Yesteryear

• Flight testing of a General Electric/Snecma CFM-56 began on 17 March with an engine mounted on the starboard position of a Caravelle. The Caravelle is based at Istres and the test programme will involve speeds up to Mach 0. 82 and altitudes up to 45,000ft.

•Lockheed are working on a twin engined version of the TriStar which would provide a passenger capacity somewhere between the existing TriStar and the Boeing 727.

• Beech delivered the 10,000th Bonanza last month, 30 years and 2 days after the delivery of the first Model 35 Bonanza on 15 February 1947. The aircraft will be delivered to Beech- craft’s Australian distributor, Hawker de Havil- land Pty Ltd to participate in their 50th anniversary.

•The Specialized Aircraft Company of Santa Barbara, California has proposed a re-engined turboprop version of the DC-3 powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-458 of 1174eshp driving five bladed Hartzell propellers. The conversion would take less than 3000 man-hours and would permit a payload of 12,000lb.

• The UK Secretary for Defence, Frederick Mulley announced on 31 March that the UK would commence full scale development of an early warning version of the Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod to enter RAF service from 1981-82. The current plan calls for the rebuilding of 11 existing Nimrod airframes into the AEW version at a cost of £260-280m.

• Replacement aircraft for the Grumman Trackers destroyed in last December’s fire at HMAS Albatross arrived in Australia on 5 April when HMAS Melbourne berthed in Sydney with 16 Grumman S-2Gs on board. Of these 11 were launched from the ship on the day of arrival and the remaining five Trackers were catapulted the following day for their fight to Nowra.

• The first F-111C to be lost in RAAF service crashed on 28 April. Both crew ejected safely when the aircraft went down in northern NSW.

• McDonnell Douglas is continuing market studies for re-engined versions of the DC-8 powered by either the P&W JT8D-209 or the GE/Snecma CFM-56. It is thought that mainly Sixty series aircraft would be identified for such a retrofit programme although earlier aircraft may also be involved in the modifications.

20 Years Ago

• McDonnell delivered their 2000th Phantom, an F-4D for the USAF at Lambert St Louis on 12 March.

•The Beagle Pup prototype had its first flight at Shoreham on 8 April flown by J. W. C. (Pee-Wee) Judge. The two-seat aerobatic light aircraft will sell for approximately £3500 and certification of the first production aircraft is scheduled by the company by the end of this year.

• Piper are developing a new aircraft designated the PA-35 capable of carrying up to 16 passengers or 3500lb of cargo. To be used for commuter/executive/cargo purposes it would be larger than any other aircraft Piper has built. Preliminary specifications include an 8700lb gross weight, useful load 4100lb, span of 51ftand length 39.

• The first Douglas DC-9-30 aircraft for Ansett- ANA and TAA arrived at Essendon on 13 April at the completion of their trans Pacific delivery flight. Both aircraft entered service on 17 April on the east coast.

• The Boeing 737 prototype N73700 had its maiden flight on 9 April at Seattle and by the end of the month had accumulated 31 flying hours.

• The first RAAF operational Mirage III-O squadron to be based overseas will leave for Butterworth during May. No75 Squadron’s Mir- ages will take the place of a Sabre squadron which will return to Williamtown to be re-equipped with Mirages.

• Rex Aviation delivered their 1000th Cessna, a Model 402 to the Geophysical Resources Development Company on 18 April. These sales were achieved over a 12 year period with the first aircraft being delivered by Rex in 1954. The 500th aircraft was delivered in 1963 and the recent booming sales of 160 aircraft in 1965-66 is an indication of the current healthy state of the general aviation market.

• The first Sud Caravelle 11R which has a 19,800lb freight capacity flew on 24 April. Two each have been ordered by Air Afrique and Air Congo and Caravelle orders now stand at 239. •Assembly has been completed at Chester of the first of two prototype Hawker Siddeley 801 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the first flight is expected in June. The RAF has ordered 38 production HS. 8018.

•The Swedish Government announced on 20 March that an initial order has been placed for 100 SAAB-37 Viggens at a cost of SW. CR 1560m (£108m). The order is made up of 83 AJ37 attack aircraft and 17 SK two-seat trainers.

• Losses of US aircraft and helicopters in Vietnam since the war started had reached 2039 by March.

• A civil version of the Transall freighter has been announced by Nord. It will be designated the C-161 and have a nose-loading door.

30 Years Ago

• The prototype Canadair CL-28 Argus flown by a crew led by W. S. Longhurst had its first flight at Cartierville on 28 March. The type is due to enter RCAF service in May, with construction of the second aircraft complete and the third is well under way. The RCAF designation for the Argus is CP-107.

•The RAAF has completed its first around-the-world exercise with the arrival back in Australia on 4 April of three Neptunes of No11 Squadron. The three Neptunes left Richmond on 20 February at the beginning of Operation Westbound which in part consisted of their attendance in Accra, Ghana at the opening of the new Dominion Parliament and Australia’s representative, the Minister for Air Mr F. M. Osborne was on board one of the aircraft. From Ghana the Neptunes A89-305, A89-311 and A89-312 flew to the USA and returned to Australia via the Pacific to complete their 30,310-mile journey in approximately 149 flying hours. Apart from a few minor problems the Neptunes also struck a couple of lengthier snags. A89-311 encountered a runaway propeller soon after takeoff from Bermuda while A89-312 had an engine change in the Azores after experiencing a valve collapse in an upper cylinder.

• Bonus payments will be paid by ANA to pilots who are engaged purely on cargo operations in DC-3s, DC-48 and Bristol Freighters. An allowance of 7/6d will be paid to Captains and 5/-to First Officers to compensate for the disadvantages of being involved on freighter operations. •The Convair B-58 Hustler without its engines was carried under the belly of a Convair B-36 from Fort Worth, Texas to Dayton, Ohio. Toen- able the B-58 to be carried, the two propellers were removed from the B-36’s inboard engines and the landing gear had to remain extended during the flight.

• With the delivery of BOAC’s de Havilland Comet IVs to commence late next year, crew training will start soon using two modified Comet Ils.

• Construction has commenced of the North American rocket research aircraft. It is intended to air launch the X-15 from a B-36 and it is possible that a maximum speed on 4,000mph at an altitude of 200,000ft may be reached.

• The RAN’s and RN’s de Havilland Sea Venoms were withdrawn from carrier operations in mid March following the discovery of a weakness in the No2 fuselage rib. Discovered following carrier operations, the weakness arises partly because of loads imposed during steam catapulting and landing operations and from a growth in aircraft weight caused by additional equipment being carried. The RAN’s Sea Venoms which show no evidence of a weakness, are restricted to ground operations from Nowra until a modification has been devised which will permit their return to carrier operations.