Flight International - 10 April 2018

fiightglobal.com 10-16 April 2018 | Flight International | 11

SIA’s 787-10 brings

capacity for change

Air Transport P

FIDAE 2018

Show report

W

ide-area and head-up dis-

plays for the Saab Gripen

E/F will be offered to all custom-

ers of the single-engined fighter

as a potential cockpit upgrade,

says Mikael Franzén, head of the

company’s Gripen Brazil busi-

ness unit.

The Brazilian air force’s $5.

billion order for 36 Gripen fight-

ers includes several changes from

the Swedish air force version. In-

stead of three multifunction dis-

plays, the service selected a

19in x 8in wide-area touchscreen

from AEL Sistemas, an Elbit Sys-

tems subsidiary based in Brazil.

The latest version of both the

wide-area and head-up displays

are now in safety-of-flight testing

with Saab, according to AEL.

A

s the Chilean government

emerges as a potential cus-

tomer, Calgary-based Viking Air

is within months of inducting the

first of 11 CL-415 enhanced aerial

firefighter (EAF) airframes into

modification, says executive vice-

president of sales and marketing

Rob Mauracher.

Bombardier closed production

of the family of amphibious wa-

ter-bombers in 2015 and sold the

type certificate to Viking.

In 2017, Viking launched the

CL-415 EAF as a re-engined and

heavily updated version of the

CL-215 Series V, using 11 aircraft

purchased from the used market.

MODERN FEEL

In addition to replacing the

CL-215’s piston engines with

Pratt & Whitney Canada PW

turboshafts, it also is upgrading

its avionics with a modern inte-

grated flight deck, and replacing

obsolescent flight controls and

hydraulic and fuel systems.

The first CL-415 EAF is sched-

uled to be delivered to an un-

named launch customer in the

first quarter of 2020, Mauracher

tells FlightGlobal. The aircraft

also will be strengthened, to in-

crease its maximum take-off

weight, he adds.

With the CL-415 EAF modifi-

cations set as a new baseline,

Viking continues to evaluate the

possibility of producing a new

aircraft with the same configura-

tion, rebranded as the CL-515.

A  final decision on whether to

move forward with the CL-515 is

scheduled in the second half of

this year, Mauracher says.

Meanwhile, Viking is in dis-

cussions with Chilean military

and government officials about a

potential acquisition of aerial fire-

fighting aircraft, Mauracher says.

The company is also in talks

with its armed forces about re-

placing an ageing fleet of de Hav-

illand Canada Twin Otter Series

300 aircraft with new Viking

400s, he adds. ■

T

he Colombian air force’s ap-

petite for the Sikorsky UH-

Black Hawk has not waned, five

months after the government in

Bogota signed an agreement end-

ing a 50-year-old conflict with

FARC guerrilla fighters.

“I hope we will have enough

“We will make them available

for all Swedish air force custom-

ers,” Franzén says.

So far, the Gripen E has been

ordered only by Sweden and

export buyer Brazil. The latter’s

commitment includes eight two-

seat F-model examples, which

TECHNOLOGY

Saab displays strong support

for Gripen E cockpit updates

Swedish airframer will give future customers option to select AEL-developed equipment

ROTORCRAFT

Colombia wants more Black Hawks

despite its truce with FARC guerrillas

FIREFIGHTING

Viking voyages

south seeking

CL-415 orders

Brazilian partner Embraer is re-

sponsible for designing.

The Brazilian fighter develop-

ment programme is on track to

complete first flight of its lead

single-seat Gripen E in 2019, with

all 36 aircraft to be delivered

between 2021 and 2024. ■

Brazil’s future fighters will feature locally-produced equipment

Saab

Nation’s police and air force have operated the UH-60 since 1988

Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock

budget to continue acquiring this

aircraft,” said Gen Carlos Eduar-

do Bueno Vargas, speaking dur-

ing a Sikorksy press conference at

the show on 4 April.

Colombian military and police

forces now operate 103 Black

Hawks, having received the first

example in 1988, including the

air force’s unique Arpia armed

gunship. The medium-lift aircraft

played a key role in the govern-

ment’s campaign against FARC

personnel fighting across Colom-

bia’s mountainous jungles.

FARC rebels referred to the

air force’s Black Hawk as “the

Witch”, Vargas says, because of

its vertical-lift capabilities and

ability to arrive silently in unex-

pected places. “I’m sure Colom-

bia will continue to improve

these capabilities,” he adds.

Sikorsky plans to deliver six

more Black Hawks to the Latin

American region later this year.

A first batch of three S-70i-model

Black Hawks ordered by the

Colombian air force will be deliv-

ered in August, followed by a

second round of deliveries in

October. ■