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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0016.PDF
BUSINESS Douglas hands T45 to McAir Management of the US Navy's T45TS pilot-train ing programe and manufacture of the T-45 Goshawk jet trainer is being moved from Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach to Mc Donnell Aircraft in St Louis. Douglas is to concentrate on production of large transport air craft, and the move will release capacity to cope with its record backlog of orders for MD-80, MD-90 and MD-11 airliners. McDonnell Aircraft, in con trast, is facing a slowdown in combat-aircraft production, the F-15 line closing after 1992. Moving T-45 production will guarantee jobs for some 1,800 St Louis employees. Management of the 300-air- craft, 32-simulator T45TS train ing system and other military training programmes run by Douglas will also move to St .* 27B7 t— NA\/Y = ;. McDonnell Aircraft will build the US Navy's Goshawk trainers Louis to become part of the exist ing McAir training Systems organisation. Throughout 1989, Douglas suffered sizeable losses on its operations, which include C-17 airlifter, largely because of a restructuring begun last year to improve efficiency and quality. Results at McAir improved throughout 1989, as overheads on existing production pro grammes were reduced, but cost- sharing development of the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Advanced Tactical Fighter prototype continues to drain the company's resources. The first of two YF-23s is scheduled to roll out at Northrop this month. • Pennsylvania backs Piper North Funding to start up Piper North in Lock Haven, Penn sylvania, has been appropriated by the state government. A subsidiary of Stuart Millar's Romeo Charlie holding com pany, which owns Florida-based Piper Aircraft and LoPresti Piper Engineering, Piper North will build the US company's Navajo Chieftain cabin twin and Swiftfury two-seater. A desire to establish jobs in north-central Pennsylvania is the state government's justification for appropriating funds to ac quire a factory and start up manufacturing operations on behalf of Piper. The move is welcomed by Raymond Johnson, president of Piper Aircraft, from which Piper North will purchase equipment with which to begin manufacturing. • Dow-Sikorsky venture operational Dow-United Technologies Composite Products has begun operations as an indepen dent company. Announced last September, the joint venture combines Dow's epoxy-based composite materials technology with United Technologies subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft's composite parts development and manufacturing capabilities. Headquartered in Stratford, Connecticut, with former Sikor sky vice-president—composite products Thomas Scarpati as president and chief executive officer, the joint venture designs, manufactures and markets composite components for aero space, defence, automotive and industrial uses. Sales are ex pected to grow from $75 million in the first year to $600 million by the late 1990s. Dow has contributed growth capital, research, development and commercial resources, plus patent licences and know-how. United Technologies has contributed more than 500 Sikorsky employees at its exist ing composites plant in Alabama and in Connecticut-based re search, engineering and design groups, plus certain composite parts contracts. • Hyundai plans helicopter arm South Korea's second-largest industrial conglomerate, Hyundai, has announced it is to begin building helicopters, having reportedly reached a ten tative co-production agreement with Bell Helicopters. The news is greeted with dismay be the country's existing helicopter manufacturers, Mc Donnell Douglas licensee Korean Air and Sikorsky licensee Daewoo Heavy Industries, who fear unproductive competition while Korean aerospace industry is in its infancy. Relying on heavy machinery, shipbuilding, automobiles and industrial products, Hyundai fears for its survival as a leading conglomerate in 21st century Korea unless it adopts a "survival strategy" based on aerospace. Hyundai founder Chung Ju- Young, now heading its Hyundai Precision & Industry subsidiary, is expected to assume responsibility for the group's aerospace project. Construction of a helicopter assembly plant is under way at Changwon in the southern part of South Korea. • BUSINESS IN BRIEF DOWTY LIFTS Dowty Group reports 1989 pre-tax profits up 13.5% to £37 million ($59 million) on a turnover up 26% to £337.5 million. Operating profit was up 20% and, despite industrial action affecting output, aero space division (Dowty Rotol and Dowty Boulton Paul) in creased turnover almost 10% to £130 million. BUYS AND SELLS General Dynamics has ac quired electrothermal propul sion research company GT Devices, which becomes part of GD Land Systems, working on electromagnetic rail guns for tanks. Raytheon has sold UK cable company Sterling Greengate to BICC for £60 million ($96 million). LTU SHARE SOLD A 34% stake of West Germa ny's largest charter airline, Dusseldorf-based LTU, has been sold to local West LB bank. Founded in 1955 by Kurt Conle, the airline, had a 1989 turnover of DM1.6 bil lion ($925 million), up 16% on 1988. FIELD EXPANDS Hunting company Field Air craft has established a £5 mil lion ($8 million) business/ commuter aircraft mainte nance venture at Peachtree City Airport near Atlanta, Georgia. Starting with a 3,250m2 hangar and 40 personnel, Field Aircraft At lanta aims to attract US op erators of Jetstream 31 and Saab 340 regional airliners and business jets of up to Gulfstream size. ATF ON VIDEO Video teleconferencing by sat ellite is keeping the YF-22 Ad vanced Tactical Fighter prototype programme on track, linking Lockheed in Burbank with team-members Boeing in Seattle and Wichita and General Dynamics in Fort Worth for up to 45h each week—Lockheed plans to roll out the first of two YF-22 prototypes in March.
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