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Aviation History
1970
1970 - 1553.PDF
PLIGHT International, 13 August 1970 sules are ejected and parachuted back to Earth. The photographs are scrutinised to detect, in this case, any troop and tank movements, changes in gun posi tions or increase in missile sites. This system has been used to locate Russian 1CBM sites and the Chinese nuclear test area at Lop Nor in north-east China. Lockheed Prospects Lockheed's January to July profit figures of $8.3 million, released re cently, were less than half those for the same period in 1969. However, this was considerably better than was widely anticipated, and the company still appears to be confident of survival. Lockheed's primary problem has been that of obtaining government aid to cover overspending on the C-5A Galaxy, and subsistence until TriStar deliveries begin in late 1971 (Flight, July 30, page 148). One hundred and fifteen Galaxies have been ordered, and if another $200 million is not forthcoming production will have to stop with 31 aircraft com pleted and a further 50 partially con structed. This would result in a $1,000 million loss to the US Government. Lockheed claims that these problems have no bearing on TriStar production, continuation of which is funded for the immediate future. Twenty-four banks are prepared to complete the fundings as soon as the US Government clarifies the C-5A's future. "FLIGHT" NEXT WEEK . . . . . . will include a special air traffic control survey and a "Flightcolour" print of the Vickers-Armstrong Welling ton, fifth in the series of World War Two colour photographs by Charles E. Brown. BUA Increases British United's scheduled passenger traffic in the first half of the year was 30 per cent up on the similar period last year, the airline says. The total number of passengers carried was 274,120. The domestic trunk routes showed particularly strong increases—43 per cent on London<51asgow, 47 per cent on London-Edinburgh and 40 per cent on London-Belfast. BUA has applied to the ATLB for a progressive increase in frequencies on these routes. As an alternative, the airline has also asked the board to consider permitting any number of flights in accordance with traffic demand. Sikorski Accident Damages Substantial damages, with agreed costs, are being awarded to Mr E. M. Prchal, who was pilot of the Liberator in which the Polish leader Gen Sikorski lost his life after a take-off from Gibraltar on July 4, 1943, as a result of a libel action settled in London last week. Defen dants were Wyndham Theatres Ltd, lessees of the New Theatre, where the play Soldiers was presented from Decem ber 1968 to April 1969. In this play it is suggested that the 223 SENSOR The Board of Trade expects Caledonian to say what part of the BOAC and BEA route networks it requires and then, after study of the possible dam age to BOAC and BEA, it will ask the corporations for a formal assessment of the commercial effects. Tripartite dis cussions are likely before a directive is formally issued and licences sorted out by the Air Transport Licensing Board. The Government will not compensate BOAC and BEA financially for the routes to be transferred to the second force. It is likely, however, that there will be a small adjustment in the return-on-capital rates agreed with the Treasury or in the dividend on equity capital. VCI0 or Trident type cash compensation is completely out of the question. The BoT does not accept that route licences have any financial value. Initial coolness in the Ministry of Technology to the American invitation to participate in the Nasa post- Apollo space shuttle programme has completely changed. Both technically and financially the US offer appears to be a generous one, with acceptance of British engineers in key positions in US companies "across the board" rather than playing junior roles in particular sectors of the programme. The cost has not been defined, but the "ball-park" figure being talked about is 1 per cent of the £2,500 million total programme cost. The deal appears to offer a key part in US space tech nology for £3 million a year over eight years. A merger between BAC and Messer- schmitt-Bolkow-Blohm becomes pos sible, though it would be some way off in time, following the launching of MRCA. This would close the only re maining "confidence gap" in the pro gramme, the possibility that one side or the other would pull out unilater ally, especially at an advanced technical or financial stage. The British Govern ment is opposed to a Concorde-type inter-governmental treaty which does not have a break clause. The industrial precedent which impresses the British side is the remarkable merger between Fokker and VFW. Although the terms on which the Germans gained a national advantage in the Panavia MRCA consortium have changed fundamentally, Germany no longer buying the most aircraft and paying the most R&D, it is unlikely that the industrial arrangements will be unscrambled now. BAC technical people are finding collaboration with the Germans refreshingly easier than it is with the French, and on the all- important point of design leadership there is no doubt within Panavia that, on this first Panavia project at least, this will be in the British team.
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