Air Pictorial 1998-03
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With the threat of an air strike on Iraq imminent as AIR Pictorial closed for press, this appropriate shot shows an RAF Harrier GR.7 taking off from HMS Invincible, and won for the photographer, Cpl John Cassidy, the RAF PR Photo of the Year.
One of the last six C-119Gs in service with the 103rd Transport Sqn, RoCAF, seen at Pingtung in August 1996. Its crude nose badge is seen on the left.
On permanent loan from the USAF Museum, Dayton, Ohio, the resident C-54 at Tempelhof has been repainted inside and out for the Berlin celebrations this summer.
An F-16A of the Republic of China Air Force in a jet Hush-House at Chiayi Air Base, Taiwan. It is one of two such buildings, the other being installed at Hualien AB, supplied by the Industrial Acoustics Co of 1160 Commerce Ave, NY, USA. Similar Hush-Houses are in 11 other countries.
A Danish F-16B assigned to the Mid-Life Update (MLU) programme, successfully launched an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at Eglin AFB, Fl, on December 12, 1997. The launch was the first F-16 AMRAAM firing conducted by an international customer, and was only the second time this missile type has been launched over land, requiring extraordinary range safety precautions. “This highly complex mission involved 13 aircraft launched from Eglin and Tyndall AFBs, and required the evacuation of an active airfield and the closing of two major state roads. It was, however, performed without incident,” stated Capt Dan Sheridan, Test Director for the shot. The missile successfully destroyed its target, confirming the new multi-target intercept capability of the MLU-configured F-16A/B weapon system, which is comparable with the latest production Block 50/52 F-16C/D.
A comparative rarity at Leith docks, Scotland, on January 17, 1998, was the Royal Danish Navy fishery protection frigate Vaedderen, one of four Thetis class ships, carrying Westland Lynx Mk 91 S-175. The helicopter is one of eight in service, each equipped with Ferranti Seaspray radar, Racal Kestrel ESM and FLIR 2000. GKN Westland was awarded a ?20 million contract to upgrade the eight Danish machines to Super Lynx standard in January 1998. Changes will include replacement airframe structures as well as modifications to the rotor blades and fuel systems to extend the type's service life to at least 2015.
RSAF Hawk Mk.65A ZH996/7902 in RAF ferry’ markings, accompanied by RSAF Tornado IDS ZH915/6629.
Strong nationalistic support for Canada’s Winter Olympics team at Nagano is eye-catchingly carried on Air Canada’s A340-313 C-FYLD.
First flights for three new aircraft were recorded in January 1998, the Dornier 328JET (shown), the Boeing 737-600, and the Bombardier DH Dash 8Q Series 400.
AIDC AT-3Bs in RoCAF service are camouflaged for the night-attack and close air support roles.
AT-3s with separate cockpit canopies identify early production aircraft.
1:72nd scale drawings of the AIDC AT-3A ‘Lui-Meng’ single-seat light attack aircraft. This version was not proceeded with.
In January 1998, Eurofighter DA2 ZH588 conducted trials aimed at clearing the type for in-flight refuelling. RAF VC10 K.3 ZA149 flew the sortie and such was the straightforward nature of the flight that the fighter successfully achieved the necessary clearance.
Pumas finally left RAF Odiham on February 3, 1998, when No 27(R) Sqn relocated to RAF Benson, Oxon, ending, coincidentally, 27 years’ service at the Hampshire base. One of the Pumas and an escorting Chinook are seen during the transfer flight.
Another Winter Olympics scheme is carried on UPS Boeing 767 freighter N320UP seen at East Midlands on January 29, 1998.
A well-travelled BN-2B-20 Islander, 8P-TAG of Trans Island Air, photographed by Roger Kunert at Bridgetown, Barbados. With c/n 2208, it was first registered as G-BPLP in May 1989 before moving to China as B-3903, then to Florida as N32GM, before sale to its present owner in 1995.
Unusual visitor to Lasham in January 1998 for a five-week maintenance contract was Niger government Boeing 737-200 5U-BAG.
In profile the Pilatus PC-9 (below) has a noticeably more streamlined cockpit canopy compared with the PC-7 (above), and the nose profile and fin show further minor changes in shape.
Formerly in Lone Star colours, Dornier 328 N340PH (ex-D-CDXF) is now flying in Aspen Mountain Air markings and is seen at Fort Worth, Texas.
The handover ceremony at Woodford on January 30, 1998, with (left to right), Mr Stuart Spande of Northwest Airlines, Mike O’Callaghan, MD, BAe Regional Aircraft, Jonathan Neale of Avro, and Jeff Marsh of AI(R).
Northwest Airlines’ ninth AI(R) RJ85 and the 100th RJ to be built, undergoing air test at Avro’s Woodford airfield. The US airline has 36 on order and holds options on a further 24 aircraft. Delivered on January 30, 1998, the RJ is fitted with 69 seats in a two-class layout.
Paul Howard sent this view of a propeller mounted at the entrance to the Real Aero Club le Gran Canaria. He believes it comes from a Viscount, possibly ex-G-AOYM or ’OYO, which languished at Tenerife for some years.
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330-200
Camouflaged in a disruptive scheme to assist its concealment during tactical operations, the RNethAF’s Eurocopter AS532 Cougar is included in the new book on Dutch colours reviewed below.
