Newsdesk – Military Aviation

Of the 3394 airliners in US service in July 1993, 1252 or 37% are Stage 2 compliant models such as the Boeing 727 (599), Boeing 737-100/200 (314) and the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (299). Because of the Stage 3 regulations which come into effect for all US airliners from next year, the resale value of these aircraft has plummeted, despite the aircraft still having many years of useful life in their airframes. Older Boeing 727-200s, for example, are now worth less than the $US1m cost of D level maintenance with one recently sold for just $US350,000.

The new regulations have already en- couraged some operators to modify their older aircraft: Delta Airlines has or will hushkit 17 DC-9s and some 727s and is examining the situation as it applies to its fleet of 150 727s and early model 737s (see below); USAir is hushkitting 24 DC-9s and 64 727s; Air Canada is looking at either hushkitting its DC-9s or re-engining them, and 10 United Parcel Service 727-100s have beenre-engined with Rolls-Royce Tays with a further 34 (plus 36 options) to follow.

Delta’s options include re-engining their 727-200s and 737-200s with Rolls-Royce Tays and have been approached by Dee Howard and Rolls-Royce to do the job in a contract worth up to $US1. 3bn. A special version of the Tay, the 16,000lb thrust 655 is being offered and it is believed the bid covers the re-engining of 100 727s and 53 737s.

Raaf & Indonesia Commence Historic Joint Exercises:

Four RAAFF/A-18 Hornets have been participating from mid November in joint air combat exercise with the Indonesian air force in the skies over northern Sumatra.

As previewed in last month’s issue of Australian Aviation, 180 air force person nel from both countries participated in the five day exercise based from Palonia air base near Medan. The RAAF Hornets were flown against Indonesian F-5s in dissimilar air combat training.

The exercises will become regular occurrences as F/A-18s stage through Indonesia on their way to or from Malaysia, where they currently regularly deploy.

Interestingly, it was not so long ago that at the height of the Indonesian Confrontation in the early 1960s that the two air forces came very close to blows. The historically significant exercises thus give greater meaning to the current contacts and exchanges

Centrespread

An Ansett Shorts Sandringham Sunderland at anchor at Lord Howe Island evokes fond and romantic memories of a long bygone era in air transport.

Ansett operated a small fleet of the majestic Sandringhams through till the mid seventies flying to Lord Howe from Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour. Unlike the turboprops of today which have dramatically shorter sector times and far better operating economics, the sturdy flying boats did provide greater passenger space and comfort, and until the Island’s airstrip was opened, the only means of providing an air service to the island paradise.

of ideas, and help foster a closer relationship between the two air arms

France Increases Defence Spending:

France has gone against the current situation in nearly all western nations by announcing an increase in defence spending next year.

The move is seen as a response to increasing general unemployment (somethree million overall) and in the defence industry in particular, and involves a 3. 6% increase which leaves France’s major defence programmes pretty much intact.

There will be some savings, including stretching the Rafale fighter and Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier programmes by six months each and slowing development work on the M5 nuclear missile for France’s strategic nuclear submarine fleet.

The revised Rafale timetable has not been specified but both the air force and navy versions will now enter service later than planned. The naval variant was originally planned to enter service in 1996/97, but despite the delay it will still be available before the Charles de Gaulle is commissioned in 1999. The 250 air force and 80 naval Rafales will cost $US31bn, or $US94m (about $A140m!) each, more than double what an F/A-18E for instance would cost.

Other aircraft programmes will continue as planned, including spending on the NH90 transport helicopter, the Franco-German Tiger combat helicopter and an additional 37 Mirage 2000s.

 More Israeli Eagles?:

Israel could purchase more F-15 Eagle fighters if diplomatic moves in the wake of the accord with the PLO bear fruit.

