Yesteryear

The first of 30 Boeing 777-300ERs on order for Emirates has arrived in Dubai.

It will be used in services from Dubai to Bangkok, Manila, Sydney and Auckland.

Emirates is scheduled to take delivery of 100 new airliners by 2010.

Boeing recently unveiled the first F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet in a ceremony at its St Louis, Missouri facility.

Fitted with the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar system (AESA), Advanced Crew Station and advanced mission computers and displays the aircraft will enter the AESA flight test program before commencing operational evaluation in 2006.

Boeing has so far delivered 102 single-seat F/A‑18Es and 124 two-seat F/A-18Fs.

The USN plans to acquire 415 APC-79s built by Raytheon, with 280 to be fitted to new-build aircraft with 135 retrofitted to existing Super Hornets.

On May 19 America West Airlines and US Airways, the eighth and seventh largest airlines in the US respectively, announced their intention to merge, creating the fifth largest US airline.

They expect to save US$600 annually through rationalisation.

The new entity will use the name of US Airways and have a fleet of 361 aircraft, 44,100 employees and US$10 billion in annual revenue.

A fare war erupted on May 18 after Jetstar’s chief Alan Joyce announced the release of one million seats on sale for $29 one-way in advance of the airline’s first birthday on May 25.

Virgin Blue’s Brett Godfrey sportingly acknowledged his competitor’s birthday, and responded with the offer of $28 fares one-way for 1,000,001 seats.

The sale concluded on May 25 with seats offered for travel between June 1 and December 15.

25 years ago

The last flight was made by a Luftwaffe Lockheed F-104 Starfighter on May 22 before the type’s withdrawal from service.

The Luftwaffe sustained a high loss rate with the Starfighter which led to the nickname of the “widowmaker”.

Germany acquired a total of 917 F-104s of all types, 766 for the Luftwaffe and 151 for the Marineflieger, and losses during nearly 30 years of service involved about 270 aircraft, in both Europe and the USA, in air and ground accidents.

Even more costly was the pilot loss toll which reached 110.

The night attack McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet was introduced into service at the USMC Air Station, El Toro, California on May 18 with VFMA(AW)-121.

It is the first two-seat Hornet designated to fly tactical missions instead of training missions.

It is intended to replace the Grumman A-6 Intruder as the USMC’s day/night attack aircraft.

When required, a stick and throttle can be installed in the rear cockpit to enable it to be used for pilot training.

The name EVA Airways Corporation has been adopted by the Evergreen Group in Taiwan for its new international airline which plans to start flying in spring 1991.

The 48 ex-RAAF Dassault Mirage IIIO fighters which have been in storage at Woomera will be the bulk of the 50 aircraft sold to Pakistan under a recent $36 million contract for 50 Mirages plus spares including engines and other items, support equipment and weapons.

The 14 minute maiden flight of the second prototype Saab JAS 39 Gripen on May 4 at Linkoping marked the resumption of flight testing.

The program is now about two years behind the previous schedule following the loss of the first prototype in a landing accident on its sixth flight on February 2 1989.

The 500th Airbus widebody twin was delivered on May 17 to Monarch Airlines at Luton, the second of four A300-600Rs on order.

The aircraft are configured to carry 361 passengers, the most ever approved for a twin-engined aircraft.

50 years ago

The prototype Dart-powered Convair 600 was rolled out by General Dynamics at San Diego on May 12 and had its first flight on May 20.

Converted from a Convair 240D the aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Dart R.

Da10 propjets.

Orders for 51 Convair 600s have been placed by four US operators.

The Minister for Defence, Senator Shane Paltridge, told parliament recently that Australia can anticipate taking delivery of the 24 General Dynamics F-111A strike fighters (TFX) on order from mid-1968.

He said that some technical problems had been encountered but US authorities were confident that these would be successfully overcome.

The prototype General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B USN version, BuNo 151970, had its maiden flight on May 18 from the Grumman facility at Calverton, Long Island.

A total of 454 F-111s have been ordered for the US forces comprising 431 production aircraft (407 for the USAF and 24 for the USN) and 23 development machines (18 F-111As and five F-111Bs).

The maiden flight of the prototype de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, CF-DHC-X, took place on May 20 from Downsview, Ontario.

The aircraft has been jointly funded by de Havilland Canada with the Canadian Department of Defence Production to meet a worldwide need for a medium-size turbine-powered STOL utility transport.

The Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer has completed deck landing and catapult trials from HMS Ark Royal which included 78 launches and landings.

Tests of the hands-off launch technique were performed by pilots with satisfactory results.

During the trials automatic ejection seats were fitted to the Buccaneer for the first time.

Ansett-ANA Douglas DC-4 VH-INJ left Melbourne on May 11 for England to be converted into an ATL.

98 Carvair by Aviation Traders Ltd at Southend, Essex.