Flight International

FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
WINGS CLIPPED
RETIRED ADMIRAL
HITS OUT AT NAVY
PLAN FOR UCLASS
DEFENCE P17
DRY CLEANING
Lufthansa Technik puts its
faith in carbon dioxide to
develop water-free engine
wash process P16
ROTOR HUB
Eurocopter subsidiary
Helibras gives timetable
to begin assembly of
EC225s in Brazil P24
MAKS SPECIAL
RUSSIA
RESURGENT
Time at last for post-Soviet aerospace
industry to live up to its potential?
ightglobal.com

3.30
20 AUGUST-2 SEPTEMBER 2013
Frequent trave|ers prefer to y on Boeing airp|anes.
It's as simp|e as that. The proof? Year after year,
Boeing airp|anes have topped the |ists of "best
aircraft" as voted by the readers of the wor|d's
foremost business trave|er magazines.
Business ies Boeing.
20 August-2 September 2013
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Flight International
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5 fightglobal.com
FLIGHT
INTERNATIONAL
20 AUGUST-2 SEPTEMBER 2013
Russian Helicopters is developing models as part of a key
strategy P42. A consortium is to look into the potential
for a reusable spaceplane to launch satellites P28
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Chafed wiring downed Tyndall F-22,
says USAF
AUVSI SHOW REPORT
20 Titan unveils atmospheric satellites.
Privacy concerns slow UAS use in civil
airspace
21 Matrix takes autonomous rotorcraft to
another level.
Ambitious China makes US UAV debut
LABACE SHOW REPORT
24 Cessna, Embraer advance on frst
fights of new jets.
Helibras gears up for civil Super Puma
production
25 Client feedback puts safety frst in
Phenom 100 update.
Bombardier goes local to regain
lost Brazil sales

SPACEFLIGHT
27 NASA lifted as new launcher clears
design review hurdle

BUSINESS
28 Money moves, MRO goes
REGULARS
7 Comment
52 Classied
55 Jobs
59 Working Week
NEWS
THIS WEEK
8 Romiti stays keen on booming Brazil
9 UPS A300F hit trees before fatal smash
at Birmingham.
Airbus prepares for major Vueling deal
10 Third prototype of Ka-62 is set to be
unveiled at MAKS
11 MQ-4C Triton team ramps up testing.
Eurocontrol quantifes top-fve air traffc
dangers
AIR TRANSPORT
12 A321 crew mistook runway amid
landing-gear concerns.
Moscow changes rules to boost
feet renewals
14 LOT keeps chasing 787 compensation.
Lion Air considers N219 as it eyes
expanded reach
16 Dry ice allows LHT to cut wet washes.
An-70 freighter plans are spurred
by new propfans
DEFENCE
17 USN clips wings of UCLASS concept.
Seoul seeks tankers to close its
capability gap
18 Rostvertol takes Mi-28UB combat
trainer for a spin.
COVER STORY
32 RUSSIA SPECIAL REPORT Back from
the brink The industry has a new-found
confdence after its post-Cold War slump
36 Getting there United Aircraft has put its
faith in the Superjet
38 Back in business Irkut has high hopes
for Russias new narrowbody, the MC-21
42 New frontiers Russian Helicopters is
developing a raft of models
44 Lease of life IFC has come a long way
46 Relaunch required Moscow remains a
spacefight superpower
48 Bear market MAKS air show preview
VOLUME 184 NUMBER 54O4
PIC OF THE WEEK
YOUR PHOTOGRAPH HERE
Flightglobals Image of the Day blog featured
this rather splendid shot of a British Airways
Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered Boeing 787
alongside a R-R-engined Spitre. AirSpace
users can open a gallery in ightglobal.coms
AirSpace community for a chance to feature
here.
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COVER IMAGE
Russian Helicopters
supplied this arresting
image of one of its Ka-32s
showing why its Kamov
brand remains the stuff of
legend, as we shine a
light on the Russian
aerospace industry P31
NEXT ISSUE MAKS SHOW REPORT
We round up all the news from Russias
major air show in Moscow, where our
reporters will have been gauging the
state of the local aerospace industry
B
illy
P
ix
Download the new Commercial Engines Directory
now with enhanced data and in-depth market analysis
ightgIobaI.com/commengines13
fightglobal.com
CONTENTS
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countries viewing 7.1 million pages each month
BEHIND THE
HEADLINES
THE WEEK ON THE WEB
ightglobal.com
For a full list of reader services, editorial
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK
17
%
51
%
Total votes: 2,438
This week, we ask: The future of Russian civil airliner
programmes RWill be a success in the West
RPopular in the former Soviet bloc RDoomed to fail
Vote at ightglobal.com/poll
An aerospace pariah
To remain a niche
military asset
The future of aviation
Last week, we asked for your thoughts on: UAVs. You said:
32
%
HIGH FLIERS
The top ve stories for the week just gone:
1 Spotlight shines on Ryanair operations
2 Fire destroys Ukrainian An-12 at Leipzig
3 EasyJet A320 loses cowl on take-off from Milan
4 NTSB sends team to investigate UPS A300F crash
5 LOT still making demands for 787 delay compensation
The DEW Line links to the US Air Force accident report on
the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor that crashed at Tyndall
AFB, Florida, last November. Basically, the $149.6 million
aircraft was lost due to chafed wiring this leaves the
USAF with 184 production
jets remaining, plus two
test aircraft. Tail 4013,
which used to be assigned
to Nellis AFB, Nevada, was
one of the oldest Raptors in
the USAF arsenal. And, the
Ariel View observes that
the Israeli unmanned systems industry looks to be getting
a boost from the countrys discovery of huge offshore gas
reserves which, not surprisingly, are under threat even
before exploitation. Also not surprising, UAVs are being
drafted in to monitor the region, being excellent, long-
endurance adjuncts to traditional naval surface and air
patrols sparking much touting for business by their
suppliers.
Flightglobals team was out in
force at the AUVSI show in
Washington DC, producing three
daily papers from the site.
Meanwhile, business editor Dan
Thisdell visited Rostvertols
sprawling helicopter factory
one of the largest in the world
in Rostov-on-Don where it makes
Mil Mi-28s, -35s and 26Ts.
IN THIS ISSUE
Companies listed
AeroVironment .............................................20
AgustaWestland ....................................... 8, 10
Air Busan .....................................................12
Airbus ....................................9, 10, 12, 28, 29
Airbus Military ........................................10, 17
Air Contractors .............................................13
Air France ....................................................12
All Nippon Airlines ........................................14
American Airlines ........................................... 8
Antonov .................................................12, 16
Arinc ............................................................29
Asiana Airlines .............................................29
ATR ..............................................................13
Aurigny ........................................................28
Austrian Airlines ...........................................29
AVIC .............................................................16
Azul .............................................................13
BAE Systems ...............................................11
Beechcraft ...................................................25
Boeing ................................ 14, 17, 20, 21, 28
Bombardier .................................................25
Bristow Group ..............................................29
Cessna ........................................................24
Comac .........................................................16
Cytec Industries ...........................................28
EADS ...........................................................14
EasyJet .......................................................... 9
Eaton ...........................................................29
Embraer .......................................8, 24, 25, 28
Eurocopter ...................................................24
FLIR Systems ...............................................29
Flybe ...........................................................18
Garmin ........................................................25
Gulfstream .............................................24, 25
Helibras .......................................................24
Hubei Ewatt .................................................21
IASA Global .................................................28
Insitu ...........................................................21
Japan Airlines ..............................................14
Jetstar ..........................................................28
John Holland Aviation Services .....................28
Kingfsher Airlines .......................................... 8
Learjet .........................................................25
Lder Aviao .........................................24, 25
Lion Air ........................................................14
Lockheed Martin ..........................8, 18, 22, 27
LOT ..............................................................14
Lufthansa Technik ........................................16
MBDA ............................................................ 8
Merpati ........................................................14
Motor Sich ...................................................16
MTU Aero Engines ........................................29
Nextant Aerospace .......................................25
Northrop Grumman ................................11, 17
Pneumo .......................................................14
Pratt & Whitney ............................................13
Qantas .........................................................28
Qinetiq...................................................20, 27
Reaction Engines .........................................27
Rocketdyne ..................................................27
Rockwell Collins ....................................... 8, 29
Rolls-Royce ............................................14, 29
Russian Helicopters ...............................10, 18
Ryanair ........................................................10
Selex ES ......................................................22
SIA Engineering ...........................................28
Sikorsky .......................................................21
Sukhoi .........................................................12
Textron Systems ...........................................22
Thales Alenia Space .....................................27
Titan Aerospace ...........................................20
US Airways ..................................................... 8
Virgin Australia .............................................28
Vueling........................................................... 9
Zero Gravity Solutions ..................................29
6
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FLIGHT TRAINING
Search the Civil Simulator Census
www.ightglobal.com/civilsim
COMMENT
fightglobal.com 20 August-2 September 2013
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7
E
urocontrol has been working hard for years to try to
set up an air trafc management incident reporting
system so all parties pilots, air trafc controllers, air
navigation service providers (ANSP) and airport opera-
tors can report incidents, enabling easy identication
of trends and risks.
This is easier said than done in the world of ANSPs,
which in most European countries are state bodies
more atuned to covering up mistakes than acknowledg-
ing them.
Eurocontrol has begun to change that culture, and a
useful quantity of data is owing in. The ndings are
neither unexpected nor do they reveal unknown risks.
But they are important, because the highest risks be-
come clear, enabling priorities to be set and policy to be
adjusted accordingly.
But in the world of airline operators, which have
been running a reporting system for much longer, a
new milestone has been reached. There are still plenty
of incidents to study, trends to monitor, and priorities
to identify, but real accidents have become so rare that
there are fewer of those to learn from.
When there is something to learn, it is important. An
incident is interesting because something or someone
stopped it escalating. Recognising that is the key. Most
accidents are caused by something familiar. It begs the
question if it is familiar, why is it still happening? O
See This Week P11
Familiarity breeds contempt
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See Defence P17
Which ways the enemy?
Carrier suicide
Little in the way of credible explanation has been offered by the US Navy for the neutering of
its unmanned strike aircraft programme, leading military analysts to question its worth
The DEW Line blog offers more
in-depth news and analysis of
the global defence sector at:
ightglobal.com/dewline
T
he Pentagons Joint Requirements Oversight Coun-
cil (JROC) and the US Navy must provide a more
credible explanation for relaxing the requirements for
the services Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance
and Strike (UCLASS) aircraft programme.
Its downgraded capabilities are bafing to current
and former defence ofcials alike, and many are ques-
tioning why the Pentagon would embark on such an
endeavour that does so little to address the fundamen-
tal challenges facing the eet.
As initially envisioned, UCLASS would have pro-
vided a credible solution to the anti-access/area denial
problems faced by the USNs carrier strike groups in
many parts of the world. The original concept called
for an ultra-stealthy, long-range unmanned bomber that
could y deep into the heart of enemy territory while
simultaneously allowing the aircraft carrier to remain
at a safe distance from retaliatory strikes.
Extreme range stand-off capability was considered a
vital attribute of the system because enemy anti-ship
ballistic and cruise missiles are posing an ever-increas-
ing threat to carriers. Meanwhile, highly stealthy char-
acteristics and a large weapons payload would allow
the aircraft to remain inside the toughest of enemy air
defences for an extended period.
However, the JROC, in a classied memo issued on
18 December last year, neutered the UCLASS. No long-
er would the aircraft have the ability to aerially refuel,
The suspicion lingers that
UCLASS is being set up
as a budgetary sacrice
which would extend its range. Nor would it be required
to operate in highly contested airspace. Its weapons
load has also been dramatically reduced to just 1,000lb
(454kg). In all, this capability erosion takes it to the
level of a modestly stealthy jet-powered Predator UAV.
As a result, many are openly questioning the point of
the programme especially in light of the Obama ad-
ministrations much-vaunted pivot to the Pacic. As
many analysts note, a low-stealth, low-endurance and
low-payload aircraft is virtually useless in that theatre.
Of course, just because the Pentagon set the speci-
cations for UCLASS does not mean it has a sound con-
cept of operations. And the suspicion lingers that it is
being set up as a budgetary sacrice.
If the programme is not being created simply to fail,
then its limited operational abilities the short range,
the low payload, the lack of stealth all appear to point
towards an aircraft that has been designed by commit-
tee. As it stands, the navy appears to be acquiring little
more than an off-white elephant. O
THIS WEEK
fightglobal.com 8
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feature and multimedia content visit
ightglobal.com/wotw
F
our months after a critical set-
back, AgustaWestland has re-
vived plans to build helicopters
in Brazil and is in discussions
with multiple local companies.
AgustaWestland chief execu-
tive Daniele Romiti conrms the
company remains open to restart-
ing talks with Embraer over local
manufacture of the AW189 and
AW169 for the Brazilian market.
We are open to accept any
proposal that may come, consid-
ering that we are pretty sure that
the new products we have in
mind, such as the AW189 and the
AW169, that are coming soon are
pretty good for the needs of the
Brazilian market, Romiti says.
It was Embraer who broke off
negotiations with AgustaWest-
land in April over forming such a
joint venture, Romiti says, amid a
developing acquisition scandal in
India that led to the arrest of
former Finmeccanica and Agus-
taWestland executives in Italy.
Embraer never explained its
reasons for abandoning the dis-
cussions, Romiti says, but he
speculates that the company was
busy at the time with its regional
jet business.
AgustaWestland, meanwhile,
continues to regard the Brazilian
market with great interest. An oil
and gas boom is expected to
ROTORCRAFT STEPHEN TRIMBLE SO PAULO
Romiti stays keen
on booming Brazil
AgustaWestland chief revives plans for assembly plant in
country to take advantage of booming helicopter market
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The AW189 is targeted at the offshore transportation sector
GOVERNMENT BIDS TO BLOCK US-AA MERGER
TIE-UP American Airlines proposed merger with US Airways has
been threatened by the US Department of Justice, which has submit-
ted a 56-page lawsuit aimed at blocking the tie-up. The unexpected
legal challenge alleges decreased competition and negative impact
on consumers, but also cites industry trends towards fare and fee
increases, and capacity discipline that would be compounded by a
merger. One example contained in the suit is an alleged desire by US
Airways to charge fees on checked bags across the Atlantic. Alone
the carrier is viewed as too small to be a price leader but, com-
bined with American, it would have suffcient size to lead industry
fee and price increases across the board. American and US Airways
plan to fght the challenge but the suit is likely to add months, and
additional costs, to the merger plan. The merger agreement expires
on 14 October but can be extended by either carrier to 13 December.
MBDA RATTLES SABER FOR UAV WEAPON
MUNITIONS MBDA is advancing fight trials involving its Saber glide
weapon, with the 5.9kg (13lb), Diamond Back wingkit-equipped
bomb to give small and medium unmanned air vehicles a 360 strike
capability. We are going to continue testing with a semi-active laser-
guided drop in the near future, Doug Denneny, vice-president, busi-
ness development, said at the AUVSI convention in Washington DC.
MBDA is promoting the self-funded Saber as a potential armament
for the AAI RQ-7 Shadow, fown by the US Army and US Marine Corps.
See Show Report P20
UPGRADED HERCULES RETURNS TO AUSTRIA
MODIFICATIONS Austrias air force has received its frst Lockheed
Martin C-130K tactical transport to have undergone an avionics
modernisation programme performed by Marshall Aerospace and
Defence of the UK. Austrias other two ex-UK Royal Air Force
Hercules will also receive the package of modifcations by early
2015, with the second due to enter work during September.
TURBO COMMANDER HITS CONNECTICUT HOUSE
ACCIDENT Four people were killed in the crash of a seven-seat
Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B in a residential area of New
Haven, Connecticut, on 9 August. The aircraft (N13622) was a
35-year-old model owned by Washington-based Ellumax Leasing,
according to the US Federal Aviation Administration.
LOSSES MOUNT AT GROUNDED KINGFISHER
FINANCE Indias Kingfsher Airlines has turned in a net loss of
Indian rupee (Rs) 11.5 billion ($189 million) for the frst quarter. Its
unaudited results for the three months to 30 June, do not list any
fgure for operational income. Owing to the temporary suspension
of its air operators permit, the company states, it did not have any
operations during the quarter. Kingfsher adds that it is exploring
various options to recapitalise and resume operations and, as a
result, has prepared its fnancial results on a going-concern basis.
But in a limited review report the companys chartered accountant
points out that the companys net worth is completely eroded, its
air operators permit has lapsed and banks have called in debts.
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL
SCHEDULE This weeks Flight International is effectively a double
issue as the magazine will not publish an edition on 27 August.
Weekly publication will resume as normal on 3 September.
BRIEFING
drive state-owned oil rm Petro-
bras to double its eet of helicop-
ters to more than 200 within the
next six years.
The Brazilian navy also has re-
quirements to buy training and
light utility helicopters, while na-
tional and state police agencies
need more helicopters to deal
with the security demands of the
2014 football World Cup and the
2016 Olympic Games.
Domestic sourcing is a key cri-
terion for winning orders in Brazil.
Petrobras is being required by the
government to commit to buying
ever-increasing levels of hardware
from local companies. The govern-
ment has also passed a law provid-
ing special tax incentives to de-
fence contractors with at least 60%
of shares owned by Brazilians.
AgustaWestland aims to estab-
lish a joint venture that meets
both the commercial and military
preferences for domestic sourc-
ing, Romiti says.
Unveiling a new AgustaWest-
land service centre in Brazil,
Romiti adds that the site could be
expanded to accommodate a nal
assembly line should the joint
venture be established. O
See Show Report P24
Catch up on all the latest news
from the global rotorcraft sector:
ightglobal.com/helicopters
THIS WEEK
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9 fightglobal.com
Third prototype of
Ka-62 is set to be
unveiled at MAKS
THIS WEEK P10
A
n EasyJet Airbus A320 sus-
tained cowling damage to one
of its engines shortly after take-off
from Milan Malpensa, forcing a
return to the airport.
The aircraft had been operating
ight 2715 to Lisbon on 12 Au-
gust when, according to the carri-
er, it suffered a technical issue
with one of its CFM International
CFM56 engines.
EasyJet says the aircraft landed
safely, using both engines.
None of the 174 passengers and
six crew was injured.
Italian investigation authority
ANSV says part of the left-hand
engine cowl detached on take-off
from runway 35R as the aircraft
departed at 18:16.
ANSV says the incident also
resulted in damage to the rear fu-
selage and rudder of the aircraft.
The twinjet ew a circuit and re-
turned to land on parallel run-
way 35L.
It has opened an inquiry into
the incident, identifying the air-
craft involved as a four-year old
jet registered G-EZTC.
Images purporting to show the
aircraft involved show cowl dam-
age to the left-hand engine, visu-
ally similar to that suffered by a
British Airways A319 in May. An
investigation into the BA incident
revealed that the cowls had been
left unlatched before departure.
ANSV has not drawn any im-
mediate conclusions about the
EasyJet event.
EasyJet is investigating the
technical issue and will work
alongside the relevant safety au-
thorities according to our proce-
dures. The safety of its passengers
and crew is EasyJets highest pri-
ority, says the carrier. O
I
nvestigators believe a UPS Air-
bus A300-600 freighter that
crashed on approach to Birming-
ham, Alabama, hit trees before
the jet struck the base of a hill.
Pilots of the aircraft, operating
from Louisville, had not issued a
distress call before the accident,
says the US National Transporta-
tion Safety Board.
Neither crew member survived
the crash, which occurred at
05:11 on 14 August about an
hour before dawn as the aircraft
was approaching runway 18.
Birmingham has two runways
of which 18/36 is the shorter. In-
vestigators have not indicated the
type of approach being conduct-
ed, but navigation aids include a
localiser and DME, as well as
PAPI approach lights. There are
several small hill peaks close to
the extended centreline.
NTSB board member Robert
Sumwalt says the twinjet (N155UP)
hit trees before crashing into the
bottom of a hill and breaking apart.
Debris then travelled up the
hill, with the forward fuselage
and cockpit section coming to
rest about 200m (660ft) from the
initial impact point, while the
wing and tail sections were some
75-80m past the cockpit.
The over-wing portion of the
aircraft was extensively dam-
aged by re, adds Sumwalt.
Visibility at the time of the in-
cident was 10nm (18.5km) and
there were scattered clouds at
10,000ft above the area.
The NTSB checked the crash
site to see if the aircraft was carry-
ing hazardous materials. Sumwalt
says the investigators have also
been verifying the condition of
the airports navigation aids.
Retrieval of the ight data and
cockpit-voice recorder was held
up as reghters dealt with the aft
fuselage and tail section which,
Sumwalt says, was still smoul-
dering nearly 12h after the crash.
Senior investigator Dan Bower
is heading the inquiry into the
loss of ight 1354, and will be
supported by specialists in air-
craft structures and systems,
powerplants, air trafc control
and human performance.
