Yester Year

• BAE Systems launched the Avro RJX family of regional jets during the RJ Summit Meeting at London City Airport on March 21. Developed from the BAe 146/Avro RJ family, the new RJX-70, -85 and -100 will offer improvements such as 15 per cent reduced fuel burn, a 17 per cent range increase and enhanced hot and high performance.

Assembly of the first two test aircraft is progressing at Woodford with a first flight scheduled later this year.

• New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced on March 20 that the contract to acquire 28 embargoed Pakistani Air Force F-16A/Bs for the RNZAF, presently in storage at AMARC Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, has been cancelled. She added that the government has yet to decide whether to retain an air combat capability. The RNZAF’s existing Skyhawks are due to be phased out in 2007.

25 Years Ago

• The British government announced on March 21 that the RAF’s new basic trainer will be a version of the Embraer EMB-312 Tucano, to be built by Shorts at Belfast as the S312, while Rolls-Royce will partially manufacture and assemble the 1100shp Garrett TPE-331-12B engine in the UK. The order for 125 aircraft plus 15 options will see the new aircraft replace the RAF’s Jet Provosts.

• A contract was signed between the US Naval Air Systems Command and United Technologies’ Sikorsky Aircraft on March 6 for full scale development and production options for the SH-60F carrier based version of the SH-60B Seahawk.

This variant would be used to protect carrier battle group inner perimeters from enemy submarines. The USN plans to procure 175 SH-60Fs to replace its SH-3H Sea Kings operating in an anti-submarine role from aircraft carriers.

• McDonnell Douglas received a USN contract on March 29 to develop night attack capabilities for the F/A-18 Hornet.

It is proposed that about 750 Hornets would incorporate various enhancements such as a forward looking infrared pod, pilot’s night vision goggles and a television-like head-up display.

• The Bell/Boeing Vertol JVX twin engined tiltrotor aircraft has been given the designation V-22 and name of Osprey by the US Department of Defense.

• An order by Japan Air Lines for three Boeing 747s for delivery in March and August 1986 comprises a long-range 747-200B, a 747F freighter and a 550 passenger 747SR for use on domestic services. JAL has purchased more 747s than any other airline, and received its 50th on February 4.

50 Years Ago

• On March 31 the Vertol Aircraft Company became part of the Boeing Airplane Company.

• Following the loss of a Northwest Orient Airlines Lockheed Model 188C Electra which broke up in flight near Tell City, Indiana, on March 17, the FAA issued an order three days later restricting the cruising speed of Electras to no faster than Mach 0. 55 or 275kt up to 15,000ft, with slower speeds above that level. A structural failure is suspected due to the similarity of the loss of a Braniff Model 188A Electra which experienced a wing failure near Buffalo, Texas, on September 29 1959.

• Statistics released by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale reveal details of the number of private pilots in member countries in 1958. The US led with 444,500 followed by France 10,000, England 6442, Germany 4721, Italy 3800 with Australia in sixth place with 3710. On a per capita basis of pilots per million of population Australia was in third place.

• Construction of two prototypes of the Breguet 1150 Atlantic selected by NATO for maritime reconnaissance has commenced with the flight of the first example due by the end of 1961.

The Atlantic is powered by two 6000ehp Rolls-Royce Tyne 20 turboprops and will replace about 200 Lockheed Neptunes serving with NATO forces.

• Cessna reported sales of 3564 civil aircraft during 1959, capturing 50. 6 per cent of the light aircraft market with the other manufacturers selling 3480 aircraft. In Australia the lifting of import restrictions is having an impact with Rex Aviation delivering 47 aircraft in 1959 comprising four 150s, nine 172s, 12 175s, 15 180s and seven 182s.