AMD - Updates from Paris

Russian Ka-52 Alligator Combat Helo Creates Sensation
Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of state corporation Rostec and a global designer and manufacturer of helicopters, and Rosoboronexport, showcase the latest Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopter.

The helicopter made its international debut with a spectacular program full of aerobatic manoeuvers.

Russian Helicopters have created the Ka-52 Alligator using state-of-the-art avionics and weaponry, and composite materials. The helicopter has successfully passed all of its state tests and entered serial production, and is in service with the Russian Air Force.

The Alligator is equipped with stealth technologies and active IR and electronic jammers, and is designed to Russian and international standards for combat helicopters and their operation.

The Ka-52 is equipped with the all-weather Crossbow (Russian: Arbalet) radar system and Hunter (Russian: Okhotnik) series systems for laser-guided weapons and video imaging processing for missile guidance. The Ka-52 is equipped with offensive weapons that can be configured for different military missions, including a rapid-fire 30mm gun is located on the helicopter’s starboard. Six mounting points can carry aircraft guns, missiles and rockets, and various aerial bombs, as well as additional fuel tanks. The total weight of the payload is 2,000kg.

Boeing News
Boeing and CIT Group Inc. announce that CIT Aerospace has placed an order for 30 737 MAX 8s.

Boeing announces that first delivery of the 737 MAX 8 to launch customer Southwest Airlines will be a quarter earlier than originally scheduled – in the third quarter of 2017 instead of fourth quarter.

Boeing and Ryanair finalize a firm order for 175 Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes valued at US$15.6 billion at list prices. The order, originally announced as a commitment in March, is Boeing's largest ever aircraft order from a European airline.

Boeing and Oman Air announce an order for five Boeing Next-Generation 737-900ER airplanes. The order, previously unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website, is valued at US$473 million at current list prices.

Boeing and Travel Service announce a commitment for three 737 MAX 8s, valued at US$301.5 million at list prices. 

F-35 News
Magellan Aerospace, a Canadian company, signs a Memorandum of Agreement with BAE Systems for work on the F-35. Canadian industry has an estimated $10 billion in opportunities to participate in the F-35 program in the coming decades. To date, the program has identified nearly 200 projects with more than $450 million already contracted – more than double Canada’s current investment in the F-35 program. 

Terma, headquartered in Denmark, enters a long-term agreement with BAE Systems, for the manufacturing of composite skins for the F-35 horizontal and vertical tails. Terma is also manufacturing the 25mm gun pod that will be used on the F-35B and F-35C by the U.S. and other allies. Danish industry is making contributions to production of the F-35 in the areas of advanced composites, aero structures, machine parts, logistics, and wiring harnesses. This work is for the global F-35 fleet, not just the aircraft that Denmark would purchase. 

The long-term agreement with BAE Systems has a value of more than US$35 million, including follow-on options, 

Latest News from GE Aviation
LATAM Airlines Group signs a memorandum of understanding with CFM International to purchase CFM56-5B engine s to power 25 firm Airbus A321ceo and five firm A320ceo aircraft, in additional to options for 20 additional Airbus A321ceo (current engine option) aircraft. Once finalized, the agreement will be valued at approximately US$1.1 billion at list price, including spare engines and a long term maintenance agreement.  

Korean Air commits to purchasing five GEnx-2B-powered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental aircraft and six GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-300ERs. When the engine order is finalized, the list price of the engines will be valued at more than US$800 million.

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), expands its order for CFM International’s LEAP-1A engines to power an additional 20 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, bringing the total of its LEAP-powered A320neo Family aircraft to 60. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2016. This newest engine order is valued at US$510 million at list price.

Japan Airlines (JAL) signs an OnPoint solution agreement with GE Aviation for material solutions for its GE90 engine fleet. Under this agreement, JAL will perform the overhaul and certain repairs at its engine maintenance center located in Narita, Japan, and GE will provide material and repair management services. JAL operates 24 GE90-powered Boeing 777 aircraft. The deal is valued at close to US$500 million.

Cathay Pacific Airways has committed to a 15-year OnPoint solution agreement for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of 12 GEnx-2B engines, which were announced earlier this year. The OnPoint solution agreement is valued at US$380 million over the life of the agreement.