Airbus says the aircraft,
MSN841, was tted with Pratt &
Whitney PW4000 engines and
was delivered to UPS in 2003. It
had logged about 11,000h in
6,800 ights. O
S
panish low-cost carrier
Vueling will start taking de-
livery of new Airbus A320s from
2015, if a huge eet renewal deal
from parent IAG is approved.
IAG, which is placing orders
and options for up to 220 A320-
family jets, says the Vueling de-
liveries will continue to 2020.
Vueling will take 30 regular
A320s plus 32 re-engined A320neo
aircraft under the rm part of the
deal, which is yet to receive clear-
ance from IAG shareholders.
The provisional agreement also
includes 58 options for Vueling.
The airline already has 70 A320-
family jets in its eet.
IAG is to place options on 100
additional A320neo twinjets to be
distributed among its primary
carriers, British Airways and Ibe-
ria, as well as Vueling.
The company says it has nego-
tiated a very substantial dis-
count for the overall deal.
IAG shareholders will later this
year examine the agreement and
previous planned orders for Air-
bus A350s and Boeing 787s. O
INQUIRY JON HEMMERDINGER WASHINGTON DC
UPS A300F hit trees before
fatal crash at Birmingham
Pilots issued no distress call prior to accident that destroyed freighter on approach to runway
Airbus prepares for major Vueling deal
ORDERS DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Debris from the aircraft ended up far from the point of impact
Up to 220 A320-family jets are set to be delivered from 2015
INCIDENT
EasyJet A320
loses part of
cowl in Milan
[Italian authority]
ANSV says the
incident also resulted
in damage to the rear
fuselage and rudder
N
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THIS WEEK
fightglobal.com 10
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TRANSPORTS
First Turkish A400M gets airborne
Airbus Military performed a 5h 30min frst fight of an A400M tactical
transport for the Turkish air force on 9 August, with the milestone mov-
ing aircraft MSN9 closer to its planned delivery later this year. The frst
fight was conducted from the manufacturers San Pablo fnal assem-
bly site in Seville, Spain, where Ankaras frst pilots, loadmasters and
technicians are already receiving instruction on the type. Turkey is to
receive 10 A400Ms, with Airbus Military having previously outlined a
schedule to hand over its frst example in late September. The na-
tions air force will follow lead operator France in introducing the
European airlifter. Airbus Militarys fight test campaign for the A400M
currently involves a fresh series of unpaved runway trials, using devel-
opment aircraft Grizzly 2 at an airfeld near Zaragoza, Spain.
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yanair has gone on the offen-
sive over social media sites
used by pilot groups that it claims
misuse its intellectual property.
The Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG)
which bills itself as having been
created by pilots for pilots says
it has started a new Facebook page
since its original account was
closed by the rm, which cited
complaints the RPG was misusing
Ryanair intellectual property.
RPG tells Flight International
it has asked Facebook to clarify
the reasons for taking the site
down, as it has yet to receive a
precise explanation.
Meanwhile, RPGs Twitter ac-
count has also been restarted after
the group agreed to add a state-
ment saying that it has no formal
connections with Ryanair, which
does not recognise a pilot union
or negotiating body.
Ryanair says: We are currently
applying to obtain all Ryanair
pages on all relevant social media
outlets in order to prevent internet
trolls masquerading as Ryanair.
We dont comment on the
Non-Ryanair Pilots Group, which
is a PR front for the pilot unions
of competitor airlines.
Meanwhile, Irelands aviation
regulator has sharply criticised a
documentary on British televi-
sion that made a number of alle-
gations about Ryanair.
The programme, aired on 12
August, was a misguided attack
on the regulation of a low-cost
carrier, says the Irish Aviation
Authority. Information used in
the Channel 4 programme may
undermine the travelling publics
condence in civil air transport
in Europe, which, because of the
intensive regulatory regime, re-
mains the safest mode of mass
transport, adds the agency.
Ryanair is now planning legal
action against the broadcaster. O
EMPLOYMENT DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON
Pilot groups on Facebook
rouse Ryanair to reaction
R
ussian Helicopters will unveil
at Septembers MAKS show
its third prototype of the medium
multi-role Kamov Ka-62, which
will enter static trials immediately
afterwards in preparation for a rst
ight in October-November. The
airframer had previously suggest-
ed the 6.5t helicopter would make
its maiden sortie at the Moscow
exhibition.
Prototype four, which will be
identical to the serial production
version and indistinguishable
from number three bar extended
windows, will y from January.
The Ka-62 programme is a top
priority for Russian Helicopters,
which is contracted to begin de-
liveries of seven aircraft to Atlas
Txi Areo, of Brazil, from 2015.
Speaking at his Moscow head
ofce, Russian Helicopters chief
executive DmitryPetrov is enthu-
siastic about Brazil, a fast-grow-
ing helicopter market where he
believes the companys models
may prove more attractive than
their Western analogues owing
to designs and systems more tol-
erant of harsh environments.
The Atlas Txi deal is spear-
heading a Latin America strategy
that will see a service centre set
up on the ground, followed by a
nal assembly plant. Petrov says
several models including Ka-62
are being considered for nal as-
sembly in Brazil; he gives no
timetable, but expects to detail
the project by year-end.
Meanwhile Russian Helicop-
ters and AgustaWestland are set to
formally kick off their bid to joint-
ly produce a 2.5t-class rotorcraft,
with an agreement on the main
principles and development plan
outline to be signed at MAKS.
Petrov adds that a nal project
management and workshare deal
would be signed off by year-end,
with EASA certication targeted
for the nal quarter of 2016. A
joint group focused on the project
has been at work since June 2012,
and has produced a mock-up.
The two partners already have a
50:50 joint venture, HeliVert,
which assembles intermediate
twin AW139s for the Russian and
CIS markets at a 40,000m
(430,000ft) site at Tomilino, near
Moscow. However, the pair have
yet to reveal where they will build
the proposed 2.5t type. O
See Feature P31
DEVELOPMENT DAN THISDELL MOSCOW
Third prototype of
Ka-62 is set to be
unveiled at MAKS
Russian Helicopters targets Latin America with new Kamov
type as it plans Brazilian assembly line for rotorcraft range
The medium twin is set for first flight in October or November
R
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11 fightglobal.com
A321 crew mistook
runway amid
landing-gear concerns
AIR TRANSPORT P12
T
he US Navy and Northrop
Grumman have started testing
the MQ-4C Triton in earnest, with
the aircraft due to have performed
its fourth ight on 14 August.
Planned to last for 11h and to
clear 250 test points, the sortie
would require multiple crew
changes, says US Naval Air Sys-
tems Command (NAVAIR) pro-
gramme manager Capt Jim Hoke.
Software development is pro-
ceeding well, says Hoke, and the
Tritons 360 active electronically
scanned array search radar has
cleared 25 ights on board a Gulf-
stream business jet.
However, the USN has halted
the development of the MQ-4Cs
ITT Exelis sense and avoid radar
system, which had fallen behind
schedule and risen over budget.
It remains a requirement to the
navy and to our programme, but
we need to take a hard look at the
path going forward based on
where we are from the technology
perspective, Hoke says.
We just have to make sure its
the right system, its an affordable
system and that its going to take
care of the things that we need it
to take care of. We have not an-
swered all those questions yet.
Hoke says all options are on
the table, and that potentially the
E
urocontrols ranking of the
ve key risks in air trafc
management shows that go-
arounds and missed approaches
are the most common incidents.
Airborne collision avoid system
(ACAS) resolution advisories are
in second place on the list.
The agency says more airlines
and air navigation service provid-
ers (ANSPs) are contributing to
its ATM incident reporting pro-
gramme, improving its ability to
identify risk.
About 160 airlines contribute, a
representing about 70% of Eu-
ropes air trafc, says Eurocontrol.
Data is also submitted by
ANSPs and collected automati-
cally from radar stations.
A data breakdown for 2008-
2012 shows that go-arounds/
missed approaches increased to
more than once in every 10,000
ights in 2010 and 2011, while
ACAS resolution advisory inci-
dents occur at a rate of about 0.7
events in every 10,000 ights.
Level-busts are next in the rank-
ing, with about 0.2 per 10,000, fol-
lowed by callsign confusion events
and nally runway incursions.
The last of these is rare, at 0.05
events per 10,000 movements,
but the potentially catastrophic
outcome of incursion means it is
still taken seriously. O
The US Navy may eventually acquire as many as 68 of the type
Data has been collected from about 70% of Europes carriers
For all the news from this years
AUVSI show in Washington, visit
ightglobal.com/auvsi
David Learmount writes about
safety on his eponymous blog:
ightglobal.com/learmount
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC
MQ-4C Triton team ramps up testing
Development progresses despite call for rethink of Exelis sense and avoid radar system after delays and budget overruns
The US Navy expects to announce a
name and designation for the un-
manned carrier-launched surveil-
lance and strike (UCLASS) aircraft
before the end of this fscal year,
with a draft request for proposals
(RFP) also to be released in
September.
A fnal RFP will be released in the
second quarter of 2014, and the
USN hopes to select an air vehicle
segment by the frst quarter of
2015, says Rear Adm Mat Winter,
US Naval Air Systems Command
(NAVAIR) programme executive of-
fcer for unmanned aircraft.
Once the contractor has been se-
lected, it will take between three and
six years to get the UCLASS to early
operational capability, Winter says.
Similarly, while it has a require-
ment for a certain number of orbits, it
will depend on the specifc capabili-
ties of whichever air vehicle is chosen
as to exactly how many airframes the
navy will purchase, he says.
The command and control seg-
ment and the digitisation of the car-
rier will be led by the government
itself, with NAVAIR to act as the lead
systems integrator for the overall
UCLASS programme.
Is it a challenging task? Absolutely,
Winter says. Is it one that we can do?
The answer is yes. O
See Defence P17
CONTEST
NAVAIR sets out schedule for UCLASS programme
entire effort could be recompleted
from scratch.
If everything goes as planned,
the Pentagon will take a produc-
tion decision for the MQ-4C in
the second quarter of 2015, Hoke
says, with the system expected to
become operational in 2017.
In a separate development,
Northrops MQ-8B Firescout has
completed 11 of 12 launches of
the BAE Systems Advanced Pre-
cision Kill Weapon System, with
a preliminary assessment show-
ing positive results, says NAV-
AIR programme manager Capt
Pat Smith.
The lightweight weapon could
also be added to the C-model
Firescout derived from the Bell
407 after 2016. O
See Show Report P20
Eurocontrol quantifes top-fve air traffc dangers
SAFETY DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com 12
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Check out our collection of online dynamic
aircraft profles for the latest news, images
and information on civil and military
programmes at ightglobal.com/proles
K
orean investigators believe
the crew of an Airbus A321
were distracted by a perceived
landing-gear problem before the
aircraft landed on the wrong run-
way at Busans Gimhae airport.
Operated by Air Busan, ight
BX8108 had been cleared to per-
form a circling approach to run-
way 18R, following its service
from Jeju on 8 May 2012.
This approach required align-
ing with the localiser for the op-
posite-direction runway 36L,
then breaking off to the west and
making a 180 right turn to land.
Gimhaes parallel runways are
separated by just 210m (690ft).
The crew of the aircraft
(HL7761) received a landing-gear
control interface unit fault indica-
tion just above 11,000ft (3,350m),
about 20min from landing.
Although the pilots carried out
the necessary checklist procedures,
the Korean accident investigation
board ARAIB says they had con-
tinuing doubt about the situation.
Gimhae tower instructed the
aircraft to make the circling ap-
proach to runway 18R, and the
aircraft entered the circling turn
at about 1,300ft.
The tower controller could not
see the A321, and told the crew to
check wheels down, before
clearing it to land on 18R. The
aircraft descended continually
but, upon exiting the turn, lined
up with runway 18L.
In its analysis of the event the
ARAIB mentions the phenome-
non of tunnel vision. The pilots
did not distinguish the correct
runway and landed on 18L. The
ARAIB says the monitoring pilot
did not maintain an adequate
check on the aircrafts ight path.
Surface detection radar surveil-
lance showed two vehicles at the
far end of the runway at the time. O
G
erman investigators have
opened an inquiry after a 9
August re destroyed an An-
tonov An-12 freighter at Leipzig-
Halle airport.
Images show that the four-en-
gined transports fuselage was
completely gutted. The aircraft
had been loaded with chickens.
The re closed the airport for
around 50min from 02:08, the air-
ports operator says, as emergency
services including 15 large

re-response vehicles and 60
personnel attended the scene.
German investigation authority
BFU says the aircraft was
Ukrainian-registered, but under
local laws it is unable to release
any operator or airframe identi-
cation data. However, Kiev-
based media identies the
Antonov as belonging to Ukraine
Air Alliance Airlines.
Initial indications, BFU says,
suggest the incident occurred as
the aircraft was being prepared
for departure, but its planned
route has yet to be conrmed.
Seven crew members were on
board, but they all managed to
escape the re. O
INCIDENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
A321 crew mistook runway
amid landing-gear concerns
Inquiry fnds monitoring Air Busan pilot failed to maintain adequate check on fight path
Investigators cite the phenomenon of tunnel vision in their analysis of events
SAFETY
Anti-stall system
comes to aid of
Air France A320
R
ussias government is
amending some of its regula-
tions covering lease subsidies to
carriers operating specic sizes
of regional aircraft.
The government says the
changes are intended to create
favourable conditions for air-
lines to renew their eets and en-
courage the acquisition of more
efcient types.
It states that support will be
given for all aircraft up to 50 seats
and turboprops up to 78 seats, as
well as Russian-registered jets
with 75-103 seats.
Several operators in Siberia
and eastern parts of Russia need
regional aircraft to cover the large
distances between cities.
The government says there is
demand in this area for 80 jets
over the period to 2020 types
which include the locally-built
Sukhoi Superjet 100 and An-
tonov An-148. O
F
rench investigators have pro-
vided details of an incident
involving an Air France Airbus
A320 on which the stall-protec-
tion system activated on ap-
proach to Bordeaux.
The aircraft (F-HBNI) entered a
hailstorm at a height of 3,000ft
(915m) as it descended towards
the airport, following a service
from Paris Orly on 2 August.
French investigation authority
BEA says the rst ofcers wind-
shield cracked.
As the A320 passed through
2,800ft, with its autopilot en-
gaged, the aircraft pitched up to
an attitude of 25.
The crew set the thrust levers
to go-around power.
The A320s normal ight-con-
trol law provides angle-of-attack
protection known as alpha
oor above a certain threshold.
BEA says this protection acti-
vated and engaged the TOGA
LOCK mode, which maintains
go-around power after the imme-
diate stall threat has been averted.
The pilots subsequently dis-
engaged this mode and landed
successfully at Bordeaux.
Meteorological data from Bor-
deaux airport from around the
time of the incident shows the
presence of thunderstorms and
heavy rain. O
REGULATORY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Moscow changes rules
to boost feet renewals
INVESTIGATION
Freighter blaze prompts probe
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Take a look at the Learmount
blog for analysis of safety news:
ightglobal.com/learmount
AIR TRANSPORT
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13 fightglobal.com
LOT keeps
chasing 787
compensation
AIR TRANSPORT P14
reduced to 3%. Neither pilot
mentioned the declining airspeed
as the autopilot gradually pitched
the aircraft nose-up in order to
maintain 2,000ft.
The aircraft was 6.5nm (12km)
from the runway when a stall
alarm sounded and the stick-
shaker activated.
It had pitched up to an angle of
attack of 11.2 and its airspeed
had fallen to 111kt.
To recover from the near-stall
the captain pitched the aircraft
down and pushed the throttles
almost to full power. As the ATR
descended, and then climbed, the
airspeed which had declined to
104kt rose to 174kt, exceeding
the limit for the ap setting.
During the renewed descent to
Glasgow the airspeed again re-
duced to 111kt and the angle of
attack verged on the stall alert
threshold, before the aircraft
subsequently landed without
further incident.
The Air Accidents Investiga-
tion Branch says the captain had
been performing his rst night-
ying duty following a period of
normal night sleep, and the
incident occurred nearly 24h
after the end of his last proper
sleep. He had also driven 2h
45min to his base before ying
duty, it adds: Consequently,
knowingly or not, he may have
been tired or fatigued.
Cockpit voice recorder data
revealed the captain yawning
during the ight, as well as dur-
ing the previous Paris-Newcastle
sector. Standard calls and re-
sponses were not always correct-
ly performed and a sterile cockpit
environment was not maintained
below 10,000ft.
In its analysis of the 22
February 2012 ight, the AAIB
also notes that the captains
manner during his responses to
the rst ofcers monitoring calls
was likely to have discouraged
further input at a point when
effective communication was
necessary. O
SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Fatigue cited in freighters near-stall
UK investigators believe tiredness may have contributed to incident involving ATR 42-300 on approach to Glasgow
U
K investigators looking into
the near-stall of an ATR 42-300
on approach to Glasgow believe
that fatigue might have played
a role.
As the Air Contractors freighter
(EI-FXA) was vectored for the
runway 23 approach, it was
operating with a level of ice
protection which required higher
speeds because the stall alert
threshold was lower. With the ice
protection engaged the approach
speed required was 114kt
(211km/h). The captain did not
state whether this speed, or the
non-icing speed of 99kt, would
be used for the approach.
The inquiry says several items
were omitted from the Glasgow
approach brieng, and that the
captain was not operating the
aircraft in line with company
procedures.
During the approach the ATR
ying at around 140kt, with
aps at 15 levelled at 2,000ft
(610m) and the engine torque was
Brazilian investigators are probing
an incident in which the pilots of an
ATR 72-500 turned off both engines
in fight after experiencing vibrations.
The incident has been disclosed
by French investigation authority
BEA, and involved a service in the
vicinity of Salvador airport on 26
July. BEA identifes the aircraft as
being registered PP-PTU, an airframe
in the Trip feet before the carrier
merged with Azul.
During cruise fight the aircraft
[experienced] a strong vibration in
the engines, says BEA, citing pre-
liminary information from the
Brazilian authorities. The crew de-
cided to cut off both engines to re-
gain control of the aircraft.
ATR 72s are ftted with Pratt &
Whitney Canada PW127 engines.
BEA has not clarifed whether the
engines were turned off simultane-
ously. However, the authority says
the action was voluntary, and was
followed by the re-ignition of both
engines, before the crew return[ed]
to normal operations. BEA says the
pilots declared an emergency and
landed without further incident at
Salvador. There were 62 occupants
on board the aircraft. O
INQUIRY
Brazil probes in-ight engine switch-off
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Keep up with safety issues in
aviation online by logging on to
ightglobal.com/safety
The aircraft was
operating with a
level of ice protection
which required
higher speeds
The cargo aircraft
landed safely
following the issue
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com 14
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A
lthough Boeing executives
have declared the issue be-
hind them, Polands LOT is still
pursuing compensation claims
over the four-month 787 ground-
ing earlier this year.
The airline appears to be using
diplomatic channels to keep pres-
sure on the US manufacturer.
In a 7 August meeting, Polands
Treasury Minister Vladimir
Karpinski raised the issue of
LOTs claim for compensation
from Boeing with US Ambassa-
dor to Poland Stephen Mull, the
ministry says.
The US ambassador said that
this issue is the subject of talks
between the two companies, and
hopes that it will result [in] a
proposed solution acceptable to
FINANCIAL STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC
LOT keeps chasing 787 compensation
Boeing claims of fulflled obligations at odds with Polish diplomatic demands for remuneration after four-month grounding
Speaking on a second-quarter
earnings call, Smith said the air-
framer had satised all obligations
to 787 customers created by the
battery-induced grounding and
halt of new aircraft deliveries.
SAFETY GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE
Crossed wires prompt ANA extinguisher inspection
All Nippon Airlines (ANA) and Japan
Airlines (JAL) have inspected wiring
related to engine fre extinguishers
on their Boeing 787-8s, after a fault
was discovered on an ANA aircraft.
The problem was discovered during
a pre-fight check aboard a 787
(JA813A) as it was preparing to depart
on a Tokyo Haneda-Frankfurt service
on 14 August, the carrier says.
The pilot observed an error
message associated with a fre ex-
tinguisher located in one of the
Dreamliners Rolls-Royce Trent 1000
engines. Inspections by ground crew
revealed a wiring error, in which the
extinguisher controls for the left and
right engines were crossed.
In the event the fightcrew needed
to tackle a fre in one engine, the
crossed wires would have caused the
extinguisher in the other powerplant
to activate. ANA rectifed the fault,
but the fight was delayed nearly 2h.
Learning of the ANA issue, JAL
decided to recall a 787 that had al-
ready departed on a Tokyo Narita-
Helsinki service back to the airport
for a check, it says.
ANA conducted a check of its re-
maining 19 Dreamliners, and found
the same problem replicated on two
more aircraft. O
Asked if any further compen-
sation demands were pending,
Smith replied: We think they are
all behind us now.
