Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Milestone contract", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771aab.027
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Milestone contract
Milestone contract
Keywords Lucas, Trans States Airlines
Lucas Aerospace has signed a ten-year deal with Trans States Airlines, St Louis, Missouri, which marks a new way of doing business in the customer support industry. The deal involves Trans States Airlines buying access to spare line replacement units (LRUs) from Lucas Aerospace, and paying for anticipated repairs and overhauls on a cost per flight hour basis. The value of the contract is undisclosed.
The contract, the first of its kind for Lucas Aerospace, covers the Embract ERJI45 regional jets ordered by Trans States Airlines early in 1998 to provide service out of Chicago to the major Midwest cities. Nine jets have been ordered initially, with options for an additional 18. In total Lucas Aerospace supplies 40 products on each ERJ145 comprising 14 different LRUs significantly higher content than the typical commuter aircraft accounting for the high value of the contract.
In addition, Lucas Aerospace reports that it has achieved a world's first with the certification of its variable frequency electric power generation and distribution system on a turbofan aircraft, following the recent type certification of Bombardier's ultra long-range Global Express business jet by Transport Canada. The event also marks the successful completion of the most comprehensive certification programme ever conducted on a business jet.
A variable frequency system eliminates the hydro-mechanical constant speed drive required conventional constant frequency systems, thus offering substantial weight reliability and cost benefits to aircraft manufacturers and operators. The Lucas Aerospace variable frequency power system used on the Global Express has fully demonstrated that all the industry standard requirements are met over the whole speed range of the newest generation of engines coming into service.
Since the Bombardier Global Express certification programme was carried out concurrently with Transport Canada, the US FAA and European JAA, type certifications from these two latter agencies are expected to be obtained shortly.