Newsdesk- General Aviation

Airtex are now actively marketing the system to the international airline community and hope to initiate the first course later this year.

Ansett/Bae Flying College Project Slows:

The pilots’ dispute has prompted a call for breathing space by the partners in the Ansett/British Aerospace Flying College, to be established at Tamworth.

Speaking on behalf of the partners, Chairman of the Flying College, Mr Alan Notley. said the College will definitely be built at Tamworth to satisfy both future Australian and International customer needs. However, timing of a firm start date will depend on further market research being carried out to determine exact customer requirements.

“This review will be completed early in 1990,” he said. “It was originally planned that the College would be up and running by July 1990,” said Mr Notley, “but, we now need to review the effect of the pilots’ dispute on actual needs of the industry both here and overseas. ” Both Ansett and British Aerospace are looking to an upgrading of current facilities at Tamworth when East- West Airlines begins the changeover to BAe 146 passenger aircraft next year.

Sales Tax Clarification:

appears that many pilots have probably paid sales tax on imported headsets and similar items when perhaps they did not need to.

A recent letter from Mr Peter Morris MHR, who was at the time the Minister Assisting the Treasurer (in the Treasurer’s absence) states that the Commissioner of Taxation advises that it would appear that the aviation head-sets, press to talk switches and intercoms are exempt from sales tax when purchased as parts for aircraft. To confirm whether the equipment is exempt and to obtain further advice on how to buy the equipment free of sales tax or whether you are able to receive a refund on any sales tax already paid, it is advised that you contact the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation in your capital city.

 Another Falcon Conversion:

Re-engining Dassault’s Falcon 20 corporate jet is becoming big business.

On top of the recently introduced Garrett retrofit programme which replaces the Fal- con’s original 4,200lb thrust GE CF700 engines with quieter and more fuel efficient 4,300lb thrust Garrett AiResearch TFE7318, US conversion specialist Volpar is now working on the certification of a version powered by 5,200lb thrust Pratt & Whitney PW305 engines fitted with thrust reversers.

The conversion will offer higher cruise speeds and a doubling of the original Falcon 20’s range to 2,600nm (4,815km) with eight passengers. The retrofit is expected to become available in December 1990.

 Us SUPER2?:

The troubled British ARVI Island Aviation Super2 light training aircraft has been made available for production in North America, and discussions have reportedly been taking place with several unnamed but “medium sized” manufacturers.

The Super2 first flew in 1985 and only 20 or so were built by ARV Aviation before the aircraft’s two stroke three cylinder 75hp Hewland engine caused the type to be grounded and its manufacturer to go under. Island Aircraft took over the design in 1988 but have only built a handful of aircraft since then.

GA Deliveries Improving:

Although far from the heady days of the late 1970s, deliveries of new general aviation aircraft by US manufacturers have increased by more than 25% in 1989 compared to the previous year.

The September quarter saw a huge increase in deliveries of piston singles and business jets – 295 and 47 respectively – bringing total deliveries for that period to 425 GA aircraft. Included in the tally were 24 Cessna Citations (including 14 Citation Vs. Updated on p66 of this issue), 10 Learjets of various models, nine Beech Barons, six Piper Seminoles and four Senecas, while Piper Cubs and Cessna Caravans were produced at the rate of one per week.

Of the 295 piston singles shipped in the third quarter, 92 were the extremely successful Piper Cadet derivative of the well known Warrior, bringing to 207 the number of Cadets delivered in the first nine months of the year.

 Computerised Flight Plans Coming:

In what is an important and, in the opinion of many, necessary move, Australia will have an automated pre-flight briefing and flight planning system in operation during 1992.

Called the National Aeronautical Information Processing System (NAIPS), the equipment will help pilots in submitting their flight plans by providing a Specific Pre Flight Information Bulletin (SPFIB) containing aeronautical and meteorological data relevant to the specific flight route indicated by the pilot, allow the pilot to enter the flight plan by electronic or manual means and store the route for future use, validate the flight plan against the various regulations and operational requirements applicable to the type of flight and aircraft and provide the pilot with an SPFIB update and a print out of the flight plan.

