Intelligence: News

HBC, FlightSafety Team Up for Mx Training

Wichita, Kan.-based Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) is partnering with FlightSafety International to provide the MxPro maintenance training program. The program, which will be available for HBC’s product lines, combines hands-on training with classroom experience and simulated exercises. Bill Brown, president of HBC global customer service and support, notes that MxPro "will provide thorough and specialized training to ensure our aircraft are maintained by the most technically advanced technicians in the world." He adds that the goal is to "develop innovative training programs to enhance our technicians’ ability to troubleshoot and repair aircraft quickly while minimizing down time."

MxPro will initially be offered on the Hawker 900XP, and then the Hawker 4000 and other platforms. An enhanced version of the training program, MxPro Plus, focuses on supplementary task-oriented training for mechanics. Training will primarily occur FlightSafety’s training center in Wichita, which is set for completion later this year.

Meanwhile, HBC has expanded its worldwide service network with two new locations — in Germany and Saudi Arabia — and realigned its field service rep (FSR) structure in Europe. Aerodata AG of Braunschweig, Germany has become an authorized service center (ASC) for the Beechcraft line. The maintenance provider also performs work on special-mission aircraft. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia-based Arabian Aircraft Service Co. (ARABASCO) has also become an ASC for the Hawker 800. The fixed-base operator (FBO) and maintenance facility plans to offer 900XP services in the near future.

The structure of HBC’s network of field service reps in Europe involves Phill Thorpe for the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia; Mark Reynolds for southern Europe, France, Switzerland and North Africa; Miles Rittey for eastern and central Europe, and Germany; Hans May, propeller product support for eastern, central and southern Europe and North Africa; and Mark Saunders, Avionics Support for all regions. For a related story on HBC’s Bill Brown see Change Agent.

Lufthansa Technik’s New VIP Maintenance Center in Basel

Last October, Lufthansa Technik opened a business/VIP jet maintenance facility in Basel, Switzerland. The new workshops are complementing those located in Hamburg, which focus on completions. In Berlin, an LHT-Bombardier venture is offering retrofit with the Nice cabin management system.

"Basel Mulhouse — a former Swiss International Air Lines site — had almost all the equipment needed; we just added some VIP equipment," marketing and sales director Thomas Foth told AM. Some 375,000 square feet are dedicated to VIP maintenance. The Basel facility is set to focus on modifications and refurbishments. In Hamburg, the completion line is very busy with new aircraft. Customers previously taking aircraft to Hamburg might have been asked to wait nine months for a job, like replacing a sofa with a bed, that should only take a few weeks. This was unacceptable, according to Lufthansa. Opening LHT Switzerland in Basel thus answered a need for space. Slots are more easily available.

As of mid-May, eight customers were using the new facility. These customers are based in Europe, Russia and the Middle East, Foth says. For VIP interiors, LHT Switzerland employs 30 technicians, out of a total 500. The building features an unusual layout and takes advantage of natural terrain. The hangar is thus situated at the sixth floor; the interior shop is on the fifth floor; and the engine shop is on the third floor. A road is downhill. In Hamburg, Lufthansa Technik is saying demand remains high for large VIP aircraft completions. The company has 11 widebodies and seven narrowbodies under contract or letter of commitment. In addition, six A318 Elites are under contract. In progress are three A330s, one A340, one 747-300, three A318 Elites and one Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ).

In Berlin, Lufthansa Technik’s joint venture with Bombardier and Execujet (LBAS), has started performing heavy maintenance on Bombardier Global series aircraft. "We already have carried out a D-check (8C check, under Bombardier’s nomenclature) on a Global Express; it was the first one in Europe," says Peter Isendahl, director of sales and marketing. The company is planning another two or three this year. An 8C check for a Global is due after 10 years of service.

"Such heavy maintenance is a perfect opportunity to have our Nice inflight entertainment and cabin management system installed," Isendahl suggests. LBAS has recently received approval for a Nice retrofit on Bombardier Challenger and Global series business jets. The Lufthansa Technik authorization covers Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the CIS.

Developed by VIP cabin experts in Hamburg, Nice comes as standard on the Challenger 300. It is an option on the Global 5000 and Global XRS. It has been fitted to Boeing Business Jets, ACJs (both based on narrowbodies) and widebodies as well. LHT claims to have more than 100 Nice systems flying on business/VIP jets, most of them Challenger 300s. According to Gerolf Dietel, in charge of innovation marketing and communication, a new potential market for Nice is in Embraer business jet completions and Avro/BAe 146 refurbishments. Structured around an ethernet network, Nice enables integrated control of DVD players, shades, air conditioning, lighting, moving map display, communications systems, etc., on a wireless touch screen. A recent feature is iPod/iPhone connectivity. This means an iPod or iPhone can morph into a cabin remote control.

The LBAS hangars at Berlin’s Schoenefeld Airport (SXF) can house up to 16 aircraft. Majority shareholder Lufthansa Technik has 51 percent of the firm, while Bombardier holds 29 percent and Swiss-based Execujet the remaining 20 percent. There are now about 160 employees on the LBAS payroll. — Thierry Dubois, European Contributing Editor

Snecma Offers CFM Technology on Business Jet Engine

French-based engine manufacturer Snecma is looking for a business jet application for the Silvercrest, a turbofan introduced as a cheaper maintenance alternative in the 10,000-lb-thrust class. The Safran group company says it is leveraging experience with commercial CFM56 engines, thus bringing new standards to business aviation. The Silvercrest’s core engine has already run some 80 hours on the ground.

