Yesteryear

• Following studies conducted by the Aeronautical Research Laboratories, it has been established that the 80 Macchi MB-326H aircraft in RAAF and RAN service could be operated until the late 1980s with relatively few modifications. The estimated cost of the up-date programme is $180,000 per aircraft and as a consequence of the MB-326H’s expected extended service life, the Government has deferred indefinitely the procurement of a replacement.

• The first Royal Navy service unit to operate the Westland Lynx helicopter, No 702 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton, was commissioned on 26 January.

• Two Piper Navajo Chieftains have been acquired by British Caledonian to operate a Birmingham-Gatwick feeder service to commence on 1 March.

• The US State Department is reported to have received a request from the Iranian Government for a further 70 Grumman F-14 Tomcats in addition to the 80 previously ordered. Other additional orders are believed to be for three Boeing E-3As to add to the seven currently on order and a large order for 140 more General Dynamics F-16s which would follow on the supply of 160 already agreed to last year by the Carter Administration. The Iranian Government has stated it requires at least 450 first line fighters for air defence needs.

• The training of RAAF P-3C Orion crews began at NAS Moffett Field California with USN Squadron VP-31 during February. All 10 of the RAAF P-3Cs on order will be staged through Moffett Field as they are delivered.

• Up to nine second-hand VC-10 and Super VC-10 airliners are to be purchased by the RAF from British Airways, Gulf Air and East African Airways to be converted to tanker aircraft.

• The last Armstrong Whitworth Argosy in RAF service was retired in late January when a No. 115 Squadron E. Mk1 was used to make the last radio and radar calibration flight with the type. The final flight was made by the last of 56 Argosy C Mk1s originally delivered to the RAF as tactical transports.

20 Years Ago

• An agreement was signed on 9 January between the British and French Governments covering the production of 400 Jaguars to be divided equally between the RAF and French services. Typical of the aircraft they will replace are the RAF’s Gnat and Hunter frainers and French F-84, F-100 and Mystere IV tactical aircraft.

• The RAAF’s first Lockheed P-3B Orion was accepted by Wing Commander Russell Law at a ceremony at Burbank California on 10 January. The order for 10 aircraft will be completed during May and they will replace No. 11 Squadron’s Neptunes. The Squadron will shift its home base from Richmond to Edinburgh, leaving three transport squadrons, No. 36 and No. 37 equipped with Hercules and No. 38 with Caribou at Richmond.

• Cessna achieved record sales levels in the year ending last September. Consolidated sales rose to $213,615,000 compared with the 1966 figure of $202,136,000. Commercial sales declined to 6,184 units from last year’s 7,922, but this was more than offset by a sharp jump in defence earnings. Cessna at present has six types in service in Vietnam. The sale of the A-37 series (which are modified T-37Bs) was a milestone as it was the first time the armed forces had purchased an aircraft from a general aviation company to be specifically used as a combat aircraft.

• The Handley Page Hastings was retired from RAF service at a ceremony at Colerne, Wilts on 5 January. Four aircraft took part in a flypast to mark the retirement of their type after nearly 20 years service in which 146 Hastings flew over 155 million miles carrying about 1. 25 million passengers and 180,000 tons of cargo.

• By the end of last year, the USAF had destroyed 77 MIG-17 and MiG-21 interceptors over North Vietnam and had lost a known 30 F-4s and F-105s in air combat. Of these, 29 MGs were claimed by F-105D Thunderchiefs and the remainder to F-4C Phantoms. Amongst USAF officers, the most successful is Lt. Col. Robin Olds who has so far destroyed four MiGs. Lt. Col. Olds started his combat career flying P-38s in 1944 and notched up 13 air victories in WW II including an Arado Ar234 jet.

• A recent order for one Boeing 747 has taken 747 sales to 144 aircraft on order by 24 airlines in 12 countries.

• The maiden flight took place at Hurn on 7 February of the first of 10 DAC One-Eleven 500s on order to BEA, ten weeks ahead of schedule. This aircraft G-AVMH is the 144th airliner built at Hurn for BEA.

• British Eagle is expanding its fleet with the acquisition of four Boeing 707s. Two new 707-320Cs have been received and two ex-Qantas 707-138Bs have been purchased, one for delivery in February with the other in March.

30 Years Ago

•The Qantas round the world flight was inaugurated on 14 January when two Lockheed L1049G Super Constellations left Melbourne at 10. 00 hours for Sydney. Both aircraft left Sydney at 13. 30 hours for London, one flying via Honolulu-USA and the Atlantic while the other flew to Perth and then followed the Kangaroo Route. They both met in London on 17 January and arrived back in Sydney on 20 January within 70 minutes of each other. The aircraft involved were VH-EAO ‘Southern Aurora flying eastwards from Sydney and VH-EAP ‘Southern Zephyr heading westwards.

• During a recent series of high speed tests, a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter has flown at supersonic speed continuously for over one hour. Quantity deliveries of the Starfighter have been made to the USAF and the type will soon be fully operational.

• One of ANA’s original Douglas DC-45 VH-ANC “Warana’ has been sold to Sabena at a price believed to be US$350,000. The aircraft was ferried by a Sabena crew to Belgium in late January. There are still seven DC-4s in the ANA fleet although the airline hopes to sell another three by the end of the year.

• Development costs of the Convair 880 airliner have now reached US$50M including $10M on engineering. Orders include 30 for TWA, Delta 10, Transcontinental (Argentina) 4 and REAL (Brazil) 4. The first flight is expected to take place during January 1959.

•Because of the deterioration displayed in wooden glued structures, DCA has imposed restrictions on the use of wooden aircraft. Air- craft affected by this policy are BA Eagle, BA Swallow, DH-85 Leopard Moth, DH-94 Moth Minor, all Klemm and Milles existing and similar types, Percival Gull, Percival and Proctor, Sokol and Wackett Trainer. No importation will be allowed of any of these types for registration in Australia and none will be permitted to operate commercially in airline, charter or aerial work.

• Recent aircraft offered for sale by Lawrence Engineering and Sales of Camden include a DH-84 Dragon for £2,625, Auster J1B Aiglet three seater £2,200, Leopard Moth £1,365, various Tiger Moths from £700, Mosquito Mk41 £2,000 and Avro Anson Mk1 £2,500.

• Control of Butler Air Transport passed to Mr R. M. Ansett’s group following a case in the NSW equity Court on 18 February. As part of equipment changes Ansett-ANA will charter or take over at least one of the two Butler Viscounts and Butler will receive either a Convair 340 or 440 which would be more suited to Butler’s network.

• While testing of the single prototype continues, Dassault is building 10 pre-production Mirage is fitted with Atar 9 engines.