Israel has been looking at obtaining 50-60 new fighters with the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet at the top of the list and the much more expensive Eagle at the bot- tom. But, the F-15 could find itself with favouritism if the USA can talk Syria into joining the PLO’s and Jordan’s recent efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

If that happens, and Syria can be discounted as an immediate – and close by- threat to Israel, then Israel would be able to concentrate on countering more distant threats such as Iran and Iraq. In that case the all weather capability and long range of the F-15E could change the equation.

 Flastudy Goesahead:

Euroflag, the European consortium behind the Future Large Aircraft (FLA) military transport project, has announced the go ahead for a phase of feasibility studies which will lead to a preliminary definition of the aircraft by the end of next year.

The major partners in Euroflag are Aerospatiale, Ålenia, British Aerospace, CASA and Deutsche Aerospace. The governments of all the countries involved are supporting the project except Britain’s, which so far has committed itself only as an observer to the project. Euroflag says it believes the FLA will offer European Air Forces, including the RAF, the best solution for their operational transport needs through the opening decades of the next century. It is intended the FLA will replace the Hercules and Transall in the service of Europe’s air forces.

As seems to be the case with projects such as this, the FLA history so far is fairly long winded, the projects origins going back to 1982. The current agreement was established in 1989 and the aircraft as it is currently being presented is ahigh wing, T-tailed design with rough field landing gear and a considerably larger cabin floor area and width than the Hercules. Powerplants are four advanced turbofans in the 18,000lb thrust class providing a cruising speed greater than Mach 0. 7 over a range of 3000nm (5560km) with a 20 tonne payload.

Current plans call for first flight in 2000 and deliveries beginning two years later, 20 years after the first committees were formed to look at the project!

Aussie Technology for Usaf:

The US Air Force has awarded a contract for the repair of fatigue cracks in its C-141 Starlifter transports to a company using the Australian developed Bortex (boron/epoxy patch) repair technology developed by the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s (DSTO) Aeronautical Research Laboratory (ARL).

Composite Technology Inc, of Dallas, Texas, has been awarded the contract. The company is part of the Helitech Industries group of companies, an Australian organisation based in Brisbane.

The Bortex process was developed under the leadership of the ARL’s Dr Alan Baker more than 15 years ago and has since been successfully used by the RAAF and other operators.

On the Starlifter, the patches are being applied to the inner surface of wing planks inside the fuel cell area. The work is being carried out at the USAF’s Warner Robins Air Logistics Centre, Georgia. (refer p11 July 93 AA).

Eurofighter Programme Re-Work Plan Dumped:

The NATO European Fighter Management Agency (NEFMA), the body supervising Eurofighter development, has dropped industry plans on how to redevelop the programme.

Discarded as being unrealistic and unworkable, the plan had aimed to revise the development timetable and to reconfigure equipment specifications, following agreements reached last year to restructure the programme to save costs. A new proposal was resubmitted to NEFMA in October, approval or otherwise of this revised re-structure has not yet been announced.

The original intention of the December 1992 decision was to extend the programme’s timeframe to reduce annual costs. However one observer has estimated that the slowdown could add as much as $300m to Eurofighter’s $10 bn development bill. On top of this, current delays in the aircraft’s development and thus far failure to make its first flight (now due in the first half of “94) are expected to add further costs to the troubled programme.

South Africa Looks at Building Hawks:

British Aerospace and South African defence manufacturer Denel are holding talks which may result in the Hawk trainer/attack aircraft being built in the Republic for the South African Air Force and other African nations.

Although the United Nations arms embargo is still in place, this restriction could soon be lifted. The Hawk is seen as a potential replacement for the SAAF’s Atlas Impalas (Macchi MB-326), 259 of which were supplied in both two seat trainer and single seat strike versions, most of them built under licence. Zimbabwe already operates the Hawk and Botswana has also expressed an interest in the aircraft.

 Thailand Looks at Harriers:

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is hoping to purchase some second BAe Harrier V STOL combat aircraft from Spain to equip the helicopter carrier which is due to enter service in 1998. If the plans proceed, Thailand will be the first East Asian country to operate an aircraft carrier.

