’s “significant U.S. resources,” saying that he would not be surprised to see collaboration with Airbus divisions in the U.S. “Aerion will own the AS2 type certificate,” he said. o
Superjet makers focused on Middle East for sales Characterizing the Middle East as “one of the most important regions for Superjet 100 promotion,” Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) and Western sales and support arm Superjet International have each made the trip to Dubai with SSJ100 S/N 95065 in the colors of Mexican airline Interjet. The airliner, replete with a Pininfarina interior, sits on the static display line, where experts and potential operators in the region can experience its cockpit ergonomics and get information on reliability numbers at Interjet, which, so far, is the Superjet’s only Western operator. Interjet now flies 16 of
the 30 airplanes for which it has placed firm orders. According to a market review delivered this year by SCAC parent company United Aircraft (UAC), the Middle East market for airliners ranging in capacity from 60 to 200 seats will amount to more than 700 aircraft over 20 years. Speaking with AIN here at the show on Sunday, SCAC senior vice president Evgeny Andrachnikov noted that the Russian government has mandated that his company and SJI sell at least 30 airplanes per year. The company’s production capacity can reach as many
MARK WAGNER
by Gregory Polek & Ian Sheppard
Mexican carrier Interjet operates 16 Superjet SSJ100 airframes, with 14 more firm orders placed. This one is in the static display area.
as 60 per year, he added. SCAC plans to produce 25 Superjets in 2016 and 34 in 2017. Although only roughly 60 of the some 100 SSJ100s produced currently fly in revenue service, a recent commitment by Russian leasing company GTLK to place 32 of the idle jets will significantly close the gap, noted Andrachnikov. At the European Regions Airline Association general assembly in Berlin last month, Superjet International CEO Nazario CHECK SIX
MARK WAGNER
The Dubai Civil Defence agency has one of its more colorful assets, a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe, in the static display area.
Tehran’s mixed signals on new jets by Vladimir Karnozov The possibility of an end to international sanctions against Iran has piqued the interest of aircraft manufacturers from around the world, who anticipate a lucrative new market for airliners. To fully modernize its fleets, Iran would have to spend some $20 billion on about 400 passenger airplanes, about 100 of which it needs immediately, according to the officials. Iran’s supreme religious leader, Ali Khamenei, has pledged Tehran will not cooperate with the West beyond the recently struck nuclear deal and will develop economic ties with China and Russia instead. His views have met with the uncompromised support of the defense ministry and local manufacturers under the ministry’s banner, whose interests lie primarily in development of their
own in-house capability, with Russian assistance. However, Iran’s minister for roads and urban construction recently told reporters that the Sukhoi Superjet–the newest and most technologically advanced Russian civil airliner now in production–is not an option for Iran’s airlines. “We have already reached preliminary agreements with the world’s leading manufacturers,” Ahmad Abbas Akhundi said, referring to Airbus and Boeing. Akhundi’s comments came only weeks after Soren Sattari, Iranian vice-president for science and technology and the head of a national delegation at the MAKS-2015 air show in Moscow, told Moscow-based newspaper Kommersant that Tehran wants to buy Sukhoi civil and military aircraft and manufacture them under license.
“One of the local airlines has attested to the Superjet 100 with a positive conclusion,” Sattari said. If Russia offers attractive financial terms, “many Iranian airlines will be willing to acquire Superjets,” he added. Long-Term Plans
Russian minister for transportation Maxim Sokolov confirmed that Superjet negotiations were ongoing. According to Russian sources, Iranian airlines would get access to three aircraft for operational trials, wet leased from a Russian airline, most likely Red Wings, in late 2015 or early 2016. As a next step, Iran and Russia would negotiate a larger deal at the next meeting of the inter-governmental commission later this autumn. Shortly after MAKS, however, the secretary of Iran’s Aviation Companies Association,
Cauceglia announced the company’s first European customer, as Irish regional carrier CityJet ordered 15 of the type. Sukhoi places the CityJet agreement at more than $1 billion, including options and services. It expects to deliver its first 98-seat SSJ100 in the first quarter of 2016. CityJet plans to use the SSJ100 as the replacement for its fleet of Avro RJ85s, which it operates throughout Europe, including at London City Airport. Sukhoi said it expects the SSJ100 to gain certification necessary for London City operations by the end of 2016. Questioned about the certification of the aircraft for the London City Airport, whose location in London’s Docklands close to the main financial district requires a steep approach, Cauceglia told reporters “the London City certification effort is well underway… it will be done by the end of 2016. It just requires a software change.” Cauceglia expressed confidence that other airlines will want to take a closer look at the aircraft, and the ACMI contracts
would provide them that opportunity. Cauceglia identified Embraer as the other contender for the CityJet contract. Meanwhile, Superjet continues to move towards European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of the higher-grossweight variant of the aircraft, the SSJ100LR. The modification will allow the aircraft to attain its full range potential where required, said Cauceglia, bringing the figure up from 1,300 nm to 2,400 nm with a full passenger load through structure strengthening. At present the variant has won certification only in Russia and the only operator remains Gaspromavia, which flies 10. Cauceglia expressed confidence that Belgian airline VLM, which previously showing interest in a deal through Ilyushin Finance, would return to negotiations. “I think that they will come back… I think that this deal will stimulate them very much,” he said. He predicted EASA would award the SSJ100LR certification in the first half of 2016 but hinted that he hoped it would be in place by the end of this year. o
Maghsud Asadi Samani, told the Iranian government’s ISNA news agency that the statements by Sattari “had been made in general” and, therefore, should not be considered a commitment by Iran to buy Superjets. A month after MAKS-2015, Manouchehr Manteki, CEO of Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), told reporters that during the show the national delegation held negotiations on Russian-made jetliners. “Delegation members carried out an analysis of advantages and disadvantages pertaining to operational qualities of the Superjet,” he said. Consequently, they signed a preliminary agreement calling for the provision of two SSJ100s on operating lease terms. If, after further study, performance, financial terms and a technical support package prove as advertised, the conditional agreement would become firm. Shortly thereafter, Manteki told the Sputnik news agency that Tehran and Moscow “signed a
number of contracts” at MAKS calling for the purchase of Russian aerospace equipment valued at $21 billion. Even though Manteki did not specify what Iran plans to acquire, he named the Superjet as one under consideration. In late September, Ilyushin Finance Company general manager Alexander Roubtsov told AIN his company has been talking to four Iranian airlines about the Superjet, as well as the Tupolev Tu-204 and the Irkut MC-21. The lessor has kept in touch with those airlines and other Iranian carriers for years, he acknowledged. Nevertheless, Roubtsov said IFC has not officially offered the Superjet or other types to Iran because of the sanctions. “We obey the law and the rules,” he said. “No one wants to get on a list of possible sanctions for dealing with the country that is still under international sanctions. We will make an official offer to the Iranian airlines as soon as the sanctions regime is lifted.” o
www.ainonline.com • November 10, 2015 • Dubai Airshow News 13
Airbus outlines A330neo engine, cabin choices by Ian Goold 72,000-pound-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 powerplants, the variant also benefits from aerodynamic enhancements and an updated cabin that will “have the same look and feel as that of the A350,” according to Zanin. A major contribution to reducing A330neo operating costs will come from adding 10 more passenger seats than the present A330ceo (“Current Engine Option”). This will provide twoclass configuration for 256 passengers in the A330-800 and 310 in the -900 (which retain the fuselage dimensions of the A330-200 and -300, respectively).
DAVID McINTOSH
Twenty-one years after the Airbus A330 entered service, the manufacturer is preparing to introduce the Neo (“New Engine Option”) variant, for which it plans to freeze the design by next month. After the Series 200 and 300 and regional and cargo versions, the re-engined Series 800 and 900 add a further generation to the successful twinaisle twinjet. Earlier this year, the A330neo reached “concept freeze” allowing Airbus to proceed with detailed component and parts design. “We are preparing the transition to A330neo. There is a lot of work to do, but it is already going well and the team, led by Odile Jubecourt, is on track with all the milestones and preliminary design reviews,” said A330family program head Eric Zanin. The A330neo was launched at the UK Farnborough Airshow in July 2014 with a 42-month timetable for development that envisions entry into service at the end of 2017. In addition to exclusive new 68,000- to
First Metal Cut
TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE
In September, Airbus announced that manufacture of the first A330neo was under way in France with the first metal cut at production facilities in Toulouse and Nantes. Machining of the first engine pylon began in mid-year in Saint-Eloi (Toulouse), while the factory in Nantes started to produce the first A330neo center wing box.
