Newsdesk – Military Aviation

Centerspread

Two of the most important aircraft in Australia’s wartime history are represented in this edition’s centrespread.

David Thorpe’s excellent photo cap- tures Col Pay’s immaculate Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk in formation with Geoff Milne’s equally immaculate CAC Wirra- way whilst attending the recent Albury Air Pageant. The P-40 of course fought valiantly in RAAF service throughout both the Middle East and the Pacific whilst the CAC Wirraway, though really a trainer, was also impressed into front line service as a fighter during the very dark days of 1942.

Australia took delivery of 858 Kitty-hawks from March 1942 through till early 1945, though Australians were actually flying the type in late 1941 in the Western Desert. The CAC Wirraway meanwhile served between 1939 and 1959 with 755 being delivered to the RAAF, though 16 of these also saw RAN service from 1948 through 1957.

An unusual twist to our centrespread photo is that the aircraft are being flown by a father and son combination with Keith Death piloting the Kittyhawk while his son, Steve, flies the Wirraway. Some guys have all the luck!

The display took the uninitiated crowd by surprise. Participating in the June 9-10 event the F-111 took the prize for the aircraft that flew there from furthest away. Having a heavy military theme, the RAAF shared the day with the Red Arrows, B-1, B-52, the magnificent Vulcan and Tornado F3, not to mention Norwegian F-16, French Super Eten- dard, Transall, RAF Herc and Nimrod, NATO E-3A, USAF F-111, KC-135, A-108, Czech L39 Albatross, and many others. On the formation side the Swiss Air Force Hunters were excellent, their conduct of a Mirror Roll by the synchro pair being a highlight, whilst the 4+3 formation landing of the Spanish AF C-101 Aviojet team was exhilarating.

The event climaxed in a mock battle between eight Spitfires, lone Hurricane G-HURI and several Hispano Bf109s. The Battle of Britain Lancaster also proudly strutted its stuff. The pilot maestros of the day however were the airfield’s skylarks who, five seconds after a searing 0. 9M pass by the B-1bathed in water vapour from its transonic wind shocks, were back in the air twittering their song to the oversize crowd.

 Bae Australia Awarded Tidbinbilla Contract:

BAe Australia (BAA) has been awarded the contract previously held by AWA to operate and service the Tidbin- billa Deep Space Communications Complex.

The contract, reportedly worth about $12m a year, is for an initial three year period with annual renewal rights each year there after. The contract enables BABA to take over the running of the Tidbinbilla, ACT complex for at least three years and also the Mobile Laser Ranging Facility at Yarragadee, WA, by

30th September.

This latest contract won by BAe adds to others overseas, such as in Saudi Arabia, which enable some 400 BAe employees to gain experience on space communications facilities. With growing experience in the space industry, BAe recently established a subsidiary company, Space Logistics Ltd, to specialise in the provision of skilled operations and maintenance personnel to the space industry.

 Women in Uniform:

Australian service women will now be allowed a little closer to the front line in combat related jobs, although they will still be unable to participate in direct combat.

New rules governing women’s roles in the armed forces apply to all three services and the term ‘combat related” applies to driving army trucks, serving in field ambulances, operating radio centres, servicing aircraft, resupply, intelligence, communications, transport, radar control and medical evacuation. Women will now be able to serve on RAN ships (except submarines) while female RAAF pilots will be excluded only from primary combat aircraft.

F-111C Ate-R Bid Teams Formed:

appears that only four teams have tendered for the F-111C Automatic Test Equipment Replacement (ATE-R) project which closed at the end of May, reports Tom Muir in the Australian Defence Intelligencer.

They are Westinghouse with BABA; Litton with Leigh-Mardon, Ansett Technologies and Mantech; Harris with Mintech and Phi- lips; and Emerson with AWA and C3. It is understood that AAI Corp was also seeking involvement.

It is believed that Computer Sciences of Australia turned down initial teaming offers (including from Litton) because it did not want to share bidding costs, but has offered its services on a non-exclusive basis to all contenders. Litton/Leigh-Mardon apparently added Ansett Technologies to their team after it was learned that Rockwell had been selected for the F-111C Avionics Upgrade Project in which Ansett will be involved in support equipment planning.