SPFIB will be produced by reference to either standard published routes or a pilot input while ad-hoc routes will take into account all relevant briefing data within an envelope starting 25 nautical miles before the departure aerodrome, extending 50 nautical miles either side of track and ending 25nm beyond the destination aerodrome. Access to the system is by various means including face to face briefings at manned briefing offices at major aerodromes (which will also be equipped with computer terminals for direct pilot access), direct pilot access by computer terminals at numerous country aerodromes, direct access via private computers linked to the system either direct or by telephone modems and telephone access for pilots who can’t use any of the above.

Passing the Buck:

One of the strongest critics of the Civil Aviation Authority and its predecessors in recent years has been businessman, adventurer and pilot Dick Smith.

Now the shoe’s on the other foot because Mr Smith has just been appointed communications advisor to CAA management with a brief to communicate key changes and events to CAA staff and the aviation industry. This excellent move – Smith is one of the great communicators and an unashamed enthusiast of all things aeronautical – isn’t even going to cost the Australian taxpayer a King’s ransom. . . his fee for the six month contract is just one dollar. Now that’s value for money, unlike many of the charges the industry has to cope with.

 New Citations:

Cessna has added to its range of Citation business jets with the announcement of two new models.

The first is the Citation Jet, a small entry level aircraft aimed directly at the Swearingen Jaffe SJ30 (briefly the Gulfjet) utilising the Citation II’s forward fuselage, a T-tail, a laminar flow unswept wing and a pair of 1,900lb thrust Williams/Rolls-Royce FJ44 turbofans. The six seat Citation Jet will have a maximum speed of 415 knots (768km/h) and a range of 1,500nm (2,778km) with four passengers. First flight is planned for the first quarter of 1991 with certification following in October 1990. Price of the initial batch has been set at $US2. 4m.

The Citation IV is a stretched and longer ranging derivative of the Citation III medium sized corporate jet with a 38in (96cm) longer fuselage, increased wing span, weights and fuel capacity and a pair of 4,000lb thrust Garrett TFE731-4 turbofans. The Citation IV will fly in the first half of 1990 with deliveries scheduled to begin in mid 1993.

 New Training Academy for Perth:

Barney Fernandes, one of flying training’s best known personalities and founder of Bankstown’s Australian Flying Training School and Parafield’s Australian Aviation College, has now set up a flying training academy in Perth.

Based at Jandakot, the newly established Jandakot Flying College will specialise in both PPL and CPL training with a special emphasis on the latter as a full flying and tertiary level course. JFC will use three Grob 115 twin seat trainers in addition to two Socata Tobagos and a Piper Seminole. In addition to training local students JFC will also specialise in training overseas privately sponsored students to full CPL standards.

 Australian Sport Aviation Confederation Changes:

A new national organisation was recently formed as the Confederation of Australian sport and recreational aviation organisations and the Australian representative of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). The new body is called the ‘Australian Sport Aviation Confederation (Incorporated) and will be known as ‘ASAC”.

ASAC is a non-commercial, non-profit organisation. Its role will be to promote and develop sport and recreational aviation and associated activities, on a national and multidiscipline basis; to collectively support the activities and aspirations of the FAlfrom1 January 1990. ASAC has been formally constituted and has applied for incorporation as an association in the ACT. It is now recognised by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as the body officially representing sport aviation in Australia.

Until this change, the Australian representative for the FAI was, for many years, the Royal Federation of Aero Clubs of Australia (RFACA). The aviation sports were members of the RFACA through its committee known as the ‘Australian Sport Aviation Council”. For a number of reasons, mostly to do with equitable representation, the aviation sports desired to change the situation. At the 1989 Annual Conference of the RFACA a motion was passed unanimously stating that the RFACA endorse the formation of a new national aeronautical organisation which would take over the role of the FAI representative in Australia.

