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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 1987.PDF
168a-l69 FLIGHT International, 3 August 1972 mmm% Australia's Nomad THE NAME NOMAD has been chosen for the Government Aircraft Factory Project N, the second post-war transport to be designed and produced in Australia. In common with its predecessor, the three-engined Drover, it displays many distinctive design features. Like most aircraft depending on government finance the Nomad has had a long and chequered history, with the lack of a large home market conflicting with an Australian desire to keep a viable design and manufacturing capability to comple ment the facilities of Woomera, the Department of Supply, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. One of the newly certificated prototypes is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom on August 28 in preparation for the SBAC show, where it will be demon strated alongside the rival products of Britten-Norman, Shorts and DHC. For any Australian aircraft to be a success measured in terms of sales it has to attract orders from military and civil operators at home, and from export markets overseas. Against this background, work has continued over a long period on a wide variety of projects, ranging from a small twin proposed by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in the 1950s, through the CAC primary jet trainer put forward as an alternative to the Macchi MB.326H, to the BAC-GAF strike/trainer project of 1971. In 1966 the GAF approached the Australian Army with a single-engined turboprop project designed to replace Cessna 180s and Pilatus Turbo-Porters. It was also planned to make a crop-spraying version available to agricultural aviation interests, at that time operating a large number of DHC Beavers. Army experience in Vietnam, and the com ments of other potential civil operators, however, sug gested a need for two engines, more range and good "hot-and-high" airfield performance. This led to a com plete redesign, and the first twin-turboprop proposals which developed later into Project N2. The programme got off the ground in January 1970 with the allocation of $A3 • 2 million, £1 • 6 million by the Australian Government for the design and construction of two prototypes and one structural-test airframe. The first prototype, now known as the N22 and registered VH-SUP, flew on July 23, 1971. Behind the scenes, however, a familiar dogfight was taking place, this time with Australian characters, as Army and Air Force clashed over who should operate and com mand fixed-wing aircraft. The project began to fly into a political headwind, with the Government delaying pro duction go-ahead and several important members of the design team resigning in protest. In contrast, flight test went very well. Minor snags concerned with undercarriage retraction were overcome, and a 30 per cent increase in fin and rudder area was introduced to improve directional At the top of the page the second prototype is seen in typically Australian surroundings. Left, the large, low-pressure tyres and retractable under carriage are clearly seen in this view of 01
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