Vive La Francophonie - Prospects Of A Bombardier – Dassault Cooperation

With Airbus selling its stake in Dassault Aviation, now down to less than 24% from 46%, and soon nil, Dassault has more leeway in entering cooperation with other companies.

Rafale-M from Charles de Gaulle carrier

Bombardier Aerospace on the other hand is having problems in getting its new CSeries airliners into commercial passenger service though its flight testing is now on track and showing good performance from the airliners.

Bombardier CS300 first flight

Both Dassault and Bombardier are not the top tier companies in the aircraft sectors they compete in, except for Bombardier in business jets. Their relative lower market positions may make cooperation between them attractive in order to survive and grow.

The best reason for them to cooperate may be that both are Francophones with Dassault based in France, and Bombardier based in Quebec, the French speaking and influenced part of Canada.

Another possible prospect for cooperation is if the Royal Canadian Air Force selects the excellent Rafale fighter to replace its present FA-18A/B’s.

Rafale F3 with Reco-NG, MICAs, DA

Dassault has no airliner product and with Airbus divesting its interests, the Bombardier CSeries may present opportunities to Dassault in marketing, production, support, etc. It can give Dassault more competitive advantage vis-à-vis Airbus in the European scene.

Bombardier CSeries 1st flight landing

As for the business jet sector, it will be better for them to make their bizjet lines separate for now but cooperate in R&D, design and production. For the future, they may coordinate their capacity/range spectrum.

Falcon business jets

Bombardier business jets at EBACE 2014

With China, Brazil, Russia, India, South Korea and even Indonesia getting more competitive in the aerospace industry, cooperation between these two Francophone companies may insure their survival and growth in the future.

BritAir CRJ-1000NG Strasbourg 21jan2011 F-HMLC (cn 19006)

Note:

All pictures copyright of respective owners

Boeing 797 - The Boeing 757 and Boeing 737 Replacement

The first version will be sized as a 757 replacement but designed to be capable of being efficiently shrunk as a MAX-8 replacement. As a consequence, Boeing may do a B-717NEW to efficiently cover the 100-150 passenger band that the Bombardier CSeries and Embraer E-Jets cover.

Indications are it will have a composite wing for efficiency in production, and easier wing shaping. By this time, laminar flow technology might have already matured to be utilized.

Fuselage may remain aluminum of better alloys, and wider to take into account of obesity in the population. If more robust repair procedures for composites will become economical and widespread, a composite fuselage is possible. Specially if the weight and costs are more favorable.

New engines will be used, possibly unducted fan if noise and safety issues will be satisfactorily met.

Possible telescoping seat sets for wider aisle during loading and unloading for more flights per day.

If hardware and software can be developed to a robust level, a twin pilot B-797 is possible. One Human and One Electronic - Minus the Co-Pilot. This system can be integrated into Air Traffic Management to efficiently use routes, airport slots and the aircraft. A more robust and secure telecoms system has to be developed specially for this. It cannot be based on the open and non-secure Internet IP system. 

A built-in electric taxi engine may be integrated to minimize use of main engines in moving around the airports.

More electronic entertainment and BYOD network in the cabin.

Basler BT-67 Multi-Mission Patrol Aircraft (MMPA) For the Philippines

    The Basler Turbo Conversions BT-67 is an excelent proven transport aircraft with an impressive resume of performance.  It's robust airframe and state-of-the-art components stand ready to deliver a range of special mission capabilities that will provide unlimited opportunities. It is an affordable aircraft with:

• Low acquisition costs
• Low operation costs
• Heavy payload capability
• Excellent short field capability
• Stage III quiet
• Advanced avionics package
• Proven in-service modifications for different configurations

Basler BT-67 with PT-6 engines and Hartzell propellers

    The Basler BT-67 is a new-condition aircraft with the proven tough and very reliable Douglas C-47 design; strengthened, stretched and re-engineered to exceed original specifications.  It is rated as "zero accumulated fatigue damage" fuselage with new interior corrosion protection, stretched 40-inches (forward of wing); with the center and outer wings reinforced in 250 places to reduce loads on lower wing attach angles and to support the increased maximum gross weight. The wings have redesigned outer leading edges and wing tips for better aerodynamics. All workmanship and materials meet the highest standards of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Basler BT-67 modified nose for sensors and MAD in tail

    The Basler BT-67 is powered by the proven Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engine series that is certified to FAR Part 33 amendment 10, with Hartzell 5-blade aluminum reversing propeller. This reliable and efficient combination is certified to FAR Part 36 stage III quiet standard.

