Aerospace & Defense News - Technology North America

AirGuide Business, June 1, 2009

Bombardier

Bombardier is developing a centralized maintenance health monitoring system (CMHMS) for the CSeries that will provide real-time information about the entire aircraft to ensure enhanced diagnostics and prognostics. The CMHMS will play a role in helping to drive down direct maintenance costs of the CSeries. Bombardier predicts the 110/130-seat aircraft will cost 28 percent less to maintain than in-production competitors, including the Airbus A319, Boeing 737-600 and Embraer 195. May 26, 2009

Bombardier, ATR

Turboprop manufacturers are seriously looking at stretching their aircraft. The regional airline industry continued to look forward to a stretched turboprop, but thus far neither ATR nor Bombardier has gone beyond informal consideration. Bombardier said last week that there's been substantial interest in a Q400X. ATR Head of Sales-North America John Moore said customers have expressed interest in a turboprop of up to 90-100 seats and that a stretch version could require a new airframe and engine. The potential market could raise interest among other engine manufacturers. Some 2,000 regional jets currently in service are powered by CF34s and GE has delivered about 400 of these engines over the past five years, Nugent said. "We're studying a number of options," he explained, pointing out that technology from its turboshaft segment could be "incorporated" into a turboprop. May 26, 2009

General Electric, Rolls-Royce

GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team Launches Path to Flight Test. The GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team has launched its flight clearance certification review, a process that will prepare the F136 engine for flight testing over the next several months. Following flight certification, the first F136-powered F-35 Lightning II will take to the air in early 2011, in alignment with Lockheed MartinOs ongoing flight test schedule for the Joint Strike Fighter program. The flight clearance certification reviews will include representatives from the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team, Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Government Joint Program Office, the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The review team will evaluate all pre-flight and performance parameters that will lead the F136 engine to be cleared for flight testing. The review team has already conducted two days of detailed technical reviews, which included representatives from Edwards Air Force Base and Patuxent River Naval Air Station. May 27, 2009

JetSuite, Embraer

Burt Rutan Achieves Another Aviation First, Aboard JetSuite Phenom 100 Jet. Private jet broker and management company JetSuite welcomed its first customer this week when award-winning aircraft designer Burt Rutan boarded the first commercial Phenom 100 flight in California, one of the first commercial operations in the world for the brand-new aircraft type. JetSuite is the exclusive broker for this Phenom 100 and booked the flight on behalf of Air by Jet, based in Solana Beach, CA. Air by Jet is the first Part 135 Air Carrier in California to operate a Phenom, which is widely considered to be the 'next generation' regional business jet. JetSuite, one of Embraer's largest Phenom fleet customers, will take delivery of 7 more Phenom 100s this year. The National Aviation Hall of Fame winner (1995) and renowned aircraft and spaceship designer Rutan chartered the aircraft to his home in the Mojave Desert, and remarked: ``That was a fun and comfortable ride and I am delighted to have been JetSuite's first customer.'' May 29, 2009