Yesteryear

The Pilatus PC-9 has been selected by the RAAF to fulfil its requirement for 69 trainer aircraft. Some of the advanced syllabus being performed on the RAAF’s Macchi MB-326Hs will be taken over by the PC-9s, enabling the service life of the former to be extended by lower annual utilisation.

Shorts delivered the 18th and final C-23A Sherpa to the USAF on December 6. Delivery of the aircraft to the 10th Military Airlift Squadron at Zweibrucken AB in Germany took place the following day.

The rollout of the Dassault-Breguet Rafale technology demonstrator took place at St Cloud on December 14. The first flight is expected next June and the Rafale will make its international debut at Farnborough ’86.

The USAF awarded a $3387m fixed price, incentive-firm full-scale development contract on December 31 to McDonnell Douglas for the C-17A tactical transport. Covered in the contract is work on the C-17A airlift transportation system up to July 1992, and includes the construction of one flying prototype and airframes for static and durability testing. The production of up to 210 C-17As is currently planned.

The prototype Fokker 50 (PH-OSO) had its first flight at Schiphol on December 28. Orders are presently held for 38 plus 12 options.

UPS has ordered 20 Boeing 757-200PF Package Freighters with an option on a further 15. Powered by PW2037 engines, the -200PF version has a large side cargo door in the forward fuselage, a windowless freighter interior and a single crew entry door. Deliveries will begin in September 1987.

20 Years Ago

The first of 80 Grumman F-14A Tomcats on order for the Imperial Iranian Air Force, serial 3-863, had its maiden flight at Calverton, New York on December 5.

The sixth Panavia MRCA prototype, 06XX948, had its first flight at Warton on December 20.

To signify the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the DC-3 on December 17 1935, Bush Pilots Airways publicised the event when they flew their first flight of the day at 7 am. This was the regular flight from Cairns to Weipa via Kowanyama, Edwards River and Aurukun. Bush Pilots currently has a fleet of five DC-3s.

A further 36 F-4D and F-4E Phantoms will be delivered to the South Korean Air Force taking their total to 72.

An era ended on December 23 when the former RAN aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney left Sydney Harbour under tow for South Korea where it will be scrapped.

The Tupolev Tu-144 SST entered commercial service with a freight flight on the 1630nm (3015km) route between Moscow and Alma Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan on December 26. It covered the distance in 119 minutes and flew most of the distance at 1187kt (2198km/h). Passenger services with the Tu-144 are hoped to commence in the latter half of 1976. The Tu-144 entered service on December 26 1975.

The second of two McDonnell Douglas YC-15 prototypes built for the USAF AMST (Advanced Medium STOL Transport) programme had its first flight on December 5. The other contender in the AMST competition, the Boeing YC-14 is nearing completion at Seattle.

The first commercial service by a GAF Nomad was flown on December 18, when Aero Pelican flew a leased Nomad on the Newcastle/Sydney route.

East-West Airlines has placed an order for two more Fokker F27 Mk 500 series to be delivered in the third quarter next year. The two new aircraft will have the addition of centre-wing bag tanks to increase fuel capacity. This will permit a range of up to 1600nm (2965km).

The RAF Red Arrows will replace its Folland Gnats with Hawker Siddeley Hawks after the 1977 season.

The Canadian Government has purchased Canadair from General Dynamics for $38m. State ownership of Canadair is regarded as a temporary measure.

30 Years Ago

Korean Airlines has ordered its first jet, a DC-9-30, for delivery in February 1967. Korean’s present fleet consists of two DC-3s, a DC-4 and two Fairchild F-27s.

TAA and Ansett-ANA established a new one-day traffic record on December 24 when they each carried more than 10,000 passengers.

Loftleidir/Icelandic Airlines has ordered two of the new Canadair 400s, which first flew on November 8 at Montreal. The Canadair 400 is a stretched version of the CL-44D-4 swing tail passenger/cargo aircraft with a 4.6m (182in) longer fuselage and can carry 189 passengers instead of 160 on transatlantic operations. In cargo use it can carry a 32 tonne payload. With an interior length greater than the Boeing 707 or Douglas DC-8, it is the longest commercial aircraft in use.

Lockheed said on December 14 that 2200 F-104 Starfighters have been built for 14 air forces since series production started.

Operation High Rigel, the largest peacetime exercise to be held in northern Australia, commenced on December 1 with an attack on Darwin by four RAF Vulcans from Singapore which were intercepted by RAAF aircraft. During the nine day exercise 44 aircraft flew over 800 sorties. The participating RAAF aircraft were 16 Sabres, eight Mirages and 16 Canberras. Day and night air attacks commenced on December 6 by bombers based at Alice Springs, Townsville and Amberley.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the Douglas DC-3, North Central Airlines’ DC-3 N21728 was placed alongside the fourth DC-9, N9684Z, at Santa Monica. N21728 is notable in having flown more hours (83,032), than any other aircraft.

The US Defense Secretary, Robert McNamara, announced on December 10 a $1750 million programme for the development, production and deployment of the General Dynamics FB-111, the strategic bomber version of the F-111. Authorisation has been given for 210 FB-111s, plus an unspecified number of attrition aircraft, to replace Convair B-58s and B-52C to B-52Fs.

The first Lockheed SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft to be used operationally will soon be delivered to Beale AFB, California.