Yesteryear

The maiden flight of the Nimrod AEW version converted from Comet 4 XV626 took place at Woodford on 28 June. This version of the Nimrod is meant to replace the RAF’s Shackleton AEW Mk2 aircraft and it is intended to convert 11 Nimrod MR Mk1 to the AEW configuration.

• Lockheed’s new stealth fighter, powered by two General Electric JB5 engines, which has been built at the ‘skunk works’ is expected to fly by the end of this year.

•Concorde 01 pre-production aircraft made its last flight to Duxford on 20 August where it will be included in the collection of the Duxford Aviation Societymperial War Museum. It is thought that Duxford’s 6000 runway is the shortest on which Concorde has made a landing. Some hours later, motorway construction work reduced the runway length by 1000

• McDonnell Douglas is studying stretched versions of the DC-10 Series 10 and DC-10 Series 30/40 which would incorporate a 140 inch forward plug and another 120 inch plug aft of the wing taking overall length to 203 3. Powerplants of the stretched DC-10 Series 10 would be either the 45,000lb st GE CF-6-45 or P&W JT90-20BVC and would have a 3350 mile range. The stretched Series 30 would have the 55,500b st CFM6-50M, while the Series 40 would use the 56,000lbst P&W JT9D-59D and the range of the latter two versions would be 5980 miles.

• The first free gliding flight of the US Space Shuttle Enterprise took place on 13 August when it was launched from its shuttle carrier aircraft at a height of 22,800ft. Enterprise weighed approximately 150,000 and flew an eight mile course to land on the dry lake bed at Edwards AFB at touchdown speed of 220kt. • A contract has been entered between TWA and the North Star Maritime Corporation of Los Angeles concerning the sale of 24 Convair 880s, 27 spare engines and a flight simulator and various spare parts for $3m in cash and a $0. 5m promissory note.

• The delivery took place on 9 August of Boe- ing’s 3000th jetliner, an Advanced 727 to Northwest Airlines. These comprised 914 of the 707/720 family: 1282 model 727s, 496 model 737s and 308 model 747s. Of the total, 1194 were exported to foreign customers and 1806 for domestic operators at a value of $11,600m and $13,100m respectively.

20 Years Ago

•The first Hawker Siddeley Trident Two piloted by John Cunningham made a 31⁄2 hour first flight from Hatfield on 27 July. This long-range ver. sion of the Trident will be capable of f of flying non-stop from London to BEA’s Middle East terminals.

•The RAN received the first two often Douglas Skyhawks on order on 26 July at Long Beach. The A-4G and two seat TA-4G are the first of eight A-4G and two TA-4G aircraft on order.

• The Sud-BAC Concorde second prototype 002 under construction at the British Aircraft Corporation’s Filton works was moved from its final assembly on 8 July to be fitted with powerplants, undercarriage and aircraft systems. The first flight is expected to take place during July 1968.

•Recent sales of two more Pilatus Porters by Forrester Stephen Pty Ltd to the Snowy Mountains Authority have taken sales of the type in this region to 16. Papuan Air Lines has 2 in service and the Australian Army has 12 on order.

• The recent delivery of a P-38 Orion to the USN was the 10,000th bomber-patrol aircraft to be built by Lockheed over 28 years, starting with Hudson deliveries in 1939.

• The first fight of the Boeing 727-200 took place at Renton on 27 July. This version has a 20ft longer fuselage than the earlier 727 and will be able to carry up to 178 passengers.

•The Veteran Aircraft Association is to build a full scale Vickers Vimy replica and hopes to fly it across the Atlantic in commemoration of Alcock and Brown’s flight 50 years earlier.

• When the Budget was presented by the Treasurer, Mr McMahon on 15 August, De ence costs were a record $1,118m, an 18% increase of $168m over the 1966-67 figure. Part of the increase is attributable to heavy payments due to be made for various aircraft including Grumman Tracker, Douglas Skyhawk, Lockheed Orion, General Dynamics F-111C, Dassault Mirage, Macchi MB326, HS748 and BAC 111.

• The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Swartz announced on 2 August that TAA has ordered an additional six DHC Twin Otters at a cost of $2. 6m including spares, taking total orders of the type to eight.

United Air Lines exercised options to purchase 25 jetliners and ordered an additional 54 others on 25 July. The options exercised were for five Boeing 7475 and 20 Boeing 727. 200s while new orders were placed for three DC-BF Freighters, five Super DC-8s, five 8737-200, six 87270Cs, eight 8747s, ten DC 8-62 and 17 8727-222s at a at a total cost of $690m. United’s existing 125 aircraft piston and turboprop fleet will be replaced as the new aircraft are received and they will have 399 jets in their fleet by the end of 1971.

30 Years Ago

•The first 1957 model Cessna 182 was delivered by Rex Aviation to its new owners Marra Developments. Rex Aviation has quoted the fly away Bankstown price of the 1957 Cessna 182 £7870.

at • Lockheed P2V-7 Neptunes leaving the assembly line are now fitted with turret mounted 20mm cannon instead of the previous 0. 5 inch calibre machine guns.

• An arresting barrier is being developed by Convair to be used as a safety stop during maximum gross weight tests of the B-58 Hustler. Should a problem emerge during takeoff, an arrester hook on the Hustler will engage a cable stretched across the runway. Attached to the cable is 200 tonnes of heavy anchor chain and the weight of this in addition to friction, will enable the aircraft to be safely stopped.

•Two Cessna Model 310Bs have been ordered by the CSIRO to be used in rain-making experiments. To date more than 550 Cessna 310s have been produced. The first Cessna 310 to arrive in Australia landed in Sydney on 2 August after an 11 hour crossing of the Tasman via Norfolk Island. The aircraft carried New Zealand registration ZK-BSY and has been delivered to its new owners the Utah Construction Company for executive use.

10 • The RAAF held its first all jet exercise on 7 August when Operation Oxcart was staged. Canberras from No. 2 Squadron based at Amberley attempted to break through a radar screen established by the new Control and Reporting Unit at Brookvale. The defending aircraft were Avon Sabres of No. 3 and No. 75 Squadrons from Williamtown and Meteors and Vampires from Citizen Air Force Squadrons No. 21,22,23 and 25 from Sydney, Perth, Bris- bane and Melbourne which were operating from Richmond.

• The Government has abandoned plans to produce Lockheed F-104 Starfighters in Australia and will continue Avon-Sabre production until a suitable supersonic fighter for Australian conditions is available.

•The directors of Australian National Airways recommended on 23 August that their shareholders accept an offer from Ansett Transport Industries to purchase ANA for £3. 3m

• The US Army has ordered nine production examples of the Bell HU-1 helicopter, previously designated the H-40.

• Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers have now entered service with the first aircraft going to the 93rd Air Refuelling Squadron.

• A firm order has been received by Dassault for ten production models of the Mirage III from the French Air Ministry. Production models of the supersonic delta-winged fighter will be powered by either an SNECMA Atar 8 or the version of the same engine fitted with an afterburner, the Atar 9.