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Aviation History
1978
1978 - 0783.PDF
FLIGHT International, 13 Mar 1978 1457 , m- Missile muscle for Alpha Jet FRANCE has offered Egypt the Alpha Jet armed with cluster bombs, anti- runway bombs and Magic short-range air-to-air missiles. The Egyptian Air Force has not yet signed an order for Alpha Jet, but has expressed interest in a Magic-armed version. Matra has proposed that Alpha Jets for Egypt be armed with two Magic rounds plus two Belouga cluster bombs or two Durandal concrete- dibbers. First firing of the R.550 Magic from an Alpha Jet took place around the middle of last month, but a year or so of development work will Top An Alpha Jet carries two Magic air-to-air missiles on the outboard pylons Left This series of photographs shows the operating sequence of a Durandal anti-runway bomb. Braking parachutes t:lt the weapon before the rocket motor ignites be needed to clear the combination for service. Matra has also released photo graphs of a Durandal test, showing how the weapon dives under rocket power into the target runway once a braking parachute has tilted it to the correct angle. The company considers that the best method of using the weapon is to release six bombs at 0-lsec intervals while flying across the runway at an angle of about 30°. In this way at least three hits are likely, cratering the entire width of the hard surface. Durandal has been leaving the Matra production line at Signes since February this year, and has attracted orders from six air forces (see Flight for April 1, page 909). About 100 bombs were dropped during the trials programme. Improvement package for Tornado radar PANAVIA confirms that the fire- control radars of Tornado IDS aircraft can be given an increased air-to-air capability (see Flight for April 8, page 967). This so-called Radpac modifica tion is aimed at the export market and services such as the Canadian Armed Forces, which require a single avionics fit for interception and strike. According to Panavia managing director Dr C. P. Fichtmuller, Radpac is a company - funded development sponsored by the British, German and Italian Governments, and it uses radar modules developed during the original programme. "Radpac is designed to give the air-to-ground radar a very much augmented air-to-air capability without compromising the air - to - ground capability." The aircraft is now on the Australian shortlist of Mirage IIIO replacements. Asked whether Panavia would undertake further projects now that Tornado is in production, Dr Ficht muller replies: "The answer must be yes—if and when our customers agree on their future requirements. Panavia represents the first determined and successful attempt by three major European nations to get together to rationalise their defence requirements and to co produce a weapon system to meet these requirements. It is there fore inconceivable that this pioneering effort should, in future, be thrown away and wasted. Indeed, we hope it will expand so that Panavia will include other nations." Sweden plans new missiles SWEDEN'S defence forces have a tentative requirement for at least three new guided missiles for service in the next decade. Saab Scania and Bofors have set up a joint company known as Saab Bofors Missile Corpora tion to handle the work. Deliveries of the Rb.04E and Rb.05A anti-ship missiles are almost complete and preliminary discussions are now under way on a planned ship to-ship guided weapon. Saab has stopped work en the Rb.72 infra-red-homing air-to- air missile, although the weapon was shown at the Hanover air show mounted beneath the wing of a B3LA model. Homing-head technology developed during the short - lived Rb.72 pro gramme may be used on Sweden's new Rb.83 weapon planned for the same aircraft. Few details are available, but the missile will probably be a quick- reaction air-to-ground weapon for use against targets such as tanks. B3LA will have a limited air-to-air role, being designed as a light strike aircraft/ trainer. Now that the Rb.72 pro gramme is dead, the aircraft will carry a version of Sidewinder. The Swedish Army needs a succes sor to the Bantam anti-tank missile, so work is under way on a next-genera tion lightweight system. Another Mig-25 record? RUSSIAN pilot Svetlana Savitskaya has claimed a new speed record for women over a 1,000km (621-mile) closed circuit, flying an aircraft desig nated E-133 and believed to be a two- seat M1G-25U Foxbat C conversion trainer. Average speed was 1,448 m.p.h. (2,333km/hr), beating the 1967 record, set in a M1G-21PF, by a 620 m.p.h. margin. Maximum speed at tained by Ms Savitskaya was over 1,620 m.p.h. The flight continues the pattern of MiG-25U records, which have con sistently demonstrated speeds lower than the sustained Mach 2-8 capability of the single-seat MiG-25s.
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