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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0991.PDF
FLIGHT International, 20 June 196: Dassault Mystere 20 OUTDOING JULES VERNE jeeps via the rear-loading ramp. Away again at light weight, the 941 exhibited little improvement in STOL performance—strange, but meritorious. While everyone's thoughts were still hov2ring with the 941 a Bslgian-built F-104G, which had taken off earlier, returned in complete silence from the direction of Paris at as near Mach 1 as made no difference. Its ensuing display of high-speed aerobatics occupied an immense amount of sky. After a slow pass with every thing down the reheat was slammed in and the Super Starfighter was smartly rolled as it climbed away with undercarriage still coming up. On the far side of the airfield the Dassault Balzac—contender for VTOL honours with the P.l 127—now rose from its metal platform, under the thrust of its eight Rolls-Royce lift engines, to about 300ft before moving into transition and retracting its undercarriage. It then translated to the thrust of its Bristol Siddeley Orpheus (which is capable of taking this Mach 2 airframe to about Mach 0.9) before once again transferring the weight from wings to lift engines and making a vertical touch-and-go on the grass. Hovering at about 100ft in front of the presidential enclosure, the Balzac demonstrated its rock-steadiness, both stationary and while yawing. Though not rolled or pitched while in the hover it was obviously very stable in all three axes. Then VTOL yet again—a presentation by two of the big new Sud Super Frelons. One of these triple-l,500h.p.-Turmo-powered ioad-carriers demonstrated its capability by transporting a four- ton truck slung on a cable. Production Super Frelons will have rear- loading doors with a built-in ramp. The second machine, in Aero- nautique Naval colours, but with civil registration, had flown shortly before the Show, on May 31. With a quaking roar from its reheated twin General Electric J79s the McDonnell F-4B Phantom 2 got away. This wicked- looking tri-services fighter/bomber showed something of its pheno menal speed range in runs along the enclosures, culminating in a slow blown-flap approach and amazingly abbreviated landing run. It was followed by another US Navy aircraft, the North American A-5A Vigilante, a strong performer and a world-record-breaker with its big wing and 60,0001b gross weight. Like the earlier twin Rolls-Royce Tyne-powered products, the Transalls, the two Breguet Atlantic anti-submarine aircraft took off together in echelon. The starboard propeller of the rear aircraft was feathered after unstick, and the rest of its display—including landing—was performed with only one operating. The other aircraft showed the Atlantic's high—330kt—cruising speed for getting out to search areas. Both machines, the first and third to be built, were in French Naval colours, with NATO insignia on their fins. The Atlantics continued their display by following each other around a tight circle of the airfield, exhibiting their long weapons- Kaman UH.2A Seasprite Soko Mostar Galeb Ling-Temco-Vought JF-8A Crusader two-seater bays and extendable radomes. As they approached for their short landing an American counterpart, the Lockheed P-3A Orion, took off, its long tail sting just missing the runway during the snap rotation preceding a climbing turn. It manoeuvred around the Le Bourget area with doors open to display its short but wide weapons-bay ahead of the wing. As the Orion approached, the Royal Navy's low-level strike Blackburn Buccaneer, with two big slipper tanks inboard, got airborne for a vivid contribution typify ing its low-level capabilities. Saturday's display was concluded with mass flypasts by French Navy and Air Force aircraft—every one Dassault-built. First on the scene, at 400kt, were eleven Naval Etendard IVMs in close vie formation, followed closely by an Etendard IVM and IVP engaged in flight refuelling. Individual demonstrations by IVMs came next, one aircraft rolling vertically on to its side and continuing thus along the whole length of the airfield by a gradual raising of the nose before finally entering a turn. Ninety-one are on order and deliveries are proceeding at five per month. The French Navy signed off with a spectacular high-speed tail-chase along the enclosures. Finally it was the turn of the Air Force—four Mirage Ills from the Colmar Squadron, variously equipped with tanks-cum-rocket packs, bombs, and Matra 530 and Sidewinder missiles. These were followed by three more Mirage Ills in close vie, coming in from the Paris end of the field, switching on their belly-mounted SEPR rocket boosters and going into a tremendously fast climb of fleur-de-lis pattern. The flames from their rockets were visible long after the aircraft themselves had disappeared into haze. At last came the end, with a straightforward flypast by eighteen Mirage Ills in one vie of six and four of three. FOOTNOTE: On Sunday, June 16, the display was much as described above, plus international Service representation—the Patrouille de France on Mysteres, a Greek Air Force team on F-86Es, the RAF Firebirds on Lightnings, a Royal Swedish Air Force team of Drakens, the USAF Thunderbirds on F-lOOs, an Italian Air Force team on F-86Es, and the French Ecole de I'Air team on Magisters. On this occasion two P.1127s participated, but we have the saddening task of recording that after they had begun a performance which promised to be the VTOL sensation of the Show (as it deserved to be) one of them suffered a crash-landing. The pilot, Bill Bedford, was shaken but unhurt.
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