Dubai Airshow News 11-15-11 by Aviation International News

PUBLICATIONS

TUESDAY 11•15•2011 Vol. 43 No. 27

Dubai Airshow News

More sales for ATR

MA600 debuts in Dubai

Fire Scout on the warpath

Quick makeover for C-130

A400M delivery in 2012

ATR72-600 orders prompt -500 phase-out

Avic’s MA600 set for delivery after display here

Northrop Grumman rotary drone gets ready for naval service

SABIR package gets C-130 ready for special ops

Europe’s new military transport completes testing

Russia’s NordStar Air is the latest regional airline to sign up for the ATR 72-600 in a record year for the European airframer. Page 5

The Chinese MA600 twin turboprop is an upgrade from Avic’s MA60 model and is set to be joined by a new MA700. Page 8

The MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV has already done active duty in Afghanistan and Libya and now it’s now ready for deployment with the U.S. Navy. Page 12

Highland Integrated Surveillance Systems is adding features such as new sensor mounts and surveillance windows to C-130 transports. Page 18

It’s been a long and winding road for the Airbus A400M aircraft but certification is almost complete even as fresh budget worries loom large. Page 22

Airbus deals 50 A320neos to lease firm by Gregory Polek Both Boeing and Airbus were beneficiaries of airshow orders in Dubai yesterday. At approximately $7.4 billion, the combined value of their respective deals with Kuwaiti leasing group Alafco was nothing like the magnitude of those seen on the event’s opening day but they were welcome nonetheless. With Airbus, Alafco finalized a purchase of 50 the new A320neos worth an estimated $4.6 billion based on list prices. The deal, which included options on another 30 of the re-engined Airbus

Continued on page 21 u

DAVID McINTOSH

Dassault still optimistic for Rafale in UAE by Chris Pocock

TAKING A LONG VIEW Like so much of the growth seen in the Middle East, aviation has raced ahead at an alarming pace. Super-size airline orders have been practically commonplace, manufacturers of military hardware flock to the region, and business aviation is a natural fit for those who must make themselves mobile on a global scale. The Dubai Air Show continues to fulfill the role of showplace for all things aeronautical, as is evident from this wonderful aerial view made possible by Eurocopter.

Has the Eurofighter Typhoon really unseated Dassault’s Rafale as the UAE Air Force’s fighter-of-choice for a 60-plane order? After last week’s leak that the Typhoon team has received a surprise request for proposal (RFP) that would effectively re-open the contest, the French have maintained a certain insouciance after their top brass met the Emirati hierarchy here at the Dubai Air Show on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Americans know

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Continued on page 21u

Airbus, its logo and the product names are registered trademarks.

Excellent plane with advanced technology. Kamal

lovea380.com

L-3 cites 60 years’ experience in systems integration résumé by Chris Pocock

Airshow News

FOUNDED IN 1972

James Holahan, Founding Editor Wilson S. Leach, Managing Director Editor-in-chief – R. Randall Padfield INTERNATIONAL EDITOR – Charles Alcock Pressroom managing Editor – Ian Sheppard PRODUCTION DIRECTOR – Mary E. Mahoney the editorial team Vladimir Karnozov Bill Carey Julian Moxon David Donald Chris Pocock Thierry Dubois Gregory Polek Curt Epstein Matt Thurber Bernard Fitzsimons Chad Trautvetter Ian Goold Paolo Valpolini Kirby J. Harrison James Wynbrandt Mark Huber the production team R Mona L. Brown E B L Jane Campbell Alena Korenkov John Manfredo Mark Phelps Colleen Redmond O Annmarie Yannaco R T Y Photographers David McIntosh Mark Wagner press room administrator – Lysbeth McAleer web designer – Joseph W. Darlington web developer – Mike Giaimo

A T I N

management system so that they can cross-cue. “If they don’t work together, things don’t work out,” he said. L-3 Mission Integration is completing a further five MC-12Ws. It has also delivered nine of an eventual 14 King Airs that

in-country to meet specific requirements, using different sensors,” he said. In fact, substitution of the SIGINT system may become necessary if the U.S. does not permit wide export of the company’s Rio suite, which features added UHF scan capability. L-3 has already agreed to add the Selex Galileo PicoSAR AESA radar to the SPYDR demonstrator. Moreover, it will install a second Wescam sensor ball in an extended nose. The additions will be done by next April, in time for a second round of customer demonstrations. The aircraft

MARK WAGNER

L-3’s SPYDR ISR platform is similar to the 37 USAF MC-12W surveillance aircraft used in Iraq and Afghansitan.

it is operating under contract for another customer Smith declined to identify. The SPYDR aircraft here is similar to the MC-12W, but Smith claims that L-3 is unique in being both sensor and platform-agnostic. “We are ready to partner

here was recently demonstrated in South Africa, where it was touted as a low-cost maritime patrol aircraft. As for alternative platforms, L-3 has been talking to Bombardier about an ISR version of the Q400 turboprop airliner. o

DAVID McINTOSH

VistaJet adding three new bizjets

four decades of service Dassault Falcon president and CEO John Rosanvallon , left, congratulated AIN co-founder and current managing director Wilson Leach last night on the publishing company starting its 40th year in business. Leach and founding editor James Holahan launched AIN in 1972, n and the 40th anniversary celebration continues throughout the coming year.

4 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

VistaJet is committing three new longrange aircraft to the Middle East market, with an order for a pair of Bombardier Challenger 850 business jets and a Global 5000. Chairman and founder Thomas Flohr said the company is seeing strong demand for its flexible-use programs from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He believes that by the end of 2012 the Middle East will account for 15 percent of VistaJet revenues. “The [Middle East] market was impacted in the first quarter of 2011 by political upheaval, but in the last six months we have seen impressive growth, not only in regional traffic but in international traffic,” Flohr told AIN. VistaJet stands to benefit from the decision by fractional ownership provider NetJets to end its franchise arrangement with Saudi Arabia’s NAS group. –C.A.

So what makes L-3 mission integration the best choice for implementing an ISR conversion of the King Air twin-turboprop? No fewer than six U.S. companies are staking a claim, including airframer Hawker Beechcraft, whose offering is parked right next to the L-3 SPYDR in the static park here at the show. According to Greg Smith of L-3, it is the company’s unrivaled experience of systems integration. Under various ownerships over the past 60 years, the Greenville, Texas-based outfit has converted no fewer than 125 types–a total of more than 15,000 aircraft. It is probably best known for the U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint and Combat Sent SIGINT conversions. It employs 1,500 engineers with hard-won experience of making sensors work together. “This is rocket science–and we’ve got it figured out!” he told AIN. By way of proof, he offers Project Liberty, the company’s quick-reaction program for the U.S. Air Force that developed and delivered 37 King Air 350ERs for service over Iraq and Afghanistan from 2009. These aircraft are designated MC-12W, and they carry a Wescam Mx-15 EO/IR video sensor and a SIGINT suite. According to Smith, the trick is to integrate these two types of sensor in an automated mission

Dubai

A Y E

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ATR 72-500 bows out as -600 orders flow in

MARK WAGNER

Russia’s NordStar Air ordered three ATR 42-600s yesterday, adding to the Siberia-based carrier’s previous commitment for a pair of the 48-seat twin turboprops and options for two more. This takes ATR’s orders tally for

ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato had good news on new orders for his 50- to 90-seater.

