Douglas Barrie/TEL AVIV
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Industries' Bedek group is to stay with the Boeing 707 airframe as the basis for its tanker-conversion business, following internal studies into alternative airframes.
Despite the age of the 707 design, senior Bedek officials believe that the airframe still provides the "best solution to tanker conversion over the next 20 years."
Bedek is continuing to examine a replacement for the 707 airframe beyond 2015, but believes that it will not need to decide before the turn of the century.
In the run-up to various tanker competitions, Bedek looked at whether to make a change from the 707. It has considered other secondhand aircraft such as the Airbus A310, Boeing 767 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
Cost considerations, along with continuing doubts over using a twin-engined, rather than a four-engined-aircraft, resulted in the decision to stay with the 707.
Bedek says that, while the engine reliability of the present generation of big twins has improved greatly, a twin-engined aircraft lacks the operational flexibility of a four-engined platform should an engine failure occur.
The company believes that there is a market for 30-40 large tanker aircraft in the 707 class, with about ten countries in various stages of the requirement process. Bedek estimates that it can secure at least 40% of this market.
The company has also considered replacing the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines with CFM International CFM56s, but believes that the JT3D is the more cost-attractive option.
Source: Flight International
