Avalon 95 Airshow Report

The trade days were very successful, with most exhibitors greatly impressed with the number of new contacts made and the potential for new business opportunities. There was a general mood of optimism that was absent at the inaugural event in 1992, with exhibitors keen to get into the Australasian market and do real business. Almost all the major companies present plan to return to Avalon 97, and many plan larger presences than at this year’s event (refer also Recce), while other company representatives who were at the show for a look-see were keen to have their companies exhibit at the next Airshow Downunder. Smaller Australian based companies were also pleased with the interest and inquiries about their displays.

The range and quality of aircraft on display was greater than that previously seen in Australia, while the flying displays themselves generally were of a high quality. Unfortunately though the commentary, in parts at least, left something to be desired. Sikorsky would no doubt dispute that Hawker Armstrong Siddeley is the S-70B Seahawk’s manufacturer, while there were other errors of fact. That aside, the other criticisms levelled at the 1992 show had largely been addressed. There were more toilets, a greater variety of food outlets including outdoor cafes with places to sit, there were no traffic problems to speak of, and parking was much closer to the site. The rearranged airshow site layout was also a great improvement, being generally more compact, while having the crowd-line and flying displays along the runway was a good idea.

The flying displays themselves were very popular and entertaining. The Skyshow finale, an aircraft light and sound show held at night which culminated in an F-111 dump and burn was very dramatic, while the Federal Express Aerobatic Allstars proved highly popular. The Allstars routine included formation flying between a Robinson R22 helicopter and an ultralight, an aerobatic glider and the legendary Bob Hoover in his Shrike Commander.

This year Avalon had a very strong military flavour, and the airshow was an excellent display of much of the contemporary military hardware on offer. The RAAF displayed its “new” F-111G aircraft, which were in their former life Strategic Air Command nuclear SRAM firing FB-111A bombers. The aircrew spoke of the aircraft in glowing terms, the new ‘pigs’ delivering a much better payload radius than the early model F-111C aircraft established in service. As the F-111G has the later F-111E style Triple Plow III engine inlets, the new aircraft have none of the engine inlet handling sensitivities characteristic of the model. The G model aircraft are also freshly out of the USAF’s Avionic Upgrade programme and are fitted with a very modern digital nav-attack system which is technologically very close to and only slightly older than the RAAF’s current AUP which is in progress for the F-111C.

The unexpected bonus which has fallen out of this is that the G aircraft have excellent accuracy in blind (radar) bombing delivery, and the nav-attack system was described as so accurate, that the 6 Sqn crews working up on the aircraft have been finding substantial inaccuracies in the maps they are using! Without doubt the best defence value for money for the last two decades.

Closely related to the F-111 program is the current requirement for standoff precision guided munitions for the F-111 Strike Recce Wing. The two principal contenders were on display, with both vendors having inert rounds on their stands. Rockwell presented, for the first time to an Australian audience, the rocket propelled AGM-130, a derivative of the existing GBU-15 glidebomb (refer AA May 1988 for a detailed review of this weapon). This impressive standoff weapon delivers the punch of a 2000 lb (910 kg) warhead, which may be either the standard unitary Mk.84 blast frag, or the bunker busting BLU-109. Seekers may be thermal imaging or TV based, and the weapon uses the same GBU-15 compatible AXQ-14 datalink currently in RAAF service.

Also seen for the first time in Australia was the Israeli built Rafael AGM-142 Have Nap missile, currently in USAF service on the B-52G. The Have Nap is essentially a standoff missile, unlike its competitor which is a glidebomb kit. Very similar in concept to the US Navy’s cancelled Condor weapon (and reputedly derived from the same technology base), the Have Nap carries a 1000 lb (454 kg) warhead, which may be fitted at depot level either as a hardened case penetrator or a blast fragmentation unit. Seekers are also interchangeable at depot level, with a zoom capable daylight TV seeker or a thermal imaging seeker available. As the Have Nap is aerodynamically cleaner than the AGM-130, it has greater standoff range and lower aerodynamic drag on a pylon, however it carries a warhead with half the size of its competitor. It was needless to say pleasing to see that the Government is finally taking the issue of standoff PGMs seriously, and whichever weapon the RAAF acquires, it will represent a substantial gain in capability for its F-111 force.

