BFGoodrich has agreed to become an equity partner in MyAircraft.com, the electronic marketplace Honeywell and United Technologies launched earlier this year to serve the aerospace aftermarket. The agreement takes the form of a letter of intent and is subject to a definitive agreement. When it's concluded, BFGoodrich will have a seat on the MyAircraft.com board.

E-commerce "is not a passing fad," says BFGoodrich president and CEO Marshall Larsen. "It will change the way we do business." The founding partners of MyAircraft.com welcomed their new partner yesterday, noting that BFGoodrich's landing systems (wheels and brakes) and other products will complement their existing range of products.

BFGoodrich decided some time ago to enter the E-commerce world, says Larsen, and picked MyAircraft.com because it provided an opportunity to take an equity position.

"It won't be the only aerospace E-commerce portal," says Larsen, "but we believe that it will be a very successful one."

MyAircraft.com executives indicated here that they intend to further expand ownership of the company to reflect the breadth of the industry, including both suppliers and operators. The founders have turned away offers from venture capital specialists and are looking for between eight and ten partners who bring strategic expertise and access to different sectors of the market.

MyAircraft.com has opened a new version of its website to expand its marketing activities. Under the current schedule, the partners plan to offer trading and some other E-commerce services by the middle of the third quarter, supply chain management by the end of the third quarter, and online technical information by the end of the year.

By Bill Sweetman