Yesteryear

Comprising IIIS, IIIBS and IIIRS versions, the Mirages were offered with a starting price of US$2,400 set for each aircraft without an engine or weapons.

Prices realised ranged from CHF23,000 (A$25,000) to CHF60,000 (A$66,000).

Construction has started of the first prototype Boeing EA-18G Growler test aircraft, EA-1, with a first flight set for September 2006.

Initial operational capability of this next-generation electronic attack aircraft is planned for 2009, replacing the USN’s current Grumman EA-6B Prowler EA aircraft.

NASA Dryden Research Center’s Boeing B-52B mothership, NASA 008 (52-008), completed its final mission on November 16 launching the third and final X-43A hypersonic scramjet research vehicle at a 40,000ft drop altitude.

The B-52B’s replacement is B-52H NASA 0025 (61-0025), which although younger, is over 40 years old.

Commencing in July 2005 QantasLink will replace its 76-seat BAe 146 fleet with eight newer 115‑seat Boeing 717-200s transferred from Jetstar as the latter airline takes delivery of additional Airbus A320s.

The transition over a one year period will provide additional capacity on regional routes in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

QantasLink will retain two BAe 146s which are leased until December 2006.

Following the recent retirement of the USN’s last five Grumman F-14A Tomcats, about 80 later model F-14B/D Tomcats remain in operational use.

They will be retired in 2005, replaced by F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.

The F-14As have been placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

25 years ago

On November 24 the Airbus Industrie Advisory Board formally decided to proceed with the development of the A321 stretched version of the A320.

To date 10 customers have ordered 107 aircraft plus 74 options.

Following a first flight in the first quarter of 1993, deliveries are set to begin in January 1994.

The fifth Nimitz class carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was commissioned at Norfolk, Virginia on November 11.

Cessna has announced details of the new six passenger CitationJet as the successor to the Citation I.

Powered by two Williams/Rolls-Royce FJ44 engines the aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of 703km/h and estimated range of 1,500nm.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-90 was launched on November 14 with an order from Delta Air Lines for 50 aircraft plus 110 options.

Powered by the 25,000lb IAE V2500-D1 turbofan, the 150-seat MD-90-30 selected by Delta is a quieter, more fuel efficient aircraft with a claimed 17 per cent fuel burn reduction, on a per seat basis, compared with the MD-80.

Other family versions are the 114-seat MD‑90-10 and higher capacity 180‑seat MD-90-40.

Deliveries of the F/A-18 Hornet with night attack capabilities are underway with the first single-seat night F/A‑18C delivered to the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland on November 1 followed by the first production two-seat night attack F/A‑18D on November 4.

Boeing has launched the freighter version of the 747-400 with an order for five from Air France.

Deliveries of the 747-400F will begin in August 1993.

It will retain the extended wingspan and winglets, new wing-to-body fairing, new flightdeck and new engines and struts of the passenger 747-400, with the shorter upper deck of the 747-200.

50 years ago

The first of three pre-production Grumman C-2A Greyhound carrier on-board delivery (COD) aircraft first flew on November 18.

The prototype was converted from an E-2A Hawkeye.

The Greyhound will replace the Grumman C-1A Trader in USN COD duties.

The first stretched Hawker Siddeley Trident 1E, G-ASWU, had its maiden flight from Hatfield, Hertfordshire on November 2 powered by three 11,400lb Rolls-Royce RB.

163-25 Spey engines.

The US Mariner 4 Space probe was launched on November 28 from Cape Canaveral using an Atlas LV-3 Agena-D rocket.

On July 14/15 1965 it would pass within 8,690km of Mars, transmitting 22 pictures of the Martian surface, becoming the first spacecraft to take close-up pictures of another planet.

Following a request for military aid from the Malay government, four RAAF Iroquois helicopters have been detached from No 5 Squadron at RAAF Fairbairn and shipped to Butterworth, Malaysia on board the transport carrier HMAS Sydney.

The helicopters will be placed into service on the Malay/Thailand border.

The Hawker Siddeley P.

1127 V/STOL ground-attack fighter has been given the name Kestrel.

The aircraft will equip the tripartite (UK, USA and Germany) evaluation squadron being formed at RAF West Raynham, Suffolk with initial Kestrel FGA.

Is to be delivered to the squadron in early 1965.

A Lockheed KC-130F has become the largest and heaviest aircraft to operate from a flightdeck at sea.

During November it performed 21 unassisted takeoffs, 29 touch-and-go and 21 unarrested full-stop landings on USS Forrestal in the Atlantic.

Earlier tests at Patuxent River, Maryland saw the installation of an anti-skid brake system to reduce the landing roll, a special sensitive airspeed indicator giving the pilot critical approach readings and the landing load reduced by a modified nose gear.