2011 to an impressive 148, and the European airframer now claims an 80-percent share of the market for 50- to 90-seat regional airliners sold this year. ATR will cease production of the 68-seat ATR 72-500 next

year, as production of the model’s successor–the 72-600–takes off, company CEO Filippo Bagnato said yesterday at the Dubai Air Show. The European Aviation Safety Agency certified the -600 in late May, and the new model entered service this summer with launch customer Royal Air Maroc; three more have since been delivered to customers in the Americas. According to ATR, which is a 50:50 joint venture between Italy’s Finmeccanica (Alenia Aeronautica) and EADS, the ATR 72-600 fleet is on the verge of surpassing 1,000 flying hours, and dispatch reliability has been “very close to 100 percent.” Of its planned 53 aircraft deliveries this year, ATR expects to hand over a total of 10 ATR 72-600s to customers, Bagnato told AIN, but those figures will drastically change next year, when the manufacturer is scheduled to ship sixty-seven -600s (a mix of 42-600s and 72-600s) and five 72-500s. Barring any pop-up orders for the 72-500, these five will be the last ones produced by the company. o

MARK WAGNER

by Chad Trautvetter

M346 impresses in dubai display, but still no sale here Remember the saga two years ago here, when Alenia Aermacchi thought that the M346 trainer was a nearcerttainty for an order from the UAE Air Force? It never happened. Nevertheless, the Italians are back, pressing the merits of the M346 in the daily flying display. However, an informed source told AIN here yesterday that the UAE, in fact, may ditch the requirement for a new advanced jet trainer. They are just introducing the Pilatus PC-21 as their basic trainer, as a replacement for some rather old PC-7s. Because the PC-21 is much more powerful, we hear that future Emirati pilots may move directly from the PC-21 to the air force’s BAE Hawk Mk 102s, which would be retained. At present, student pilots proceed from the PC-7 to the older Hawk Mk63s, which would be retired without replacement. –C.P.

OnAir cellphone service for Falcon 7X cabin use

MARK WAGNER

by Thierry Dubois

Comlux places acj321 launch order Comlux Aviation placed the first-ever order for an Airbus ACJ321 at the Dubai Air Show on Monday, expanding the Airbus Corporate Jet family. Taking part in the signing ceremony (left to right) were Richard Gaona, Comlux CEO; John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer for customers; François Chazelle, Airbus Corporate Jets vice president of worldwide sales; and Habib Fekih, president of Airbus Middle East. The ACJ321 will have the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet and more floor space and baggage capacity than the ACJ318, ACJ319 and ACJ320, Airn bus says. The Comlux ACJ321, which will enter service in 2014, will be outfitted by Comlux America.

OnAir is working on a supplemental type certificate for the Dassault Falcon 7X, which will be the first purpose-built business jet to receive the on-board cell phone service specialist’s system. So far, the system has been installed only in “bizliners,” such as Boeing BBJs or Airbus ACJs. OnAir allows passengers to use their phone in flight just as they would on the ground, at affordable cost. For the passenger, “nothing changes, and that changes everything,” said OnAir’s head of VIP, corporate and governmental aircraft David Bony. This is different from using a satellite telephone, he pointed out. The passenger can also receive calls on his or her personal cell phone while flying and thus can use the contact directory that it contains. The first Falcon 7X to receive

the system will be one operated by Geneva-based Dasnair, the company that manages the Dassault family’s aircraft and offers them for charter. According to Raphael Salamanca, the operator’s head of sales, OnAir’s service will be available in Dasnair’s aircraft from March next year. Any authorized Falcon service center should be able to retrofit a 7X with the new equipment. The package, which costs close to $250,000 (not including installation man-hours), has been installed aboard about 15 bizliners, in addition to airliners operated by Emirates and other carriers. The passenger pays for the in-flight calls as extra lines on his regular telephone bill. Perminute cost ranges from $4 to $5.60, Bony said. The system can accommodate up to 14 simultaneous calls. o

www.ainonline.com • November 15, 2011 • Dubai Airshow News 5

z Eurocopter EC175 Certification Imminent Eurocopter is in the final stages of its certification effort for the EC175 medium-twin helicopter, which is aimed mainly at the offshore oil and gas market. The company appears confident that it can meet its target of gaining European approval by year-end. The manufacturer’s pilots and engineers are still performing test flights. “We’ll release performance numbers very soon,” operational marketing team leader Daniel Cottard told AIN. Demonstration flights, with customer pilots on board, have begun. The first delivery should thus happen late in 2012.

z Raytheon’s AutoTrac Radar Installed and Ready Raytheon (Stand E320) has completed delivery and installation of its latest generation AutoTrac III (AT3) air traffic management system at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, which is scheduled to open in 2012. The automated system, which has 60 air traffic controller stations, will provide approach control services for Al Maktoum International, Dubai International, Sharjah International and Al Minhad Air Base. It will also support tower operations at the Dubai and Al Maktoum international airports. In a press briefing on Monday here at the Dubai Air Show, Stephen Dumont, Raytheon director of international ATM, said the AT3 system for Dubai had completed site acceptance testing and awaits operational approval from the UAE government. The system comes with an advanced conflict-probe software tool and integrated arrival and departure management. This past summer, Raytheon trained about 20 controllers in the system’s operation; in turn, they will train another 100 to 150.

z Qantas Airliners Bio-coated by Permagard Qantas Airlines has signed up for Permagard’s bio-coating technology, making Australia the first country in the world to have all of its commercial airliners protected by the French company’s product. The core benefit, it claims, is the ability to preserve the aircraft’s exterior for a longer period, and defer repainting. It also translates into less frequent washing–the scarcity of water in Australia being a factor in the decision. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, which has already coated its aircraft with Permagard (Stand E147), saved “millions of liters of water [in 2010] by reducing by 325 the number of exteriors washed,” said the company. Permagard repels a wide range of contaminants ranging from runway grime to bugs and hydraulic fluid stains, while having the added benefit of reduced drag. The company quotes an Airbus publication, which asserts that a smooth skin can save, “at today’s fuel prices, $300,000 of fuel per aircraft per year.”

z CFM Prevails in Lufthansa Power Competition Lufthansa has chosen CFM56-5Bs to power four new Airbus A320s on firm order, CFM International announced at the Dubai Air Show yesterday. The announcement comes just a day after CFM revealed a $2 billion order from Republic Airways of the U.S. covering Leap-1A engines to power 20 A319neos and 60 A320neos. Lufthansa signed its $60 million order for A320s in September and plans to take delivery in 2012 and 2013. It now operates a fleet of 80 CFM-powered A319s/A320s/A321s and 26 A340-300s. It also flies 62 CFM56-powered Boeing 737 Classics. Approximately 390 CFM engines power its operational fleet. All of Lufthansa’s new engines will come equipped with the CFM56-5B performance improvement package (PIP) configuration. The new production standard for the CFM56-5B, the PIP-equipped engines entered service earlier this month. The PIP, which includes improvements to the core, fan and compressor blades and vanes, delivers a 0.5-percent fuel burn improvement. The big order from Republic accompanied a rate-per-flighthour agreement with CFM to support a total of 172 Leap-1A engines. Valued at some $3.9 billion over its 18-year term, the services and support arrangement guarantees engine maintenance costs on a dollar-per-engine-flight-hour basis.

ExecuJet, NAS partner on Riyadh FBO project by Thierry Dubois Dubai-based business aviation services group ExecuJet Middle East and NasJet, the private aviation arm of Saudi Arabia’s National Air Services (NAS), are to jointly operate a new FBO at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The facility will occupy some 16,000 sq ft in the airport’s private aviation terminal. “By forming a joint venture with NAS, we have won a large captive client base given its position as the leader in Saudi private aviation,” explained Mike Berry, managing director of ExecuJet Middle East. According to NAS Holding CEO Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, services at the new FBO will include assistance with permit requests and full concierge services. FBO clients also will have access to NAS’s aircraft management and charter services. Swiss-based ExecuJet is active in aircraft management and charter, and recently

added a Challenger 850 and 650 to its Dubai-based fleet. NasJet owns a fleet of 18 business aircraft and has another 60 under management contracts. Until earlier this month NAS was the operating partner for the NetJets Middle East fractional ownership program, but NetJets has now terminated this franchise agreement. ExecuJet already operates 14 FBOs across five continents. It is due to open a new FBO at Frankfurt, Germany, on December 1 in partnership with fuel supplier Shell Aviation. In addition to provid- Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, left, CEO of NAS Holding ing handling services in Group, celebrates completing a joint-venture FBO Riyadh, ExecuJet and agreement with ExecuJet CEO Niall Olver. NasJet will be cooperating on the maintenance, repair runs an FBO with local comand overhaul side of their busi- pany Bilen Air Service, which nesses. Through a partnership has seen a 30-percent rise in trafbetween NAS maintenance fic over recent months. o

