Search results

The systems aspects of an uninhabited tactical aircraft (UTA) preliminary design are detailed. The study, performed at the post‐graduate level at Cranfield University, looks to investigate the feasibility of unmanned combat aircraft in a number of roles to reduce the risk to pilots and reduce life cycle costs (LCC). The scope of the work includes stealth, vulnerability, mission effectiveness, avionics, landing gear, secondary power, fuel systems, propulsion, performance and cost. The unusual depth to which the design work progressed enables insights to be gained that far exceed those available at the conceptual design phase. A Northrop Grumman concept of near‐identical configuration has subsequently reached the public domain.

Discusses future trends in avionics architecture and software techniques. Considers the objectives needed for an integrated avionics architecture which is required for the next generation of high‐capacity aircraft with the A3XX in mind.

MCDONNELL Douglas Corporation and British Aerospace of Australia have teamed up to build a suitcase sized computer designed to help test aviation electronic (avionics) components in the F A‐18 Hornet strike fighter.

AVIONICS, meaning the application of electronics to airborne systems and equipment, is now both a convenient and acceptable description. The word avionics began to be used extensively in aviation literature about ten years ago. The earliest references to its use are in North America in the mid‐fifties.

This paper aims to address the questions of different outsourcing strategies between Airbus and Boeing and point out the theoretical limits of the resource-based view (RBV) approach that must be broadened with a finance perspective. Owing to the complexity of systems, the aircraft industry is nowadays structured around a well-organised value chain of product development and manufacturing. However, according to the RBV, capabilities attached to some systems and components are strategic resources and must be kept in house to maintain competitive advantage. In commercial aircraft avionics, critical systems such as flight controls fall directly under this rule, due to substantial risks of passenger safety they deal with.

This study is based on two comparative studies concerning the A330/340 and A350 programmes at Airbus and their equivalents at Boeing, the B777 and the B787. The data are both primary (financial and patent data) and secondary (semi-structured interviews and documentation.

The main result highlights the limits of the RBV model to understand why Airbus has chosen to re-internalise the development and production of flight control systems contrary to Boeing. For both, cost reduction is the main objective of outsourcing, but European firms are more careful with critical resources. The financialisation of aircraft manufacturers’ strategies is another explanatory factor relevant to understand why Boeing outsources strategic resources such as flight controls.

The authors demonstrate the potential of multiplication of research methods to address a question. Second, they try to bring together different theories in a preliminary effort, which gives them some promising stuffy perspective for future works.

By addressing both the RBV and the financialisation perspectives, the authors provide an interesting view of the COmplex Products and Systems (CoPS) challenges.

The findings of this research must provide key of interpretation for business managers, which may consider the two faces, knowledge management and financial, to explain corporate performance.

Several originalities are relevant in this work. From a methodological point of view, the authors offer a comparison between the two main players of commercial aircraft manufacturing, an oligopolistic industry. Second, the data they choose to rely on are both qualitative and quantitative to strengthen the results. Third, at a micro level, this study is original in its approach of linking outsourcing to financialisation.

Soviet, Polish, European, American and British civil and military craft will be displayed — and flying — at Helitech 91, the international helicopter technology and operations exhibition being held at Redhill, Surrey, UK, now known as the ‘Farnborough’ of the helicopter world.

Presents shortened versions of a number of papers presented at the recent 22nd European Rotorcraft Forum held in Brighton, UK, whose theme was advances in research, development, design, manufacturing, testing and operation. Specific aircraft focused on are the EH 101 Merlin trials aircraft; the V‐22 Osprey tiltrotor; and the NH 90 helicopter. Discusses some of the developments on the more general subjects that were dealt with at the symposium: advanced transmission technology; metallic structures; composites; and aeroelasticity.

DOMINATING the outside exhibition at Le Bourget was the enormous Antonov An‐225 with the Buran space shuttle on top. Weighing some 600 tonnes and designed to carry loads of up to 250 tonnes, the An‐225 was part of a very extensive Soviet aircraft presence, both on the ground and in the flying display. The only truly new Western airliner was the ATR 72 but many civil and military fixed and rotating‐wing aircraft were making their first appearance at the Paris Show. A variety of products were featured, either with work currently being undertaken or in project form and these were highlighted by the expected launch of the Airbus A321 (stretched A320) and news of turboprop and turbofan regional airliners of around 50 seats to be produced in the next few years. Large engine participation was emphasised by the recently‐named Rolls‐Royce Trent and General Electric announced the development of entirely new engines for use on large twins in the mid‐1990's. Other manufacturers are striving to produce powerplants specifically tailored for the new commuter aircraft. Avionics systems and materials were characterised by new developments, the latter featuring in particular, metal matrix composites.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a platform for discussion on the problem of no fault found (NFF) events which continues to plague maintenance operations of complex engineering systems.

The research has been collated from many sources: academic literature, industrial discussions and the authors’ experiences. The study defines the NFF problem, its causes, impacts and costs as well as an evaluation of the available scientific research.

The paper identifies a continuing serious problem with NFF; it is not just a technical problem but also encompasses organisations, culture and behaviours. Focusing only on one of these at a time is no longer enough to solve the NFF problem in modern maintenance operations and solutions will require each category to be addressed as an integrated problem.

The overall value is a detailed picture of the NFF field seen from both an industrial and academic viewpoint. The originality of the paper is that it articulates and organizes the existing knowledge concerning the NFF phenomena, the value of which is to identify gaps in existing research and knowledge.