Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development (AIDC) is looking to civil-sector manufacturing to secure its future beyond the end of its Ching Kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF) programme in 1999.
It has teamed up with France's Latecoère on a joint bid to build fuselage-extension plugs for the Airbus A340. It expects to have an answer from Airbus by the end of the year. The two companies have co-operated on a bid to build sections of the AI(R) 70, although that aircraft has yet to be launched.
As a subcontractor to Latecoère, AIDC shares no risk or equity on either project. AIDC business director Johnny Hung says that Latecoère's experience in Europe was the deciding factor.
It has completed a detailed design for the wing of the AE-270, a ten-seat turboprop aircraft which AIDC is co-producing in a $60 million joint venture with Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic. Production of the wing is expected to begin in 1998.
AIDC has also completed the first two of an eventual five prototype cockpits for the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, and will deliver the first Boeing MD-95 empennage by the end of this year. Although Sikorsky has yet to secure a launch order for the S-92, the first helicopter is scheduled to be completed in 1999.
Boeing has also said it will now accept bids from AIDC to supply parts for its civil aircraft. Boeing had not wanted a business relationship with the military organisation, says Hung but, when AIDC became a state-owned corporation in July 1996, it became eligible.
Bombardier de Havilland has also requested quotes from AIDC on production of components for the Dash 8 series. Hung says that Bombardier is now determining whether AIDC can meet its requirements for capacity and price.
AIDC is struggling to become fully private by 2000. Less than 20% of its annual revenue comes from the private sector. The rest comes from sales of the IDF to the Republic of China Air Force.
Source: Flight International