Hexcel and Safran have signed a long term contract for the supply of composite materials for LEAP-1 (developed by CFM International) engine programs. The contract covers Hexcel’s HexTow IM7 carbon fiber that will be used to manufacture all LEAP-1 engine fan blades and containment cases, including the LEAP-1A selected for the Airbus A320 NEO; the LEAP-1B selected for the Boeing 737MAX and the LEAP-1C selected for COMAC 919. Under the terms of the contract Hexcel will also supply Safran with HexPly carbon prepreg, for the manufacture of the A320 NEO nacelles.

CIT Group announces an order for 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes powered by CFM International’s advanced LEAP-1B engine. The engine order is valued at $760 million U.S. at list price.

To date, CFM has received orders for nearly 3,000 LEAP-1B engines at a value of more than US$35 billion at list price.

AirAsia orders additional CFM LEAP-1A engines and CFM56-5B engines to power the 100 Airbus A320 aircraft it ordered in a deal announced last December and signed a comprehensive long-term service agreement to support its fleet. The order, which comprises LEAP-1A engines to power 64 A32neos and CFM56-5B engines to power 36 A320ceo aircraft along with 5 CFM-56B spare engines and 9 LEAP-1A spare engines, is valued at US$8.6 billion at list price, including a 20-year RPFH (Rate per Flight Hour) agreement, under the terms of which CFM will guarantee maintenance costs on a dollar per engine flight hour basis.

Venezuelan airline Conviasa exercises its purchase options on seven additional CF34-10E-powered Embraer E190s. This order will increase Conviasa’s CF34-10E-powered aircraft fleet to a total of 13 aircraft, with seven purchase options remaining. List price of the engine order is valued at more than US$110 million. Deliveries will begin next year.

More on the MRO Front

AFI KLM E&M embarks on a project to build a new unit devoted to aerostructures at its facilities at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport. The Group currently has aerostructures shops in Amsterdam at Schiphol Airport and Paris at Le Bourget airport. The move is part of a wider project to group all AFI KLM E&M activities based in the north of Paris on a single site, and to upgrade the composite and aerostructure offer on the Amsterdam hub.

StandardAero signs two license agreements with GE to become an independent TRUEngine authorized maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider for CF34 and CFM56 engines. StandardAero will be the first independent TRUEngine authorized MRO provider for CF34 engines and the second for CFM56 engines.

CIT Aerospace has been awarded TRUEngine designation for its CF6 engine fleet, which powers its 13 Airbus CF6-80E-powered A330-200 aircraft. 

Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) awards GE Aviation a support contract to supply CF6-80C2 engine components. Under the agreement, GE Aviation’s materials business will be a preferred supplier to provide CF6-80C2 used, serviceable engine parts for EGAT’s maintenance operations.

MRO News
HOP!-Airlinair officials sign a long-term component support contract with AFI KLM E&M covering a total 23 aircraft: 17 ATR 42s and 6 ATR 72s. The contract renews a previous agreement between AFI KLM E&M and Airlinair signed in 2009. In early 2013, Airlinair formed an alliance with Brit Air and Regional, to create HOP!, the new European regional carrier. Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance are major multi-product maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers.

AFI KLM E&M and Indian low-cost airline IndiGo are to step up their cooperation in the framework of the A320 component support contract linking the two groups since 2007. The agreement, which initially concerned a total of 52 A320s, now covers over 60 aircraft and this is set to be further extended with the new A320 deliveries to IndiGo scheduled for late 2013 and 2014. It still covers access to the spares pool, repair services, and dedicated logistics support.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and AFI KLM E&M ink a long-term engineering partnership agreement to support the entry into service of RB's fleet of five Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Under the partnership agreement, AFI KLM E&M will provide RB with a wide range of engineering services including fleet technical support, component spares and repair services.

Directors at AAR Corp., a global aerospace and defense contractor based in Wood Dale, Ill., sign a letter of intent outlining a tentative two-phase project to establish a technical maintenance center for commercial aircraft in Ulyanovsk, Russia. The project includes an aircraft parts distribution and logistics center, scheduled to open in mid-2014, followed by a commercial aircraft maintenance facility, scheduled to open in 2015.

