Yesteryear

• A Douglas DC-9-30 on delivery to Balair undertook the longest ever flight for the type when it flew from Montreal to Zurich and covered the 3,726 miles in 7hr 13min.

• Services operated by Pan American Boeing 747SP aircraft to Australia were inaugurated by the arrival of N531PA Clipper Freedom” from San Francisco to Sydney via Auckland on 10 December. The twice weekly Sydney/San Francisco service is the longest non-stop scheduled airline service in the world.

A world record for weight lifting was established by a Rolls Royce RB-211 powered British Airways Boeing 747B when it took off at a gross weight of 840,500lb. In accordance with FAI regulations governing the record attempt it climbed to 2,000 metres, in 6min 33sec.

Howard Hughes’ Hughes H-4 (Spruce Goose) flying boat powered by eight Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines may be made airworthy by Hughes’ company, the Summa Corporation at a reported cost of $3m. Another possibility for the aircraft’s future may be its acquisition by the USN for a programme to investigate flight within ground effect.

•The first flight of the Hawker Siddeley HS. 125 Series 700 took place at Chester on 8 November. Current sales of the HS. 125 including seven sold during November now stand at 360.

• The first of three Fokker F28 Fellowship aircraft on order for the Department of Transport, VH-ATE arrived at Essendon on 20 December.

The F-16 programme involving deliveries to the USAF and various European countries will probably result in a production rate of 45 aircraft per month by 1981 to meet demand.

• The estimated cost of the Rockwell International B-1 stategic bomber has been increased by inflation and the unit cost now stands at $83. 8m. The total programme cost including research and development now totals $22,900m for 244 aircraft.

•Construction of the 300th 747 was completed in December and this aircraft, the second 747B for Iran Air will be delivered in the new year. Boeing is investigating a stretched 747 combi version of the 747 which would have an approximate 25ft fuselage increase and could carry a maximum of 566 passengers or two more pallets than the present 747 combi.

20 Years Ago

The first Saab-37 Viggen prototype was rolled out at Linkoping on 24 November and is expected to fly in February. The Royal Swedish Air Force will take delivery of several versions of the aircraft and it is anticipated that a total of 800 Viggens will be ordered.

• Concorde orders have been recently received from Braniff International for three. Eastern Air Lines have increased their order from two to four and four have been ordered by Air Canada. Sales of the Concorde now stand at 69.

• Recent Caravelle sales during November have taken total sales to 235 and Sud-Aviation now expect to raise planned production to 260 aircraft.

• Boeing have received further orders for the 747 from Northwest Airlines for 10 and from United for five plus five options which takes a total 747 sales to 81.

•The recent Qantas strike which lasted for 27 days and ended on 21 December is estimated to have cost the airline approximately $10m at 1966 values.

• Construction of the first prototype Handley Page HP. 137 Jetstream is well underway and the first flight is expected to take place on schedule in April.

• Following the crash of a Bell 47 in Sydney in December, DCA has ordered that 12 other similar helicopters that have had their tail retention bolts installed for a period exceeding 300 hours should have them replaced. On the helicopter that crashed through the roof of a building in Pitt Street near Circular Quay killing three occupants, a tail rotor retention bolt had failed causing the tail rotor to break away.

• One of Australia’s most respected aviators, Sir Gordon Taylor died in Honolulu on 16 December. Sir Gordon was renowned as both a pilot and navigator and was also a highly accomplished author.

•The first of ten Dassault IIID two-seat trainers on order to the RAAF was handed over on 10 November. They will assist conversion of pilots for the 100 Mirage IllOson order.

•The Prime Minister Mr Holt announced on 22 December that No2 Squadron presently based at Butterworth and equipped with eight Canberra bombers will relocate to Vietnam to become part of the allied air contribution. The present RAAF contingent in Vietnam consists of Iroquois helicopters and Caribou transports and the Canberras will be the first RAAF aircraft to be used in a strike role.

•An announcement from the Douglas Aircraft Company on 12 December stated that its Board of Directors had authorised Management to explore a possible merger with one of several major companies. The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation subsequently announced on 13 January that merger negotiations had started with the Douglas Company.

30 Years Ago

• An initial production order has been placed for the English Electric P. 1 (Lightning) fighter powered by two Rolls Royce Avons which is capable of 1,500mph in level flight and is said to be supersonic in a climb.

• A crowd of about 30,000 who attended the third annual display of the Sydney Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society at Bankstown on 3 November were treated to a varied and interesting flying display. Amongst the civil contingent were demonstrations by two Australian built prototypes, the Fawcett 120 and Kingsford Smith PL-7 Tanker, Cessna 182, DH Dove and Piper Tri-Pacer and a variety of training aircraft comprising Austers and a Chipmunk. The largest civil aircraft to be seen was a Qantas Lockheed Super Constellation which made a fly past. Service aircraft included RAN Fireflies, Sea Furies, Sycamores and a Gannet while the RAAF was there in force with five Canberras, six Avon Sabres, the Meteor formation aerobatic team, a Neptune and a Dakota which deployed parachutists.

• The first Canadair CL-28 (Argus) maritime reconnaissance adaption of the Bristol Britannia has left the assembly line and should fly in a few months time. Consideration is also being given to a turboprop version of the CL-28 to be known as the CL-44.

Mr CA Butler, the Managing Director of Butler Air Transport announced on 13 November that BAT has ordered five Fokker Friendships for 1959 delivery.

• Short Solent flying boats of Aquila Airways will start service between Britain and Switzerland next June. The 59-seat aircraft will take three hours for the journey which in Switzer- land will alight on Lake Geneva.

• Lockheed are developing a new early warning version of the Super Constellation to be fitted with a dorsal saucer-shaped radome and the project carries the Lockheed designation CL257.

• The second de Havilland Beaver to be used by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition has been handed over at a ceremony at Bankstown. Apart from additional navigational, radio and scientific equipment, another feature is the extra fuel capacity consisting of a ventral pannier tank together with wingtip tanks which permit a range of approximately 1,400 miles.

A full British Certificate of Airworthiness was granted to the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer on 29 November and a demonstration tour of one of the aircraft which will include Australia, will be made in the new year.

• The first flight of the Convair B-58 Hustler took place on 11 November. A preproduction order has been placed for 12 aircraft and it is now considered unlikely that it is being thought of as a replacement for the larger Boeing B-52.