Irkut announces orders for 235 MS-21 aircraft by James Wynbrandt Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut announced here yesterday that its MS-21 family of short- and medium-range twinengine passenger jets (MS-21200, -300 and -400) has now recorded orders for 235 airplanes. Among the customers are Russia-based Aeroflot, Ilyushin Finance and Rostechknologii, as well as Malaysia’s Crecom. Kirill Budaev, Irkut vice president, sales and marketing, said the aircraft is on schedule for its maiden flight in 2014, with European certification and first customer deliveries expected in 2017. The MS-21 will compete with the new Airbus A320neo and Boeing’s 737 MAX, both using next-generation engines on their legacy airframes, but Irkut says its clean-sheet design will offer superior economy in purchase and operating costs over both aircraft. “A clean-sheet design is [what is needed] for competitiveness,” Budaev said. “You’re not able to achieve that where you just

6 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

subsidiary NAS Tech and Lufthansa Technik, ExecuJet and NAS customers are to be offered support for most business aircraft types. Here at the Dubai Air Show yesterday, ExecuJet (Stand E370) celebrated the recent launch of another joint-venture FBO in Turkey. At Istanbul Ataturk Airport, the company

DAVID McINTOSH

news clips

improve a program that is 50 years old.” The Russian twinjet will feature composite wings and empennage and an aluminum fuselage. The fuselage is 25 percent wider than that of a 737 and 11 percent wider than an A320, and will still be lighter than either aircraft. The question most often asked about the design, Budaev said, is why the MC-21 doesn’t have winglets, given the design’s emphasis on efficiency. The high-aspect-ratio composite wings obviate the need for them, he said, the same reason the composite Boeing 787 has no winglets. The second most frequently asked question, he said, was: given that Russia’s renown for aerodynamic engineering is not matched by a reputation for production quality and customer support, what is Irkut doing to address potential manufacturing and aftermarket support concerns? Budaev said the company is seeking international partners

to assist in those areas. The MS-21 series will have two engine options: the Russian PD-14, being developed by Aviadvigatel, and the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G, the same engine family that will power Bombardier’s CSeries. In the cabin, the aisle width has been optimized to enable faster embarking and disembarking, reducing turn times and increasing flight time up to 142 hours annually on the -200 models. Larger cabin bins will take bigger carry-on luggage, reducing the need for passengers to check baggage and thereby reducing their travel time. The cockpit will feature sidestick controls and an avionics suite with optional headup display. Budaev also said the next-generation flight system would reduce pilot workload and be capable of supporting single-pilot operations, should they be approved in the future. The hold, with more space for revenue-generating cargo, is designed for easy loading and unloading. The MS-21-200, with a 150-passenger capacity, is priced at $69 million, and the MC-21-300, with a 180-passenger capacity, is priced at $78 million. o

ACCORDING TO THE ORANGE BOOK, ONE ENGINE IS NOW EVEN BETTER AT SQUEEZING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR JUICE.

Airbus has notably revised its performance handbook, or “orange book” for the Engine Alliance GP7200 powered A380. Fuel figures for the Engine Alliance GP7200-powered A380 are now amended. There in black and white, is proof that the GP7200 burns less fuel than anyone predicted. Far less. In fact, the Engine Alliance GP7200 beats its fuel specifications by 1.4%. Saving over 244,000 US gallons of fuel per aircraft, per year, which is more than $700,000 USD or about 28,000 free miles. Proving you don’t need extra juice to fly further. Just an extra special engine. See it at www.enginealliance.com Engine Alliance, LLC, a joint company of General Electric Co. and Pratt & Whitney.

THE FUEL SAVING ENGINE FOR THE A380

Engine Alliance leads the race between A380 engine suppliers Engine Alliance (Stand E240), the joint venture between engine manufacturers General Electric (GE) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W), claims pole position so far in supplying engines for the giant Airbus A380. The Hartford, Connecticut-based group says it has been selected for 55 percent of A380 engine sales compared to Rolls-Royce’s 45-percent share with its Trent 900. There are currently 27 GP7200-powered A380s in service, with four more to be delivered by the end of this year, Mary Ellen Jones, Engine Alliance president, reported Monday at a Dubai Air Show press briefing. The main customer for the engine is Dubai-based Emirates Airline, with 17 A380-800s now in service and three more expected to enter service by year-end. Since the engine entered service, it has experienced only one in-flight shutdown, on an Emirates A380. An Engine Alliance executive attributed that to “an assembly issue, not a design issue. [It was] a quality issue that we corrected.” Customers Around the World

Korean Air, another GP7200 engine customer, started service with the A380 in June this year, taking four aircraft in quick succession. The carrier will receive a fifth A380 this month, Jones said. Air France is operating six GP72000-powered A380s. The next engine selection is anticipated from Qatar Airways, which has ordered five A380s.

The GP7200 is certified at 70,000 pounds of thrust on the base A380. Jones said Airbus is adding a 72,000-poundthrust rating to its catalog, which will enable additional takeoff weight on short runways. According to Engine Alliance, the rating allows for around a 7.5-metricton increased takeoff weight on an 8,200foot runway, translating into a choice of either an additional 240 nm in range or allowing more payload in passengers and cargo. “It’s really a software change,” Jones said. “It’s an easy change to make, but it’s one we want to be able to offer our customers on an as-needed basis.” Well Supported

Engine Alliance has established an initial MRO facility for the GP7200 at the GE overhaul facility in Wales (UK), which also does work on the GE90 engine. Emirates has announced that it will break ground early next year on its own maintenance facility for GP7200 and GE90 work, while Air France-KLM plans to maintain the engine in Paris. Jones said Engine Alliance has a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, part of Mubadala Aerospace, to support GP7200 engines in Abu Dhabi. “We obviously have a large concentration [of engines] in this part of the world between Emirates and Etihad for the time being, so it’s nice to have regional capability located very close to the customer,” she said. o

Mubadala and Boeing Strengthen Industrial Ties

Pictured L-R at the signing of the new agreements: Homaid Al Shemmari, executive director of Mubadala Aerospace, Jim Albaugh, CEO of Boeing, and Dennis Mullenburg, president & CEO of Boeing Defense, Security & Space.

PHOTOS: MARK WAGNER

The MA600 ‘Modern Ark’ taking part in the flying display this week is destined to be Lao Airlines’ first example of the type.

Mubadala Aerospace and Boeing signed a pair of agreements here at the Dubai Air Show yesterday. The first contract involves Strata Manufacturing, Mubadala’s advanced composites facility in Al Ain, UAE, which aims to become a “Tier 1” supplier of composite aerostructures to the U.S. manufacturer. The second agreement sets up a strategic partnership between Mubadala’s Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center (AMMROC) and Boeing Defense, Security & Space, whereby AMMROC will support Boeing DSS military aircraft platforms in the UAE. Both agreements are aimed at furthering Mubadala’s ambitions to make further inroads in civil and defense aerospace, and follow the November 2009 strategic framework agreement n signed by the two companies.

