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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0137.PDF
FLIGHT International, 23 January 1969 AIR TRANSP OR T NO TRIPARTITE AIRBUS? WHEN, on December 12, the British Minister of Technology. Mr Anthony Wedgwood Benn. described the appearance of the smaller, revised design A-300B European Airbus proposal as a new situation which would need reconsideration, no one could be sure whether this meant that Britain was likely to withdraw from the contract—though the original "memorandum of understanding" was assumed to be dead. By last weekend, the position was still uncertain. French and German representa tives met privately in Paris on Friday possibly to decide whether to go ahead on the project without the UK—and probably using P & W JT9D engines instead of Rolls-Royce RB.211-28s initially proposed for the A-300B (see Flight for December 19, pages 10)3-1016). Last week reports from Germany said that co-operation between the French and Germans was as close and cordial as before. Industry and governments alike in the two countries appeared to want to co-operate with the UK on the project and had been trying hard to meet British wishes so that the A-300B would 'be a genuine European aircraft. But 'both were Clearer and more revealing photographs of the Tu-144 SST are now becoming available. This one shows that the aerodynamics of the wing are not as sophisticated as those of the Concorde, the leading-edge of which has a pronounced "kink." when seen from this angle. The nozzles of the Kuznetsov NK.-I44 turbofans are apparently of var iable area; the planned partial after-burning installation may not yet be fitted. With 14 wheels on the main undercarriage runway bearing strength will evidently not be a major problem. The channels in the main undercarriage doors accommodate the wheels, which do not fit completely into the wing when retracted becoming impatient with the UK's equivocal attitude. Just before Christmas M Henri Zeigler, president of Sud-Aviation. was reported to have insisted that the UK must make up its mind before the end of January. Meanwhile, the Minister of Technology has continued to look at the project as one which, like all others requiring Government money, must be seen to be a viable proposition, and has not been ready to move one way or the other until more information became available about an aircraft which is now a 'near-equivalent of the projected BAC Three-Eleven. It is quite certain, however, that both these aircraft cannot usefully be built. Each would be likely to kill the other's chances of adequate sales. A Mintech spokesman said earlier this week that no word had yet been received hy the Ministry about any decisions •made at the private meeting. We understand however that the French and German ministers still welcomed British participation in the A.300B and would still accept the RB.21 I engines. The date for another tripartite ministerial meeting is to be announced shortly. IATA DEMANDS HIJACK ACTION MEMBER airlines of the International Air Transport Association have been asked by the organisation to urge their governments to demand United Nations action against the hijacking of aircraft. Mr Knut Hammarskjold, director-general of IATA, has called for hijacking and similar acts of armed intervention to be declared international crimes comparable to piracy. IATA has also suggested the setting up of international commissions of inquiry with neutral chairmen for investigating incidents, and has renewed its call for the ratification of the Tokyo Convention on unlawful acts committed on board aircraft.
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