Spairliners GmbH officials say a new contract with the regional airline HOP! includes the long-term support of 26 E-170 and E-190 aircraft. Spairliners, known for Airbus A380 Integrated Component Care, additionally provides an equal spectrum to the E-Jet family of the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. With HOP!, the company now has 10 regional airlines under contract.

Dassault Systèmes
Dassault Systèmes, a maker of 3D design software, 3D digital mock up and product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, launches “Co-Design to Target.”

Capabilities include: A real-time view of program status that coordinates program execution and tracks progress against key criteria including cost, schedule, workload, performance, risk and opportunity; a real-time view of an aircraft design’s performance; and integrated engineering value streams, from design and simulation to part fabrication planning and resource-programming preparation activities. 

Piaggio Aero P.1HH HammerHead Unveiled at Paris Airshow
The Piaggio Aero P.1HH HammerHead is a new, state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) designed for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions whose combination of performance and operational characteristics is at the very top end of the UAS MALE category.

An unmatched combination of range, wide operative speeds, fast climb gradient, high operative ceiling and variety of payloads, provides end-users with a powerful yet flexible Defense System that outperforms other MALE Systems, identifying the P.1HH HammerHead as a Super MALE UAS.

P.1HH HammerHead, is suited for a wide range of ISR, Defense and Security missions, and defines an unsurpassed mission role flexibility and sets a new frontier of CONcept of OPerationS (CONOPS) for Defense. The P.1HH HammerHead Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is derived from the successful Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II business aviation aircraft, the fastest twin turboprop aircraft in the world with a proven, uneventful, service record of more than 20 years and 800.000 flight hours.

(Above) Eurocopter AS332 M1 "Super Puma" Swiss Air Force "TH06"
On display at the Paris Air Show is the Eurocopter AS33s M1 with a length of 16.29m (including mainrotor it is 18.70m); rotor diameter of 15.60m; height of 4.95m; crew of 2 pilots and 1 loadmaster; passenger capacity of 18; speed maximum of 310km/h - 167kts; a maximum range of 800km - 430NM; and 2x Turbomeca "Makita" 1A1 engines.

Embraer / Boeing
Embraer and Boeing are partnering on the sales and marketing of Embraer's KC-390 – a multi-mission mobility and aerial refueling aircraft with advanced capabilities in the medium-sized airlift market. Under the agreement, Boeing is the lead for KC-390 sales, sustainment, and training opportunities in the U.S., UK, and select Middle East markets. Embraer will manufacture the aircraft and collaborate on sales, sustainment, and training.

Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, entered into an agreement with global technology company Taleris to launch groundbreaking new technology, which can help predict potential maintenance faults and recommend preventive action.

Taleris’ web-based prognostics service, a part of its Intelligent Operations offering, is a first for the commercial airline industry and will be used to monitor Etihad Airways’ fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The prognostics technology will leverage the Industrial Internet to increase the airline’s overall operational efficiency.

BOC Aviation / CFM
BOC Aviation has selected CFM engines to power new Airbus A320 family aircraft. The order, which is comprised of 10 LEAP-1A-powered Airbus A320neo and 10 CFM56-5B-powered A320ceo aircraft, is valued at US$460 million at list price.  

Boeing
Boeing officials continue with non-stop announcements during the Paris Air Show.

• A memorandum of understanding has been signed with Air Lease Corporation (ALC) to purchase 33 airplanes. The Los Angeles, Calif.-based leasing company has committed to order three 787-9 and 30 787-10X Dreamliners. 
• Additionally, Boeing officials announced the launch of the 787-10 Dreamliner, the third member of the fuel-efficient 787 family. Commitments for 102 airplanes from five customers across Europe, Asia, and North America provide a strong foundation to support development and production of the newest Dreamliner.
• Customer launch commitments for the 787-10 include Air Lease Corp., with 30 airplanes; GE Capital Aviation Services, with 10; International Airlines Group / British Airways, with 12, subject to shareholder approval; Singapore Airlines, with 30; and United Airlines, with 20 airplanes. 
• Boeing also highlighted its twin-aisle family, noting that with the offering of the 777X, it will have an airplane serving every major segment of the market. The 747-8, 777 and 787 Dreamliner families of airplanes offer a complete family with a high degree of commonality.
• Also, in a briefing at the show, Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager, Airplane Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, outlined the company's strategy for its environmentally progressive, reliable airplanes in the context of evolving market demand and volatile fuel prices. 