8 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

Avic’s MA600 bows in on the Dubai stage by Thierry Dubois China-based manufacturer Avic has brought its MA600 twin turboprop to Dubai Air Show and the aircraft is performing daily in the flying display, making its international airshow debut. Two aircraft are now operating in China for training purposes and delivery of the third–the one that is performing here at the show–will be to Lao Airlines. That delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2012. The first two MA600s already delivered went to the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (Cafuc) in December 2010 (seven months after Chinese certification) and in September this year. Avic has received a total 16 orders so far. Multiple Improvements

The new 50- to 60-seater MA600 is claimed to be heavily improved over the MA60, its predecessor. Avic said here at the show that the airframe has enhanced fatigue life and maintainability, while the empty weight has been reduced and stairs have been integrated into the passenger door. In the cockpit, Rockwell Collins has supplied its Pro Line 21 avionics suite. The aircraft is certified for 120-minute extended twin-engine operations. Pratt & Whitney Canada is providing the PW127J engines, which contribute to better runway performance, and Honeywell is supplying the auxiliary power unit. Asked about certification in other countries, an Avic official answered that

“the MA600 will be certified in those countries where it will operate.” This would see it following in the footsteps of the MA60, which is certified in countries such as Zimbabwe, Congo, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Bolivia. Additional Roles

The MA600’s maximum takeoff weight is 48,200 pounds. It can cruise at up to 277 knots and has a maximum range (at 232 knots) of 1,320 nm. In addition to the passenger version, the company is offering a variant for maritime patrol, rain seeding and rescue. Preliminary design is said to be complete and Avic has interviewed 120 operators as to their preferences, officials said here at the airshow. Entry into service is planned for 2017, and Avic is now working on a follow-on–the MA700–with a first flight scheduled for 2015. o

Avic Pitches Y-12F Aircar for 19-seat Market Avic unveiled the Y-12F Aircar 19-seat twin turboprop, an upgrade from the Y-12E with a glass cockpit and retractable landing gear. The cockpit is fitted with Honeywell Apex avionics; Pratt & Whitney Canada is supplying 1,100-shp PT6A-65B turboprops. Fast cruise and long-range speeds stand at 230 and 210 knots, respectively. Takeoff distance is predicted to be 1,770 feet. Full passenger range is said to reach 700 nm. Efficiency, if measured in pounds-permile-per-hour, is 2.25 times better than that of the Y-12E, according to chief designer Li Xianzheng. –T.D.

DAVID McINTOSH

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news clips z DHL Taps Maximus for European Lift Maximus Air (Stand C200) has signed an aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance lease agreement with express package carrier DHL. The deal calls on Maximus to operate two newly converted Airbus A300-600RP2F freighters across Europe for DHL. “We are delighted to have been selected by one of the world’s foremost logistics companies to provide them with these aircraft under an ACMI agreement,” said Fathi Buhazza, Maximus Air president and CEO. “Going beyond the shores of the UAE and the region, and further into international airspace, is part of our new growth strategy.” Maximus has also extended its current ACMI arrangement with Etihad Crystal Cargo Air, for which it also flies the A300-600 freighters, until August 2012. Three Airbus A300600s that Maximus acquired in early 2011 have undergone freighter conversions at EADS to support such charter and ACMI lease contracts. In addition, the company has extended by five years its current component supply contact with Lufthansa Technik and has added new aircraft to that deal. Lufthansa Technik also will carry out line maintenance in Europe for Maximus Air’s Airbus A300-600 freighters.

z Risk Management Seminar On for Tomorrow Tomorrow at the Dubai Air Show the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) and Gates & Partners, the London-based international law firm, will hold a free one-day seminar covering emergency preparedness, liability issues and other topics related to operator risk management. The seminar will take place in Conference Room 4 at the Dubai Airport Expo. MEBAA chairman Ali Al Naqbi and representatives from Kenyon, the disaster management company, will join seminar chair Aoife O’Sullivan, lead partner with the law firm. Kenyon recently signed an MoU with MEBAA allowing members to take advantage of Kenyon’s expertise when preparing for a crisis or handling an accident. Themes to be presented include an analysis of where liability falls should an incident occur, how to fully prepare for unexpected situations and emergencies, exploring the potential legal consequences of grey charters and how to select the most suitable insurance policy, said the organizers in a press release. The seminar, which is free of charge, is aimed at operators, brokers, financiers, insurers and other members of MEBAA.

Technology upgrades help keep the Apache Block III relevant.

Lockheed Martin unit enhances AH-64’s role by David Donald Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (Stand E450) is continuing to expand the capabilities of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopter with sensor upgrades, a new weapon option and greater networking capabilities. The latter is being achieved through the Longbow unmanned aerial system tactical common data link assembly (UTA), a product of Longbow LLC (a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman). Longbow UTA is a twoway, high-bandwidth Ku-band data link that is installed in a mast-mounted assembly in place of the Longbow fire-control radar. It is fully integrated into the mission computer, and can be used to control UAVs and to receive data from them. The Longbow UTA first flew

in January 2009, with trials being undertaken in tracking UAVs and receiving data from them. Just recently the team achieved a major milestone when a General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle was completely controlled from the Apache cockpit in a series of tests. Success in these trials will smooth the way for UTA to enter service with the Block III Apache next year. Lockheed Martin is also implementing a series of capability improvements to the Apache’s mission equipment, including the VUIT data link that allows sharing of full-motion video from air and ground imagery sources. Improvements are also being made in the modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot night-vision sensor (M-TADS/PNVS). A modernized day sensor assembly

(M-DSA) replaces an older unit, offering enhanced performance and better reliability. The VNsight has been integrated into the M-PNVS to provide low visible light/near-infrared imagery to the forward-looking infrared imagery to enhance flight safety and provide tactical advantages. o

Weapon Systems Lockheed Martin is nearing the completion of the development of DAGR (Defense Advanced GPS Receiver), which adds laser guidance to existing Hydra 70 unguided rockets. It will shortly enter the system qualification phase, leading to readiness for delivery next year. The weapon has been fired 31 times so far, including 21 airborne launches from the AH-64D, AH-6 Little Bird and OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. As well as new applications, DAGR is compatible with all platforms capable of launching the widely used Hellfire missile. n

Italian electronic defense company Elettronica and Abu Dhabi-based Baynunah Aviation Technology recently established the ELTBAT Electronic Systems Development joint venture to act as a center of excellence in the Gulf region in the electronic warfare field. Here at the Dubai Air Show, Elettronica (Stand C330) is showing a range of the company’s products, including the ELT/572 directional infrared countermeasures set. This is a laser-based system that is housed in a small, agile turret that is primarily tasked with providing defense against shoulder-launched MANPADS weapons. Elettronica is also showing the ELT/800 system that gathers electronic intelligence across a wide signal domain, and the ELT/243 PET (passive emitter tracking) system that uses time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques to accurately track noncooperative emitting targets. Company expertise across a range of electronic defense applications has been brought together in its new Virgilius offering. This draws on the latest equipment and signal processing techniques to provide a fully integrated electronic warfare system for both fixed- and rotary-wing applications. It is modular so that it can be tailored to customer requirements, and can provide a detection and classification capability across a wide spectrum of threat radars.

10 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

DAVID McINTOSH

z ELBAT Joint Venture Shows Range of Products

desert longbow The capabilities of the Boeing Apache Longbow are well known, and upgraded sensors and weapons systems keep a mature design effective in modern combat scenarios. Here in Dubai, one of the UAE army’s n AH-64Ds is on display. For details on this aircraft’s new technology, see the story above.

Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned rotary-wing UAV has matured through operational use.

Fire Scout preps for voyage; looks back on eventful 2011 by David Donald

COMPLETE

FLIGHT PLANNING dispatch@hadid.aero

www.hadid.aero 12 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8 Fire Scout rotary-wing unmanned air vehicle is gearing up for a new at-sea deployment in January, sailing aboard the frigate USS Simpson as it moves closer to U.S. Navy operational evaluation next Spring. For the Fire Scout, 2011 has been an eventful year, including combat deployments to two theaters, a combat loss and the Navy’s first unmanned flight using biofuel, undertaken in late September with a JP-5/camelina-based fuel mix. In August the frigate USS Halyburton completed a seven-month deployment during which it had embarked two MQ-8B Fire Scouts for operations alongside manned Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawks. During the cruise, the Fire Scouts of HSL-42 Det 2 undertook numerous missions, including anti-piracy duties and classified payload trials. The Halyburton cruise greatly matured the MQ-8 system, leading to the type’s deployment from the vessel during Operation Unified Protector over Libya. The Fire Scouts performed regular ISR/targeting missions, during which one of the aircraft was shot down on June 21 by proGhaddafi forces. Details of the event have not been released, but it has been officially confirmed as a combat loss rather than an operational one. In May, three MQ-8Bs were deployed to northern Afghanistan to provide ISR coverage, specifically around 300 hours of full-motion video (FMV) surveillance per month. After six months in which the system proved itself to be a valuable force-multiplier, Northrop Grumman received a follow-on $18.65 million contract from Naval Air Systems Command in late September to maintain the detachment for a further year. Deployment to Afghanistan validated the Fire Scout’s capabilities while operating in an overland role. This has been of great value as Northrop Grumman strives to explain to potential customers the advantages of rotary-wing UAVs for ISR tasks as opposed to fixed-wing. The MQ-8’s ability to use unprepared landing zones and reduced manpower

requirements are key attributes. The Fire Scout is being offered to a number of countries, and opportunities exist in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates. Around a year ago, the MQ-8 was demonstrated here, while also undergoing trials of hot-temperature modifications. Weaponizing the MQ-8B

