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Aviation History
1970
1970 - 1552.PDF
222 FLIGHT International. 13 August 1970 Lockheed's new fighter offer Saying that "we have created an advanced fighter design which capitalises on years of effort in aerodynamic re search; the CL-1200 is a real step for ward in 'dogfight performance'—a truly modern aerodynamic design for a manoeuvring fighter," Mr Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson, senior vice-president of Lockheed Aircraft, last week gave details of the corporation's new air- superiority fighter which has been named the Lockheed Lancer. This aircraft is being offered to West Germany, the Netherlands and other countries cur rently operating the F-104G Starfighter. Mr Johnson said that the new fighter had been designed' primarily for air-to- air combat but also possessed the capa bility of close air support and interdic tion missions. Although in outward per formance and appearance the CL-1200 was' a wholly new aircraft, he said that it had been designed from the outset to make maximum use of components and systems of the F-104G. Savings in Corporations Stand Firm The Government's plans to set up a second-force airline meant that BOAC would be helping to pay for the setting up of a competitor, Mr Keith Granville, managing director of the corporation, said this week. Referring to the projected transfer of some of BOAC's routes to the new airline, Mr Granville said: "To see the results of years of hard work and dedication swept away and given to others on a plate so that they may enjoy the benefit is bitterly disappointing." Writing in this week's edition of BEA News, Mr Henry Marking, BEA manufacturing the Lancer and in opera tional support for countries which had already bought and were flying the F-104G was measured in "hundreds of millions of dollars." The Lancer, a photograph of a model of which is reproduced on this page, is of high-wing, low-tail design. It will be powered by the General Electric J79-19 engine now used in the Italian F-104S Starfighter. With its larger wing and full-span leading- and trailing-edge flaps, the Lancer will have take-off and land ing speeds, Mr Johnson said, much lower than those of the F-104G. The aircraft will be almost 57ft long, with a wing span of 29ft and a height of 15ft; according to equipment carried, design take-off weight would range from under 25,0001b to more than 34,0001b. Mr Johnson saidi it had been offered as a low-cost, simply equipped, highly efficient (with M61 rapid-firing cannon, rockets and missiles) all-weather "visual" fighter. chief executive, confirms that the cor poration has no intention of handing over any routes unless and until the Govern ment forces it to do so. "If BEA were required to give up routes," he writes, "I fear there might well be some redundancy." Second force under way: Air Transport, page 227. Nigeria Report Soon? With the publication of the report of the inquiry into the crash of a Nigeria Airways VC10 near Lagos last November expected shortly, British Sunday papers splashed on their front pages last week end the story that firearms had been found in the wreckage. The finding of the three revolvers (reported in Flight for July 9) has now been confirmed but it is not thought that the report, when published, will blame the accident on any disturbance or attempted hijacking on board. It is more likely to state that no positive cause of the accident can be established. Investi gators have been hampered by the fact that the flight recorder system was not functioning. All 87 people on board were killed in the crash. Conservatives' MRCA Briefing A briefing on the MRCA multi-r61e combat aircraft was given recently by Panavia in Munich to newly elected members of the Conservative Parliamen tary Aviation Committee. They also visited Messerschmdtt-Bolkow-Blohm at Ottobrun. The committee's chairman is Mr Cran- ley Onslow; the vice-chairman is Mr Michael McNair Wilson and the secre tary Mr Robert Maxwell-Hyslop. Cease-fire Space Watch Both American and Russian recon naissance satellites are being used at present to aid supervision of the Middle East cease-fire. These satellites are launched at frequent intervals and have a mission life of 12 days, although until fairly recently the Russians kept their satellites in orbit for only eight days. The orbits average from 125 miles apogee to 170 miles perigee. The cameras aboard the US spacecraft are understood to be capable of discerning 12in objects from heights of up to 300 miles and there is no reason to doubt that the Russian satellites are at least equally efficient. After twelve days the spacecraft are brought back from orbit and film cap- Starfighter Successor? A scale model (left), of Lockheed's CL-1200 Lancer, the Mach 2-plus fighter design being offered to European users of the F-104 Starfighter. It is characterised by a high wing set well back on the fuselage, large fin and low-set tailplane. The general design appears to embody many F-104 features including the fuselage and wings Maritime Line-up Seven of the 38 Nim- rods ordered for Strike Command (right) at RAF St Mawgan. Another four are based at Kinloss. In tile foreground, one of the last Shackleton 2s still in service with No 18 (Mari time) Croup. See story on page 256
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