Yesteryear

• One of four BAe Hawks, which had been officially handed over to the Zimbabwe Air Force at Dunsfold last month, was destroyed in a sabotage attack on the Thornhill Air Force Base near Gweru on July 25. The other three Hawks were seriously damaged and it is not known if they are repairable. Also destroyed were three Hawker Hunters and a Lynx (Reims-Cessna Milirole) while five Hunters were badly damaged. Another four Hawks are yet to be delivered to the Zimbabwe Air Force.

• The British Aerospace BAe 146’s performance is proving to be substantially better than the original targets. With 500 hours of testing on three aircraft now accumulated, wing coefficient of lift is better than forecast, drag estimates have proven to have been pessimistic and takeoff performance at any weight is 3% above predictions.

• A plan by Pan American to rationalise its feet will see its 12 Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 500s retired by the end of 1983 together with 21 older Boeing 747-100s and two 77F freighters. • The Boeing 767 was certified by the FAA on July 30 after more than 1,600 hours of flight testing. The version certified was the one powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4 engines with a maximum weight of 300,000 b with a two person crew. The 767 powered by the General Electric CF6-80A is expected to be certified in September.

20 Years Ago

The Defence Minister Mr Fairbairn, announced during a visit to Wellington, New Zealand that Australia would purchase 37 CT-4 Airtrainers at a cost of about $3. 2m, with deliveries due to commence about the middle of 1974. The CT-4s will replace the Winjeels presently used by the RAAF as their basic trainer.

Six Lockheed L-1 TriStars have been ordered by BEA with deliveries to commence in October 1974. They will operate on routes ranging from London/Glasgow (394 miles) to London/Tel Aviv nonstop (2,222 miles).

The Singapore Government has announced that following the partnership breakup on September 30 of what is now Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA), its new international airline will be called Singapore Airlines (SIA). It will inherit five MSA 707s and five 737s and will have three more 707s by the end of the year. It has ordered two Boeing 747-200Bs which will enter service in October 1973 and has stated that it may need a total of 12 747s over the next years. The new Malaysian airline will be Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) which will receive seven Advanced 737s by mid October.

• Three RAF Canberra PR9s have flown from their base at Akrotiri, Cyprus to the New Hebrides where they will carry out a photographic survey of the 500 mile long chain of islands. In other Canberra news, the Royal Navy will soon receive initial deliveries of a small batch of Canberra T. 22s, which are PR. 7s rebuilt by BAC, for fleet requirement duties.

To improve manoeuvrability, McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms now being delivered to the USAF are fitted with new wing leading edge slats and earlier F-4Es may be retrofitted.

• Eighteen Beechcraft Bonanzas have been ordered by the Imperial Iranian Air Force for training and liaison duties.

The first flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle took place at Edwards AFB on July 27. Twenty prototype and development F-15s are being built and it is expected that total USAF procurement will amount to 729 production aircraft.

• Indonesia will receive 16 ex-RAAF Avon Sabres under a three year military air programme. They will be based at Iswahjudi in Java.

30 Years Ago

The name Starlifter has been given to the Lockheed C-141A which won the USAF logistics support competition. The first flight is scheduled for late next year.

The president of Sud Aviation, M Georges Hereil has said that the Super Caravelle Mach 2 airliner will fly in 1965 and commence commercial service in 1969.

• On July 4 the Victa Airtourer became the first Australian light aircraft to receive DCA Type Approval (Type 34-1). Three Air tourers have now flown and a further five are in varying stages of construction. Victa delivered their first Airtourer when VH-MOA was handed over to the Latrobe Valley Aero Club on July 17.

• A Supermarine Swift Mk 7 has been carrying out a programme of wet runway trials for the Ministry of Aviation at London (Heat-hrow) airport. The Swift is painted all black except for a painting of a skidding Donald Duck on the nose. Landings have been carried out at speeds up to 180mph, the Swift being used because it was one of the few aircraft strong enough to withstand such landings. An instrument which will greatly increase air safety will result from these tests.

The Minister for Air, Mr Leslie Bury, announced late in June that the RAAF squadron operating from Ubon Airfield in Eastern Thailand is No 79 Squadron. Eight Sabres and 200 personnel under the command of Wing Commander J Hubble DSO, AFC and Bar are stationed at Ubon. They are based there as part of a SEATO force sent to Thailand to combat possible communist aggression.

The USAF’s official aerobatic team, the Thunderbirds, has chosen the Republic F-D5 Thunderchief to replace their North American F-100 Super Sabres.

• Work is proceeding on the Saab 37 fighter which will eventually replace the Draken and Lansen in virtually all Swedish Air Force frontline squadrons. It will be powered by a military development of the Pratt & Whitney JT-8D capable of 22,000lb thrust in reheat, to be built under licence by Svenska Flymotor AB (SFA) as the RM 8, although the first few engines for the Saab 37 will be US built.