FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1967
1967 - 0107.PDF
I IGHT International, 19 January 1967 105 jtted for "psywar" sorties—leaflet drop- ing and loud-hailing—for which Helio j-10 Couriers are at present used in Vietnam. It is expected that further ;essna 337s will be ordered under 1967 upplemental appropriations. What is not at present clear is how ie 0-2As will fit in with the fleet of IAA OV-lOAs which the USAF has Iso ordered for FAC duties. The twin- irboprop OV-10A is of a much higher rder of cost and complexity than the ff-the-shelf Cessna lightplane and may ow be considered too costly for the run- f-the-mill FAC sorties in Vietnam. The >-2A's second engine will be a great omfort to FACs at present flying Bird logs and it will render them consider- >ly less vulnerable to ground fire or dgine failure. The centre-line position f both engines obviates asymmetry com- [lications with a dead engine and the (-2A repeats the essential FAC virtues good low-speed characteristics with : speed range of 60-200 m.p.h., a wide eld-of-view, and short-field abilities. To jiese a limited passenger or freight capa- ity is now added. In the evaluation eceding its selection, a Cessna 337 was rated with rocket pods and 7.62mm aini-gun pods under the wings, and the is to have four underwing strong- oints for such stores. The gross take- weight will be 5,4001b and special quipment for the FAC role will include pmera mountings and multi-band radio. i A first-hand view of FAC flying in |ietnam was given by an article (page p) of last week's Flight. elfast Simulator at Brize Norton FLIGHT SIMULATOR made by Miles ctronics Ltd for the Short Belfast has en put into service at RAF Brize lorton, where the ten Belfasts of 53 Sqn •ill be based. The simulator has a three- kis cockpit motion system (giving some [effect) and is shortly to be equipped Kith a synthetic colour visual system to [low pilots to practise day and night ndings under reduced visibility con- [tions. The colour display will be pro- dded by a three-barrel TV projector ounted below the fuselage. The image be back-projected on to a screen in ont of the flight-deck by means of an Itra-lightweight mirror. Tin addition to full simulation of all jrcraft systems, the Belfast simulator is |ted with the Smiths Autoland system so at systems-management training can be •formed prior to in-service use of the ^tomatic landing aid in the aircraft elf. Another feature not often found in litary simulators is a system for pro- li synthetic radio navigation-aid nals and identifications. Up to 60 such nals can be accommodated simul- neously, position information being ovided by a special-purpose digital |mputer designed and made by Miles ctronics. The programme of navaids rapidly be changed, from one °graphical area to another, by means • punched programming tape. [Miles Electronics are at present build- five Lockheed Hercules C-130K nulators for RAF Transport Command, and tank simulators for the Army. The Wessex HAS.3, the first six of which entered RN service last week, as reported below US Evaluation of CL-84 THE us ARMY is conducting this month a tri-service evaluation, of the Canadair CL-84 tilt-wing twin-turboprop VTOL aircraft, involving about 20hr flying dur- ing which rescue operations are being simulated. The US Army has supported develop- ment of the Canadair machine—which has already made simulated rescue flights in its Canadian tests—with the loan of engines and as a participant in regular programme reviews. The US Army recently said that the CL-84 merited serious consideration by the Services for utility roles, not least of which was SAR. It was on a simulated SAR flight that the second Ryan XV-5A, last VTOL air- craft under US Army evaluation, crashed recently. Another VTOL air- craft, the large four-engine, tilt-wing, LTV XC-142A, was also tested recently at Edwards AFB in the role. Wessex 3 IFTU Formed THE INTENSIVE FLYING TRIALS UNIT which will evaluate the Wessex 3 ASW helicopter before it enters operational service with the Royal Navy was com- missioned at RNAS Culdrose on January 9. No. 700 (H) Fit. with six of the new machines, is commanded by Lt. Cdr C. R. V. Doe. The Wessex 3, already dubbed "the camel" for its spine-mounted hump radome aft of the rotor head, is the first RN helicopter to be equipped with radar. Other refinements include a Doppler navigation system; a "hands- off" twin autopilot flight-control system and an up-rated Rolls-Royce Gazelle engine. While it is a considerable advance on the presently operational Wessex HAS.l, these improvements hardly justify the MoD's extravagant claim last week that it is "the most sophisticated Service helicopter in the world." The first squadron to re-equip with Wessex 3s will be 814 Sqn, at present embarked in HMS Victorious. Stores Depots Reopened THREE BRITISH STORES DEPOTS will be reopened immediately by the USAF as a result of the withdrawal from France. They are Greenham Common, Berks; Sculthorpe, Norfolk and Chelveston, Northants. No aircraft will be based at any of them. THE ARMY AIR CORPS now has a resident flight based in Colchester Barracks—19 Flight with Scout AH.Is. AT LEAST two Lightning F.3 stations in the UK now operate ex-226 OCU Lightning F.ls (modified to F.I As) as "hacks." No 111 and 56 Sqn at Watti- sham utilise three and 23 Sqn and 26 Sqn, Leuchars, two such machines as "Target Facilities Flights." No 5 Sqn at Binbrook is believed to be following suit. The Belfast simulator for 53 Sqn at RAF Brize Norton, the subject of an accom- panying item
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