The 787 was grounded for four
months until Boeing devised an
improved battery enclosure that
would prevent the onboard lithi-
um-ion batteries from overheat-
ing and generating smoke, toxic
fumes or re.
The grounding order in mid-
January caught LOT at a difcult
time. The order by the US Fed-
eral Aviation Administration
was issued as LOT was conduct-
ing the inaugural ight of a 787
route between Warsaw, Poland,
and Chicago-OHare. O
View the full history of problems
that have afficted the 787 at
ightglobal.com/787woes
Lion Air considers N219 as it eyes expanded reach
TURBOPROPS FIRDAUS HASHIM SINGAPORE
I
ndonesias Lion Air has con-
rmed its interest in acquiring up
to 50 Indonesian Aerospace N219
19-seat turboprops, as it looks to
expand its reach to new airports.
The carrier says an aircraft of
the N219s size would allow it to
serve as many as 200 additional
airports across Indonesia, partic-
ularly in the east of the country.
Lion indicated it would look to
acquire around 50 of the type, al-
though any order is still a matter
for negotiations.
Production of the aircraft has
yet to commence, but Indonesian
Aerospace has previously indi-
cated it will assemble four ight-
and static-test airframes in 2014.
Other Indonesian carriers in-
cluding Nusantara Buana Air and
Merpati have already indicated
their interest in the new type, with
the former provisionally ordering
20 aircraft in February 2012.
The N219 is based on the EADS
Casa C212, which Indonesian
Aerospace produces under licence
as the NC212, and is operated by
carriers including Merpati. O The NC212 has found favour with Indonesian carriers
The Polish carrier has so far taken delivery of four Rolls-Royce-powered Dreamliners
both parties, it adds.
The disclosure that LOT is con-
tinuing to pursue the claim con-
icts with statements by Boeing
chief nancial ofcer Greg Smith
last month.
B
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The O400 NextGen gives airIines the Iow operating costs
and superior performance they need to increase productivity.
Th Bombaroior O4OO NoxtGon has provn that it is possibl or an airlin to grow thir businss in tooay's
conomy. Th O4OO NoxtGon aircrat provios airlins with th suprior proouctivity, comort ano oprating
conomics thy no to incras thir capacity ano cincy. Th O4OO NoxtGon aircrat is on o th most
tchnologically aovanco rgional aircrat in th worlo. lt has an nhanco cabin, low oprating costs, low ul
burn ano low missions - provioing an ioal balanc o passngr comort ano oprating conomics, with a
rouco nvironmntal scorcaro. Vlcom to th O conomy.
Bombardier, NextGen, Q400 and The Evolution of Mobility are Trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. 2013 Bombardier Inc. All rights reserved.
AIR TRANSPORT
fightglobal.com 16
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G
erman maintenance, repair
and overhaul provider
Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is plan-
ning to improve the speed and ef-
ciency of engine-wash processes
by using dry ice instead of water,
following the conclusion of a
four-year research project.
Turbofan engines can be
cleaned on-wing to improve com-
pressor efciency and reduce fuel
consumption and emissions. Nor-
mally water is sprayed into the
inner fan area while the engine
spools up using bleed air. The con-
taminated water is then collected
from the engine exhaust stream.
But LHT says by utilising solid
CO2 pellets instead of water the
time taken to complete the proc-
ess is signicantly reduced, as is
water consumption.
The revised procedure also per-
mits engine washing in winter.
This is usually restricted when air
temperatures drop below 5C
(41F), to avoid residual water
freezing inside the engine core.
However, this is not an issue with
the 3x6mm CO2 pellets, which re-
turn to a gaseous state at -78.5C
and leave no residue.
LHT says some contamination
on blades and vanes is mechani-
cally removed due to the pellets
kinetic energy. But the subzero
temperature of the CO2 also makes
dirt brittle, aiding its removal with-
out affecting component surfaces.
LHT claims the new method
halves wash times compared
with its water-based Cyclean pro-
cedure, and cuts them by up to
90% versus similar processes
used by engine manufacturers.
This enables more frequent
cleaning of engines, and also cov-
ers medium-range aircraft with
shorter on-ground times, it says.
Despite the advantages offered
by the dry ice, LHT will initially
continue to use water for the ma-
jority of engines washes, only uti-
lising the CO2 during the winter
months and in cold regions.
Its engineers developed the dry
ice-based technique via a joint re-
search project running since 2009,
in conjunction with Darmstadt
University and Frankfurt-based air
equipment specialist Pneumo.
The project supported with
German government funding has
now been concluded, with patents
registered in Europe and the USA.
LHT is now planning a follow-
up project to assess the potential
for other media to be employed in
the engine wash process. O
C
hina has set itself a 10-year
target to complete the devel-
opment of an indigenously pro-
duced turbofan engine.
Zhang Yanzhong, chairman of
an advisory committee on the
Comac C919 aircraft programme,
says the nation has identied jet
engine development as one of its
key priorities.
This project is signicant for
the development of Chinas avia-
tion industry, says Zhang.
He adds: Currently, Chinese-
made aircraft are all using for-
eign engines. For a period of time
it will be hard for a domestic en-
gine to achieve international
standards this is a reality we
have to face.
Zhang says Chinas aviation in-
dustry has a weak foundation be-
cause it lacks resources, infra-
structure and experience.
Last year, China said it planned
to invest CNY10 billion ($1.63
billion) into research and devel-
opment for commercial aircraft
engines, to allow it to reach a sim-
ilar production standard as its
Western rivals, and cut reliance
on foreign suppliers.
The programme will be under-
taken by state-owned aircraft
manufacturer AVICs Aviation
Engine Holding subsidiary. O
M
otor Sich is to produce a
new derivative of its D-27
engine the D-727 to power the
freighter variant of the Antonov
An-70 transport.
The Ukrainian engine makers
president Vyacheslav Boguslayev
revealed the plan during a brief-
ing in Zaporozhye.
Powered by four Ivchenko-
Progress D-17 propfan engines, the
An-70 was developed as replace-
ment for the An-12 airlifter. Russia
intends to acquire several dozen of
the aircraft as part of its long-term
national rearmament programme.
Last year, the Ukrainian and
Russian governments tentatively
assessed the KAPO plant in
Kazan for An-70 assembly.
However, Boguslayev says the
process of carrying out this
project has slowed down: One of
the ways to spur it on is to work
out a commercial application for
the An-70. To this end, well pro-
duce D-727 engines tted with
fan cowlings.
Antonov chief designer Dmitry
Kiva says modication work on
the An-70 will take less than a year.
He and Boguslayev believe that,
given the types technical charac-
teristics, its freighter variant might
be attractive for the long-haul,
high-capacity cargo market. O
MAINTENANCE MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
Dry ice allows LHT
to cut wet washes
MRO provider to use CO
2
pellets in winter and cold areas
as research project shows lower risk of ice accumulation
The new process also reduces the time taken for engine cleaning
Antonov is seeking commercial applications for the airlifter
PROPULSION TOM ZAITSEV MOSCOW
An-70 freighter plans are
spurred by new propfans
STRATEGY MAVIS TOH SINGAPORE
Beijing eyes indigenous engine
Sign up to Flightglobal Pro for
global MRO news and data at
ightglobal.com/mro
L
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DEFENCE
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17 fightglobal.com
Rostvertol takes
Mi-28UB combat
trainer for a spin
DEFENCE P18
C
oncerns have been raised that
the capabilities of the US Na-
vys proposed unmanned carrier-
launched surveillance and strike
(UCLASS) aircraft have been so
watered down from the original
concept that the programme could
be vulnerable to cancellation by a
cash-strapped Pentagon.
The less-survivable, less-en-
durance approach, although
cheaper, is, to me, not transforma-
tional, says retired chief of naval
operations Adm Gary Roughead.
The original unmanned combat
air system (UCAS) concept had
called for a stealthy, long-range
bomber that could take off from an
aircraft carrier with a hefty pay-
load and be refuelled in-ight.
The idea [of] a long-dwell, long-
range, refuellable, survivable UAV
coming off a carrier was extremely
important, Roughead says.
By contrast, the navys current
vision modied by the Joint Re-
quirements Oversight Council
during a meeting last December
is for a modestly stealthy UCLASS
that emphasises intelligence, sur-
veillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) missions own over lightly
contested airspace, and with a
light secondary strike mission. Ac-
cording to the Department of De-
fense, the revised requirements
were considered within the
broader unmanned aircraft portfo-
lio, and included an assessment of
the platforms performance, capa-
bility, survivability and basing.
According to the ofce of the
Chief of Naval Operations, the
requirements were written to ll
a long-standing gap in persistent,
sea-based ISR and a review of the
overall UAS portfolio.
Key changes will affect the air-
crafts stealth requirements, while
its payload capacity has also been
sharply reduced, narrowing its
ability to penetrate into the dense
anti-access/area-denial environ-
ments in which the navy might
have to operate in the future.
The reduced scope of the activi-
ty means many are questioning the
necessity of the programme at all,
and there are some within the navy
who believe UCLASS could be of-
fered as a sacrice as the Pentagon
copes with a reduced budget.
Roughead says the original con-
cept was to evolve the Northrop
Grumman X-47B UCAS-demon-
strator aircraft into an operational
machine, adding aerial refuelling
as part of an evolutionary process.
The US Naval Air Systems
Command says aerial refuelling
capability might be added as a fu-
ture goal, pending early opera-
tional capability performance and
eet feedback, but that it will not
be required initially.
I would like to see us evolve
into something that has greater
capability, Roughead says.
Everyone seems to be in agree-
ment with the direction the pro-
gramme is heading, which should
put an affordable, capable platform
on carrier ightdecks that will ex-
pand the navys ability to project
power within the full joint portfo-
lio of unmanned systems, a senior
military ofcial counters. Failing
to have made the necessary trade-
offs would have measurably limit-
ed UCLASS capacity in a number
of critical mission areas. O
MODIFICATIONS
New-look Super Hornet shapes up
Boeing has fown a US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet equipped with
conformal fuel tanks and a weapons pod for the frst time, from
Saint Louis, Missouri. The hardware installed on the aircraft is not
functional, but is designed to test the aerodynamic qualities of the
enhancements. Some advanced low-observable treatments are also
expected to be tested on the aircraft, which is being leased by the
company for the trials. Boeing has proposed the modifcations as
part of its international roadmap for the Super Hornet.
B
o
e
in
g
S
outh Korea plans to acquire
four in-ight refuelling air-
craft for induction into its air force
by 2017, with the value of the
programme expected to exceed
W1 trillion ($900 million).
Bidding will commence in
February 2015, with a contractor
scheduled to be selected by
Seouls Defense Acquisition Pro-
gram Administration by October
the same year, according a report
carried by the ofcial news agen-
cy Yonhap.
The primary candidates for
the requirement are likely to be
the Airbus Military A330 multi-
role tanker transport and the
Boeing KC-46.
Despite having an active eet
of more than 400 combat aircraft,
South Koreas air force currently
has no air-to-air refuelling capa-
bility. According to the report,
the introduction of tanker air-
craft would allow the nations
ghters to spend more time oper-
ating over a series of small is-
lands in the Sea of Japan that are
the source of a territorial dispute
with Tokyo. O
PROCUREMENT
Seoul seeks tankers to
close its capability gap
DEVELOPMENT DAVE MAJUMDAR WASHINGTON DC
USN clips wings of UCLASS concept
Dilution of requirements prompts fears programme could be cut as retired admiral savages stealth and endurance reductions
The X-47B is the precursor to an operational UCAS
U
S

N
a
v
y
Read more about unmanned air
vehicles and their development:
ightglobal.com/uav
Follow the latest military feet
news from across the world at
ightglobal.com/defence
DEFENCE
fightglobal.com 18
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For free access to Flightglobals Defence
e-newsletter visit ightglobal.com/
defencenewsletter
A
US Air Force Accident Inves-
tigation Board (AIB) has con-
cluded that an internal re caused
by electrical arcing due to a chafed
wire led to the loss of a Lockheed
Martin F-22A Raptor at Tyndall
AFB, Florida, during a training
ight on 15 November 2012.
According to the report, a chafed
positive generator-feeder wire
arced and burned through an adja-
cent hydraulic line, which in turn
caused the generator to go ofine.
When the [pilot] attempted to
restart the generator, the ensuing
arc ignited the misting hydraulic
uid and started a re in the left
airframe-mounted accessory drive
bay, it says. The re compro-
mised critical electrical and hy-
draulic systems that control the
F-22A ight control surfaces, and
led to an unrecoverable situation.
The AIB also found that weath-
er contributed to the loss, as cloud
cover did not allow for the ghters
pilot to y a visual trafc pattern.
The pilot ejected safely, before the
aircraft crashed about 0.2nm
(0.4km) east of the unmanned air
vehicle runway at Tyndall.
The pilot survived the inci-
dent, but his aircraft tail number
00-4013 was a complete loss.
The total cost was just under $150
million, the AIB says. The USAF
now possesses 184 production
Raptors and two test airframes. O
INVESTIGATION
Chafed wiring
downed Tyndall
F-22, says USAF
R
ussias Rostvertol has per-
formed the rst ight of a
dedicated trainer version of the
Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter, with
the UB-model aircraft due to be
exhibited for the rst time in the
static display at this months
MAKS Moscow air show.
Flown at the companys Rostov-
on-Don site on 9 August, the new
development features a dual con-
trol system that can be used in
Mi-28NE pilot training, while at
the same time retaining all the
functionality of an attack helicop-
ter, says Russian Helicopters.
Beyond the integration of a dual
hydromechanical ight control
system, the UB model differs from
previous Mi-28s by having had the
size of its instructor cockpit and
canopy increased. Crashworthy
seats have also been installed as
part of the project.
The new Mi-28UB will im-
prove signicantly and render
more effective training of pilots of
Mi-28NE Night Hunter helicopters,
which are supplied to the Russian
air force, the company says. Mos-
cow is understood to have signed a
letter of intent for the possible ac-
quisition of between 40 and 60 ex-
amples to equip its units, with
deliveries expected to be made be-
tween late 2014 and 2020. The new
variant also will be offered to po-
tential export users.
Flightglobals Ascend Online
Fleets database records the Rus-
sian air force as having a current
active inventory of 63 Mi-28s,
with a further 34 on rm order.
Kenya is now ying four examples
from a 16-unit order, while Iraq
has ordered an initial 12 examples
from a planned 40-aircraft acquisi-
tion. Ascend also lists letters of
intent as having been signed by
Algeria and Venezuela, for 42 and
10 of the aircraft, respectively. O
DEVELOPMENT CRAIG HOYLE LONDON
Rostvertol takes Mi-28UB
combat trainer for a spin
Variant offering dual fight controls and larger instructor cockpit set for display at MAKS show
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P UTT I NG
WHAT
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WANTE D
,

P R E C I S E LY
WH E R E
I T
,
S NE E DE D
Fighting a battle, preventing a war or bringing relief.
Your kit has to come a long way, fast, and you want
it precisely where you need it. Even if your only runway
is short and unpaved. That's when you need the
A400M. And it's a tanker for helicopters, fighters
and transports. A400M - challenging old standards.
S E LF -P RO P E LLE D H O WI TZ E RS
H E AVY AR MO U R E D VE H I C LES
H E AVY H E LI C O PTE RS
H E AVY E N G I N E E R I N G VE H I C LES
L I G H T VE H I C LES
T R O O PS
PA R AT R O O PS
PA L LE TS AN D C O NTAI N E RS
M E D I C AL E VAC U AT I O N
M E D I C AL S U P PL I E S
AI R TO AI R R E F U E LLI N G airbusmilitary.com
SHOW
REPORT
fightglobal.com 20
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feature and multi-media content visit
ightglobal.com/wotw
Held in Washington DC between 12 and 15 August, the
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Interna-
tionals annual exposition and convention attracted an
estimated 8,000 visitors from more than 40 countries
interested in autonomous and robotic technologies.
Among the hot topics on the show foor were the effects
of budgetary constraints imposed by Congressional
sequestration, and an ongoing effort to ease the
integration of unmanned air vehicles into US airspace.
Report by Craig Hoyle, Kristin Majcher, Dave Majumdar
and Zach Rosenberg. Pictures by BillyPix
AUVSI 2013
I
ndividual privacy concerns
about unmanned air systems
were in the spotlight, as the Aero-
space States Association (ASA)
unveiled a list of preliminary
considerations for states working
through legislation on imple-
menting their use.
Last year, when Congress
mandated that the Federal Avia-
tion Administration create a plan
to integrate UAS in the national
airspace. I dont think anyone an-
ticipated that their progress could
be so long delayed by widespread
concern over privacy rights, says
Alaskas Lt Governor Mead Tread-
well, ASA chairman.
The associations list includes
six points for states to consider
when implementing UAS.
Among them is the consideration
to require warrants for individual
surveillance when a person is tar-
geted in advance without permis-
sion. The ASA also asks states to
consider prohibiting the use of
data captured from surveillance
without warrants for other pur-
poses, and to consider prohibit-
ing UAS from carrying weapons
in commercial airspace.
Treadwell points out the bene-
ts of UAS for applications such
as agriculture and search and res-
cue missions, and says that the
recommendations are designed to
give informed, thoughtful and
balanced references to states as
they implement new laws.
The paper, I believe, strikes a
ne balance between protecting
individual privacy rights as guar-
anteed by the Fourth Amend-
ment, and exploiting the signi-
cant economic and humanitarian
benets of UAS technology,
says Treadwell.
Four US states have imple-
mented legislation on UAS inte-
gration so far, while it remains
pending in 35 more. O
T
itan Aerospace has revealed
plans to y its Solara 50 and
Solara 60 high-altitude, solar-
powered unmanned air vehicles,
which the company describes as
atmospheric satellites.
The aircraft are designed to be
own to an altitude of 65,000ft
(19,800m), where they will be sus-
tained by a 50m or 60m wingspan
and a single large battery-powered
propeller, driven by energy gath-
ered by thousands of high-ef-
ciency solar cells placed on virtu-
ally every possible surface.
Each Solara air vehicle will be
launched using a catapult and
cruise at 65,000ft at a maximum
speed of around 52kt (97km/h),
carrying a 31.8kg (70lb) payload
for potentially up to ve years,
before landing gently on its Kev-
lar-coated belly.
However, the aircrafts payload
capacity will vary greatly, de-
pending on the amount of availa-
ble sunlight. Operations during
the longest days of the year could
allow for up to an additional 45kg
to be carried, supplied with 100W
of electricity overnight and rang-
ing into kilowatts during the day.
Solara follows designs such as
the AeroVironment Global Ob-
server, Boeing Vulture concept
and Qinetiq Zephyr.
Weve been developing this
for a number of years, says Max
Yaney, who oversees technology
aspects of the programme.
There are some very exciting
programmes that have been at-
tempted over the years. This is
the holy grail of edge-of-space
access. Weve taken the lessons
learned from all of those pro-
grammes. There are fantastic ad-
vances in composites that allow
us to meet the strength and
weight requirements. We employ
the entire spectrum.
A customer has reserved two
Solara 50 aircraft to carry com-
munications relay packages, but
Titan declines to identify the cli-
ent. The rst example is under
construction, and is expected to
be rolled out in 2014. O
Solar cells drive the aircrafts battery-powered propeller
TECHNOLOGY
Titan unveils atmospheric satellites
Catapult-launched, high-altitude, solar-powered Solara 50 and 60 set for frst fight ahead of planned roll-out in 2014
Privacy concerns slow UAS use in civil airspace
LEGISLATION
|
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21 fightglobal.com
Discoverer II
designed to perform
maritime duties
SHOW REPORT P22
AUVSI 2013
SHOW REPORT
S
ikorsky has unveiled its Matrix
optionally-piloted testbed,
which will allow the company to
study autonomous helicopter oper-
ations. The programme currently
uses an older S-76 and will add a
UH-60M Black Hawk in the coming
months, but the platform-agnostic
system will also be applied to addi-
tional, undisclosed platforms.
The modied S-76 has made
ve ights so far in autonomous
mode, and Sikorsky intends to
demonstrate unpiloted capabili-
ties before the end of this year.
We really think that the ro-
torcraft world is ready for autono-
my in a big way, and that the op-
portunities that exist in our
particular ight regime, which is
the obstacle-rich environments
and very challenging conditions
in particular, lend themselves to
autonomy and intelligence, says
Mark Miller, vice-president of re-
search and development.
The innovations lie in platform
portability and contingency man-
agement major issues in prior
platforms. Sikorskys goal is to
build a working programme so a
ground-based operator need only
decide a task to accomplish and a
rough location; everything else will
be handled by the aircraft. O
B
uoyed by the recent receipt
of type certication approval
to support oil exploration activi-
ties off the coast of Alaska with its
ScanEagle unmanned air system,
Insitu is looking to increase its
provision of surveillance services
to civilian customers.