Texas Instruments displayed a number of thermal imagers, and models of the new JSOW (Joint StandOff Weapon) and the star of the Gulf War, the GBU-24 Laser Guided Bomb kit, recently acquired by the RAAF. The JSOW is a GPS guided glidebomb which can carry a range of payloads, including the very potent BLU-108 anti armour Sensor Fused Weapon (SFW), which deploys the Skeet submunition, and a cluster bomb style warhead loaded with the very effective BLU-97 Combined Effects Bomblet (CEB) used extensively in the Gulf (in CBU-87 Cluster Bombs).

One of the biggest attention grabbers on the military aircraft side must have been the Lead-In Fighter programme, which is aimed at replacing the RAAF’s Macchi MB-326 fast jet trainer. The finalists in the shortlist are the BAe Hawk, the MDC T-45 Goshawk, the Dassault Alpha Jet ATS, the Aermacchi MB-339FD, the Italo-Brazilian AMX-T and the Czech-Israeli Aero L-59F. Both the British and the French brought aircraft to the show, BAe borrowing a Royal Malaysian Air Force Hawk 100 and the French Air Force deploying a pair of its aircraft with a team of demonstration pilots. Both aircraft were flown extensively on trade and public days.

The potential ADF AEW programme attracted a number of exhibitors. Ericsson displayed its pulse Doppler Erieye system, including a cutaway section of the array with exposed electronics. Newly merged Lockheed-Martin displayed a model of its C-130J AEW&C platform, a marriage of the rejuvenated C-130J airframe design, and the APS-145 UHF MTI radar. Lockheed-Martin was most enthusiastic about its product, which has gained some antenna performance over the E-2C by virtue of much bigger airframe clearances.

The Nevada ANG deployed two geriatric RF-4C Phantoms, probably some the last of their kind in USAF service, while two 30,000 lb (185 kN) thrust General Electric F110 powered F-16Cs came from the Colorado ANG. The USAF Lt Col leading the detachment spoke in glowing terms of the new AIM-120 Amraam missiles which have recently been introduced into service. On the subject of Amraams, indications are that the Malaysians are likely to very soon acquire this potent BVR missile for their F/A-18C force, thus providing them with the best BVR capability in the region.

Fighter enthusiasts will have enjoyed the BAe Eurofighter presentation, a wide angle cinema style simulation of an EF2000 sortie, quite capable of producing the same kind of queasiness many aviators experience in air combat simulators and Omnimax cinemas. A pleasure to behold and a good look at the kind of high tempo air combat environment we can expect to see in the next decade or so.

Local manufacturers were well represented, Telecom’s stand highlighted Jindalee, DSTO’s exhibit reflected its very broad capabilities, and AWADI displayed material on the new ALR-2002 Radar Warning System for the F-111 and F/A-18. It is likely that a navalised derivative of this DSTO developed product will also be produced, and the importance of this programme to our domestic electronic warfare industry cannot be understated. The Nulka shipboard seduction decoy was also on display, probably the first opportunity for the Australian public to see this innovative piece of EW design.

Another ADF requirement that featured strongly was the long awaited Light Tactical Transport Caribou replacement. Both CASA and IPTN displayed their own versions of the CN-235, CASA’s aircraft in Spanish air force markings, the Indonesian aircraft bound for the United Arab Emirates. To differentiate its product, IPTN is marketing its CN-235 as the Phoenix, and it intends offering a developed version with Australian industry optimised for the RAAF’s requirements. IPTN used Avalon to launch its Australian industry teaming for the Caribou replacement, joining with Hawker de Havilland and Honeywell Australia. The LTT also featured strongly in the Alenia (G222) and Boeing Defense (CH-47D Chinook) stands.

Lockheed too used Avalon to announce Australian industry involvement in transport production, this time for its C-130J Hercules. Hawker de Havilland has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed which will see it manufacture the C-130J’s composite flaps. Honeywell Australia meanwhile will develop and supply a ‘ruggedised’ laptop computer that will be used in support of C-130J maintenance. Honeywell Australia will supply a prototype to Lockheed by late May, and, pending successful testing, will become the sole supplier for at least 120 laptops for the C-130J programme. (The venerable Hercules was on display at Avalon via a French air force C-130H-30 which was in support of the Alpha Jets, and a RAAF C-130H.)

