Yester Year

• The Ukrainian Air Force has completed the return of eight Tu-160 Blackjacks and three Tu-95MS Bear-H bombers to Russia with the recent departure of the final two Blackjacks from Priluki. To reduce Ukraine’s large natural gas debt, the aircraft have been traded back to Russia in a barter deal.

• Speaking at a press conference at Dubai on April 30, His Highness Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates, said he informed Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard that when the launch decision for the A3XX is made, Emirates will become the launch customer with an order of up to 10. The order, comprising five A3XX-100s plus five options, may also include two A3XX- 100F freighters.

• The UK government decision to scrap the 27mm Mauser cannon on the RAF’s Eurofighters was revealed on April 30, stating the Eurofighter’s missile system made the use of the cannon unnecessary.

The first batch of 55 Eurofighters will be fitted with the 100kg cannon installation which will not be used, and subsequent aircraft will most likely be fitted with ballast.

25 Years Ago

• On April 22 Pan Am announced the sale of its Pacific Division to United Airlines for US$750 million. Included in the transaction are Pan Am’s Pacific routes excluding those to Hawaii, 11 Boeing 747SPs, six Lockheed TriStar 500s, one DC-10-30 and 2700 of Pan Am’s current staff. The sale, which requires DoT approval, will see Pan Am’s size reduced by about 25 per cent when the deal is completed. Pan Am plans to pursue growth in other areas such as the Atlantic.

• McDonnell Douglas has received formal approval for full-scale development of the C-17 transport for the USAF, with a first flight scheduled for 1989. The aircraft won the USAF’s C-X competition for an intercontinental transport able to takeoff from a 3000ft unpaved airstrip. The USAF has identified a requirement for 210 C-17s to be acquired by 1998.

• During 1984 Airbus Industrie delivered 48 aircraft, comprising five A300s, 14 A300-600s and 29 A310s.

• The first Concorde to appear in the British Airways new livery, G-BOAG, which had been in mothballs for three years, re-entered service this month because of growing demand.

All seven of BA’s Concordes are now in service.

• Boeing has now received 191 orders for the 767 series, including 12 for the new 255 passenger 767-300 with a 6. 4m stretched fuselage which is due for rollout in December at Everett, Washington.

• Qantas has ordered a fourth Boeing 747-300 for delivery in March 1986. The airline received its third 747-300 on April 15. Orders have now been placed for 645 747s.

50 Years Ago

• The maiden flight of the Grumman A2F-1 Intruder allweather attack aircraft, BuNo 147864, took place on April 19 flown by Robert Smyth from Calverton, New York. The aircraft was powered by two experimental Pratt & Whitney YJ52-P-6 engines.

• The Short SC. 1 VTOL research aircraft XG905 made a complete transition from forward to hovered flight and vice versa for the first time at RAE Bedford on April 6. Powered by five jet engines based on the Rolls-Royce RB. 108 turbojet, the aircraft uses four engines for lift and one for forward flight. Tests had been under way for nearly two years using either VTOL or forward flight modes in isolation.

• A new speed record of 545. 07mph (877. 18km/h) for propeller-driven aircraft was established by the Tu-114 Rossya (Russia) airliner on April 9 carrying a 55,116lb (25,000kg) payload on a 3107 miles (5000km) closed circuit in the USSR. The aircraft is based on the Tu-95 bomber and would have its 220 passenger capacity reduced to 120 in Aeroflot service.

• Eight helicopters are to be purchased to equip the RAAF’s No 9 Squadron. Other initiatives for the RAAF are establishment of a fourth permanent fighter squadron, No 76 Squadron, initially equipped with Vampires which will be replaced with CA-27 Sabres.

No 10 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron is to receive Lockheed P2V-7 Neptunes to replace its GAF Lincolns. The RAAF’s two Sabre squadrons at RAAF Butterworth are to take delivery of Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and these will be flown direct to Malaya in RAAF C-130 transports. n