The Boeing subsidiary on 19
July received certication from the
US Federal Aviation Administra-
tion to perform ice-ow monitor-
ing and wildlife observation
ights, using a stock of four ship-
based 20.4kg (45lb) ScanEagles. A
rst ight could be conducted as
soon as early September, accord-
ing to Jim Williams, director of the
FAAs UAS integration ofce.
With the certication, now we
can start to responsibly introduce
UAVs into the national airspace,
says Ryan Hartman, senior vice-
president, Insitu programmes. An-
other potential application is with
the US Coast Guard, which has tri-
alled the use of a ScanEagle from a
National Security Cutter vessel.
Meanwhile, Insitus RQ-21A
small tactical UAS is set for initial
operational test and evaluation for
the US Marine Corps from late Oc-
tober, with initial operational capa-
bility due in the second or third
quarter of 2014, says PMA-263 pro-
gramme manager Col Jim Rector.
Insitu is under contract to pro-
duce 36 RQ-21A systems for the
USMC and US Navy, comprising
180 air vehicles. O
HELICOPTERS
Matrix takes autonomous
rotorcraft to another level
Modifed S-76 performs fve autonomous fights as Sikorsky aims for 2013 unpiloted sortie
A
selection of Chinese un-
manned air vehicles was ex-
hibited in the USA for the rst
time, as Wuhan, Hubei Province-
based Hubei Ewatt moves to step
up its production activities.
Models on show included the
vertical take-off and landing EWZ-I
(pictured) and EWZ-8 Octocopter.
Hubei is building what it says is the
largest UAV manufacturing facility
in China, with an initial capacity to
produce 200 aircraft per year, but
the option to scale up to 1,000.
Its product range includes the
120kg (265lb) payload SVU-200:
the brainchild of Dennis Fetters,
former owner of the now-defunct
Revolution Helicopters, and larg-
er systems are in the works. O
SURVEILLANCE
ScanEagle set
to spread wings
to civilian sector
Ambitious China makes US UAV debut
INDUSTRY
Sikorsky has been using an older S-76 as a testbed for the Matrix
fightglobal.com 22
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ightglobal.com/wotw
AUVSI 2013
SHOW REPORT
Flightglobals team
produced three issues of
Unmanned Daily News at
AUVSI, and they can all
be downloaded here:
ightglobal.com/auvsi
Unmanned
Daily News
E
uropes Unmanned Systems
Group gave a debut to its Dis-
coverer II tactical unmanned air
vehicle, with the design already
involved in ight testing.
Shown with an electro-optical/
infrared sensor installed beneath
its fuselage, the Discoverer II has
been designed to accommodate
the Selex ES Seaspray 5000E mari-
time search radar, says chief exec-
utive Michael Olofsson. With a
maximum take-off weight of
250kg (550lb), the air vehicle,
which boasts endurance of more
than 16h, could alternatively carry
sensors such as the Selex PicoSAR
synthetic aperture radar as part of
a payload totalling up to 70kg.
Potential applications could in-
clude performing intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance
tasks for military operators, or pro-
viding a border monitoring and
coastguard capability for civilian
customers, the company says.
Headquartered in Switzerland
and with its xed-wing develop-
L
ockheed Martin has raised the
ight endurance of its Stalker
XE from 8h to nearly 13h, by using
larger propane tanks to supply the
unmanned air vehicles fuel cells.
Were still using the same Ultra
ANI-based fuel cell, says Lock-
heed programme manager Tom
Coontz. We simply put in a larger
[3.2 litre liquid propane] tank.
The Stalker is used in an impro-
vised explosive device detection
capacity for the US Army and US
Marine Corps in Afghanistan.
The feedback has been great
from operations, Coontz says.
They havent asked for any chang-
es to the airframe; theyve just been
putting hours on it. Theyre ying
it two to three times per day, every
single day. Were matching the en-
T
extron Systems has intro-
duced its tube-launched Bat-
tleHawk unmanned air vehicle,
with a weaponised variant to act
as a miniature loitering cruise
missile that can be carried by in-
fantry platoons, says company
programme manager Cathy
Loughman. A surveillance ver-
sion is also under development.
With a range of 2.7nm (5km),
the armed version carries a 40mm
focused-fragmentation grenade as
its warhead, which Loughman
says results in a very low collateral
damage system. Removing the gre-
nade will extend the endurance of
the surveillance variant beyond
the current 30min, she adds.
Textron hopes to win a contract
to supply the US Army with the
BattleHawk, Loughman says. O
ment activities centred on
Linkping, Sweden, Unmanned
Systems Group last month
merged its capabilities with those
of Swiss UAV, whose products
include the vertical take-off and
landing Neo S-350. It has also
forged a relationship with Kuwait
Aerospace Technologies, through
which it has tested its equipment
in the Middle East.
The company also has begun
testing an innovative tip-jet pro-
pulsion system for its vertical
take-off and landing Atro-X de-
sign, says business development
director Phil Hoole. By channel-
ling hot air from the aircrafts
small turbojet engine along and
out through a rigid rotor, the
350kg aircraft will not need a
gearbox or tail rotor, contribut-
ing to an expected 120kg pay-
load capacity. O
durance to the mission require-
ments of our customer.
Several potential international
sales are under negotiation,
Coontz says.
Lockheed also is ight-testing
a new version of its Fury UAV,
which improves certain areas
that our specic customers want-
ed to have in terms of capability,
says Jay McConville, director of
business development for un-
manned integrated systems. Im-
provements include noise signa-
ture reductions and a sleeker
aerodynamic prole. O
DEBUT
Maritime surveillance role
envisaged for Discoverer II
Flight-test activities already under way for 250kg air vehicle which boast endurance of 16h
Lockheed fuels Stalker XE endurance
UPGRADE
WEAPON
Textron on target
with BattleHawk
Its warhead is a 40mm grenade
Unmanned Systems says the UAV offers a total payload of 70kg
The system is used by the US Army and US Marine Corps
Principal sponsor
TOTAL AIR, GROUND AND MARITIME NEWS COVERAGE
UNMANNED
ISSUE 1 TUESDAY 13 AUGUST 2013
03 CEOs welcome message
12 Governments hold up UAS
14 UCLASS gets too simple
for its own good?
19 Selex Falco EVO cutaway
TODAYS
AGENDA
A full run down
of key events
to catch
China display
a first
Healing the sick:
iRobots RP-VITA
The UAVs have Artom
Astafurov of Titan
Aerospace beaming
TITANS
SOLAR
FLAIR
TitunAornspuco (bnnthZ448} hus
tho hnly gruil nf odgo-nf-spuco uc-
coss rmly in its sights with tho
unvoiling ut tho shnwtnduy nf its
Snluru fumily nf snlur-pnworod
"utmnsphoric sutollitos.
Tho Snluru 0 und 0 high-ulti-
tudo UAVs uro tn y uptn ,000ft
(10,800m} ultitudo und stuy thoro
fnr wooks, sustuinodby thoir 0m-
plus wingspuns und singlo lurgo
buttory-pnworodprnpollors, which
uropnworodbythnusunds nf high-
ofcioncy snlur colls
plucod nn ovory
uvuilublo
surfuco.
"Wo'vo boon dovolnping this fnr
u numbor nf yours, suys Mux
Yunoy, whnnvorsoos tho tochnnln-
gy nf tho prngrummo. "Obvinusly
thoro uro snmo vory oxciting prn-
grummos thut huvoboonuttomptod
nvorthoyours. Thisisthohnlygruil
nf odgo-nf-spuco uccoss... Wo'vo
tukon tho lossnns lournod frnmull
nf thnsoprngrummos.
Provinus uttompts ut "utmns-
phoric sutollitos includo tho Do-
fonso Advuncod Rosourch
Prn|octs Agoncy (DARPA}-initiut-
od AornVirnnmont Glnbul Ob-
sorvor, which wus dostrnyod in u
crush, und QinotiQ's Zophyr, u
domnnstrutnr dosign fnr Bnoing's
Vulturo cnncopt.
Tho Snluru will bo luunchod
with u cutupult und cruiso ut
,000ft ut u muximum spood nf
urnund0mph(07kmh}, currying
u 70lb puylnud fnr up tn vo
yours bofnro lunding nn its
Kovlur-cnutodbolly.
Botwoon 0,000-70,000ft
sitsu"swoot spnt, suysTitun,
whorothouvorugowinds uro
loss thunkts.
Tho puylnud cupucity
vurios groutly doponding
nn tho umnunt nf uvuilublo
sunlight - nporutinns dur-
ing tho lnngost duys nf tho
your cnuld ullnw fnr up
tn un udditinnul 100lb
puylnud, suppliod with
100 wutts nf oloctricity
nvornight und sovorul
kilnwutts intho duy.
"Wo muko houvy uso
nf tho lutost und groutost
cnmpnsito mutoriuls undud-
vuncod cnmpnsito toch-
niquos, suys Yunoy. A cus-
tnmor hus rosorvod twn
Snluru 0s tn curry cnmmu-
nicutinns roluys und rst
rnll-nut is duo inZ014.
TheSolaraUAVs cany
at 65,000ft for weeks
poweredby efcient cells
More in tank
for stalker
fightglobal.com 24
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SHOW
REPORT
ightglobal.com/wotw
Neither Brazils stagnant economy nor even a winter chill
failed to stop the industry and the public from again
focking to So Paulos Congonhas airport for the 10th
Latin American Business Aviation Conference and
Exhibition (LABACE). Embraer and Gulfstream displayed
their entire product portfolios in the static display, while
all helicopter and business aviation manufacturers except
Airbus maintained a presence. Stephen Trimble reports
LABACE 2013
H
elibras expects to start build-
ing Eurocopter EC225s in
Brazil in 2015 or 2016, after re-
ceiving nal approval from
French the authorities to transfer
the production certicate.
The move allows the rm,
which is jointly owned by Euro-
copter and the state of Minas Ge-
rais, to add another product line
to its Itajub factory, with the
eventual goal of designing and
building new helicopters for the
Latin American market.
Its our plan to build [new] hel-
icopters in Brazil, says Franois
Arnaud, vice-president of sales
and marketing for Helibras.
Late last year, the company
began delivering the rst of 50
EC725s as part of a tri-service
order for Brazils armed forces.
Assembly of the EC225s, the
civil variant of the EC725, can
begin after military production
winds down and clears space,
Arnaud says.
Helibras is aiming the 11t
19-passenger helicopter at Bra-
zils booming oil and gas indus-
try. Thirteen EC225s are already
in service in the Brazilian heli-
copter eet. Helibras, meanwhile,
signed a memorandum of under-
standing last year with Belo Hori-
zonte-based Lder Aviao to buy
up to 14 more Super Pumas.
Helibras also sees opportunities
to sell other helicopter types to the
Brazilian military. The navy has
requirements for more helicopter
trainers and light utility aircraft,
for which Helibras is offering the
AS350 B3e Ecureuil and EC645,
respectively, Arnaud says.
Although the Brazilian govern-
T
wo new entrants in the super-
light business jet segment by
Cessna and Embraer are starting
to come together in nal assem-
bly ahead of rst ight events
scheduled to take place over the
next six months.
The three fuselage sections of
the rst Legacy 450 have been
joined at Embraers factory in So
Jos dos Campos.
The wing will be mated to the
fuselage in September and the
aircraft remains on track to y by
the end of the year and enter serv-
ice in the rst half of 2015, says
Embraer Executive Jets president
Ernest Edwards.
The development of the Legacy
450 trails the larger Legacy 500 by
about a year. The latter is due to
enter service in the rst half of
2014. Both aircraft feature y-by-
wire on all major control surfac-
es. Meanwhile, recent software-
related delays affecting Cessnas
M2, new Sovereign and new Ci-
tation X jets have not spilled
over into the Latitude develop-
ment programme.
Cessna senior vice-president of
sales Kriya Shortt conrms the
rst fuselage has been completed
in nal assembly and it remains
on track for its maiden sortie in
early 2014.
The Latitude shares the wing,
tail and engine structure of the
slightly larger Sovereign aircraft,
but not the fuselage.
Both Cessna and Embraer re-
leased the updates at LABACE in
Brazil, which is a key market in
the superlight sector. O
PROGRAMMES
Cessna, Embraer
advance on rst
ights of new jets
Final assembly work gathering pace on two new entrants to
superlight sector with maiden sorties due in coming months
ment offers tax incentives to de-
fence contractors with 60% local
ownership, Arnaud says that
Helibras has no plans to change
its ownership structure.
The voting shares are split be-
tween Eurocopter (70%), the
Minas Gerais government (25%)
and Brazilian investment group
Bueninvest (5%). O
Helibras gears up for civil Super Puma production
ROTORCRAFT
Assembly work is focussed on EC725s for Brazils armed forces
A
B
A
G
H
e
lib
r
a
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25 fightglobal.com
LABACE 2013
SHOW REPORT
NASA lifted as new
launcher clears
design review hurdle
SPACEFLIGHT P27
F
ive years after it entered serv-
ice, Embraer has unveiled the
rst major upgrade package for the
entry-level Phenom 100 jet, adding
an inboard, multi-function ground
spoiler and speed brake, as well as
several interior improvements.
The addition of the spoiler
gives the Phenom 100 a feature
previously reserved for the larger
Phenom 300, but is not expected
to affect the companys ongoing
initiative to receive a common
type rating for both aircraft.
Embraer displayed the rst
Phenom 100 equipped with the
new ight control surface at So
Paulos Congonhas airport, where
the longest runway is a relatively
short 1,940m (6,360ft).
Safety concerns originally led
Embraer to test a ground spoiler
three years ago. In two incidents
ultimately attributed to pilot error,
the aircrafts brake-by-wire system
failed to stop Phenom 100s from
overrunning the runway.
But a survey of Phenom 100
operators found that a ground
spoiler was deemed less impor-
tant than a speed brake, so Em-
braer decided to combine the
functions into a single device.
The ground spoiler works by
increasing drag and dumping lift
after landing. The speed brake is
activated to increase the aircrafts
sink rate on approach.
Although it improves the air-
crafts performance on short run-
ways, Embraer is not offering the
system with a performance credit.
At the same time, the combined
spoiler and speed brake will be in-
stalled as a standard feature at no
extra cost for Phenom 100s deliv-
ered in 2013. The company is yet
to set prices for 2014 models.
Embraer is also rolling out a
collection of 11 new interior
themes, with each replacing com-
posite laminates with wood ve-
neers. Another upgrade replaces
the xed club seating in the cabin
with three moving chairs. The
fourth chair remains xed be-
cause it is located next to the cab-
ins emergency exit door.
The Phenom 100 upgrades are
revealed only a few months after
Embraer rolled out improvements
to the Phenom 300, including
touchscreen displays on the
Garmin G3000-based Prodigy
ightdeck and increased take-off
and zero fuel weights. O
C
anadian manufacturer Bom-
bardier has launched a push
to regain market share in Brazil
by restoring a long-dormant alli-
ance with the countrys largest
sales agent.
Belo Horizonte-based Lder
Aviao introduced the rst Lear-
jet aircraft in Brazil in 1968 and
served as a sales agent until 1999,
when the company switched to
represent Raytheon Aircraft before
it became Hawker Beechcraft.
The demise of Hawker-series
production earlier this year as a
result of bankruptcy, left Lder free
to search for new OEM partners.
In the meantime, Bombardier
had lost ground in the fast-grow-
ing Brazilian market, especially at
the top-end of its business jet fam-
ily. Over the last ve years in the
Latin American market, Gulf-
stream has shipped three times as
many G550s as Bombardier deliv-
ered Global 6000s, and twice as
many combined G450s and G500s
as Bombardiers Global 5000.
We are catching up very
quickly, says Fabio Rebello,
Bombardiers regional vice-presi-
dent for Latin America. We do
expect Lder to help.
In addition to acting as a local
sales agent, Lder has an exten-
sive presence in the country as a
maintenance provider, eet man-
ager and charter operator.
Lder is now working to be ap-
proved as an authorised service
centre for Bombardier aircraft, in-
cluding the Global, Challenger
and Learjet eets. Lder also oper-
ates its own eet of more than 100
general aviation aircraft, which
opens the possibility of acquiring
Bombardier aircraft to augment
its eet, says president Eduardo
de Pereira Vaz.
At the same time, Lder is
maintaining its status as the local
sales agent for Beechcrafts fami-
ly of King Air turboprops and the
airframers piston-powered Bo-
nanzas and Barons.
Lder views the two product
lines as complementary, allowing
King Air customers to move up to
Bombardier light or midsize jets
over time, Vaz says. O
T
he rapidly growing market for
business jets in Latin America
will be the next sales focus for
Nextant Aerospace.
Demand for the Nextant
400XTI remanufactured light
business jet in North America
and Europe caught the Cleve-
land-based companys manage-
ment by surprise, says Jay Heubl-
ien, vice-president for global
sales and marketing.
As a result, the company has
not shipped any aircraft nor re-
ceived any orders from Latin
American countries, despite the
XTIs predecessor, the 400XT
having made a debut appearance
at LABACE 2012, Heublien says.
Nextant intends to overcome
that omission in 2014, he says,
and is in discussions with two
companies to serve as a local
sales representative in Brazil.
It earlier appointed Cygnus
Aviation as its exclusive sales
agent for Venezuela, Colombia
and the Caribbean.
The company is in talks with
more than 30 potential customers
for the re-engined Hawker 400.
Meanwhile, Nextant is still stud-
ying potential options for remanu-
facturing other business aircraft. O
MODIFICATIONS
Client feedback puts safety
rst in Phenom 100 update
Embraer introduces package of measures to enhance light jets short-runway performance
Bombardier goes local to regain lost Brazil sales
APPOINTMENT
STRATEGY
Busy Nextant
makes time for
Latin America
The upgrade features a combined ground spoiler and speed brake
S
t
e
p
h
e
n

T
r
im
b
le
/
F
lig
h
t
g
lo
b
a
l
Read about the regions growing
business aviation sector at:
ightglobal.com/latinambizav
Tomorrows aircraft
interiors industry
in the making
1-3 OCTOBER 2013
Organised by: co-located with:
Be part of the only dedicated aircraft interiors
event in the Americas region, taking place in
Seattle the hub of aviation, October 1-3, 2013.
If you are interested in exhibiting at Aircraft Interiors Expo
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Interested in exhibiting?
Register your interest to attend at
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27 fightglobal.com
Money moves,
MRO goes
BUSINESS P28
SPACEFLIGHT
N
ASAs proposed Space Shuttle
replacement the Space
Launch System (SLS) has passed
its preliminary design review stage,
a crucial step for the new rocket.
The review applies to the ini-
tial version of the launcher,
dubbed Block 1A, which will use
a Rocketdyne RL-10-powered
Delta Cryogenic Upper Stage and
solid rocket boosters adapted
from the Space Shuttle.
The 1A, which will be capable
of lofting 70t into low Earth orbit
(LEO) will make one ight in 2017
before it is replaced by the next it-
eration, the 1B. Changes to the lat-
ter will include a Rocketdyne
J-2X-powered upper stage and as-
yet unselected advanced boosters.
It is scheduled to y in 2021.
This may be the most impor-
tant review we go through, and I
say that because nows the chance
to make any changes wed like to
make without signicant cost to
the programme, says Gary Lyles,
SLS chief engineer.
Coming out of this review, we
feel good; were ready to go for-
ward with the margin to do any of
the design reference missions.
Eventually a Block 2 version is
planned to enter service, capable
of lifting 130t.
Subsystem and component-lev-
el design reviews have been ongo-
ing for some time; the core stage,
the main part of the launch vehicle,
reached that point in December
2012, followed by the interim solid
rocket boosters in April 2013.
Adapting previously designed
and built components has allowed
the SLS team to move faster
through reviews than predecessor
programmes.
SLS is designed specically to
launch the in-development Lock-
heed Martin Orion capsule on
crewed journeys beyond LEO, the
rst such ights since the Apollo
moon landings.
Although the 2017 ight will
be uncrewed, it is likely to launch
Orion on a cislunar ight to test
its equipment.
Orion is scheduled for a rst
ight in 2014 atop a United
Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket.
Although incapable of launching
the heavy capsule beyond LEO,
its re-entry from a highly ellipti-
cal orbit will allow it to achieve
speeds simulating a return from
lunar orbit.
The 2017 ight is likely to in-
volve entering a retrograde orbit
around the moon before making
its return. O
A
consortium of companies has
been commissioned by the
European Space Agency (ESA) to
investigate the potential for a re-
usable spaceplane to be used to
launch satellites from the begin-
ning of next decade.
Although ESA has already an-
nounced the baseline congura-
tion for Ariane 6, the next genera-
tion of its agship heavy
launcher, it is also now funding a
study into the viability of the pro-
posed Reaction Engines Skylon
rocket plane.
