Yesteryear

Trans Australia Airlines has announced that it will be renamed Australian Airlines. The change will coincide with the pending delivery of the first of 12 Boeing 737-300s on order. A new livery and graphics will be introduced and will be progressively applied to its fleet of 12 Boeing 727s, nine DC-9s and five Airbus A300s. In addition, nine A320s and three Jetstream 31s are on order.

A re-enactment of the USN’s first Atlantic crossing by Curtiss NC flying boats 75 years ago, has been planned for this month. Two PBY Catalinas, one painted in the original NC-4 colours of yellow wings with red, white and blue tail markings, and the other white overall — named “The Spirit of the 75th Anniversary”, will leave NAS Pensacola, Florida on May 5. With several intermediate stops, the PBYs will end their recreation of the flight at Brest, France.

Boeing is studying a medium capacity, very long range aircraft, to maintain its competitive position when the Airbus A340 is launched. Known as the Advanced Short Body, it would combine the short fuselage of the 747SP with the wing of a 747-200 or 747-400. Depending on this version’s weight which is finally arrived at, engines of 35,000 to 40,000lb (157 to 180kN) could be used. To counter the A330, Boeing is looking at a stretched version of the 767-300, tentatively designated the 767-400 intended to carry 330 passengers over 3000nm (5560km).

Lockheed has proposed a 105-seat transport version of the P-3 Orion, designated PRC-105, as a joint project for production in China to meet that country’s domestic air transport requirements. Powerplants would be advanced technology engines such as the Allison 427 or General Electric GE27.

20 Years Ago

Swan Hunter has received a contract to build the second Invincible class anti-submarine class cruiser, which will be named HMS Illustrious, for the Royal Navy. The first of 24 Sea Harrier FRS.1s for use on these ships will be completed next year and will enter service in 1979, initially on HMS Hermes.

Work has started at the Lockheed Georgia plant at Marietta on a contract to stretch the fuselages of 275 USAF C-141 Starlifters by 7.12m (23ft 4in) which will increase capacity by 34% without any additional operating costs. The fuselage will be lengthened with a 4.07m (13ft 4in) plug inserted in front of the wing and a 3.05m (10ft) plug behind. Other changes which will be made to the prototype will include new wing/fuselage fairings and an air-to-air refuelling system. The first flight of a fully modified Starlifter is set for April next year.

The first flight of the Boeing E-4B, the improved version of the E-4A Airborne Command Post, took place at Seattle on May 11. The E-4B is based on the Boeing 747-200 airliner. The E-4B’s first flight was on May 11, 1976.

Aerospatiale and Boeing have discussed the possibility of co-operating on future airliner projects such as the A300B10 and 7N7-100. The A300B10 is a 214 passenger short fuselage version of the Airbus with a new Boeing designed wing, while the 7N7 is a stretched development of the 737, with a wing designed by Aerospatiale with SNECMA/General Electric CFM56 engines. German reaction to the move is reportedly very unfavourable. The 7N7 designation is used by Boeing to cover a series of design studies for new versions of the 707, 727 and 737.

The possibility of putting the Transall C-160 back into production was announced during the Hanover Airshow held on May 1-9. It is felt that a minimum of 75 aircraft would need to be ordered to reopen production. The star of the show was the Panavia MRCA Tornado, which made its first appearance.

The Turkish Air Force plans to purchase 100 General Dynamics F-16s to replace F-102s and F-104s.

30 Years Ago

Fewer General Dynamics F-111As are to be purchased for the USAF than was originally intended. The US Defense Department has said that total procurement of the F-111A and USN F-111B version will be reduced from 1704 to 1398. Included in the total are 24 F-111s for the RAAF and 50 for the RAF. The reduction arises from the USAF’s present view that the McDonnell F-4 Phantom offers a better mix of tactical aircraft for future wars.

Two BAC/Sud Concordes have been ordered by the US carrier Eastern Airlines, taking the number of Concorde customers to 12, and total aircraft orders to 52.

The Field Aviation Company of Canada has proposed a Dart-powered conversion of the Canso for water bombing with a 140kt (255km/h) cruising speed.

The latest and most advanced version of the F-4 Phantom II, the McDonnell F-4J, had its first flight at Lambert-St Louis Municipal Airport on May 27, the eighth anniversary of the flight of the first model of the Phantom II. Some of the changes on the F-4J are a new Westinghouse AWG-10 radar system, new Lear Siegler AJB-7 bombing system, improved 17,900lb (80kN) General Electric J79-10 engines and larger wheels to enable operation from forward areas.

Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, the Merseyside shipbuilding firm, has acquired Scottish Aviation Ltd at Prestwick for $1.5 million. Scottish Aviation was formed in 1935 and employs 2150 people.

A RAAF pilot successfully landed his Mirage after suffering a flameout following takeoff from Williamtown on May 30. Flt Lt G Cooper had just taken off in A3-29, when a sparrowhawk was sucked into the intake at a 1500ft altitude and speed of 380kt (704km/h). Using his speed, Flt Lt Cooper climbed to 3800ft and attempted a relight of the engine which was unsuccessful. Sighting the abandoned World War 2 strip at Tomago he was able to make an emergency landing without damage to his aircraft. The flameout to the touchdown occurred in just a 90 second timeframe.

Eight Iroquois helicopters from No 9 (UH) Squadron (A2-1017 to A2-1024), left Sydney on May 25 on board HMAS Sydney bound for Vietnam. The Iroquois made a farewell formation flight over Sydney the previous day.