A first for an Australian airshow was the deployment of the massive Su-27 Flanker, the flagship of the former Soviet air forces. The aircraft flew some stunning displays, all the more impressive when we consider that this aircraft has a combat radius very similar to the RAAF’s F-111. The Flanker is a true strategic fighter escort, and current gossip at the show was that the Indian air force is about to sign a deal for several squadrons of the latest Su-35 multirole development. Unfortunately Sukhoi cancelled its plans to exhibit Su-35 and Su-30 variants of the Flanker at the show, instead the Su-27 on display came from the Russian Flight Institute.

It was a surprise to find Boris Levanovich, chief design engineer of Tupolev and the designer of the massive Tu-22M-3 Backfire C bomber, at the Tupolev stand. Tupolev is currently offering the Backfire as a research testbed, and a photographic mapping and recce aircraft. Levanovich was very enthusiastic about the aircraft, and was happy to comment on aircraft performance, including payload radius. Unfortunately the Backfire was not on display, despite earlier Russian intentions to deploy the aircraft to Avalon. The Backfire is currently still in low rate production, and the later B-1 like Tu-160 Blackjack is now on offer as a launch platform for low orbit satellites, not unlike the Pegasus TriStar currently under test in the US.

The Russian radar manufacturing community was also present. Phazotron’s lead designer, Vladimir Kucher, was promoting the Kopyo and Zhuk air intercept radars. The Kopyo is on offer for MiG-21, MiG-23 and F-5 upgrades, while the Zhuk is intended for use in the MiG-29M as acquired by Malaysia, and the Su-27 family of aircraft. The Russians are currently very interested in teaming arrangements with Western manufacturers, and are particularly interested in merging Russian high power microwave transmitter technology with Western signal/data processing and display technology.

The Liazonovo plant was also represented, offering 3-D static ATC radars, and mobile air defence radars. The Russians are seeking customers for the 1L117 and 1L118, better known to readers as the Bar Lock (P-37) family of 3-D GCI radars, a mainstay of former Warpac air defence systems. A system which is surprisingly now available for export is the 76N6 low altitude search and acquisition radar for the SA-10B Grumble (S-300) SAM. The 76N6 is a mobile trailer transported system, with a hydraulically elevated mast which mounts the radar antenna head. The radar is a 1.4 kW average output power continuous wave system, using frequency modulation (FM-CW) for target ranging, and is designed to track low RCS (0.02 square metre) targets such as cruise missiles at altitudes below 1500 ft. Liazonovo is very interested in talking to local companies providing airport services and equipment.

On the civil side the Russian presence was just as strong, and again the emphasis of their displays was on cooperation with the west. Leading the charge was the Ilyushin Il-96M. This A340 sized airliner is probably the pinnacle of east/west cooperation in aviation, as the aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney turbofans and features Collins avionics. The Rolls-Royce RB211-535 powered Tupolev Tu-204 was also on display and again created much interest. However it must be said that while both these aircraft are good examples of what east and west aerospace industries can produce when they get together, the two aircraft can hardly be regarded as sales successes. Thus far only the Dutch firm Partnairs has ordered the Il-96M outside Russia, while nobody has ordered the Rolls powered Tupolev.

The Tupolev and Beriev stands in particular meanwhile featured an array of aircraft models of proposed new projects and developments. While it remains to be seen if any of these paper planes make it to the hardware stage, they do serve to show that the Russian aerospace industry has no shortage of ideas.

Ukraine based Antonov also had a strong presence. The An-32 Firekiller’s waterbombing display was as simple as it was effective. The other firebomber on display was a so-equipped Ilyushin Il-76. While their displays were very impressive, one wonders though about the practicalities of flying such large aircraft in turbulent air, uneven terrain, low visibility fire zones and their costs to base and operate.