Reaction will head the group
under ESAs 1 million ($1.55
million) Skylon-based European
Launch Service Operator (SELSO)
study, which has been issued by
ESAs Launcher Directorate.
The work will examine Sky-
lons ability to full ESAs
launcher requirements in terms
of cost, exibility and respon-
siveness, from the early 2020s,
says Reaction.
To be concluded by the end of
the year, the evaluation will fea-
ture contributions from a number
of other companies. Key among
these will be that of Thales Alenia
Space in Italy, which will exam-
ine the specication of a poten-
tially re-usable system for satellite
deployment in geostationary
Earth orbit.
Qinetiq Space in Belgium will
study payload carrier options
within the vehicles cargo bay to
ensure maximum mission exi-
bility, says Reaction.
Further work will identify the
business case for Skylon and also
detail any modications required
to ESAs existing spaceport facili-
ties in Kourou, French Guiana.
Skylon is envisaged as an 84m
(275ft)-long unmanned space ve-
hicle capable of lofting payloads
of up to 15t into low Earth orbit. It
will be powered by Reactions de-
velopmental air-breathing SABRE
rocket engines, which in July re-
ceived 60 million ($98.2 mil-
lion) in funding from the UK
Space Agency.
Reaction is working to begin
ight testing of the powerplants
from 2020. O
Study to examine launcher role for Skylon concept
ROCKET PLANE
Visit the Hyperbola blog for
expert spacefight analysis:
ightglobal.com/hyperbola
The system will eventually loft
130t into a low Earth orbit
Skylon is envisaged as an 84m-long space vehicle, powered by air-breathing rocket engines
DEVELOPMENT ZACH ROSENBERG WASHINGTON DC
NASA lifted as new launcher
clears design review hurdle
Agency still working towards frst fight of SLS in 2017, with heavier versions to follow later
N
A
S
A
R
e
a
c
t
io
n

E
n
g
in
e
s
BUSINESS
fightglobal.com 28
|
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Good week
Bad week
Aircraft fnance is among the sectors covered
by our premium news and data service
Flightglobal Pro: ightglobal.com/pro
Good week
Bad week
CYTEC INDUSTRIES The
materials specialist,
which supplies resins to
Boeing for its 787, has
seen its stock downgrad-
ed to almost junk status
by ratings agency
Standard & Poors on the
back of a perceived
overreliance on its aero-
space materials seg-
ment. Cytecs rating now
sits at triple-B-minus,
just one level above junk
territory. S&P says the
move brings Cytec more
in line with its aerospace
and defence peers. In
July, it revealed a 15%
fall in Q2 proft.
AURIGNY Faced with the
disappearance from
spring 2014 of competi-
tor Flybe on routes from
London Gatwick to the
Channel Islands, the gov-
ernment of Guernsey
known as the States
has given its backing to
plans by locally based
airline Aurigny to expand
capacity on services to
the UK. The loans or
guarantees provided by
the States will enable
the carrier to buy new
aircraft. The frst of these
will be a 120-seat
Embraer 195, due for
delivery in 2014.
MAINTENANCE ELLIS TAYLOR SINGAPORE
Money moves, MRO goes
For one Melbourne workshop, the pressure is on whether the Australian dollar is high or low
A
s everyone in aviation is well
aware, almost everything is
priced in US dollars so for any
company not based in the USA,
the dollar exchange rate is a criti-
cal factor in business health.
There is rarely, though, a sim-
ple link between up or down cur-
rency movements and the bottom
line. As Australian maintenance,
repair and overhaul operator John
Holland Aviation Services is nd-
ing, the complexity of that rela-
tionship can demand a funda-
mental rethink of strategy.
With the Australian dollar
above parity with the US dollar in
recent years, Australia-based air-
lines have had extra buying
power abroad, so the company
has found itself increasingly hav-
ing to compete against shops in
New Zealand and Asia for heavy
maintenance work, where much
of the cost is in labour.
JHASs response has been to
move out of heavy maintenance,
and it has recently begun wind-
ing down its Boeing 737 and Em-
braer 190 heavy programmes at
Melbournes Tullamarine airport,
shedding 40 technical and engi-
neering workers.
As JHAS general manager Ross
Alexander puts it: The actual
heavy checks themselves were a
line of C-checks and modica-
tions as part of a programme
which at the time everybody
went into hoping it would work.
From a product point of view,
it worked, but from a cost point of
Is the dollar cheap down there?
O
n
e

W
o
r
ld
g
a
t
w
ic
k
s
t
e
v
e
B
o
e
in
g
view I dont think it met custom-
ers expectations compared to
what they could get overseas.
Alexander says the high cost of
labour in Australia makes it hard
to compete. Especially for the
larger C-checks that extend up to
four weeks and are in excess of
A$1.5 million and 70% of it is la-
bour, it is purely on the labour
cost, which drives the economic
choice, he says.
However, with the Australian
dollar now trading below $0.90
and expected to head lower in the
coming months, Alexander says
the differential between its rela-
tively high labour costs and the
total costs, including fuel, of fer-
rying an aircraft overseas for
maintenance has fallen by ap-
proximately 15% in dollar terms.
He adds that if the Australian
dollar continues to fall and settles
around the $0.80 mark, it may
make sense for airlines to keep
heavy maintenance onshore.
If that happens, medium and
longer term, then that may open
up possibilities for us to get back
into heavy maintenance, says
Alexander. Although we cant
compete on rates, we can com-
pete on productivity, utilisation
and technology in Australia.
AND THEN AGAIN...
Although he is largely positive
about the recent currency move-
ments, Alexander says a falling
Australian dollar will also put cost
pressures on big customers such as
Qantas and Virgin Australia, which
may have implications for JHAS.
It may have a broader impact
in that the airlines themselves
will suffer from the falling dollar
and that in turn puts cost pres-
sure on them, he says. If were
part of that value chain, then that
pressure will come [to] us also.
With that uncertainty, the com-
pany has made the strategic deci-
sion to focus its efforts on win-
ning work that has to be
completed in-country. That in-
cludes its growing line mainte-
nance operations at a number of
airports in the country, as well as
overnight and A-level checks at
its Melbourne facility.
As long as we focus on the
things that need to be done in-
country, then we start to insulate
ourselves from the risk on the
Australian dollar, he says.
JHAS presently provides over-
night checks on Jetstars Airbus
A320s and A321s based at Tul-
lamarine and line maintenance
on Virgin Australias A330s, as
well as for a number of interna-
tional airlines at stations in Syd-
ney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
and Brisbane.
For international line mainte-
nance clients, it competes against
rms such as IASA Global and Air-
craft Maintenance Services Aus-
tralia, a unit of SIA Engineering.
If we cant compete with Asia,
that means that we really need to
focus on the maintenance activi-
ties that are required to be done
in-country, says Alexander.
Line work is always going to
be required by the international
organisations ying in here. O
SOURCE: Reserve Bank of Australia
US$ per A$1
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
EXCHANGE RATE
0.80
0.86
0.92
0.98
1.04
1.10
Jul
2013
Jan
2010
BUSINESS
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29 fightglobal.com

Russias return
SPECIAL REPORT P31
COLLINS SNAPS UP ARINC TO REBALANCE BUSINESS
ACQUISITION Avionics specialist Rockwell Collins is to buy aeronau-
tical communications company Arinc for $1.39 billion from investor
The Carlyle Group. Rockwell Collins describes the acquisition as a
natural ft and says the transaction, once complete, will mean com-
mercial activity accounting for 54% of its business, with government
operations making up the balance. The two sides have reached a
defnitive agreement regarding the purchase. Rockwell Collins
says it will combine Arincs networks and services with its own avion-
ics and cabin technology systems, and that it will expand our oppor-
tunities beyond the aircraft. It adds that the acquisition will be
accretive in terms of earnings per share once transaction and inte-
gration costs have been absorbed.
LOSSES GROW AT KOREAN CARRIER ASIANA
AIRLINE Asiana Airlines net loss widened to W80.1 billion ($71.9
million) in the second quarter from a loss of W37.4 billion in the
same period a year ago. For the period, the South Korean carriers
revenue fell by 4.1% to W1.37 trillion. The airline posted an operat-
ing loss of W29.9 billion, a reversal from an operating proft of
W38.9 billion a year earlier. For the frst half, its net loss widened to
W128 billion from a loss of W39.3 billion.
COMMERCIAL SEGMENT BUOYS EATON
FIRST HALF At component manufacturer Eaton, aerospace sector
sales grew slightly to $446 million in the quarter to 30 June, up from
$436 million in the same period a year earlier. For the frst half of the
year, sales rose to $880 million from $866 million in 2012. Proft
also nudged up marginally in both periods, to $67 million and $129
million from $59 million and $119 million respectively. Aerospace
markets in the second quarter continued their modest growth, with
strongest growth in the commercial OEM market, says Alexander
Cutler, chairman and chief executive.
FIRST UK AEROSPACE BURSARIES GRANTED
EDUCATION A UK government scheme to boost the countrys aero-
space sector has recruited its frst intake of students with the award
of 100 bursaries. These have been granted to employees and gradu-
ates to study Masters (MSc)-level degrees in aerospace engineering.
The scheme is jointly funded, with industry and government each
pledging 3 million ($4.6 million) over three years to help recruit 500
people who want to build careers in aerospace, but need fnancial
backing to study at Masters level.
BRISTOW HITS NEW HEIGHTS DESPITE ABSENT EC225S
ROTORCRAFT Helicopter operator Bristow Group turned in a record
frst-quarter performance in the period ended 30 June. Operating
revenue rose 12% to $359 million from $320 million a year earlier.
Adjusted EBITDAR grew to $102 million from $84.3 million and net
income hit $26.9 million, up from $23.7 million. This was a record
frst quarter for Bristow, with excellent top-line growth, says William
Chiles, president and chief executive. This was achieved despite the
continued absence of its Eurocopter EC225 feet, adds Chiles.
FLIR EXPANDS WITH $14.9 MILLION PURCHASE
OPTICAL Imaging specialist FLIR Systems has acquired certain as-
sets of DigitalOptics micro-optics unit for $14.9 million. Included in
the purchase are fabrication equipment and more than 200 patents
associated with the design and production of complex optical sur-
faces, substrates and low-cost components.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
PEOPLE MOVES
Austrian Airlines, Europrop, MTU, Rolls-Royce, Zero Gravity
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
The Export-Import
Bank is an example
of everything that is
wrong with
Washington
today
Utah Senator MICHAEL LEE is not
a fan of the export credit agency
and is resisting its reauthorisation
Martens: MTU COO
Mlnarsky-Bstndig: HR role
Michael Wiskerchen, whose
NASA career included serving as
programme scientist on Space
Shuttle mission STS-9 and on
the international team behind
the operational design of the
International Space Station, has
joined biotechnology company
Zero Gravity Solutions as VP
spaceight operations. Ian
Crawford has been appointed
president of Europrop
International, to manage the
TP400 engine programme that
powers the Airbus Military
A400M. He joins from partner
company Rolls-Royce and
replaces Simon Henley, who will
return to R-R.
MTU Aero Engines has extended
for ve years the contract of chief
operating ofcer Rainer Martens;
he has been on MTUs
management board since 2006,
having originally worked for the
Munich-based company from
1997 to 2001, when he headed
up the turbine blade/vane
production centre, before
transferring to Airbus, where he
was production manager at the
companys Bremen plant before
rejoining MTU. At Austrian
Airlines, Sabine Mlnarsky-
Bstndig is now VP human
resources, succeeding Michael
Ruplitsch, who has taken a job
outside the Lufthansa group.
M
T
U
A
u
s
t
r
ia
n

A
ir
lin
e
s
of everythin
wr
W
to
Book your presence online or call our
dedicated hotline +44 (0) 1252 532 800
Touch down!
Established as a must attend international B2B
event, BIAS consistently delivers unrivalled high
level, cost effective business opportunities to the
global aerospace industry. The third edition will run
for three days from 16 18 January 2014.
Act now to ensure your participation.
In association with
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31
RUSSIA
SPECIAL REPORT
Slowly, Russian aerospace is regaining the reputation it had in Soviet times.
It has taken painful restructuring, but the country is creating aircraft often
with Western help with wide appeal in export markets. In this special
report ahead of MAKS, we assess the industrys condence and prospects
RUSSIAS
RETURN
CONTENTS
32 Back from the brink Overview
36 Getting there Superjet
38 Back in business Irkuts MC-21
42 New Frontiers Helicopters
44 Lease of life IFCs new trio
46 Relaunch required Spacefight
48 Bear market MAKS preview
fightglobal.com 32
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RUSSIA
SPECIAL REPORT
MURDO MORRISON MOSCOW
Few saw potential for the Russian aerospace industry to
recover from its post-Cold War slump, but it is proving
the doubters wrong with a new-found condence
BACK FROM
THE BRINK
U
n
it
e
d

A
ir
c
r
a
f
t
S
ince the break-up of the Soviet Union
in 1991, experts have been writing
obituaries of the Russian aerospace
industry. When the Cold War ended,
plummeting defence budgets and the loss of a
captive market for its civil airliners in the
Communist world meant a once-mighty sec-
tor was left starved of funds and burdened
with ageing, legacy programmes unable to
compete with more modern Western rivals.
An industry which boasted some of the bright-
est engineering brains and with a history of
breakthrough technologies was left in appar-
ent terminal decline. In the 1990s, a lot of
people went to the funeral of Russian aero-
space, recalls Oleg Demchenko, president of
Irkut and a veteran of the Soviet-era industry.
Today, those death notices are being ripped
up and, although change has been gradual
rather than dramatic, there is a new-found
condence about Russian aerospace. This
was seen in the number of exhibitors and pro-
grammes on display at Junes Paris air show
in what the organisers dubbed the return of
the Russians. However, it is the home event,
MAKS, which will see a show of force from
Russias newly-condent industry.
Two all-new civil airliners the Sukhoi
Superjet and the Irkut MC-21 narrowbody,
designed and built in Russia, but with sub-
stantial involvement of Western partners
were launched in recent years, and renewed
defence spending by Moscow has given a
boost to key military programmes such as the
Irkut Yak-130, the Sukhoi PAK-FA stealth
ghter, fourth-generation Su-35 and Su-34
long-range bomber, and the latest versions of
the Mikoyan MiG-29.
The Su-35 and Yak-130 as well as the in-
service Superjet and a host of military and
commercial rotorcraft were among the types
which made an appearance at Paris. The crea-
tion in the mid-2000s of three state-controlled
but independently-managed holding groups
designed to consolidate all aerospace assets
under one central management United Air-
craft Corporation for all the military and civil
xed-wing aircraft, Russian Helicopters and
United Engines has helped streamline the
once fragmented and dispirited industry and
given it strategic focus. The mergers have given
the various units scale to commit to ambitious
projects such as the Superjet and MC-21, im-
proved the link between design bureaux and
production plants as well as allowed for more
coherent marketing messages.
SHAKY START
After the collapse of Communist control 22
years ago, the industrys prospects were not
helped by a top-down structure designed to t
the needs of a command economy and allow
the government to keep tight reins on the de-
fence and security infrastructure. Design bu-
reaux, based almost exclusively in Moscow,
pitched products to the central planners, who
in turn awarded contracts. Aided by a network
of research centres and specialist universities,
these bureaux named after the fathers of So-
viet aerospace such as Sukhoi, Ilyushin, Tu-
polev and Beriev branded the programmes,
Yak-130: Irkut is
now delivering the
jet trainer to the
domestic customer
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RUSSIA
SPECIAL REPORT
which were produced to order by factories in
the far-ung regions. However, without direc-
tion from Moscow and with little in the way of
budget, these organisations were largely cast
adrift into the free market and forced to scrap
for what work they could get.
Russias economic and political turmoil in
the 1990s created stasis in the industry. With
a few exceptions, the countrys civil aircraft
output dwindled to a handful of units a year.
Even military programmes were struggling,
although export sales did keep that part of the
industry off life-support. Similarly, foreign
demand for its top-selling, highly-specialist
medium and ultra-heavy Mil and Kamov heli-
gg
copters provided a lifeline for that sector.
However, even as rising prosperity led to air
travel slowly returning to 1980s levels, Rus-
sian carriers, including Aeroot, chose to re-
place creaking eets not with home-grown
types but with Western airliners. The irony of
ying on an Airbus belonging to a state-owned
Russian airline cannot have been lost on those
hoping the industry could be revived.
PUTINS EMERGENCE
All that, however, began to change about a
decade ago, as a number of factors came into
play. The emergence of the nationalist-mind-
ed Vladimir Putin as president meant Russias
RAC MiG is a
dynamically
developing
company, says its
general director
ALTHOUGH RAC MiGs glory days of
producing hundreds of fghter aircraft
for the Soviet and other air forces
may be behind it, the Moscow-based
United Aircraft subsidiary is pressing
ahead with plans to upgrade and
export its existing aircraft models, of
which the iconic MiG-29 lightweight
combat aircraft is the fagship.
We are a dynamically developing
company, says general director
Sergey Korotkov, who, contrary to the
belief that RAC MiG is simply a de-
sign bureau, insists that it is a full-
cycle business, able to develop,
test, manufacture, sell, maintain and
upgrade its products.
The MiG-29 was developed in the
late-1970s and went into service
with the Russians in 1983. Around
800 remain in service in 24 coun-
tries around the world, and Korotkov
says the companys priority is to
maintain the status of that and
other RAC MiG types still in opera-
tion by offering revamped versions
to existing and new customers.
The MiG-21 is arguably the
longest-produced combat aircraft
in history, with the frst model go-
ing into service in 1959 and man-
ufacturing only stopping in 1985.
India is among its operators and
Korotkov visited the country in
May to celebrate its 50th anniver-
sary of service with its air force.
They will continue to fy it until
2020, which is a vivid example of
its performance, he says. Of
course, it has had many upgrade
packages. I cannot think of many
programmes that have had so
many upgradings.
Serbia is another long-time MiG
operator, which is looking to re-
place six of its older MiG-29s with
the newer MiG-29M/M2 variant.
We recently demonstrated the
latest version of the aircraft there
and we have a great chance, sug-
gests Korotkov.
Another major project is an up-
grade of around half of the Russian
air forces 122 MiG-31 interceptors
to MiG-31BM standard. The pack-
age includes multi-mode radar, multi-
function cockpit displays and ability
to use Vympels RVV-BD long range
air-to-air missile. Although the air
force commander has suggested
that the MiG-31s may all be re-
placed by 2028, Korotkov says the
upgrade enhances their effective-
ness and life considerably. The
MiG-31 is a unique aircraft that still
holds a lot of world records, he
says. I hope it will be with our air
force for a long time. O
FIGHTERS
RAC MIG REVEALS REVAMP ROADMAP AS IT EXPLAINS FULL-CYCLE APPROACH
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aerospace industry was once again treated as
a strategic pillar of the economy as well as a
crucial part of the countrys security. Defence
budgets began to be channelled towards new
product development. At the same time, Putin
and his ministers realised that the legacy
structure of the industry competing design
bureaux and a fragmented and newly inde-
pendent network of production plants was
unsustainable. Consolidation and coordina-
tion under a single umbrella organisation was
the solution, and United Aircraft dubbed the
EADS of Russia was set up in 2006. Russian
Helicopters and United Engines followed.
United Aircraft president Mikhail Pogosy-
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SPECIAL REPORT
We should integrate all the
best technologies from the
international market
MIKHAIL POGOSYAN
President, United Aircraft
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an rules over the $6 billion-turnover or-
ganisation known by the acronym OAK in
Russian from an unprepossessing, Stalin-era
ofce block in central Moscow while a new
corporate campus outside the city is being
planned. Bringing together Russias diverse
aircraft designers and production plants has
not been easy design bureaux have a long
history of independence and are run by engi-
neers ercely loyal to the brand whereas fac-
tories are tied into the local economies in the
regions they are based. The process of con-
solidation is long and complex, says Pogo-
syan. But by now, we have received all the
assets and centralised the management and
are producing consolidated accounts.
The decline of Russias civil aircraft sector in
The PAK-FA, which flew at MAKS 2011, will enter operational testing in 2014
the 1990s meant United Aircraft inherited an
industry very much weighted towards defence
production. Two years ago 90% of our sales
were military, but we are moving to a more bal-
anced structure, says Pogosyan, who was pro-
moted to his current role after running Sukhoi
for many years. This year, transport and civil
will be 20%. Between 2020 and 2025, they will
get to 50%. Helping the company towards
that goal will be the two new commercial pro-
grammes which United Aircraft is banking on
for strong export sales, the Superjet and MC-21.
It expects to sell 70% of the aircraft outside
Russia. Both programmes come under the aus-
pices of United Aircraft, although Italys Alenia
Aermacchi has a 25% share of Sukhoi Civil
Aircraft and markets the Superjet in the West-
ern hemisphere.
