The assets of Burbank Aeronautical (BAC II), the troubled California-based hushkit specialist, are to be offered for sale by a Los Angeles bankruptcy court on 12 June following the company's failure to emerge from Chapter 11.
The assets include two "substantially" completed Boeing 707-300 Stage 3 hushkits, spare parts for McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62/63 Stage 3 kits, plus associated tooling, engineering and manufacturing equipment and "rights to intangibles associated therewith".
BAC II ran into trouble in early 2001 following delays in the arrival of four 707 hushkit customer aircraft to its conversion site, and a slump in business on the DC-8-60 series (Flight International, 12-18 June, 2001). Although the company sought bankruptcy protection in April 2001, it later reversed its decision to suspend production as part of a plan to return to business. California courts accepted BAC II's reorganisation plans as part of its bid to re-emerge with several new kits, including one for the DC-8-50/61 which was nearing final certification when problems arose.
The European Union's non-addition noise rulings, plus the after effects of 11 September, scuppered the resurrection attempt.
Source: Flight International