A group of attendees receive a briefing as they wait patiently for their chance to sit in the cockpit of the Eurofighter Typhoon mock-up. The twin-engine, multirole fighter is in service with the air forces of Middle Eastern countries Oman and Saudi Arabia, plus NATO’s Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
The titanium pylon will be fitted with an “A350-inspired” fairing made from composite materials and titanium, said Airbus. The center wing box Rib 1 uses an “Isogrid” design incorporating 330 triangular pockets that provide necessary component rigidity and strength, while also meeting weight requirements. The manufacturer “projects” that the A330neo will have 14-percent lower fuel consumption per seat, with operators also benefitting from an additional 400 nm of range, as well as commonality with other Airbus aircraft.
Engine manufacturer RollsRoyce began to package kits of completed Trent 7000 parts in June, to support assembly plans aimed to see the first engine beginning tests in the latter part of this year. RR said the 7000 combines experience from the Trent 700 (available to power the A330), architecture from the Trent 1000-TEN (latest version of the Trent 1000, RR’s offering for the Boeing 787), and technology from the Trent XWB (powerplant for the Airbus A350). Compared with the current Trent 700, the new 7000
will “improve specific fuel consumption by 10 percent, have twice the bypass ratio, and will halve noise,” claimed the manufacturer. Rolls-Royce and HispanoSuiza (Safran) have formed Aero Gearbox International, a joint company to develop and support accessory drive trains (or gearboxes) for Rolls-Royce’s future civil engines, including the Trent 7000 as one of the first applications. The equipment drives systems and accessories such as fuel and hydraulic pumps and electrical generators. o
ELETTRONICA DEVELOPS MULTI-PLATFORM ‘ESCORT JAMMER’ FOR ITALY’S AIR FORCE A worker at the Airbus pylon manufacturing plant in Saint Eloi (Toulouse) completes titanium Rib 12, part of the engine pylon for the initial A330neo flight test aircraft.
The first Airbus A330neo center wing box aluminum Rib 1 produced at the company’s facility in Nantes, France, also will be incorporated into the initial flight test aircraft.
Italian electronics manufacturer Elettronica (Stand 1030) and the Italian air force are cooperating on the development of a podded “escort jammer” to provide the service’s Tornado and possibly Eurofighter Typhoon fighters with advanced jamming capability. Elettronica’s aim is to produce a platform-neutral system that could be fitted to most currently deployed fighters in Europe, executives said Sunday at the Dubai Airshow. The jammer will be contained in a centerline pod measuring four-to-six meters, attached to the belly of the aircraft. Executives declined to specify how long the system has been in development or when it will become operational. According to a press release, the air force selected Rome-based Elettronica “for the achieved maturity” of key technologies, including phased array antennas, solid state receivers and transmitters, a digital receiver and digital radio frequency memory. Elettronica president and CEO Enzo Benigni said
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the escort jammer is “an important strategic system” made necessary by a proliferation of low frequency band threats. “The air force is offering their facilities for the integration,” he said. “The system, electronically-speaking, exists. What is new is the integration of the system” in an airborne pod. Eugenio Santagata, Elettronica chief marketing and strategy officer, said the Tornado and possibly the Typhoon will carry the new pod, which will be designed to be “neutral” as to aircraft type. The F-35 is not among the types being considered. “The F-35 is a different story,” Santagata said. “We’re concerned with platforms we know we can manage, like the Tornado and Typhoon.” Santagata concurred with Benigni that the core technology is “mature,” and that Elettronica’s challenge lies in the integration and ensuring electromagnetic compatibility with the host aircraft systems. Asked when the jammer will be operational, he said “shortly.” –B.C.
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2016 airshow season kicks off in Singapore The first major international aerospace and defense event of 2016 will run from February 16-21 when the next biennial Singapore Airshow is staged at the purpose-built Changi Exhibition Centre. Back in June, after selling 80 percent of available exhibit space, organizer Experia indicated that it expects next year’s show to be larger than the previous recordsetting event. This forecast, however, was made before Chinese equity markets collapsed over the summer in response to emerging data indicating significant stalling in China’s economic growth. In recent months, a mixed picture has emerged in terms of how the fall-out from these difficulties will affect various Asia Pacific economies. In 2014, the Singapore show attracted 45,000 trade visitors and more than 100,000 public visitors, as well as around 1,000 exhibiting companies from 47 countries. Around three quarters of exhibitors booked for
this year’s event have participated previously. The event, which saw around $32 billion in announced orders, also drew 274 official delegations from 76 countries, as well as nearly 70 CEOs, presidents and chairmen of various airlines and leading industry associations. “Deminars”
As of press time, no details of the show’s static and flying displays had been confirmed. However, the roster is expected to at least match the 2014 lineup, which included around 90 different aircraft. Earlier this year, Experia selected France to be the Featured Country for the 2016 Singapore show (following on from the same honor being bestowed on the U.S. in 2014). The French Pavilion will enjoy a prominent position in the main exhibition hall. French exhibitors will also have access to a special new “Deminar” area where they can hold product demonstrations and
DAVID McINTOSH
by Charles Alcock
The static display at the 2016 Singapore Airshow promises to be filled with products from companies like Beechcraft, Boeing, Cessna, Embraer, Gulfstream and many more.
seminars. They will also benefit from specially arranged visits with VIP delegations. Three new exhibition zones have been devised for the 2016 Singapore Airshow: training and simulation, aerospace emerging technologies and business aviation. The show agenda also includes three special Business Forum events focusing on training and simulation, aerospace emerging technologies, and the wider Asian business environment. According to Experia, the Asia Pacific region will be a big driver of growth in the training and simulation market, with the military sector expected to represent an increasing share of this demand. Modernization of complex combat platforms is a big factor in this trend, with air forces projected to account for just over half the total training and simulation market by 2021.
MARK WAGNER
Training, MRO, Big Data
AIRBUS A400M ON STATIC DISPLAY Several European and NATO militaries operate the company's military transport but the Europrop International TP400-powered airplane has yet to find buyers in the Middle East. Despite its military pedigree, the A400M has earned European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) civil certification.
According to analysts Frost & Sullivan, global demand for training and simulation is expected to increase at an average compound annual growth rate of 2.5 percent between 2012 and 2021 with a total value of $411.05 billion. After North America, the Asia Pacific region is expected to be the second largest market for training and simulation services, with a growth rate of 4.3 percent per year. The increased sophistication of information technology used to support maintenance, repair and overhaul activity will be a major topic in the emerging technologies zone, with exhibits dedicated to intelligent automation, inflight broadband, ‘big data’ analytics and ‘augmented reality’. According to technology specialist ICF International, the growing number of IP-enabled aircraft entering
18 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
Count on AIN for Full Coverage of the Singapore Airshow As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of the 2016 Singapore Airshow. Our team will publish three of our award-winning daily Singapore Airshow News editions at the show on February 16, 17 and 18. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. AIN’s editorial team will start working on our Singapore show editions immediately after this week’s Dubai show. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news or propose pre-show interviews and briefings please contact Ian Sheppard (isheppard@ainonline) or Charles Alcock (calcock@ainonline.com). This year, the American Society of Business Press Editors gave AIN its Gold National Award for our Farnborough Airshow News editions. –C.A.