Proven Reliable Economical Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R engine

    The Basler BT-67 is equipped with new systems including Avionics, Autopilot, Electrical, Hydraulics, Fuel, Air conditioning, Stall Warning, Oxygen, and Fire protection, among others. These has resulted in:

Specialized modifications

• 35% more interior volume
• 43% more useful load
• 24% more speed
• Up to 100% more fuel capacity
• Lower stall speed
• Lower approach speed

Latest Technology Panel and Avionics

Night Vision Goggle compatible cockpit

    The Basler BT-67 can be specially configured to suit the different requirements of the government of the Philippines, including the Armed Forces, Defense and civilian departments. It can loiter over an area for ten hours utilizing its very low stall speed capability. Single-engine performance was improved by a new propeller to tackle single-engine emergencies, as required by the U.S. military.

The advantages of the Bassler BT-67, proven across many Air Forces, including the US

• Cost - you can acquire more than twice the number of aircraft with the given budget
• Customizable - based on myriad configurations of past modifications, for an exact needed configuration
• Very rough field capability - based on a proven tough reliable platform, making more airfields accessible
• Multi Misson - cargo, gunship, passenger; and civilian roles - Survey, Firefighting, Rainmaking, Search and Rescue
• Low stall speed - for more effective Search and Rescue

BT-67 Payload - Range Matrix

At sea level, ISA, and 30,000 lb MTOW, the BT-67 will clear a 35' obstacle in 1036 meters making it a good STOL aircraft given its size.

Through the different BT-67 configurations, it has been proven that belly and wing hardpoints can handle heavy loads similar to Close Air Support aircraft.


Basler Turbo Conversions’ long experience on different role versions of the BT-67 can provide the following roles and capabilities:

• Maritime Patrol Aircraft

  

  Science Modifications suited for MPA

  

  Military Options

• Cargo Aircraft

  

  Room for 40 Paratroopers and Cargo

• ASW Aircraft

  

  Tethered sensor

• Gunship

  

  Gunship with FLIR ball

  

  Fuerza Aérea Colombiana gunship twin side firing guns
  
  

  
  

• Survey Aircraft

  

  Spectrem Basler BT-67 for Aerial Survey

• Firefighting Aircraft

  

  US Forest Service

• Rainmaking Aircraft

  

  Thai Air Force cloud seeding

• Executive Aircraft

  

  Comfortable seating

Worldwide Operators

Civilian operators

Basler added upper lip door to accomodate five LD3 containers

•     Aerocontractors, United States
•     Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI), South Africa
•     Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
•     Basler Airlines
•     Bell Geospace Aviation, Inc, United States
•     Cargo North

  

  Cargo North

•     Kenn Borek Air, Canada
•     Polar Research Institute of China, China[3]
•     Spectrem Air Surveys, South Africa
•     United States Forest Service, United States
•     World Air Logistics, Thailand

Military operators

• Bolivian Air Force
• Colombian Air Force

  

  Fuerza Aérea Colombiana gunship with FLIR ball

• Colombian National Police
• El Salvador Air Force
• Guatemalan Air Force
• Malawi Air Force
• Mali Air Force
• Mauritanian Air Force
• Royal Thai Air Force

  

  Royal Thai Air Force

• United States Air Force

  

  U.S. Special Operations in Afghanistan with FLIR ball

Basler Turbo Conversions has produced more than sixty BT-67's. Indicative pricing from open sources puts the basic BT-67 aircraft price at $6.5 million (2012), and an aircraft equipped with maximum capability would probably run at $15 plus million.