"Compared to other business jet engines, we will offer true on-condition maintenance," says Bernard Boutin, general manager for regional and business aviation programs. He notes that Silvercrest, Snecma’s first foray into business aviation, will not require scheduled hot section inspections.

"Rather, borescope inspections will take place at intervals of several thousand hours," Boutin says. Parameters recorded via the full authority digital engine control (FADEC) will help health monitoring.

The bottom line is hoped to be 9,000 hours before the first shop visit. According to Boutin, today’s best engines have their first shop visit around 5,000 – 6,000 hours.

CFM56s, which are jointly produced by General Electric and Snecma and can be found mainly on Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, are close to 20,000 hours. These engines have a "modular" design. It means that one module — the low-pressure turbine, for example — can be replaced independently.

"The Silvercrest will also benefit from such a modular architecture," says program manager Laurence Finet. She adds that some other business jet turbofans claim to be modular but in fact involve a lot of dismantling.

Operators will pick between a by-the-hour scheme and a maintenance software program to use at their own shop, if they have one. This is where the recent merger between Snecma (as an engine maker) and Snecma Services, its maintenance, repair and overhaul arm, will streamline the buying process. "Simultaneously with selling an engine, we will be able to offer accompanying services — in a single contract," Boutin notes.

According to Finet, maintainability has been taken into account right from the early stages of the design. "The customer support department is involved," she says. A digital mockup has been used with a virtual technician. Tested, for instance, is whether the technician can find a path for a tool, whether there is enough clearance to work in a bay or whether fuel nozzles can be taken apart. Snecma is using Dassault Systèmes’ product life cycle management suite, built around the Catia v5 software program.

From full engine program launch when an aircraft maker selects the engine, Snecma anticipates that three years will be needed to get the engine certified. Although the company has still not found an application for the new engine, Finet sees the program "ahead" of competing ones.

"They have not run their core yet," she says. The competition in the 10,000-lb-thrust class includes General Electric — with a CF34 replacement built around the eCore — as well as Rolls-Royce (with the RB282) and Honeywell, which has actually flight-tested a demonstrator dubbed Tech 7000.

Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney Canada has stopped development of the PW810, which was to power the Citation Columbus, as Cessna has shelved its large-cabin business jet program.

Silvercrest’s thrust is in the 9,500- to 12,000-lb range. Finet tells AM that, since the core engine test campaign concluded early last year, the company has completed a thorough analysis. The core engine ran 80 hours, including 60 hours with combustion on. The takeoff setting was tried, at more than 20,000 rpm.

"We are on target as for combustion, high-pressure turbine performance, operability and dynamic behavior (including vibrations)," Finet asserts. Success in operability testing means that series or rapid accelerations and decelerations were conducted without any disturbing phenomenon, like surge. By program launch, no more trial is planned on the core engine.

In the design, reducing the number of stages has been a major goal. The centrifugal compressor helps, as it is equivalent to three axial stages, Finet says.

Sister company Turbomeca, which specializes in helicopter turboshafts, assisted with the centrifugal stage. The compressor thus has four axial and one centrifugal stages.

Snecma claims fuel burn to be 15 percent lower than current engines. NOx emissions are projected to be 50 percent better than CAEP 6 standards. Noise is expected 20 dB below Stage 4. — Thierry Dubois

Microturbo Promotes More Electric APU

Toulouse, France-based Microturbo is pitching the more electric e-APU against conventional ones, counting on increased electric power needs aboard new-generation business jets to make its way into a market dominated by U.S. equipment manufacturer Honeywell.

In an interview with AM at the EBACE 2009 show in Geneva, Microturbo officials insisted the e-APU has been designed with maintainability in mind, thus cutting direct maintenance costs by 20 percent, compared to most in-service auxiliary power units. "We have designed our APU for maximum parts durability," says Jean-Baptiste Jarin, commercial director. In the process, using software tools such as Dassault Systèmes’ Catia 5 helped, he explains. The first parts were manufactured two years ago.

A target is to "significantly increase" the mean time between removal. "We offer true on-condition maintenance," Jarin asserts. He says some manufacturers use the "on condition" phrase but in fact require maintenance every time a specified number of cycles is reached.

A feature is the turbine, which has fir tree blades — as opposed to a bladed integrated disk (blisk) design. Therefore, in case a blade suffers damage from a foreign object, wear or cracking, it can be replaced without replacing the entire rotor. The bottom line is durability is increased at least 10-fold, compared to a conventional centripetal turbine. Repair centers can be found in Toulouse, France, Fareham, UK, Grand Prairie, Texas and Bankstown, Australia. Another feature is the power-to-weight ratio has doubled. Moreover, the pressure ratio has been increased to seven — up from three on existing APUs. Hence a longer hot gas expansion and a more efficient combustion, Jarin says. The e-APU’s turbomachinery is made of a single-stage centrifugal compressor and a two-stage turbine. The new APU should also be more environmentally friendly. Jarin emphasizes a reduced fuel burn, lower emissions and quieter operation — below 70 dB. For five-ton-plus business aircraft, including helicopters, the e-APU will offer an electric power output of 15 to 90 kilowatts. This enables the ability to start an engine electrically. The e-APU will be able to start at altitudes up to 41,000 feet, operating at up to 51,000 feet. Engineers are currently ground-testing the e-APU. Certification and first deliveries are pegged for early 2012. — Thierry Dubois

Campion Gets FATA Hall of Fame Nod

The Florida Aviation Trades Association (FATA) has inducted Banyan Air Services President Don Campion into its Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame. The association gave the award to Campion on June 16 during its annual conference. Established in 2006, the award recognizes contributions to the business aviation industry in Florida.