Pogosyan also plans an organisational re-
structuring effort to create an entity modelled
on EADS in Europe. So far, the consolidation
has left the legacy businesses largely intact, but
with closer integration between design bureaux
and factories, a central management structure
and one set of accounts. The main restructur-
ing will be over the next ve years, Pogosyan
notes. That stage involves bundling the assets
into divisions which reect the four main mar-
kets: military, commercial, transport and spe-
cialised. The latter two include niche products
from Antonov, Ilyushin and Beriev, ranging
from outsized freighters to water bombers.
However, this will not mean an end for the fa-
mous names. These have their value and
place and future, says Pogosyan. We wont
be marketing aircraft under a single brand.
SEEKING STEP-CHANGE
He is condent that new military programmes
for Russia and its main overseas partner India,
robust defence export sales and upgrades of
existing aircraft, as well as, in particular, the
success of the civil programmes should see
United Aircrafts turnover top $7 billion this
year, hit $10 billion by 2015 and double that
gure by the end of the decade. While the new
airliners could provide that step-change, it is
United Aircrafts military portfolio that has
kept Russian industry in business over the
past two decades and is now looking to a new
generation of aircraft as well.
These include the PAK-FA, a fth-genera-
tion stealth ghter being developed with India
and intended as a replacement for the Su-27
and MiG-29. It ew in public for the rst time
at Moscows MAKS air show in 2011, and will
enter operational testing in 2014 and service
two years later. The aircraft has been launched
on the back of commitments from Russia and
India but has good export potential in coun-
tries that operate Sukhoi and MiG ghters. It
will complement future versions of these air-
craft, says Pogosyan.
The Su-35, a development of the Su-27
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SPECIAL REPORT
Flanker and a type Pogosyan describes as the
worlds best fourth generation ghter, de-
spite the erce competition, made its over-
seas debut at Paris and will be on display at
MAKS. Another upgraded version of the
Su-27, the Su-30MKI, continues in produc-
tion, largely helped by a deal in 2000 by India
to licence manufacture 140 of the aircraft. Ex-
port customers for other Sukhoi aircraft in-
clude Indonesia, which will take delivery of
four more Su-30MK2s by the end of the year,
taking its eet to nine and total Sukhoi inven-
tory to 16. Another evolution of the Su-30MK
with enhanced avionics and other equip-
ment, the Su-30SM, has been in ight testing
since last year.
With the Yakovlev and RAC MiG brands also
in its portfolio (see box-outs), Pogosyan is con-
dent that United Aircrafts military business
will remain strong. However, he is aware that
Russian industry unlike the Soviet Union
during the Cold War cannot do it all itself.
While design and manufacturing alliances as
well as supplier deals are often necessary on
the defence side as with the PAK-FA in its
civil business, Russian industry has gone out of
its way to secure foreign programme involve-
ment. Partnerships are a strategic imperative,
says Pogosyan. We should integrate all the
best technologies from the international mar-
ket. In return, we are able to offer our partners
things that no one else can. O
The Su-35 impressed
during its overseas
debut at Paris 2013
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THE YAK-130 will be at MAKS after
appearing at Junes Paris air show
for the frst time since the 1990s,
the decade in which Yakovlev devel-
oped the advanced trainer and light-
weight combat aircraft with its then
Italian partner Aermacchi. Yet Irkut,
the United Aircraft subsidiary which
now owns the Yakovlev brand, has
only just begun delivering the aircraft
to its domestic customer.
For many years, we were orient-
ed to the export version of the air-
craft until we fnally got an order from
our MoD in December 2011, says
Irkut president Oleg Demchenko.
The company has delivered the frst
18 examples of 55 aircraft, with all
due to go into service by 2015.
Other countries fying the Yak-130
include Algeria, but Demchenko
hints at two further deals and was
hoping to sway additional potential
customers at Paris.
Although the Yak-130 was devel-
oped alongside the (now) Alenia
Aermacchi M-346 in what
Demchenko says was the frst con-
tract between Russia and the West
to create an aircraft together.
However, the two companies parted
ways at the end of the 1990s, with
the Italian company deciding to de-
velop an advanced trainer, and their
Russian partner a more conven-
tional combat aircraft.
Although the two types look al-
most identical externally and have
a lot of features in common, they
follow different design philoso-
phies, says Demchenko. We re-
main friends but we chose different
paths. The Yak-130s key quality is
that it is simple to fy, even for ca-
dets with very little experience, he
says. You cannot spin it, even if
you wanted to. This is a most im-
portant feature for young pilots. O
TRAINERS
YAK IS ON TRACK AFTER PARIS COMEBACK
MIG-29 ORDERS
Nation Inventory On order
Algeria 34
Azerbaijan 13
Bangladesh 8
Belarus 38
Bulgaria 15
Cuba 3
Eritrea 5
India (air force) 68
India (navy) 20 25
Iran 16
Kazakhstan 39
Malaysia 10
Myanmar 15 17
North Korea 35
Peru 19
Poland 32
Russia (air force) 250
Russia (navy) 24
Serbia 4
Slovakia 12
Sudan 11
Syria 48
Turkmenistan 24
Ukraine 80
Uzbekistan 39
Yemen 24
Syria 24
SOURCE: Flightglobals MiliCAS database
fightglobal.com
turn the domestic civil aviation industry to
the strong position it held in the 1970s and
1980s, creating a product line which can com-
pete with those of other major manufacturers.
United Aircraft wants to double its overall
civil output to 40 aircraft this year. President
Mikhail Pogosyan admits the target is rather
ambitious but insists: Well handle it.
Firm orders for the Superjet aircraft give
us the condence to increase production, he
says. The companys immediate strategic tar-
get is to build at least 17 in a year, while
putting in place measures to cut production
costs. United Aircraft also wants to improve
the types fuel consumption and performance,
and lower cabin noise, having gathered data
from the operation of early aircraft.
Pogosyan is optimistic that the production
rate for the Superjet will reach three per
month over the second half of this year and
increase further next year to enable the air-
framer to turn out a total of 40 in 2014.
36
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SPECIAL REPORT
DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
United Aircraft has put its faith in the Superjet to play a lead role in Russias civil
ambitions, and despite a lack of recent orders, Sukhoi is condent it can deliver
GETTING THERE
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S
ukhois civil aircraft division will
head into the MAKS air show, the
main event on its home territory,
aiming to lift an order book which
has largely been dormant for over a year.
Russian carrier Transaero was the last cus-
tomer to sign for the type in any rm capacity
when it opted for up to 16 Superjets in June
2012 an unusual decision for an airline
which had operated Boeing types almost ex-
clusively, limiting its Russian-built comple-
ment to a handful of Tupolev Tu-214s.
Transaeros decision means that three of
Russias top ve airlines are set to have Super-
jets in their eets, but Sukhoi is still facing a
battle to strengthen the types backlog.
United Aircraft presented its annual report
to shareholders at the end of June, which stat-
ed that the Superjet had 170 orders from Rus-
sian and foreign customers although the de-
tails of the backlog remain opaque.
Russian lessor Ilyushin Finance has been
negotiating for 20 and appeared to move clos-
er to a rm agreement during the Paris air
show as it signed a preliminary pact for the
aircraft, for delivery from 2015.
Ilyushin Finance is intending to take 15 of
the basic Superjet variant, congured for cus-
tomers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East,
A more signicant delivery
took place during the Paris air
show when Mexican carrier
Interjet formally received the
rst of 20 Superjets
as well as ve of the new long-range version.
The long-range aircraft emerged earlier this
year and Sukhoi has been aiming to achieve
certication before the MAKS show.
Russian energy rm Gazpromavia is in line
to take the rst example by the end of this
year, and crew training for the carrier on the
type has already started.
Sukhoi has also been working to obtain cer-
tication for Category IIIa landings, an effort
interrupted in mid-July when one of its proto-
type aircraft, 95005, suffered a gear-up touch-
down at Reykjaviks Keavik airport during a
series of approach tests. Despite the setback,
the airframer remained condent that the ap-
proval will not be held up.
CIVIL TYPES
United Aircraft is relying on the Superjet to
support its efforts to become a stronger player
in the civil aircraft sector. It says about a third
of its backlog of 740 aircraft are civil types.
It produced 12 Superjets last year more
than half its output of 22 civil airframes the
others comprise four Tu-214s and Tu-204s, four
Antonov An-148s and a pair of Ilyushin Il-96s.
Chairman Vladimir Dmitriev says the reve-
nue share of civil aircraft exceeded 10% and
that production of Superjets has developed at a
good pace, more than doubling that of 2012.
Dmitriev says the company intends to re-
Aeroflots sixth Superjet was delivered in early March 2012, carrying the livery of global alliance SkyTeam
fightglobal.com
rm Pininfarina. It aims to give passengers the
crucial impression of spaciousness and com-
fort compared with other aircraft in the same
category, says president Paolo Pininfarina.
Hours before the prototype Superjet accident
at Keavik, the rst Interjet aircraft passed
through the airport on its delivery ight to Tolu-
ca. One of the airlines pilots, on board the ferry
ight, described the aircraft as amazing.
Interjet plans to begin revenue ights with
the aircraft around August, with the aircraft
having to perform 100h of non-revenue serv-
ice to satisfy Mexican regulations.
Chief executive Jose Luis Garza says the air-
line will have all 20 Superjets in its eet by
the end of next year, serving mid-density
routes in Mexico which, he states, the aircraft
perfectly matches. However, he adds that
the type could also be used for US services
with ights to Arizona and Texas.
It means our aircraft will be seen ying to
and from the USA, which is an important pro-
motion for us in that market, says Pogosyan.
Italian entities have been closely involved
with the Superjet programme since 2005,
most prominently through Alenia Aermac-
chis shareholdings in the airframer as well as
Superjet International.
However, tensions between the two sides
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Firm orders for the Superjet
aircraft give us condence to
increase production
MIKHAIL POGOSYAN
President, United Aircraft
For more analysis of the history of
Sukhois Superjet programme, visit
ightglobal.com/superjet
As part of its production drive, the compa-
ny has commissioned a new facility in Kazan,
Tatarstan, which will start producing compos-
ite structures for Superjets this year.
United Aircraft is establishing centres of
competence for new aerostructure require-
ments and the facility, KAPO-Kompozit, will
also be adapted to handle the manufacturing
of components for the Irkut MC-21.
Sukhoi has progressed with efforts to
smooth its production process, delivering in
May the rst Superjet to Aeroot to be cong-
ured with an upgraded cabin sought by the
carrier.
Aeroot, which ordered 30 Superjets, took
its initial 10 in a lightweight layout, but is in-
tending to swap them out as the newly-tted
aircraft arrive. The enhancements include a
more advanced ight-management system
and weather radar, as well as video cameras,
cabin lighting controls and an extra cabin
crew working position.
ADDED EXTRAS
Sukhoi adds that the cabin is tted with addi-
tional passenger ventilation outlets, extra oxy-
gen masks, and the aircraft has three lavatories
and four galleys installed.
However, a more signicant delivery took
place during the Paris air show when Mexican
carrier Interjet formally received the rst of 20
Superjets. The initial handover was performed
by Sukhois Italian joint venture Superjet Inter-
national, which was established to take on the
task of marketing the jet to Western customers.
It has been tted with 93 seats, at Superjet
Internationals Venice facility, with a part of the
cabin interior developed by the Italian design
surfaced during the Paris air show when Ale-
nia parent Finmeccanica denounced their re-
lationship as difcult and expensive.
We signed an agreement [regarding the
Superjet] which has been implemented in an
unsatisfactory way for quite a long period of
time, said Finmeccanicas new chief execu-
tive Alessandro Pansa.
Most of the Superjets delivered have gone
to Russian and Asian customers, and the In-
terjet handover follows frustrated efforts to
place the aircraft with Italian operators.
Pansa suggested the relationship should be
reviewed and restructured, but stopped
short of threatening to withdraw. Meanwhile,
Alenia chief Giuseppe Giordo diplomatically
stated that the programme is important and
strategic and with the Interjet delivery
was starting to generate results.
The friction echoes an earlier rift between
the Russian and French sides Saturn and
Snecma in the PowerJet engine joint venture,
which builds the SaM146 for the Superjet.
PowerJet has turned out 64 engines and, by
the beginning of June, 39 had been shifted to
operational service. The company claims a
despatch reliability of 99.89%.
It intends to produce 52 engines this year,
adding that its production rate is being deter-
mined according to the needs of [Sukhoi].
As part of the work to enhance the engine,
Snecma performed a series of tests in June to
examine an alternative fuel for the SaM146,
using a 90:10 blend of regular Jet-A1 fuel and
a sugar-based product known as farnesene. O
Further Western
exposure is crucial to
the firms strategy
fightglobal.com 38
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SPECIAL REPORT
S
erious competition from Russian air-
framers may not have troubled mar-
ket forecasters in Toulouse or Seattle
for many years, but do not suggest to
Oleg Demchenko that his countrymen are
novices when it comes to producing airliners.
The president of Irkut owner of the Yakov-
lev design bureau and now part of United Air-
craft insists Russia has an impressive tradi-
tion and a big potential future in the civil
sector. Although we have been quiet for 20
years, we are not rookies, he insists. And
while Irkut and its fellow airframers are un-
likely to become as mighty as Airbus or Boe-
ing in decades to come, he rmly believes
they can secure a place in the global market
with a new generation of aircraft.
The company is behind Russias rst mod-
ern mid-range narrowbody, the MC-21, a pro-
gramme which he says is progressing fast to
rst ight in June 2015 and certication two
years later. The aircraft which Demchenko
refers to as his favourite baby has its roots
in the Yak-242, an all-new twinjet programme
shelved in the late-1990s in the days when
customers and state funds for Russias civil
Irkut knows competition
in the civil sector is tough,
but it has high hopes for
Russias new narrowbody,
the MC-21, and has not
been shy to look West for
expertise
BACK IN
BUSINESS
The MC-21s origins can be traced back to a shelved twinjet concept from the 1990s
I
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aerospace industry had all but dried up. In the
early 2000s, however, the government issued
a new tender for a passenger jet and the new-
ly-formed Irkut a merger of Yakovlev, fellow
design bureau Beriev and the Irkutsk produc-
tion facility began work on the design.
Moscow has provided 75% of the funding
for the MC-21 including roubles (Rb) 12.4
billion ($378 million) allocated by the trade
and industry ministry for the current year
something Demchenko acknowledges has
been vital to getting the programme through
the design stage to its current phase, with four
prototypes about to be built, one for static tri-
als and three for ight test. If we did not have
government support, we would not have been
able to continue, he says. Russias Sverbank
is also a strategic investment partner, con-
tributing more than $1 billion to the project.
Irkut has been carrying out aerodynamic
testing on scale models since 2009. Earlier
this year the programme began to physically
take shape. In February, fatigue tests began
on the aircrafts centre fuselage at the TsAGI
Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute at
Zhukovsky, near Moscow. The composite
wing built at Irkuts new Aerocomposit
centre of excellence at Ulyanovsk wing-
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fightglobal.com 40
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SPECIAL REPORT
box and empenage have begun an 18-
month test regime and we are receiving the
results we expected, says Demchenko.
Irkut claims to have 256 commitments, of
which 135 are rm, for the MC-21, which
will be offered in two variants, a 150-seat
-200 type and 181-seat -300 type.
Like all Russian aerospace manufacturers,
Irkuts predecessor companies had a lean
1990s. Set up as a partly private entity in the
early 2000s with shares listed on the stock
exchange Irkuts role in the commercial sec-
tor has been that of a supplier of aerostruc-
tures to Airbus as well as Gulfstreams Israeli-
assembled business jets. It became part of the
United Aircraft consortium when that was set
up in 2006. Irkuts other main programme is
the Yak-130, a military jet trainer which has
been in development since the early 1990s,
but was recently given a llip through an
order from the Russian ministry of defence.
Although the MC-21 is being designed and
built in Russia, like its fellow entrant in the
commercial aviation sector, the Sukhoi Super-
jet, the narrowbody draws extensively on West-
ern expertise, with Rockwell Collins avionics
and, most notably, Pratt & Whitneys PW1000G
geared turbofan engine. UTC Aerospace Sys-
tems (formerly Hamilton Sundstrand) and Zo-
diac are also suppliers. Demchenko is con-
dent that its international genes will win it
customers beyond the former Soviet Union.
There is no point in this programme if we are
just aiming for local sales, he says.
The supplier to Airbus will soon be taking
on its customer and rival Boeing as a direct
competitor, something that does not faze
Demchenko. Do you know of any market that
does not have tough competition? We are talk-
ing to all the major airlines and we feel that
the market is certainly big enough for another
player, he says. I certainly intend to get my
share of this business. O
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OLEG DEMCHENKO
President, Irkut
A cabin concept for the MC-21
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the Mi-171A2, the latest variant in the ubiqui-
tous Mi-8/17 family, the medium, multirole
Ka-62 the companys rst helicopter to be
produced in close collaboration with inter-
national companies and the Mi-38, an all-
new medium transport helicopter.
In-service models taking part in the ying
display include the Ka-226, a light multirole
coaxial helicopter pitched at the medevac
market and designed to perform in adverse
weather conditions and high altitudes. The
aircraft will feature prominently at the Winter
Olympics in Sochi. A theme of Russian Heli-
copters airborne display will be counter-ter-
rorism and re-ghting operations, with the
Mi-26, Mi-17-V5 and Mi-8AMTSh military
helicopters all featuring.
Also taking to the skies will be the Ka-52
Alligator, another coaxial type, which is used
as a scout helicopter by the Russian military.
In June, it made its rst appearance at the
Paris air show in 12 years and impressed in
the air display.
Russias helicopter types may lack the ele-
gance and style of some of their Western rivals
only a mother could love the reghting co-
axial Ka-32A for its looks but what they lack
in terms of aesthetics, they make up in terms
of engineering ingenuity.
The country leads the world in many heli-
copter technologies. The 4t Ansat which is
T
he Soviet Union placed great store in
its military helicopter capabilities and
the end of communism led to Russias
manufacturers emerging as powerful
players in the global market, particularly in the
ultra-heavy and medium/heavy categories.
Following the consolidation in 2007 of the
countrys two design houses Mil and Kamov
and ve assembly plants under the Russian
Helicopters banner, the group will be at
MAKS to promote its extensive range of estab-
lished and in-development military and com-
mercial rotorcraft.
The strategic priority for chief executive
Dmitry Petrov is to boost Russian Helicop-
ters penetration of both the export and civil
markets. Although the company claims to
represent 14% of the global helicopter eet
with more than 8,500 helicopters operated
in over 100 countries Russia represents half
that share.
Its business has also been skewed towards
the military, which stands at 70% of sales.
However, Petrov believes that once a slew of
new models becomes available during the
next few years, the civil/defence split will
even out.
Russian Helicopters products on show in
prototype or mock-up form at MAKS include
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being certicated in hydraulic ight control
guise was originally developed as a y-by-
wire helicopter. However, certication prob-
lems led to that version being put on hold.
Our opinion is that we were a bit ahead of
our time, admits Petrov. The market was not
ready, but the future belongs to helicopters
with y-by-wire.
FLYING VISIT
The Mi-38 is a new programme crucial to the
groups fortunes on the export market, partic-
ularly in Europe. With a 15.6t take-off weight
and designed to carry an external sling pay-
load of 7t, the model will slot below the
heavy-lifter Mi-26 in the product range. Pow-
ered by a Klimov TV7-117V engine and built
by Russian Helicopters Kazan production
plant, three prototypes have been produced
and ground runs started in May.
The helicopter is expected to make its pub-
lic ying debut at MAKS. Everyone is anx-
ious to see it y at last, says Petrov. A fourth
and nal prototype is being assembled in
close-to-production conguration with a
crashworthy fuel system and expanded win-
dows and Russian Helicopters is targeting a
2015 certication.
The aircraft, which will compete with
AgustaWestlands AW101 and the Sikorsky
S-92, ts several missions, from special mis-
sion and paratroop carrier to search and res-
cue and offshore transport.
A mock-up of the Kamov Ka-62 was on
show at Le Bourget, but the prototype proper,
Russian Helicopters is developing a raft of models as it
looks to boost its presence in the civil and export markets
The Ka-52 Alligator is
used in a scout role by
the Russian military
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Australia this year, where Petrov says feed-
back has been good.
China is also a strong potential market for
the model which has the ability to preci-
sion hover over a blaze. The rapid growth of
high-rise cities has created a need for the au-
thorities to be able to respond rapidly to res
in tall buildings.
