Fairchild aerospace has admitted that, after months of talks with potential subassembly manufacturers on the 728Jet regional aircraft, it may end up having to build the aircraft structure itself. Despite that, the company was able to reveal several of its risk sharing partners in the programme at the show.
The new partners are: Honeywell, which will supply Primus Epic avionics; AlliedSignal, supplying its RE220FD auxiliary power unit (APU) and the environmental control system; BFGoodrich, manufacturing the landing gear, wheels, tyres, brakes and fuel system; Lucas Aerospace, supplying the fly-by-wire flight control system; Sundstrand Aerospace, which will produce the electrical system; and Parker Aerospace, supplying the hydraulics system.
General Electric, which was earlier selected to supply the propulsion system, based around its CF34-8D turbofan, will now be working with Hurel-Dubois and Aermacchi to design and produce the integrated nacelle/thrust reverser system.
Fairchild has been in talks with numerous aerostructures companies around the world about wing, fuselage and empennage manufacture, but company president Jim Robinson says that it is "-keeping [its] options open", stressing that it is capable of manufacturing the entire structure at reasonable cost if necessary.
This would mean that Fairchild would have to shoulder more of the estimated $1.5 billion development and production investment costs for the family of 55/90-seat aircraft.
Robinson says that the company has applied to the German Government and the state government of Texas for funding and is working on a business case. The balance will be covered by Fairchild and its partners, says Robinson, who adds that contract negotiations with potential launch customers Lufthansa CityLine and Crossair are "on track".
Fairchild Aerospace and Newport Capital have established Millennium Leasing to provide independent operating and finance leases for customers.
Source: Flight International
