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Aviation History
1977
1977 - 0354.PDF
330 FLIGHT International, 12 February 1977 Helicopter convention headlines International editor MARK LAMBERT reports the opening-day announce ments from the Anaheim, Calif, convention of the Helicopter Association of America THE Aerospatiale AS.350C Ecureuil was renamed AStar 350 when it was formally unveiled here last Sunday. US subsidiary Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation already claims firm orders for an unspecified number, and ex pects to sell up to five a month from next year. The price of $234,000 in 1978 and "not more than $252,000" in 1979 lies roughly between those of the Bell 206 JetRanger and 206L LongRanger. Initial overhaul life will be 2,000hr for all dynamic parts and 2,400hr for the 600 h.p. Lycoming LTS101 en gine; the FAA has approved on-condi- tion maintenance for the whole en gine or selected modules. Aerospatiale has also announced FAA approval of Category 2 opera tion by the IFR Gazelle, allowing in strument approaches in 100ft ceiling and 600m visibility. The Sperry single- pilot IFR system was put through 50 demonstration approaches to win approval. The only hardware change is a glideslope extension facility in volving modification at nominal cost of a single circuit board in the atti tude-gyro pack. Bell Textron announced last Sun day the JetRanger Mk 3, and on Mon day handed to the FAA its proposed single-pilot IFR LongRanger for cer tification trials. The Mk 3 JetRanger draws 20 h.p. more from an Allison 250-C20B, incorporates aerodynamic and mechanical improvements intro duced on the LongRanger and offers better hot and high performance. It will be available in July. Sikorsky is considering an "S-61 Mk 3" with more power and improved rotor blades, but has yet to establish its correct sales balance between the S-76, an enlarged commercial Uttas', and S-61. At the longer ranges the S-76 carries as many people as the S-61, but at half the cost, while the existing Uttas has too small a cabin for the payloads it is potentially capable of carrying. By the end of 1977, Sikorsky will certificate a 1,5001b payload increase accommodating seven more passen gers in the existing S-61, still being manufactured at the rate of one a month. The new payload matches that approved in 1973 by the British CAA. As the first Sikorsky S-76 undergoes a 350hr tied-down running programme at Stratford, Conn, and the second is being prepared to fly next month at Sikorsky's new West Palm Beach flight-test base, the company an nounces a firm price of $875,000 at 1976 values, inflated with time accord ing to US Government indices. The first, third and fourth S-76s will join the second at West Palm Beach for flight-testing aimed at achieving cer tification in July 1978, with deliveries following immediately. Sikorsky will export the S-76 initially to those coun tries with reciprocal certification agreements and will recertificate in other countries as sales develop. Two thirds of the 89 aircraft ordered so far will go to oil operators. Kenya's new airline KENYA AIRWAYS began services on February 4 after the collapse of East African Airways (see Flight for Feb ruary 5, page 267). Kenya announced the formation of its own independent airline on February 2, and a leased British Midland Airways Boeing 707 in Kenya Airways livery left London for Nairobi two days later to perform the new carrier's first service. Former EAA state Tanzania closed its border with Kenya at several points on February 4, apparently in retalia tion after Kenya closed down the financially troubled tri-state airline. Newspaper reports in Nairobi claim that an attempt was made on Feb ruary 1 to hijack an EAA aircraft to Tanzania. Officials at Nairobi Airport apparently foiled the attempt, and 79 Tanzanian nationals working at the airport were later laid off. Tanzania has banned all Kenyan-registered fight aircraft, and Kenyan vehicles already in Tanzania have been impounded by Customs officials. Tanzania has leased Kenya Airways began operations on February 4 with two Boeing 707-321 s wet-leased from British Midland Airways. The first is seen here at Heathrow shortly before leaving on its first service to Nairobi
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