Aircraft Maintenance Technology

APR 2017

The aircraft maintenance professional's source for technological advancements, maintenance alerts, news, articles, events, and careers

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Putting the best future imaginable on wing. At Pratt & Whitney, we keep you flying. Our Customer to customized solutions, whether instructor-led or on the web, we provide an innovative learning experience to support your maintenance, engine performance and fl eet management needs. Backed by a global network Learn more at www.pwcustomertraining.com . Connect with us Training team is dedicated to advancing jet engine knowledge and maintenance techniques. From standard courses that supports you anytime, anywhere. Pratt & Whitney. AviationPros.com/company/10134793 www.AviationPros.com 45 aircraft since the conversion program was launched back in 1991. Boeing is busy just now with prepa- rations to roll out its first 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) soon, with the first conversion set for re-delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017 to the customer. In all, Boeing predicts a total demand for 1,440 converted freighters over the next 20 years — 1,040 standard-body aircraft and 400 wide-bodies. Seen in aggregate, the conversion mar- ket is percolating along. It's just not steamy hot anymore. "Our market is not slow," asserts PEMCO's Andrews. "We've had one of the better years we've had in the last few years. We'll convert 10 to 15 this year." Boeing says so far it's received as many as 60 orders for its 737-800BCF from eight customers. A significant slice of those -800s are bound for China, where they're being converted. The company set up its first line at Boeing Shanghai, says Kurt Kraft, Boeing's vice president of freighter conversions. "We're going to add two additional lines at STAECO in Jinan." He calls both facili- ties experienced MRO sites. "We've got a great deal of confidence in these guys. It's a great place to build the airplane and they're very good at what they do. "The beauty is there's a tremendous amount of demand right now for this [-800] airplane in China," says Kraft. "This allows us to do these conversions close to the customer, so they can stay close to their airplanes during the conversion process." By the numbers, the Boeing World Air Cargo Forecast projects world air cargo will grow "4.2 percent over the next 20 MARKET DEBATE: SIZE AND SCOPE Mike Andrews begs to disagree somewhat with CAVOK's assessment, predicting "a bit better than 400" aircraft according to PEMCO World Air Services' director of cargo conversions. PEMCO specializes in reconfiguring Boeing 737-300s and -400s for cargo customers. It's reworked more than 150 of the ubiquitous twin-engine

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