service will increase the potential for using advanced connectivity to make support activity more efficient by generating and processing more data relating to the performance of aircraft. The company forecasts that aircraft data generation will increase massively from approximately 11Tb in 2012 to 137Tb in 2022. Other technologies making a bigger impact in aviation are the use of electronic techlogs and flight bags, Cloud-based data storage, extensible markup language that can make data readable by both humans and machines, and autonomous electronic data interchange. Singapore show organizers also expect a busy business aviation zone, with the Asia Pacific region still generating double-digit growth in this sector. According to the Asia Pacific Jet Fleet Report released by the Asian Sky Group at the ABACE show held in Shanghai last April, the region’s bizjet fleet grew by 15 percent in 2014 from 647 to 744 new or preowned aircraft. Last year, the Greater China fleet alone grew by 16 percent, but the forecasters see this figure falling to around 10 percent this year. Leadership and Education
Among several planned specialist conferences being held in conjunction with this year’s show will be the Singapore
Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit on February 14-15. This will include a keynote address by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and will include sessions on airport hub operations, unmanned aircraft systems and ICAO’s efforts to achieve a global agreement on aircraft emissions. Other scheduled speakers include Singapore’s minister for transport and infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan, and IATA director general and CEO Tony Tyler. Several other conferences are to be held in conjunction with the 2016 Singapore Airshow, including the Asia Pacific Security Conference and the A*STAR Aerospace Leadership Forum on February 15. As of press time, no further details of the agendas for these events had been published. Also planned are two Education Days on February 18 and 19 that will promote careers in aerospace for young people. Experia has taken steps to improve the visitor experience for the event, such as introducing off-site security clearance that allows people to be screened before they board special buses and then be driven straight into the show site. Also new are mobile device charging stations and furniture made from recycled materials to reduce the show’s environmental footprint. o
Alafco shifts focus to sales and leasebacks, avoids A380 by Peter Shaw-Smith
MARK WAGNER
Kuwaiti aircraft lessor Aviation Lease and Finance Company (Alafco) intends to grow its existing fleet via sales and leasebacks. It is progressing with negotiations to place the airliners it has on order, its top official told AIN in an interview in Kuwait prior to the Dubai Air Show. “Our scheduled order book deliveries start in 2017 and run through 2021. We have already started negotiations for placing the aircraft,” said Ahmad Al Zabin, Alafco vice-chairman and CEO. He indicated new orders were unlikely in the near future. Instead, he plans to acquire up to 10 narrowbody aircraft through 2016 through sale and leaseback, purchasing them and placing them back with operators on lease. “We do not have plans [to order] additional aircraft direct from manufacturers. We will build the fleet with sale and leasebacks. These are more challenging, and there are so many newcomers to the market that want to try their luck at leasing, due to the low interest-rate environment. We have $500 million to invest [but] finding the right opportunity is a challenge.”
Alafco’s order pipeline is still awaiting 117 aircraft, consisting of 85 A320neos, 20 B737-8Max and 12 A350-900XWBs. In 2015 the company added four aircraft to its fleet and saw one disposal. As at October 1 this year it had 53 aircraft, 50 owned and 3 managed for investors. In terms of the leased fleet, five Boeing 737-800s are leased to Turkish Airlines, while Saudia is the largest A320 Alafco lessee with 13 A320 aircraft. Alafco’s widebody interest will not extend to the Airbus A380, he said. “The A380 is a very specialized aircraft. It doesn’t fit our investment criteria.” Alafco is 100-percent Islamically funded. By statutes of its articles of association, it is Shari’ah-compliant. “We do Murabaha and Ijarah. Murabaha means I buy and sell to you with a mark-up. Ijarah is leasing, where I own the asset and rent it to you,” he said. Alafco is owned 53 percent by Kuwait Finance House, with Kuwait Airways Corporation owning 11 percent, Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security 5 percent and other investors 31 percent. o An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 is pictured in Malawi. The carrier is Alafco’s sole African client.
EAST MEETS WEST
NEWS NOTE Horizon Terminals Ltd., the subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), is to build a 58-kilometer pipeline linking its Jebel Ali storage terminal with Dubai International Airport (DXB). The $250 million plan, known as Project Falcon, will also link up with Al Maktoum International (DWC). ENOC did not give a timeline for project completion. Traffic demand at DXB and DWC is forecast to reach 125 million passengers and over five million tons of cargo in the 2020s. “The pumping capacity of the pipeline is 55 percent of the ultimate fuel demand of DXB,” an ENOC press release said. “The pipeline can pump to fuel farms at both airports. In future, when the pipeline extends to DWC, it will be able to meet 60 percent of Dubai Airports’ combined demand in 2050.” The fuel business in the UAE has grown at an annual rate of 11 percent over the past 15 years, from 460 million U.S. gallons (USG) in 2001, to around 2.2 billion USG in 2015. n
IAN SHEPPARD
If evidence is ever needed of aviation’s reach across borders and cultures, there’s no reason to look further than the ramp at the Dubai South Airport, near Bombardier’s static display.
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www.ainonline.com • November 10, 2015 • Dubai Airshow News 19
NEWS CLIPS TETHERED OVERSIGHT
z ExecuJet Notches South Africa IS-BAH Approval
z Gogo Offering In-Flight Connectivity Services Gogo Business Aviation (Stand 2220) is here promoting its connectivity services. Mostly SwiftBroadband-based, Gogo’s offerings for business aircraft range from in-flight entertainment (IFE); voice calls and text to full cabin equipment. One product, called Gogo Text & Talk, enables passengers to use their own phones and numbers in flight. UCS is a smart cabin system that combines advanced router functionality, IFE, flight information, a link to the cabin management system and collaboration tools such as screen-sharing. The Middle East is a growing region for Gogo, a company spokesman said, and a full-time customer support specialist, Pascale Barhouch, has been added in Dubai.
z Navy Renews AAR Vertical Replenishment Deal The U.S. Navy exercised a one-year contract renewal option with AAR Airlift Group (Stand 1416) to perform vertical replenishment services for the 5th and 7th Fleets in the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The contract option, valued at $6.7 million, is part of a 2014 contract awarded to AAR, worth $34 million, inclusive of all options. AAR’s contract with the Navy’s Military Sealift Command includes the use of two helicopters, personnel and operational and technical support services. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR operates a total of six helicopters for the Navy’s commercial vertical replenishment program. The company’s rotary-wing fleet consists of Sikorsky S-61 and S-92 helicopters and the Airbus Helicopters 330J Puma. AAR has performed commercial vertical replenishment services, including ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship replenishment, as well as search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid support for the Military Sealift Command since 2007.
z Marvin “SmartCan” And Missile Sims On Display Marvin Test Solutions, a company of the Marvin Group (Stand 1959), will display its MTS-3060 “SmartCan” handheld flight-line test set at the Dubai Airshow. The SmartCan, which is packaged in a Pelican case, provides full functionality testing of the 1760 bus via smart weapon emulation. Also available on-site will be the MT-3045 advanced Hellfire missile simulator and the MT-1888 laser source simulator, according to Marvin Group. The MT-3045 provides complete preload test for the Hellfire missile. The MT-1888 is an eyesafe laser capable of simulating the seeker on any laserguided precision munition. Marvin Test Solutions CEO Stephen Sargeant, a retired U.S. Air Force major general, and director of warfighter support Frank Bruno, a retired brigadier general, will attend the airshow.
z ENOC Continues Fuel Infrastructure Investment Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), a major jet fuel supplier in the region, announced yesterday “the commissioning of Project Falcon” here at the Dubai Airshow. The enterprise is understood to be the next phase of the Falcon jet fuel pipeline and storage terminal construction plan. ENOC Aviation (Chalet A38) is promoting its skills in supporting the development of the aviation sector in the UAE and the Middle East. It supplies jet fuel to 97 airports across 11 countries. Fuel sales in the UAE have grown from 460 million U.S. gallons in 2001 to 2.2 billion gallons in 2015.
ADASI, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous System Investments Company, brought its aerostat system to the static display. The company says the surveillance platform is the first of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
DAVID McINTOSH
Adding to ExecuJet Aviation Group’s (Stand 800) accreditations is the recent award of the IS-BAH certificate for its FBO operation at Lanseria Airport in South Africa. The ExecuJet facility is the first in Africa to receive the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling stamp of approval from IBAC (the International Business Aviation Council). ISBAH has been established as a global code of standards for aviation handlers, mitigating risk and promoting safety in the same way as the IS-BAO certificate works for operators.
