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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 1112.PDF
658 AIR TRANSPORT STOL BUFFALO FLIES THE de Havilland Canada C-8A Buffalo research prototype, which incorporates an augmentor wing, flew for the first time on May 1 at Seattle. It has been modified by Boeing and is powered by two Speys. The programme is sponsored by Nasa and the Canadian Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce, under $9 million contracts. On the first flight a functional check of the aircraft and its systems was performed. Thomas E. Edmonds, the Boeing chief test pilot on the programme, said that no problems were encountered during the 51min flight to Paine Field, north of Seattle. The aircraft flew "almost exactly as predicted," he said. Following a flight-test programme at Boeing to estab lish basic airworthiness, Nasa and DITC will take the Buffalo to the Ames Research Centre facility in California. The aircraft will then be used to test low-speed operation of the augmentor wing, which uses compressor-bleed air ducted through hollow flaps to increase circulation and thus lift around the wing (see Flight for February 24, page 295). ANSETT TAKE-OVER FAILS THE take-over bid by Thomas Nationwide Transport for Ansett Transport Industries has been withdrawn following unprecedented Victorian State Government intervention. The State Government has introduced legislation which in effect forbids the take-over before November 30. Take-overs by foreign companies tend to be a matter of some concern in Australia, but this appears to be a case of New South Wales versus Victoria—TNT being based in Sydney, ATI in Melbourne. The Premier of Victoria, Sir Henry Bolte, explained that this was done to protect the interests of Victoria, but our Australian correspondent notes that he has not done this in the case of other take-overs of Victorian companies, even by foreign firms. Sir Reginald Ansett immediately stated that TNT "must" reduce its 23*2 per cent interest in ATI to 10 per cent. The Australian Financial Review commented: "If important principles were not at stake and if Sir Henry was not so evidently, serious, his actions could almost be considered a music-hall turn. . . . The legislation . . . would effectively strip substantial shareholders of their rights and backdate the provision, so that shareholdings built up before the take-over effect was announced are also affected." One important factor in the whole affair has been that ATI did not ask any TNT man on to the board even though the latter had a 23J2 per cent interest. TNT was therefore in the position that it had an $11 million invest ment without any board representation and was forced to move for a take-over. Australian commentators generally believe that if Sir Reginald had given a seat or two to TNT, the take-over would not have occurred, at least this year, although it might possibly have taken place a year or two later. HIJACKING GUIDANCE THE US Airline Pilots Association has circulated to the Press a booklet containing suggestions on the reporting of hijacking incidents. Alpa stresses that it has no desire to see censorship of the Press, but it uses the booklet to point out areas of information which it believes would be harmful to the public interest if published. This information includes items giving specific facts about security systems and techniques, or speculation as to their nature, The association also points to the dangers of glamorising and dramatising hijackings, and condemns publicity given to passengers' practical jokes. Alpa also lists categories of facts which it considers to be in the public interest—including "straight reporting of general facts," details of penalties and sentences, and statistics of failures and successes. FLIGHT International, 11 May 1972 The Airbus Industrie A-300& prototype has now been fitted with its tail cone at Toulouse. First flight is scheduled for the last quarter of this year • Some of the latest security equipment is due to be on show at Alpa's annual air safety forum at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC, on May 23-25. 200 CF6s DELIVERED WITH 26 DC-10-lOs now in airline service, total CF6-6 running time to the end of April has passed 68,000hr. By the end of April, 205 of the turbofans had been shipped for installation in DC-10-10s. The engine-caused in-flight shut-down rate has dropped to 0-06 per 1,000 engine hours from 0-08 a month ago, and the engine-caused un scheduled removal rate has dropped to 0-21 per l,000hr from 0-22. The CF6-6 has been in service nine months and is now flying with four airlines—American, United, National and Continental. A Paninternational Boeing 707 was recently sold by auction at Munich. The aircraft has been bought by American Airlines, its previous owner, for DM6-5 million (£785,000). No New Zealand Concorde A survey of New Zealand runways made by BAC has resulted in cancellation of the proposed visit by Concorde 002 to that country in June on its Far East tour. Atlantis appeal The West German Ministry of Transport and Lufthansa have appealed against the decision of the Lower Administrative Court in Cologne in favour of the Atlantis application for scheduled transatlantic services. The Ministry of Transport had earlier rejected the Atlantis request, saying that it was not in the public interest to license a second German carrier on the Atlantic (see Flight for March 9, page 345). Legal proceedings will thus con tinue and the proposed scheduled services can under no circumstances start before 1973.
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