Messier-Dowty Shows Its New Gear

Messier-Dowty is at NBAA to show its latest corporate aircraft integrated landing gear systems. Design work is virtually complete for the next generation of aircraft, and the company will be completing initial hardware deliveries within the next few months for the Raytheon Hawker Horizon, Bell/Agusta BA609 tilt rotor and Bombardier Continental. The first flights of all three aircraft are set to take place through the first three-quarters of 2001.

Messier-Dowty says its latest successes in supplying the landing gears for these major new aircraft programmes derive from its pioneering work on the fully integrated landing gear system for the Bombardier Global Express, and its close relationship with Dassault.

The recent company reorganization, which makes Messier-Dowty Toronto (MD-T) the primary facility for business aircraft equipment, marks the company's commitment to this market.

One of makes Messier-Dowty Toronto's goals here is to strengthen relationships with customers such as Bombardier, Dassault and Raytheon, and to reaffirm its commitment to support the development of new products. Evidence of MD-T's existing partnerships is demonstrated at its booth with a display of main landing gears. For the first time the company has on show a nose landing gear for the Hawker Horizon, along with main landing gears for the Falcon 10, Canadair Special Edition and Global Express.

Messier-Dowty Toronto is aiming to widen its customer base for landing gears still further with a move into the emerging small to midsize business jets market. Company president Ken Laver told Show News, "With increased interest in the business market for both rotorcraft and smaller jets, Messier-Dowty Toronto is prepared to work with manufacturers who are looking for partners with the expertise and capabilities to play a significant role in the development of their aircraft. We hope to be able to convince prospective customers of the inherent benefits in adopting Messier-Dowty landing gear solutions for their new products. Having already developed integrated landing gear systems for four different aircraft applications, there is now considerable evidence to support our contention that this truly is the most effective approach to landing gear development."

Messier-Dowty says that the advent of commercial tiltrotors, plus growing interest in fractional ownership, and the increased versatility of business jets, will continue to fuel demand for business aircraft. The company has already outfitted more than 2,000 business aircraft with landing gears, and is intent on maintaining its leading position in this burgeoning market.

Messier-Dowty International is part of the giant Snecma Group. Its landing gears are in service on more than 15,000 aircraft, making over 20,000 landings per day. The company supplies 30 airframe manufacturers and supports 600 operators of large civil aircraft, regional and business aircraft, military aircraft and helicopters.

It is currently involved in more than 15 business aircraft programmes, which include the Airbus ACJ, Bell/Agusta BA609, Bombardier Continental, Global Express, Challenger 600/601/604 and Canadair Special Edition, Gulfstream IV, Raytheon Hawker 800XP and Horizon and Socata TBM 700.