Yesteryear

• Qantas has ordered an additional three Boe- ing 747-2008 aircraft at a cost of $117m including spares, taking its fleet total to 15 aircraft of this type.

ing • Lockheed is reported to have received an order for three P-3C Orions from the Iranian Imperial Air Force to add to the six P-3F aircraft it has currently in service. It is believed that the IIAF eventually would need 18 Orions to carry out the maritime reconnaissance role.

•The RNZAF will take delivery of ten ex-RAF Hawker Siddeley Andover tactical transports early next year, following the recent granting of New Zealand Government approval of the £Bm expenditure. The aircraft will be refurbished and the purchase price includes spares, support and role equipment.

• TAA withdrew Twin Otter VH-TGW from service at Mackay on 15 August. It flew to Bris-Bane the following day where it was prepared for sale to its new owner, Masling Airlines.

•The delivery has taken place of the 500th De Havilland Twin Otter at Downsview to Metro Airlines of Houston, Texas.

•The first flight took place early in July of the Lockheed US-3A COD version of the Viking. The aircraft has been modified to carry six passengers and large underwing pods can accommodate 100016 of supplies each.

•An order from Branitt on 19 July for four more advanced 727s has taken its fleet total of this type to 75 and the total sales of all Boeing jetliners of all types past the 3000 mark.

• The order by Ansett of two more Fokker F27 Mk500 Friendships has taken to 29 the total number of Friendships ordered by the Ansett group since 1958.

• Clive Canning has completed a solo flight from Moorabbin to England in his Thorp T18 VH-CMC. His flight which started on 12 June, took 98 flying hours and established seven point-to-point records, subject to FAI ratification. His UK landfall was made at Shoreham on 1 July.

•The acquisition of three more Vickers V. 952 Vanguards by Europe Air Services of Perpignan, ex-Invicta International, has made them the largest Vanguard operator with a fleet total of 16 of the type.

20 Years Ago

•The first flight of the Douglas DC-9 Series 30 took place at Long Beach on 1 August. This version has a 15ft longer fuselage and 4ft increase in wingspan compared with the Series 10. Passenger accommodation is 115 compared with 90 for the Series 10 which started scheduled passenger services last December. A total of 237 DC-9 series are on order for 19 airlines.

•Production of the Hawker Siddeley 125 is well underway with the completion of the 100th aircraft at Chester on 15 July.

• An expected increase in tourism between Australia and Noumea has led to an increase in airline frequencies. The present fortnightly return service operated between Sydney and Noumea by UTA DC-6B will be replaced by two services a week from 1 August. Qantas will fly a weekly Boeing 707 Sydney/Noumea/Sydney and UTA will operate a DC-8 from Sydney to Noumea at the completion of the usual service from Paris.

• The last scheduled DC-6B service operated by Ansett-ANA took place on 29 August. Lockheed Electras and Vickers Viscounts will be used to replace them.

• Ansett-ANA took delivery of the first Fokker F27OC VH-FNO at Essendon on 16 August. It is the first of five an order, to be delivered by the middle of March 1967.

•Recent aircraft put up for sale by the Argentine Navy include five Martin PBM-SA Mariners, one Convair PBY-SA Catalina, three Lockheed P2V-5 Neptunes, two Chance Vought F4U Corsairs, one Beechcraft AT-11 and two Supermarine Walruses.

• TAA’s first DHC-6 Twin Otter arrived at Sydney Airport on 16 August carrying the US registration N12706. It will become VH-TGR and be put into service in New Guinea.

•Both Ansett-ANA and TAA received their 4th Boeing 727s at Essendon on 10 August. The aircraft were VH-RMR and VH-TJD ‘Gregory Blaxland’.

• The first flight of the Corby Starlet VH-CBS took place at Camden on 9 August flown by Peter Hodgens.

•The RAAF received the first of 12 Lockheed C-130E aircraft at Richmond on 24 August followed by the second aircraft two days later. Flown by crews of No 37 Squadron, these aircraft (A97-159 and A97-160) were delivered from the USA via Hawaii and Fi •Lockheed has drawn up plans for tanker and airborne command post versions of the C-SA transport. It is also possible that the initial order for 58 aircraft may be increased to 120.

• Douglas are working on a project for an Air-Bome Warning and Control System (AWACS) for the USAF based on the DC-8 Super 62. The aircraft would have a top mounted ‘rotodome and be equipped with advanced radar, communications and data processing equipment.

30 Years Ago

• The first Cessna 182 to be delivered to Australia, VH-REX was registered in July following its June trial.

•Douglas are working on a scaled-down DC-8 to meet competition offered by the smaller Convair Skylark 600 airliner. This will be the DC-9 powered by either the J79 or the P&W J52, a Navy turbojet engine of approximately 7500lb thrust.

• TAA became the first Australian airline to carry more than 750,000 passengers is twelve months when it carried 750,868 passengers in the 12 months to 30 June. Aircraft hours were 94,763 and the overall load factor was 71%, an increase of 1%. The Viscount fleet increased from five to nine during the year which enabled TAA to operate the Viscount to all state capitals.

•Fairchild now has orders for 14 Friendships with options for another 20 and the type will soon go into quantity production.

• The RAN has ceased flying operations from HMAS Melbourne’ and the carrier was recalled to its base in mid-August following the loss of a Sea Venom near Moreton Bay. Senator O’Sullivan, the Navy Minister said that the Sea Venoms had been grounded pending a full investigation.

•Two Handley Page Heralds have been ordered by Queensland Airlines. The total cost including spares is about £400,000 and it is thought that it is the first firm order to be placed for the Herald.

•Cessna began taxi tests early in August of its Model 620 four-engined transport and the first flight was expected to take place towards the end of the month. Powered by four Continental GSO-526-A engines developing 320hp each at takeoff, the 620 will have a takeoff weight e 13,650b. It is expected that Cessna will release details of the price and production information early in October.

tof • RAAF Canberras have recently established some new speed records. On 31 July, one flew from Pearce WA to Brisbane, a distance of 2,254 miles in 3hr 20min. Another flew the 1,778 miles from Brisbane to Darwin in 3hr 4min on 7 August. Both fights were assisted by jet stream winds of between 100-200mph.

• A further 15 Viscounts ordered by Capital Airlines has taken total US sales to 132. Of the 342 Viscounts on order, 132 have been delivered.

• North America is developing a Mach 2, two-seat twin-engined jet tactical bomber, the A3J at Columbus, Ohio.

The last Martin PBM-5 Mariners in USN service have been retired at Iwakuni and replaced by PSM-2 Marlins.

•Canadian reports indicate that DH Canada is considering a twin-engined utility aircraft with the designation DHC-4.