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Aviation History
1967
1967 - 0902.PDF
880 FLIGHT International, I June 1967 AIR TRANSPORT . . . One of three proposed "entertainment systems" for the Boeing 747 is a wide- screen film show for the de luxe first-class compartment demonstrated recently by Inflight Motion Pictures in the mock-up were willing and able to satisfy this demand, so the Govern- ment had decided to grant exemptions from certain provisions of the air navigation regulations to enable them to operate these services which, though scheduled, would be classed as charter flights. Mr Swartz said that exemptions from provisions of the regulations would permit charter operators to fly fare-paying passengers between stated destinations to published timetables. The DCA, in liaison with state authorities, would investigate each application and decide those to be granted. He also said that the need for an intermediate type of air service to small centres had resulted from the world-wide trend by the major airlines in re-equipping with bigger aircraft. The economics were now such that the cost of giving small centres regular F.27 or even DC-3 services imposed a severe financial penalty. A surprise feature of the announcement was that the upper weight limit of aircraft permitted to operate these services would be 12,5001b gross for twin-engined types and 7,5001b gross for single-engined aircraft. This means that relatively sophisticated aircraft can be operated by the companies which can afford to do so. Not only will Aero Commanders and Piaggios be seen, but there could be aircraft of the standard of the new Handley Page Jetstream, or the Beech 99. NEW VERSION OF THE HS.748 THE Hawker Siddeley 748 is shortly to be dffered with higher- powered Darts. The new version will be known as the HS.748 Series 2A and will be available to customers later this year. Rolls-Royce Dart R.Da7 Mk 532s will replace the Mk 531s in the present 748s. With a take-off power of 2,230 e.s.h.p., the Dart 532 offers an increase of 125 e.s.h.p. per engine as well as higher powers for climb and cruise. There is no dif- ference in the overhaul life, which now stands at 3,000hr. This extra power improves the take-off performance by 5 per cent. This means that up to 1,4001b more disposable load can be lifted from short fields, or up to 1,0001b more from hot and high airfields. The cruising speed will be 7kt faster, reduc- ing the block time over a 200 n.m. sector by 2min and improv- ing direct operating costs by about 2 per cent. The landing performance will also be improved, with the field length re- quired at sea level reduced by 250ft to 3,300ft at maximum landing weight. In- terms of payload this improvement repre- sents up to 4,0001b, or 20 extra passengers, where the landing runway length is limiting. More than 150 Hawker Siddeley 748s of all types are in service or on order with some 28 operators in 17 different countries (see Flight for April 13, page 540, for the latest list of orders). CHANGED POLICY FOR NEW GUINEA A DECISION to sell off its 17 Cessnas has been made by Ansett-Mandated Airlines and TAA has also decided not to operate any more light aircraft in Papua/New Guinea. TAA has, in fact, decided to replace its Queen Air A80s both in P/NG and in Australia with Twin Otters and not to operate any aircraft which are smaller than this; an order for more Twin Otters is now being processed by TAA. These decisions follow the impact on air traffic, both cargo and passenger, in P/NG since the construction of the all-weather road into the Highlands. The airlines have found that the rising scale of pilot wages makes the operation of four- to six-seat aircraft totally uneconomic. The Australian Department of Civil Avia- tion is going to follow the policy of handing over services to the major airlines only when the traffic reaches the stage of justifying the use of Twin Otters and Skyvans. Ansett-MAL has been happy to have the delivery of their Skyvans delayed until 1968 (see Flight for February 23, page 279) as the business offering would not have stood their introduction, but the traffic should justify them next year. The Ansett plan to introduce F.27QCs into P/NG this year has been abandoned and the aircraft are being introduced into service in North Queensland during June. They are meanwhile being operated as passenger aircraft on southern services and never flew commercially under Ansett-MAL colours. TAA is in the happy position that it never believed the QC Friend- ships would operate in P/NG and it did not follow the original Ansett order. Both airlines are, however, using F.27s on main- line services within P/NG and both introduced Boeing 727s on the Sydney-Moresby route in May, following the introduction into service in Australia of the second pair of DC-9s on May 11. BOAC's 747 OPTION A DECISION by BOAC to take up part of its option on ten more Boeing 747s is expected before the end of this year. This was said by Mr Charles Abell, the airline's chief engineer, during a recent visit to Seattle. He also said that BOAC may require one or two more 707-320Cs in addition to the fourth which, as already recorded (see last week's issue, page 826) has been ordered for delivery in the autumn of 1968. The airline's first three 747s are due for delivery in March, April and May 1970, in time for the peak summer travel season, and the second three of the firm order will be delivered early in 1971. BOAC will probably operate 747s with both first and economy class seating, but a three-class layout, Mr Abell said, is also under consideration; the third class would be for group- fare passengers. FH-228 Sales Manager Mr Jack S. Meade, formerly sales representative of Douglas, has been named sales manager for the Fairchild Hiller FH-228. BEA Appointment Mr Anthony Caro has been appointed BEA's manager for England and Wales and takes up rus position today, June 1. He succeeds Mr Gordon Erridge who has held the post since it was established in 1948. 747 Test Pilot Mr Jack Waddell, Boeing's senior experi- mental test pilot, has been named as the project pilot for *e Boeing 747 when it makes its first flight late next year. He will also be in charge of the 747 test programme.
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