Yesteryear

A protracted international incident involving a USN Lockheed EP-3E Aries II began on April 1 when Chinese fighters intercepted the aircraft over the South China Sea about 70 miles southeast of Hainan island. A Shenyang J-8IIM fighter approached the aircraft too closely, collided, and broke in two. The fighter’s pilot ejected but was not recovered. With two engines disabled and other major damage the Aries landed at Lingshui military airfield on Hainan. During the flight and first 15 minutes on ground prior to being boarded by the Chinese, classified material and equipment was destroyed by the crew. The crew were released 11 days later while the dismantled EP-3E was flown as cargo to the USA in July.

The modernised Antonov An-225 Mriya, UR-82060, was rolled out on April 8 from the factory at Kiev/Gostomel after a US$20million rebuild funded jointly by Antonov and engine manufacturer Motor-Sich. The Mriya, built to ferry the Buran space shuttle, had been previously retired and placed into storage after the program was cancelled.

On April 6 the handover of the seventh and final Wasp Class multipurpose amphibious assault ship, the USS *Iwo Jima** (LHD 7) was made at Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship is the last conventional steam propulsion vessel to enter USN service. Although capable of carrying up 42 CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters, on a normal deployment it has a composite squadron with a mix of AV-8Bs, AH-1s, UH-1s, CH-46s and CH-53s.

Hawker Hunter T.72, PP-XHH, has been put into service by Embraer as a photo-chase aircraft. Initially in service with the RAF as a T.4, XE704, the Hunter was later converted to a T.72 and joined the Chilean Air Force as J-736. After retirement on April 19 1995 it was used for ground instruction after transfer to the Escuela de Especialidades technical training school at El Bosque air base. It was made airworthy again after acquisition by Embraer.

The maiden flight lasting 5hr 22min of the largest aircraft yet built by Airbus Industrie, the 380 seat A340-600 prototype F-WWTA, took place from Toulouse/Blagnac International Airport on April 23. In command of the flight was Claude Lelaie, Vice president of Airbus’ Flight Division.

The first example of the Raytheon Hawker Horizon super mid-sized business jet, N4000R, was rolled out at the new Hawker Horizon Test Flight Facility at Wichita, Kansas on April 17. Over 150 positions have been reserved on the production line which will see a yearly production rate of 36 aircraft.

25 Years Ago

Two recent acquisitions by British aircraft museums has seen the Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.4 WV797 go to the Midland Air Museum at Coventry and a Waco CG-4A Hadrian troop-carrying glider, restored by Colin Waterworth, to the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop.

Four additional Airbus A300-600s have been ordered by Thai Airways International taking their total A300 orders to 20. Sales of Airbus aircraft have now reached 496, comprising 245 A300s, 34 A300-600s, 117 A310s and 100 A320s.

In retaliation for alleged Libyan-backed terrorist activities against the West, Operation El Dorado Canyon authorised by President Reagan was conducted on April 14/15. The force of 24 USAF F-111Fs from RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire and five EF-111A Ravens from RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk with USN F/A-18 Hornets, A-6 Intruders and A-7E Corsair IIs from the USN’s Sixth Fleet attacked Libyan military targets at Benghazi, Benina, Sidi Bilal and Tripoli. Support was provided by 30 in-flight tankers and other USN aircraft. A 2400 miles (3862km) detour was made by the F-111s following French refusal for them to overfly French air space. One F-111 and its crew were lost in the mission.

An Airship Industries Skyship 500 airship commenced scheduled passenger services over London landmarks on April 23. The one and and quarter hour flight starting from Panshanger Airfield near Welwyn Garden City costs £100 and has been heavily booked and operates four times a day until the end of May.

On April 28 the USS *Enterprise** became the first nuclear-powered carrier to transit the Suez Canal when it steamed towards the Mediterranean to relieve the USS *Coral Sea**.

In the largest purchase by value ever placed for a single type, Singapore Airlines has ordered 14 Boeing 747-400s plus six options under a contract worth US$3.3 billion. The new aircraft will replace eight 747-200s and allow for expansion.

On April 30 the first set of wings for the new Airbus A320 airliner was transported by air from British Aerospace’s Filton plant to Aerospatiale at Toulouse where final A320 assembly will take place. The initial assembly took place at Chester using parts and sub-assemblies from other BAe facilities and on arrival at Filton were fitted with the moving surfaces. Each wing is 17.68m long, weighs 4500kg, and includes control surfaces, electrical, hydraulic and de-icing systems.

50 Years Ago

The Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space when he was placed into Earth orbit at an altitude of 280km (174 miles) in the spacecraft Vostok 1 launched from Tyuratam in Central Asia on April 12. His flight time including one orbit of Earth was 1hr 48min before a landing in Baikonur, eastern Kazakhstan.

London Airport will now be known as London (Heathrow) Airport while Gatwick will become London (Gatwick) Airport in terms of an announcement on April 1.

The first of two fully-equipped prototypes of Bristol 188 high speed research aircraft using stainless steel as the primary structural material and powered by two 14,000lb (62.28kN) de Havilland Gyron Junior DGJ.10R jet engines, XF923, was rolled out on April 26. The aircraft has been built using a new argon arc-welding technique known as “puddle-welding”.

On April 27 the New Zealand government purchased Australia’s 50 per cent holding in Tasman Empire Airways.

The world’s absolute altitude record was regained by the Soviet Union on April 28 by Colonel Gheorgiy K Mosolov when he took his mixed-power prototype Mikoyan Ye-6T/1 “31 Red” (in FAI records as the Ye-66A) on a zoom climb to a height of 34,714m (113,891ft). The aircraft was powered by an R11F2-300 turbojet engine with a new two-stage afterburner operating algorithm, augmented by a Dushkin S3-20M5A liquid-propellant rocket motor. The climb commenced at 13,937m(45,725ft ) and after the turbojet flamed out at 22,500m (73,820ft) the climb continued using the rocket booster which ran for 31.5 seconds.

Two prototypes of the DH.125 will be built by de Havilland and the type is regarded as the jet successor to the Dove. Powered by two rear-mounted 3000lb (13.34kN) Bristol Siddeley Viper 20 jet engines the aircraft will seat eight passengers. The aircraft has been named the Jet Dragon in honour of the company’s first twin-engined transport, the DH.84 Dragon of 1932.

The Minister for Defence, Mr Athol Townley, announced on April 17 that eight Bell HU-1B Iroquois are to bought to equip the RAAF’s No 9 Search and Rescue Squadron at a cost £1,860,00 including spares and ground handling equipment. Delivery of the helicopters should be completed by the end of 1962.

Eastern Air Lines launched a six month trial of a no-frills shuttle service using densely-packed 95-seat Super Constellations on April 30 on flights from between York to Boston and New York to Washington, DC. The US$12 one way fare to Boston and $14 to Washington are between $1 to $5 lower than current air fares and slightly higher than the respective $11.58 and $10.65 rail fares.