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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 0581.PDF
561 fG.13 GETS JO-AHEAD HE ANGLO-FRENCH HELICOPTER pro- ramme was confirmed on Tuesday ast week when the British Ambassador i Paris and the French Minister of the toed Forces signed two Supplements i the February 22, 1967, Memorandum of Understanding on helicopter col- laboration. The first Supplement defined the development phases of the Sud SAM) I.OH and the Westland WG.13 itility helicopter, and gave a firm o-ahead, on the latter aircraft with its potential value of over £80 million to the British industry. The second Supple- ment established an initial joint Anglo- French production programme for the Sud SA.33O tactical transport helicopter. Work will be divided between the British and French industries in the ratio of orders from each country; a similar arrangement will apply to the SA.340 and WG.13 when they enter production. In the case of the SA.330 the agree- ment authorises production work already begun at the Westland and Sud plants. Components built at Yeovil will be used to meet French Armed Services, RAF ad export needs, while the RAF's 50 machines will be assembled by West- land. The first two production SA.330s »e in assembly at Sud, using Anglo- «ench components. The two airframe companies said in a )°«it statement that last week's Supple- ments would enable them to extend into marketing and sales field the close '"•operation already established in "Kign and production, and both will be SIr«igthened in the world markets. Ne\v details were simultaneously Jased of the WG.13, which will be jveioped in general-purpose military riv'i naVa'' anr|ed reconnaissance and •"transport versions (in the latter role ' »m carry up to 12 passengers). It will fts by two R"R BS 36°-°7 turbo" Mnl ,Cngmes< Data for the militaryien "-purpose version are as follows:— ^: main rotor dia 42ft; tail turni^,'ft 3in; overall length (rotors turning lit 9ln; overa11 width (ro!ors12ft • ' he'ght (tail rotor turning) Ilia' &•* length (blades folded) 41ft• ma undercarriage track 6ft 8in. radios , I' empty 4.3471b; equipment, 1801b • f ,, SUndr>es 2001b; oil 361b; pilot gross',i'fuel 1.6001b: payload 1,6371b;lake -ofT weight 8,0001b. Several hundred military WG.I3s, development of which was authorised last week, will be built for British and French armed forces. The impression above shows one in French Navy livery. The French Army will use both utility and slim "gunship" versions, and all three British Services will have versions of the basic utility ?^ (at 8.0001b and ISA + l60kt fr! at sea level: max sustained l0.OOOft fmax ran8e 140kt: o-g-e. hover ' ^rward climb (s.l., max cont rating) 2,650ft/min; level-flight fuel con- sumption (s.l.) 3.451b/n.m.; single-engine forward climb (s.l.) 740ft/min; max range (no reserves) 470 n.m.; range with auxiliary fuel and 8,5001b take-off weight (reserves as in payload/range curves): 1,000 n.m. Lightning/Starfighter Interception Team RAF LIGHTNINGS and Belgian F-104G Starfighters will be teamed in this year's AFCENT air defence competition. Three 19 Sqn Lightning F.2s from RAF Gutersloh and three FAB F-104Gs will form one sector team and will operate from Gutersloh for three months. The annual competition is designed to test NATO's air defences in all sectors from the Baltic to the Austrian border, and particularly to probe the integration of these defences. At Gutersloh the Anglo-Belgian team will provide a perfect example of inte- gration, for each pair scrambled will comprise a Lightning and an F-104G. Points will be awarded for the whole range of activities, including speed of reaction to the scramble, accuracy of interceptions and attack, and rapid turnround. Bonus points go to pilots who make a "kill" within a specified time after a target aircraft has entered the interception zone. Targets will test defences at high and low altitudes, and at sub- and supersonic speeds. Long-range Helicopter Rotation WESSEXES AND WHIRLWINDS from RAF Odiham, Hants, recently completed one of the most successful RAF long-distance helicopter operations. Four Whirlwind HAR.lOs of 230 Sqn left Odiham on March 11, en route for Cyprus, to take over the RAF's helicopter commitment to the United Nations forces there from a detachment of Wessex HC.2s of 72 Sqn. Both squadrons are based at Odiham as part of 38 Gp, Air Support Command. Led by Sqn Ldr D. E. Todd, the squadron commander, the Whirlwinds covered the 2,200 miles to the island in 23hr 45min flying time—more than 60 per cent of the journey being over water. The journey took five days, staging through Orleans-Bricy, Lyons- Bron (night stop), Nice, Pisa, Rome (night stop), Brindisi, Athens (24hr rest stopover) and Rhodes. Only two minor unserviceabilities were encountered during the trip, neither of which caused any delay in the flight schedule. Crews to man the helicopters in Cyprus will be supplied from Odiham on two-month rotation. Led by Fit Lt J. G. P. Young, the Wessex HC.2—airfreighted to the island 16 months ago—left on the return journey on March 25, staging through Rhodes, Athens (night stop), Brindisi, Naples (night stop), Pisa, Nice (night stop) and Orleans-Bricy. Serviceability and weather were so good that the journey was completed in four days instead of the allotted five. The three air- craft completed the 2,100-mile trip at an average ground speed of lOOkt, in 21hr flying time. Thunderbird Units Merge THE ARMY'S Thunderbird SAM regiments stationed in Britain merged last week. Nos 36 and 37 Heavy Air Defence Regi- ments, RA, came together as 36 Heavy Air Defence Regt, and now comprise two Thunderbird 2 batteries, a Royal Signals squadron and a REME work- shop. The unit is stationed at Horseshoe Barracks, Shoeburyness, with a person- nel strength of about 800. There are, however, no live missiles but only drill rounds, or static layouts as they are called, at Shoeburyness for •basic training. The unit will fire Thun- derbird 2s at Ty Croes range, in Wales, in September and October, and part of the regiment will go to BAOR this year for exercises. Phantom in Colour: Correction THE CAPTION to last week's Flight Colour portraying the McDonnell Phantom erred in saying that Britain was the only country outside America to buy the type. The Imperial Iranian Air Force has ordered two squadrons (32 aircraft) of F-4D Phantoms, as we reported on page 531 on August 31 last year. Delivery of the IIAF Phantoms begins this year. Britain is, of course, the only customer for F-4K and -M Spey- Phantoms; all other variants being powered by the GE J79.
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