Yesteryear

Weighing 9,980kg at the start of its planned record flight the aircraft will have a landing weight just under 1,815kg after using 8,165kg of fuel.

An employee event at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems at Seattle on March 20 was held for the unveiling of the first 737-7ES Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft for the RAAF, A30-001/N378BC, in full 2 Squadron markings.

A first flight scheduled for May will be followed by a six month flight test program.

Four aircraft have been ordered and a decision on two options, due to expire on June 30, is expected soon.

The first military sale of the Gippsland Aeronautics GA‑8 Airvan has been made to the Lesotho Defence Force Air Wing.

On March 19 the aircraft, LDF‑54 (c/n GA8‑03‑038) ex VH‑AUN was handed over by South African distributor Airvan Africa at its base at Port Alfred Airfield, Eastern Cape, after preparation for delivery.

The second prototype scramjet-powered NASA X-43A hypersonic research aircraft mounted on the nose of a modified Pegasus booster rocket was taken aloft underneath NASA Dryden’s B-52B from Edwards AFB, California on March 27, on a record flight to become the world’s fastest air breathing aircraft.

After ignition of the Pegasus, the X-43A was taken to its test altitude of 95,000ft and released over the Pacific Ocean attaining a speed of Mach 6.

83 before splashdown in the ocean.

The scramjet operated for about 10 seconds before exhaustion of its hydrogen fuel supply.

25 years ago

On March 27 USAF transport aircraft from Military Airlift Command carried oil-spill cleanup equipment, cargo items and personnel to the Valdez, Alaska area following the spill of crude oil from the running aground of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker at Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound on March 24.

The maiden flight of the first of six prototypes of the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor took place at Bell Helicopter Textron’s Flight Research Center, Arlington, Texas on March 19.

During the 15-minute flight the aircraft reached a maximum speed of 20kt and altitude of 30ft in helicopter mode initiating phase one of the flight tests.

The V-22 is the first modern weapons system designed from conception to meet the requirements of all four US armed services.

The last Bristol 170 Freighter registered in the UK, G-BISU, has been sold to to Trans Provincial Airlines of Canada in support of gold mines at Terrace, British Columbia.

It will join another Freighter, the former Instone Air Line G-AMLK, as the two remaining examples of this type still flying.

Built in 1955 as a Bristol 170 Mark 31 Freighter, G-BISU was also used by Instone, the world’s largest specialist racehorse transport company.

It previously served with the RNZAF as NZ5912 and later with Safe Air as ZK-EPH.

The Scaled Composites company of Mojave, California, a subsidiary of Beech Aircraft Corporation since 1985, has been sold to its founder, the aircraft designer Burt Rutan.

The design of the Airbus Industrie A330 has been modified to extend the length by two fuselage frames making it identical with the four-engined very long-range A340-300.

The new version called the A330-300 will seat seven additional passengers.

The first flight is set for mid-1992 and introduction into service in September 1993.

50 years ago

A requirement has been issued by the USAF for a very heavy strategic transport with the designation CX-X capable of flying over an unrefuelled distance of 19,312km (12,000 miles) carrying a load up to 81,647kg (180,000lb).

The ability to fly nearly half way around the world would enable the aircraft to virtually reach any location from its base directly.

Another contract has been placed by the USN with Douglas for production of the A-4E Skyhawk which will see the type remain in production until at least December 1965.

Meanwhile the USN has invited tenders for a new carrier-borne light-attack aircraft as a Skyhawk successor.

The 1964 R M Ansett Air Race from Archerfield, Brisbane to Parafield, Adelaide via Tamworth, Bankstown, Wagga Wagga, Moorabbin and Nhill, with intermediate stops as operationally required, commenced on Easter Sunday, March 29 with 146 aircraft competing.

Eventually 140 entrants reached the Parafield finishing point on March 31.

The main awards saw the closed handicap section with prize money of £1,250 plus trophy won by Kevin Bassett with his Auster J5B VH-WBA, the open handicap prize of £300 by D G Wills in Cessna 182A VH-CWB, with the overall fastest time win of £350 plus trophy captured by Jack McDonald in his P-51D Mustang VH-FCB.

The first three DHC-4 Caribous for the RAAF, A4-134, -140 and -147, departed from the de Havilland plant at Downsview, Toronto on March 17 equipped with long-range auxiliary fuel tanks.

The arrival on April 22 at Richmond at the end of a 25,750km (16,000 miles) flight involving just under 97 flight hours was on a route via the Atlantic, Europe, Middle East and Indian Ocean in easy stages, with stops at some locations lasting one or two days.

Recent orders for the Douglas DC-8 have been from Scandinavian Airlines System for two aircraft and a DC-8F Jet Trader for Seaboard World Airlines, taking total orders to 216.