The FAI, founded in 1905, is the world’s oldest and most prestigious aeronautical and astronautical organisation. It is the gov- erning body for the aviation sports and aviation records. There are 80 member nations that represent the aviation sporting interests of about 45 million people.

Foundation members of the ‘new’ ASAC, and the activities they represent, are: Australian Aerobatic Club (AAC), Australian Ballooning Federation (ABF), Australian Parachute Federation (APF), Australian Sport Rotorcraft Association (ASRA), Australian Ultralight Federation (AUF), Gliding Federation of Australia (GFA), Hang Gliding Federation of Australia (HGFA), Model Aeronautical Association of Australia (MAAA).

At presstime three members of the former ASAC are still considering their membership of the new body. They are the RFACA, ANPA and the Sport Aircraft Association of Australia (SAAA).

Piper Continues to Grow:

Following its reversion to private ownership in 1987, Piper is continuing to expand with an almost full range of aircraft available and production increasing.

The latest large order from the ever growing professional flying school market is for 30 Warrior Ils and nine Seneca Ills from the Brit- ish Aerospace/Ansett Flying College to be established at Tamworth NSW. The College will be based on the similar BAe college currently operating out of Prestwick in Scot- land. The Prestwick school operates 28 Warriors and nine Senecas as well as 22 Swiss FFA Bravo aerobatic trainers. Of interest is the fact that the Tamworth college is apparently also going to order up to 12 NZAI CT-4 Airtrainers for basic and aerobatic training (refer New Zealand News this issue), something which will result in the CT-4 line being reopened in New Zealand.

The pressurised twin turboprop Cheyenne A and 400 are also enjoying success in airline flight training and the corporate roles for which they were originally designed. The Cheyenne IIIA is currently operated by Lufthansa, Alitalia and the Turkish Air League for airline training while Austrian Airlines, China’s CAAC and All Nippon Airways also have examples on order.

Already the world’s fastest turboprop in production, the Cheyenne 400 is now fitted with new Hartzell four bladed propellers which boost its top speed to 358 knots (667km/h) at 25,000 feet. At its maximum altitude of 41,000 feet, the 400 now cruises at 335 knots (620km/h), some 40 knots faster than before.

The Cheyenne is one of two Piper models which celebrated anniversaries in 1989. The Super Cub turned 40 in November (nearly 8,500 built) and the Cheyenne 15. By October 1989, 999 Cheyennes had been delivered since 1974 comprising 216 Cheyenne IЛAs, 524 Cheyenne lis, 84 Cheyenne IIXLS, 136 Cheyenne IIVIIIAs and 39 Cheyenne 400s.

Piper is also introducing high technology to a couple of its models in the form of Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS) as options on the Malibu Mirage pressurised single and Seneca II light twin. The single tube Bendi/King EHI-40 system provides a HSI display with dual bearing pointers, an 85 degree expanded are display and 360 degree map display with weather radar information plus DME, ground speed and distance. The unit interfaces with VOR, RNAV. ADF, Loran, VLF/Omega and flight management systems. The Malibu and Seneca are the first aircraft in their class to offer EFIS.

 American Avanti:

Piaggio has announced that fuselages for its new Avanti twin turboprop corporate aircraft will be built at the company’s Wichita, Kansas, facility.

The programme calls for a trebling in size of the existing factory, the hiring of additional staff and the completion of the first Wichita fuselage towards the middle of this year. The possibility of opening a final assembly line for the Avanti at Wichita is still under discussion (combining American fuselages with Italian wings) as is the subject of a stretched version of the canard winged pusher aircraft.

Licensing Changes Coming:

Following the far reaching recommendations of the Flight Crew Licensing Review, general agreement has been reached on modifying the requirements for some licences.

The highlights of the proposals include the introduction of a fourtier licence structure for all categories of aircraft – student, private, commercial and air transport. Licences will be issued on a perpetual basis in plastic ‘credit card’ form and will no longer be forwarded to the CAA’s regional offices on a regular basis. The validity of a licence will depend on a current medical certificate and recency requirements.