In terms of ongoing development, Northrop Grumman received a $17 million contract on September 23 to weaponize the MQ-8B with the BAE Systems APKWS laser-guided rocket. This program is a Navy special-interest item for rapid deployment within 18 months. Test firing is likely to commence in mid-2012, leading to delivery by March 2013. Funding has been approved, but has yet to be allocated, for installation of radar in the form of the Telephonics RDR-1700B maritime search sensor. This was one of the key sensor systems envisioned for the MQ-8 from the outset. “We’ve been trying to get radar on the Fire Scout for years,” remarked Mike Fuqua, Northrop Grumman BD tactical unmanned systems, “so we’re very happy.” Perhaps the biggest development to the Fire Scout is the migration of the advanced control and avionics system from the Schweizer 333 platform (MQ-8B) to the Bell 407 helicopter (MQ-8C). Last December Northrop Grumman and Bell’s Xworx flew the Fire-X demonstrator (a modified, unmanned Model 407) for the first time. Since then it has been busy on work to validate the adaptation of the Fire Scout system to the larger helicopter. “The aircraft’s flying regularly at Yuma,” added Fuqua, “and we’re eager to get funding.” The MQ-8C has been developed to meet an urgent operational need from U.S. Special Operations Command, with an anticipated total of 28 air vehicles. It had been expected that all future procurement would switch to the larger platform, but the Navy is “not clear on its requirements yet,” said Fuqua, and may still require the smaller MQ-8B for the Littoral Combat Ship program. o

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Telemetry system also helps to locate downed aircraft by Thierry Dubois Astrium Star Airborne Data Service (Stand W860) is at the Dubai Air Show promoting a new air-to-ground link that is

designed to be faster and more relevant to airline safety economics, while also playing an important role in accident

recovery and investigation. The UK-based company, which is a partnership between EADS subsidiary Astrium and Star Navigation of Toronto, Canada, hopes this equipment will become mandatory for use in events such as the Air France 447 crash, when it took almost two years to find the wreckage of an Airbus A330. Indeed, the

system can stream position data via satellite, said Paul Fisher, who is responsible for the firm’s design authority. Triggered by an unusual aircraft attitude, for example, the stream of information keeps transmitting regardless of the attitude. The antenna has been designed to stay “in sight” of Iridium satellites even when the aircraft rolls. In

case it becomes inverted, a second antenna, under the aircraft’s belly, takes over for the upper antenna. Besides this triggered streaming feature, two other transmission protocols are active continuously. They are geared toward optimizing operating economics. Performance information is transmitted every five minutes, and each minute, a “data burst” sends the aircraft’s position. All this is supposed to help operations specialists on the ground optimize fuel use and monitor aircraft system trends. In addition, some specified maintenance events in flight can trigger additional “bursts.” “Our point is not to send a lot of information but rather to send the information the customer wants,” Fisher stressed. Some data sorting and analysis is done on board, prior to compressing and sending. In that regard, the new product is said to be better than the existing, widely used ACARS system, Fisher said. Asked about cost, he said there are an installation charge and a license fee on top of a charge for data transmission, but he would not give further details. The company is now testing its system on two aircraft: an Airbus A310, which is in regular service with an airline, and a Sorrell Hyperbipe, a light aerobatic biplane. The EADS subsidiary also has been in touch with the French air accident investigation office (BEA). “Our system meets the BEA’s requirement for six-nautical-mile location precision anytime [even before an event triggers continuous transmission],” Fisher said. Astrium Star has also been in contact with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which may consider making such systems mandatory. They would greatly help in locating the wreckage of downed aircraft. As the AF447 probe proved so cruelly, flight data and cockpit voice recorders are useless if they cannot be located. o

News Note

14 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

Honeywell to support APUs for Dubai operators Honeywell has signed a 10-year, $20 million maintenance cost agreement to support its 131-9B APUs ( auxiliary power units) on flydubai’s fleet of Boeing 737-800s. The contract provides flydubai with a “stable, predictable maintenance cost structure,” Honeywell said. The airline operates 20 Boeing 737s and has another 30 on order. n

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Raytheon’s AGM-154C-1 joint standoff weapon (JSOW) has been approved for use on the F-35 joint strike fighter. The unpowered weapon can glide 60 miles.

Raytheon’s standoff weapon okayed for F-35 deployment by David Donald

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Raytheon (E320) has successfully completed fit-checks for the AGM154C-1 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW C-1) in the internal carriage bay of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The checks ensured that the weapon fitted into the bay with sufficient clearance for the doors to operate unhindered. JSOW C-1 will add a significant attack capability to the JSF’s repertoire. It is the latest member of the modular JSOW family, and Raytheon claims it is the world’s first net-enabled standoff weapon. The weapon uses an integrated GPS inertial navigation system with imaging infrared terminal guidance, and has been used widely in combat in both its AGM-154A version (with combined effects warhead) and the AGM154C (with a unitary Broach warhead). The weapon is unpowered, but has a glide range of over 60 miles. Also known as JSOW Block III, the C-1 version was developed using company funds and adds a two-way strike common data link. This gives the

weapon a maritime moving-target capability, enabling it to perform anti-ship attacks as well as its primary land-attack duties. The first free-flight test was performed on July 26 this year, the weapon being launched from a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. Separately, Raytheon has developed a wireless interface for the Enhanced Paveway dual-mode (GPS/IMU and laser) guided bomb, enabling the weapon to be carried by aircraft that cannot currently support it without major wiring modifications and changes to the stores management system. Called WiPak, the system comprises a small wireless transmitter and pilot interface in the cockpit, and a small receiver unit on the Paveway weapon. They connect using technology similar to that employed in consumer devices. WiPak has completed testing, and has already been integrated into the Embraer Super Tucano light-attack aircraft. Raytheon is now working on testing and deploying WiPak on other aircraft types. o

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16 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

Jetex Flight Support has upgraded its Flight Explorer so that the product’s operations control center can link with FBOs to “coordinate aircraft movements in real time.” The company said it is “an essential flight operations management decision support tool that incorporates multiple data feeds, dynamic weather overlays, situational alerts and air traffic tools.”

The Jetex Web portal allows users to track their aircraft and to communicate with crews. “This system takes the client experience to another level and provides a cutting-edge solution enabling real-time aircraft flight tracking and direct communication between the OCC and the flight deck crew,” said Djamal Nedjadi, Jetex flight opero ations director.

