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Aviation History
1979
1979 - 1091.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 April 1979 1045 Royal Navy begins Jetstream training ROYAL NAVY student observers have begun training on British Aero space Jetstream T.2s with the joint 750 Naval Air Squadron/Royal Naval Observer School, Culdrose, Cornwall. Seven aircraft have been delivered to the unit so far, and the interim strength of ten Jetstreams should be reached by May, by which time all the squadron's Sea Princes will have been phased out. The Observer School trains mari time helicopter observers, giving the students a basic grounding in naviga tion, radar, communications and air manship. Training helicopter obser vers on a fixed-wing aircraft may seem strange, but the Royal Navy has successfully used Sea Princes for some time. With the introduction of the Jetstream, and its dramatically im proved avionics and wider flight en velope, the Navy hopes to improve the quality of its training. Eventually 750 NAS will operate 16 Jetstream T.2s, which are modified by BAe's Scottish Division from surplus RAF T.ls. Two fully instrumented navigation consoles are installed in the cabin. A MEL E190 radar is mounted in a thimble nose extension with dis plays on each console. A Decca Doppler Type 71, fitted in an under- fuselage bulge, feeds the digital Tac tical Air Navigation Systems (TANS) as well as providing groundspeed and drift information. HF communications equipment is carried, allowing the air craft to operate farther afield. Conversion from T.l to T.2 has resulted in a weight increase (zero fuel, two crew) of 7701b, but this makes no significant dent in perform ance, the Navy claims. Maximum all- up weight has been raised by 1,5401b to 13,2301b, increasing range/endur ance or payload (more crew members can be carried on certain training flights). Culdrose receives fairly raw stu dents, and Observer School chief in structor Lt Cdr Douglas MacDonald emphasises that only the basics of maritime helicopter observing can be taught. Five intakes of ten students each are put through the 22-week course every year. After an initial intensive three-week ground course the students begin airborne training with two familiarisation flights, one day and one night. Ten radar exer cises follow, giving the student experi ence of ground mapping and homing 750 NAS's Sea Princes (foreground) have relatively low airframe hours, but the avionics are antiquated compared with those of the Jetstream T.2 (background), which is now taking over RN observer training on to a surface contact. Navigation is covered in 22 local-area exercises, fol lowed by three "landaway" missions, when the aircraft makes a stopover at another airfield. One of these exer cises involves an overseas flight, norm ally to Gibraltar. Rounding off the course are eight tactical navigation exercises in which the instructors change the flight plan in mid-flight, leaving the students to conclude the sortie. Students go on from Culdrose to advanced and operational flying train ing at Portland, Dorset, where they first meet the helicopter. Some stu dents are axed after the Culdrose course, while others go forward with a recommendation for special atten tion. In the past the failure rate to the advanced training stage has been 41 per cent, but it is too early in the Jetstream's life to see if this figure will change. Some instructors feel that the student is now being asked to absorb more through the expanded avionics in the Jetstream, and they would like to see the course extended. The Jetstream has a very compre hensive nav/com fit, including stan dard airways equipment. Performance is much improved over that of the Sea Prince', with a 24,000ft ceiling and 240kt cruise. Bad weather is now less likely to affect training as the aircraft can climb above any turbulence. Stu dents can also familiarise themselves with airways flying techniques, and operation at speeds higher than those previously possible. Lt Cdr Neville Featherstone, Com mander 750 NAS, describes the Jet stream as being "a very suitable fly ing classroom," although he admits that the handling can be "demanding," especially when landing in turbulence. The Royal Air Force has had problems with the Jetstream's Turbomeca Astazou turboprops, but the Navy has been pleasantly surprised. So far only one engine has been rejected in 400hr of operations. Maintenance is the responsibility of civilian contractor Airwork. The first Jetstream T.2 arrived last October and for the re mainder of 1978—before the first stu dents arrived—the aircraft were "flogged to death," according to Featherstone, with no hitches. Since then a number of snags, mainly in the avionics, have cropped up, and some are proving difficult to solve. The task of Jetstream pilot training (a 25hr course) also falls on 750 NAS. Most pilots are ex-helicopter and come to Culdrose with 35hr twin- engine training on Devons. To get the unit started, seven pilots were trained by the Royal Air Force at Leeming. To these have been added three Culdrose^ trained pilots, and an 11th pilot will soon be on strength. Tracer . . . Tracer . . . Tracer . . . Tracer . . . Tracer . . . Tracer . . Flight-testing of the McDonnell Douglas F-18A continues at the Naval Air Test Centre, Patuxent River, Maryland. The first prototype has reached Mach 1-7 at 40,000ft, pulled 5g and reached a maximum height of 45,000ft. US Navy test pilot Lt Cdr John Pagett has become the first ser vice pilot to fly the aircraft. At the end of 1978, 416 of the Royal Air Force's effective aircraft strength were more than 20 years old. Half of the aircraft involved had been con verted from earlier models during their service life. Ten types are in volved: Canberra, Chipmunk, Devon, Hunter, Meteor, Pembroke, Shackle- ton, Victor, Vulcan and Whirlwind. The Aerospatiale Fouga 90 proto type flew 17 spins of up to five turns during a trials session at Istres earlier this month. French Govern ment pilots also made three evalua tion flights. Spin entry and recovery characteristics are described as "satis factory for a trainer." The aircraft is developed from the Fouga Magister.
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