Yester Year

The RAAF’s No 2 Squadron was reformed at RAAF Williamtown on January 18 and will be the operator of the forthcoming Project Wedgetail AEW & C aircraft based on the Boeing 737-700. The Squadron had been disbanded in July 1982 at RAAF Amberley when it had been flying Canberra B.20s and T.21s. The squadron with a long and distinguished history was originally formed in September 1916 at Kantara, Egypt.

On January 6 Kaman said that initial flight testing of the production prototype SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite for the RAN, wearing test registration N362KA (previously USN SH-2F 163210), had commenced at their Bloomfield, Connecticut facility. Eleven SH-2G(A)s have been ordered by the RAN, remanufactured from USN SH-2Fs, with the first helicopter due to be delivered in early 2001.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority grounded about 5000 light aircraft in Australia on January 10 because of concerns that engines stoppages could arise through fuel contamination. The problem has been traced to 6 million litres of Mobil 100/130 avgas from the Mobil refinery at Altona produced between November 21 and December 23, delivered from the Mobil terminal at Yarraville, which was contaminated with the anti-corrosive ethylene diamine. On January 18 Mobil announced a $15 million compensation fund for aircraft operators.

Colombia is being offered a new multi-role MH-1W SuperCobra version of the Bell AH-1W following US State Department approval to the US Naval foreign military sales office to offer pricing and availability data. Upgraded FLIR is installed in MH-1W but the helicopter does not have the precision targeting system. Colombia is looking to acquire 12 MH-1Ws for anti-narcotics and COIN operations and interest has also been expressed in the type by Chile and Peru.

25 Years Ago

Trans World Airlines flew a Boeing 767-200ER from Boston to Paris and Zurich on February 1 to become the first US airline to fly a twin-engined jet across the Atlantic on a scheduled passenger service.

The maiden flight of an Australian-assembled F/A-18 Hornet, A21-103, took place on February 26 from Avalon flown by McDonnell Douglas test pilot Rudi Haug during which the aircraft reached a speed of Mach 1.6 and altitude of 40,000 ft.

McDonnell Douglas launched the 109/130 passenger MD-87, a new smaller version of the MD-80 airliner on January 3 with orders from Finnair for eight aircraft and from Austrian Airlines for four.
The new aircraft is 17.5ft shorter than the MD-80 and will be able to takeoff from a 6000ft runway and carry a full passenger load 2700 miles.

The first of a new batch of 39 Grumman C-2A Greyhound carrier on-board delivery aircraft, from a contract placed in February 1982, was delivered to the USN on January 16. The last time the Greyhound was in production was in 1968.

The engineering mock-up of the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Lavi (young Lion) fighter has been unveiled. Proposed as a replacement for the Israel Air Force fleet of McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and IAI Kfir-C2/C7s the Lavi will be powered by a licence-built 20,860lb Pratt & Whitney PW1120 with an afterburner, have a speed of Mach 1.85 and combat radius of about 280 miles with a 6500lb weapons load.

The US Department of Defense has assigned the designation V-22 and name Osprey to the Bell/Boeing Vertol JVX joint services tilt-rotor aircraft currently under development. Estimated V-22 requirements in a variety of roles are 552 for the USMC, about 80 for the USAF, up to 50 for the USN and possibly 365 for the Army.

On February 11 the prototype Fairchild T-46A powered by two Garrett F109-GA100 turbofans was rolled out at Republic Airport, Farmingdale, New York. Funds have been released by the USAF for the initial 10 of an expected production run of 650 T-46As required by 1992 to replace Cessna T-37Bs.

Ansett Airlines has ceased using their two Sikorsky S-61Ns which had operated a service between Proserpine to Hayman Island and the helicopters will nowl be sold. A ship will now provide the link between the two destinations.

50 Years Ago

The maiden flight of the prototype Piper PA-28 Cherokee, N9315R, took place from Vero Beach, Florida on January 10 flown by test pilot Tom Heffner. The all-metal Cherokee powered by a 150hp Lycoming O-320 with its low-mounted wing is intended to replace the Tri-Pacer as Piper’s standard four seat light aircraft.

France became the world’s fourth nuclear power with the detonation of *Gerboise Bleue**, an atomic weapon at the top of a 105m tower at the Reganne Oasis 700km south of Colomb Bechar in the Algerian Sahara Desert on February 13. General Charles de Gaulle authorised the test as part of the formation of France’s *Force de Frappe** (strike force) which eventually saw the Mirage IVP maintain a significant role in this concept.

The first of two large unmanned balloons was launched from the USS *Valley Forge** south of the Virgin Islands on January 26. With a cubic capacity greater than the rigid airship *Akron** and almost as high as a 50 story building the balloons reached altitudes of 113,000 and 116,000ft. Amongst items carried were 363kg (800lb) of emulsion sheets to record cosmic-ray activity.

The have been reports that the selection of the new interceptor fighter for the RAAF appears to have narrowed on a choice from the GAMD Mirage III, Grumman F11F-1F Super Tiger, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and Northrop N-156F. The RAAF had previously rejected the F-104 in 1957 as being not suitable for Australian requirements.

Two re-engined aircraft have been test flying recently from Bankstown. De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd is re-engining six DHA-3 Drovers of the Royal Flying Doctor Service with Lycoming engines to enhance performance. An Edgar Percival E.P.9 agricultural aircraft of Skyspread crop dusting and spraying company, VH-FBZ, has been modified by Kingsford Smith Aviation Service Ltd with a 375hp Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X seven cylinder air-cooled radial engine to overcome the overheating of the existing 275hp Lycoming GO-480-B six cylinder engine experienced in low-level agricultural work in hot weather.

A DH Canada Caribou STOL transport will conduct an Australasian demonstration tour commencing with its arrival at Lae, New Guinea on February 6 followed by visits to Port Moresby then Cairns on the 11th followed by Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in late February/early March.