Alliance Aircraft claims to be close to securing $250 million in funding from "two of the world's leading investment banks" and is targeting July's Farnborough air show for the delayed launch of its proposed 70- and 90-seat regional jets, dubbed "StarLiner" 200 and 300.
Meanwhile, the US start-up's already highly ambitious product development plans have been expanded to include studies of a four-member family of 30-50-passenger aircraft with a three-abreast cabin cross-section.
Alliance chief executive Earl Robinson believes the "StarLiner 100" range could be launched just a year after the larger products and developed at a total cost of only $320 million.
Robinson also says he has opened talks with Russia's Sukhoi design bureau, which could take responsibility for a major share of the engineering work on the various projects.
Alliance says it needs $660 million to produce the StarLiner 200/300 and claims to have secured $150 million of this from two private placements. The rest would be made up from bank funding and risk-sharing partners.
Robinson says a request for proposals (RFP) was issued to potential wing suppliers two months ago and responses were received last week. An RFP covering fuselage work expires on 26 June, he adds. A possible new Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR700 derivative (Flight International, 6-12 June) is being studied as the baseline powerplant for the two models.
The five-abreast 70- and 90-seaters could eventually be joined by 55- and 110-seat versions, according to Robinson, with the smallest member using a scaled-down wing.
Robinson claims that development costs can be pegged at an unprecendentedly low level by compressing the development timetable compared with projects such as the Embraer ERJ-170/190 and Fairchild Dornier 728JET. This would be achieved by using the latest CATIA design software, and advanced avionics and fly-by-wire technology to reduce the complexity of the aircraft design.
In addition, "industry overcapacity" means suppliers such as empennage and nacelle manufacturers are being forced to dramatically reduce prices to win business, Robinson believes.
Alliance is targeting certification of the StarLiner 200 and 300 in mid-2003. Robinson claims to already hold letters-of-intent from two airlines for a total of 30 aircraft.
As currently envisioned the StarLiner 100 family would comprise 30, 35, 44 and 50-seat versions, sharing a common 21.6m (71ft) span wing and powered by two of the new AlliedSignal AS900 turbofans.
Source: Flight International