IFS software drives down asset-management costs by Charles Alcock UK enterprise asset-management software specialist IFS is boosting its involvement in the aerospace and defense sector in the Middle East. Here in the UAE, for example, it recently provided the software for Emirates Airline’s new engine overhaul shop. The new facility will open soon and is due to support around 300 engines per year. Major programs such as Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter have provided significant opportunities for IFS to demonstrate how its systems can reduce costs and improve overall value propositions. IFS also developed the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) used by F-35 operators to plan every aspect of the fifth generation warplane’s service life, including maintenance and spares supplies. “This is a first for a military program,” said Jeff Pike, IFS’s head of marketing and strategy for aerospace and defense. “When the aircraft flies, it selfdiagnoses any faults and relays this data to a ground station so that support crew can be ready to provide maintenance.” According to Pike, who was formerly a wing commander with responsibility for logistics in Britain’s Royal Air Force, there is potential to save around 10 percent in the cost of ownership of advanced fighters like the F-35 by more efficiently managing support and maintenance. “That is very significant since only around 21 percent of the cost of the F-35 is in procurement, so we’re trying to make the remaining 79 percent more efficient,” he told AIN. IFS (Stand 839) also is supporting the air forces of both Saudi Arabia and Norway in their efforts to optimize their
20 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
fleets of aircraft. The software provided in these instances supports multiple aspects of engineering, maintenance and military logistics. “We’ve led the field for enterprise asset management activities like this; we’ve been doing it for more than 30 years,” said Pike. Similarly, IFS (Stand 839) believes its software can make a big difference in reducing maintenance costs for airlines whose profit margins are increasingly squeezed. “A 10 percent reduction in maintenance costs could double the profits for an operator,” claimed Pike. The company
is already providing field solution applications to support GE Aviation’s commercial aircraft engines worldwide. “Nearly all the asset-intensive industries we support, like aerospace and defense, operate to the same basic process,” said Pike. “Most start as manufacturers; most have complex supply chains; most are projectbased; and most have expanded into services. This is why we do well in these industries.” IFS believes its advantage among enterprise asset management specialists is that its software is developed in a modular way, leaving customers free to pick the specific functions, such as risk management, inventory replenishment and engineering change management. “Unlike some software, it isn’t monolithic and that makes it more flexible for our clients,” concluded Pike. o
Sikorsky now formally part of Lockheed Martin by Bill Carey Lockheed Martin announced on November 6 that it has completed its $9 billion acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft, a purchase the U.S. defense contractor announced in July. Sikorsky is being folded into Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business segment. “Today we are proud to welcome the Sikorsky team to Lockheed Martin,” said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO. “Together, we are even better positioned to provide the best value for our customers, employees and shareholders.” Lockheed Martin (Stand 1260, Chalet P6) and Sikorsky are already partners on the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R/S Seahawk and VH-92 Presidential Helicopter programs and U.S. Air Force’s Combat Rescue Helicopter. Acquiring Sikorsky further
provides Lockheed Martin access to the U.S. Army’s fleet of some 2,100 UH-60 Blackhawks. Sikorsky, which employs nearly 15,000 people overall, will retain its headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut. Dan Schultz, previously vice president of Lockheed Martin’s ship and aviation systems business line, has been named president of the newly named Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. “Dan is a former Marine helicopter pilot and has decades of experience in the rotarywing segment, including leading Lockheed Martin’s helicopter system integration business,” said Hewson. “He brings a wealth of leadership experience and a deep understanding of our international customer base. I am confident he is the right person to lead Sikorsky at this pivotal time.” o
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Industry favors ICAO emissions plan by Rick Adams Two months ahead of the annual United Nations convention on climate change in Paris, known as COP21 (Conference of the Parties), aviation industry executives are trying to
persuade governments to support their “market-based measures” CO2 emissions control scheme. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is developing the program. The
industry also wants to steer the Paris negotiators away from action that might siphon aviation revenues for use in other venues. For example, the environment committee for the Paris talks
adopted a resolution last week proposing to earmark some of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) fees as a source of climate finance for other business sectors. “In our view, such a blunt instrument would not have any measurable environmental benefit,” said Michael Gill, executive director of the Air Transport Michael Gill, ATAG executive director urged governments to work with industry to reduce our impact on climate change.
Action Group (ATAG), which held a two-day Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva. “The draft text on using aviation as a source of climate financing is causing concern among a number of countries, particularly those that rely heavily on air transport for their connectivity and development. The developing and small island states would be particularly hard hit by ratcheting up the cost of flying. Even environmental groups that are pushing the scheme acknowledge the damage it would do to tourism and trade.” ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu called for avoidance of financial imposition on the aviation industry at COP21. Aliu told summit participants: “Reliable air services are too fundamental to local and regional development priorities, and States must consistently be made aware of the negative impacts which aviation taxes and fees can have on their longer-term, broad-based and sustainable economic prosperity.” An Open Letter
Gill and more than two dozen other chief executives of air transport industry companies and associations released an open letter to governments, “reaffirming our commitment to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change” and calling on governments to support efforts toward realizing the aviation community’s consensus goals of carbon-neutral growth by 2020 and halving CO2 emissions by 2050. “There’s only so much the aviation industry can do by itself. We’re a heavily regulated sector, and to fully realize the potential for efficiency measures, we need governments to step up and commit also,” Gill said. “We need governments meeting at the ICAO Assembly next year to endorse the implementation of a simple global offsetting scheme which will stabilize air transport carbon emissions growth. Failure to agree will harm our vital global sector and will harm our global climate.” o
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PHIL WEYMOUTH, STREETLIGHT MEDIA
New-look Farnborough sets sights high for 2016 by Ian Sheppard Next year’s biennial Farn borough International Airshow, held July 11-17, is shaping up already to be one of the best. For example, there are firm hopes that the Lockheed Martin F-35 will be at the show this time, having failed to make the trip due to an engine problem in 2014. Amanda Stainer, com mercial director of show orga nizer, Farnborough International Limited, told AIN towards the end of October that “sales are going incredibly well and we’re ahead of the last show cycle, with 86 percent sold.” Stainer said that “people will see some changes, for example Lockhead Martin is increas ing its presence and will have a completely different, eye-catch ing look.” Boeing will also have an increased footprint, she added, while Airbus is “look ing to increase the number of
aircraft and presence at the show.” Overall, she said people would see that the show had a fresh “new look and feel.” “We are expecting a larger space zone–it’s doing incredibly well–and there is increased par ticipation in the additive man ufacturing zone. And the UAS [unmanned aerial systems] zone is looking strong too,” said Stainer. “We are seeing a great increase in Chinese participa tion, and will also have a cel ebration on the Friday as it falls on Boeing’s centenary. It’s the perfect day as it’s also the Futures Day and Enthusiasts’ Day. There will be an interac tive exhibit all about Boeing and aviation.” For the weekend, some of the halls will be closed off, but some of Hall 3 will be open, in partic ular the Innovation and Space Zones, along with the BAE
An already impressive line up in the Farnborough International show’s static display is likely to be further gilded in 2016 with the anticipated participation of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter. A strong U.S. military contingent may also include the vast C-5 Galaxy troop-carrier. The Chinese presence is also expected to be stronger, with the possible inclusion of the new ARJ-21 regional jet.
Systems building and Boeing’s exhibit, she said. “So China and the U.S. are looking very, very strong,” said Stainer, who was just back from a U.S. visit. “We are expecting the F-35 to be at the show–tak ing a chalet. We are expecting strong participation from the U.S. Department of Defense this time, and are hoping for a C-5 Galaxy, F-16, F-18, P3 Orion and other aircraft to be here.” In the flying display there will be a Eurofighter performance again, “for definite,” as well as shows by Dassault’s Rafale and Future development plans for the Farnborough International Airshow site include the replacement of the existing Halls 1 and 1A with a new permanent 20,000 square meter facility. This is due to be ready in time for the 2018 show.
