Ansett Australia and Qantas, the two major players in the airline scene in our region, both achieved significant milestones in their histories during the period under review. Qantas celebrated its 75th birthday on November 16 while Ansett Australia celebrated its 60th birthday on February 17. Over the last few years we have seen a reduction
More Kiwi Aermacchi MB-339CBs to Fly in 1996 In February 1996, only eight to 10 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s 17 Aermacchi MB-339CB advanced jet trainers were flying. Of this number, six or seven were typically available for daily operations – more than for many months previously. Further steady work during 1996 is
Action at the Big End of Town: Widebody Developments Boeing and Airbus are both pursuing radical developments of their widebody ranges: if all the plans eventuate, we will have two new versions of the 747 (one of them stretched to seat 550), a shorter 777, a shorter A330, a longer A340, a longer-ranged A340 and
N11 – Gaf Jindivik Both of the RAN N10 and N11 allocations were for pilotless target aircraft. N10 was allotted to Northrop KD2R-5 Shelduck radio-controlled target planes, which were initially procured in 1963 as targets for gunnery practice for ships at sea. These small targets, with a wingspan of only 4m and a maximum weight
10 Years Ago The Defence Minister, Mr Kim Beazley, announced on May 1 that an order valued at $471.6 million had been placed for 14 Sikorsky S-70A-9 Black Hawks for the RAAF and an additional eight S-70B-2 Seahawks for the RAN. The Seahawks will be placed on the RAN’s new FFG-7 class guided missile frigates.
De Havilland Dh.114 Heron Based on the popular Dove, the Heron was promoted by de Havilland as a replacement for the prewar DH.86B. While a sound and reliable aircraft, it did not achieve the success of the Dove. Given de Havilland’s success in the development of small transport aircraft, it was inevitable that they would