Once students reach a standard similar to the current Restricted PPL, they will be able to carry passengers on local flights and undergo night training in fixed wing aircraft. Minimum hours for navigation training will be reduced although theoretical studies will continue as now.

Challenger Milestone:

The Canadair Challenger long-range corporate jet reached a milestone late last year with the delivery of the 200th aircraft, the first of a pair for Proctor & Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The prototype Challenger developed from a Bill Lear concept-first flew in November 1978 with deliveries commencing in May 1980. The first 200 comprise 83 Avco Lycom- ing ALF502 powered Challenger 600s, 66 Challenger 601-1As and 51 Challenger 601-3As, the latter trio all powered by variants of the General Electric CF34 turbofan. Canadair manufactured 26 Challengers in 1989.

Meanwhile, Canadair is continuing to investigate a stretched and longer ranging version of the Challenger for production in the mid 1990s and will have flown the first Challenger 601-S ‘affordable’ variant of the basic design by the time these words are read. The 601-S has reduced fuel capacity with no fuselage tanks, simplified avionics and the choice of three standardised 12 passenger cabin layouts. It will sell for around $US2m less than the longer range Challenger 601-3A on which it is based.

Students Plan World Speed Record Attempt:

Students in Bristol, south-west England, are to design and build a new two seat light aircraft for an attempt on a round the world speed record in 1991.

The Schools Aircraft Project has been conceived by the London based Centre for Consultancy and backed by British aerospace companies to give students an insight into engineering and technological systems. It is aimed to complete the aircraft in time to display it at Britain’s Farnborough interna-tional air show next September.

Following a full flight test programme leading to a Permit to Fly from the UK Civil Avia- Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport is seeking to capture a big share of the growing corporate aircraft market with the building of a $20m facility which will open in June 1990. The new facility will feature hangars capable of accommodating aircraft of up to 727 size and will provide full passenger service and engineering support for a wide range of corporate and charter aircraft. Authority (CAA), the plane will then be used in a round the world speed record attempt for aircraft of less than 2,000kg all- up weight. Detailed design work has already begun on the two seat twin engined canard (tail first) design, powered by Norton rotary engines. The aircraft will be built using a technique known as a mouldless composite sandwich construction, which was successfully used to make Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world non-stop without refuelling.

With this simple method, which involved resin curing at normal room temperatures, a foam plastic core is covered with a glass fibre skin to produce a very light yet immensely strong structure. In addition, highly stressed parts such as the wing spar and undercarriage legs will use a mixture of glass and carbon fibre reinforcement to give strength and fatigue resistance. It is also planned to fit the plane with a ballistic recovery parachute to ensure a high degree of operating safety.

With a wing span of 7. 9m and maximum all up weight of 720kg, the aircraft is expected to have a cruising speed of 130kts. The design will be stressed to be fully aerobatic. Its minimum safe flying speed will be 50kts and the canard configuration will completely prevent the aircraft from stalling if the centre of gravity is within the permitted range. A projected fuel consumption of about 361ph will give a range of some 920km, based on the initial design parameters.

Beech UPS Production:

In response to a gradually improving market- place, Beechcraft will increase the produc- tion rates of most of its models during 1990.

Heading the list is the Beechjet light corporate jet which will see a 50% increase this year, much of which is the result of the completion of transferring production from Mitsubishi in Japan to the USA. Others to increase are the King Air (20%), Model 1900 (25%). Baron (15%) and Bonanza (10%). Although Beech says it will “nearly double” production of the advanced, all composite Starship twin turboprop in 1990, this will still mean a very modest rate of “more than one per month”.

Don’t Forget Australia’s Oshkosh

Aviation enthusiasts planning ahead for a worthwhile airshow to visit should not forget that Mangalore will again be hosting their usual warbird, homebuilt and vintage airshow and convention this coming Easter.

