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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0258.PDF
Airborne Boeing 747 over Puget Sound. Washington, during its maiden flight on February 9 with F-86 chase aircraft. (See first news item) WORLD E W S BOEING 747 AIRBORNE A little more than seven weeks after the target date originally set. the first of the new generation of large-capacity airliners, the Boeing 747, made its maiden flight on February 9. Mr Jack Waddell. 747 project pilot, took the aircraft aloft from Paine Field adjacent to the new Everett factory north of Seattle where it was built. He reported over the r/t that the machine handled easily: a speed of about 300 m.p.h. at 15.000ft was reached. However, almost half an hour after take-off, during preliminary handling trials, a "bump" was experienced as the flaps were lowered to 30°. Jt was decided to make a premature return to Paine Field. The aircraft made a "perfect" landing. One report suggests that mis alignment of the flaps may have caused the trouble. Flight time was around 80min--about an hour shorter than had been intended. ft is also understood that a generator burned out during the take-off, although this would not. in itself, have caused the curtailment of the flight. The 231ft-long, 300-ton prototype used only 4.500ft of the runway to get airborne, and it is reported that rotation was at a speed of about 170 m.p.h. Spectators were said to have been surprised at the relative quietness of the Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofans. During three days of ground tests last week the 747 had been taxied at speeds up to 160 m.p.h., during which handling characteristics were checked, including brakes, engine-thrust reversers. controls and steering. A crew of three was on board for last Sunday's flight together with 60.0001b of instrumentation and 1,0001b of water ballast. Mr Waddell is quoted as saying that "pilots are going to love it. Coming in for a landing it just sits there like a stable platform and the pilot has to keep telling himself to let it alone." World's Largest Comsat Launched Claimed to be the largest communi cations satellite yet flown. Tacsat I was launched on February 9 by Titan 3C rocket from Cape Kennedy. The new satellite will be used by the US Defence Department in connection with tactical communications trials. Tacsat I cost about $30 million, is about 20ft tall, 8ft in diameter and weighs l,600lb. Jt has a capacity of 10,000 two-way telephone channels, compared with the 1,200 of Intelsat 3, the largest commercial satellite yet flown. (See page 265.) F-14A Initial Contract Awarded An initial contract for $40 million (£16.6 million) was awarded on February 4 to Grumman Aircraft for development of the F-14A (originally VFX) variable- geometry fighter for the US Navy. An artist's impression and photograph of the project were published in Flight for January 23 and January 30 respec tively. The USN plans to spend $388 million to develop the aircraft which will replace the F-1I1B air- superiority fighter, cancelled last year. The entire programme may be worth up to $5,000 million, with development stretching over four years. Concorde Design Refinements Proposals intended to give Concorde a margin of extra payload over and above the guaranteed 25,0001b are being considered by BAC. Sud-Aviation and the two Governments. The proposals are being made not as a panic measure to salvage slipping payload and increasing gross weight, but as normal design steps to improve still further the payload/ range characteristics. Wind tunnel tests
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