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Aviation History
1980
1980 - 3431.PDF
J 844 Mixed fortunes for US Big Three TOTAL Boeing sales for 1980 pro jected at just under $9,500 million— compared with last year's $8,130 mil lion—are slightly lower than those previously expected, and reflect deliveries which will not now be made until 1981, according to chairman T. A. Wilson. In the first half of 1980, Boeing returned strong earnings figures, but the three months to Sep tember 30 produced a profits growth of only $140 million, a little more than 5 per cent above 1980's performance. Outstanding firm order book is worth almost $20,000 million, up some 10 per cent on last December. Profits in the first nine months this year are put at $435 million from sales of $6,800 million. McDONNELL Douglas net income in the third quarter of 1980 is worth some $12 million (down more than 75 per cent on last year's $49 million) after writing off $32 million on the continuing high cost of introducing the DC-9 Super 80. Sales over the year so far are up 15 per cent at more than $4,500 million. Order backlog is said to be worth almost $9,000 million. New aircraft deliveries in the period were down from four DC-10s and nine DC-9s last year to eight DC-lOs and four DC-9s. No new orders for D09s were received in the three months to September 30. Orders for 1,061 DC-9s (and conditional orders and options relating to a further 27 machines) were outstanding. A total of 948 DC-9s has been delivered, the company reports. The DC-10 order book stands at 361 (plus 25), of which some 332 have been delivered. Romania takes over Orao? ROMANIA may take over production of the Orao light-attack aircraft developed in co-operation with Yugo slavia. Both countries have ordered initial batches of 25 aircraft, but Yugoslavia is said to be unwilling to buy a second similar batch. Romania is thought to want 25 aircraft a year for the next four years and to have dropped the Orao designation. FLIGHT International, 15 November 1980 LOCKHEED earned profits of SI-8 million on $3,900 million worth of business in the first nine months of 198C, the low earnings reflecting a $158 million write-off against TriStar excess production costs. Last year's corresponding figures were $23 million profits from sales of $3,000 million. A new seven-year bank credit agreement increases the company's unsecured credit to $850 million, with total debts standing at $720 million. Interest paid in the first nine months amounted to some $76 million. During the three months to Sep tember 30, Lockheed received new orders and folio ,v-on contracts worth more than $1,000 million, while sales in the period are put at a value of $1,300 million. Funded backlog is worth $5,600 million, of which some 43 per cent comes from the US Government. A similar proportion comes from foreign countries with the remainder accounted for by domestic commercial customers. Not included in the funded backlog are TriStar options and $2,800 million representing other programmes that are under contract but for which there are not yet allocated funds. NOVEMBER 9, 1980, marks the pass ing of an era—to be remembered for the last revenue-passenger flight of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner which flew in 1949. Particularly so in my own memory (writes Chris Kjelgaard, born 1956) for 1 was privileged to be among the 119 passengers who paid tribute to this important aeroplane (and £34 to Dan-Air). I was on board Comet 4C G-BDIW's last working flight (a round trip from London-Gatwick), along with Flight colleagues Graham Cowell, Steve Piercey and Richard Whitaker. India Whisky was completed in 1962 and delivered to the RAF as XR 398 before Dan-Air purchased it late in 1975. Although this particular aero plane is a "mere" 18 years old, the flight marked almost 30 years of ser- Goodbye, Comet vice by the Comet airliner, since BOAC's Comet 1 G-ALYP first flew passengers on May 2, 1952. The type was out of BOAC service from 1954 until 1958 following the accidents to the early Comets, but the RAF operated Comet 2s from 1956. The Comet re-entered service as the Series 4 in 1958. Dan-Air Captains John Kelly and Simon Searle flew the aeroplane for the occasion, with the equally enthu siastic aid of senior flight engineer Gordon Moores and stewardess Val Barnett. Their intention was to put the lightly loaded and fuelled Comet 4C through its paces; it is not every day that airline pilots get the chance to show off an aircraft with as much spare power as the Comet. Most normal passenger-comfort conventions UK vintage aviation movements AFTER fourteen years Shuttleworth Collection general manager David Ogilvy is relinquishing his full-time post, but will not sever his connec tions with the Old Warden-based vintage aviation organisation. The new general manager is Wg Cdr Trevor Oakey, who takes up his duties this month, while Wg Cdr Oliver Wells continues to chair the executive com mittee. David Ogilvy has been appointed editor of Light Aviation magazine and will continue in a part-time capacity as a consultant on historic aviation, air display management, aerodrome operations and related subjects. Retiring editor of Light Aviation Godfrey Harwood was also company secretary of UK Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. New secretary is Derek Jones, formerly attached to Mona Flying Club on Anglesey. The third member of Aopa's management executive committee with Jones and Ogilvy is chairman Ron Campbell. • The Strathallan Collection's Dick Richardson is leaving the Scottish museum to become general manager of the Canadian Warplane Heritage organisation in Hamilton, Ontario. were clearly understood to be waived for this very special charter, from the first moments of the flight, much to the pleasure of the enthusiastic passengers. Capt Kelly rotated India Whisky after a take-off run of only 1,800ft, and I experienced the peculiar but exciting impression of looking almost vertically down on the tail section from my aft-facing seat in row one as he held the aeroplane in a 45° climbout. India Whisky was well above 1,000ft (or was it 2,000ft?) as we cleared the runway end and flew out to the east. The flight was tremendously enjoy able, highlighted by a full-power climb- out overshoot from 400ft on Heath row's Runway 10-Right approach, an overshoot at RAF Brize Norton, and a fast low pass at RAF Lyneham. All in all, it was by far the most exhilarating airliner flight I have experienced. After landing again at Gatwick, and the still-excited passengers having dispersed (eventually), India Whisky was towed away in preparation for its final flight to the Dan-Air mainten ance base at Lasham, along with its sister aircraft G-BDIT. Its fate is still undecided—one of Dan-Air's five remaining Comets is to be preserved and private buyers may purchase one or two more. The scrapheap seems an unfitting end for such an aeroplane. • That refined de Havilland form, coarsened a little by the needs of modern warfare, will fly on into the 2000s as the Nimrod.
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