German systems house Bodenseewerk Gerätetech-nik (BGT)has launched a feasibility study with Tupolev over fitting future versions of the Tu-204 twinjet with its low-cost, advanced, digital fly-by-wire (FBW)flight-control-system (FCS) technology. The contract with Tupolev comes as BGT steps up efforts to secure applications for its FBW technology, which it plans to begin flight-testing early next year.
The Tu-204 study, which is expected to take a year to complete and will be funded by BGT, forms part of moves by Tupolev to reduce the operating costs of the aircraft and boost the potential for export sales to Western airlines. BGTsays that Russian engine design bureau Aviadvigatel could also be brought into the study, with a view to fitting the PS-90A turbofan with a new, generic full-authority digital-engine-control.
"The digital FBW system currently installed in the Tu-204-100 and -120 has given no [major] problems in the past five years, but as the family of aircraft develops we want to ensure that we can offer the best systems available for future models," says Oleg Alasheev, deputy general director for commercial aircraft at Tupolev. "This feasibility study will show how we can achieve worthwhile benefits for the Tu-204,"he adds.
BGT officials say that the company plans to exploit "-a market gap for lower-cost, more highly integrated FBW systems", that offer the "full performance and reliability" of conventional FBW systems, but cost less to produce and to maintain by "reducing the number of modular units and introducing a higher degree of resource sharing". The flight tests will be carried out using the German DLR's MBBVFW-614 experimental aircraft, fitted with Liebherr actuators, and with the involvement of Daimler-Benz Aerospace and Airbus.
The low-cost FBW technology is seen as particularly suitable for regional jets, and BGT is expected to fight for the contract to supply the FCS for the proposed Airbus Industrie Asia-led A318/AE-100 regional-jet programme. Any bid, however, is likely to be resisted by France's Thomson-CSF and SFENA, which supply the digital FBW system for the A320 family, and will push for commonality to be maintained on the A318.
BGT has never produced a complete digital FBW system, although it supplies flight control units for the A319/320/321, and slat/flap control units for the A330/340. It also has a 35% share in the flight control system for the Eurofighter EF2000.
Source: Flight International
