By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Strong demand for airplanes lifted orders for U.S.-made durable goods to a stronger-than-expected 0.8% gain in September, the Commerce Department estimated Wednesday. A 6.3% increase in orders for transportation goods offset weak demand in other sectors in September, the government reported. Excluding transportation, orders fell 1.1%. Excluding civilian aircraft, orders fell 0.3%. The 0.8% increase was much stronger than the 1% decline expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. See Economic Calendar. However, orders in August were revised down sharply to a 5.5% decline from a 4.5% decline earlier. Orders for durable goods are down 1.8% from the previous September. Shipments are off 0.6%. The figures are not adjusted for price changes. Read the full government report. The report is unlikely to have much impact on the Federal Reserve's decision later Wednesday about interest rates. Most analysts expect a half percentage point cut in the key target rate to 1%. See full story. Durable-goods orders have risen in four of the past five months, but are still down 2.7% from April's level. Orders for core capital equipment - the kind of investments businesses make to expand or update their productive capacity - fell 1.4% in September after a 2.2% decline in August. Shipments of durable goods were not quite as strong as orders, with a strike at Boeing Co. holding back production. Hurricanes in the Gulf may have also disrupted shipments. Shipments rose 0.2% after a 4.2% decline in August. Excluding transportation, shipments fell 0.4% in September after a 2.9% decline. Shipments of core capital equipment - which feed directly into calculations of business investment for gross domestic product - rose 2% in September after a 2.1% decline in August. The government will release its first estimate of third-quarter growth on Thursday, with economists forecasting a 0.6% decline. The durable-goods shipments and inventory figures released Wednesday could alter those forecasts. With a 0.4% increase, inventories continued to rise faster than shipments, a potentially worrisome sign that inventories are building up too much and could lead to layoffs and production cutbacks if demand does not recover. Details Transportation goods orders rose 6.3% after a 9.3% drop in August. Orders for civilian aircraft rose 29.7% after a 37.7% drop. Orders for vehicles rose 3% after an 8.8% decline. Orders for defense aircraft rose 10.1% after an 11.7% drop. Shipments of transportation goods rose 2%. Orders for machinery rose 0.5% after a 6.4% decline. Shipments of machinery jumped 4.3%. Orders for electronics (excluding semiconductors) fell 1.4% after a 2% gain. Orders for computers fell 2.8%. Orders for communication equipment fell 14.6%. Shipments of electronics (including semiconductors) fell 2.1%. Orders for electrical goods increased 1.5% after a 3.5% decline. Shipments of electrical goods fell 0.2%. Orders for primary metals fell 4.5%, while shipments dropped 3.2%. Orders for fabricated metals fell 0.9% while shipments fell 0.2%.

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