The ship, which is being built in Spain, has a design which includes structural provision for a ski jump ramp. The Spanish Navy has eight first-generation single-seat AV-8S and two operational trainer TAV-8S Harriers available pending delivery of new Harrier IIs. A saleto Thailand would require approval by the US government, through which the aircraft were originally sold to Spain. India (which already has Sea Harriers) has also expressed an interest in the aircraft.

The RTN has recently ordered six new Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters to operate from the carrier. These aircraft will fly in the search and rescue, maritime patrol and coastal surveillance roles and will be delivered in 1997.

Photographs Needed

One of the reasons for the success of Stewart Wilson’s “In Australian Service’ book series has been its photographic coverage, many of which have come from the private collections of readers.

The 12th book in the series, Vampire, Macchi and Iroquois In Australian Service, is now in preparation and we’re hoping to be able to borrow some photographs from you to help maintain the standard.

Shots of Vampires (both fighters and trainers) during their service days are particularly needed, as are early model Iroquois and shots of the helicopter operating in Vietnam. The idea is to get away from the familiar, oft repeated photographs as much as possible.

Contributors will get a credit and a free copy of the book and their photographs back if required.

If you can help, send your photos to Maria Davey, Aerospace Publications, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek ACT 2611. Be sure to put your name and address on them so we know to whom they belong.

 Goodbye Grumman:

It’s probably a sign of the times, but the Grumman Corporation, that great designer and manufacturer of a classic series of mainly naval combat aircraft will no longer be the company it once was.

A review of the company’s activities in the wake of a winding down of production of the A-6 Intruder and F-14 Tomcat has resulted in it being decided that all aircraft design, development, test and manufacturing activities will cease and the company will specialise instead in systems integration work. Systems integration accounted for about 60% of Grumman’s $US3. 5bn turnover in 1992.

The decision means that just about all of the company’s more traditional activities will be axed, including that of a builder of airframes. There will be no aircraft design office, no dedicated engineering laboratories and no wind tunnels. The UŠN’s recent decision to axe the next generation AF/X attack aircraft was fundamental to Grumman’s need to consolidate and reorganise.

It became clear there was no room for Grumman in the military airframe business any more and the company says it expects numbers to be culled even further with possibly only Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas surviving in their present forms until the turn of the century.

 Usaf’s Industry Rescue Plan:

A senior US Air Force general has deviseda plan designed to help the US defence industry, which is suffering from reduced budgets and therefore substantial cuts in work.

The idea is to build weapons systems such as aircraft at a reduced rate to satisfy budget cuts but at the same time provide for a military which is large enough to fight in two major regional conflicts. The plan will at least provide some continuity to defence contractors and their dependent sub contractors, although the industry has suggested it could be inefficient as it would result in greater unit costs.

The plan also allows for wealthy allies to purchase top of the line technology early in a given weapon system’s production run- thus adding to the manufacturer’s work and reducing unit costs – and selling older versions of current equipment to less wealthy nations as they are phased out of service.

Armoured Hercules:

Experience in low intensity conflicts like those in Bosnia Herzegovina and Somalia has led some NATO air forces (including those of the USA and Britain) to fit Kevlar/glass ceramic cockpit armour to C-130 Hercules trans- ports operating into Sarajevo.

In USAF aircraft the armour covers the cockpit floor, observation windows at floor level, the crew bunk area and the liquid oxygen converter and is specifically designed to protect the aircraft and its crew from a high velocity 7. 62mm assault rifle rounds. The armour weighs 490kg (1080lb) installed and has been installed by Marshalls of Cambridge. Itis designed and built by the British company Aero Consultants. The RAF also has additional areas such as the stairs and galley protected.

The USAF has so far equipped 13 European based Hercules with the system with six more to follow, while the RAF has fitted it to six aircraft. The RAF has also purchased three more sets which can be moved from one aircraft to another in 16 hours.

