As the commuter-airliner market reaches saturation, prospects for small- turbine manufacturers are more closely tied to other business areas - notably the military, despite widespread defence cuts - than for some time.

In the small-turbofan market, covering the power range up to 30kN (6,750lb)thrust, one of the year's major developments has been the 21 September unveiling of the three-engined Dassault Falcon 9000 transpacific-range corporate jet, to be powered by a derivative of the Garrett/General Electric CFE738, which will power the new Falcon 2000.

Also of great significance was the 16 October US Federal Aviation Administration certification of the Williams Rolls-Royce FJ44-powered Cessna CitationJet, also proposed for the Jetcruzer twin-engine variant of the Falcon 9000.

Prospects for the turboshaft market appear more clear-cut. The Royal Navy has placed the first firm orders for EH Industries (EHI) EH101, powered by either three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322s or General Electric CT7-6s, and the Allison T406AD-400-powered Bell/Boeing V-22 programme is moving forward once more. The US Army is moving ahead with its programme for an Improved Transport Helicopter (ITH) to replace the Boeing CH-47D.

Meanwhile, the fly-off for the US Army's New Training Helicopter (NTH) began in October at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and all three contenders for re-engineing the Bell UH-1 Iroquois fleet are now flying their offerings. The contenders are Bell, with an upgraded Textron Lycoming T53-powered Huey II; GE and UNC, with a T700powered UH-1; and LHTEC and Global, with the T800-powered Huey 800.

France and Italy, signing for their share of the four-nation NH.90 medium helicopter, will also boost the chances of both Rolls-Royce Turbomeca (offering the RTM322) and GE (with the CT7-6).

Of the new turboprop programmes, only the Saab 2000 looks likely to generate profits for its engine supplier, Allison. CASA faces a tough struggle with its CASA 3000, due in March 1993, and the Pratt & Whitney Canada-powered Dornier 328 is off to a slow start. P&WC looks safe with the established ATR Industries ATR 42/72, Bombardier Dash 8 and British Aerospace ATP, now called the Jetstream 61.

Bombardier has not committed itself to the Dash 8-400, which was the subject of a competition between Allison and General Electric/Lycoming, with the GLC38.

GE's commitment to the GLC38/T407 is in doubt following the earlier cancellation of the US Navy's Lockheed P-7.

Allison, which is still officially for sale, is hoping to launch the GMA3014 ADV turbofan by the end of the year, if the engine is selected to power the Canadair Global Express. Meanwhile, flight-testing of the GMA3007C, which will power the Cessna Citation X (Model 750) high-speed business aircraft, began on a Citation III (Cessna 650) in August. The programme is aimed at certification in mid-1995.

In the turboshaft market, the V-22 tiltrotor is now more likely than not to move into production, with potential sales of several hundred machines to the US Marine Corps. The Congressional budget conference voted to allocate the V-22 an extra $755 million in 1993, to add to some $790 million in unspent fiscal...