In the meantime a request for tender – which closed on 13 June-was issued for the interim maintenance and support of the existing F-111C ATE equipment at RAAF Amberley. The requirement covers the life of type support for ageing F-111 test equipment which was designed in the 1950s, manufactured in the mid-60s and delivered in the early 1970s by General Dynamics.

It is understood that an initial requirement to provide in situ a field service engineer (FSE) at an Eng 2 (Electronics) level, to identify and undertake necessary action to support the equipment, has been relaxed to accept a technically trained person such as an ex-RAAF technician. The FSE tasks include equipment modifications; spares assessment/procurement; TPS development; technical publications; and oversight of subcontractors.

The two year contact is extendable by a further three years to December 1995 by which time the replacement ATE should come into service. Some fifteen companies attended the industry briefing last month, prominent among which were BHP Defence & Aerospace, ASTA, Harris Corp, AWA, Hon- eywell, Leigh-Mardon, HdH and Mintech.

 F-5 Update:

Canadian company Bristol Aerospace is discussing its life extension and upgrade program of early model North- rop F-5A and F-58 fighters with some 17 operators of the type: two of the countries involved – South Korea and Turkey – between them still have some 170 examples on strength. The company is already performing work on Canadian CF-58 which will extend their airframe life from 3,000 to 6,000 hours and installing the avionics required for the Canadian aircraft to perform their new role as lead in trainers to the CF-18 Hornet.

The life extension program includes reworking of many areas of the F-5’s structure including the fin, wing and fuselage dorsal longerons and testing which may see the aircraft’s life further extended to 8,000 hours is under way. The avionics upgrade is databus based and introduces a head up display and, if required, head down displays. In addition, F-5A/B operators are offered a performance enhancement package which includes fitting of the enlarged wing leading edge root extensions and automatic manoeuvre flaps of the later F-5E and F models.

Bae Hawk 100/200 Selling Well in Region:

The BAe Hawk 100/200 is selling well in South East Asia with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and possibly even Indonesia set to receive the type.

First sale of type in the region has been to Brunei where delivery of 16 Hawks to the RBAF is expected to commence in about three years time. Brunel has ordered at least eight Hawk 100 advanced jet trainer/strike versions of the aircraft, while the remaining eight aircraft in the £250m deal are expected to be Hawk 200 fighters. If so, the RBAF will probably become the type’s launch customer.

Meanwhile, Malaysia at last report was negotiating the purchase of some 32 Hawk 100/2008. The order-which is instead of the planned order of 12 IDS Tornados – will definitely be a mixed order of Hawk 100s and 2008, though final details are not known. The Hawk fleet will replace the RMAF’s 31 A-4PTM Skyhawks, with delivery beginning also in about three years.

Indonesia, which already operates 16 Hawk Mk 53 advanced trainers, is reportedly also intent on acquiring some 16-24 Hawk 100s and possibly later the Hawk 200. The Hawk is definitely proving a winner for BAe. All Brunei and Malaysian aircraft will be built in Britain, as are those from the other main sales area, the Middle East.

Decision on F-16A/B Upgrade by October:

A decision by the air forces of the USA, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands on whether to go ahead with a joint F-16A/B upgrade is now expected in October.

All five air forces support the proposed joint midlife upgrade program, but face pressure from individual governments to fully justify the expense. They also face the problem that a standard modification kit for the F-168 could not be agreed to, with each air force having its own particular requests for equipment. General Dynamics, therefore, has had to develop a kit which, although more or less common, incorporates ‘add-ons’ to suit each individual air force. Total cost for the upgrading of 533 aircraft (130 USAF) is esti- mated at $US328m, with $US69m being met by the USAF

World Military Spending Drops:

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, world military spending totalled about $US950bn last year, some 2% less than in 1988.

Defence expenditure dropped in the USA, the Soviet Union and in most Third World nations.

In Western Europe and Japan, however, defence spending remained stable. The world trade in conventional weapons continued its downward trend with $US31. 8bn (in 1985 values) being spent, compared with $US33. 6bn in 1988. This trend is becoming increasingly evident with world armed forces under closer scrutiny and facing tighter budget constraints.