A major airshow is planned for Sunday 15th April which will also include Australia’s first ever wing walker. Other attractions will hopefully include the first public appearance of some of the new Russian MiG-15s. For further information contact Phil Lyons on (03) 696 1022.

 Recent Caa Decisions:

The Civil Aviation Authority has recently made some key decisions which are of interest.

The first involves the sometimes contentious issue of radio reporting by gliders when flying above 5,000ft outside controlled air- space. Following industry comment and after studying overseas operations, it has been decided not to introduce that requirement although the Gliding Federation of Australia has agreed that more effective notification to flight service for the procedures and routes of gliders above 5,000ft would be a good idea.

Centrespread

Ah, de Havilland! One of the most remarkable aircraft ever built and to most eyes, one of the most beautiful. It’s the classic de Havilland DH. 88 Comet G-ACSS ‘Grosvenor House, winner of the 1934 England to Australia Mac- Robertson Air Race and currently airworthy after a massive British Aerospace sponsored restoration programme which began in 1973 and finally bore fruit 14 years later when the aircraft took to the air again.

Grosvenor House’ was the third of only five Comets built in 1934 and 1935. Three of these contested the 1934 race: G-ACSS ‘Grosvenor House’ flown by CW A Scott and T Campbell, ‘Black to Victory’, G-ASCR for Owen Cathcart-Jones and Ken Waller and G-ACSP Black Magic’ for Jim and Amy Mollison.

The Comet was advanced for its day. with the then novel features of the retractable undercarriage, variable pitch propellers and a stressed skin wing structure. Like other de Havillands of the time, it was built of wood.

Most remarkable of all was the short time in which the Comet was designed, built and flown – a mere nine months. Its two special 223hp de Havilland Gipsy Six R engines pushed it to a top speed of 228mph at sea level and at a typical height of 10,000 feet, the Comet could cruise at 200mph for nearly 3,000 miles thanks to a very large fuel capacity of 258 gallons.

After the race, ‘Grosvenor House’ returned to Britain where it was used for more long distance flights under various registrations and for a time even appeared in RAF colours as K-5084. Its final flight before restoration was in 1938. After World War II, the Comet’s condition had deteriorated but it was used as an cxhibit in the 1061 ‘Festival of Britain’ before reverting to de Havil- lands and then the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in 1965.

The ‘new’ Comet, however, has one external concession to the modern era with the fitting of a lockable tailwheel in place of the original skid.

Helicopters fall into the category of “they’re a good idea providing they don’t operate in my backyard” as far as the public and many politicians are concerned. This sort of attitude has inhibited the growth and usefulness of rotary winged aircraft in Australia’s cities over the years. Now it has been proposed by an Industry Departmental Committee that rooftop helipads-on appropriate buildings – be permitted in Australian cities. Hopefully this major breakthrough can be achieved if the relevant local government and other interested bodies can overcome their natural wariness (and ignorance) of helicopters and agree.

Finally, we’ve finally caught up with most of the rest of the world with the announcement that the Cessna 500 series Citation I light corporate jet can be flown by a single pilot in both commercial and private operations. The 500 series Citations are on the border of the single/two pilot limit but have been approved for single pilot operation in the USA for many years. The heavier 550 series Citation II and new 560 series Citation V will however remain two crew aircraft.

The Bottom Line

Qantas has reported a 1988/89 operating profit of $177. 2m on revenue of $3,272. 6m for a load factor of 70. 2%. Australian Airlines has reported a 1988/89 operating profit of $108. 49m on revenue of $1,242. 4m TNT has reported an operating profit of $16m for the Sept qtr, blaming the 70% plunge on the pilots’ dispute. Federal Airports Corporation has reported an operating profit of $43. 7m on an operating revenue of $248. 2m for its first full year ending March 1989. British Airways has reported a pre tax profit of $A540m for the first half of the year to Sept 30, up 16% on the same period for last year.