Six years after its establishment as the
United Aircraft of the Russian rotorcraft sec-
tor, the Russian Helicopters name is becom-
ing better known. However, Petrov says there
is no danger of extinguishing our design
brands or those of our production facilities,
some of which date from the birth of the So-
viet helicopter industry. Instead, the Mil and
Kamov designations will remain on the heli-
The market was not ready,
but the future belongs to
helicopters with y-by-wire
DMITRY PETROV
Chief executive, Russian Helicopters
which is currently in nal assembly, is expect-
ed to be at MAKS. The 12- to 15-passenger
transport, powered by French Turbomeca Ar-
diden 3G engines, is described by Petrov as the
rst time in Russian history that a helicopter
has been designed and built as a result of a
huge international co-operation. He adds:
Doing it this way involved risks, but the pro-
gramme should be a success and the best in its
class. Two more prototypes are scheduled for
this year, with ight testing beginning in Octo-
ber and certication slated for 2015.
The Mi-171A2 is the latest version of the
venerable Mi-8/17, often claimed as the most
widely-operated helicopter ever. A prototype
has been in ight testing since the end of 2012
and a second version will appear at MAKS.
Petrov describes it as a deep upgrade of the
Mi-171 with updated avionics, gearbox and
engine, as well as composite blades and an
X-shaped tail rotor, which improves the
ight performance considerably.
The company expects to get approval for
the variant which it says is designed based
on feedback from operators and the exten-
sive operating experience of these helicopters
around the world in 2014.
A niche product which Russian Helicop-
ters is also determined to push more widely
is the coaxial Ka-32A11BC. Although it is in
operation as a reghter in Canada, South
Korea and Brazil, among other countries,
Petrov admits: We have perhaps not promot-
ed it to the best of our abilities. However, the
model was showcased and certicated in
copters, while Russian Helicopters will be
the umbrella brand, like Finmeccanica or
UTC, says Petrov.
Russian Helicopters was set up as a divi-
sion of Oboronprom, which also controls the
countrys consolidated aero engine industry.
Oboronprom, in turn, is part of Rostec, a
state-controlled investment fund.
However, the company is keen to attract ex-
ternal investment. Although an earlier attempt
at an initial public offering was abandoned,
Petrov says the company uses all the nan-
cial tools, including loans and bond place-
ments to raise capital.
An IPO is not necessary to move forward
he says, but the company continues to moni-
tor the market. Once they are ready to value
us to our true worth, we will be ready for
placement, says Petrov.
PART PROBLEM
One of the biggest challenges for Russian Heli-
copters in expanding its overseas footprint is
its lack of a developed parts support and main-
tenance infrastructure outside the CIS. Petrov
acknowledges this is a difculty, but the com-
pany is addressing it: We have a programme
of expanding aftersales.
The rm signed a deal with Denel to pro-
vide support in South Africa. A service centre
in Brazil is in the ofng and we are looking at
offers elsewhere in Latin America and Asia,
he says. Delivery of spare parts around the
world is still a problem, but we are working on
it. By 2015 you will see results. O
Consolidation created a company with a wide variety of offerings (clockwise from top left): the Ka-32A11BC, the Mi-28NE, the Ka-52 and the Mi-171E
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IFCs eet expansion and global outlook reect how far the Russian leasing rm
has come, and it is ready to play a vital role in the countrys aerospace comeback
LEASE OF LIFE
The rm believes that its decision to order Bombardiers CS300 could boost the MC-21s prospects, thanks to commonalities between the types
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hat a Russian nance house set up to
promote the domestic leasing of
home-grown types, such as the Ily-
ushin Il-96, in the industrys darkest
days should end up as one of the largest cus-
tomers of the Bombardier CSeries illustrates
how much the countrys aviation industry
has changed. It also highlights the ambitions
of Ilyushin Finance (IFC). The Moscow-
based company is determined to become a
major player in the global leasing business
and could play a vital role in the revival of
Russian aerospace.
In June this year, the rm established in
1999 by the renowned design bureau Ily-
ushin and former banker and current chief
executive Aleksandr Rubtsov conrmed
an order for 32 CS300 aircraft with options
for 10 more. It followed a letter of intent
signed at the MAKS air show in 2011. The
larger variant of the CSeries will be one of
three main types in IFCs new-look portfolio,
sitting between the smaller Sukhoi Superjet
and the Irkut MC-21 narrowbody. Deliveries
of the Canadian aircraft will begin from
the third quarter of 2015 at a rate of around
10 a year.
When we spoke to Rubtsov in a Moscow
restaurant shortly after his shareholders had
inked the CSeries deal, he admitted that the
decision to opt for the CSeries had been un-
popular with elements of the Russian media,
which had castigated IFC for its lack of patri-
otism. However, Rubtsov one of the few
Russian aviation leaders to speak uent Eng-
lish is adamant that the CS300 is not only
perfect for airlines seeking the most economi-
cal option on ights of up to 5,000km, but that
having a Bombardier aircraft at the core of the
IFC eet could actually boost the prospects of
Russian types.
Airlines opting for the CSeries will nd it
easy to operate it alongside the 170-seat and
above MC-21, one of two Russian programmes
IFC will add to its eet later this decade, says
Rubtsov. IFC has orders for 50 of the twinjet
type, its biggest commitment to date. Not only
do the Bombardier type and the MC-21 share
the same Pratt & Whitney geared-fan engine,
they have similar Rockwell Collins avionics
and share many other components. They
have 60% commonality, says Rubtsov, who
has also secured a deal with Bombardier to
provide aftersales support for its MC-21 cus-
tomers; one of the biggest challenges for Irkut
will be to establish a maintenance and service
infrastructure.
Rubtsov who expects to take delivery of
his MC-21s from 2018 at a rate of about 10 a
year is condent of nding buyers for the
single-aisle airliner in Russia and beyond. In
fact, he predicts that seven in 10 of the air-
craft will go to foreign operators. A total of
28 of the 50 MC-21s ordered will be powered
by the PW1000G engine, with the door
open for rival Russian engine maker Aviad-
vigatel to make a push for its PD-14 alterna-
tive for the remaining 22. However, Rubtsov
says his compatriots would have to make a
proposal we could not refuse for IFC to
switch from the PW1000G. The price and
the performance will have to be very com-
petitive, he adds.
The third prong of IFCs eet strategy is the
Superjet, produced by IFCs sister company
within the United Aircraft group, Sukhoi. The
leasing company signed a tentative deal for 20
of the regional jets at the Paris air show which
IFCS CURRENT FLEET AND ORDERS
Fleet
Ilyushin Il-96-300 7
Ilyushin Il-96-400T 4
Tupolev Tu-204/214 24
Antonov An-124-100 3
Antonov An-148 13
Antonov An-158 6
Orders
Irkut MC-21 50
Superjet 100 20
*
Bombardier CS300 32
*
Provisional
fightglobal.com 20 August-2 September 2013
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I
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sian state development bank. Lebedev and
Rubtsov own most of the remaining shares.
A shake-up is being proposed, with United
Aircraft exiting and Lebedevs 25% share
being offered to investors. At that point, a re-
branding which would see the legacy
Ilyushin name being dropped may be consid-
ered, says Rubtsov.
A nance house set up to nd homes for
Russian types is now on the road to becom-
ing a serious player in the global leasing mar-
ket with aspirations well beyond its domestic
market. Rubtsov makes no bones about the
fact that IFCs customers are second tier
airlines, but there are plenty of these which
are growing fast to meet the demands of do-
mestic markets. We are pushing outside the
CIS and have made inroads into Asia, says
Rubtsov. We are about to open a Berlin sales
ofce to establish a presence in Europe. Our
priority in the next few years is to truly inter-
nationalise ourselves.
A growing presence on the world stage is
helping bring Rubtsovs company to the at-
tention of more airlines beyond IFCs tradi-
tional sphere of inuence within Russia and
the CIS. O
der Lebedev became a major investor, as did
the Russian government. IFCs present share-
holding composition sees a 48% stake held
by United Aircraft and a 21% stake by a Rus-
would open the door to deliveries at a rate of
three or four aircraft a year from next year. The
deal could be formally inked at MAKS. Rubts-
ov expects to facilitate further expansion by
two of the early customers of the Sukhoi twin-
jet Indonesias Sky Aviation and Lao Central
of Laos which have taken delivery of Super-
jets this year.
IFC is also considering other Russian and
CIS types. It has already secured customers
for 13 Antonov An-148s, and may order
more of the Ukrainian regional jet. The lat-
est version of the Tupolev Tu-204, the Tu-
204SM, is also a possibility if the price is
right, says Rubtsov. IFC has already placed
24 examples of earlier variants of the air-
craft. The future of the Aviadvigatel Ps-
90A2-powered, medium-range airliner,
which was certicated by the Russian au-
thorities last month, is uncertain, however.
The only airline to show a serious interest
in the 194-passenger jet, Red Wings, had its
eet grounded over safety concerns earlier
this year.
IFCs status as a part-subsidiary of United
Aircraft remains in ux as well. As the com-
pany expanded in the 2000s, tycoon Alexan-
We are about to open a
Berlin sales ofce to establish
a presence in Europe
ALEKSANDR RUBTSOV
Chief executive, IFC
Precision asset vaIuations
Ascend's vaIuations and appraisaIs
services are the most hihIy rated
and respected in the industry.
Leverage cur extensive kncwledge and
experience fcr ccmmercial aircraft,
business |et and heliccpter appraisals.
0ur services suppcrt thcusands cf sales,
leases and business decisicns wcrldwide.
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Ascend A Flightglcbal Adviscry Service
cr ccntact us at values@ascendwcrldwide.ccm
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*
fightglobal.com
RUSSIA
SPECIAL REPORT
46
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A
ccording to ofcial Russian govern-
ment news agency Itar-Tass, a spe-
cial commission is expected by the
end of September to present its plan
for restructuring the countrys space industry.
Those plans, said deputy premier Dmitry
Rogozin, must be carried out in full. Rogozin
stressed that following an unacceptable and
long series of failures, the condition of the
rocket and space industry requires broader
and detailed consideration.
Heritage makes for nice history, but it could
be said that a rocket-launching operation is
only as good as its last launch. If that is the case,
then a space industry rightly famed for the rst
satellite (Sputnik, 1957); rst man into orbit
(Yuri Gagarin, 1961): rst landings on the
Moon, photos from the Moons surface, orbit of
the Moon and sample-return missions (Luna
programme, 1959-70); and rst modular space
station assembled in orbit (Mir, 1986-2001) may
be better thought of today in terms of the giant
reball in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, that ended,
after a few wobbly seconds, a 2 July 2013 at-
tempt to orbit three navigation satellites.
Investigation into that Krunichev Proton M
incident is still under way, but early indications
point to engine failure, premature lift-off and
upside-down installation of angular velocity
sensors, which are key parts of the rockets guid-
ance system. The fact that more than 10% of
Proton M launches fail, and that those have
been scattered throughout its 74-ight history,
point to a persistent quality-control problem.
HISTORY REPEATING
A similar pattern dogs Russias Yuzhnoye-
designed Zenit rockets, the vehicle used by
US-based Sea Launch. A spectacular 2007
failure on the oating pad led to bankruptcy
for Sea Launch, which is now a subsidiary of
one of the leading lights of Russias space in-
dustry, Energia.
Further pointing the nger at a pervasive
quality-control problem was the late-2011 fail-
ure to leave Earth orbit of the Zenit-launched
Phobos-Grunt sample-return mission to the
Martian moon Phobos. Its cause the mission
ended with an uncontrolled crash into the Pa-
cic was found to be computer malfunction
thanks to the use of components not qualied
for spaceight.
But commentators on Russias space indus-
try invariably praise sound if not excellent en-
gineering. And Russia is not standing still. A
exible family of launchers, called Angara, is
in development by the Khrunichev State Re-
search and Production Space Centre to replace
Proton, Zenit, Rockot and Kosmos. Angara
will use kerosene and liquid oxygen fuel, and
will bring an all-Russian character to an indus-
try that is currently reliant on a lot of Ukranian
technology and vehicles based on Cold War-
era intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The modular concept bears much similari-
ty to the US Air Forces Evolved Expendable
Launch Vehicle, which gave rise to the Delta
IV and Atlas V, or indeed to the European
Space Agencys Ariane 6, although the latter
will be all solid fuel in the main stages.
Signs from Russia are that Angara develop-
ment is not urgent but that it is ultimately of
strategic importance. Angara will hasten Rus-
sias withdrawal from Baikonur to Plesetsk
and Vostochny. The Baikonur cosmodrome is
geographically advantageous, sitting in the
most southerly part of the old Soviet Union,
but is not in Russia itself.
Meanwhile, Energia is developing a new
manned spaceship, to y by 2018-2020. The
capsule has been described by Roscosmos as
a universal spacecraft capable of bringing
six astronauts home from orbit.
Russia remains dedicated to international
collaboration in spaceight. A 10 July 2013
Tass report outlined plans by Roscosmos and
its counterparts in Kazakhstan and Ukraine to
develop a new launcher called Bayterek, a
modernised version of Zenit.
What cannot be overlooked is the fact that
Russian space technology is an integral part of
many US and European launch programmes.
When budget wrangling in Washington forced
NASA last year to tell ESA it had to pull out of
the 2016 and 2018 ExoMars missions, Roscos-
mos stepped in to save the day.
The original ExoMars plan was for NASA to
provide the Earth-to-Mars transportation for an
ESA-built orbiter and descent module demon-
strator in 2016 and an ESA-built rover in 2018.
But Proton launches for both legs of the mis-
sion are now agreed, and Russia is also provid-
ing some extra scientic instrumentation.
A more immediately visible Russian role in
Western spaceight is the venerable Soyuz
rocket, which has, since NASA retired the
Space Shuttle eet in 2011, been the only ride
to the International Space Station for US and
European astronauts.
Soyuz also gures prominently in ESAs
Although recent rocket failures have highlighted quality
control issues, Moscow is still a spaceight superpower
RELAUNCH
REQUIRED
DAN THISDELL LONDON
The Soyuz rocket is
the only ride to the ISS
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unmanned programme, since it adopted the
launcher to give itself a medium-lift offering
between its heavyweight Ariane 5 and new,
lightweight Vega vehicles.
CONTINUED APPEAL
ESA built a copy of the Soyuz launch pad in
Baikonur at its spaceport in Kourou, French
Guiana, with the rst launch taking place in
October 2011, carrying to orbit the rst two
of Europes Galileo navigation satellites to
orbit to build the Galileo constellation and
place other payloads aloft. One high-prole
event on the manifest highlighting Soyuzs
exibility is the 25 October launch of ESAs
Gaia astrometry mission, which with a Fregat
upper transit stage will be taken 1.5 million
km to orbit the Sun and make a record, in
unprecedented detail, of 1 billion stars in the
Milky Way.
The Soyuz launch site is actually a small
distance from Kourou, at Sinnamary. The site
was chosen for geological reasons, to accom-
modate the exhaust ports needed to match
Soyuzs home pad at Baikonur. But by remov-
ing Soyuz activity from the Vega and Ariane 5
sites, which sit very close together at Kourou,
ESA has also satised some security concerns.
A Soyuz launch brings in about 100 Russian
technicians, a presence that may have unset-
tled American Ariane 5 customers, were they
too close.
Therefore in the long term ESA may like to
have a home-grown alternative to Soyuz, but
that is not likely to come any time soon. Ariane
5 is to be replaced by Ariane 6 from about 2020,
by which time Vega will be well-established
and, possibly, being readied for a new, all-Eu-
ropean restartable upper stage to replace the
RD-869 restartable engine built in Ukraine and
also used as the third stage on the Dnepr launch
vehicle and its predecessor, the SS-18 intercon-
tinental ballistic missile.
Germanys aerospace research agency, DLR,
is keen to work with Italian counterpart ASI
which leads the Vega programme to develop
such a stage. But cost and caution mitigate
against speed in the space business, so do not
expect change any time soon. And, when that
change comes, do not be too surprised if
Russia is a participant. O
The Angara family of launchers is of
strategic importance to Russia
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For analysis of the latest news on space
programmes around the world , visit
ightglobal.com/hyperbola
fightglobal.com
RUSSIA
SPECIAL REPORT
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or six days in late August, the 11th
biennial MAKS air show will be-
come a platform for the world to as-
sess the health and progress of a Rus-
sian aerospace industry that is still searching
for success in the commercial market while
striving not to lose pace on the military side.
This years event nds the industry taking a
collective breath. It is two years after the ying
debut of the Sukhoi T-50 stealth prototype
and at least two years before the rst appear-
ance of the Irkut MC-21 narrowbody. No Rus-
sian-built design of similar scale and signi-
cance for the future of the Russian aerospace
industry is likely to command the same level
of attention in the ying display.
The crowds arriving on Zhukovsky air
base will have fewer diversions to distract
their attention from the increasingly heated
rhetoric about the fate of the Russian indus-
try. That is not to suggest that the public,
however, should come away altogether dis-
appointed by a lack of attractions.
MAKS air show, after all, will feature only
the second public appearance of the Sukhoi
T-50 and the rst since the 10th MAKS air
show two years ago. MAKS is the worlds
only venue for one to catch a glimpse of Rus-
sias most sophisticated ghter prototype on
public display this year.
As with so many other venues, the Chi-
nese are only too happy to capitalise on the
absence of a US government presence. As the
US Air Forces sequestration problem pre-
vents the return of a Boeing F-15E Strike
Eagle to the ying display, the Chinese air
forces 1 August display team of Chengdu
J-10 ghters sporting Russian-made NPO Sat-
urn Al-31 engines will take its place in the
skies above Ramenskoye.
The J-10 display will be joined by other
distinguished foreign visitors in the ying
circus, including a Swiss air force Boeing
F/A-18A and a French air force Dassault
Rafale. Although not as audibly forceful as
the ghters, the presence of the Airbus A380
will certainly not go unnoticed and its pres-
ence will carry even more weight with the
absence of Boeings 787.
The aircraft may be the stars of the air show,
but even the dazzling choreography of the
T-50 and the Sukhoi Su-35 cannot completely
distract observers from the current plight of
the Russian industry.
MAKS air show comes at a critical time for
Russian commercial aircraft manufacturing.
Only two years ago, Sukhoi unveiled the rst
production Superjet 100 aircraft at the show,
the rst all-new commercial aircraft pro-
duced by Russian industry since the Soviet
era. The Superjet 100 greeted the public with
great hope for a fast production ramp-up and
entry into new markets.
Two years on, production has not advanced
beyond a trickle 26 will be built this year
pushing the civil aircraft division of Sukhoi
deep into debt. Dragged down by development
BEAR MARKET
Although doubts persist about some parts of its industry, Moscows MAKS air show will
allow Russia to demonstrate the fact that it remains very much an aerospace powerhouse
Russias air force has
ordered 124 Sukhoi
Su-34 fighter-bombers
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STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC
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SPECIAL REPORT
costs and discounted prices of early Su-
perjet 100 deliveries, the company is Rb70 bil-
lion ($2.1 billion) in debt. Last year
Vnesheconombank opened a $1 billion credit
line to fund the programme, however Sukhoi is
still examining ways of restructuring its debts
and improving liquidity.
As the nancial situation plays out, the Su-
perjet programme will no doubt put on a
brave face at Zhukovsky. Last year, Embraer
displayed its airliner-derived Lineage 1000
VIP aircraft at Jet Expo in Russia, with no an-
swer from the equal-sized Superjet pro-
gramme despite a launch order by Comlux
dating from October 2011.
However, Sukhoi comes to MAKS this year
prepared to answer the challenge, with plans
to unveil the Superjets VIP conguration for
the rst time.
CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE
The rarity of a VIP aircraft unveiling in Russia,
however, is unlikely to break the crisis of con-
dence gripping Russian manufacturers. For
more than a decade, Russias state-owned and
private airlines have defected to Western-built
aircraft. The 737 and Airbus A320 are now
short-haul mainstays, whereas Tupolev has
been developing its modernised Tu-204SM -
and achieved certication last year - orders for
the twinjet have been virtually nonexistent.
The issue has been building for years, but
the noises coming from the Kremlin appear to
attaining a new level of intensity ahead of this
edition of the show.
In a series of tweets red off in late July,
Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry
Rogozin took state-owned airlines to task for
failing to buy Russian aircraft for their eets.
He also said that he will be holding a meeting
on 14 August with Russian aircraft producers
and customers to discuss the problem.
To be sure, Russias civil aircraft industry
still has some reasons for celebration at
MAKS despite all the political and nancial
concerns. Irkut ofcials indicated at the Paris
air show that it expects to conrm two con-
tracts for as many as 40 MC-21 single-aisle
aircraft during MAKS this year, and other
press reports have linked Irkutsk-based re-
gional carrier IrAero to rming up a commit-
ment for 10.
Engine manufacturer Aviadvigatel, mean-
while, is expected to unveil the rst detailed
cutaway of the PD-14 turbofan engine, which
is in development as an alternative power-
plant for the MC-21 and Russias best hope
for relevance in the commercial turbofan
market. The MC-21 will be delivered rst
with Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared tur-
bofans, but the Russian-built PD-14 could
become a secondary option for airlines.