Of particular interest to the Australasian region, India yet again was the world’s biggest buyer of conventional weapons with some $US3. 4bn of purchases (plus no doubt an unknown expenditure on nuclear weaponry. )

 From Beechjet to Jayhawk:

For the record, the Beechcraft Beechjet light corporate jet will be known as the T-1A Jay-hawk in USAF service. The aircraft was recently announced winner of the USAF’s TTTS (tanker/transport training system) competition-see last month’s Newsdesk for details. Interestingly, the name has caused some problems with the US Coast Guard, who have called their latest acquisition, the Sikorsky HH-60J, Jayhawk. Both were unaware of the other’s intentions, but their responses were not those you’d expect from high ranking servicemen. . . a Coast Guard Lt Commander said: “Well, we thought of it first and we are older than them, so it’s their problem. ” The USAF response (from a Lt Colonel) was: “Well, they may be older, but we are military and they’re just Department of Transportation. . . ” Rule One in modern warfare – know who your real enemy is!

Usn A-12 Program Facing Delays:

The MDC/GD A-12 Avenger 2 ATA program is facing a “major reassessment” following the announcement that the first prototype will not be ready for its originally planned late 1990 rollout. The aircraft design team has come up against several last minute design problems. Though described as minor, it is possible that the A-12’s first flight could be delayed until “beyond early 1991. ” The A-12 program has already faced several setbacks (including a reduction in the number to be ordered for service with the USN) but the latest delay is now really causing problems.

General Dynamics and McDonnell Doug- las are now rapidly approaching the $US4. 8bn cost ceiling of the design program and may have to inject more of their own funds into the A-12 project to keep it on track. The problems are reportedly with the use of composites in the aircraft. If a redesign of sections is needed, the aircraft could be further delayed and the costs to the two companies will be substantial.

The USN has provided for an initial eight A-128 in fiscal 1990 funding and has requested that another 12 be funded in fiscal 1991. Plans are to procure a further 24 in fiscal 1992, and then 36 each year until 2008. Increased delays, supply schedule slips and increased costs are likely to bring the troubled A-12 program under even more intense White House scrutiny.

 Sr-71 Down, but Not Quite Out:

At least six examples of the recently retired SR-71 Blackbird will be maintained for availability to resume operations if needed.

The US Fiscal 1990 Appropriations Act has made allowances for the possible future need of the SR-71, such as in time of international crisis or loss of satellite reconnaissance capability. A fleet of six SR-718 will be mothballed to be made ready to fly within 90 days of notification of need. Their ASARS-1 synthetic aperture radar will also be modified for subsonic rather than Mach 3 speeds.

Atc’s Golden Jubilee:

The Air Training Corps, that august organisation which many of us who love aeroplanes have been associated with in our teenage years, will be 50 years old in 1991.

Founded in the early days of World War Il to give cadets a foundation of RAAF knowledge and discipline, to develop the qualities of leadership, self reliance, initiative, good character and good citizenship and to develop an interest in the RAAF and aviation in general, the ATC will stage several events next year to celebrate the occasion. The main event will be a parade in Canberra on Saturday, April 27 comprising 300 cadets representing each of the more than 100 ATC Flights throughout Australia.

A history of the Corps is to be published later this year and former cadets are invited to submit material-written or photographic, with the latter to be returned to its owners to the Golden Jubilee Historian, Headquarters, Victorian Squadron, Air Training Corps, No. 1 Stores Depot, RAAF Tottenham, 3012.

 Usn Issues Tentative Requirement for Stovl Fighter:

The US Navy has issued a tentative operational requirement for a short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) fighter for entry into service about 2010.

The USN is at this stage only considering a STOVL next generation fighter as an option to eventually replace the F-18 Hornet and AV-8B Harrier II. If developed, it would operate alongside the A-12, assisting in what a Navy spokesman termed the “anti-air warfare regime. ” The Navy believes the technology exists to design and manufacture such an aircraft, though its requirements are stringent. It wants the proposed fighter not only to have STOVL ability, but to perform at least as well – and hopefully better than the Hornet. It cites improved range and payload as desirable.

A decision on whether to pursue the concept of a STOVL naval fighter is expected within the next two years, and will be heavily influenced by a Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) technology demonstration program planned for the mid 1990s. The DARPA demonstration effort is aimed specifically at a next generation STOVL strike fighter. It expects the project to culminate in 1995 with a flight demonstration.

