Yesteryear

After having abandoned plans last year to acquire the JAS 39 Gripen when funds were diverted in an urgent need to clear up after serious floods, the Czech Republic is now once again considering a replacement for its F-16s as an MiG-21s as they are becoming increasingly expensive to operate and maintain.

Boeing announced on October 13 it will modify at least three 747-400s as Large Capacity Freighters using air transportation as the prime delivery method for components for the new 7E7 Dreamliner. Artist renderings show the aircraft has a greatly extended upper fuselage section and the first round of wind tunnel tests have been conducted to verify flight performance.

On October 1 Etihad Airways, a new airline entirely owned by the Abu Dhabi government, has announced plans to launch commercial operations later this month with two Airbus A330-200s, sub-leased from Brazilian operator TAM.

The prototype Bombardier Global 5000 C-GERS landed at Orlando Executive Airport, Florida on October 5 to appear on static display at the 56th National Business Aviation Annual Meeting and Convention. Two aircraft will be involved in flight test program with the other aircraft C-GLRM due to have its maiden flight in December. The type is due to enter service in 2004.

British Airways operated its final Concorde flights on October 24 with G-BOAG making the last commercial service with BA002 from New York to London, while G-BOAE made a charter flight from Edinburgh and G-BOAF returned to Heathrow after a supersonic journey over the Bay of Biscay. All aircraft were arranged to land consecutively at Heathrow. Of 20 Concordes built, five were unsold and given to Air France and British Airways for the respective nominal amounts of 1.00 French Franc and £1.00. Six Concordes were either prototypes, pre-production aircraft or non-saleable production aircraft with the remaining nine examples the only aircraft which were actually sold, but at prices not reflecting a fair recovery of development costs.

25 Years Ago

The USN selected Lockheed Aeronautical Systems to develop a replacement aircraft for the P-3C Orion on October 14. The new maritime patrol aircraft designated LRAACA (long-range, air antisubmarine warfare-capable aircraft) would be powered by new fuel-efficient modern-technology turboprop engines.

An RAF Lockheed C-130 XV196 has been painted in an overall pink colour scheme for use in trials to determine if the colour would serve as useful camouflage in operations in desert areas. If the results are positive five other Hercules will be similarly painted.

The Australian Bicentennial Air Show Air Show was held at RAAF Richmond from October 12 to 16. This significant event was held as part of Australia’s Bicentennial celebrations with participants from several overseas countries in addition to major Australian contributions, both civil and military. Apart from flying displays, there were extensive static displays of aircraft, conferences and trade displays. All who attended where rewarded with an event on a scale not previously seen in Australia.

Australian Bill McCoy recently presented Jagdgeschwader 71 *Richthofen**, which flies Phantom F-4Fs from its base at Flensburg, West Germany, with a piece of the Red Baron’s last Fokker Triplane of 1918. McCoy’s brother, Captain Noel McCoy, was less than 200 yards from Richthofen’s crash site and collected the relic which was pierced with a bullet hole and still had some of the original red dope.

On October 30 new noise reduction measures for Sydney Airport were introduced. After consultation with local councils in surrounding areas some of the measures included; the establishment of a Curfew Monitoring Committee, two noise measurement studies comparing old with new arrangements and new limitations on runway use, aircraft types and new noise abatement procedures.

Boeing Advanced Systems commenced test flights of the twin-engined Condor robotic aircraft on October 9. The large aircraft with a 61m wingspan, 9208kg gross weight and powered by two 130.5kW piston engines is capable of undertaking entire missions using data pre-programmed into its computers.

A passenger on a British Airways Boeing 747 that arrived in London on October 26 after a flight from Tokyo enjoyed one of the most exclusive journeys in airline history. A delayed departure from Tokyo caused by technical issues saw all the other passengers elect to make alternative arrangements, giving the sole remaining passenger a choice of 353 seats.

50 Years Ago

The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, announced on October 24 that 24 General Dynamics-Grumman F-111A (previously TFX) bombers will be obtained to replace the RAAF’s Canberras. Pending delivery in about 1967, as an interim measure, up to two squadrons of Boeing B-47E/RB-47Es have been offered free of lease payments prior to the F-111A deliveries.

The maiden flight of the nine-seat Lear Jet 23 business aircraft N801L took place from Wichita Airport, Kansas on October 7. Orders are held for 14 aircraft with a unit cost of US$600,000.

A USMC Lockheed KC-130 Hercules landed on the USS *Forrestal** on October 30 without the aid of an arrester hook system. It is the largest fixed-wing aircraft to have landed on a carrier.

Members of the press were invited to see the prototype British Aircraft Corporation TSR.2 at the Weybridge, Surrey plant of Vickers-Armstrong (now part of BAC) on October 28. The visit followed the release of photographs of the aircraft one week earlier.

The USAF inaugurated a space-based nuclear detection system with the launch on October 16 of twin satellites from Cape Canaveral, designed to assume orbits at about 115,000km above the outer Van Allan belt on opposite sides of the Earth. The 20-sided satellites known as Project Vela Hotel or Project 823 are designed to detect nuclear explosions.

The first Boeing 727 to visit Australia N7003U arrived in Sydney on September 29 after an initial arrival in Darwin. Demonstration flights were conducted in Sydney before continuing to Canberra and Melbourne on October 1 prior to a return to Sydney on October 3 and a resumption of its world tour.

A recent visit by DCA senior officers was made to Lord Howe Island to investigate airstrip development. While a 610m grass strip could be prepared fairly easily, the need for the 1372-1524m length to permit Friendship operations would require the strip extended into the lagoon. Meanwhile Ansett Flying Boat Services is looking into the purchase of another Sandringham or Solent for its operations to the island.

The first public display by an RAN Westland Wessex helicopter took place at HMAS Watson in Sydney on October 7, demonstrating its manoeuvrability and use of sonar equipment. Bristol Sycamore XN405 was also present demonstrating the deployment of frogmen.