WHO OFFERS MORE TRAINING SOLUTIONS THAN ANY OTHER COMPANY? Your worldwide training partner of choice. 24 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
the Saab Gripen, Stainer said, “We are talking with them.” She reflected that it was too early to be definite about which aircraft would be attending, but she reflected, “Usually peo ple don’t talk to us about what they’re planning on bringing until March, but this year there is a lot of early interest in next year’s event.” The C-5 would be a star of the show, alongside the F-35, “and the C-5 would be open to the public if it comes,” Stainer said, adding “We really hope that the A380 will come back”–though it seems obvious that the likes of the A350 would be at Farnborough 2016. “We are also talking to the Chinese about the ARJ21 [regional jet],” said Stainer, who also has hopes that the Bombardier CSeries and Sukhoi Superjet will be present. The list of delegations to the show is increasing fast and organizers are promoting the “Meet the Buyer” event, which will encompass three days rather than two this time, due to demand. “And we are look ing at building a business lounge in Hall 1A for the SME commu nity–as many don’t have those facilities on their stands.” Stainer said that “[as of October 20th] we have 15 pavil ions confirmed, and we have three new countries participating,
with their own areas in the halls– Austria, Ireland and Brazil. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) will also be a focus after the 2014 show proved popular for this sector. “We had some 260 [MRO] companies in the exhibition halls last time–so we went to MRO Europe to say we looking to increase further.” There will be a conference schedule at the show, due to be published next year, but Stainer said that is handled by ADS, the UK trade body for aerospace, defense and security. Meanwhile the U.S. pavil ion will again be overseen by Kallman Worldwide. “Sales are going extremely well for them,” said Stainer. “The U.S. is the number one country.” She added that the build-up for the 2018 event would be even more interesting. “Hall 1 and 1A will be replaced by a perma nent 20,000-square-meter facility, under a £30 million [$45 million] funding program. Work will start straight after the 2016 show.” Last but not least AIN asked Stainer about Russian participation this year. “Just civil and commercial this time,” she said, “With the po litical situation, they are still able to come with the Export Control Order.” SuperJet In ternational, for example, will be taking a chalet. o
NEWS CLIPS
DAVID McINTOSH
z Bahrain’s MENA Aerospace Launches MRO Unit
SWISS-BASED 28 EAST OFFERING VIP-CONFIGURED ACJ319 28 East, a Switzerland-based aircraft transaction specialist, is here exhibiting an Airbus ACJ319 it has for sale on behalf of its owner. The aircraft entered into service in 2008 and has been with the same owner ever since. It has only logged 1,000 flight hours. Able to carry 19 passengers, the four-compartment interior can be configured in several ways. The
forward cabin can provide forward-facing corporate seating, a lounge, or dining space for 12. The aft section can be switched between a relaxation area and a bedroom. A washroom, which incorporates a shower, can be accessed from the aft bedroom. The ACJ319 that 28 East is displaying has a range n of 5,500 nm.
Airbus A380 forecast: more sales ‘inevitable’ by Gregory Polek That growth will drive a need for nearly 2,460 new passenger and freighter aircraft valued at $590 billion, according to Airbus. Of those, nearly 1,890 will cover growth needs and 570 will replace existing airplanes. By 2034, it added, the fleet of passenger and freighter aircraft in the Middle East region will almost triple, from nearly 1,100 in 2015 to more than 2,950 by 2034. According to Airbus, longhaul operations will dominate growth in the region, portending a bright future for not only the A380, but also the A330neo and A350. Airbus recently announced the launch of the extended-range A350-900ULR, with which Singapore Airlines
z Mubadala Aerospace and Engineering’s Partners
plans to fly direct from Singapore to the U.S. In the Middle East, that same airplane could connect 100 percent of the world’s population, stressed Leahy. “The impressive rise of the Middle East as the world’s aviation crossroads is in large part due to widebody aircraft,” he said. “Regional and domestic routes are also growing with our single-aisle products. Emerging economies with growing aspirational middle classes will continue to be a strong catalyst for air traffic growth.” Airbus calls emerging economies “the real engines of worldwide traffic growth.” Economic growth rates in neighboring economies such as China, India, and Africa will average 5.8 percent per year, doubling the number of middle classes to 4 billion people. By 2034, the 6.3 billion people in those economies will account for 40 percent of private worldwide consumption compared with 31 percent today. o
Airbus COO for customers John Leahy says emerging economies will drive traffic growth.
Abu Dhabi’s diverse Mubadala Development Co. is to exhibit several companies from its aerospace and engineering portfolio at the Dubai Airshow this week. Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), Piaggio Aerospace, Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, Sanad, SR Technics, Strata Manufacturing and Turbine Services and Solutions Aerospace (TS&S Aerospace) will all feature in Mubadala’s presence at the show. “The Dubai Airshow has become one of the world’s premier events for the aviation industry, and Mubadala along with its partners plays a key role in showcasing the potential of this industry to the region and the world,” said Homaid Al Shemmari, CEO of Aerospace and Engineering Services at Mubadala. Strata, now in its sixth year and with nearly 700 employees, is an advanced composite aerostructures manufacturing facility based in Al Ain, with a 45 percent Emiratization rate, over 84 percent of whom are females. Piaggio Aerospace designs, develops, builds and maintains airframes aircraft engines and structural components. SR Technics, now owned 100 percent by Mubadala, has become a leading global MRO player. The group aims to create over 10,000 jobs through the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park by 2030.
z Gifas Trade Group Showcases French Expertise About 30 companies are exhibiting at the French pavilion (run by France’s aerospace industry association, Gifas) here at the Dubai Airshow. They range from large integrators (including airframer and aerostructure supplier Daher) to equipment manufacturers (such as ground support specialist Dedienne Aerospace) and SMEs (for example, additive manufacturing expert BeAM). MRO is represented, too, with companies such as Revima. With other French firms having their own stands, Gifas is claiming the first rank in European presence at the show. “French companies are willing to continue to accompany the Emirati authorities in their new economic and scientific endeavors and also to keep on contributing efficiently to the protection of the country,” a spokesperson said.
z GE Aviation’s New Dubai-based Data Analysis Unit
MARK WAGNER
Airbus COO for customers John Leahy insisted here yesterday that the future of the A380 remains bright, largely due to the continued development of so-called mega-cities and the role the Middle East region plays in connecting its populations. The Airbus executive admitted, however, that sales of the superjumbo have not yet materialized at a rate the company might have hoped. “I think [Emirates CEO] Tim Clark has proven that you can fly A380s all over the world with very high passenger loads and make money doing it. I believe, with traffic doubling every 15 years, the case for the A380 is inevitable,” said Leahy. “I wish we had more orders sooner. It takes more time to sell a 380 than it does to sell a 320. I’ll confess to that. But the airlines, who are inherently conservative…are discovering that not only can they fill it, but their competitor can fill his and you really are at a loss if he’s flying an A380 and you’re trying to answer with a 777.” While delivering the company’s latest market forecast for the region, Leahy cited projections that traffic in the Middle East will grow at a 6.0 percent rate over the next 20 years, well above the world average 4.6 percent.
MENA Aerospace of Bahrain announced at the Dubai Airshow yesterday that it was launching a new division, MENA Technics, to provide MRO services for operators of private and business jets. Jassim Al Marzooqi, who has been appointed as general manager of MENA Technics, said: “We have two clear goals for the new company over the coming year: to be the first MRO to handle every type of aircraft in the region, and to build a solid line maintenance business to support third party operators.” Six divisions of MENA Aerospace (Stand 234) are exhibiting at this year’s Dubai Airshow, the second time the Bahrain company has appeared at the biennial event. MENA owns and operates a 6,400-square-meter hangar and private aviation complex at Bahrain International Airport. It is accompanied in Dubai by IJM MENA, a joint venture of International Jet Management, of Austria, and MENA subsidiary MAE Aircraft Management. MENA also announced here at the show that it had signed up to participate in the Bahrain International Airshow in January.
GE Aviation opened its new Middle East Aviation Technology Center on Monday. The new facility in the Dubai Airport Free Zone is intended to support customers’ use of GE’s industrial Internet applications by leveraging data analytics, domain experience and software capabilities. It will support customers in analyzing thousands of performance parameters relating to their operations of aircraft engines and other systems using the manufacturer’s cloud-based Predix platform.