Defence Supply System Shake Up:

Australia’s military supply system is to be reorganised to save $450m over the next ten years.

The new defence supply arrangements – the Defence Logistics Redevelopment Project-will involve the shedding of some 1,500 jobs, the sale of warehouse depots in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, and the upgrading and developing of other supply facilities. The supply system reorganisation is not, however, just a sell off of properties for additional funds. The present system has long been recognised as inefficient. For instance, while the two RAAF F-111 squadrons operate from their base at Amberley, Old, a large proportion of important and often needed spares are currently stored near Melbourne. The new system should end such supply inefficiencies.

Properties in the Sydney region to be sold are the Navy stores depots at Randwick and Zetland, the Army store at Penrith, the RAAF depot at Regents Park, and the Leichardt parachute packing facility. In Melbourne, the Maribyrnong Navy store, half of the Army Broadmeadows logistics depot and the RAAF Tottenham warehouse will be sold. So too will facilities in Toowoomba and Banyo, Old. Money raised from sales of these properties will go into the development of a more efficient chain of stores and supply depots around Australia. Amongst the new facilities to be built will be a new ADF national storage and distribution centre at Moorebank, Syd- ney, and a $7. 2m warehouse at Nowra to store spares for RAN aircraft.

 PR Nightmare:

What do you do when a newspaper executive editor criticises your flyovers as unsafe? Take him for a fly of course!

That’s exactly what the South Dakota Air National Guard did for Ward Bushee of the Argus Leader newspaper following an editorial criticising ceremonial flypasts as noisy and dangerous. The only trouble was, the A-7 Corsair II in which Bushee was travelling collided with another A-7 during the flight, causing both jets to crash and their occupants to eject. The pilots were uninjured but Mr Bushee suffered a broken vertebra in his neck plus cuts and burns. The aircraft came down harmlessly in a soybean field. Mr Bushee’s next editorial is eagerly awaited.

 China/Grumman Deal Off:

Shortly after its resumption (refer June Newsdesk). the agreement between China and Grum- man in which 57 Shenyang F-8- twin engined fighters would be modernised by the installation of US radar, fire control, navigation and electronic equipment kits has been abruptly terminated.

The program, worth $US502m to Grumman, was suspended in the wake of the Beijing massacre last year but rejuvenated a couple of months ago. Now the Chinese have pulled out without offering any official reason why. Some are blaming China’s economic problems and the potential cost of the program, others are suggesting it is because the US failed to guarantee delivery of production modification kits.

Stealth Aircraft Described as Highly Maneuverable:

The USAF F-117A and B-2 stealth aircraft flight handling characteristics have recently been described in some detail, with some surprising observations made.

At a recent Society of Experimental Test Pilots symposium in France, Tom Morgen- field, experimental test pilot at Lockheed’s Advanced Development Projects operation, described the F-117A as a highly manoeuvrable and stable aircraft, its handling characteristics easily comparable to the MDC F-15.

He said that the aircraft certainly did not deserve its current “Woblin Goblin” nickname. As for landing, it was noted that the F-117 is much easier to land than the F-16 (whose flight control system the F-11Ts is based on), and is achieved at about 150kts (278km/h) by flying at a specified angle of attack. Takeoff speed of the F-117 at combat weight was noted as being 165kts, though the aircraft does appear to have a relatively long takeoff run. Cockpit visibility is described as satisfactory, despite the cockpit’s three piece triangular shaped windscreen. Visibility to the side is said to be good because of the deep shape of the fuselage, though upward and back vision is blocked by the canopy. Besides having a flight control system based on that of the F-16 (though with a Lockheed designed control stick), the F-117A uses cockpit displays from the MDC F-18. Lockheed’s approach to building classified aircraft is in fact “to use as much off the shelf equipment as possible, thereby reducing the possibility someone will ask where the hardware is going.” Meanwhile, the B-2 bomber’s handling characteristics were also described as very good, more like a fighter than a heavy bomber. Takeoff and landing are both performed at 140kts and, even at full operational gross weight, the aircraft can still reach 40,000ft in a very quick climb similar to that of the U-2. The B-2’s fly-by-wire technology is designed to reduce the two/three crew workload both during routine flights and on operational missions. Tests are continuing to determine full flight characteristics at all possible altitudes with operational equipment.