Swartkopf's Fieseler Storch, is incorrectly identified as VD+DT. Its Stammkennzeichen should read VD+TD (apologies - the Editor’s eyes are not what they used to be! - Ed.). The enclosed photograph, taken at the RAE Farnborough on September 11, 1945, shows the original code letters clearly visible on both fuselage and underwing surfaces, despite its then masquerading as ‘Air Min 99’. This Fi 156C-7, Werk-Nr 475099, must be one of the last (albeit rebuilt) Second World War Luftwaffe airframes still flying anywhere in the world.
Tudor prototype G-AGPF/TT176 shortly after completion in June 1945. Trials resulted in many changes to the design, but this aircraft continued development work, becoming VX192 with the Ministry of Supply before being scrapped at Woodford in December 1950.
The Tudor 5 was a 44-seat aircraft designed to meet Spec. 39146 for BSAA and six were ordered, powered by Merlin 621s. Delivered in 1948, the aircraft were registered to BSAA but never went into service with the airline. Instead, they operated on the Berlin airlift and were later disposed of; G-AKCD seen here and ‘KCC were bought by William Dempster Ltd which operated them on London-Johannesburg flights in the early 1950s.
Four Bristol Hercules 120 radials distinguished the prototype Tudor 7 which first flew on April 17, 1947. It remained the sole example and ended up with the Ministry of Supply as VX199 at Defford.
The sole Tudor 7 was G-AGRX, originally the first production Tudor 2. It was powered by four 1,715 h.p. Bristol Hercules 120 radial engines, and first flew on April 17, 1947.
Another single development was the Tudor 8 VX195. This was the second prototype Tudor 1 G-AGST highly modified with four Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets in paired nacelles. The first British four-jet ‘airliner’ to fly when it took off from Woodford on September 6, 1948, it conducted trials during which it reached a maximum speed of 385 mph. It was subsequently dismantled at Farnborough, the fuselage going to Teddington Controls Ltd.
The ill-fated prototype Tudor 2, G-AGSU, which flew on March 10, 1946, and in which Avro’s chief designer Roy Chadwick and chief test pilot SA Thorn were killed on August 23, 1947. The aircraft, which was 25 ft (7.62 m) longer to accommodate up to 60 passengers and 1 ft (0.3 m) greater in diameter, is seen with the taller fin and extended inner nacelles designed to counter the aerodynamic problems first encountered with the Tudor 1.
Avro 688 Tudor I G-AGRG at London Airport in 1949. It was destroyed by fire at Brindisi in 1959.
The Tudor 4 was produced for British South American Airways. This was basically a Tudor 1 with a front fuselage lengthened by six feet to take 32 passengers. G-AHNJ was the first of six to enter service and flew at Woodford on April 9, 1947. It operated on the London-Bermuda route before being converted into a freighter and eventually scrapped in 1953.
Tudor 4 silhouette.
Suspended from the roof at Hatfield's Galleria shopping centre is this full-scale replica of de Havilland D.H.88 Comet, G-ACSS. It was built by film-props company Acorn Scenery of Feltham, Middx, and serves to commemorate the nearby birth­place of the original.
Manx Airlines has adopted a special livery for one of its British Aerospace ATPs (G-BRLY) in support of a public awareness campaign to promote regional aviation. The 66-seat turboprop carries the 70 multi-coloured logos of airlines belonging to the European Regions Airline Association, together with the slogan ‘50 million passengers a year mean business’, to highlight the scale of the industry to the travelling public. The ATP will be based at Manchester Airport, and Manx is the first regional airline in the UK to adopt the scheme which first appeared at Farnborough ’96.
Trislander logo-prop G-BEPH over the south coast of Jersey with the island’s airport just visible in the distance.
Tail markings on No 111 Sqn Tornado F.3s have been modified with the traditional Lightning Flash giving way to the smaller badge and a two-letter code. ZE159/HR is seen at RAF Leuchars in mid-January 1998.
After a rebuild which began in 1985 by members of the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society, including Tony Dowson and Ken Hyde, the Collection’s Desoutter I monoplane made its first post-restoration flight on January 26, 1998.
An intoxicating sight - and not only for Corona beer drinkers - is Pan American's Grumman G-73 Turbo Mallard N51151, one of four flying from Miami to Bimini & Paradise Is in the Bahamas and up to Fort Lauderdale.
The first of two prototypes of the Heston J.C.6 AOP aircraft, built to Spec A.2145 for the British Army. Dimensions included a span of 44 ft (13.42 m), a length of 34 ft (10.37 m) and a height of 9ft (2.7 m). Max speed was reportedly 108 kt (200 km/h) at 1,000 ft (305 m), and loaded weight was 3,050 lb (1,384 kg). An anti-spin parachute container is fitted on the tail for flight trials.
Leased by Air Transat for the winter is Virgin European’s Boeing 737-400 C-GBIX, also seen at Fort Worth in January 1998.
First flights for three new aircraft were recorded in January 1998, the Dornier 328JET, the Boeing 737-600, and the Bombardier DH Dash 8Q Series 400 (shown).
First flights for three new aircraft were recorded in January 1998, the Dornier 328JET, the Boeing 737-600 (shown), and the Bombardier DH Dash 8Q Series 400.