Yesteryear

Three LCFs modified by Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp will be used to ferry 787 Dreamliner assemblies from other facilities to the Boeing Everett, Washington plant.

ATR delivered the 700th example of its regional turboprop airliners in a ceremony at Toulouse on September 8, one of an order for 30 ATR 72500s from Air Deccan.

Firm orders are held for 828 aircraft comprising 401 ATR 42s and 427 ATR 72s.

The US Congress has received a proposal to mothball the conventionally-powered aircraft carrier USS John F Kennedy, reducing the USN’s carrier force from 12 to 11 ships.

The retirement of the ship has been estimated to save a net total of about US$1.

2 billion over FY2006-2011.

The USN intends to maintain a 313 ship force including 11 carriers in the years ahead.

A memorial service was held in Winton to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the loss of Ansett-ANA’s Vickers Viscount 832 VH-RMI which came down at Nadjayamba station on September 22 1966, after it encountered an uncontrollable engine fire with the loss of 24 on board.

A cairn carrying a replica of the plaque at the crash site was unveiled in Winton’s main street.

The final flight of a NAMC YS‑11 turboprop airliner in commercial passenger use in Japan, operated by Japan Air Commuter, took place on September 30.

First flown on August 30 1962, a total of 182 were built and some aircraft remain in military use.

25 years ago

The 2hr 45min maiden flight of the 29-seat British Aerospace Jetstream 41, developed from the Jetstream 31, took place from the company’s Prestwick, Scotland factory on September 25.

The maiden flight of the first prototype McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III transport took place from the company’s plant at Long Beach, California on September 15 to the USAF Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB.

The USAF is hoping to acquire 120 C-17s, a figure reduced from the original 210.

The aircraft is designed to be able to operate from small, austere airfields, sharing that capability with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.

The first squadron is planned to be operational by the end of 1994.

On September 27 President Bush said that as the Soviet Union no longer poses a credible threat to Western Europe, a series of measures would be taken including the Strategic Air Command’s nuclear bombers being taken off 24-hour alert and all tactical nuclear weapons removed from USN surface vessels, attack submarines and aircraft.

The following day President Gorbachev said the US initiative will meet a positive response.

These moves marked the end of the Cold War.

The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was retired from active USN service on September 27.

The final operational aircraft were EA-3Bs of Squadron VQ-2 which had served in the Gulf War.

Ed Heinemann, the A-3’s designer, attended the retirement function, hosted by VAQ‑33 at NAS Key West, Florida The USN conducted its first flight of the experimental Rockwell-MBB X-31A from Patuxent River, Maryland on September 6.

The aircraft is a project of the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).

The Indian Air Force’s last Hawker Hunter unit, No 20 Squadron based at Kalaikunda in north-east India, is to receive HAL-built MiG-27 ground-attack aircraft as replacements.

50 years ago

Bristol Siddeley-modified RAF Avro Vulcan B.

1 XA903 took off from Bristol on September 9 to commence tests of the Rolls-Royce Olympus 593 which will power the Concorde.

The engine is mounted in a representative Concorde half-nacelle.

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC – formerly Society of British Aircraft Constructors) opened its 25th show at Farnborough on September 1.

For the first time foreign aircraft were allowed to participate providing a significant proportion of British equipment was installed.

The NASA Gemini 11 mission was launched on September 12 with astronauts Cmdr Charles Conrad Jr and Lt Cmdr Richard F Gordon Jr.

During the two-day 23hr 17min mission several dockings were performed with an Agena satellite, Gordon conducted a space walk, and an altitude record exceeding 850 miles was achieved.

They were recovered in the Atlantic by USS Guam on September 15.

Marina Solovyeva set a new women’s world speed record in the Soviet Union on September 24 flying a MiG-Ye-76 (MiG-21) at 1,270mph (2,044km/h).

The Pan Am Business Jets Division has taken up options on a further 15 Dassault Fan Jet Falcons (Mystere 20s), increasing its firm orders to 115.

It has already delivered 38 aircraft to US and Canadian corporate customers.

An Air Transport Association (ATA) survey has indicated that US scheduled airlines have ordered 825 jet aircraft valued at US$4.

8bn for delivery over the next five years.

This represents firm orders only and excludes options for additional aircraft or tentative SST orders.

The Argentine Navy is disposing of five Martin PBM-5A Mariners, one Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, three Lockheed P2V-5 Neptunes, two Vought F4U Corsairs, one Beechcraft AT-11 and two Supermarine Walruses.