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NEWS CLIPS First metal has been cut by Aerospace Transmission Technologies, the 50:50 Rolls-Royce/Liebherr-Aerospace joint venture set up to develop and manufacture the power gearbox for the UK partner’s planned UltraFan engine. The cooperative effort has begun to operate at the German company’s Friedrichshafen site. With experience from thousands of engines in service, R-R (Stand 1134) will lead gearbox design definition, and integration, as well as testing, while Liebherr will manufacture power-gear drive-train components. A power-gearbox test center is being built at R-R Deutschland’s Dahlewitz site, south of Berlin. The 30-strong workforce will be led by managing directors Heike Liebe and Dr. Rob Harvey.
z MoonJet Set To Expand Flight Support to China MoonJet Flight Support (Stand 2008) is aiming to open its new office in the Chinese capital Beijing by year-end. The trip support company is based in Amman, Jordan and already has satellite offices in the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Austria, Russia, Africa and the U.S. The seven-year-old company specializes in helping operators with arrangements for trips through the Middle East and Africa, with services including flight permit applications, fuel purchases, handling arrangements and booking hotel accommodation. “We are a medium-sized company, and we can focus more on our clients and provide a more personalized service,” Michel Jako MoonJet president and CEO Michel Jako told AIN. In China, MoonJet expects to employ five or six people, who mainly will be serving operators from outside China. “It can be difficult to operate in China, where it can take three days to get a landing permit,” Jako explained.
z GDC Starting Saudi VIP Helicopter Operations GDC Middle East announced a five-year contract to operate VIP-configured helicopters for undisclosed clients in Saudi Arabia. The company is a newly-formed subsidiary of the GDC Technics group, which provides aircraft interior completions, maintenance and engineering services at its facilities in the U.S. and Germany. According to the company, GDC Middle East will provide full support for the helicopters, including providing flight crew, maintenance, flight planning and dispatch, training and spare parts management. “This is a significant contract for our newly created company GDC ME,” said CEO Fawaz Sharabi. “We are very proud to have been chosen by an esteemed customer.” GDC Technics (Chalet P2) is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition to its completions center in the U.S., the group also includes aircraft engineering subsidiary in Germany, which has the capability to develop supplemental type certificates. The company has announced plans to establish a new GDC Africa subsidiary in Morocco, providing completions and maintenance services.
z Gulf Training Conference Opens Here Today The Gulf Aviation Training Event (GATE) opens this Tuesday at the DWC Dubai Airshow site. The event features 21 industry experts discussing the future of aviation training in the region during a two-day conference held in a dedicated pavilion within the Dubai Airshow. Confirmed speakers and panelists include JetBlue Airways director of flight safety Kevin Hiatt, Etihad Airways vice president of operations training Christopher Randanathan and CAE Civil Aviation Training Solutions vice president Dean Fisher. Conference topics include airplane tracking systems, automation and human factors, the pilot shortage and the future of MPL ab-initio training. Pavilion exhibitors include CAE, the British Aviation Centre, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy and others.
DAVID McINTOSH
z UltraFan Engine Gearbox Development Under Way
Weight savings, a modernized powertrain and new computer systems are some of the upgrades to Boeing’s Apache attack helicopter.
Boeing’s next-gen Apache AH-64E by Reuben F. Johnson Following an extensive revamping of the AH-64D, Boeing has now developed the nextgeneration of this well-known attack helicopter into the newest AH-64E variant. Richard Meanor, Boeing’s senior manager for international business development at the company’s production plant in Philadelphia provided details of the E-model Apache during MSPO. The operational capabilities of the platform have been significantly enhanced in the latest variant of the Apache, which Meanor and other Boeing representatives offered up in briefings held in Poland. The Apache is competing against several other competitors for a tender for a new Polish attack helicopter. Other bidders for this contract are the AgustaWestland/Turkish Aerospace Industries T129 and the Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tiger, with a decision expected next year.
Currently nations in this region that operate versions of the AH-64 include Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. In addition, last year Qatar received U.S. government approval to buy 24 AH64D Block III models. “Of the major improvements that are featured in the AH-64E, the most important are enhancements to flight performance,” explained Meanor. “The latest versions of the D model have added 800 pounds of weight and the U.S. Army wants to restore the power margins of the original Apache variants,” said Meanor. Therefore, the drive train was modernized and a new transmission has been developed, along with a new engine fit. An entire new set of mission computers were also integrated in to the onboard systems.” The net effect is that “you get to the fight faster and can stay there longer,” he said. The new
engines he referred to are General Electric T700-GE-701Ds that–in combination with the new transmission–significantly enhance performance. Another important addition is a new, lighter set of composite rotor blades. Beyond these performance enhancements, the new mission computer also allows for easier integration of new systems. This gives the user the option of adding new sensors and/or weapons with a much-reduced cost of integration. Although 200 E models have been delivered already to the U.S. Army, Boeing continues to work on advanced derivatives to keep the platform relevant out to the year 2060. Right now, there are Apaches operating in the militaries of the U.S. and 13 other nations. There are a total of 1,100 different models in service today. Some 380 of those are in service with forces other than U.S. o
LOCKHEED MARTIN’S MINI-UAS MAPS BUILDINGS IN DUBAI During the Robotic Technology Exhibition in Dubai six weeks ago, Lockheed Martin demonstrated the Indago quadrotor UAS equipped with an EO/IR payload. It was steered from a portable controller with software that allowed the operator “to focus on high-level mission execution rather than flight details” according to LM. Throughout the flight, the UAS fed video and data via an LM-developed fusion tool named Hydra, into a 3D earth model to produce a growing orthomosiac map of the area it was flying over. The Hydra technology is currently being used in the UAE to monitor daily construction progress of high-rise building projects. Because the digital architectural drawings are loaded directly through Hydra, daily progress models can be precisely compared to the drawings to determine any problems very early in the construction process. The Indago and its software will also be used once construction is complete to carry out unmanned high altitude building inspections in a safe and timely manner. –C.P.
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Lockheed Martin says its Indago UAS can accomplish diverse missions, including precision agriculture, firefighting, first response and mapping, plus surveying and inspections.
NEWS CLIPS
Dassault’s Falcon 7X and 900LX are on static display alongside a 5X cabin mock-up.
z Alpha Star Touts EMS Skills In Emerging Market Alpha Star Aviation Services (Stand 1150) is here promoting its medevac services. The Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based company is mostly known for its business in private jet management and operations. “We started medevac two years ago and it is time to position ourselves on the market,” CEO Salem Abaid Al Muzaini told AIN. Alpha Star is the only operator in the country to offer such emergency medical services. The activity accounted for 800 flight hours last year. In total, Alpha Star flies an average 1,000 hours per year, Al Muzaini said. It operates Airbus ACJs, Gulfstreams, ATRs, Hawkers and Embraer Legacies.
z San Marino, Saudi Arabia Agree On Oversight The Civil Aviation Authority of San Marino has signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation allowing aircraft registered in San Marino to be operated for commercial purposes by Saudi Arabia air operator certificate holders. The agreement, known as an ICAO Article 83 bis agreement, provides for the sharing of aircraft regulatory oversight responsibilities between the state of registry, San Marino, and the state of operator, Saudi Arabia. “This agreement is fundamental and marks a new level of cooperation between our two aviation regulatory authorities,” said Marco Conti, San Marino director general of civil aviation.
z McMurdo Launches Long-Distance Intercom McMurdo (Stand 946) is here launching Sarbe CommLink, a digital wireless intercom system that can help emergency response/rescue teams due to features including superior audio quality, long-distance communications range and unique programming capability, according to the company. The device includes VHF/UHF dual band with option for direct communication via maritime VHF. Multiple groups can be programmed to allow rapid, simultaneous communication within operational teams. A noise canceling microphone improves audio clarity. Finally, the intercom’s range is said to be five nautical miles. Rescue team members can thus maintain direct contact with remote support personnel, such as hospital staff members. Sarbe CommLink, described as a military-grade device, has been designed for use with a helmet. McMurdo’s SAR “ecosystem” also includes distress beacons, satellite connectivity and mission control and rescue coordination systems.
z Gulf Helicopters Offers Premium PWC Service Pratt & Whitney Canada (Stand 1826) has named Gulf Helicopters (GHC, stand 1902) a premium service provider in the Middle East for several helicopter engines. Operators of the PT6T, PT6C and PW207E in the region will be served from GHC’s base in Doha, Qatar, which will be able to perform line maintenance and send a mobile repair team. Pratt & Whitney Canada has increased the clutch inspection interval for its PT6T-9 engine, which powers the Bell 412EPI. The interval moves the inspection time frame from 1,250 to 2,000 hours, while the TBO remains at 4,000 hours. This was based on a detailed analysis of these clutches at 1,250 and 1,900 hours, said Irene Makris, v-p for marketing.