People

Mr Jim Mahoney is the new Public Relations manager at the CAA. Mr John Rogers has been appointed as the director of Airplan’s new Sydney office. Mr Colin Evans has been appointed deputy director of the DSTO’s Weapons Systems Research Laboratory. Compass Airlines has announced its board of directors as Mr Bryan Grey (founder), Mr Ron Walker, Mr Ian Clare, Mr John Carden, Mr Leigh Brown, Mr David Rice and Mr David Wright. Qantas has announced the appointment of Mr Bill Dix as its new chairman, replacing Mr Jim Leslie who retired on November 30. AVM Ted Radford will become the now deputy CAB while AVM Barry Gration becomes Air Commander Australia from February 5, 1990. Mr Emmet Hobbs has been appointed as the general manager, Cargo, for Australian Airlines. Mr Ken Campbell has been appointed as the managing director, Pacific for American Airlines.

Books

Secret Action of 305:

Smith & Coghlan This 162p large’ paperback sized book is the first of the new RAAF Museum’s Heritage Series and narrates the little told story of the clandestine radar station network that was operated throughout the Pacific conflict in Papua New Guinea. While the flyboys grabbed most of the glory, there was also an equally brave effort from the men of the highly vulnerable secret radar units spread as they were virtually undefended along the shores of Japanese infested territory.

Unit 305 was situated on the northernmost tip of Kiriwina Island in the northern Milne Bay area and used the very successful Australian designed LWIAW Mk1 radar. This in fact was the most effective and reliable ‘portable’ air defence radar system developed during the period and, like its operators, deserves more than just a brief note in the annals of Australia’s wartime history-this book, and its successors from the Museum, will at last ably give credit where credit is due to many of the RAAF’s unsung heroes.

RRP is only $12. 95 with $4. 00 for postage. Available direct from the RAAF Museum, RAAF Base, Pt. Cook, 3029.

 Lawrence Hargrave, Aviation Pioneer, Inventor and Explorer:

W Hudson Shaw/Olaf Ruhen First published in 1977 and now back in print, this 200 page soft cover traces the life and times of one of the great aviation pioneers of the world. As an Australian, his importance is doubly significant His experiments in aerodyn- amics, models, kites and papers prepared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were often in advance of ideas in the USA, Britain and Europe.

As the authors quite correctly point out, the first man carrying powered flight in public by Santos Dumont in Paris in 1906 was in an aircraft using the cellular surfaces developed by Hargraves more than a decade earlier. Indeed, the concept was used in the majority of first generation French aircraft. This is a well researched and interesting read with particular significance to Australia and does justice to a largely unsung hero of the pioneer age of aviation.

Available from University of Queensland Press, PO Box 42, St Lucia 4067 at a RRP of $14. 95.

The Berlin Airlift:

Robert Jackson Certainly one of the great international disappointments following the cessation of hostilities in 1945 was the rapid diplomatic change of course taken by the Soviet Union. From being one of the three primary allies of WW2, Russia hurriedly set about a course of alienation from its former allies, a move that quickly broadened the gap between communism and democracy and ushered in the age of the Cold War.

That Cold War was historically kicked off with the famous siege of West Berlin in 1949 and the allies response in what was to historically become known as The Berlin Airlift. The airlift was itself a massive display of what air transport was capable of in a tactical context and was found to be so impressive to the Russians that they themselves soon embarked upon a massive campaign to build a fleet of military freighters and further develop Aeroflot so that its aircraft would always have a dual civil/ military transport role. Prior to this, Russian tactical airlift was virtually non existent and re- lied largely upon the Soviet licence built version of the Dakota.

History always makes excellent reading and certainly one of the most momentous events of the past half century is without doubt the Berlin Airlift. A recommended read.

RRP is $27. 95. Available through book-shops from Collins Publishers mentioning the Patrick Stephens imprint.