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Rolls-Royce goes still greener with fuel-efficient Trent 900 by Charles Alcock Rolls-Royce has introduced the first phase of a two-phase performance improvement for the Trent 900 engines that power the Airbus A380 airliner. Turbofans now being delivered to A380 operators have a one-percent improvement in specific fuel consumption (sfc) compared with the initial units. Secondphase improvements that are due to enter service during 2013 will deliver a further 0.8-percent reduction in fuel burn. Trent 900 program director Rosie Toogood explained that all the improvements introduced focus on improving air flow and cooling the engines. The first performance improvement package includes new elliptical leading edges (ELEs), greater low-pressure blade tip clearance and a new hard coat for the high-pressure compressor drum. The second performance improvement package now being finalized will cover the following elements: optimized fan-blade tip clearance, improved cooling of the turbine case, improved sealing for the low-pressure turbine, ELEs for the engine section stators, reprofiling of engine frames and improvements to the air system. Toogood said the Trent 900 improvements have been engineered directly as a result of progress made with RollsRoyce’s new Trent 1000 and Trent XWB engines (to power the Boeing 787 and A350XWB, respectively). On October 18, Airbus installed the first Trent XWB test engine on an A380 testbed being used for the A350XWB development. Other

new features have been derived from the Trent 700EP turbofan, and also from the V2500Select and the latest versions of the AE3007. More than half the improved features will be retrofitable during overhauls. According to Peter Johnstone, RollsRoyce’s head of marketing for Airbus programs, the Trent 900 is now the most environmentally friendly powerplant available to A380 operators. He claimed that it now promises the lowest lifetime fuel burn, the smallest carbon footprint (in terms of carbon dioxide), and the lowest emissions levels for nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons (but not yet for smoke emissions). To date, 11 of the 16 A380 operators have selected the Trent 900, and so far 30 Trent-powered A380s are in service. Those operators include Malaysia Airlines, which is to start taking delivery of the six A380s it has on order in the second quarter of 2012 (the first of those six made its first flight on October 20). The Trent 900 has logged almost one million flight hours and more than 103,000 flight cycles. Last week, Rolls made the 1,000th delivery of the Trent 700 engine that powers the Airbus A330. It has been supplied for an aircraft to be operated by Cathay Pacific, which was the first Trent 700 operator back in 1995. The Trent 700 also has been upgraded with an enhanced performance package, which delivers a one-percent reduction in fuel burn. It is based on changes similar to those now offered for the Trent 900. o

bahrain to host air fair early next year The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Sakhir Airbase is set to host its second Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) early next year (Jan. 19-21, 2012). As of press time, the event was almost completely sold out in terms of exhibit space with just one remaining chalet unit available. The show is purposely restricted to just 40 exhibiting firms, each of which occupies a VIP chalet with immediate access to its own static display area. It also presents a daily flying display. BIAS 2012 will feature a new VIP gala dinner, hosted by HH Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is chairman of the show’s new sponsor, Batelco, a Bahrain-based provider of integrated communications. Among the companies confirmed as exhibitors for the 2012 show are: Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Cessna, Bombardier, General Electric and Sikorsky. Other sponsors include BMW, Gulf Air and fuel group GPIC. “There are still opportunities to take part in the show in terms of sponsorship and corporate hospitality and I would urge interested parties to contact us as soon as possible,” said Amanda Stainer, events and exhibitions director of show organizer FIL. The UK-based company organizes the biennial Farnborough International airshow and promotes BIAS in partnership with Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs. –C.A.

18 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

HISS offers this C-130 sensor kit...

...seen here from the operator’s perspective.

Quick-change sensor station gives C-130 a SABIR package by Chris Pocock A novel means of adding surveillance sensors to the C-130 quickly and with minimum modification is on display here at the Dubai Air Show. Highland Integrated Surveillance Systems (HISS) can replace the paratroop door on the Hercules with a roll-up door that includes a mount for sensors that retracts for takeoff and landing; a large bubble window; collapsible workstation for an observer/ operator; and an equipment rack. The Special AirBorne Mission Installation and Response (SABIR) system has already been fitted to some U.S. Navy C-130s when flying special operations missions, and to a U.S. Marine Corps C-130 in Japan. The system is attracting interest from the UAE and other air forces, according to HISS president and CEO Roger Smibert. The mount can take EO/IR sensor balls, small radars, SIGINT or electronic warfare equipment. When extended, it provides 360-degree coverage. An ejection tube for sonotubes or other SAR stores is also included. Two people can fit or remove the SABIR system in only one hour. The modified door does not affect the C-130’s cargo-carrying capacity in any way. Moreover, a C-130 operator might fit SABIR doors to both sides of the fuselage to provide a multi-sensor capability. According to Smibert, the installation overcomes the weight limitation and turbulence issues of a nose-mounted sensor installation. The maximum payload is 400 pounds, and maximum sensor length is eight feet. The installation costs $1- to $1.5 million, exclusive of the payload. The SABIR was originally designed by Airdyne for fitting to Canadian Armed Forces C-130s, for the carriage of a FLIR Systems EO/IR sensor ball. HISS (Stand E504) is another Canadian company that specializes in the fitting of

airborne surveillance systems to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and has the marketing rights to the SABIR. When the Canadian program was delayed, airworthiness certification was done by the U.S. Air Force.

Maximum payload of the sensor system is 400 pounds; maximum length is eight feet. Two crew members can remove or install the unit in an hour.

Smibert told AIN that the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has endorsed the mod. The SABIR has also been fitted to the U.S. Air Force LC-130 that flies in the Antarctic for the National Science Foundation. It carries an X-band radar that is used to survey landing strips in case snow has covered a developing crack in the ice. Prompted by one potential customer, HISS has done preliminary design for a CH-47F Chinook helicopter door installation. HISS specializes in fitting surveillance equipment to aircraft and helicopters. It has added sensors on many different platforms, ranging in size from Fennec helicopters to an F-27. The company established a subsidiary in the Emirates in 2008 and lists a number of customers in the region, including the Bahrain, Dubai and Oman police forces; the UAE Border Guard; the Qatar Air Force; and the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force. o

CIVIL

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SECURITY

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Korea set to kick off a series of radar-retrofit competitions

your own ‘total eclipse,’ on demand Eclipse Aerospace has received a United Arab Emirates type certificate for its Total Eclipse twin-engine light jet. The approval is based on its existing U.S. certification. The company has secured commitments and contracts for five Total Eclipse aircraft from c ustomers who will register their aircraft in the UAE. An example of the Total Eclipse is being shown on the Dubai Air Show static display by the aircraft’s Middle East distributor, Turkey-based EA Aerospace. Demonstration flights are on offer. A new version of the aircraft, the Eclipse 550, is currently in development, for delivery from 2013. –I.S.

Gama launches charter ops in Saudi Arabia Business aviation services group Gama Group is expanding its services to Saudi Arabia through a new joint venture company with Imitiaz Co. of Jeddah. The partnership will be known as Gama Aviation and the plan is for it to be operational early next year at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. Gama Aviation will specialize in aircraft management and aims to operate charter services under its own Saudi GACA Part 135 air carrier certificate. The next step will be to add maintenance and consultancy services, replicating Gama’s services in Europe, the U.S. and the UAE. Dave Edwards, Gama’s regional

managing director, will oversee Gama Aviation in Saudi Arabia. “This is a significant milestone for Gama and is the culmination of a substantial period of planning and negotiation,” said Marwan Khalek, Gama CEO. “Breaking into the important Saudi market, the biggest market for business aviation in the Middle East, is a huge achievement and a long-held wish of Gama,” he added. Gama Aviation obtained its UAE GCAA air operator’s certificate in February 2010 and now supports a staff of 25 people and five managed aircraft at both Sharjah International and Dubai International airports, including a newly delivered Airbus ACJ318. The UK-based company said it is on track to obtain its UAE GCAA CAR 145 maintenance approval and is working to complete a new hangar facility at Sharjah that will provide hangar space and maintenance facilities for business jets in the region. The facility also offers FBO services. –B.C.

