Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES
OVERNIGHT US freight giant FedEx is expected to make a decision by mid-July on the upgrade and conversion of a massive fleet of up to 80 McDonnell Douglas (MDC) DC-10s.
The decision over the so-called "MD-10" programme involves upgrading FedEx's current 35-strong DC-10 fleet with an all-new digital cockpit similar to that of the MD-11, as well as the purchase of a further 50 tri-jets for conversion and upgrade to cargo configuration. The bulk of the aircraft are expected to be bought from American Airlines and United Airlines, with the balance from other DC-10 users.
Although MDC's Douglas Aircraft (DAC) division declines to comment on the status of the MD-10 initiative, company sources say that a finalised proposal was expected to be put before DAC president Mike Sears by the end of June. It is believed that the proposal contains MDC's decision on the level of investment it is willing to put into the venture. The approval of DAC, and probably the main board of MDC, will be required before the proposal can be offered formally.
Pending approval of the MD-10 project from DAC, FedEx is then expected to make a decision at a board meeting scheduled for 15 July on whether to go ahead. The MD-10 has been touted by DAC for more than a year, and was revealed when the Long Beach manufacturer announced its teaming on the project with Alenia subsidiary Aeronavali in May 1995.
The conversion is aimed mainly at FedEx, which has publicly committed itself to the DC-10/MD-11 for the bulk of its route requirements, and which could eventually operate a combined total of around 135 of the aircraft. If the full plan is approved, most of the work will involve passenger-to-freight modifications which will cost up to $7.6 million per aircraft depending on condition and age. Conversion work is expected to take between 80 and 120 days per aircraft, with modifications likely to be undertaken by Aeronavali and, possibly, by SabreTech (formerly DynaAir Tech).
The new two-crew flightdeck would be based on the Honeywell-developed versatile integrated-avionics (VIA 2000) architecture adopted by DAC for all future commercial cockpits. It would also include the electronic-resource and global-positioning systems and satellite-communications suite developed for a proposed United Airlines DC-10 upgrade programme. General Electric is offering upgrades of the CF6-50 engine, from C to C2 standard.FedEx has not commented on the deal yet.
Source: Flight International
