Yesteryear

TAC Heavylift, a newly formed company jointly owned by Transmeridian Air Cargo and Eurolatin is to operate three ex-RAF Belfasts as a heavy lift cargo aircraft. The three Belfasts belonged to the batch of 10 aircraft refired by the RAF during 1976. They will be used to transport heavy loads anywhere in the world. • The Pakistani Government signed a contract on 27 March valued at £176m for the delivery of a further 32 first generation Mirages for 1981- 83 delivery.

• Tenders which close on 2 May, have been called for the disposal of 8 of the RAAF’s Winjeels which are currently in storage at Pt Cook.

• British Airways signed a £300m contract on 2 March for 19 Boeing 757s. Boeing announced the full production go-ahead for the 757 on 23 March and the first flight has been scheduled for 1981.

• Dassault-Breguet began flight testing of the Mirage 4000 at Istres on 9 March. During the one hour first flight, Jean-Marie Saget piloted the aircraft to 36,000ft and reached a speed of M1. 2. It is expected that the Mirage 4000 will make its public debut at the Paris Air Show in June.

• The 900th DC-9 has been delivered by McDonnell Douglas and firm orders for the type have reached 1,005 with a further 35 conditional orders and options. The 900th aircraft was a Series 30 delivered to Houston based Texas International.

• Boeing has announced that the maximum takeoff weight for Boeing 747s delivered from 1981 onwards will be increased to 833,000lb up from the presently available 820,000lb. The payload will be up by 8,000lb and the maximum landing weight will also be increased. Only small structural changes are required for these improvements.

• Despite protests from local businessmen, Ansett are firm in their intention to cease the Electra night freight service from Brisbane to Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns on 8 May. The cancellation of the service has been brought about by losses of $37,000 a week being incurred on the Brisbane North Queensland route.

20 Years Ago

The first prototype BAC/Sud Aviation Concorde 001, F-WTSS had its maiden flight at Toulouse on 2 March and was followed by the second prototype 002 G-BSST which first flew from Fillon on 9 April.

G-BSST only required about 3600ft for takeoff and it later landed at Fairford where it will be based for further tests.

• Recent orders from South African Airways for three more Boeing 737s and from Frontier for five 737-2008 plus three options have taken total 737 sales to 236 of which 145 have been delivered.

•In an announcement on 29 March, the Prime Minister Mr Gorton said that Towra Point had been dropped as the site for a second international airport for Sydney following investigations by DCA which had shown it was not suitable.

• Airlines of NSW announced on 19 March that Ansett Transport Industries had taken out options on two Fokker F. 28 Fellowships on behalf of his airline. An introduction into service in late 1970 will depend on airport development at locations like Coffs Harbour, Dubbo and Wagga.

• Panavia Aircraft, a joint enterprise by British Aircraft Corporation, Fiat and Messerschmitt- Bolkow has been formed with offices in Munich. This new company has been set up to study, develop, produce and market a multirole combat aircraft system known generally as the MRCA.

• Three RAAF Lockheed Neptunes from Townsville accompanied by a Lockheed Hercules carrying supporting equipment will take part in exercise Hawaiian Conger’ to be held in Hawaii from 2 to 19 April.

• An announcement by the Prime Minister Mr Gorton in Canberra on 15 April stated that Australia will make a gift of 10 Sabre Mk32 fighter aircraft together with a simulator, spares and ground equipment to Malaysia.

• Canadian Pacific Airlines changed their name to Canadian Pacific Air on 1 April and have adopted a new symbol and colour scheme for their aircraft. The Vancouver based CP Air employs 4,400 personnel and its present fleet consists of four DC-8-638, seven standard DC-8s and seven Boeing 737-200s with two Boeing 727s on order.

• It has been reported that the RAF are to order three more Nimrods from HawkerSiddeley and that they would probably replace Signals Comets.

• The Minister for Civil Aviation Mr Swartz in Parliament on 22 April, denied press reports that the Government was considering the easing or lifting of the ban on jet operations at capital city airports between 11pm and 6am. He said that only emergencies or the need to cope with peak traffic at Christmas or Easter would result in permission being granted for flights during the curfew hours.

30 Years Ago

• The Peruvian Air Force is replacing the Republic P-47D Thunderbolts which have equipped two squadrons of the PAF with surplus USAF Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars.

• The last Boeing B-52F Stratofortress has recently been delivered from the Wichita factory and the only version now in production is the B-52G which first flew on 26 October 1958. Since then, the first B-52G has been undergoing climatic and flight testing at Eglin AFB Florida and Eielson AFB Alaska. The B-52G is armed with two GAM-77 Hound Dog stand-off bombs suspended beneath the wings.

• Ansett-ANA has sold its two Convair 340 aircraft to US purchasers for about $250,000 each. One left last month for St Louis, Missouri while the second aircraft will depart during March to be flown to Las Vegas, Nevada. Both aircraft will be converted to executive transports. During the last three months both aircraft had been chartered from Ansett to their NSW subsidiary Butler Air Transport and the gap created by their sale will be filled by two of Ansett’s Convair 440 Metropolitans.

• Flight testing of the Vickers Vanguard is continuing despite difficult weather conditions. Since the first flight on 20 January from Brooklands to Wisley, the prototype had logged 50 hours by 11 March. The highest takeoff weight so far reached is 131,000lb which is 91% of its maximum weight and Vickers report lower noise levels internally and externally compared with the Viscount.

• Major new airliners were introduced on to Australian routes by Ansett-ANA during March. Their first Lockheed Electra VH-RMA entered service on 18 March to be followed two days later by the first Vickers Viscount 832. Ansett will enjoy a marketing advantage with the new equipment as the delivery of TAA’s similar new aircraft is about three months away. TAA’s two Electras are due June and July and the first Viscount 816 will be received late April.

• A Hunting Aircraft Jet Provost T. 2 will be evaluated by the RAAF’s No1 Basic Flying Training School at Point Cook over a six month trial period. Carrying RAAF serial A99-001, it originally arrived in Sydney by sea as G-AOHD and after assembly by de Havillands at Banks-town was test flown and delivered to Point Cook by Hunting chief test pilot Stan Oliver.

• The Philippine Air Force is now receiving 36 Fuji built Beech T-34 Mentors to replace its obsolete Boeing-Stearman PT-17 trainers. A number of North American T-28 basic trainers have also been delivered to the PAF.

• The first captive flight of the North American X-15 research aircraft took place on 10 March when it was carried to 38,000ft tethered under the wing of a B-52. The first free flights will be carried out in the form of unpowered glides to test the aircraft’s flight behaviour and controllability.