Dassault: Engine issues delay Falcon 5X twinjet by Thierry Dubois Dassault (Stand 830) is here exhibiting two of its Falcon business jets–the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 900LX. The Falcon 5X twinjet is present in the form of a fuselage and cabin mockup, while the first prototype is yet to fly due to a series of engine development issues. Meanwhile, six examples of the developmental, topof-the-line Falcon 8X have been flying in an effort to gain certification in mid-2016.
The Falcon fleet in the Middle East has nearly doubled in the last five years, to about 70 aircraft. Half of the added aircraft are Falcon 7Xs. One quarter of the Falcon 5X order backlog comes from the region. During an update on the Falcon 5X late last month, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said he was “still waiting for a new calendar from Snecma,” regarding delays with the Silvercrest engines. “Snecma is facing some
difficulties, which will delay the 5X’s certification,” he added. A most recent problem has only very recently been made public–it involves slight deformation of the engine casing during high-temperature testing. The deformation could cause the engine to fall short of performance guarantees made to Dassault. Snecma plans to make modifications to address the deformation; hence the delay. “This problem has no consequence on the integrity of the engine or on our capacity to certify the Silvercrest,” Snecma said in a written statement. Snecma insists that it still expects to earn certification for the engine in the middle of 2016. o
Rockwell Collins’ ‘alliances’ pay off by Bill Carey Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Rockwell Collins (Stand 1434) has had a presence in the Middle East for some 20 years, and has offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha and Cairo. Earlier this year, the manufacturer announced a “strategic alliance” for maintenance, repair and overhaul of military avionics with Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center of Abu Dhabi. It also has a partnership agreement with Advanced Electronics Company of Saudi Arabia. Rockwell Collins supplies the airline market in the region with communications, navigation and surveillance avionics, and this week announced that low-cost carrier flydubai has chosen its HGS-4000 Head-up Guidance System, MultiScan ThreatTrack weather radar and datalink communications system for 11 new Boeing 737-800s.
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Rockwell Collins’ 2013 acquisition of airborne communications provider ARINC is behind another announcement the company is making at the Dubai Airshow–Royal Jordanian Airlines’ selection of the Rockwell Collins ARINC GlobalLink service for its fleet communications.
The combination of Rockwell Collins’ avionics and ARINC’s communications infrastructure has produced a “sales synergy” that this year produced higherthan-expected results on a global basis, said Claude Alber, COO for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. o
MARK WAGNER
Etihad Airways announced at the show Sunday that it has exercised options on two Boeing 777 freighters, reserved as part of its historic $67 billion mixed-fleet order for 199 airplanes in 2013. Boeing plans to deliver the additional aircraft, valued at $637 million at list prices, next year. They join the fleet of Etihad Cargo, the airline’s freighter arm, which currently operates three Boeing 777Fs, three Boeing 747s and four Airbus A330s. Etihad Cargo serves 11 freighter-only destinations worldwide from its Abu Dhabi hub and has freighter capacity on Etihad Airways’ fleet of 109 passenger aircraft.
MARK WAGNER
z Etihad Exercises Options On New 777 Freighters
Abdulla Al Hudaid, COO at Jazeera Airways, left, and Claude Alber, Rockwell Collins’ vice president and managing director, Europe, Middle East and Africa, celebrate their companies’ latest agreement.
BRÉGIER SPEAKS OUT ON AIRBUS’ NEOS
Saab’s AEW solution for the UAE marries a Global 6000 airframe with the latest sophisticated radar and electronic warfare gear.
Saab lands UAE AEW deal uContinued from page 1
director of the military committee for the Dubai Air Show. Saab (Stand 1516) is undertaking the system installation and integration, and service entry could come within two years. As well as the two new Global platforms, the contract covers upgrades for the UAE AFAD’s two existing Saab 340 Erieye aircraft. SRSS employs a new version of the Saab Erieye radar, which has been continually developed over the years and expanded in capability from its roots as an airborne early warning sensor. As well as the dorsallymounted Erieye, the Global 6000-based SRSS also includes an electro-optical sensor turret and a second search radar mounted under the fuselage, plus wingtip-mounted and other
Airlines looking on; defense stirs uContinued from page 1
and typically gets overshadowed at international airshows by big airliner orders. This time around, Boeing’s rather inelegant effort to generate some news took the form of a press conference to reveal the identity of a previous customer (India’s Jet Airways) for twentyfive 737 Max narrowbodies, while a conversion of Airbus A330 and A320neo options by British Airways parent IAG to firm orders barely drew any notice. Strong Russian Presence
At the same time Russian industry has had a relatively strong presence here, having been shut out (on the defense side at least) from the bigger Farnborough and Paris shows, while the country concentrates more on ties with the East. The same applies to Iran,
antennas for electronic sensors. Together the sensors and onboard system allow the simultaneous detection and tracking of multiple targets in the air, at sea and on land. According to Saab president and CEO Håkan Buskhe, the SRSS “is without a doubt the most capable airborne early warning and control system on the market.” Acquiring an AEW aircraft has been an ambition of the UAE for some years and the subject of an exhaustive evaluation. At the 2009 Dubai Air Show, the UAE announced the acquisition of two former Swedish Air Force Saab 340 aircraft equipped with an earlier version of the Erieye system as an interim solution, and to provide operational experience in the employment of AEW. These two aircraft are to remain in service and receive a number of upgrades as part of the new contract, primarily
involving the Erieye radar and associated systems. A number of airframe platforms have carried previous generations of the Erieye radar, including the Metroliner, Saab 340 and 2000, and the Embraer EMB-145. The Global 6000 provides increased endurance, greater capacity for more sensors, and the potential to reach much higher patrol orbits. In standard business jet form the Global 6000 has a service ceiling of 51,000 feet. While the UAE is the lead customer for the latest iteration of the Erieye concept, the developments being undertaken will feed into the overall program, and will become available for other customers. Whether gallium nitride (GaN) semi-conductor technology is employed in the SRSS–as used in Saab’s recently launched Giraffe family of ground-based radars–has not been disclosed, but it is likely that there are at least some GaN elements. o
just across the Gulf, north from Dubai, where potential lifting of sanctions could result in a raft of orders for aircraft, both civil and military, plus related services and equipment. Russian industry could have the most to gain. Meanwhile, one might attribute the rather underwhelming amount of commercial activity here to the close proximity of the NBAA show, scheduled for Las Vegas next week. NBAA ranks as the year’s biggest show for business aviation, and although the likes of Gulfstream, Textron and others made the trip to Dubai, they were not very vocal here and senior executives were notably lacking in numbers. Happily for air show organizers, the static display line featured such notables as a trio of A380s– one each from Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline–and the Bombardier CSeries, whose appearance at this year’s show remained very much in doubt until only days
before the November 8 opening. Alluding to slow commercial aircraft sales at the show, Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier said yesterday during a press conference here in Dubai that airlines in the Middle East already have plenty on order. “They ordered 160 aircraft at the show in 2013, they are not going to do that again two years later,” he asserted. He also rejected the notion that overcapacity might be afflicting the market at the moment, as airlines continue to take delivery of the aircraft on order. He sees the absence of new contracts linked to neither the global economy nor fuel prices. “I have almost 900 orders this year,” he pointed out. Although he characterized the Dubai show as important, Brégier also described it as “regional,” unlike the more globally oriented Farnborough and Paris shows. In other words, show activity this time does not indicate an overall softening of the market, according to Brégier. o
Exhaustive Evaluation
In an exclusive interview with AIN yesterday, Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier said he still has no feeling of urgency when it comes to develop an A380neo, although Emirates chief executive Tim Clark was recently quoted urging the manufacturer to move forward with the program. “As soon as you can fill a 615-passenger A380, you have the most competitive aircraft in the world and you do not need a neo,” Brégier said. He does not worry that airlines may wait for the A380neo instead of ordering the current A380. “The customers we are talking to [about a potential A380 order] have urgent needs, they do not want to wait until 2025,” he asserted. Brégier expects other A380 orders, including one by year-end, to come before the launch of the A380neo. He nevertheless made it clear “there is a very good chance” Airbus will launch the program eventually. But he does not want to jeopardize the company’s investment capacity for an aircraft that only accounts “for 10-15 percent of our business,” he said. In this region, only Emirates has pushed Airbus in that direction so far. “Other airlines could be interested but this would be premature, too,” Brégier said. On the A350 XWB program, he suggested a version that could be designed beyond the in-development A350-1000 would be longer, to accommodate more seats than the current 366 (in a typical three-class arrangement). But the range, currently at 7,900 nm, would not change. The main question mark remains whether there would be a market for such an evolution. –T.D.
