Sri Lankan Air Force Mi-24V Hind-E CH612 seen here during March 1996 is one of three which entered service with 9 Squadron at Minneriya/Hingarukgoda last November whilst a further three have now been delivered and will join them shortly.

Prototype Yak-130 ‘296’ gets airborne from Zhukovsky for its first flight on April 25, 1996.

Two of the historic aircraft displayed at ILA ’96, Douglas DC-4 ZS-BMH of the South African Airways Historic Flight and Arado Ar 79 D-EMVT. The Arado is the only one of its type flying in the world. It is owned by the Museum fur Verkehr und Technik Berlin and operated by Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin Stiftung.

Latest type to join the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) inventory is the Parastou (which translates more accurately as Swallow, not Dove), seen here at the IRIAF exhibition at Tehran during February 1996. The type is an indigenous development of the Beech Bonanza.

Two newly-delivered Turk Kara Kuwetleri (Turkish Army) Agusta-Bell 206R JetRanger III helicopters seen during May 1996 on the flightline at Guvercinlik where the type is replacing the Robinson R22 Beta and Schweizer-Hughes 269 with the Turk Kara Havacilik Okulu (Turkish Army Aviation School) in the training role.

NH Industries NH90 and Airbus A319 at ILA ’96

This Ilyushin Il-76 (RA-76840), together with the Eurocopter BK117, of the Russian Disaster Relief Agency were just two of the many aircraft representing the ILA’s humanitarian aviation theme.

Prototype two-seat Saab JAS 39B Gripen 39-800, with a single seat chase aircraft behind, during its first flight from Linkoping on April 29, 1996.

Khazakhstan Airlines Antonov An-24RV UN-46611 is one of five (the others being UN-46644, -46500, -47802 and -47822) chartered by Lion Corp (note logo on fin) and operated on behalf of the Sri Lankan Air Force from Ratmalana, where it was seen in March 1996.

Taxiing back to the flight-line after its five-minute flying display, is Eurofighter 2000 DA 1 9829/JP001. A low cloud base during the first few days of ILA ’96 and the restriction of ‘no aerobatics ’ imposed by the show organisers limited the Eurofighter’s display routine to tight turns and aileron rolls.

One of five former Polish Air Force Mi-2 Hoplites being prepared for delivery to the Lithuanian Air Force by the 49th PWL at Bydgoszcz, Poland, 0543 (c/n 510543117) is seen there after repainting in Lithuanian markings. Lt left on delivery on April 18, 1996 together with the other four Mi-2s.

One of five Eurocopter Tigers, 9825 is the latest prototype to fly. It will be the PAH-2/UHU test helicopter and is fitted with Trigat missile launchers.

Serial production of the Extra 400 is scheduled to begin in a year and to date one firm order has been received with “serious interest” being shown by two other potential customers.

Daimler-Benz Aerospace is to convert a Dornier 328 turboprop as a hydrogen-fuelled test-bed. Funded by the German government, the project is intended to provide data for possible Airbus applications. It is the latest in a series of trials with cryogenic fuels; German firms led by DASA have been working with Tupolev and Kuznetsov since 1989 and an experimental Tu-155 first flew with an engine that could operated alternatively with kerosene, natural gas or hydrogen, in 1988.

Among the many examples of new technologies exhibited at the show was a Eurocopter BK117 equipped with HeliRadar. This is a system conceived to provide an all-weather operational capability for rescue helicopters. The research project is being undertaken by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology and is based on integrating radar antennae housed in the tips of a rotating cruciform structure above the rotor blades, to provide a ‘video like’ image on a screen in the cockpit.

Newly refurbished by Bristow Helicopters at Aberdeen, a former Royal Thai Army Bell 214ST, now repainted in Royal Thai Navy colours as 2306, is seen here at Glasgow Airport prior to shipment to U-Tapao where it was to join 4 Squadron. The helicopter is the first of seven being worked on by Bristows.

As mentioned last month, Kawasaki rolled-out the OH-X armed scout and observation helicopter prototype, 32001, during March 1996 at Gifu.

Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules C.4 N130JA/ZH865 airborne on its first flight from Marietta on April 5, 1996.