Yesteryear

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said in a press conference in New Delhi on November 5 that Russia will lease two to three Beriev A-50 Mainstay AEW aircraft and 10 or 12 Tupolev Tu-22M-3 Backfire-C strategic bombers to the Indian Air Force and Navy respectively. Six Backfires are ready for delivery from the Kazan factory pending authorisation. Details have also been completed for the planned transfer of the aircraft carrier *Admiral Gorshkov** with the contract due for signing in the first quarter of 2000.

A parliamentary committee was told by the French Defence Minister Alain Richard on November 3 that the Airbus A400M was favoured for selection to fill the requirement for the European Future Transport Aircraft (FTA) which is expected to be decided by January 2000.

During the recent Red Flag exercises held at Nellis AFB, Nevada from October 24 to November 6 six Luftwaffe MiG-29 Fulcrums participated, the first time the type has officially flown in US airspace. This provided one of the most realistic opportunities to simulate flights against an enemy threat in a Red Flag exercise. The Luftwaffe Fulcrums were inherited from the 24 delivered to the NVA Luftwaffe (East German Air Force), after the reunification of Germany in October 1990.

Plans to launch no-frills domestic services in Australia were revealed by Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson in a speech to journalists in Sydney on November 28. The plan would be to launch flights in July 2000 in time for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games with the most likely initial route between Sydney and Melbourne with probable hourly flights at peak times. The new operator will be known initially as Virgin Australia (Operations) Pty Ltd with a combination of purchased and leased 143 passenger Boeing 737s.

25 Years Ago

Aspen Airways has ordered two British Aerospace BAe 146-100s with possibility of a further six on option six, to join their existing fleet of 11 Convair 580s. The airline’s main 113 miles route from Denver, Colorado to Aspen involves a flight over the Rocky Mountains followed by a demanding approach into Aspen Airport at the head of a winding valley 7815ft above sea level. BAe 146 orders have now reached 40 plus 43 options and production at Hatfield is being increased to three per month.

One of four prototype Myasishchev M-50 Bounder four-engine jet bombers built in the 1960s is now on display in the Soviet Air Force Museum near Moscow. The type which first flew on October 27 1959 was never placed into service.

An order from VARIG Brazilian Airlines for two Boeing 747-300 Combis for December 1985 delivery has taken Boeing jetliner orders to 5001. Since the first sale of a 707 on October 13 1955, Boeing has sold 982 707s, 1831 727s, 1224 737s, 637 747s, 139 757s and 188 767s.

HMS *Ark Royal**, the third of the RN’s Invincible-class aircraft carriers, is undergoing sea-trials in the North Sea conducted by her builder Swan Hunter and is to be handed over to the Navy in June 1985. The ship has a longer ski-jump set at 12 degrees compared with the seven degree setting on her sister ships *Illustrious** and *Invincible**.

The Avro Shackleton M R Mk 3 was phased out South African Air Force service with No 35 Squadron at D F Malan Airport, Cape Town on November 23 after 28 year’s service. Its replacement will be the older C-47 Dakota because of the refusal of SAAF requests to obtain BAe Coastguarders, arising from the UN trade embargo on South Africa.

The first of three new Boeing 747-338s for Qantas and the 600 747 to be delivered, VH-EBT *City of Canberra** was handed over at Seattle on November 14. The aircraft flew to Sydney as a commercial charter flight and on arrival on November 16, the airline’s 64th anniversary, was Christened by the Prime Minister’s wife, Mrs Hawke. It is the first 747-300 powered by Rolls-Royce RB.211-524D4 engines and the first to appear in the airline’s new livery.

50 Years Ago

BOAC launched the Comet 4 into service on its London-Sydney route on November 1 with the first flight operated by G-APDL. The Comet has Australian manufactured equipment on board supplied by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited comprising four navigation/communication receivers, two glideslope receivers, two bearing computers and one marker beacon receiver.

The Boeing B-29-45-MO Superfortress *Enola Gay**, notable as the first aircraft to drop a nuclear weapon, is presently resting on wooden blocks at Andrews AFB, Maryland at the end of unused runway. The aircraft is stored in this manner until funds are available to erect a building to house it at the National Air Museum in Washington.

The Vickers Type 706 Valiant B.1, WP204, has been modified by Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd for trials carrying an Avro Blue Steel nuclear weapon. The standard bomb bay has been removed and a ventral aerodynamic fairing added to reduce drag over the semi-externally carried bomb.

Two additional de Havilland Dove light transports have been ordered by the Aviation de la Force Publique of the Belgian Congo to join eight other Doves and one Heron currently in service. This latter aircraft is the personal transport of the Congo’s Governor-General. This Air Force is solely devoted to transport and communications tasks.

The North American T2J-1 Buckeye advanced trainer was put into service with the USN at NAS Pensacola, Florida on November 2 on a student training flight with 2nd Lieutenant David K Mosher and Lieutenant Commander Rieman A MacDonell as instructor.

Lighter-than-air training in the USN concluded on November 30 with the disbanding of the Airship Training Group at NAS Glynco, Georgia.

Vest Aircraft de Mexico is testing a de Havilland Heron powered by four 250hp Lycoming engines in place of the usual de Havilland Gipsies. When operating from Mexico City’s airport located at a 7340ft altitude, time to accelerate to 100mph with 20 degree flaps is 35 seconds compared with 55 seconds for the original version. The new installation results in gross weight increasing by 431kg (950lb) to 6555kg (14,450lb).

Beech Aircraft is offering the new Model 65 Queen Air 6/7 seat utility transport based on the L-23F Seminole with three examples of the latter aircraft delivered so far to the US Army. Powered by two 340hp Lycoming IGO-480-AIA6 engines, the Queen Air will cruise at 214mph at 15,200ft with a maximum range of 1590 miles.