Yesteryear

•The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle officially entered service with the USAF Tactical Air Command at Langley AFB on 9 January. The F-15 has been in operation for more than a year with the 55th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona. So far 40 production aircraft and 20 F-15s for the completed R&D programme have been delivered to the USAF

•There are still 18 Dakotas in service with the RAAF and they are expected to be in operation until at least 1979. Several aircraft are being investigated as a single replacement for the Dakota, Caribou and HS748 aircraft but no order is expected before 1978.

• The first three of 80 Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighters on order for the Iranian Imperial Air Force were flown by US Navy crews to the Khatami Air Force Base, Isfahan during February. Deliveries will continue at a rate of two aircraft per month increasing to three a month early next year.

•Assembly of the first full-scale developmental single-seat F-16A by General Dynamics has commenced and the first flight is expected during October. The development programme requires six F-16A and two F-16B aircraft and these aircraft are scheduled for delivery by June 1978.

•The first scheduled revenue-carrying flights of the Concorde took place on 21 January. British Airways Concorde 206 (G-BOAA) carrying 30 passengers and 70 guests flew from Heathrow to Bahrain in 3hr 38min while Air France Concorde 205 (F-BVFA) with 93 fare-paying passengers seven and guests Paris Charles de Gaulle)-Dakar-Rio de Janeiro in a 6hr 14min flying time.

• When the Lockheed P-3 Orion enters Canadian Armed Forces service in 1979 it will be known as the CP-3C Aurora. Deliveries of 18 aircraft will take place between May 1979 and February 1980.

• Flight testing of the N24 stretched fuselage version of the Nomad began during January. The N24 has a six foot longer fuselage and the passenger accommodation has been increased from 12 to 16.

20 Years Ago

• The Government Aircraft Factories at Fishermans Bend has completed a design study for a small STOL transport aircraft to be used for utility flying and agricultural work. It would have a single turboprop engine, seat 10- 12 passengers and carry a 3,000lb payload.

• A total of 103 HS. 125s have now been ordered and production authorisation has now been given for 160 aircraft.

• The TAA Catalina VH-SBV made its last scheduled flight from Port Moresby to Kerema and the Gulf District on 5 January.

• Breguet and Nord who previously signed an agreement on 1 June 1965 have now reached an agreement with Hawker Siddeley to collaborate on the design of an airbus.

• The BAC One-Eleven G-ASGE arrived in Sydney on 26 January en route to New Zea land on what is the longest sales tour in air transport history. The aircraft will return in February for a short demonstration tour in Australia.

•The RAF will receive 50 General Dynamics F-111 As to be used as strike reconnaissance aircraft to replace its Canberras. The agreed ceiling price is 2. 1M pounds for each basic aircraft with the RAF paying extra for changes such as a strengthened undercarriage to enable heavier loads to be carried and the inclusion of British communications equipment.

• Qantas will have its Boeing 707s internally modified to enable an increase in passenger accommodation. The changes to be made by the Lockheed Aircraft Service Company in California will lit capacity by about 10 passengers resulting in a seating configuration of 24 first class and 90 economy.

•ADCA type-approval certificate was received by the Transavia PL-12 Airtruk on 10 February and production is now underway.

• The Minister for Air, Mr P. Howson said that the revised price for the RAAF’s 24 F-1115 would be approximately $184M. This represented an increase of 64% over the 1963 estimate.

•Lockheed has proposed a civil version of the C-SA which would be available by the early 1970s. Designated the L-500 it would carry 667 passengers in a first-class arrangement or up to 902 in an all-economy layout. Lockheed has estimated a market for 30 to 40 such passenger-carrying aircraft by the 1970s plus an additional 100 in an all-cargo configuration.

• Mr G. B. Richardson, the Chairman of Victa Ltd announced on 16 February that the company had ceased production of the Airtourer. He also said that the company would reconsider plans to produce a four-seater aircraft which was now at the prototype stage and should fly in March.

30 Years Ago

•An announcement was made in Washington on 10 January that the RAAF would purchase two Convair 440 Metropolitans for VIP use. The interiors will be fitted out in the USA by a Convair subcontractor and there will be seating for 15-20 passengers. The first aircraft will be delivered in March.

• De Havillands have an enlarged version of the Comet in the project stage powered by four podded Conway turbojets. The aircraft would be capable of flying the Atlantic non-stop and is being considered by BOAC.

• Douglas are reported to be considering the use of six engines instead of four to meet the great weight of the DC-8 which is likely to be in the region of 350,000lb.

•The Boeing Intercontinental will have a span of 141’6″, length of 145, height of 38’11”, and all up weight of 295,000. Payload will be 38,280b and cruising speed 547mph.

• A new assembly line at Weybridge is being used by Vickers to build one and two off Viscounts, such as the ones for Hughes Tool Co, United States Steel, and Standard Oil Two VIP transport Viscounts for the Indian Air Force are nearing completion at Weybridge.

• Transports Aeriens Intercontinental (TAI) has taken over from Air France under a rearrangement of French routes, on the service from Indo-China via Australia to New Caledonia. TAI will use a DC-6B through Darwin to Noumea and it is believed an application has been lodged for permission to alter the route to allow flights to operate through Sydney. The previous Air France network was through Darwin and Brisbane to Noumea.

•The all up weight of the Lockheed Electra has been increased from 98,500lb on the project model 310 to 110,000b on the present design model 188. The span will be 99′ and length 104’2″.

• The Vickers 900 Vanguard is receiving considerable interest in both the USA and Canada. As was done with the Viscount, Vickers are offering modifications to the design to meet US requirements.

• BOAC has taken delivery of the first two Britannias of the 33 aircraft it has on order. Total Britannia orders stand at 49 and a further Transport Command RAF order is believed near.

• Lockheed and TWA are still interested in re-engining the L1049G Super Constellation with the Bristol BE-25 turboprop.

•The Douglas XC-133, which is to replace the C-124G Globemaster 2 was rolled out at Long Beach on 8 February.

• Short Bros and Harland are building 20 Britannia type 302 aircraft for BOAC and the first flight is expected in October.