GE Aviation
More announcements from GE Aviation on Day 2:

• LATAM Airlines Group and GE Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding for a 10-year OnPoint solution agreement for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of 120 CF6-80C2 engines that power its Boeing 767 aircraft. The OnPoint solution agreement is valued at more than US$500 million over the life of the contract.
• GE Aviation launched the TRUEngine program on its CF34 engines with Azul, Flybe, GoJet, Jetscape, LOT, and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). The CF34 TRUEngine launch expands the TRUEngine designation from CFM56, CF6, and GEnx engines.
• United Airlines selected GEnx-1B engines to power its firm order for 20 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and the remaining 15 firm 787 Dreamliners from a previous order. The engine order for the 35 aircraft plus five firmed aircraft options from last year are valued at more than US$1.8 billion list price. With this order and the six Dreamliners currently operated by the airline, United has ordered 65 GEnx-1B-powered 787s, making United the largest GEnx-1B operator.
• Air Canada has committed to a 15-year OnPoint solution agreement for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of its GEnx-1B engines that power its Boeing 787 aircraft. The value of the OnPoint solution agreement is not disclosed.

Royal Brunei Airlines / AFI KLM E&M
Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and AFI KLM E&M have inked a long-term engineering partnership agreement to support the entry into service of RB's fleet of five Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Under the partnership agreement, AFI KLM E&M will provide RB with a wide range of engineering services including fleet technical support, component spares and repair services. 

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University / Diamond Aircraft Industries
During the 50th Annual International Paris Air Show, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University President Dr. John P. Johnson and Diamond Aircraft Industries CEO and owner Christian Dries signed a partnership agreement to establish the global manufacturer’s presence at the university’s Daytona Beach Campus.

As part of the agreement, Diamond will expand its current international Research & Development program and other initiatives working with Embry-Riddle students, staff, and faculty from the university’s engineering and aviation colleges as well as its Eagle Flight Research Center.

Aerojet Rocketdyne
Aerojet Rocketdyne, a GenCorp company, and Experimental Design Bureau (EDB) Fakel of Kaliningrad, Russia, announced the signing of an extension to the teaming agreement between the two companies. 

The agreement provides Aerojet Rocketdyne with the right to market and sell Fakel's low-power Hall thrusters in the United States market.

Earlier News

Mission to Mars
Apollo 11 astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, speaks to a group in the U.S. Pavilion at the Paris Air Show about landing on the moon. His new book, published by National Geographic, is entitled, Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration, written with Leonard David. 

Aldrin speaks out as a vital advocate for the continuing quest to push the boundaries of the universe as we know it. In his latest book, Aldrin plots out the path he proposes for taking humans to Mars by 2035. 

Best known for his Apollo 11 moonwalk, Aldrin holds a doctorate degree in astronautics and, at the age of 82, continues to wield influence as an international advocate of space science and planetary exploration.

GE Aviation
It has been a busy first day at Paris, with officials from Evendale, Ohio-based GE Aviation making several announcements, including plans to break ground this year on an advanced composite component factory near Asheville, N.C.

In Europe, GE Aviation’s aerostructures business has begun the development of a 9,000m² composites production facility at its Hamble, U.K., site as part of a five-year, $50 million-plus investment at the site to support the company’s manufacture of wing components for the Airbus A350 XWB jetliner family.

GE Aviation officials also say they expect to produce 3,800 commercial and military aircraft engines with its partners in 2014, continuing an upward production trend.

Among the jet engine total are GEnx-1B engines, which will power 10 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners that GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has made a commitment to order. The engines are valued at close to US$500 million list price.

GEnx-1B engines also are being selected to power six Boeing 787 Dreamliners for which Xiamen Airlines just signed a letter of intent (LOI) with GE Aviation. The LOI also includes a 10-year OnPoint solution agreement for GE to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul of the airline’s GEnx fleet. The list price of the engine order and the OnPoint solution agreement are valued at more than US$560 million over the life of the engines. Delivery of the aircraft will begin next year.

Please watch this page for more news from the Paris Air Show.