Conversion cargo B 767

Wagner plans to launch 767 cargo conversion programme

Wagner Aeronautical is preparing to launch a passenger to freighter (P2F) conversion programme for the Boeing 767-300ER, providing a third PTF option for the 767 after Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Wagner CEO William Wagner says his small California-based firm, which designed the Boeing 757-200 P2F product now sold by Precision Conversions, has been "tinkering" with a 767 P2F product for the last two years and believes demand for 767 conversions is now sufficient to support a third conversion provider.
"We're hoping by the end of this year or the first quarter of next year to make a [launch] announcement," Wagner told ATI and Flightglobal on the sidelines of the 20 October Cargo Facts 2010 Aircraft Symposium in Miami.
Wagner says he intends to launch the programme with an order for over 10 aircraft from a single customer which he expects to secure over the next couple of months. Once launched, Wagner expects the certification process to take two years. He says the maintenance firm performing the initial conversions is still to be determined but he now talking to shops in Asia and the US.
767-300ER conversions are currently done in Singapore and Israel. The Singapore conversions are performed by Singapore Technologies Aerospace but marketed by Boeing. The Israel conversions are offered by a joint venture consisting of IAI and Japan's Mitsui. Boeing says it has done six 767-300ER conversions so far with a seventh to be completed by the end of this year while IAI says it has done three 767-300ER conversions with a fourth to be completed by the end of this year.
Wagner says he has held back the last two years in joining Boeing and IAI in the 767-300ER P2F market due to the economic downturn, which has impacted demand for converted freighters. "That is changing," Wagner says.
He adds that a lack of available 767 passenger aircraft, primarily due to delays in Boeing 787 deliveries, was a second factor. But feedstock is expected to improve as 787 deliveries are finally set to begin next year.
He says Wagner has not yet decided whether to launch the programme on its own or with a joint venture partner. For the 757 Wagner partnered with the Erickson Group in 2001 to form Precision Conversion. Wagner was the lead design firm during the development phase with Bill Wagner serving as VP of engineering. But Wagner has since exited the joint venture and no longer has a stake in Precision.
While Wagner has never been involved in a widebody cargo conversion programme he says "the 767 is a natural jump for us off the 757. They are similar aircraft." Wagner Aeronautical, which was first established in 1993, also has provided engineering services as a subcontractor for conversion programmes involving the Boeing 727, 737 and 747. Wagner says while his firm is small - its core group only consists of 12 employees - it has the potential of spooling up and securing the capital needed to launch a 767 PTF programme without a commercial partner.
Earlier this year Wagner elected to pursue a P2F product for the Boeing MD-80 on its own. Wagner announced in February it was starting to offer a P2F conversion for the MD-80 and had entered into an agreement with Boeing to license the manufacturer's engineering data to support its pursuit of an STC for the MD-80SF. But Wagner says his firm is now reconsidering pursuing the MD-80SF and it is more likely the 767-300ER will be Wagner's next project.
"We're kind of holding, waiting for a launch customer," Wagner says of the MD-80.
When Wagner announced the MD-80SF programme in February he said he was expecting to secure a launch customer within a few months. "That hasn't worked out to date," he says. "It was not as firm as we thought."
Aeronautical Engineers (AEI), only a couple of days after Wagner announced its plans to pursue the MD-80SF, launched its own product for the MD-80SF. AEI also has a license from Boeing that gives it access to the manufacturer's data. But, unlike Wagner, AEI decided to acquire a used MD-80 and start working on a prototype before securing a launch customer.
"I don't think the MD-80 is one I want to speculate on," Wagner says. "It's an unproven entity."
Wagner believes the MD-80SF market will be relatively small but is still potentially large enough to support two players. He acknowledges AEI will be first to market as it has already embarked on the certification process which is expected to result in an STC in the third quarter of 2011. "They definitely have an advantage but there's always room for two," Wagner says

Qatar Airways is intending to acquire a large batch of converted Boeing 767 freighters, after losing patience with Airbus over a possible A330 conversion programme.

Chief executive Akbar Al Baker disclosed the plan at the Dubai air show, as the carrier ordered another pair of Boeing 777 freighters.

Al Baker said the airline is looking at taking a "large number" of 767s and would "dispose" of A330s in response, if they could not be converted. Airbus only offers a new-build A330-200 freighter.

"Unfortunately Airbus is not making up its mind on converting the A330," said Al Baker.

His swipe at the European airframer came during a press event which had already been preceded by farce as Qatar Airways and a Boeing entourage turned up in the same room that Airbus personnel were leaving, having hastily cancelled its own planned press event with the carrier.

Al Baker said the carrier had "reached an impasse" with Airbus over an intended deal, although he did not indicate the size or the type of aircraft involved.

"We thought we'd reach a very large [agreement] today," he said, before adding, caustically: "Unfortunately I think Airbus is still learning how to make airplanes."

He gave no indication whether the details would be thrashed out in time to rescue the deal for a Dubai air show disclosure.

Al Baker did, however, warn that Airbus was rapidly using up Qatar Airways' planning margins for introducing the A350 into the Doha-based carrier's fleet, following the decision to delay the A350-900's entry into service until 2014.

The -900 is the first of the three-aircraft A350 family to go into production and Qatar Airways is the launch customer - as it is for the other two models, the -800 and -1000.

Al Baker insisted that a six-month delay on the new programme was "insignificant" but that the buffer had been used up and the carrier "cannot accept" additional programme hold-ups.

"Further delays would concern us," he said, because Qatar bases its fleet planning on being able to put aircraft into service immediately after delivery.

Al Baker also said his opinion on the A350-1000 "remains the same", following the type's redesign earlier this year, adding: "We are not happy."

He underlined the threat to the A350-1000 from Boeing's rival 777, stating that the carrier would be "very interested" in a "large number of aircraft" if the US airframer launched a new variant of the 777.

On peut en rigoler !

A dispute between passenger-to-freighter conversion specialist Bedek and Boeing over fees charged by the airframer may affect plans by the Israeli company to offer converted Boeing 767s as multi-mission aircraft.

Bedek, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), sees "big" commercial potential in converting 767s to air refuelling or multi-mission aircraft.

The price of finished aircraft is affected by the "Boeing fee", which the company charges for every airframe converted from passenger to cargo configuration.

The Boeing fee ranges from $50,000 to $250,000, affecting the total deal price.

The fee is charged to allow the owner of the converted aircraft access to all its technical documentation and includes a royalty fee, Boeing said.

Sources said lawyers representing both parties have been working on a solution.

IAI declined to comment.

Une chose est certaine : Bedek / IAI ne doit pas être content.

C'est , peut-être, le moment pour Airbus de faire le "forcing" au bénéfice de l'A330-200F !

Boeing 767-300ERs with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) winglets are now "viable candidates" for conversion to freighters under a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval announced on 17 May.

According to APB, developers of blended winglets for a wide variety of Boeing aircraft along with Aviation Partners Incorporated, the approval demonstrates "compatibility for installing blended winglets" on a Boeing 767 converted freighter (BCF).

"The development assures that Boeing 767-300ERs with blended winglets are viable candidates for future conversions to freighters by Boeing," says APB.

Priced at $2.26 million, not including installation, the GKN-built composite material blended winglets for the 767-300ER can cut fuel burn by up to 5.4% at cruise. The installation package adds 1,354kg (2,984lb) to the weight of the aircraft, but increases payload capability by as much as 7,412kg.