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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 1033.PDF
FLIGHT /nternotiona/, 5 June 1969 11IIIII DEFENCE mended the establishment of a compo site unit for design, development and production of guided missiles, has ruled out the development of a bomber for the next 15 years and has come to the conclusion that no fighter-bomber is immediately necessary, making it clear that no further licensed production with foreign collaboration would be under taken. The Indian Air Force ground- attack needs are at present met by the HF-24 and intercepter needs by the MiG-21. The committee considers that the improved version of the HF-24, now under development, should meet the needs of the IAF during the 1970s and that improved versions of the MiG-21 should also be available by that time. C-SA Excess Costs IN TESTIMONY before a House of Repre sentatives Armed Services Committee the USAF Comptroller, Lt Gen Durward Crow, put the cost overrun on the air force contract with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation at $863 million (£359.5 mil lion)—higher than some previous Penta gon estimates but lower than those made by some critics in Congress. Eventual total cost for the 120 aircraft on order is now $5.2 billion (£2,166 mil lion), but apparently there is some dispute as to whether spare parts were being counted, how the Government and the corporation should share in meeting inflationary costs and whether Lockheed should pay all the $350 million (£145.8 million) for the "technical difficulties" encountered. This testimony followed ten days after the Department of Defence had formally ordered an extensive review of the C-5A project (Flight, May 22). Cheyenne: US Army View COMMENTING ON THE CANCELLATION of the US Army order for 375 Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne helicopters (Flight, May 22), the Army Secretary, Mr Stanley R. Resor, said recently that prob lems of rotor stability "significantly limited" the type's speed and handling, and that Lockheed had "developed no adequate solution" for the problems arising in general stability and control. Further, a group of independent experts had "expressed little confidence that Lockheed would be able to deliver speci fication aircraft on its proposed slipped schedule." As reported in Flight last week, Lockheed chairman Mr Daniel Haugliton has said that the company "will take appropriate legal action" to Canadian Armed Forces CL-84 tilt-wing aircraft: first of three being produced by Canadair at Montreal 941 protect its financial position on the contract. Although the US Army has cancelled its Cheyenne order, it intends to continue a research programme on the aircraft, on which it has to date spent about $120 million. Ten test Cheyennes have been bought, one of which crashed in March. It is reported that losses to the Army could amount to more than $90 million (£37.5 million) on the first 375 Cheyennes. Two-thirds of that sum would have gone to Lockheed and the rest to other companies. Lockheed has received $90 million for R&D but claims to have spent $105 mil lion (£43.75 million) and may seek to collect the balance on this sum. The cor poration was to have received $120 mil lion (£50 million) in a first-step payment for production costs. Another F-lll Lost AN ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED to an F-lll A, 35 miles (56km) south of Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border on May 22 brought the total of F-llls lost to 14. In announcing this loss, the USAF said merely that the two crew members had ejected safely. To date, 12 F-lllAs and two F-lllBs have been lost. No RAN "Hermes" NO APPROACH IS TO BE MADE by the Australian Government to the British Government on the possibility of acquir ing the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Hermes. Suggestions had been put for ward in many quarters, both inside and outside the Australian Parliament, for the ship's acquisition by the Royal Aus tralian Navy. The Minister of Defence, Mr Allen Fairhall, said that the Govern ment had carefully considered this but it eventually decided that because of planned Navy commitments, and prob lems associated with introducing the British carrier to the Australian Navy, no further action would be taken. The problems included associated manpower and support, technical problems and the priority of other projects. •1 RAF Syerston "Vipers" Jet Provost formation aerobatic team, led by Sqn Idr John Merry, rehearsing for their IS min display routine Saluting 73 Sqn A CEREMONY OF LAYING-UP the standard of No 73 Sqn, which was disbanded in February 1969, is being held in the Royal Air Force Church of St Clement Danes, Strand, London, on Sunday, July 6. On the previous evening a squadron reunion is being held at The Talbot, Little Chester Street, London SW1. Former squadron members are invited to attend the reunion, and those wishing to be present at the laying-up ceremony should contact Fg Off P. J. Lishman, RAF Coningsby, Lincoln, as soon as possible. No 73 was one of the four Canberra squadrons in the recently disbanded Near East Air Force Strike Wing (Flight, February 27). 1 IPS •:**fe
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