Yester Year

• The NASA unmanned X-43A Hyper-X hypersonic research vehicle was lost during its attempted first free flight on June 2 intended to demonstrate the air-breathing scramjet propulsion system. After being carried aloft with its modified Pegasus booster on its B-52 carrier from Edwards AFB, California, and released, a malfunction about eight seconds into the boost phase prompted controllers to detonate the vehicle comprising the Hyper-X stack of X-43A and booster at about 24,000ft, with debris falling into the Pacific Ocean.

• The Zhukovsky based Tupolev Tu-144LL RA-77114, which completed its supersonic research flights for NASA Dryden two years ago, has been offered for sale for US$10 million.

• United Airlines said on June 1 that it intends to accelerate the retirement of its Boeing 727‑200, fleet with 33 retired in 2001, 32 in 2002, and the total 727 fleet of 75 aircraft withdrawn by March 2003. By the end of 2001, United will have a fleet of 611 aircraft with an average age of 9. 6 years.

• The last remaining Kaman SH-2G Seasprites have retired from the USN after nearly 40 years of service which began on December 18 1962.

• The maiden flight of the prototype Boeing CH-47F Improved Cargo Helicopter, 98-001 (ex 83-24107), took place from the company’s Philadelphia facility on June 25. v

25 Years Ago

• The Boeing 737-400 stretched version of the 737‑300 has been launched with an order for 25 aircraft plus 30 options from Piedmont Airlines on June 4. First flight is scheduled for January 1988, with certification following after a seven month test program.

The -400 will be longer by 2. 9m with fuselage plugs of 1. 68m and 1. 22m fore and aft of the wing respectively.

• Lockheed has sold the first TriStar, N1011, c/n 1001, to Aviation Sales of Miami, Florida, who will dismantle the aircraft for spare parts.

• Following the signing of a purchase contract by the Indian government in April, the former RN aircraft carrier Hermes is undergoing a refit at the Royal Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, with a handover to the Indian Navy planned for March 1987.

• To coincide with a convention of the Customs Cooperation Council in Brussels, a prototype of the GAF Searchmaster 2 was on display late this month. It is equipped with the latest Litton (V)5 360 degree radar which can detect small targets about two square metres in size at a 50km range in sea state 3. The US Customs Service recently evaluated the prototype off the Florida coast.

• Lufthansa has established a non-profit organisation to operate the Junkers Ju 52/3m that has been restored at Hamburg over the past 15 months. The pre-war example of the Junkers was purchased in the USA by Lufthansa in 1984. After initially flying on April 6, it was certified by the German authorities to carry passengers on June 6. Although currently registered as D-CDLH, it carries the livery of the pre-war D-AQUI Berlin-Tempelhof.

50 Years Ago

• The first flight of the prototype Aviation Traders (Engineering) Limited ATL-98 Carvair, G‑ANYB, took place from Southend Airport, Essex, on June 21. The converted DC-4 carried the livery of Channel Air Bridge, which has ordered 10 Carvairs that can carry five vehicles plus 22 passengers in the rear cabin. Both the manufacturer and airline are companies of entrepreneur Freddie Laker.

• The first four North American A3J-1 Vigilantes were accepted by the USN on June 16.

• The US Secretary of the Navy gave the go-ahead on June 21 to conclude the USN’s use of lighter-than-air operations, which date back to 1915.

• The takeover of Capital Airlines by United Air Lines on June 1 is the largest merger in aviation history. With a fleet of 267 aircraft serving 116 cities over a network of 18,000 miles, United is now only surpassed in size by Aeroflot.

• The US Military Air Transport Service (MATS) took delivery of the first of 30 Boeing C‑135A Stratolifter transports at Seattle on June 9.

• An agreement was signed this month between the US and Canada involving the exchange of military aircraft. This will see Canada receive 66 McDonnell F-101 Voodoos, while the US will place orders with Canada to produce 200 F-104G Starfighters for NATO countries.

• There have been reports that Boeing is looking at a design project called the Boeing 737, a short range transport with three tail-mounted turbofan jet engines with a gross weight less than 100,000lb, intended to operate on routes presently served by Convair 540s and Martin 4-0-4s.