Videos

Great Planes – Xb-70 Valkyrie and B-17 Flying Fortress:

AVI and Australian Aviation This is the second offering in our new Great Planes series and features one aircraft that revolutionised aeronautical design and another that, at the time of its first flight, was considered just as advanced and ultimately went on to become a symbol of allied air power in WW2. That less than a third of a century separates the basic design of the lumbering B-17 and the Mach 3 Valkyrie is testament to the incredible technological march forward that aeronautics took as a result of the Second World War.

The North American XB-70 is actually a product of the fifties in technology terms though even today, like Concorde, it is revered as an engineering masterpiece far ahead of its time. Like many of the USAF’s manned bombers it too had to fight for survival on Capitol Hill, a battle that it lost to the ICBM and to an improving generation of long-nge high altitude Soviet SAMS.

The tape features some excellent footage of the beautiful Valkyrie in flight, footage that certainly beckons the viewer to watch the tape with great regularity. Indeed some aircraft are simply just nice to look at. Lock- heed’s Constellation, Handley Page’s Victor, Supermarine’s Spitfire, the Concorde and Valkyrie itself are visually far better than most. If you want to know more about the still revolutionary XB-70 then turn to our special Profile elsewhere in this issue for an insight into one of the truly great planes of our time. Another great plane was Boeing’s B-17. A product to some extent of the ever present rivalry between the then US Army Air Corps (later USAF) and the US Navy, the B-17 was in its time just as revolutionary as the Valkyrie when it made its maiden flight back in 1935. The tape traces the early days of the 17’s political fight for survival with some excellent footage that also shows other key Boeing designs such as the pressurised Stratoliner and the long-range Model 344 flying boats, both very advanced aircraft for their time.

WW2 of course ushered in the vehicle by which the Fortress was to become famous. While daylight missions over Europe were only ever considered viable when long- range fighters could escort the lumbering bombers for the duration of the mission, the Fortress formations still accounted well for themselves providing they could maintain their combat boxes under the intense pressure of attacking fighters, flak and crew fatigue. Bomber formations always scored confirmed kills and a number of historians may be close to the truth when they state that the B-17 and B-24 probably shot down more Luftwaffe aircraft than any individual make of allied fighter over occupied Europe.

An excellent tape which climaxes in some intriguing footage of formations of remotely controlled B-17 drones being used in the early US atomic tests in the Pacific. Certainly if you have the slightest interest in this rugged bomber than this tape is a must.

Available from Australian Aviation, PO Box 105, Weston Creek, ACT, 2611 for $39. 95 for one tape or just $59. 90 if both tapes are ordered together. Per order p&p is $5. 50 for 1 tape and $6. 00 for 2. Two new Great Planes tapes will be released in each subsequent issue of AA. The Lockheed P-38 and Boeing B-52 featured in our November edition (refer p15 Nov 89 AA) while the Convair B-36 Peacemaker (just to prove that the Pentagon had a sense of humour!) and legendary North American F-86 Sabre will be our March issue offerings. Available in both Beta and VHS.

 Spitfire Over Australia:

Watson Jeff This video will naturally be popular with anybody who is a fan of what arguably is the world’s most famous fighter, the Super-marine Spitfire.

The 45 minute tape deals with the restoration of Col Pay’s A58-758, actually the last Spitfire to go on the RAAF listing though it never actually served in a RAAF unit and went straight into storage when delivered in 1945. Col’s later restoration of the aircraft provides the background of an excellent story which also narrates the history of the Spitfire itself. Also included is some interesting historical footage of Australian Spits in action near Darwin and under test at Laver- ton and Richmond.

The tape culminates with the Spitfire’s unfortunately brief appearance at the Bicentennial Air Show and much excellent air to air footage of the Col Pay machine over its pic-turesque Hunter Valley base.

A must if you are, like most, a Spitfire fanatic and certainly a good one for the collection even if you aren’t. Available from Jar- eki Productions Pty Ltd, PO Box 929, Artar- mon, 2064 for $49. 95 post paid. Available in both Beta and VHS.