Air Pictorial 1977-12
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The last Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer, S.2B XZ432, seen making a slow, farewell flypast at Brough, was delivered to R.A.F. Laarbruch on 6th October 1977
Concorde F-WTSB at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, after its proving flight from Toulouse on 19th October 1977
DC-8-33 G-BETJ, formerly African Safaris' 5Y-ASA, in use for crew training by Transmeridian at Stansted.
Focke-Wulf FW.190F-8
Focke-Wulf FW.190F-8
First of nine Westland Lynx anti-submarine helicopters, N-3020, for the Brazilian Navy which will operate them from its "Niteroi"-class frigates; pre-delivery marks are G-17-11
One of two Lockheed C-130H Hercules, serial 6802, delivered to the Portuguese A.F. which recently placed an order for a further three to be delivered in 1978
Beech 18 N96240, once Sagittair Ltd.'s G-AYAH, at Booker 27/9/77
Boeing 737-2P6 A40-BG, delivered through Luton on 14/9/77, was the last of Gulf Air's present order for the type.
First of two Fokker F.27 Maritime Friendships for the Peruvian Navy, serial 560, seen in Dutch pre-delivery marks PH-EXD. Note ventral radome and underwing tanks
First of four A300B-4 Airbuses for Thai Airways International, seen in French test marks F-WNDC, was delivered to Bangkok in October 1977
Thai International took delivery of the first of four Airbus Industrie A300B4s at the end of October 1977, and their aircraft will be maintained by the KSSU group under SAS control.
Seen at Rochester on 24/9/77, Robin R.2160 SE-GSZ was a competitor for the Esso Tiger Trophy.
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: Sioux G-BJAM (J. D. Apthorp and N. J. Balcombe, Luton);
Britannia 253F G-BEPX, ex 9Q-CAJ, of A.M.A.Z. at Luton 3/9/77.
Handley Page Dart Herald production amounted to a mere 50 aircraft yet 20 years later the type is entering on a new lease of life and many initially sold overseas have returned to this country. British Air Ferries alone will eventually operate 16 out of Southend on short haul routes. These include the first production aircraft, G-APWA, in which H.R.H. Prince Philip made a 19,000 mile South American tour in 1962, and the entire Sadia and Malaysian Air Force fleets. 4X-AHT which returned to Castle Donington 28/7/77, one of five from the end of the production run supplied to Arkia, Israel in 1965, has now been overhauled for Express Air Freight Ltd. and restored as G-ATDS
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: King Air E90 G-GBSC (British Steel Corp. Ltd.) at Humberside Airport 27/9/77
Evolution of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 family
David Gray's photo of the civil Marauder
"Capital Air Surveys" Lear Jet 23 C-GEEN, with distinctive camera housing below the entrance door, was photographed at Prestwick on 23/10/77
Gulfstream II HZ-ADC made its first appearance at Heathrow on 29/9/77 and is c/n. 187 and formerly N804GA
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: Brantly B-2B G-WASP, ex G-ASXE (Western Air Scotland Partners, Glasgow)
CASA C-207C Azor T.7-16, coded "911-16", of the Spanish Air Force's 911 Escuadron at Getafe AFB on 19th October 1977. It had just been repainted in a new scheme after transfer from the 351 Escuadron; cheat line is dark blue
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: Cessna U.206F G-BMHC (mechanical Handling Consultants Ltd.);
First impression to be released of the Air Defence Variant (ADV) of the Panavia Tornado which is being developed for the R.A.F. It will be armed with Skyflash medium-range and Sidewinder short-range missiles, plus a 27-mm. cannon for close combat. Of the R.A.F.'s 385 Tornadoes, 165 will be ADVs. They will replace two squadrons of Lightnings and seven squadrons of Phantom fighters
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: Navajo Chieftain G-BWAL (Air Wales) ex N59861 and A6-ABA;
Home built SA-102-5 Cavalier G-BBUW nearing completion at Panshanger 2/10/77
A new two-seat side-by-side trainer from Piper, the PA-38 Tomahawk, N38PA, is powered by a 112-h.p. Lycoming O-235-L2C and has a speed ol 113 m.p.h.
Artist's impression of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 Super 80 in the colours of Southern Airways who have ordered four.
General arrangements drawings of the DC-9 Super 80
Selection of the ever-increasing number of personalised registrations: Cherokee Lance G-FSPL (Halbret Aviation Ltd.) which arrived at Kidlington in August as D-EILI;
First flown on 2nd November 1977 at Santa Barbara, California, the Tri Turbo-3 is a Douglas DC-3 converted by Specialized Aircraft to tri-turboprop power (three Pratt & Whitney PT-6s). Cruising speed is 230 m.p.h. and range more than 3,000 miles, making it suitable for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, or photographic and mapping missions