Ambaam Banned From F-16:

The Hughes/Raytheon AIM-Advanced dium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) is banned from being carried by the USAF’s F-16 fighters due to the severe oscillations being encountered during test flights.

Recent production F-16s are affected and the problem is reported to be so severe that a2gwingtip oscillation occurs in some cases and violently shakes the aircraft to such an extent that theinstruments can’t be read and in one case, the skin of a Mk. 84 bomb was ripped off and peeled back. Pitch hesitation and irregular rolling motion problems have also been encountered.

Analysis of the problem has concluded the oscillations occur as the result of ‘feedback’, possibly due to the substantially heavier weight and slightly greater length of the AIM-120A when com- ARMY pared with the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. The oscillations are exacerbated control system, which in effect overreacts to inputs from the aircraft’s rate gyros.

Modifications to the F-16’s flight control laws are being evaluated, but with modern computer aided design techniques and all the other high technologies available to designers these days, one can’t help wondering why the problem wasn’t anticipated!

Boeing Sees Market for 100 Military 7678:

Boeing hopes to sell as many as 100 military versions of its widebody 767 twin over the next 10 to 14 years.

Military development of the 767 follows an order from Japan for two 767 AWACS (Airborne Warning And Control Systems) platforms. Boeing says 20 or more AWACS 767s could be sold to a small number of customers, with South Korea, Italy, and Saudi Arabia interested, and reorders from Japan a definite prospect. Studies of an AWACS 767 were started following the closure of the 707 line (upon which the E-3 Sentry was based) in the late 1980s.

Other military versions of the 767 being looked at are tankers, airlifters and VIP transports. Perhaps the largest potential market for a military 767 could be in the US if the much troubled and highly expensive C-17 Globemaster III is cancelled or produced in only small numbers. Boeing has offered the USAF’s Air Mobility Command a mixed fleet of 747-400 and 767 based freighters as a substitute for the C-17.

Sukhoi Looks West:

Russian fighter design bureau Sukhoi is reported to be looking to the USA for a potential partnership in the development of a new fighter in the weight class of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker.

Although the idea has already been discussed with Russian president Boris Yeltsin, no formal approaches have been made to the USA and no market for an advanced fifth generation Russian fighter has so far been identified. Sukhoi has also suggested cooperation with rival Mikoyan might be a way to go.

Sukhoi has managed to convert 50% of its current business to commercial activities with its light aerobatic aircraft but the Flanker remains the cornerstone ofthe company, as will any fighter which succeeds it. The possibilities of any Russo-US cooperation on a fighter design are many and varied if they ever occur and some interesting streams of thought result.

What, for example, if the Su-27K naval Flanker (which is now in production) was to be touted as a Grumman F-14 Tomcat replacement for the US Navy with American systems, engines and weapons from the F-22 ATF installed?

Grumman Offers Upgraded Tomcat:

Grumman is offering the US Navy an upgrade of existing Tomcat fighters as an alternative to plans already in place.

Grumman says the current plan adds less capability on a longer time scale but its ideas are considerably more expensive than those already in hand. Under the current scheme, 200 aircraft will have their nav/ attack systems modified at a cost of $US2m each. The new Grumman proposal is more extensive and is intended to allow the Tomcat to replace deep strike A-6 Intruders when they are retired. It would give the USN an aircraft similar in capability to the USAF’s F-15E Eagle but would cost about $US9. 2bn for 250 F-14As, Bs and Ds to be upgraded.

The upgrading of 54 F-14Ds to the new standard would cost $US1. 5 bn. would require more research, development and test work to be modified to the same standard.

The Swedish Air Force is to re-engine 115 of its Saab Me to 2010. In a deal recently signed with Williams Ro a first flight in 1995, with the last aircraft to be returne conversion work is to be carried out at the workshop 60 has been in service as a trainer, liaison and light a will have better takeoff, climb and single engine perfor FJ44 currently powers the CitationJet, and has als JPATS trainer which should fly next year.