Newsdesk – Military Aviation

 Turboprop Caribou Flying:

American firm NewCal Aviation is test flying a DHC Caribou STOL transport re-engined with two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67 turboprops in place of the standard P&W R-2000 radials, Certification of the DHC-4T (as it is called) is planned for June this year following first flight in November 1991.

The much lighter turboprops and other weight savings increase the aircraft’s pay-load by 3,250lb (1,475kg) to 12,000lb (5,450kg) as well as offering higher cruise speeds, lower operating costs and improved airfield performance. The conversion costs about SUS4m and options on six conversions have been placed.

Australia’s Hawker de Havilland looked at re-engining the Malaysian and RAAF Caribou fleets with turboprops in 1982 and it was discovered that ballast and/or a forward fuselage stretch would be required to offset the turboprops’ light weight and restore the Caribou’s centre of gravity. No mention of such compromises is made in the NewCal conversion.

From Migs to Mites:

Surely a sign of the times. A Russian factory near Moscow which until recently built MiG-29 Fulcrum supersonic fighters will this year switch to the production of a two seat light aircraft intended for training and patrol duties. The SL-90 Leshil (Sprite) is a joint Russian-Bulgarian project for which Russian certification has already been gained. A preproduction batch is now being built. The Sprite is a high wing side by side two seater with tailwheel undercarriage. It is powered by a 110hp three cylinder radial engine, cruises at 80 knots (148km/h) and has a maximum weight of 1,850lb (840kg). Production examples are due to appear later this year.

Raf Looks at Hercules Replacement:

An earlier than planned retirement for the Royal Air Force’s fleet of C-130K Hercules transports is being examined, partly due to increased use during the Gulf War.

The RAF received 66 Hercules in 1966-67 and retirement was originally planned for 2004, but this may now take place four years earlier. Replacement options include the McDonnell Douglas C-17, the C-130J Hercules (with glass cockpit, etc) and the re-engined (with Allison GMA 2100 turboprops) Hercules II. The refurbishing of the existing fleet is also an option. Lockheed sees the RAF as a potential launch customer for one of these new Hercules variants.

 Air NZ Anzac Contract:

Air New Zealand has been subcontracted by General Electric to assemble, inspect and test 111 LM2500 gas turbine engines for the Anzac frigates on order for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ten year contract is valued at $NZ4. 8m and the work will be performed at ANZ’s Auckland engineering base.

Dogfight Above Wanaka at Easter:

Readers coming to New Zealand for Easter on our special AA tour are in for a great time, especially at the Warbirds over Wanaka air show in April, reports Michael Short.

A dogfight between a Messerschmitt Bf109 and a Supermarine Spitfire is expected to be the major attraction at the air show. Air show co-ordinator Gavin Johnston says the 109 is owned and flown by a New Zealander, Ray Hanna, who joined the Royal Air Force. Ray went on to lead the RAF’s display team, the Red Arrows, for four years in the 1960s. His son, Mark, will fly the Alpine Fighter Collection’s Spitfire. The father and son team is today one of the biggest drawcards on the European air show circuit, says Gavin. The German aircraft will wear the colours of the Luftwaffe of 1940. “Sharing with this premier event will be the introduction of the Alpine Fighter Collection’s newly restored Curtiss Kittyhawk P-40K and their F4U-1 Corsair, both in New Zealand’s wartime colour schemes. ”

Air show organisers also hope two Lock-heed aircraft from Australia will arrive at Wanaka-a Lodestar and a Neptune.

The popular Roaring Forties Harvard display team will also be there, along with a number of aircraft from the NZ Warbird Association collection. They include a Mus- tang, Sea Fury, Devon, DC-3, T-28 Trojan and several others. A Vampire jet will also be there as well as a Cessna A-37 Dragonfly from the Vietnam War era.

The warbirds will arrive at Wanaka, about 420km south west of Christchurch, on Good Friday, April 17, to practice for the air show the next day. More than 30,000 people are expected at the air show and country fair.

Uk-Kuwait Defence Deal:

The United Kingdom and Kuwait have signed a memorandum of understanding on defence co-operation which will have considerable benefits for the British aircraft industry. The USA has already signed a similar MoU and France is also expected to do so.

It is possible that Kuwait will order West- land-Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawks, more Shorts Tucanos and BAe Hawk 100s or 200s. In addition, Kuwait has previously shown interest in the BAe Harrier GR. 5 and the country needs a new air defence system including a radar network and surface to air missiles. Other items required by Kuwait include additional McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornets, the refurbishment of its Mirage F. 1 fighter and Gazelle helicopter fleets plus HOT anti tank and Exocet anti ship missiles.

Usn Studies Hawkeye Replacement:

The US Navy is looking at a replacement for its Grumman E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft and several options are being studied under the designation E-X.

Three proposals have been presented so far, two from Grumman and one from Lockheed. The Grumman proposals are based around an upgraded Hawkeye and a new design dubbed the Advanced Tactical System (ATS) while Lockheed (in conjunction with LTV) is proposing a derivative of the S-3 Viking. The Hawkeye is scheduled to remain in small scale production until the middle of the decade.

FAA Reunion for Coral Sea Commemoration

Almost 1,000 past mem- bers of the Fleet Air Arm and their families from around Australia and overseas will get together during the first week in May for a reunion to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first major naval engagement in the Pacific during the Second World War.

The reunion will take place at Nowra on the NSW south coast with activities centred at HMAS Albatross, where most of the members served at some time in their service careers.

The Coral Sea activities will include an Air Day at HMAS Albatross, a memorial church service, a march through the streets of Nowra and a programme of social activities. The air display, on Saturday May 9, will be open to the public and is expected to draw more than 20,000 visitors. The occasion will also mark the official opening of the first stages of the new Australian Naval Aviation Museum which has been established at the Air Station. Almost $4m has been raised through public funding to finance this important project.

All former FAA personnel are invited to attend this historic reunion. Further information can be obtained from the reunion secretary Les Matterson 044 217945.

 Rockwell Consolidates in Australia:

Rockwell International Corporation has announced the formation of Rockwell Systems Australia Pty Ltd (RSA) to carry out the company’s wide ranging defence electronics operations in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

RSA combines the staff and facilities of its former Australian branches, Rockwell Ship Systems Australia in Sydney) and Rockwell Electronics (Australasia). The latter, based in Melbourne, has been operating since 1960. Current Australian programmes in which Rockwell is involved include the avionics upgrade for the RAAF’S F-111C fleet and the company is also a bidder on the proposed RAAF P-3C Orion systems upgrade.

 Carrier Customers?:

China and India have been named by Western naval intelligence sources as potential purchasers of the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag. which is now being fitted out.

With no funds available for the now Rus- sian Navy, the future of the carrier and other capital ships (including the supercarrier Ulyanovsk) under construction is far from certain and it is considered possible that they may well become available for sale (refer p. 11 Mar 92 AA) The 65,000 tonne Varyag was launched in 1988 and was designed to carry navalised versions of the Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters. The Commonwealth of Independent States has said that the carrier will not be for sale, but both Russia and the Ukraine (where the ships are being built) have an urgent need for hard currency.

Centrespread

A somewhat unusual painting by Geoff- ery Lea is the subject of this months centrespread.

Titled ‘Beaufighter Bites the Dust’ the painting won the 1988 Rolls Royce Exhibition (Germany), Best Oils Class. Fine Arts International of South Australia hope to be able to release it as as a print in the near future. Certainly it is a refreshingly different look at a popular subject. (For more information contact (08) 370 2306. )