While the Russian presence was notable because of its large size, Boeing and Airbus were notable via their absence. Other commercial manufacturers though did have a strong presence. Through British Aerospace Australia, Jetstream and Avro had strong sales teams present. Jetstream is now heavily pushing both new build and used Jetstream 31s and 41s for use as corporate shuttles and Pacific Aviation displayed a corporate configured Jetstream 31, for which it is the local agent.

The only large commercial order announced at the show was that of a Dash 8-300 to National Jet. The new Dash 8 is due to arrive in Australia in April and will be used for contract work and some airline work for Qantas Airlink. National Jet has also optioned a second -300 which will be delivered later this year. Bombardier sees big things for the Dash 8-300 in Australia and had an example on display for the first three days. This particular aircraft was making a sales tour of the country as part of its delivery flight to its South African customer.

Other airliners on display included Hazelton Airlines Saab 340s (Hazelton flies RPT services out of Avalon to Sydney) and a Czech Let L-420. The Let gave a very spirited flying display which demonstrated to great affect the L-420’s short field performance and manoeuvrability. Astra Jet meanwhile is working heavily on boosting its presence in Australia and had an Astra SP on display, which created much interest. Cessna too had a strong presence with a Citation V Ultra and Citation II on display.

Australian GA aircraft manufacturers featured strongly this year. Gippsland Aeronautics’s new GA-8 Airvan, a Cessna 206/207 replacement, created much interest from potential operators. The aircraft had only flown for the first time on March 3 and should be certificated by mid-1996. A surprise exhibit was the prototype Goair trainer, designed and built by Bankstown based Goair Products (refer Newsdesk). The two seat, all metal trainer was displayed at Avalon to see how much interest the type would generate and to allow the designers to decide whether to proceed with certification (to JAR/VLA standards) and production. The Goair was designed in response to a perceived training school need for a modern, all metal construction trainer, and the prototype had also flown for the first time just weeks before Avalon.

Melbourne based Motokov Australia meanwhile displayed the Czech two seat aerobatic Zlin Z 142 and Lycoming powered Z 242 L, and the four seat, Lycoming powered Z 143 for which it is the distributor. The Z 242 was awarded Australian certification in December, while the Z 142 and Z 143 should gain their Australian type certificates in the coming months. Motokov is also looking at bringing the Z 137T Agro Turbo agricultural aircraft to Australia if interest warrants. The 520 hp (388 kW) Motorlet M 601 Z turboprop powered aircraft would need Australian certification before it can be registered here. Other GA aircraft on display included the Katana and Eagle X-TS, while the Queensland Aircraft Manufacturers Association had a strong display promoting the Jabiru, Skyfox’s CA-25 and Gazelle, and Seabird’s Seeker.

Perhaps the most interesting helicopter at Avalon was a US Navy Kaman SH-2G Sea Sprite (refer Rotor Torque). Kaman is offering the Sea Sprite to meet the RAN’s requirement for a helicopter to operate from the Anzac frigates and forthcoming patrol boats. The SH-2 has been out of production since the early 1980s, however Kaman proposes rebuilding ex-US Navy aircraft and fitting them with new equipment and avionics to meet the RAN’s requirements. Other helicopters on display of interest were the single seat, Italian CH-7 Angel which is distributed locally by Pacific Flight Systems in Sydney, and a Bell 230.

Finally, insurance company AAUP used Avalon to announce its inaugural Australian Aviation Safety Awards. The awards were instigated to counter growing public concerns over GA safety standards in Australia, and recognise air safety excellence in a number of fields. Associated Airlines, Esso Australia’s Helicopter Division, the Australian Bonanza Society and the Walgett Shire Council won Awards for Aviation Safety Excellence. Certificates of Air Safety were awarded to the Civil Flying School and the Australian Aviation College; Richard Scott of Tropicair, Ralph Nicolls, Dr Henry Millicer and Jack Funnell.

In all, Avalon 95 was a success and the show looks set to go from strength to strength in the years to come, providing significant economic benefits to Victoria and Australia, showcasing the Australian aviation industry to the world, providing a good access point to Australia and the Asia Pacific region for the world’s major aerospace companies, and providing an entertaining aviation spectacle for aircraft enthusiasts. We look forward to Avalon 97.