Yesteryear

The maiden flight of the first Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk, N-1, for the USN took place from Palmdale, California on October 6 followed by a landing at the Birk Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB.

Preliminary testing of the UAV will now be conducted by a joint USN, USAF and contractor team leading to delivery to the USN in the summer of 2005.

Although similar to the USAF Global Hawk, the Navy version has sensors optimised for maritime operations.

Boeing received a US$766.

7 million contract on October 12 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to continue development of the X-45C portion of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) over the next five years up to March 2010.

Covered in the new funding is the design, development and manufacture of three full-scale X-45Cs, associated equipment and other required aspects of the program.

The last Lockheed F-104 Starfighters in military service were withdrawn from use on October 31 with the retirement of the Italian air force’s last unit with the type, 4° Stormo, at Grosseto.

One Italian F-104 will be retained as a chase aircraft until next year.

A ceremony was held at Renton, Washington on October 28 with the rollout of the 1,050th and final Boeing 757, a 757-26D for Shanghai Airlines.

Boeing retains the first 757 which first flew on February 18 1982 as a testbed aircraft.

25 years ago

Spain has become the first export customer for the Canadair CL-215T turboprop amphibian with a contract for the supply of 10 aircraft plus 15 CL‑215T turboprop retrofit kits.

Spain has acquired 20 CL-215s since 1971.

A USAF Lockheed C-5B Galaxy from the 60th Military Airlift Wing at Travis AFB, California landed without skis at McMurdo Station, Antarctica on October 4 carrying 72 passengers and 76 tonnes of cargo including two fully-assembled Bell UH-1N helicopters.

It was the first landing of such a large aircraft on the continent.

Over the next five years Airbus Industrie and its partners are planning to double production so that by the mid-1990s they will be building over 200 aircraft per year.

The outlook is for yearly production of about 40 A300‑600s and A310s, 110 A320s plus some A321s and 70 A330s and A340s.

During this year Airbus will build 59 A320s and 42 A300/310s.

Based on these decisions Airbus plans to deliver its 1,000th aircraft at the end of 1992.

An accord has been signed by Australia and the Soviet Union allowing Qantas permanent rights to overfly Soviet territory.

The airline has been flying over Soviet territory since November 1987 but had to make applications to do this every six months with no certainty of approval.

With granting of overfly rights it will now only have to obtain flightpath clearances.

Pilatus has released details of the new PC-12 utility aircraft.

Powered by an 895kW (1,200 shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B turboprop the aircraft will carry nine passengers.

The first of two prototypes is expected to fly in December 1990 followed by initial FAA certification expected in mid-1992.

The company predicts a market potential for 600 PC-12s over the next 12 years.

The last of 37 Lockheed TR-1 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft was delivered to the USAF on October 3.

50 years ago

The prototype General Dynamics F-111A, 63-8766, was rolled out at Fort Worth, Texas on October 15.

Flight testing will be conducted at Edwards AFB, California.

The maiden flight of the prototype Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy assault helicopter took place from Stratford, Connecticut on October 14.

Developed for the USMC the helicopter can carry 38 combat troops.

The Cessna Aircraft Company has received a USAF contract for 170 Model 172s to be used as trainers with the designation T-41A, with the order to be completed by July 1965.

The UK Minister of Aviation, Julian Amery, has confirmed that an order has been placed to re-engine two McDonnell Phantom IIs with Rolls-Royce Speys to enable a detailed evaluation of the aircraft to be performed for the Fleet Air Arm.

It is believed the RN may place an order for up to 130 Phantoms.

The USAF’s new interceptor, the Lockheed YF-12A, formerly designated the A-11, was demonstrated at Edwards AFB, California on October 1.

The aircraft can carry eight Hughes AIM-47A missiles with nuclear warheads.

The SR-71 reconnaissance version has also been announced and there may also be a bomber derivative.

Charter operator Jim Hazelton landed at Eagle Farm, Brisbane on October 2 in his Piper PA-24-400 Comanche, N8563P (later VH-TOZ), after a trans-Pacific crossing from San Francisco via Hilo, Canton Island, Nadi and Tontouta, equipped with two additional cabin fuel tanks for a total of 240 US gallons.

He was accompanied on the flight by two Twin Comanches on delivery to Australia.

It was the first crossing of the Pacific by an Australian in a single-engined aircraft since Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in his Lockheed Altair Lady Southern Cross in 1934.