GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
The first Learjet 35A modified to meet the approaching US mandate on reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) has been delivered following certification of the Honeywell and West Star Aviation upgrade package.
The availability of the kit, tailored to the Lear 35/36 family, is expected to herald a rush by the operators of around 400 aircraft to meet the January 2005 domestic RVSM mandate deadline.
"The demand is there," says Honeywell RVSM programme manager Emil Pope. "We're sure we'll get over 100, and overall we expect to equip at least 200 Lear 35/36s," adds Greg Laabs, vice-president operations for the Grand Junction, Colorado-based modification and repair specialist.
The RVSM mandate requires aircraft at FL290-410 (29,000-41,000ft/8,850-12,500m) to be capable of regulating their altitude more accurately so controllers can space aircraft at 1,000ft intervals rather than 2,000ft.
The Lear 35/36 kit includes Honeywell's AZ-252 air data computer, AM-250 barometric altimeter/air data unit, BA-250 altimeter display and AL-800 altitude alerter. West Star has worked with Honeywell to interface the kit with the Learjet's ageing FC-200 autopilot system, which "took quite a bit of engineering", says Laabs.
Honeywell supplies RVSM compliance kits for Gulfstream II and Cessna Citation 560 series aircraft, and is studying kits for Raytheon Beechjets/Diamonds and Lear 31/31As. "There are still a few pockets of aircraft out there still to be done," says Pope, adding that current retrofit programmes provide the basis for the new studies.
Honeywell and West Star now hold firm orders for retrofits for 44 aircraft, although West Air says it is set up to modify 80 before the RVSM deadline. Around 37 of the initial batch on firm order are for Ohio-based AirNet Systems.
Source: Flight International
