Yesteryear

• The British Aerospace 146 Series 100 prototype had its first flight at Hatfield on 3 September. With the second and third aircraft nearing completion, a one year test program will commence with the first deliveries due to commence late in 1982.

A USAF contract expected to total about $12m has been awarded to Piper Aircraft to design, develop and test two prototypes of the Enforcer due to fly at the end of 1982. Two existing North American F-51 airframes will be modified at Piper’s Lakeland, Florida plant. The Enforcer will be powered by a Lycoming T55-L-9 turboprop of 2,445 ehp. have wingtip tanks to increase fuel capacity to 424 US gallons and many weapons and aerodynamic improvements.

• An order for 20 GAF N22B Nomads valued at approximately $28m was announced by the Thai Government on 31 August. Deliveries are due to commence next year and conclude in September 1984.

• Although there was considerable opposition in the US Congress, President Reagan’s administration is understood to be determined that the proposed $8,500m Saudi Arabian air defence modernisation program will be fulfilled. Included in the program are a Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS package worth $5,800m, six Boeing KE-3 air refuelling tankers derived from the 707-3208, 1,177 AIM-9L Sidewinders and 101 shipsets (each comprising a set of two tanks) of F-15 conformal tanks. Saudi Arabia has purchased 62 F-15C Eagles to be delivered between January 1982 and mid 1983.

20 Years Ago

• The 25th anniversary of TAA’s first flight was celebrated on 9 September when DC-3 VH-SBA was repainted in the 1946 colours of TAA’s first aircraft and registered for one day as VH-AES. The aircraft flew the original Laverton/Sydney route carrying 13 of the 21 passengers who were on the first TAA flight.

• As part of an 18,000 mile tour, the BAC/ Aerospatiale Concorde first prototype, 001, F-WTSS flew from Toulouse via Sal in the Cape Verde Islands to Cayenne in French Guyana on 4 September. The time for the 5,000 mile trip was 6hr 28min which included a 2hr refuelling stop at Sal. It then flew to Rio de Janeiro on 6 September on the eve of Brazil’s independence day and then flew demonstration flights for South American airlines from the 8th to the 15th.

A 13 man party from the Aviation Historical Society of New Zealand has found a Hawker Hind which crashed in the Tararua Range in New Zealand in 1941. Despite having been set fire to after the accident, the damage was not serious and hopes are held that the Hind, one of 46 delivered to the RNZAF, can be restored.

. • Qantas’ Boeing 747 VH-EBA flew on a proving flight to Singapore on 3 September and the inaugural service was flown by the same aircraft on 17 September. Following the resolution of the air service dispute between Australia and the United States, Qantas will be permitted to operate three 747 services a week to the USA from 29 January 1972 increasing to four a week from 18 March 1972. Part of the agreement will see both Pan American and American Airlines operating additional flights commencing December this year.

• Several alternative sites have been proposed for Sydney’s second airport, namely Richmond, Somersby, Duffy’s Forest and Wattamolla. Announcing details in the Senate on 15 September, the Civil Aviation Minister Senator Cotton also said that Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport would be retained and developed and that a parallel runway would probably be built to cater for increasing air traffic.

30 Years Ago

• The final assembly of the Nihon YS-11 turboprop airliner is well advanced with a first flight expected to take place during December. Four pre-production models will be completed by summer 1962.

Fokker will designate their new jet transport the F28. According to reports it will be powered by two turbojets mounted one each side of the rear fuselage and will seat 45 passengers.

• Twenty Caravelle airliners have been ordered by Trans World Airlines with an option for an additional 15 aircraft. They will be powered by two General Electric CJ 805-23C fanjets and will be known as the New Caravelle.

Aircraft noted at the Air Force Week dis- play at Richmond on 17 September included 10 CAC Sabres, 4 Vampires, 11 Dakotas, 5 Canberras, 3 Meteors, one Winjeel, 8 Hercules and 9 Neptunes. Some of flying display highlights were four Sabres of the Black Diamonds aerobatic team, solo Meteor and Vampire aerobatic displays, and three Can- berras which concluded their display with a spectacular bomb burst.

• Qantas Boeing 707-138B aircraft are now referred to as V-jets in advertisements and the colour scheme is being changed to include the V-jet notation on the vertical fin. As the longer range 707-138Bs are placed into service on the Southern Cross route, they will no longer need to land at Canton. Island for fuel.

• United Airlines has ordered a further six Vickers Viscounts, taking their fleet total of the type to 47.

• The RAF has ordered five VC108 for RAF Transport Command taking total VC10 orders to 57, including 45 for BOAC, four for British United Airways and three for Ghana Airways.

• When HMAS Melbourne paid a visit to Melbourne during September, noted on board were five Fairey Gannets, five DH Sea Venoms and two Bristol Sycamores.

• The Hawker P. 112/ became the first operational aircraft in the world to achieve the successful transition from vertical to horizontal flight during a flight on 19 September. Hovering trials began in October 1960 and the P. 1127 flew conventionally in March this year.