Rizon Jet on to ‘city of light’ by Charles Alcock After completing development of executive terminals at Doha International Airport in Qatar and at London’s Biggin Hill Airport, Rizon Jet is laying plans for a further FBO development at Paris Le Bourget Airport. According to the Qatar-based company’s acting CEO, Harold Stoddard, the site for the new development could be agreed by early

next year and the facility’s planned opening is in 2014. Rizon’s maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Doha is in the final stages of getting European approval to work on aircraft in Bombardier’s Global Express and Challenger families, as well as Hawker Beechcraft jets. It will then seek the same approvals from authorities in the United

20 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

South Korea is expected to issue a the Raytheon APG-79 AESA radar of request for proposals for an F-16 radar ret- the F-18E/F Super Hornet. Modes can rofit this week. It could be the first country be ported between the APG-79 and both to decide between the Northrop Grumman versions of the RACR. Another key feaScalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) and ture, according to Smeeley, is that the the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar upgrade involves changes only to the (RACR). Taiwan will follow, and Singa- radar’s operational flight program, not to pore is another prospect, according to that of the airframe. Larry Smeeley, Raytheon’s APG-79 international capture manager. But now that the U.S. Air Force has revealed its own plan for an F-16 radar retrofit, it’s possible that international customers could await its choice, Smeeley told AIN. Although the service recently outlined the F-16 upgrade to Congress, “I haven’t yet seen a budget line item,” Smeeley cautioned. Raytheon is not the incumbent supplier of F-16 radars, Raytheon’s RACR package fits F-16s and F/A-18s. but it has flight-tested the RACR on a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon. The U.S. Navy has not yet expressed The RACR has been designed as a drop- interest in retrofitting its legacy Hornets in fit for both the F-16 and F-18A/B/C/D with an AESA such as the RACR, but Hornets. For the latter, the RACR antenna Raytheon sees export possibilities among can be larger and the equipment racks are the eight international F/A-18A-D counmounted on the aircraft’s two-rail slider, tries, all of which have received presentarather than the hard mount with gull-wing tions via their user group. Smeeley said a panel access that the F-16 provides. fit-check of the RACR has been done on a In both designs the line replaceable U.S. Marine Corps F-18C. The installation units have 90 percent commonality with process took only 42 minutes, he added. o

DAVID McINTOSH

MARK WAGNER

by Chris Pocock

you went to the dubai air show and you saw...what? Was it the latest design concept from “Belikorsky?” The ultimate in shipborne mission flexibility? Blink twice. Maybe it was just something you ate the night before.

Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bermuda. The Biggin Hill facility already holds European, Qatar, Bermuda and Cayman Islands approvals for the same aircraft types, as well as for the Hawker Beechcraft Premier I and Cessna Citation 560 series. The next aircraft to join Rizon’s management fleet will an Airbus ACJ319 and a Bombardier Global 6000, which are due to arrive in 2013, when they will join a pair of Challenger 605s, a Hawker and a Global XRS. In the UK, Rizon is partnered with Oryx Jet, which operates a

Hawker 900XP and a Premier I. Stoddard told AIN that, over the next two years, Rizon wants to add a dozen or more aircraft. “The economic downturn has impacted everyone’s plans in terms of the amount of business we get,” he said. “I am not sure we will ever get back to previous levels, but we see some stabilization and I have seen an uptick in our own business.” The main investor in Rizon Jet is Qatarbased private company GSSG Holdings. The total investment in the new Doha and London FBOs was $50 million. o

DAVID McINTOSH

The Airbus A380 has been a success in the region, but now other models are making inroads into airline fleets in the Middle East. Kuwaiti leasing firm Alafco ordered 50 A320neos, and also has a total of 18 A350XWBs on order.

Airbus deals 50 A320neos uContinued from page 1

narrowbodies, sealed and augmented a 30-aircraft commitment signed by Alafco during this past June’s Paris airshow. According to Airbus COO for customers John Leahy, Airbus expects Alafco to convert its options for the 30 additional airplanes by the end of this year, potentially raising the value of this order alone to above $7 billion. Also on hand for the contract signing was Alafco chairman Ahmad Al Zabin, who said deliveries would begin in 2017 and run into 2021. Alafco has already ordered a total of 26 A320s, 25 of which Airbus has

Dassault remains optimistic uContinued from page 1

nothing about a formal RFP being issued, leaving observers to speculate that the two-page request for the Typhoon issued to the UK last week will serve only as a stalking horse, as negotiations for the Rafale continue, or even conclude successfully. The French delegation to the Sunday meeting included defense minister Gerard Longuet and Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Edouard Guillard. French air force commander Jean-Paul Palomeros subsequently told AIN: “The Rafale is our fifthgeneration fighter, and we are eager to share this future with the UAE.” He added that, “Discussions are going well, and they are happy with what they see.” Longuet was quoted here yesterday as remaining confident that the UAE would sign for the Rafale by the end of the year. Dassault refused to comment on the negotiations. Not Enough Power?

According to Palomeros, the UAE’s earlier concern that the Rafale’s two Snecma M88 turbofan engines were not powerful enough had been overcome. Two years ago, Dassault told AIN that the Rafale had demonstrated that it could take off from a hot Al

delivered to lessees. Separately, Al Zabin confirmed that Alafco has exercised outstanding options for six A350XWBs, raising its total firm order count to 18. It has already placed 12 of the airplanes with operators, he said. Meanwhile, Oman Air finally inked a $1.2 billion order for six Boeing 787-8s yesterday, completing a deal with Alafco to transfer existing orders for the six Dreamliners to the Omani flagcarrier. “Our decision to order the 787-8 is part of Oman Air’s longterm growth strategy to expand and modernize our fleet with newer, more fuel-efficient airplanes,” said Peter Hill, chief executive officer, Oman Air. “We see direct benefits because of the Dreamliner’s fuel efficiency and

operating economics as well as the enhanced travel experience that Oman Air will be able to offer its customers aboard this airplane.” Schedules originally called for delivery of Oman Air’s aircraft in 2012, 2014 and 2015, but program delays have postponed the arrival of the first 787 until the second half of 2014. Other airlines in the region that have ordered the 787 have also expressed concerns about losses caused by the long delays to the program. The Oman Air 787s will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The carrier awarded the contract to the UK-based engine maker yesterday and Rolls has now won eight of the last nine powerplant contests for the new Boeing widebody. o

Dhafra airbase here with a full long-range strike combat mission load (two Scalp ASMs and three fuel tanks), with the existing 17,000-pound-thrust engines. Palomeros said the negotiations are now about the cost of maintenance and manpower. The French defense ministry has also been negotiating a

partner,” he added. There is no indication that the UAE has decided to widen its search for a new fighter to U.S. candidates, notably the F-15 and the F-18, on which it previously received classified briefings. Eurofighter said that it received an RFP after giving a formal briefing on the Typhoon to the UAE last month. It is now “working hard to deliver a response.” In addition to the Typhoon model painted in the colors of the UAE aerobatic team, the Eurofighter pavilion here also features a full-scale model of the MBDA Marte ER (extended range) anti-ship missile. This turbojet-powered weapon has not previously been associated with the Typhoon, and is not scheduled for integration by the four partner nations. MBDA unveiled the Marte ER two years ago as a helicopter-borne weapon with two rocket boosters for launch. They are deleted from the possible Typhoon-launched version, which AIN understands has been proposed to India as an alternative to the Saab Rbs15 that is Eurofighter’s baseline proposal to meet the anti-ship requirement in the MMRCA competition. It is not known whether the UAE requires an anti-ship missile on its new fighter, but the latest version of Rafale can already be equipped with the AM39 Exocet Block 2. o

French air force commander Jean-Paul Palomeros

costed, long-term support contract with Snecma for the M88. The French have been reluctant to fund some other upgrades to the Rafale that were sought by the UAE. But Palomeros said, “We would like to achieve a common standard, and invest in new capabilities.” He mentioned systems (the UAE has sought additional radar modes), electronic warfare and, especially, communications. “They are not buying an aircraft, they are buying a system, and France is a real

news clips z Space Travel Champion Burt Rutan Visits Dubai General aviation design guru and space pioneer Burt Rutan was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the Dubai Air Show yesterday, though the founder and ex-CEO of Scaled Composite protested, “I haven’t done anything for months.” Rutan retired from his company earlier this year and moved to a home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, but the feet-up posture lasted just a few months until, “I got bored,” he said. Over the 46 years he operated Scaled Composites, the company turned out an average of more than one aircraft per year, from design concept to completed flight test. Rutan is perhaps best known for his work in civil space flight, winning the X-Prize with his suborbital design (funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen), and designing Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic craft, SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo.

z Pilatus Selects AMAC As Exclusive Distributor Pilatus Aircraft has selected Amac Aerospace as its fully authorized service center and exclusive sales center for the Pilatus PC-12 NG single-engine turboprop in the Middle East. Amac will commence sales activity on Jan. 1, 2012, from an office in Beirut. Maintenance will be performed at AMAC’s service center in Istanbul commencing in the second half of 2012. “We are very happy to be selected for such a prestigious partnership,” said Kadri Muhiddin, executive chairman and CEO, Amac Aerospace. “As an operator of two Pilatus PC-12 NG aircraft ourselves, we believe devoutly in the excellent performance of this aircraft.”

