Yesteryear

On June 5 Hamilton Sundstrand announced it had begun shipping production versions of its new all-composite eight-blade NP2000 propeller system to the USN for installation on the Navy’s entire fleet of Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes and C-2S Greyhounds.

The first prototype Aermacchi M346, CC-X615 (P01), was rolled out at the company’s factory at Venegono on June 7. The event was also held to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the company originally established on May 1 1913, making it one the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturers.

The maiden flight of NASA’s Altair high-altitude, long-endurance UAV which was developed by General Atomics Aeronautics Systems took place from the airstrip at the company’s facility at El Mirage, California on June 9. This unmanned aerial vehicle is an increased wingspan version of the MQ-9 Predator B military UAV, with a span of 26.4m, an increase of 6.7m.

At the Paris Air Show Boeing’s promotion of the new 7E7 saw the announcement on June 15 that the aircraft will be named Dreamliner. The name was arrived at after over half a million votes had been cast from over 160 countries in a public competition to select one of four names, with the other candidates being eLiner, Global Cruiser and Stratoclimber.

During the Defence and Industry Conference held in Canberra, Air Vice Marshall John Monaghan announced on June 26 that a Request for Tender (RFT) had been issued for up to five new generation air-to-air refuelling aircraft for the RAAF after approval of Project Air 5402 in the May Federal Budget. Two types confirmed as bidders have been the Airbus A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and Boeing 767 Tanker Transport.

25 Years Ago

A World War II Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet rocket-powered fighter which had been preserved at RAF St Athan, South Wales has been sent back to the Luftwaffe and will form the centre of a new German Aviation Heritage Centre at Oldenburg, Lower Saxony.

Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force is retiring some of its large fleet of Kawasaki-built Lockheed T-33A training aircraft as they run out of hours. The first of the 210 T-33As was delivered to the ASDF in September 1956.

A new altitude record for a hot-air balloon was achieved by Per Lindstrand on June 6 when he took his
17,000 cu m (600,349 cu ft) balloon to a height of 18,288m (60,000ft) over Laredo, Texas. The balloon was constructed with an envelope of double-skinned nylon coated with a metallised polyester. A 1.5m x 1.5m (5ft x 5ft) pressurised capsule with a revolutionary burner developed for high-altitude flying was suspended beneath the envelope. Lindstrand is the Managing Director of Thunder & Colt Ltd of Oswestry, Shropshire which constructed the balloon.

Panavia has been asked by the NATO MRCA Development and Procurement Management Agency (NAMMA) to quote for the production of additional Tornadoes, which would comprise Batch 8. Included in this batch would be 26 GR.1s (IDS version) and 15 F.3s (ADV version) for the RAF, 35 ECR-compatible versions for the Luftwaffe, 16 ECR (electronic and reconnaissance) aircraft for the Italian Air Force and eight IDS aircraft for the Royal Jordanian Air Force. Over 900 Tornadoes are already on order in seven batches.

The first prototype Fokker 100 re-engined with uprated 67.17kN (15,100lb st) Rolls-Royce Tay 650 turbofans had its maiden flight from Schiphol, Amsterdam on June 8. The standard engine on earlier Fokker 100s is the 61.61kN (13,850lb st) Tay 620 and the new powerplant offers a nine per cent thrust increase with a 15 per cent improvement during climb and cruise. Deliveries of the version will commence in early 1989 to USAir.

The first Boeing 747-400 powered by PW4000 engines claimed a world record on June 27 taking off at weight of 892,450lb (404,815kg) compared with its certification weight of 850,000lb (385,560kg) with a climb to 6,563ft (2000m) in accordance with FAI regulations to establish to record. On the same day the second 747-400 powered by CF6-80C2 engines had a maiden flight lasting 1hr 59min.

50 Years Ago

On June 4 Pan American World Airways announced it had taken options to purchase six Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliners, subject to the aircraft meeting design specifications and being licensed as to safety and airworthiness by the governments of France, Great Britain and the United States.

Responding to European plans to build a supersonic transport, US President John F Kennedy pledged on June 5 to give government funds estimated at $1billion to aid the development of an American SST.

The first fully automatic carrier landings with production equipment were made by Lt Cdrs Randall K Billings and Robert S Chew, Jr, of NATC Patuxent River, Maryland flying a F-4A Phantom II and F-8D Crusader on board USS *Midway** (CV-41) off the California coast on June 13. The hands off landings were accomplished with signals from the ship automatically controlling flight controls and throttles.

The end of the seaplane in the USN’s flight training program was marked by a flight by a Martin P-5 Marlin by VT-31 at Corpus Christi, Texas on June 20.

An order has been placed by the UK Ministry of Aviation on behalf of the RAF for 20 Beagle 206s to replace Avro Ansons used on communications duties. With at least 100 Avro Ansons requiring replacement additional Beagle orders could forthcoming, although the Minister for Aviation indicated an order for de Havilland Doves was also a possibility.

An unexpected arrival at the airstrip at Meekatharra, Western Australia on June 22 was a Qantas Boeing 707 en route to London via Perth. With Perth closed due to fog the aircraft landed at the airfield about 772km (480 miles) north of Perth. The officer in charge at the field made an inspection to make sure there were no kangaroos present on the 2179m (7150ft) asphalt runway prior to the landing.

The 100km closed-circuit women’s speed record was claimed by Mme Jacqueline Auriol in a Dassault Mirage Mirage IIIR at Istres on June 14 when she attained a speed of 2039km/h (1261.4mph), beating Jacqueline Cochran’s record of 1925km/h (1196mph) in a Lockheed TF-104G set six weeks earlier.

A statement from the chairman of BAC said that TSR-2 production is well advanced at Preston and Weybridge and that they are making every effort to achieve a first flight by the end of 1963