Russias military aircraft designers have
taken the air show circuit by storm with the
export of the Su-35 ying display outside the
country for the rst time earlier this year. It
may be several years, however, before the
MAKS audience sees an all-new Russian
ghter make a debut. The T-50 prototype re-
mains in an extended development phase.
Russian ofcials have recently disclosed
plans to develop a replacement for the MiG-31
and Tupolev has acknowledged receiving a
contract to design a next-generation bomber,
but the public unveiling of either aircraft could
be years away.
HELICOPTER HOPES
A more promising prospect for air show surpris-
es lies in the Russian rotorcraft industry. State-
owned Russian Helicopters is in the midst of a
transition from a military-oriented business to a
balanced portfolio of civil aircraft.
It remains possible that MAKS will witness
the debut appearance and public ying dis-
play of the Kamov Ka-62, a light-twin-engined
derivative of the 6,500kg (14,330lb) class
Ka-60 military transport powered by Tur-
bomeca Ardiden 3G powerplants. Another
development from Russian Helicopters ex-
pected at MAKS is the rst appearance of the
VIP version of the venerable Mi-171 and the
A
ir
b
u
s
modernised Mi-171A2 that slots into the
booming super-midsize helicopter market.
On a smaller scale, start-up Russian manu-
facturer Berkut plans to follow up on the
launch of the light single-engined, co-axial
rotor helicopter at MAKS 2011 with the air-
craft joining the ight display this year. Rus-
sias domestic market has not often been kind
to new entrepreneurs, but the Berkut design
promises to attract interest beyond Russias
borders as a new alternative to the hot-selling
Robinson R66.
For foreign visitors, MAKS is always an
opportunity to catch up on new advances in
Russian technology, whether its a new
glimpse of the feared Vympel RVV-BD long-
range air-to-air missile, an update on the
manned Rus spacecraft development project
or the industrys progress in developing glo-
bally competitive unmanned air vehicles.
In the last of these categories, Russias
leading UAV developer Transas plans to take
a big step at the show by unveiling a medi-
um-altitude, long endurance drone for the
commercial market. O
Airbus will again display its superjumbo at MAKS on the back of orders from Transaero
Russian Helicopters is trying to reduce its reliance on military rotorcraft production
gg
B
illy
P
ix
For full coverage and pictures from Russias
fagship MAKS air show from 26 August, go to
ightglobal.com/maks
READER SERVICES
|
|
51 fightglobal.com
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EVENTS
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MAKS
Zhukovsky, Russia
maks@aviasalon.com
12-13 September
Flight Safety 2013
London
hannah.bonnett@rbi.co.uk
16-18 September
SpeedNews 14th Annual Aviation
Industry Suppliers Conference
Toulouse, France
speednews.com
16-18 September
World Low Cost Airlines Congress
Softel Heathrow, London
daniel.boyle@terrapinn.com
24-26 September
Helitech International
London, UK
helitechevents.com
22-24 October
NBAA Business Aviation Convention &
Exhibition
Las Vegas, Nevada
nbaa.org
29 October to 3 November
Seoul Air Show
Seoul, South Korea
seoulairshow.com
6-8 November
SppedNews 18th Regional & Business
Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference
Scottsdale, Arizona
speednews.com
17-21 November
Dubai Airshow
Dubai World Central
dubaiairshow.aero
19-20 November
Safety in Aviation North America
Montreal, Canada
events.registration@rbi.co.uk
www.fightglobalevents.com/
safetyna2013
16-18 January
Bahrain International Air Show
Bahrain
bahraininternationalairshow.com
11-16 February
Singapore Airshow
Changi, Singapore
singaporeairshow.com
25-30 March
Feria Internacional del Aire y del
Espacio (FIDAE)
Santiago, Chile
fdae.cl
15-17 April
Asian Business Aviation Conference
and Exhibition (ABACE)
Shanghai, China
abace.aero
20-22 May
European Business Aviation
Convention and Exhibition (EBACE)
Geneva, Switzerland
ebace.aero
20-25 May
ILA
Berlin, Germany
ila-berlin.com
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52| Flight International | 20 August-2 September 2013 ightglobal.com
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TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX+44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL classified.services@rbi.co.uk
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ightglobal.com 20 August-2 September 2013 | Flight International | 53
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54| Flight International | 20 August-2 September 2013 ightglobal.com
State of Kuwait Ministry of Finance
Notice of Civil Aviation Tires Sale
Ministry of Finance hereby ANNOUNCES the sale of used Tires of Kuwait Amiri Fleet Aircraft
(B747-400 9K-ADE) by a sealed envelope auction process as per following details in AS IS
condition:-
1) Place of receiving auction conditions documents and participation request
Bayan palace, Tender & Follow-Up department effective from this announcement issuance
date till 19th September 2013. The Auction Conditions Documents and Participation
Request will be delivered against non-refundable fees of KWD 5 to be deposited into the
Amiri Diwan Treasury.
2) Tires physical Inspection Date/Venue
Date: 20 Business days from 25th August 2013 to 19th September 2013 during KAC
official working hours.
Venue: Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait Airways Company (Engineering Department)
Material Section EJ.
3) Bid submission Date/Venue and envelope opening
Offers must be submitted between 10AM to 12PM on 9th October 2013 to the Ministry
of Finance, Ministries Complex, Block 12, Third floor, General Storage Affairs
Department, Central Sale Section, noting that no offers will be accepted after 12PM.
The sealed envelope will be uncapped and auction shall be held at 12:30PM on 9th
October 2013 at the Ministry of Finance, Ministries Complex, Block 12, First Floor,
Room 17.
Successful bidder must submit his bid value in an endorsed cheque issued by a Kuwaiti
local bank in favor of The Amiri Diwan.
4) Special Conditions
The Tires will be sold to local and foreign companies only and not to individuals.
Payment and offer must be made in Kuwaiti Dinars.
The bidder must physically attend on the auction process.
Applicable International laws will be observed throughout the subject Tires sale
transaction.
Ministry of Finance, the Amiri Diwan and Kuwait Airways Company shall be deemed free
from any legal liability in association with the subject Tires sale transaction during the
sale process and thereafter.
The successful bidder shall commit to be legally liable for any subsequent Tires sale that
is not in accordance with applicable International laws.
The Tires at R-00 worn levels.
F Auction Conditions Documents and Participation Request can be collected from Mrs.
Tahani Al-Qandi. Tel. 00965 25391826
F Aircraft Physical Inspection is to be coordinated via Capt. Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan.
Tel. 00965 24736374. Email: kwizrku@kuwaitairways.com
Notice of Aircraft Spare Parts Sale
Ministry of Finance hereby ANNOUNCES the sale of spare parts of Kuwait Amiri Fleet Aircraft
(B727, MD 83, G4, G3) by a sealed envelope auction process as per following details in AS
IS condition:-
date till 20th October 2013. The Auction Conditions Documents and Participation
Request will be delivered against non-refundable fees of KWD 5 to be deposited into the
Amiri Diwan Treasury.
2) Spare parts physical Inspection Date/Venue
Date: (7) Business days from 6th October 2013 till 20th October 2013 during KAC official
working hours.
Venue: Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait Airways Company (Engineering Department)
Material Section EJ.
3) Date and place of bid submission and envelope opening
Offers should be submitted from 10AM till 12PM on 21st October 2013 to the Ministry
Department, Central Sale Section. No offers shall be accepted after 12PM.
The sealed envelopes will be opened and the auction shall be held at 12:30PM on 21st
Room 17.
Successful bidder must submit his bid value in an endorsed cheque by a Kuwaiti local
bank in favor of The Amiri Diwan.
The spare parts shall be sold to local and foreign companies only and not to individuals.
Applicable International laws will be observed throughout the subject spare parts sale
transaction.
from any legal liability in association with the subject spare parts sale transaction during
the sale process and thereafter.
F Spare Parts Physical Inspection is to be coordinated via Capt. Abdulmohsen Al-
Fagaan. Tel. 00965 24736374. Email: kwizrku@kuwaitairways.com
Notice of Civil Aircraft Sale
Ministry of Finance hereby ANNOUNCES the sale of Kuwait Amiri Fleet Aircraft (A300C4-620
MSN 344 9K-AHI JT9D-7R4H1) by a sealed envelope auction process as per following details
in AS IS condition:-
date till 5th September 2013. The Auction Conditions Documents and Participation
Request will be delivered against non-refundable fees of KWD 300 to be deposited into
the Amiri Diwan Treasury.
2) Aircraft physical Inspection Date/Venue
Date: 20 Business days from 11th August 2013 till 5th September 2013 during KAC official
working hours.
Venue: Kuwait International Airport, Kuwait Airways Company (Engineering Department) -
Aircraft Maintenance Section MU.
3) Bid submission Date/Venue and envelope opening
Offers must be submitted between 10AM till 12PM on 8th October 2013 to the Ministry
Department, Central Sale Section noting that no offers will be accepted after 12PM.
The sealed envelope will be uncapped and auction shall be held at 12:30PM on 8th
Room 17.
Successful bidder must submit his bid value in an endorsed cheque issued by a Kuwaiti
local bank in favor of The Amiri Diwan.
The aircraft will be sold to local and foreign companies only and not to individuals.
Applicable International laws will be observed throughout the subject aircraft sale
transaction.
from any legal liability in association with the subject aircraft sale transaction during the
sale process and thereafter.
The successful bidder shall commit to be legally liable for any subsequent aircraft sale
that is not in accordance with applicable International laws.
The aircraft has only One Engine.
The aircraft will be sold in total (WHOLE UNIT) and not partially.
F Aircraft Physical Inspection is to be coordinated via Capt. Abdulmohsen Al-Fagaan.
Tel. 00965 24736374. Email: kwizrku@kuwaitairways.com
Sale of Parts
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flightglobal.com/jobs
EMAIL recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk CALL +44 (20) 8652 4900 FAX +44 (20) 8652 4877
Getting careers off the ground
flightglobal.com 20 August-2 September 2013 | Flight International | 55
LAME B2 AVIONIC ENGINEER
(Macau based)
REQUIREMENTS:
A highly skilled team player
A full MAR/HKCAD or EASA-66 B2 License,
preferably endorsed with an AW139 Type Rating
Experience on twin engine helicopters
Employment Package
t An attractive (low taxj salary t Manufacturers type courses provided (as requiredj
t Single or Married accompanied status t Private medical and dental care
t Assistance with school fees
B1.3 HELICOPTER ENGINEER
(Macau based)
REQUIREMENTS:
A highly skilled team player
A full Part-66 B1.3 License (MAR/ HKAR/ EASA-66j
preferably endorsed with AW139 Type Rating
Extensive experience on twin engine helicopters
Application Procedures
We offer attractive rewards and career prospects to the suitable candidate. To apply, please send your resume with
current and expected salary to The Human Resources Department, Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited, Room 1603, China
Merchants Tower, Shun Tak Centre, 200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong or via e-mail to recruit@skyshuttlehk.com.
All information received will be kept in strict confdence and used for recruitment purposes. Please note that only short-listed applicants will be notifed.
For more information, please visit our website at www.skyshuttlehk.com
Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited is one of the leading helicopter airlines in the world. ln
partnership with Macau's East Asia Airlines Limited, we offer an extensive range of shuttle
and charter helicopter services under the "Sky Shuttle" brand in Hong Kong, Macau and
China. We would like to invite high caliber individuals to fll the following position.
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A MEETING OF EXPERIENCE
We are seeking two motivated Aircraft
Sales Representatives
To be based at Cotswold Airport, Kemble. Must have experience of
delivering high levels of service to key customers and also a knowledge of
Light and Executive aircraft. Current PPL Highly desirable.
If you are interested in a new challenge with an initiative driven team
please send your CV to: kjf@c2aviation.com
C2 Aviation is a member of the MIDAIR Group
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56| Flight International | 20 August-2 September 2013 flightglobal.com
Successful applicants will receive
full training and a competitive
benets package.
Requirements
s
Hold or have held JAA/EASA
ATPL(H) with IR(H) or CPL(H)
with IR(H)
s
Have at least 1,000 hours ying
experience as a helicopter pilot
s
Have at least 350 hours ying
experience as a pilot of multi-
pilot helicopters

Preferences
s
Previous Instructional
Experience
s
S-92 or similar ratings
s
Search and Rescue
s
Offshore Operations
Competitive Salary
and Benets
For information or to apply,
visit Careers at ightsafety.com,
or call +44 (0) 1252 554 500.
Equal opportunity employer/M/F/D/V
A Berkshire Hathaway company ightsafety.com
EASA Instructors
for Sikorsky S-92
FlightSafety International, Farnborough, UK seeks Ground and
Simulator Instructors for the Sikorsky S-92 program to instruct
Initial, Recurrent and Enrichment Pilot Training courses.
The CHIRP Charitable Trust
UK Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme
Deputy Director (Engineering) - Part Time
KEEN TO USE YOUR ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE TO IMPROVE AVIATION SAFETY?
THE ROLE
CHIRP receives safety-related reports from
aviation personnel, which we follow up on a
confidential basis and, where possible,
identify the safety lessons. Selected reports
are published in the CHIRP FEEDBACK
journal.
We are seeking a part-time Deputy Director
(Engineering) as the incumbent will be
retiring. You will be responsible for the
analysis, co-ordination and administration of
maintenance and engineering related
confidential reports. You will also be
responsible for the co-ordination of the UK
Maintenance Error Management System
(MEMS) initiative and the management of
the MEMS database. The post-holder will
report to the Chief Executive.
THE DESIRED PROFILE
- Established reputation as an engineering
manager with a strong safety ethos.
- Experience in the application of best
practice in safety management in an
engineering organisation.
- Good knowledge of the organisation and
regulation of aircraft maintenance.
- Good interpersonal and communication
skills. Ability to communicate effectively
at all levels. Good written English.
- Competent in Microsoft Office and
preparation/delivery of presentations.
The appointment will be based on a time commitment of about eight days per month and
will require some attendance at our office at Farnborough, Hampshire, combined with
distance/home working on a mutually agreed basis.
The remuneration package will reflect the expertise required, but a keen interest in
improving aviation safety will be the main motivator.
APPLICATIONS
To apply, please send your CV by e-mail to confidential@chirp.co.uk or by mail to
The Chief Executive, The CHIRP Charitable Trust, 26 Hercules Way, Farnborough,
Hampshire, GU14 6UU. For further details, please phone 01252 378 947.
The closing date for applications is 6th September 2013.
HEAD OFFICE, BALAKA, KURMITOLA, DHAKA-1229, BANGLADESH,
PHONE: 8901600-14, 8901680-94, FAX: 88-02-8901558,www.biman-airlines.com
Advertisement for Recruiting Agency
Biman Bangladesh Airlines is looking for Recruiting Agency for
a period of 02 years to help recruiting high quality expatriate
professionals in various positions as per Company requirement.
The Agency should meet the following selection criteria:
1) Mandatory
Minimum 05 years experience
Experience with more than 02 reputed airlines
Track record of providing successful professionals
2) Desirable
Working experience with Asian Airlines
Experience of providing pilot or other operational staff.
Biman will pay Fee for the recruited candidate only. No
other fees are acceptable. The applicant must mention the
expected Fee. Interested Agency fulfilling the above
requirements are requested to send proposal along with
supporting documents to email ID mgremp@bdbiman.com
on or before 14 September 2013.
A. H. M. Shafiul Bari
Manager Employment
Human Resource Department
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited
Balaka Bhaban, Kurmitola, Dhaka1229
Bangladesh. www.bimanairlines.com
HELICOPTER CAPTAIN
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a suitably
qualied and experienced rotary pilot to join the
JCB corporate aviation team. For further details visit
www.jcbcareers.com
Zenon Recruitment is one of Europes fastest growing
specialist suppliers of skilled personnel to the aviation industry
We currently require a
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
for a helicopter maintenance operation based in
Eastern Europe
Zenon Aviation are also assisting a leading operational supplier
to the airline and business aviation market in their search for a
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT
OPERATIONS
For more information on these and other current vacancies,
please visit www.zenon.aero +44 (0) 1483 332000
58 | Flight International | 20 August-2 September 2013 ightglobal.com
www.ctcaviation.com/ctcflexicrew
CTC FlexiCrew
High flyers, on demand
Seeks Type Rated Pilots
Locations UK & Worldwide
Flexible & Permanent Positions
Email: recruitment@sigmaaviationservices.com
www.sigmaaviationservices.com
Tel: +353 1 669 8224
Fax: +353 1 669 8201
Email: recruitment@sigmaaviationservices.com
www.sigmaaviationservices.com
Contract and Permanent recruitment
for the Aviation industry
David Rowe, Alastair Millar,
Jodie Green, Ian Chapman
Tel: +44 (0)1737 821011
Email: aero@cbsbutler.com
www.cbsbutler.com
GCT Group
Worldwide specialist for
Aerospace Engineering,
Certification & Management
Services
e: yourcv@garner.de
t: +49 (0) 8153 93130
w: www.garner.de
The preferred company for Stress (Fatigue & DT), GFEM,
Composites), Aeronautical Research. Business units:
Contract staff, Workpackages, Innovation and New
Concepts, Aeronautical Research. www.bishop-gmbh.com
Contact bishop.peter@bishop-gmbh.com
Tel 0049-(0)40-866-258-10 Fax 0049-(0)40-866-258-20
To advertise in this
Employment Services Index
call +44 (0) 20 8652 4900
fax +44 (0) 20 8261 8434
email recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk
Please note that calls may
be monitored for training purposes
One industry, one job site
Get express relief with
THE industry job site
at Jobs.Flightglobal.com
Recruitment
headache?
Print Online Mobile
Recruitment Support
to the Aviation Industry
T: +44(0)1483 332000
recruitment@zenon.aero
aviation recruitment
WORKING WEEK
fightglobal.com
What was your introduction to
aviation?
During college, I was part of a
team building a Teenie Two air-
craft powered by a converted
VW engine. I built wing frames
and worked on the modica-
tions required to introduce a
dual ignition system. I was
hooked from then.
Where did your career go from
there?
I joined the Royal Air Force as a
ightline mechanic and started
working on the Mighty Jaguar
as it was affectionately known.
To me the buzz of a very busy
ightline of fast jets was exciting
and I wanted to do everything
and anything that meant I was
close to aircraft operations and
maintenance. Never restricting
myself to my primary job, I got
involved with all of the single
aircraft trades at the time. These
experiences helped me decide
the path I was to take, which was
avionics. Having covered on-air-
craft and depth maintenance, as
well as bay maintenance to com-
ponent level on complex multi-
operator sensor suites and elec-
trical and hydraulic antenna
systems, I drew on my wealth of
experience in many roles and be-
came an instructor. Further pro-
motion led me to become a sup-
port engineer in the defence
logistics support organisation. It
was here that I became involved
with industry before returning
once again to a teaching role,
eventually taking the post of
chief instructor and manager.
What does your current role
involve?
I take great pride in being in-
volved in the sustainment of a
signicant and proven UK de-
fence systems capability that is
saving lives. As cost account
manager and head of training for
ASTOR Training Support Servic-
es, I am responsible for all train-
ing provision for Sentinel R1
ight and mission crews, aircraft
maintenance and ASTOR
ground station operators and
maintenance teams. Im also a
maintenance human factors fa-
cilitator as well as the Raytheon
UK Airborne Solutions training
discipline lead.
How important has your
experience within the RAF been
for how you do your job now?
Invaluable. The RAF has invest-
ed a lot of time and money in me
and even though I am no longer
serving, that investment is still
being repaid. Having lived the
life, I am able to understand MoD
requirements and respond quick-
ly with solutions, and even antic-
ipate their needs in some cases.
What will have made it a good
week for you come Friday
evening?
While customer focus is key, a
knowledgeable and condent stu-
dent ultimately leads to a happy
customer and a happy boss. Bring-
ing people on in an engaging way
is an achievement in itself and if I
can put two of the three away each
week then I am content.
What advice would you give to
a young person looking to end
up with the sort of career you
have had?
Money is a byproduct of doing
something you love. Dont ac-
cept anyone saying you are/
were only a enjoy what you
do and give your best. Take
every opportunity that comes
your way and even if things
dont go well straight away,
someone will notice and recog-
nise you for your abilities.
Dont accept anyone
saying you are/were
only a enjoy
what you do and
give your best
For more employee work
experiences, pay a visit to
ightglobal.com/workingweek
If you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who does, email your
pitch to kate.sarseld@
ightglobal.com
Martin Johnston is top instructor for Raytheon UKs ASTOR Training Support Services business providing tutoring
to the Royal Air Forces Sentinel R1 fight and mission crews, alongside maintainers and ground station operators
Repaying a nations investment
WORK EXPERIENCE MARTIN JOHNSTON
|
|
59
Johnston chose to specialise in avionics after working in numerous areas
Opportunities in Product & Quality Assurance
www.jobs.eads.com
CHALLENGING PERSPECTIVES
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