z GE Aviation Helps with Emirates Overhaul Shop GE Aviation will help oversee the design and construction of a new $120 million engine overhaul shop that Emirates Airline plans to build in Dubai. Plans call for construction to begin on the 226,000-sq-ft shop in the first quarter of 2012 and for operations to start in the fourth quarter of 2014. To be situated on a piece of land adjacent to Emirates’ test cell facility, the new shop will have the capacity to perform 300 engine repairs per year on GE90 and GP7200 engines that power Emirates’ Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, respectively. By the time the building goes into operation, GE Aviation and Emirates will be two years into a 12-year OnPoint maintenance contract covering the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 777s. The agreement, also announced yesterday, will include maintenance and inventory support services of various avionics, electrical power and mechanical products. Separately, GE Aviation signed another OnPoint agreement covering the GEnx-2B engines that power the 747-8 Freighters ordered by Cargolux. Valued at $1 billion over the life of the agreement, the 15-year deal covers 52 engines.

z EC130 To Go To Pakistan’s Princely Jets Pakistani private charter firm Princely Jets yesterday ordered a Eurocopter EC130 B4 helicopter. The deal, which also includes support and spares, was signed at the Dubai Air Show and calls for delivery in June 2012. The operator currently operates three BO105 helicopters. It will base the new EC130 in Pakistan’s main business city Karachi. Princely Jets, which also operates fixed-wing aircraft, claims to be the only private charter provider in Pakistan.

z Dubai’s Medrar Set To Buy Diamond Dubai’s Medrar Financial Group has agreed to buy a majority interest in Diamond Aircraft Holdings of Austria. The agreement includes Diamond’s piston airplanes as well as its under-development single-turbine D-Jet. “The current state of the economy highlights the need and potential for aircraft like the D-JET,” said Jamil Marmarchi, CEO of Medrar, in a statement late on Monday. “As a specialized asset management and investment firm based in Dubai, Medrar will ensure the company’s capital needs are met and Diamond continues to lead the industry with emphasis on enhancing the D-JET market status.”

www.ainonline.com • November 15, 2011 • Dubai Airshow News 21

A400M testing is on track; first deliveries set for 2012 by David Donald While the A400M program enters a new phase of turbulence, with Germany looking to slash its purchase to 40 from 53 and France looking to renegotiate a maintenance deal, the flight-test campaign is forging ahead with the aim of getting the European airlifter delivered by the end of 2012. The engine problems that surfaced earlier this year have been solved, clearing the path for European civil type certification to be achieved in the coming weeks. By October 20 the four-aircraft A400M test fleet had flown 2,380 hours in 784 flights, with 1,653 takeoffs and landings. The aircraft had been flown by 60 pilots, including those from the French, German, Turkish and UK air forces. Operating from the flight test centers at Seville and Toulouse, the aircraft are equipped with telemetry systems that allow specialists at other locations (Bremen, Filton, Getafe and Hamburg) to receive test data in real time. Rejected Takeoff

In recent weeks, the aircraft has completed several major tests, including two of the most iconic performance tests: the HERTO and water-trough trials.

HERTO (high-energy rejected takeoff) tests involve using only the brakes to stop a fully laden aircraft from high speed. To satisfy certification requirements, the HERTO must be performed after several minutes of taxiing so that the brakes are already warm, and with the brakes preworn to 90 percent. With the aircraft at its maximum takeoff weight of 141 metric tons, the brakes are applied at liftoff speed, with 24 megajoules of energy being applied per wheel. After the aircraft has come to a stop it has to be left for five minutes without intervention before the fire crews are allowed in to cool the wheels. The A400M test demonstrated not only the ability of the brakes to absorb such punishment without a fire developing, but also the operation of the fuze plugs that deflate the tires to prevent damage to the wheels. Water trough tests were recently performed at Istres, with the A400M operating at various speeds up to 90 knots and with some use of reverse-thrust. These trials were conducted to ensure that no water was ingested by the engines, and were successful in that respect. They did reveal a minor problem concerning a pad mounted on the main landing gear door,

Airbus Military has four test aircraft flying, with a fifth to join the fleet shortly. This aircraft will have a representative cargo hold, and will be important for various load tests.

Royal Saudi air force set for a330 mrtt deliveries The first of six A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) is due for delivery to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) later this month. Aircrews began conversion at Airbus Military’s Getafe, Madrid facility late last month. RSAF Col Al Burikan (right) and Lt. Al Majed (left) are two of the pilots being trained there over the next two months. Meanwhile, the UAE Air n Force has also ordered three A330MRTTs, with deliveries due next year.

requiring a minor redesign. Other recent achievements have included crosswind landings, conducted at Hyères, with up to 25-knot winds with gusts to 37 knots. Chief test pilot Ed Strongman reported no problems with these. The A400M uses a crabbing technique for crosswind landing, facilitated by a head-up display mode that presents a vector symbol to indicate the path of the aircraft relative to the ground. At the end of last year artificial ice shape tests were undertaken to determine the effectiveness of the hot-air deicing system. Representative ice shapes were installed on the unheated sections of the leading edges and handling qualities checked. These tests led to a redesign of the anti-ice protection system, which is being installed on trial aircraft MSN2 and will be fitted to all production aircraft. Aircraft MSN4 recently completed hot fuel tests at the Filton plant. The aircraft flew five times with JP4 fuel heated to up to 55-deg C to ensure that all the pumps and transfer systems worked with hot fuel. The gravity feed ceiling was established at 37,000 feet. Flight Test Goals

The A400M plows through a water trough at Istres, with a minimum depth of 2 cm (just under an inch). The maximum spray-wave height was recorded at 75 to 80 knots, but with no water ingestion by the engines.

22 Dubai Airshow News • November 15, 2011 • www.ainonline.com

Performance tests have been completed and other areas are progressing well. Flight-control test completion is awaiting the final iteration of FCS software, while anti-icing trials have been delayed by the unusually benign Fall weather in Europe. MSN6 is the fifth test aircraft, and it has yet to fly. It is virtually complete, and should fly around the end of the year. When it takes to the air is largely a question of whether it is kept on the ground to await the latest modifications, or whether it receives them after its first flight. Whereas the other four aircraft are filled with instrumentation, MSN6 has a clear cabin, and has already been used for evacuation certification tests. These demonstrated that 115 paratroops and the crew could evacuate the aircraft with only two of the doors available and in complete

darkness in less than 90 seconds. The tests were successfully repeated with a mixed cargo/passenger configuration, and 66 stretchers and crew were also evacuated successfully, albeit over a longer time. Military Testing

With civil certification behind it, the team is gearing up toward military tests next year to clear the aircraft for initial service. “We have good visibility of the risks in the military activities,” said Fernando Alonso, head of flight operations and senior vice president of flight and integration tests. “There is still a lot to do next year, but we believe we have removed much of the risk. We are in as good a shape as we can be at this point.” Among the trials planned is climatic envelope expansion, using MSN6. The A400M has already operated in -35-deg C at Kiruna in Sweden. MSN6 and its clean cabin are also to be used for groundloading trials, and a 300-hour functioning and reliability test campaign. It will also be the main customer demonstration vehicle. Consequently it will spend some time “on the road,” visiting airshows and potential customers as part of the reliability tests. Further military tests required next year are air-dropping, including a full load of 114 paratroops to be conducted with the Turkish army, and defensiveaids tests to validate safe chaff/flare separation and no inter-system interference. Work will also cover the operation of the military mission management system, and the communications suite, including MIDS datalink. Following 15 dry contacts with a UK Royal Air Force VC-10 made earlier this year, further refueling trials will be undertaken. Airbus hopes to receive the first Cobham 908E hose-drogue units in the Spring so that tanker trials can get under way. Rough-field trials will be undertaken, beginning with grass runway operations to be performed at the former East German MiG-29 base at Preschen, near Cottbus. o

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