ROYAL JET ELEGANCE This photo represents the design development of the interior appointments on one of Royal Jet’s new Boeing Business Jets, in the midst of completion work at specialist Lufthansa Technik.
CAE SIGNS TRAINING AGREEMENTS WITH THREE MIDDLE EAST OPERATORS Canada’s CAE (Stand 1632) is to supply Boeing 787 and 777 full-flight simulators and training devices to Saudi Arabian Airlines’s Prince Sultan Aviation Academy under a contract signed here at the Dubai Airshow on Monday. The 777 full-flight simulator is a CAE 7000XR unit and the package for the 787 includes a CAE 7000. CAE500XR training devices for both aircraft will also be delivered and installed in 2016 as part of a complete training suite at the academy in Jeddah. Separately, the Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA) launched a new partnership with CAE to offer Embraer E-170/190 training in Europe. CAE will relocate the academy’s full flight simulator and
Nick Leontidis of CAE and Sameer Hdairis of Arab Wings
flight training device from Bahrain to the manufacturer’s own training center in Amsterdam. Also here in Dubai this week, Emirates-CAE Flight Training signed a five-year business aviation training agreement with Jordan-based charter operators Arab Wings. The agreement will now cover 11 different aircraft types. –C.A.
www.ainonline.com • November 10, 2015 • Dubai Airshow News 29
ACES 5 offers safer ejections
MARK WAGNER
ALENIA AERMACCHI, ORBITAL ATK ADD FIREPOWER TO MC-27J Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi and U.S. manufacturer Orbital ATK look forward to secondphase testing of the multi-mission MC-27J, which is on static display at the Dubai Airshow. The companies completed a first round of ground and flight tests last year in Sardinia and at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, during which they demonstrated the accuracy of the aircraft’s side-mounted GAU-23 30mm cannon. Contingent on funding from Italy’s defense ministry, they are ready to begin a second round of testing in 2016, when they plan to demonstrate a “trainable” gun solution linking the cannon with the aircraft’s nose-mounted L-3 Wescam MX-15Di electro-optical/infrared sensor turret. The Italian Air Force plans to convert three of its 12 C-27J Spartan cargo aircraft into a multi-mission MC-27J Pretorian configuration. One conversion has already been completed, executives said. Alenia Aermacchi has also developed a winglet modification, and first flew a “wingletted” aircraft in June from its facility in Turin-Caselle, Italy. The MC-27J partners emphasize the flexibility of its palletized mission system, which can be changed out for missions including search and rescue and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. “Its important not to think of this as a gunship,” said one executive. “It’s multi-mission, with gunship capability.” –B.C.
General Atomics, UAE plan Predator XP deliveries in 2016 by Bill Carey General Atomics plans to begin deliveries of its Predator XP remotely piloted aircraft next year to the UAE, the first international customer for the unarmed export version of the aircraft. The U.S. Congress approved the sale earlier this year, two years after it was announced during the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi. “Now the program is underway, finally,” said Frank Pace, president of the aircraft systems group of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (Stand 1752). Speaking with AIN on Monday at the Dubai Airshow, Pace said the UAE sale “is very important because
it’s the first of that aircraft and it’s the first to the Gulf states for us. Predator XP deliveries to UAE should begin in mid-2016 and take about four months to complete, Pace said. General Atomics is a subcontractor on the program to International Golden Group of Abu Dhabi, which will supply the aircraft, ground stations, spares and support to the UAE Air Force. Pace would say only that one system, which typically consists of four aircraft, will be delivered. Based on the Predator A model, the 2,550-pound max takeoff weight Predator XP “…can easily fly 300 km–it has an endurance of 35 hours.” o
30 Dubai Airshow News • November 10, 2015 • www.ainonline.com
UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS, Stand 1140) is exhibiting its latest ejection seat the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat 5, or ACES 5. “Unlike the ACES II, which has a single monocoque structure, the ACES 5 is modular,” Jim Patch, senior program manager for the new seat, told AIN. This feature avoids the need to remove aircraft canopies or hatches when the seat has to be removed for maintenance, he explained. “The ACES 5 is the most stable seat in the world,” Patch claimed. It features faster deployment of the drogue parachute to reduce yaw, and a new GR7000 main recovery parachute that reduces the rate of descent and oscillation. Patch said this was significant, because 43 percent of ejection-related injuries occur during the landing phase. The seat also features an active pitch stabilization system–the rocket is gyrostabilized–to compensate for the pitch changes caused by the varying weights of pilots, and by aerodynamic effects. Restraining fast jet pilots during an ejection has become a major concern in recent years. The introduction of helmetmounted sights and night vision goggles, with their added mass, has increased the risk of head and neck injuries. The death of an F-16 pilot who ejected from an F-16 on an ACES 2 seat in 2013 was attributed to this cause.
MARK WAGNER
by Chris Pocock
The ACES 5 is an improved ejection seat made by UTC Aerospace Systems.
The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has temporarily grounded lighter-weight pilots from flying the Lightning II because of the potential for injury in a low-speed ejection. The F-35 is fitted with the US16E ejection seat from rival maker Martin Baker. The British company designed a trio of airbags that inflate in a two-stage process, as a head and neck restraint system. JPO chief Lt. General Chris Bogdan told Congress last month that three “fixes” are being pursued: a lighter helmet, a slight delay in the parachute opening, and additional head support. Patch says that the ACES 5 seat solves this problem with a “passive” head and neck protection system that does not require lanyards, tethers or inflatables. Arm restraints on the seat are deployed by a cord attached to the cockpit floor. A pilot’s legs are pulled inside the fences on the side of the seat by similar passive means, as the seat rises. o
India’s Jet Airways confirmed as Boeing 737 MAX customer by Gregory Polek Boeing did what it could to snap the airshow’s airliner order drought here yesterday by revealing India’s Jet Airways as the customer for a previous deal covering seventy-five 737 MAX 8s. The announcement marks the largest order in Jet Airways’ history and includes conversions of 25 NextGeneration 737s to 737 MAX 8s, as well as options and purchase rights for an additional 50 aircraft. “Incorporating the latest design and technology features, the highly efficient 737 MAX will allow us to drive our operational efficiency and reaffirms our commitment to providing a best-in-class full service travel experience to our guests,” said Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways. “This order is an endorsement of our confidence in the long-term prospects of the Indian aviation sector, which reflects the positive forecast for the country’s economy and offers tremendous potential for growth and development.” Appearing with Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner during a signing ceremony, Goyal noted that
India’s economy continues to grow at a rate of more than 6 percent a year, notwithstanding mixed indicators. “I’m not here to give any political speech,” said Goyal. “We all know what is happening in India. People say India’s economy is not growing…We’re still growing at six and a half percent. If it was growing in France and Germany everybody would be dancing on the floor. “Boeing is proud that Jet Airways will be the first airline in India to take delivery of the 737 MAX,” said Conner. “The 737 MAX will bring new standards for fuel efficiency and economics, and a premium passenger experience to Jet Airways.” The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. The new single-aisle airplane will deliver 20 percent lower fuel use than the first Next-Generation 737s and the lowest operating costs in its class–8 percent per seat less than its nearest competitor. o
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